Somewhat Idle

I hate this time of year, with the shorter days and longer hours at work it makes it super tough to get a ride in. I will ride in just about any weather but sometimes weather plays a part in that role as well. I am trying to focus that frustration into goal oriented thoughts and future training plans but it's tough when there is so much good food around this time of year. Right now I feel like a dog on a chain when it comes to riding my bike, going for a ride and doing a training ride are totally different and I want a lot of training. It is super early but after a year of hardcore riding it is hard to not want to rip your legs off every chance you get.

I also hate that so many races have their regestration so early in the year, I understand they need to get the ball rolling and I totally respect that. I just don't like the fact that I won't know my schedule for sure serveral months out so it makes it tough to commit to some races. The biggest factor for me is I may have to go ahead and pay several hundred dollars in January to register for the races I want to get into and that can be taxing in itself. It's the way it is and I'll deal with it but I can still complain!!! I have not nailed down many races for next year for sure yet, the only one for sure I plan to do is Dirty Kanza, I will try to get back out to Indiana next fall to do that 24 hr again. I would like to do 24 hr of Wausua but it falls on inventory (for work) again so that would be super tough, but hey I might not be working there when that race rolls around. I had some early thoughts about trying to qualify and race at Nationals in Idaho, that would be an experience that I would love but I'm not sure that will happen this go around and that is okay.

I don't know exactly yet but I will probably have a different look next season, I won't give any details until I have decided for sure. No this change doesn't involve a change from 26" to 29" (Although I haven't thrown in the towel on that one), I could really use 3 more inches..."I was in the pool"!!!

I figured I better post something on here since it had been awhile and the last thing was about my pup, who by the way is laying across my neck and chest as I type this.

She's A Lover

I know this is a cycling blog but our pup will be spending some time with me on the trail (plus this is my blog!!!), Selma is getting bigger everyday. She is able to jump on the couch with ease and this morning actually made it up on our bed, she had to get her rear feet on the frame but she made it up all by herself.

Right now she is laying on Jonas on the couch, I think he is using her as a heating blanket. I let her lay on my chest last night while I was on the couch, she was nice and warm. There is no doubt she is a pup, when it is time to play you better be ready to play...she is a hoot.

Just Hanging

I purchased a new saddle for my cross bike, a Fizik Airone. It was scheduled to arrive on Tue or Wed but it still hasn't arrived so I am hoping that it will get here today. I guess the USPS forgot that I am the only person on the planet and they have other things to deliver as well!!! Not a big deal I just want my new toy, what am I 8 years old....I must have grown up. I bet Santa has the Postal workers humping it this time of year, he better not be sitting on my saddle. I'm going to be pissed if it smells like sugar cookie and hot cocoa farts, I plan to put my own savory blend on it (I don't know why nobody wants to ride my bike when I offer it).

Off Is On?

I know a lot of guys are still racing and their fitness is awesome right now but I am in my off season, I would rather be racing cross but work just isn't allowing it right now so I am doing what I have to do. I can't complain because I have done a lot of races this year...but I always want more. I went out and rode the loop today, it took me almost as long to get dressed for the ride as it did for the ride (and it wasn't real fast!!!). I wanted to make sure I was warm enough that the ride was enjoyable, I have done enough rides when the temp is anywhere from 10-25 degree's and I have gotten so cold that I hurt something fierce. I wasn't going to look at my computer to see what my avg was but as you can probably guess I ended up looking. The ride started out into the wind that was blowing out of the West/North West, it wasn't the strongest wind but it was still pretty stout. After being off the bike for nearly 3 weeks this was my 4th ride in 5 days and my legs were reminding of that as I was grinding into the wind. Taking into consideration the extra efforts this week, the wind, and the cooler weather I guess my avg wasn't too bad but I have to remember it isn't always about numbers. I am getting saddle time and burning calories, I can tell I am burning more calories because I am hungry all the time it seems. I was eating all the time while off the bike but I wasn't hungry...just bored, or maybe I am just used to eating all the time.

Where Am I?

I keep checking this site and waiting for the author to write some more posts, wasn't sure what his deal was and then I realized....Oh Crap, I am the author. I have been a little distant in the biking world here lately, just needed to be off the bike a couple weeks and took the opportunity to pursue another hobby of mine for a week. No the other hobby is not eating although I mastered that as well and I am now paying for it, I am feeling FLUFFY!!! I ended up being off the bike almost 3 weeks and my first ride back was frustrating, I had no rhythm, legs, or lungs. I rode the next day in a powerhouse wind and it was brutal. Both rides started with lactic threshold and I really enjoyed the pain, I just wasn't used to it that early in the ride.

What would be ideal for me in 2011? A new 29er would be awesome but I am not going to hold my breath, it may happen but maybe not. I may put an upgrade or two on my Epic instead...or maybe not, just not sure yet. I really want a new bike but I have to be able to justify and afford it, but I keep telling myself it doesn't matter what bike I race on because I am not going to get beat by a bike. Whether I'm riding my Epic or a Huffy my bike will have the same engine. I know a guy that reminds me "It's all about the engine". I don't know if we want something bigger and better (usually something we don't need) because we are human, or if it's because we are Americans (shut up Mitch). I have a couple changes for my cross bike lined up to better prepare for the 2011 edition of the Dirty Kanza 200.

Molly and I will be married for 15 years next September so we are planning on taking a trip, we may take it in the spring or summer due to schedules. As far as racing I am not sure what 2011 will hold, I am planning on Dirty Kanza in June and I want to do at least one but hopefully two 24 solo races. Beyond that I just don't know yet, it is still early.

Her Name Is Selma

Since we haven't had a family pet in about 5 years and since I haven't bought a new bike recently we got ourselves a puppy and named her after a bike!!! We took the name from Salsa Cycles and named her "Selma". She is a Weimaraner/German Shorthair mix and is 6 weeks old. We were told that she was dark grey but she looks black to me (we don't care either way).

Here is a picture of Brady with little Selma, he was pretty excited to get home from school and see her for the first time. Molly, Jonas, and I picked her up in Lawrence this morning while the older kids were in school.

Below is Emma posing for the camera with our new pup, Jonas missed out on the first round of pics because he had passed out on the couch from the hectic day and being on the road.

Go With The Flow???

Have you ever been on a windy road ride when the urge to pee makes you stop along the side of the road? Have you ever stopped and while straddling your bike started to pee only to realized mid stream that the wind was blowing piss onto your handlebars? NO?!?!?! Oh.......uh.....yeah...uh....me either.

