tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-31007339881277499092011-04-21T22:30:23.990-04:00Welcome to my first ever attempt at a blog. My name is Alvaro Arnal and I am a first-year professional cyclist on the Rite Aid Pro Cycling Team presented by Shebell & Shebell. The plan is to use this blog to write about my racing experiences as well as share general thoughts. Enjoy!Alvaro Arnalnoreply@blogger.comBlogger351100tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3100733988127749909.post-1317576682760286702008-02-05T09:29:00.000-05:002008-02-05T19:56:35.746-05:00

Just getting back from the Tour of The Bahamas, and I'm crispier than a conch fritter. Overall the race went really well; our boy Jake "The Breeze" took home a big trophy for 3rd place which was a nice bonus. Jake has multiple nicknames as I've come to find out, which I think is a direct correlation to how fast you are. Me, I have one nickname, so that's a start I guess.Now here comes the

Alvaro Arnalnoreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3100733988127749909.post-19154030459143414722008-01-31T12:18:00.001-05:002008-01-31T13:00:34.734-05:00

Today I turn the ripe old age of 27. I'm long past those birthdays that actually mean something in life: at 16 you get to drive, at 18 you're legally an adult, at 21 you can drink alcohol (legally), at 25 your car insurance rates go down. At 27, you're just another year older.

Alvaro Arnalnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3100733988127749909.post-57301280070617025852008-01-30T15:43:00.000-05:002008-01-30T15:44:47.035-05:00

Check it out: Rite Aid Pro Cycling presented by Shebell & Shebell

Alvaro Arnalnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3100733988127749909.post-45022621473939406772008-01-25T09:00:00.000-05:002008-01-25T09:02:50.150-05:00

After riding with the team at camp this past weekend in sub-20 degree weather, going out this week under sunny skies and temps in the 30's doesn't feel cold at all. In fact, it's downright balmy! Leaving for the Bahamas in a week; I can't wait to see what the temperature shock flying down there is like. Even worse is going to be the temperature shock flying back!

Alvaro Arnalnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3100733988127749909.post-86039290714442014622008-01-21T12:13:00.000-05:002008-01-21T12:38:38.802-05:00

And no, I'm not talking about the gangsta rap group with Easy E, Dr. Dre, and Ice Cube, cuz dey be ill comin' straight outta Compton, yo (ps - I'm white). I'm talking about NWA Airlines, the "baggage-losing, we-don't-care, pretend-to-make-up-for-it-and-then-screw-you-over" airline. That should be their slogan.To make a long story short: rewind to January 2007. Eric and I flew on NWA to Calgary

Alvaro Arnalnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3100733988127749909.post-45608962782212780652008-01-20T20:02:00.000-05:002008-01-21T12:53:21.424-05:00

I'm just getting back from Rite Aid's first team mini-camp which took place in fridged College Park, MD. Despite the cold I had a really great time! I finally got a chance to meet a bunch of the guys on the squad who I've never met before, as well as get to know everyone a lot better.Saturday started off with introductions, photos, and getting information about the team. Then the Vellum guys

Alvaro Arnalnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3100733988127749909.post-59104648963932096332008-01-19T23:48:00.000-05:002008-01-21T11:50:52.951-05:00

Well, the Mac is cool, but some issues with iWeb kept me from being able to post to my site from any location, so I'm back to good ol' Blogger. Now that the season is starting back up I think I'll have a bit more to write about.

Alvaro Arnalnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3100733988127749909.post-32467260461054399412007-12-19T15:33:00.000-05:002007-12-19T15:38:11.870-05:00

Wow it's been a while since I've posted here!The day finally came when my trusty Dell laptop started dying. I've been shopping new laptops for a little while, and I finally took the plunge and made the switch to Mac! I'm now the proud owner of a MacBook :)My MacBook also came with a pretty cool website development app, so I'm moving my blog over to my new site: www.alvaroarnal.com The new site

Alvaro Arnalnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3100733988127749909.post-91522971947476910862007-11-09T12:40:00.000-05:002007-11-09T12:54:59.656-05:00

After much indecision, contemplation, frustration, and consternation, it's now time for celebration! I've decided to sign with Rite Aid Pro Cycling for the 2008 racing season. Rite Aid is a growing professional cycling squad that is aiming for big things in 2008, and I'm excited to be a part of that!Riding with Rite Aid will give me the ability to succeed and develop as a rider in the pro ranks

