Ben Mingo

Just Chillin

2010-04-26T19:08:00.000-07:00

Only two races I did this year were walkersville and tysons. Came in 6th overall in the 4/5 race 1. Was pushed off a wheel and into the wind coming to the finish and then was boxed in at the end and still managed a decent finish. Tysons was pretty boring, I would line it up on the false flat uphill but, then everything would come back together during the downhill to flat straight away. Been going to school and working 30 hours at starbucks so I haven't been able to train since tysons or race. I managed to go on the 10:00 am ride this Saturday which was a lot of fun, but rode to defensively cuz there a lot of harley guys there and clean currents, but both teams seemed like they treated it like a rest ride. My favorite moment was when we were coming back and a clean currents guy and I think chuck hutch or another harley rider went off the front and were gaining time on the uphill hill then down hill. The chase began and soon people were spreading out, I somehow managed to grab wheels right to the front and then bridge to another guys trying to bridge on this downhill. I then was able to shoot right off the front and bridge to the harley and clean currents as they were navigating a tricky corner. As we started this long uphill (near the end of the ride, place where people sprint and theres a light up top of the hill), I was very tired bridging, but didn't want to just be a wheel sucker so I tried to pull through once or twice, but the harley guy sensing my weakness probably from my loud gasping of air began to up the tempo, with a modest acceleration. I knew that this was the key moment to the group ride and this break was going to stay away and I gave everything I had to try to stay with them, but I was just to weak. I was destroyed and decided to just look back and to my surprise the pack was 30 seconds behind. I let my speed slip to about 10 mph as I gulped down air and just barley managed to jump back on as the main group was turning up the intensity to catch the 2 riders off the front. Eventually the group did catch the 2 guys off the front, but the light deserves most of the credit.

Anticipation grows....

2010-04-06T15:50:00.000-07:00

Counting down the days till walkersville and tyson's where I can test the legs and see how I stand in the cat 4 field. Felt strong last year in the cat 4, but didnt manage to yield any results really. I feel pretty decent right now, but my sprint is lacking so we will see. Also for people who dont really know me that well this winter I upgraded or downgraded from a colnago to cannondale because some recreational bitch joined our group ride and took me out on a turn destroying my colnago frame and back wheel. But all is good now that is past and it now time to focus on this weekend of racing.

TO ------------------>>>>>>

2009-06-05T16:53:00.000-07:00

DC VELO RIDE FTW

2009-05-27T16:08:00.000-07:00

I took off another day school as my only assignment left is to write 2000 word research paper (besides the point). I went home ate my lunch surfed the internet and then wtf! saw it was 11:35, and I rushed out the door to hopefully not miss the velo ride again. I started bookin down mcarthur hoping to make it in time for the start at goldsboro and bradley. On the way there I kept looking at my speed seeing it was a constant 22 mph, I was at the pace where ur trying to book, but not lose any matches if that makes any sense. during the long boring route there I started to day dream of down grading to cat 5 and then soloing the entire field as a usaull cat 5 race averages 22-24 mph. I got there with at 12:03 with 2 minutes to spare, as I waited for others to show. 12:07 no one in sight, I left the intersection thinking of how greg faber might of actually lied to and made me miss another wednesday rock creek ride yet again. I ended up turning around and actually waiting until 12:15 for people.

Legs feeling pretty good, I decided not to waste this perfect temp and just do some intervals on great falls. I ended up doing 2 repeats and decided to call it quites. For me, nothing pushes me to new thresholds than going with riders who are better than me and making me fight for my life on the back of the pack. As I started heading back to my house I see 5-6 riders coming towards me and notice 2-3 are dc velo riders. I jump on the back as we make our way to great falls for some climbin. I decided to sit on the back and see what this ride was about. The great falls hills put me in some pain but I felt good leaving. As we rode on the flats I assumed we were just gonna head back to bradley and goldsboro but I was wrong. We instead made made this one left that I ended up going on this side road with a hill that I never rode before. Not knowing where it was going and being in a lot of pain I decided to ditch the group and head back to macarthur. as I chill rode I soon saw the group come back to macaruthur and I caught back on. Some guy told me this was the last side hill, put in some serious pain again, I decided to call it quits for good.

Guess I'm just trying to say how DC Velo is going to be new lunch time ride. Gonna try italian store ride when I get bored of this ride, but right now its good. I also prefer this ride as I find it harder than the noon ride where my expierence sitting in just doesnt give me that same the pain this ride gives me.

schedule for following days:

thursday: hains point, only little bit tho
Friday: no ride

Saturday: Race
Sunday: if weather is good I'll spin my legs a little

Monday: spin legs if I didnt do it on sunday other wise I'll take this day off
Tuesday: Jr group ride in Vienna
Wednesday: dc velo ride
Thursday: dc velo ride
Friday: off
Saturday: Race
Sunday: hopefully ncvc group ride

New Beginning "I am theLightning"