2010 BT Epic

This past Friday Molly and I loaded up and headed South to Steelville, Mo for the Berryman Epic. This isn't just a great race but a time to hang out with great friends and ride bikes, I was missing some of my other friends that weren't able to make the trip though. We arrived shortly after Lyle and Cathy and I decided to go on a short ride with them on a section of trail that was not on the race course, it had some gradual climbing and some fast flowing sections that eventually popped out at an outlook point that had an awesome vantage point of the valley below. We rode very casual and had a good time riding and talking and oh sucking down the dust from the leaves as the rider in front was kicking it up on the downhills. The rest of the day was spent relaxing, prepping gear, and eating!!!

Our cabin was basic but pretty nice although you could hear an ant fart echoing off the walls during the night, or maybe it was the raccoon that was whacked out of his mind after it got into Denny's GU and Clif Shot Bloks. I was up early and was trying to decide what to wear for the race, there had been rain in the forecast and the year before it was wet and cold. It was pretty warm that morning but I was concerned about rain and the temps dropping later in the day so the only extra clothes I wore was a sleeveless base layer that later in the day I wish I had not put on. I did send multiple options of layers to the checkpoint with Molly just in case.

We all gathered around for the riders meeting and during the middle of this the start line began to form and I was not in a very good position. The line formed way up ahead and I was toward the back and there were several people off to the side ahead of me and I could tell that it might be an ugly start. I knew that the first gravel climb would separate things but I didn't want to be buried and having to switch back and forth thru the gravel. The said a firecracker would be the start but I think it was a freaking stick of dynamite or something...holy cow that was loud. After I nearly crapped my pants I took off, we started on paved with a 90 degree left turn onto another paved road. Right at the corner an inside line opened and many riders were going very casual so I turned on the jets and was able to hit that line and it slingshot me past several riders and to my amazement the outside line stayed open and I was able to clear many more riders early. Denny had warned me that when we hit the gravel it was going to be deep and loose and he was not kidding, I did my best to let my bike float across it and tried to keep some speed. Soon we were at the base of the gravel climb and I had forgotten just how much of a climb it was...then we turned the corner up the hill and it was staring me right in the face. I wasn't sure how the day would go so I wanted to go out hard and not get caught behind slower riders once we hit the single track so I really turned it loose on the gravel and passed a lot of people. I played leapfrog with some of the riders as we would pass each other back and forth and eventually the 3.1 miles of gravel ended and we were into the single track. The group I was riding with backed off a tad once we hit the single track but we recovered very quickly and the pace was soon high again. I found some opportunities to make some passes so I did when I could and would try to make a gap between that rider. About 6 miles in I caught up to Zach Brace and he actually said "Do you want around Dude?", I couldn't believe I was able to keep up with him told him I was fine on his wheel for now. I am not the strongest downhill rider but I was doing a great job so far in this race, Zach had pulled away from me a bit on one downhill and I was letting my Epic eat up the trail to try and catch him when I went into a downhill left hand turn at a screaming fast speed. In an instant my bike washed out from underneath me and I found myself about to bounce off the forest floor. Without even thinking my reflexes threw my handlebars out and away from me (I would have landed on them) and then threw my arms up to avoid impact with my left shoulder. I really watch that shoulder since I dislocated it and instead sacrificed my chest and chin to the ground. I couldn't feel any blood but it seemed like my lip should be bleeding and my right thigh landed on my bike and that didn't feel much better!!! I jumped up and jumped back on the bike and realized I had dropped my chain so it was back off the bike and put the chain on, at this point I had three riders go past me but I was back on course within a few seconds.

I have to say that I was rattled from this spill, it wasn't an awful wreck but I lost a lot of confidence in the loose downhill sections. I was running Specialized Armadillo Fast Traks, I was glad I had Armadillo's on but I really wish I had Captains because I feel like they are a more aggressive tire with a stronger outside knob to help control those loose turns but guess what...I didn't have them so I did with what I had (which is still a great tire). I felt pretty good once I got to the second check station but I could feel myself slowing the pace a bit. A few miles in I was having a lot of pain in my right thigh from where I had landed on my bike, I wasn't able to lift and lunge without extreme pain and doing risers on short power climbs was out for sure. And then the real pain set in, I started to cramp in my hamstrings on a long climb but I was able to push through on that hill. I popped some Endurolytes and kept grinding along but soon found myself in some of the worst pain when both hamstrings locked up and I was all but screaming in agony out on the course. It hurt like hell and I did my best to walk straight legged to continue on the course, the pain eased a bit but it was still very painful and I got back on and just started to peddle. I was able to get the pain to a manageable state but my climbing was limited the rest of the day, I was able to do it but I could not get aggressive at all. Soon I was on the gravel and then a section of paved road. I caught and dropped a rider on the paved section and about a mile later I looked back and saw a rider in the distance getting closer, I remember thinking that surely that guy didn't get a second wind because he was hurting when I went around him. I turned up the long paved climb to the last checkpoint and when I was about 50 yds up the hill I looked back and her comes Denny charging for me like I stole his beer (It's not just for breakfast anymore). He quickly caught up to me and we talked a minute about the cramping we both had experienced I told him about my wreck and he told me about his as we continued up the hill. He powered on ahead and I did my best to just keep pedaling and soon I was at the checkpoint.

The last section of the race is the most technical and it isn't that it is really tough but when you are tired and there are a lot of leaves on the trail it can be a little hairy. Denny said it best, that if the trail was clear of leaves and we were just going there to ride and we were fresh then that would be an awesome section to bomb down on our bikes. About 1/3 of the way through the last leg I was going very slowly and I remember thinking that I just wanted to be finished but like several times in the past I caught a second wind. I was able to carry good speed through some sections and did my best to climb without blowing up. Coming through the last section of single track I caught another rider and when we popped out to a grassy section he went the wrong way and I thought about letting him continue but I just couldn't do it. He pulled well ahead of me on the long service road climb out of the valley but I caught and passed him on the gravel but I was loosing steam. He caught me back and gapped me, I surged and started to reel him in a few times but he stayed on the gas and I was unable to pull him in. Coming into the finish line (into the wind) I was so ready for the race to be over. I had a great race and took 45 minutes off my time from last year and finished in 5 hr 34 min, I can honestly say I left everything I had on the course. I had enough salt on my forehead to cure a ham for Christmas!!!