Alvaro Arnalnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3100733988127749909.post-77810410060674096812007-10-23T09:32:00.000-04:002007-10-23T09:43:28.138-04:00

Today was a gym day, so I rolled my carcas out of bed at 5:00AM to get on my bike and right out to the weight room. After an hour-long session of lifting heavy metal plates off the ground, I got back on my bike to ride home and shower before going to work. As soon as I leave the gym, there's always a line of traffic backed up at the traffic light about a half-mile away from the bike path that

Alvaro Arnalnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3100733988127749909.post-18374340700522837232007-10-19T09:10:00.001-04:002007-10-19T09:18:58.468-04:00

Today is just one of those days. Easy recovery spin on the schedule. It's raining outside. Just got done with a long week of training. I'm sitting here at the office with my legs up, in my most convincing "I'm relaxing but still working hard" position.After work I'll head home, take a nap, and get up in time to cook a good meal. Maybe some salmon; I'm pretty sick of chicken. Maybe I'll have

Alvaro Arnalnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3100733988127749909.post-11046774535963312732007-10-11T13:50:00.000-04:002007-10-11T14:02:27.366-04:00

Hey everyone,It's been a while since I've posted here. The racing season came to an end with the Yuasa Crit, and I took a couple of weeks off the bike, rediscovering my love for good beer, fatty foods, and lots of wine! Not much has happened in those couple of weeks, aside from a bit of weight gain! I still don't have a contract signed for next year, but it looks like I'm getting offers from

Alvaro Arnalnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3100733988127749909.post-22892495767106703322007-09-20T09:08:00.001-04:002008-08-05T10:34:19.564-04:00

Everybody has addictions in life, vices that your brain thinks you can't survive without. For some people it's coffee. Some alcohol. And some are addicted to cocaine. My addiction though comes prepackaged in small jar. It's easy to buy (no deals on dark street corners), but one taste of this creamy, hazelnutty, chocolaty spread and you'll be addicted much worse than the java nut, the alky,

Alvaro Arnalnoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3100733988127749909.post-74831960579804189112007-09-17T12:35:00.001-04:002007-09-17T13:04:10.787-04:00

This past weekend was my last weekend of racing on the road for 2007, and boy am I ready for the break! I've been going full-tilt since March with no break in between and now I'm mentally and physically in need of some time off the bike.Saturday was the Furnace Creek Park ITT; a 20km event that was a LOT harder than I was prepared for. Lots of steep kicks in along the course that challenged my

Alvaro Arnalnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3100733988127749909.post-3483965629600152112007-09-08T18:24:00.000-04:002007-09-09T12:58:08.184-04:00

The Univest Grand Prix is a UCI race held in nearby Souderton, PA which attracts pro and amateur teams from all over the world. I was lucky enough to be invited to race in this high-caliber event with the CRCA/Empire team; a very talented amateur team based in NY, NY. The course itself is a 70-mile loop with 3 very hard KOM's, the most difficult of which is the second: Eichele Rd. which has

Alvaro Arnalnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3100733988127749909.post-23798237921633414902007-09-03T13:09:00.000-04:002007-09-04T10:15:13.877-04:00

Just getting back home from defending my PA State Time Trial Championship. I'm happy that I was able to win today, but I can tell from the way my legs feel afterwards that I'm ready for the end of the season (2 more weeks to go!). Then I'll get a nice break off the bike before starting back into cyclocross.The time trial course itself was actually a lot harder than I thought it was going to be.

Alvaro Arnalnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3100733988127749909.post-65398848517163444832007-08-21T09:22:00.000-04:002007-08-21T09:30:21.618-04:00

For the past four years, Human Zoom Cycling has raised money for and participated in the MS150 City to Shore charity ride. The donations to this event help the National Multiple Sclerosis Society find a cure for MS, as well as support people living with the disease.Please extend your generosity and make a donation to this wonderful cause. Clicking on the link below will take you to my donation

Alvaro Arnalnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3100733988127749909.post-36621115933269120222007-08-20T11:26:00.000-04:002007-08-20T11:36:35.807-04:00

I just heard back from the Regional Coordinator at USA Cycling that my Category 1 upgrade has been approved! Cat 1 is the highest level of amateur cycling; next step is Pro!I received the email containing the good news while sitting here in my cube, and broke out into an office dance while my co-workers looked on in amazement (I think they were jealous).