2009-05-14T19:04:00.000-07:00

Having Just picked up my bike from the pro shop with a brand new campy cassette and carbon handles bars thursday night, I was truly blessed having Noel and everyone who worked there look after me. I was already feeling good that I only had to pay $370 to get a new campy cassette carbon handle bars (carbon pro fsa), fix my headset that couldnt turn and then put all that stuff on. And Then Noel gives me 2 new continental tires for free. God DANM thats like free $120 dollars right there. BTW I guess I'm kinda connected with Noel since I go to school with his daughter and when my older brother was really into cycling they used to race togther. My older brother went domestic pro for 1 or 2 years and made barely enough to survive, and then realized doing that took the love out of cycling. Unfortunatly My dad and my older bro have been in long fight for about 7 years and my brother is still unwilling to make amends. So last time I saw in was like 3 years ago at my brothers bar mitzvah. So after I write this blog I'm going to ask my sister for his email and write to him. Now onto race report of smoketown crit:

Unlike many of the Mabra races where we are over represented, it was only David bondkin and I representin, so we lined up in the back and the race got underway. This was a 4/5 race (18 miles), but I am pretty sure that it was mostly 4's since there was a cat 5 race right before this one and I would think a cat 5 would prefer to do a cat 5 race unless his was wicked strong. Before the race the ref counted about 55 people lined up and 42 people so not bad. The race was basicly flat except for this slight up hill to the start finish and a 180 turn before the slight uphill. The race started with usual fashion with some attacks going but all none threatening and everyone in the pack seemed to know that it was going to end in a sprint and the race seemed just to be a battle for postioning. All the laps seemed to follow the pattern of fast up the slight incline and then slow on the slight down hill, making the slight incline actually hurt me. Before the race I vowed to take a bigger role than I did in the syn fit, so during the race I always made sure I was near the front kinda and not taking anywind. The 50 dollar preme bell went off and I wasn't in the greatest postioning, but I decided to go for it and came across the line with like half of matches burnt. Had to take a couple laps to recover, but I felt fairly decent. As the lap counter started to go down I started to become more concentrated and trying to find to find the perfect postioning. I also found my self singing this epic song to myself (muhammad ali video) "I am the lightning" I was pretty sure to have a chance you needed to be in the top 10 around the 180 turn to have a shot at the win. As we spend downhill to the 180 turn I saw someone pass me on the right, got on his wheel and followed his prefect line around the 180. Right after the turn everyone started sprinting and I soon found the 2 people infront of me basically die and right when I was about to pass them a guy came to the one side that was open for me to pass them and basically just stayed there making me unable to pass those suckas. Don't get me wrong I was in a lot of pain, but I had the potential to get 5th, but im okay with 7th, just wish I could of had the abaility to write on my facebook status of Ben "in the money"

I soon found my self after about 10 min lined up for the 3/4 race (25 miles). Already tired I knew it was going to be a struggle to survive. Looking around I only saw about 5 riders from my previous race. After 3 intense laps the group of 60 riders or so had split into 2 groups. 17 riders in a break. But to my god given suprise the break worked together and stayed away. Only 2-4 riders were able to successfully bridge up. In the end the break finished with about 12 riders. I eventually found myself off the back with 5 to go, but was happy I survived that long. The cat 3/4 was a lot more fluid race without any of the stop and go of the cat 4/5 and it was cool to follow lines where people actually knew what they were doing.

pic of race course
http://pa.christiancycling.com/race/

Races in the near future

2009-04-15T19:31:00.000-07:00

Races I will be attending in the coming month (The Syn-Fit Criterium) Maybes --> Tour de Ephrata Michael P Murad Memorial Road Race

it seems to me all the races around the dc area that are coming up seem to be flat and fast. While I do enjoy this every so often what I really love is a a good race with some hills, but not too much. Examples of these are poolesville road race, tysons, and anything not flat which = boring to me. Looking back at my results last year some of best results came from flat races such as ride sally ride, crit and Murad Memorial Road Race. Even with some good results at these races, I would still prefer to have a good race with some hills here and there. My serect to good results for flat races is to conserve is much energy as possible, not do any work and then 1/4 of the race left move up to the front if youre not already there. I am currently not planning to race Tour de Ephrata unless I place top 10 in The Syn-Fit Criterium and then I will consider making the trip up there to race. Looking at the race calander all of my favorite races are 6/15 to end of season, so I will be mostly focused on getting better and not results. My intense training will consist of tuesday junior ride, goon ride on thursday and hains point at lunch when I get the chance after AP exams are over.

Walkersville and Tysons

2009-04-10T07:43:00.001-07:00

Walkersville: I first signed up for the 4/5 race but didnt register in time leaving me on the waiting list at 13th seed. While, I really really wanted to compete in the 4/5 I didnt want to drive an hour away just to be told I didnt make so the race so I went with my defualt by signing up for the juniors race ughh. A typical Junior race goes like this: go slow until someone attacks and then everyone chases until one or two guys get a gap. Then team whos teammate isnt represented in the break chases while the 10 or so riders chill behind him. So in order to be good at juniors race you need to have a good jump and have your time trial down. Our race started as typcal; only 8 juniors, going very slow, some attacks now and then. the first attack came by steven K who couldnt get away namely because everyone knew he was fast so his wheel was marked very tightly. Getting aniouxous I soon followed with an attack of my own and found my self every away from the 7 junior riders. 2 choices:

1) go back to the group since we still have 38 miles of racing to do and and I wanst the strongest rider compared to the others

2) start bookin

I went with option 2 and I got in my tuck and tried to get away. I stayed away for 6-7 miles and at one point has little over 35 second gap. It was awesome. there is no feeling like it being ahead of everyone else and have one motorcycle next to you because youre owning so much. Good things soon came to an end when I was caught by the juniors and 60+. In the end I came in 3rd and got cool medal. As Chris Abbey would describe this race by saying "can't really say it was fun".