I was really sore the rest of the day and on Sunday, of course all of us had to sit in a vehicle on the ride home which didn't help our stiff muscles. We went to a church hayride on Sunday evening after we got home and I had Jonas on my lap and Brady under my left arm and I was sitting kind of weird on a hay bale and it was causing my left hamstring to get really tight. I thought it was going to lock up on my again, I'm glad it didn't because I didn't want the pain and I figured that a church hayride wasn't the place for me to jump up screaming "Mother F#$%#$%"!!! Today at work I think I can say that this is the tightest my hamstrings have ever been, I was not enjoying walking around today. I did about 30 minutes around town today on my road bike at a very easy pace just trying to flush some of the acid out of my legs, I have to say it felt pretty good but my legs are still pretty tight...it only hurts until the pain goes away.

No Whammy

After yesterdays BT Epic I had a dream that I was on a game show and had to pick a prize from 1 of 3 doors. Behind one door was a race pace mountain bike ride, behind another was a gallon of pickle juice I had to drink and keep down, and behind the last door was a kick in the nuts. The producers told me I was the only person that they have ever seen saying "Come on kick in the nuts"!!!

More updates to come from the 2010 BT Epic.

BT Epic This Weekend

I guess we will see if I can remember how to race my bike, I am not worried about the distance but just concerned that I might not have the deep inner desire to rip someones legs off. It is hard to stay competitive all year long and I have had some great races this year so maybe getting out on the bike and having fun will be enough?.?.?.

Anyway it is a tough course with a lot of climbing so my legs better be ready for it. I don't plan to really preride this year, I will probably just ride a couple miles to stretch my legs after the long drive down. Last years 25 mile preride was not good for me and the race the next day, but it is what it is and I still had a pretty good race. Last year I told Doug that Epic stood for "Everyone Paddling In Canoes" because the area was FLOODED and I have never crossed so many water crossings in a race. Denny and I were riding together in the race when Mike Clausen tried to ride a man made bridge (we were told not to ride them) and ended up taking a bath in the creek....I hate to say it but it was pretty entertaining.

What Is It Thinking?

I have spent a lot of time in the woods and I have spooked a lot of deer and of course they run off but I have also spooked some deer while out mountain biking. Obviously I am not gaining on them as they run away but they are not creating quite the gap they would if I was walking and it makes me wonder what exactly is going thru their head if it seems they can't get away fast enough.

Yep, I didn't have anything else better to think about!!!

.....

Do You Feel Fast?

Ever since the 24 hour race it seems all I do is eat and not ride my bike very fast, it's pretty depressing. I have had a rough stretch at work and it seems it isn't going to get any better, I'm not sure I'll have a job at the end of the month (I only have been there 16 years) so let's just say I have some anger issues right now. I am trying to use those emotions in cycling but I haven't found a way to harness them yet, instead I seem to stare at the wall. I did buy a new handgun and after 100+ rounds the other night I was feeling pretty good, those pieces of paper didn't have a chance!!!

As you can probably tell I haven't been feeling very fast lately, in fact I'm concerned that Berryman might be a let down after the season I have had. I feel a little extra pudge around the mid section and just don't have much time to ride with a new work schedule. I looked in the mirror and realized I don't look fast either, I have let myself go and was looking pretty shaggy so I got out the clippers and got to work.



That's a pic of what I got done so far and that was just from my ASS!!! I was concerned that my chamois might feel different so I put on a pair of bibs and I a taint tell a difference.

Some Cool Memories

As with anything bike racing and bike related trips can make for some great memories that will last a lifetime. I took some pictures the other day of some of the items I have currently on display in my house. First up is the pint glass that I got for finishing the Dirty Kanza 200, I thought it showed best full of rock since it was a gravel road race. I also ordered the special edition of XXC magazine and have it on display with the pint glass. I also stuck one of my maps from one of the legs of the race inside the pint glass as well.

Next up is my team Trek VW jersey that is signed by Chris Eatough, who is by far my favorite mountain biker, I felt like a kid when I went up to Chris and asked him for his autograph. It was our first trip (Mark, Tim, and myself) to the Lumberjack 100, there are a ton of memories on this trip alone (what happens at Lumberjack stays at Lumberjack!!!). Starting with the all night drive and traveling through the tail end of a massive storm that hit the race site and left an unimaginable 11 inches of rain. We had to take a detour and still had to drive through water across the road in several places. I remember thinking that we just drove all this way and they are going to cancel this race, to my surprise other than the 200 yds of flooded area we were racing on an almost dry course. Many sections the rain made it faster due to the sandy soil base. After the race we went to the post race festivities and I took along my Trek VW jersey in hopes that I could get Chris to sign it. It's kind of funny because sitting across from Chris was Jeff Schalk (the race winner who also raced for Trek VW) and I bypassed him to ask Chris for his autograph. It may have been nothing but I do remember him kind of looking at me funny, I'm sure he was thinking "Hey, I won this race", but then again Chris is a 6 time World Champion. Do you like the custom made frame? Tim made that for me, he did an awesome job.

This is a a few pictures from Cruise The Blues, this particular year I raced as a team with my Dad, this was his first experience of this kind and we had a lot of fun. He told me later that early on his first lap he was thinking "What did I get myself into?". He rode great and we had a blast and walked away with a 2nd place team finish. I had another 2nd place medal from a solo race the year before so I hung on the frame as well. The year before was a fun trip too, only Mark and I went out West to race that year. We drove out the night before in my truck and I have fork mounts in the bed of the truck, I had laid my front wheel under my bike and even had the thought that I hope my tire doesn't for some reason hit my chain ring....guess what? I did!!! We got up race day morning to the front wheel of my bike flat due to a sidewall cut compliments of my chain ring, I pumped it full of air and tried to get it to seal and it was fine until I put pressure on it. It was entertaining to say the least because it would spray out as if it had a pulse, it would shoot out a foot our so every few seconds (pretty cool to watch). That was the year that Mark took a header onto a big rock and busted open his chin but that wasn't the end of the race for him, he went on to overtake the 4th place rider on the last lap and found himself in the money on the podium. After the awards we packed up and headed to the hospital so he could get some stitches, that is after he harassed the doctor a little bit. We waited a long time in the ER for the doc, turns out he was mowing his grass!!! The doc came in with street clothes on and sandals and had a ring around his ankles from dirt, Mark asked him if he had been racing his bike too!!!

This last pic is from the 2009 Lumberjack 100, I did a little detailed finish work with my finishers patch, it looks great on the wall.