Alvaro Arnalnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3100733988127749909.post-73625016392598045892007-08-12T21:12:00.000-04:002007-08-16T09:30:47.948-04:00

Good times were had at the Tour de Christiana this past weekend. The ToC is a 2-day, 3-stage race in the heart of Lancaster county. Amish cycling fans abound; I always enjoy racing in Lancaster because all the little Amish kids come out of their houses and cheer on the racers as they fly by. Being out there also gives you a chance to really appreciate the different culture and the lifestyles

Alvaro Arnalnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3100733988127749909.post-41991576600250254772007-07-29T21:44:00.000-04:002007-08-03T10:20:58.622-04:00

Now in Sunday's criterium it was our job to protect Brady's GC placing, and try to put him into a position to get a couple of more points. It was going to be tough though since Brady is a self-admitted non-crit racer. His lanky physique gave that away as well... it was going to be a tough day! After yesterday and the day before, my role changed from team leader to riding in support of Brady

Alvaro Arnalnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3100733988127749909.post-84063968876851617182007-07-28T21:43:00.000-04:002007-08-03T09:44:44.246-04:00

Saturday was a new day though, and also the toughest day of Tour. 76 miles over 3 tough climbs. Now this was more my style! We rolled for about 35 miles before hitting the first climb: Blue Knob. Keith and John did an awesome job of helping to control the pack on the flats so that Brady and I could just hang out and conserve our energy for the climb. They were all over the front controlling

Alvaro Arnalnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3100733988127749909.post-67973851257034902582007-07-27T20:57:00.000-04:002007-08-03T09:43:39.273-04:00

This past weekend was the 3-day Tour de 'Toona points race in Altoona, PA. Keith, John, Brady and myself made the trip out along with a bunch of other team folks racing in various categories. 'Toona is a very fun race, albeit a bit hard to ensure that you place well on GC because the overall is based on points, not time, which means that you have to place top 15 in every stage to get a high GC

Alvaro Arnalnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3100733988127749909.post-31432908058998117032007-07-21T17:27:00.000-04:002007-07-21T18:39:12.932-04:00

Today's Robert Fulton Road Race, the Pennsylvania State Road Race Championships, was obviously a big goal for the Human Zoom/Pabst Blue Ribbon cycling team. We showed up to the race with a full squad, as did all the other big teams from the state. It was time for war.Our team's plan was to be aggressive; control the front of the race at the start and put me into the break that would hopefully

Alvaro Arnalnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3100733988127749909.post-37055373001291729122007-07-13T21:00:00.000-04:002007-07-16T17:49:50.719-04:00

That's twenty-five one-hundredths of one second. It's the amount of time it takes lightning to strike. It's shutter speed. And on today's date of Friday the 13th it was the time difference between 1st place and 3rd place at the Elite National Time Trial Championships; and I drew the short stick:1. Karl Bordine 29:48.272. Russ Langley 29:48.353. Alvaro Arnal 29:48.510.25 seconds. It's starting

Alvaro Arnalnoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3100733988127749909.post-63330790451612652022007-07-01T23:31:00.000-04:002007-07-02T11:31:13.836-04:00

Today was the 4th and final stage of the Fitchburg-Longsjo Classic Stage Race: the Worker's Credit Union Downtown Criterium. I had some work to do today; yesterday I dropped down to 8th on GC. I wanted to try to get a couple of spots back, and I also had to worry about not losing a few spots to guys who were only a couple of seconds down on me.I don't really consider myself a criterium racer,

Alvaro Arnalnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3100733988127749909.post-28643911587922529712007-06-30T21:00:00.000-04:002007-07-02T11:41:09.184-04:00

Today was the big one: The Wachusett Mountain Road Race. 92 miles of pain and suffering climbing up the steep slopes to the base of the Wachusett Mountain Ski Resort 8 times and then all the way up to the mountain summit on the last lap. This is the stage that always shakes up the GC at the Fitchburg-Longsjo Classic, and it held true to tradition today.Being without a team for support, my plan

Alvaro Arnalnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3100733988127749909.post-78254728010753921482007-06-29T21:20:00.000-04:002007-07-05T17:21:18.925-04:00