Tyson's: Came in 8th out of 24th for the juniors. Not to much happened in this race since these 2 fast dudes from annapolis basically shut the race down and made it come down to a sprint.

Tuesday Juniors Ride

2009-04-02T15:27:00.000-07:00

Went on my first Juniors practice ride last Tuesday at 4:30. Living in DC and school ending at 3:15 makes it very difficult out to get out to Vienna, about 13 miles away. But with my good manipulating skills I was able to get my dad to write me a pass to leave school at 2:45. riding down to Georgetown and then taking WO and D to Vienna took about 50 minutes with stop signs and red lights (made sure to take it nice and easy). Think about 13-15 juniors were there which was a nice turnout. After long warm up we broke up in 2 groups which were:
group 1: Nate, Steven B, and Steven K

group 2: everyone else

Not sure what group to choose, Steven B convinced me to try group 1 and if I got dropped could just wait for group 2 to pick me up. We started riding and basically the 3 riders I mentioned in group 1 started taking turns pulling hard at the front, we were going fast and I was in the back holding on, but felt pretty good. Things took for a turn for the worse when Steven Black came blazing down on a descent and took a small gap ahead of us, but was then chased down pretty quickly. I then took hold of steven B wheels but a gap soon emerged with Steven K and Nate W in the front. Steven B started chased them down but took like 2-3 minutes to catch back on. While this may seem fine, I assure you it was not. Not taking any time in the front I was already struggling and then to ride behind Steven B who is like 5,5 and beding down to get areo does not help the wind restiance as mich as you would like when we are a averaging speed of 25-30 with rolling hills. After 6-7 miles with group A i got dropped :( But its okay, because those guys are really fast and I was happy to be riding with them
I then rode with group 2 and took a lot of time in the front to get a good work out in. I then rode back to DC with Andrew (I think) who is racing age 13 or 14. Look out for him, he was riding fast for being his age and about to begin his first year of racing. Anyway, I wont be able to come out this tuesday for Jrs ride because of AP chem lab after school. MY new goal now for this year now is to able to finish a ride with the A group.

Weekend

2009-03-08T17:01:00.000-07:00

Not sure how to start my first blog, but I am going to just let everyone know that I'm already feeling a little nervous so I'm just going to start rolling. Having the nicest weekend weather for this year I felt I needed to take advantage of it. Hearing that a marshall ride was taking place, I sent email to my ncvc 4,5 group asking for a ride. Getting no reply via email (thanks team) I quickly sent a txt to steven B if I could cop a ride out to marshall.
After getting ride to steven B house that morning I quickly did some math in my head and realized we weren't going to make it for the 9:00 am group ride start. Realizing this, I informed Steven that we were going to miss ride, who then told me we weren't going with that group, but with NCVC elite team. pretty slick move to pull on new cat 4 rider... We ended up getting to marshall around 9:05 and I got to meet some of the ncvc elite riders who all seemed pretty legit.
Anyway, the NCVC elite team and I got going and after 15 minutes of warming up we started brining up the speed and attacking each other. After around mile 20 I slowly peeled off the back and made my way back to the car (jk) . What actually happened was the NCVC team rolled out and it was very chill with lotta talking going on. I took turn on front for a little but went a little to hard and ended up suffering as I regained my oxygen drafting them. Realizing I was the weakest rider, I knew it was going to be very unsmart to take the wind, so whenever I got to front I ended up pulling through and then falling to the back of the group. Yes, I felt like a little bitch doing this, but I knew it was neccesary for the greater good of the group. We got to the first hill and elite team started booking and i eventually fell off the back but stayed with this one guy and i finished the first hill, but felt pretty strong when I was going up it. Getting near the 2nd hill Steven and I decided to let the elite riders go ahead and decided to finish with other ncvc group that was there. Riding the last 15 miles back to the car Steven took the front and managed to drop the other 15 riders while I managed to wheelsuck steven back to the car. Climbing the 2nd hill and last 15 miles back to the car my legs felt very heavy, but other than that I felt good.

Trade Zone Race
On saturday night I told my dad he needed to drive me to the 3/4 race on sunday, telling him I wanted to leave 9:15 so I could get a good warm up. The following morning for some reason we both were slacking and I ended up getting to TZ at 10:06 and had to line up for the race w/0 any warm up. My goal: not to get dropped. Last season I upgraded to cat 4 and ended up getting droped in 2 or 3 cat 4 races before the seasons end. I ended up not getting dropped, but not doing anything either except finish around 20th, out of around 50 people. But I was happy to complete my goal, so if the weather is nice out, I'll be at next TZ race this sunday looking for good result.