So many riding experiences with friends, I have only mentioned a few here. Of course a couple more that stick out in my mind happened early this year in Oklahoma, there was 8 of us (I think) that drove most of the night and we arrived at the hotel around 4 a.m. We had canceled one of the rooms since we were going to arrive so late and 4 of us slept in the van in the hotel parking lot. Jan came out the next morning and being the silly guy he is looks in the van window and says "Is that a condom?", it was hilarious. Then we had Lake Denny right at the back door of the van!!! Speaking of Denny, his maiden trip on "The Kevinator" will stick in my mind as well. I was off to the side (on the Sally route which changed from the time I was there before, the arrows painted on the rock took you off a 3-4 ft drop...I don't think so) and was watching Denny start the drop in and as he was going through he started bouncing a little bit and then disappeared behind the massive rocks that make this awesome hill. I watched below the rock but he didn't emerge. Turns out he actually had to lay it down and ended up cutting his tire (we had a great view up there while he changed that flat). I have a lot of respect for him because he tried to ride it, that's more than I can say for me!!! And the really cool thing is that there are a ton more still to happen.

24 Hour Of DINO Race Recap

Going into this race I had no idea what to expect since it was my first race of this kind, I knew it was going to be painful but that was about it. Molly and I arrived early in the afternoon on Friday, in fact the course had not been marked yet but that was okay because I hadn't planned on riding the full 13 mile course. Shortly after arriving one of the local riders asked me if I had been there before and I told him no, he said that I would want to see the "Waterfall" on the Cliffside trail because it had a 90 degree drop into a narrow rock shelf with a rock wall on your left and a 50 ft drop on your right, and if they received the rain that was forcasted then this was going to be a really nasty spot. I decided to suit up and go ride the trail, I was a bit nervous about the spot he was referring to but when I got there I soon saw that it really wasn't too bad. It could be a big accident waiting to happen but I never looked down when riding it and was able to get through it with no problems. The course was a blast to ride, it had a touch of everything except rough technical stuff. This course had so much flow to it, it started out with quite a bit of a rocky section (reminded me of Crowder) and then a short somewhat steep climb (had some rock in it) and then into nice flowy single track with gradual climbing. During the pre ride and the first couple laps I could hardly tell I was climbing (every lap after that I swear the hills got steeper and longer and 13 miles felt like 15 or 16). There was an aid station set up about half way through the course and once we reached that point most of the climbing was done, then it was back to flying through fast flowing single track....it was a hoot to ride. The last four miles was on a section called "Shadow Run", it started with a bit of climbing to the top and then some fast flowy single track along with some really tight and twisty single track that you could still carry a lot of speed through....fast and fun. Then the last mile was almost all down hill and it was screaming fast, there was one turn that I had to really watch my speed because it was a touch loose and I didn't want to go flying off the edge. Almost the whole down hill section had exposure on your left side so a bad line or if you got squirrely you were going to have a bad day. After the pre ride we started setting up our pit area, we were going to set up our camping tent to sleep in but with the rain in the forcast we opted to just put the air mattress in the back of the van since we didn't have any seats in the van, it worked out great. I guess we got a very small amount of rain Friday night into Saturday morning, about as much as a heavy dew. I might add that the ground was dusty dry there, we noticed on the drive in that most of the yards had burned up grass. Molly and I turned in early Friday night and got a pretty good nights sleep. Saturday morning early it was sunny and clear and then the gray clouds started to roll in and it was very cool out, I was nervous since the forecast was for rain, rain, rain. Around 7:30 it started to sprinkle and then came on a very heavy rain for about 8-10 minutes and then stopped but the sky was still gray and the threat of rain was still there. After about an hour the sky started to lighten up and finally the sun popped out, some people with internet on their phone said that the heavy rain split and went directly North and South of us.

Race start neared and the start of this race was a little unique, it had the typical lemans start but we had to take a part off of our bike and run with it and then once we reached our bike we could put it back together and take off. Soon we were all lined up and it was GO time!!!

I had no intention of running in fact I just did a light jog and was soon in the back of the pack, when I got to my bike I wasn't breathing hard at all but then I couldn't get my front wheel on. I started to panic but realized I needed to open the skewer a little more and it went right on. Starting out in the back of the pack was good because I wasn't caught up with fast riders pushing me to go harder than I should but tough because some of the riders I was behind were a little slower than I wanted to go. I slowly made my way up through the field when I could and finally got into a groove, maybe too fast. I almost backed off a bit but I was riding in second position of a train of about 5 or 6 riders and I would of had to stop and pull off to the side to let people around and I just couldn't do it. I never felt overworked during the first lap in fact it was a lot of fun, I kept the idea of 24 hours in the back of my mind and just tried to settle in to a nice pace.

I finished up the first lap, I pitted long enough to change bottles and say hi to Molly and then I was back out on another lap. Laps 1, 2, and 3 seemed to flow together really well, I was taking a few minutes for a break between laps and then about lap 4 I started to take a little longer for breaks. My back started hurting on lap two, which was a little discouraging, but then I remembered that I had the brain dialed as firm as it would go on my rear shock. I stopped and softened the rear suspension up it made a big difference on my back, the only bad thing is it made my pivots squeak a lot and it drove me nuts the whole time. I tried to shoot some lube into the pivots but I just couldn't get the squeak out of them, that was tough to deal with.

