It has been a while since I last wrote.  I have just finished the time trial out here at Redlands which I will touch upon later.  What have I been up to since I last wrote? 

As I wrote I arrived back home from training in Florida to the snow storm that hit TN.  I tried to head down to Jackson, MS, to get away from the snow, but it ended up snowing down there the day I arrived.  I was able to get in a couple days of training before heading back home to Memphis. 

I did a training race in Memphisand was very proud of my little brother Jonny who finish 8^thin the “B” race.  I raced the “A” race.  A break was established on the first lap which I bridged across to towing along several riders.  Patrick Harkins of NashvilleCyclist was already in the break.  The five in the break worked well together, but each lap it seemed that we dropped a rider until it was down to three riders.  Patrick Harkins, myself and a local rider who rides for Memphis Motor Werks.  With two laps to go the Memphis Motor Werks rider rotated through less and less.  I wanted to drop him, but I didn’t want to drop Patrick, who I wanted to keep on to the end and he was riding strong and working well.  It was a lot of fun to be in the break with Patrick.  We ended up towing along the Memphis Motor Werk guy to the finish.  I was stuck leading out the sprint which I expected.  The sprint favored me since it was a slightly up hill finish.  With about 300 meters to go I jumped, but found myself way over geared to really open up the gap and the local rider came around me right at the line. 

Patrick’s handle bars had come lose which took him right out of the sprint.  He rode well and earned a well deserved 3^rd place.  I had a great time and it was a well organized race. 

The week after, I went down to Louisiana, to race the Roubiax down there.  It would be my longest race so far this year.  It would be 103 miles with several sections of gravel and dirt.  I had a good race and was able to make the final break of 10 riders.  I was fortunate finishing 9^th.  I just didn’t have any legs to sprint.

Then I left for my Dad’s training camp he holds each year in Arizona.  We have a good week of riding in the warmth with some good climbs.  The week was fun with a lot of good weather and riding.

From ArizonaI headed out to start my first NRC race of my career.  I had never done one so I didn’t know what to expect.  I knew I still had some base hours to build so I was leery of the length of a couple stages.  Stage one was a 3.1 KM prologue, followed by a 105 mile stage.  Then we would do a 9 corner criterium with the last stage being a 94 mile stage. 

I just finished the TT and didn’t do as well as I had hoped.  I still have to learn not to go out so hard when it finishes with a climb.  I hit it hard and caught my 30 second man and 1 minute man.  But, by the time I hit the finishing climb I was starting to fade.  I finished 79^th out of 189 riders at 1:10 down from Ben Day the winner. 

For my first NRC time trial I was happy and the team rode well.  I will write more at the end of Redlands updating how I finish or didn’t finish.

Nathan Brown

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