2018 Stats

     While this year felt more like riding down in the valleys than up on top of the mountains like the past two seasons, it is still worth reviewing and being grateful for. A lot of fun was had in the 42 races I was able to do. That number is down a few from last year, but not too bad for running on a smaller budget with less time to devote to being on my bike. I found myself on the podium 11 times. I stood on the top of the box just once, but that win was so much sweeter because of the hard work it took to get there. There were two more DNFs than the zero I strive for each year, but both were mechanical failures far from the finish line and not really much I could do about them. I didn't voluntarily quit and that is what matters to me. I ended the year with a finger injury, but neither DNF was because of it. I was top 5 in both of the series titles I went for (DINO Series & Montgomery Bell Winter Time Trial Series), and on the podium with a third in the series I didn't intentionally aim for (TBRA Cyclocross Series).

     I want to thank Maxxis, First Endurance, and MOAB Bikes for their support over the course of the year. Give these guys a look when you have a chance as they have been great to me and very supportive of growing bike racing in general over the years I have been involved with them. I hope I represent them well and we can keep building our relationship in the years to come.

     I think my best performance of the year was at the DINO at Potato Creek State Park. I didn't win it like th eyear before, but I rode just as hard and maybe even a little faster. I was third this year, but only because the two ahead of me improved. There was a lot of improvements in the DINO Series this year and props to everyone for stepping it up and making the series more competitive and more fun. The Pro/1/2/3 race at Cross the Harpeth was also a pretty good day for me, but I don't think I had the legs to dig as deep as I did at Potato Creek.

     My award for "Race of the Year" in 2018 goes to Gateway Cup. That race is always near the top of my list, if not in the #1 spot. It's hard to beat four days of highly competitive, fun races in a great city, with fast courses lined with some of the best fans in bike racing. Those four neighborhoods are always so welcoming to us. It's refreshing just to get away from the worries of work and just focus on bike racing and fun for a few days. Great job and many thanks to all who make the Gateway Cup possible each year! It must be a massive undertaking.

     Here are the stats for races and finishes in 2018:

Total Number of Races: 42

Race Breakdown:

XC:12
Short Track: 0
MTB Time Trial: 4
Endurance XC: 0
Downhill: 0
Super D: 0
Criterium: 14
Road Race: 0
Road Time Trial: 3
Cyclocross: 9

Wins: 1
Top 3s: 5
Top 5s: 12
Top 10s: 23
DNFs: 2

     That's a wrap for 2018. On to 2019 and another feeble attempt at getting this blog back to being current: Thanks for reading!

Cross-mas

      The end of 2018 was relaxing with some fun riding. I attempted to start a tradition with the Christmas Light Night Ride. Dina and I did the first one. We invited others, but nobody came. The ride started just after dark a week before Christmas. We cruised the local roads around Pleasant View in search of Christmas light displays. It was a fairly warm day, but the temperature dropped quickly and made for a chilly ride. The city posted a Christmas Light Driving Tour map on Facebook that we used as a base for our ride. We found some good displays, but I think Dina saw more than she wanted. We ended up out there for over two hours and came home cold with drained light betteries. I loved it though and I hope we can do it again next year.

Santa is riding a chopper at this house

A very bright, yet clean light display

One of the bigger displays in town, complete with music.

Looking across a pond at a yard full of lights and decorations

The Grinch thieving some lights

Video: Some footage from the first Christmas Light Night Ride

     The final week of the year was spent in the yard doing some cyclocross. I have now accumulated enough course tape to set up a course that feels like real cross. The yard was looking legit! We had some freeze-thaw the night before the first of our backyard fun races which helped make things slick and challenging to ride. There were several run-ups and off-camber sections that had me off the bike on my feet. It was a tough course, but fun, even for a chunky guy in my current poor state of race fitness.

Backyard tape maze

Taking advantage of the dam that forms the pond seperating our house from the neighbors.

Off-camber slickness

     It was cross training camp at the Greer's, resuming the following day with another fun race. While some of the family joined on day one, I was alone on day 2 as it was cold and nasty. I added in more climbing today and it turned into a tortuous route on soggy grass. It was a cold slog, but again, plenty fun.

Day 2 around the back of the house

Running the PVC barriers and entertaining the neighbors

The off-camber was even more wet and slick today. It was great!

Running the dam again today.

    We took a break from cross for Christmas Eve. I rode up to the family dinner. It was a short, but eventful ride. It seemed as though every dog in the entire area was out in their yard. I got chased more times than I could count. One dog was the biggest dog I have seen in a very long time. He was a huge pitbull and was standing in the road when I came around a corner. He had the upper hand so I turned around as there was no way I was getting by without actually stopping and fighting this dog. He ran back to the house, thinking he had done his deed for his family and ran off the bike rider that was threatening his territory. When he got to the house, I took a second run. He saw me and started for the road. The good thing about big, musclehead dogs is that they are slow. If you get the jump, you can easily outsprint them. It was like a scene out of "The Sandlot" as this frothing giant came at me, but I got by before he reached the road and sprinted away. I'm not much for running away from dogs, but fighting this one would not have ended well. He would still be chewing on my bones right now as I right this.

     Christmas morning we had breakfast at Dina's house with some of our family. My grandmother bought me a pink bunny suit just like the one Ralphy wears in "A Christmas Story." I have no idea why. I never even really like that movie. She claimed I told her years ago I wanted the pink bunny suit. So, she waited until I was 32 years old and then she got it for me. Strange. I guess it goes with the whole onion she cooks for me at Christmas dinner that I hate, but she is convinced I look forward to each year. I have had to resort to throwing the onion out when she's not looking so I don't hurt her feelings.

     After Christmas breakfast, it was more cross, this time over at my parents' house. I set up a giant spiral kind of like at the Cross the Harpeth races, only I made mine square. I was alone on a dreary day, but the spiral was super fun. The next day was better weather with some sunshine and 54 degrees. The whole family came out for this one. Everybody loved the spiral. We had the whole family out there winding back and forth through the field. It was a fun few days as I got in four days of cross out of five.

     We visited Shannon's family in Indiana a few days after Christmas. I took my bike and trainer, but did not get in any ride time. I got a sore throat right as we left and it only worsened while we were there. I spent a lot of time sleeping and most of the awake time watching college football as I didn't feel like doing much else. Shannon woke me up one day when I was napping the Sudafed sleep. She told me to come outside. I get out there and everybody is ready to take a family picture. They were all dressed nice. I was in jeans and a Smith & Wesson hoodie. Oh well, it just goes with the way most of the family thinks about their Tennessee redneck in-law.

We made a stop at the Indianapolis, Indiana Temple on the way up to Elkhart.

The Toney family portrait. Redneck on the left.

     That wrapped up 2018. I was glad to see this year go and was ready to charge into 2019 upon our return from Indiana. A stats post is coming soon, then the adventures of 2019! With 2020 being quite dull with quarantines and cancelled events, it'll be a good time to write about 2019.