I don't remember exactly which lap it was but toward nightfall I started to get nasueous and let me tell you it is no fun to ride your bike when you feel like you are going to throw up, especially when you still have over 12 hours to ride your bike. The laps all seemed to run together so I don't remember which lap I went out with lights, I didn't use them until a little over half way through the lap, the next night lap I had a 12 hr solo rider come up behind me and he told me he didn't want around, he just wanted to ride my wheel if that was okay and it was fine with me. We talked for about half of the lap and then he backed off and I was all alone again. After that lap I decided it was time to take a longer break and put on some fresh clothes so I went and took a nice hot shower and put on my most comfortable bibs and a long sleeve jersey and it felt so good. I did one more lap and then decided to put on knee warmers, I left the pit with Mitch Johnson but he dropped me about 10 feet into the course. I came staggering in from that lap around 2:45 a.m. and decided I needed to lay down for a little bit. I had Molly set the alarm for about 1 hr and 50 min and we crawled into the van and I was out, when the alarm went off I had so many emotions flying through my head. I was so tired, sore, cold, my mental status was not at a normal level....a 24 hr race is brutal on the body but super brutal on your mind. I knew I needed to get up and ride but I think it was pure fear that kept me in the van, I had Molly set the alarm for 1 more hour and after a few minutes I was back asleep. When the alarm went off again I was not wanting to get out of that van, I was shivering inside the van, my legs and back were stiff, and I new my rear end was NOT going to like being put back on the saddle. I threw on a jacket and slowly took off, for the first 5 minutes I literally shifted every pedal stroke because my butt hurt so bad, I was dreading every climb and coasted wherever possible to save energy...needless to say it was a slow lap but the sun came up during that lap (that was a new experience for me). My next lap was pretty good, not blazing fast but pretty good and I took a good break after it as well, maybe too long. The next lap was my 11th lap and I took off like the start of the race and was feeling great for the first 2/3 of the lap and then I was wiped out again. When I came in Molly and Mitch J. said I could possibly get 4th place if I went back out, I didn't want to go back out but I wanted 4th place. We checked with the scoring tent to see if the current 4th place rider was out on course because he had finished his 11th lap at 4 something that morning but the scoring tent didn't know. We looked in the solo pit are for his bike number and couldn't find it so we didn't know if he was on course, or had left, or was pitted somewhere else in the park. I decided not to go back out because if he was on a lap the chances of my catching him (especially if he hadn't ridden since 4 a.m.) was not good, turns out he was done and I could have gotten 4th place. That is easy to say now since the race is over, I know I could have ridden another lap but it was going to be slow and painful (I had 2 hr and 8 min to complete the lap). I think one thing that made this race so hard (other than it was 24 hrs) was the fact that I felt like throwing up for more than half the race, I almost stopped on the trail and chugged my bottle and then was going to force myself to throw up to see if that would help. I wish I had gotten in more laps but 143 miles was still a great accomplishment and I am so pleased that I did this race. Mitch asked me afterwards if I was going to do another one and I told him I couldn't answer that question yet. One day later here I am and I can say that Yes I will do it again, I thought it would take several days before I would even consider it but it only took a few hours.

Below is a pic of Mitch "The Masher" Johnson, he is one heck of a bike rider and a super nice guy, I have gotten to know him this past year and I really enjoy being around him and the other St. Louis area riders. Mitch placed 3rd with 14 laps. Unfortuanately I don't have a pic of Todd Holtmann, who placed 2nd with 15 laps, but Todd is a lot of fun as well and obviously a great rider too.

Zach Brace finished 1st in the 12 hr solo with an amazing 10 laps. Greg Ott finished 3rd in the 12 hr solo with 9 laps. Todd Hecht finished 10th in the 12 hr solo with 7 laps. If you want to laugh and have a good time then Todd Hecht is the guy to hang out with!!!

What's For Dinner?

Hmmm, what should I eat??? Oh what's that, I should eat everything? Okay!!!

The Monday night ride was a leg burner on the way up and again for about the last third of the return trip home. I was pleased this morning when I got up and my legs were not shot, they were fatigued but it wasn't painful. Last night was my last hard effort before the 24 hr race which is less than 2 weeks away, I will still do some riding but basically to keep my legs loose and to keep the calluses on my ass intact. A few days after RIM I peeled enough dead skin off my ass to make a 2 ft snake blush. It wasn't so awkward using a mirror for this, it was more awkward that I was using the mirror outside the fitting room at Wal Mart!!!

I have been eating quite a few calories this past week but from now until the race it is time to really load up on the carbs. I just ate a bowl of egg noodles mixed in mashed potatoes....oh so good. I'll being eating dinner before too long, yes the potatoes and noodles were just a snack. Last night Molly grilled burgers so I had a couple of those with some mac n cheese and then finished it up with my peanut butter and Mr. Goodbar sandwich....man that's a good sandwich. I had a couple of these sandwiches at Lumberjack and Tim was in for a surprise when he almost ate one of my tasty treats.....I don't think he thought looked too tasty (of course it had been sitting out ALL DAY, at least it wasn't a tin of bubbling sardines!!!).

I'm In

I just registered for 24 hr of DINO, I'm excited and nervous all at the same time.....so basically how I feel a lot of days!!!

I am wiped out today, my legs are really feeling fatigued from the past couple days of riding, I opted not to ride today and actually took a 2 hour nap (that isn't normal for me). I woke up in a panic, I thought it was morning......YIKES....stupid naps!!!

Anyway, back to planning the trip and making sure I have my gear ready to go. We leave in 2 weeks and 2 days, I'll be ready to leave since I have to work 13 days straight up until we leave. I told a couple of the guys last night it was 11 straight so I was really ticked off when I figured it out this morning that I have to work 13 straight. At least only 12 of the 13 are 3 a.m. shifts!!!

Feeling Somewhat Lost

I usually have a pretty good plan leading up to a race, I don't always execute the plan the way I would like to but I do lay the groundwork. As with most of us there are always things that get in the way whether it's work, family events, mother nature, actually there is an endless list of things that can get in the way of training. I am less than three weeks away from my 24 solo and I really don't like that I don't have more long rides in right now but that isn't my focus as I near the race. I do get a bit discouraged when I read other blogs and these people are doing several 4-5 hr rides but I just can't get those in very often, I am very grateful when I can but it just isn't very often. That being said I am not very concerned about lack of long rides especially after having a really good race at RIM, I know I was in the worst pain I have ever been in on my bike but there were several factors in that race. I have watched 24 Solo (featuring Chris Eatough) dozens of times and he mentions that he will check over his equipment several times to keep his mind off the hard times to come during the race.

I think I am on the backside of my peak of the best shape I have ever been in but I think I am still very strong right now, as the race approaches I am trying to focus on the mental aspect of the race. Maybe because I have no clue what to do right now as this race is totally foreign to me. I'm still riding as often as possible, they usually only 25 miles or so but I am doing what I can when I can. I plan to sit down Wednesday and write out a pack list for the race, I am list kind of guy (drives some people crazy). I also need to plan out when I need to cut back on my riding leading up to the race, at least cut back on my effort during a ride. I have been on an eating frenzy since RIM, it has backed off a bit but I find myself eating a lot of junk.....tastes pretty good though!!! I plan to load my diet with a lot of brown rice, oatmeal, bananas, and other slow burning carbs probably toward the end of this week all the way up to the race. I still have some decisions to make in regards to my bikes, lighting equipment, and it seems and endless list of other items. I really am getting excited about the race but I have to admit it is a little scary too, I feel better that Mitch Johnson and some of the other St. Louis riders will be there. Not that they can help me it just makes me feel better that I will be suffering with other riders that I know, I just wish they weren't faster than me!!!