Today's second stage of the Fitchburg-Longsjo Classic, the Fitchburg State College Circuit Race, was held on a 3.1 mile loop that finished on a steep, punchy hill. The Men's 2 field did 20 laps; 62 miles. Riding in the orange Leader's Jersey and only 5 seconds up on 2nd place, my plan was to stay tucked away in the pack today and conserve my energy for what will surely be a tough day

Alvaro Arnalnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3100733988127749909.post-55267135321849124262007-06-28T20:37:00.000-04:002007-07-02T11:33:43.890-04:00

Today started the 48th annual Fitchburg-Longsjo classic. Originally this race was supposed to be a team goal for the Human Zoom/Pabst Blue Ribbon Elite Team, but work/family commitments forced the rest of my squad to bail, unable to take a half-week of vacation to travel up to Fitchburg, Massachusetts. The Longsjo Classic is one of the premier stage races on the east coast; all the big teams

Alvaro Arnalnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3100733988127749909.post-17917915440185775952007-06-12T11:29:00.001-04:002007-06-12T11:42:21.190-04:00

Every Saturday morning there is an "unofficial" TT run by some of the local cyclists on West River Drive in Philadelphia. It's a good chance to get out on the go-fast bike, test new pacing strategies/equipment, get in an LT test, and show off your stuff. This past weekend was the "official" time trial run in conjuction with the Commerce Bank Philly race: the Lincoln Mercury Amateur Time

Alvaro Arnalnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3100733988127749909.post-42670308042300528652007-06-03T16:18:00.000-04:002007-06-03T17:24:23.982-04:00

It sucks. Being sick and racing a bike is like driving your F1 car on the Nurburgring race track and realizing that you don't have 6th gear. You want to push harder. You know you should be able to push harder. But you just can't; your body won't let you. It's frustrating.Today I went out to do the New Jersey State Time Trial Championships; a 40km course. I don't live in NJ, so I had to

Alvaro Arnalnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3100733988127749909.post-82442142293312191822007-06-02T19:25:00.000-04:002007-06-02T19:50:00.163-04:00

This past week I got my new time trial bike from Cannondale: a Six13 Slice with full Dura-Ace and an SRM! This thing is PIMP, and I'm totally grateful to Bryon Kremer and Cannodale for hooking me up. I spent all night Thursday building it up with the new USE aerobars, a Bontrager disk and Zipp 808 front wheel, and then Friday went out to tweak my position. Here she is:Saturday morning I took

Alvaro Arnalnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3100733988127749909.post-203168776671961092007-05-29T11:13:00.000-04:002007-05-29T11:22:46.213-04:00

Saturday was the Hills of Somerset County road race; an 80-mile jaunt through 14 counties in the heart of New Jersey. It was a very cool race for me; we had a rolling enclosure on open roads, so there was an armada of motorcycles and cop cars in front of the peloton to clear the roads for us. This races is a Pro/1 only race with special invites given to cat 2 teams, and our team got an invite,

Alvaro Arnalnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3100733988127749909.post-48062418996235311742007-05-21T12:03:00.000-04:002007-05-21T13:12:41.534-04:00

Sunday I went out and raced the Carlisle 40KM time trial as a prep for Nationas and to see how my form is coming along. This was the first 40K I've done all year, so I was eager to see how I would run.The Carlisle course is on rolling roads with mostly elevation gain on the way out and then generally downhill on the way back. On Sunday the roads were wet from morning rains (which stopped just

Alvaro Arnalnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3100733988127749909.post-8393865528631576072007-05-10T14:33:00.000-04:002007-05-11T08:56:49.832-04:00

Just a funny quip. Looking on the USA Cycling website today, I noticed that I'm the #1 ranked category 2 rider in the country for the individual time trial. Kind of cool!Road Mens Cat 2 Individual Time Trial Rankings

Alvaro Arnalnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3100733988127749909.post-79340722668144337192007-05-09T09:01:00.000-04:002007-05-09T10:15:52.597-04:00

Last week we went out to the Tour of the Gila in beautiful Silver City, New Mexico. This is one of the premier stage races in the country, and an NRC event, so all the best Pro teams showed up. I competed in the Men's 2 category with two teammates: Chad and Nick. Gila is a 5-stage race starting with a time trial, then 2 mountain stages, a crit, and finally the "Gila Monster" mountain stage.

Alvaro Arnalnoreply@blogger.com1