Back In The Saddle

After RIM I think my body was in a little bit of shock, I am still eating everything in sight even when I'm not hungry. I went out on the Monday night ride and at first it felt pretty good to be in the saddle but it didn't take long for my sensitive rear to get upset. It was a good ride with a good group to ride with, I did however ride too hard a couple times during the evening. The final 5 miles I rode a steady pace and let the group fire ahead on old 190, I told Mark afterward that it was hard to sit and watch that. I really enjoy it when the riding gets spirited and everyone starts using a little strategy along with some big efforts of pulling and pursing.

Tuesday I opted to rest which was a good idea as my hamstrings were still really tight. Wednesday I went out and rode the loop again but at a pretty slow pace, I didn't realize until I looked at my computer that I was riding "that slow".....but hey, it is what it is. I went back out tonight and rode up Y and then took A over to U and then U South to 190 and back into town on 190 and then rode thru town. I felt pretty good, my left hamstring was still tight so I would stretch it out while rolling a couple times. Even a slight South wind makes the ride on Hwy U tough, I think that is why I really like that route...plus I get to hit a couple big hills on 190 on the way back to town. I ended up with 36+ miles and avg 20.1 so I was pleased with that effort since RIM was only 5 days ago.

As I had stated before, I'm in for the 24 solo which is just over 3 weeks away....YIKES!!! I have been working on plans the last couple days, Molly and I are going to leave around Noon on Thursday Sept 9th and drive to Indianapolis and spend the night. I have booked 3 trips now with Priceline and have gotten some really good deals, I got us a room at the Wyndham for only $44. We plan to sleep late and then make the rest of the trip to Versailles State Park, which will only be about another 1 1/2 hr. The race course will be set up Friday afternoon and that is when I will be able to select a pit area. I will go and ride at least some of the course, probably all 13 miles but I will have to see what kind of time I have. It will be a very easy paced ride so that I don't dip into my glycogen stores very far, and then I will spend the rest of the day setting up my pit area and getting our tent for camping ready to go. Then I plan to sit around and hydrate and add a few more calories into my system.

The race will start at Noon EST and this race has a cut off of Noon on Sunday, if you don't finish your last lap by Noon...it doesn't count. If anyone wants to check on my progress throughout the race I will be giving Molly's cell number on the forum as we get closer so anyone can call or text her. I'm sure she would enjoy the interaction as she will be sitting around waiting for me.

RIM 2010....Oh God It Hurt

I have raced my bicycle for more than 12 hours more than one time but I wasn't quite prepared for the agony that was to come at Rapture In Misery this year. I have had a great season and my fitness is at a very good level and my weight couldn't be much better. I did have a little concern because I feel that I have already peaked, but my fitness is still high and I am still riding strong. It was hard to get extra calories and get super hydrated while doing trail work leading up to the race but I wouldn't trade it for anything, I really enjoy doing the trail work....especially when I get to enjoy the rewards of the labor!!! Friday night I drank a lot of water and I felt really good about my hydration, however the heat the next day would really test me physically. Saturday morning brought cooler temps than what we had experienced earlier in the week but it was still going to be a hot day.

I knew I needed to go out a little slower than the year before so during the running start I just did a light jog and got to my bike and got in with a group of riders and took off steady but not really fast. I passed a couple riders in the field and passed one more rider in the first rocky section of single track, I had a much better line picked out than the guy in front of me and was able to swing wide and carry momentum through the turn and get ahead of him. The line I took looked like a longer way but it set me up for the turn perfectly, that was an advantage of racing on your home course!!! I did brake a little extra before going into the boneyard because I didn't want to be 6 inches from the rider in front of me if they had a mishap, there were bikes everywhere on the boneyard in that first lap. I was able to make it down the boneyard clean although it was very slippery on the rocks. The next rocky section was a bear to climb up with extra moisture from a multitude of tires going over them. By the time I hit "Rock N Roll" the field had split quite a bit and I was able to carry a lot of speed through that section all the way to the dam. The rest of the first lap was pretty greasy and seemed to slow my momentum. That being said I believe I finished the lap just under an hour.

The start of the second lap I could tell right away that the large group of riders was already drying out the trail, it was still damp in areas but the trail was getting faster. I didn't push super hard on this lap either but still came in with a pretty good lap time. Third lap I got my first taste of a cramp in my left hamstring while climbing the service road across the dam, I immediately got off my bike and started walking since I had all day to keep the cramps away. I was biting open 2 Endurolytes every hour to help keep the cramps at bay. On the way out of River Forks I stopped at the aid station to get some water, I was already going through a lot of water by this point. I was drinking so much water that I was getting water logged but I had to keep the liquid coming. The extra fluid intake was throwing off my caloric intake as nothing was tasting good, this would prove to put the hurt on me later in the day.

I put my lights on for the start of my 7th lap, I would end up not using them for the lap but I wasn't sure how long that lap would take. Toward the end of the 7th lap I started feeling nauseous and when I got to my pit I was starting to really hurt. The more I stood there the sicker I felt and then like a ton of bricks it hit me. I got a massive head rush, my vision went to almost nothing and I started to stagger. I quickly got myself to the ground and laid there for several minutes, I heard someone say "Hey, check that out over there". Molly told me later that several people were staring at me as I was lying in the riding path. I finally got up and headed out for another lap, Molly was a bit concerned at this point and wasn't sure I should go back out. The 8th lap was not fast at all but I felt pretty good considering my fatigued body and mental status. I really didn't want to go out on a 9th lap but I had to, it was too early to quit.

I remember thinking as I rolled out that I just had to get through this lap and then you can call it a night. The first 100 yards was great and then reality started to set in, I was in a world of hurt and still had over 9 miles of an incredibly hard course to conquer. I had never been in this position before, I have been hurting on my bike but never this bad. If I walked a certain hill I would keep walking on some of the flat section before I got back on my bike, I stopped to pee 5 times and I really didn't have to go....it was just an excuse to get off the bike. The whole time I was telling myself the more I rode the faster I would get done but it was work to get myself back on the bike. I walked both water crossings because I was getting so tired that I almost endoed the lap prior and the water was making my rotors make an awful sound. As I rode the Short Thompson I was breaking the rest of the lap down into sections. I told myself once I got to the downhill at Steep Creek I just had to get to where we started climbing out, then I would just have to get to the meadow, then I would just have to get through the finish leg of single track. The funny thing is after I would complete a section I would say it out loud "Task 1 Complete" and so on.....sound crazy? You do what you have to do. I finally popped out toward the finish and Molly and Mitch Johnson were waiting for me, they told me I had a decision to make......I just wanted to roll over and die. Mitch was done with 9 laps and if I went back out I would take 3rd place, I wanted it so bad but I just could not do it. One thing that I have learned since I started riding my bike is that I need to listen to my body. There is a difference between a person not wanting to hurt and a person hurting themselves severely, I feel that I made the right call by not going out on another lap. The only regret I have from the race is that I didn't weigh myself right after the race, I had to drop some serious water weight that day.

By this point I was 90% sure that I did not want to do the 24 Solo that I had been planning for nearly a year, I didn't know how I was going to be able to endure another 12 hours of this torture. After a day of getting my mental status closer to where it needs to be I did some serious thinking about 24 hr of DINO. I realized that those 2 things in my shorts that were banging against my saddle while going through those rock gardens were my Amish love nuggets and they aren't there to let me back down.....in other words, 24 hr of DINO here I come. Life is too short to say "Well, maybe next year", I have done that too many times with other things and guess what....I didn't do it the next year either. The race is in September and I am hoping for a little bit cooler temps, which will help with my caloric intake as well. I am working on a strategy for pace, breaks, changes of clothes, and nutrition that will hopefully give me a better physical feel. Mitch Johnson has done 24 hr of DINO before and said last year he rode nearly 200 miles during the race and didn't feel as bad as after 85 miles of RIM this year. RIM was a super hard course this year and it took it's toll on a lot of riders. I am not going to underestimate the 24 hr race though, I plan on being in a lot of pain for this race as well. I also plan on just racing against myself, I can't get worried about how close another solo rider is ahead or behind me.....I just want to survive.

A Picture Show

Here is the video that web master Mark Jenkins did from last years Rapture In Misery. We are getting closer to te race date, just hoping we have dry weather the week of the race.....oh and until the race is over too!!!

Still Rollin'

Last Saturday was the gravel grinder and I had a great ride, Monday I was concerned that I wouldn't have anything but I was very pleased with the ride. I will say that my legs were very fatigued and the lactic acid built up faster than normal but I was still able to generate power. Tuesday I worked for 8 hours at Crowder and was sweating my tail off......seriously, I can't find my tail anywhere. I drank over a gallon of water just while working and I don't know how much afterwards so I'm sure that day took it's toll on me. Wednesday I rode and felt like crap while riding, just felt weak and seemed to have no power. I went back out to Crowder Saturday after work and got in 4 more hours of trail prep, trails are starting to look good, and it wasn't as hot so that was nice. I went out this afternoon and got 47+ miles in, it started with a 20 mile ride heading South into the wind and I really wasn't enjoying that. A lot of times I like a windy ride because I know the benefit far out weighs the temporary discomfort but today I felt weak again and couldn't seem to find a rhythm. I took 65 South and jumped on Z and went to the second C blacktop and headed West and rode over to F Hwy and turned back North. Once I got to Dawn I headed back East to get back on Z and head North back home. That ride with the hills and the wind can make for a challenging ride for sure. I only avg 19.2 so I wasn't real pleased with that but I was riding and not sitting at home so there is a positive in there!!!

Farmhouse Classic

Yesterday was the Farmhouse Classic gravel grinder hosted my Joe Fox, owner of Cycle City bike shops. It was an 85.3 mile gravel road race that began and ended at the Fox family farm on the edge of Lathrop, MO. We started with a nuetral roll out for the first 4 miles or so and then the pace picked up but wasn't a blazing speed, that being said it was still a pretty good pace. The lead group was pretty big and I was working my way up through smaller groups as I hadn't started out very fast but within 8 miles I was on the back end of the lead group. I don't know if it was some loose gravel here and there or what but the pace line would yo yo and I really had to work to get back on the group from time to time. I wasn't going to be upset if I couldn't stay with the lead group because it was being lead by Coach and tucked in behind were riders like Corey "Cornbread" Godfrey (2010 Dirty Kanza winner), Troy Krause, and Matt Gersib, along with some other talented riders. There were also some riders that were just trying to hang with the group as long as they could and they did pretty good until we got into the climbs. On the first desent climb I quickly found myself getting into other lines to get around some riders that were not climbing very well, if I hadn't I would have lost the lead group very quickly. I could tell real fast that the lead group was going to thin down a lot in the next couple hills. After about 3 or 4 good climbs (about 20 miles in)I found myself right in the middle of the lead pack and to be quite honest it was a little intimidating, I mean seriously to be riding with this caliber of riders made me feel like I was out of my league. I was pretty sure that I wouldn't be able to hang with them a lot longer so I was going to get in some interval work and I jumped on the front and pulled 2 or 3 climbs and actually made a gap on the group for a very short bit, I wasn't trying to but I figured I would go until I blew up and then try and survive from there. When we got to a confusing turn we stopped for a minute to make sure we were going the right way and I was able to get a little recovery and then tucked in on the rear as we started up again. About 2 miles from the checkpoint I had fallen back and met up with the lead group again at the checkpoint. I knew what I needed to do and quickly did it so I would be ready to roll out when they did. It really seemed to be more of a good paced group ride than a race for quite a while, when someone would flat the whole group would stop which allowed me to catch up when I would fall off the back a bit. The course was not marked and it was tough to know which way to go a few times because not every road had a sign on it.

Stewartsville (about mile 50)was the next place to get more fluids and or fuel and I wasn't too far behind the lead group when I arrived. I already had a plan on what to get and quickly purchased more water and filled my camelbak and bottles and was one of the first to be ready to roll again. Troy had mentioned that he was not feeling very good at this point but was going to continue on and I was able to start to see on the faces of a couple other riders that fatigue was starting to settle in as well. We rolled out again and had to stop a couple times due to flats, which once again allowed me to tuck back in for a while and about mile 70 ended up being the last flat of the day for the group. As we rolled out the pace would pick up and then back off and then pick up and then back off which started to drop a rider and then two. At mile 70 there was only 8 of us in the lead group and I went from 8th to 7th a couple miles later. Troy, who had been suffering already, and Matt, who was really starting to show signs of fatigue were riding together and the lead group was already on a good size climb so I let it rip and charged up the hill leaving those 2 riders behind. I was just trying to get on the wheel of somebody in the lead group but just couldn't quite make it. I would get about 30 yds away and then the group would pull away again, now in 5th position I caught another rider but he quickly got back around and we still had 10 miles to go. I was thinking that there were two riders that might falter if I could just stay close enough, and no the riders were not Coach or Corey. About 3 miles to go the group was about 1/2 mile or maybe farther away and I was pretty sure I would not catch them but I stayed on the gas as best as I could. Soon I was pulling into the driveway and the ride was over, I'm sure the look on my face showed that I was glad to be done. My legs were pretty fatigued, my rear and lower back were hurting quite a bit and I knew that the smoker had been going while we were gone and there was some fresh pulled pork waiting for me to devour it. I popped the back hatch of the van and just sat there for a few minutes with my water. I finished in 5th position overall and thought I was 4th in the Men's open, but I didn't realized that Corey was on a single speed. I didn't realized this for sure until Joe was getting ready to do the awards and pointed at me and Coach and said I need you guys, I knew that Coach had won the 50+ class and then I figured out that I was 3rd in the Open. I feel kind of bad that I got an award because the group ride pace allowed me to stay within striking distance and toward the end I was able to get ahead of riders that were much better than I am, if it had been race pace the whole day I don't think that I could have bridged that gap. That being said I couldn't be more happy with how I rode, I was able to push myself very well and I really listened to my body and backed off when I needed to but I wouldn't stay there very long.

No Ride Tonight Or Tomorrow For Me

I won't be able to go and ride at the first Dirty Thursday, in fact I may not get to do very many of the Thursdays with my schedule. That's okay because I do get quite a few rides in, although it is fun to ride with others plus there is more of a competitive spirit in a group. I got in 40 miles last night so that was good, I took a little easier pace on that ride. Tomorrow there are 14 of us heading over to the Pear Tree for dinner to celebrate my brothers birthday, I'm guessing my sodium intake will be a little high. Then Saturday morning is the Farmhouse Classic gravel grinder, 85ish miles of gravel in the hot July sun!!!

Recovery+Rain=Uh.....Not Recovery

I went out yesterday for an easier paced ride, just to get my legs good and flushed out and for some miles. I checked the radar before I left and it showed rain was coming our way but of course I could still see a little blue sky so I left anyway. I went out 190 and headed up Y, as I rode I could see the rain to the West and looked like it was going NE and I could probably ride back on Y and be okay. I wasn't riding slow but I wasn't riding all out either and after I got to the top I quickly realized that the rain was moving more East than North and I had better get on my horse if I was going to stay ahead of it. The rain had an angle on me as far as getting back to 190, I got on it and let er rip and the last couple miles approaching 190 I was getting into the edge of the front. As I rode back on 190 I just got out of the sprinkles until I headed up the hill, once again the rain had an angle on me. After I crested the hill and made the turn I pulled just ahead of the moisture again. I got back into town and slowed my pace to allow my legs to loosen on the ride through town and the weather caught me again but I was almost home and it never really rained on me, just big sprinkles!!!

Always A Bridesmaid (For Now)

Bridesmaid??? Yep I have not won a race.....yet. That's not to say that I am not proud of what I have achieved especially after some of the ass kickin's I have taken in some races. I was able to go to Eureka Springs this past weekend and race at the Fat Tire Festival, I have been there 3 years in a row now and I really like that course. I really need to work on my loose gravel downhill sections and some of the single track had a lot of gravel that took some getting use to. My technical riding has come a long way since I started riding and the section around the lake was a blast to ride. There is a ton of climbing on this course and that is were my hard work showed in my opinion, I was able to find my groove on the climbs (when I wasn't stuck behind someone) and pull away from some riders. I finished 2nd in the Cat II 30-39 out of 23 riders, I was very pleased with my results on the day.

Here is a pic of me giving James a pep talk before the race.....right. Actually he was giving me a pep talk, making sure I remembered the course....where to recover and where to really turn it on. Thanks James!!!


Here is James and Lyle just chillin out before the start, I think James told him his 29er was going to put the hurt on him and Lyle just said "Bring it on".


This a good pic of me and Denny taking off on the start, I finally got a good start position but the guy on my right kept coming into me which made for a rough 100 ft or so but I was able to finally get around him, besides we still had a lot of climbing to get out of town.


Here I am exiting the single track at the finish of the race, no I don't shave my chest along with my legs it is naturally hairless!!!


No the whole trail was not paved....trust me it was NOT paved!!! I am headed to the finish line and ready for my chocloate milk that has been buried in ice water during the race.


Denny on his way into the finish line. Denny came in 6th place in our class out of 23 riders.


Jonas (my 3 year old) actually took this picture. Can you tell I was trying to rehydrate??? It was hot!!!


At the awards ceremony getting my pint glass and watch, they only thing they didn't have was a podium. Between the Chillicothe riders and Lyle and Cathy we had really good results, (2) first place finishers, (2) second place finishers, and (1) sixth place finish...not too shabby.

IC Trail Is Getting Closer

I think that the trail system at Indian Creek Lake is almost done with trimming, there is still plenty of work to be done with reroutes and armoring but at least we will be able to ride without getting smacked in the legs with weeds. I know that Tim was working on his section today and Denny and James have their section ready to rock and roll plus Coach has his section done as well. I spent several hours out there today and got my section all trimmed, I also removed 2 trees from the corridor with my hand saw but still have one large tree that is leaning over the trail and it is way too low.

With the nice weather I was really wanting to ride sometime today but I have ridden 7 or 8 days in the last 8 days and I needed a little recovery. Of course I got a full body workout doing trail work today but that's okay with me. I had an armoring detail that I was going to work on tomorrow but there has been a change of plans in my personal schedule so it will have to wait for another day.

Trail In Need Of TLC

I went this afternoon and rode Indian Creek from the campground to the top and back, the trail hits both ends of the spectrum. I decided to ride so I could do a recon on my section, get some warmer weather riding in, and put a few more miles on my legs, it was not a cardio workout because so much of the trail is in such rough shape....in fact it was more of a bike handling session (which was good too). The campground loop was being mowed as I rolled out and was finished when I got back and I have to say it is awesome. Other areas to note are where Doug trimmed from 510 down to the creek crossing, I would classify that as a "race ready" section on any trail. Also where Doug has trimmed from lot 17 to bottom hollow road, some of the open sections have a little growth on them but nothing compared to some of the other sections of trail. I had trimmed my section earlier this year but you can't even tell it, it is a mess right now and those stinging nettles are back and I think they are pissed off and they let me know it.

Of course Doug has been putting in the hours on his section plus, and James and Denny have their section buff....it is PRIME right now!!! I ran into James and asked him if he wanted to race me on dirt. He kind of got that half smile on his face and just looked to the ground. Then with his "CAT I" like reflexes he popped me right in the mouth, and I hate to admit it but it sent me backwards onto the ground. He stood over me chuckling and said "That is pretty much the same result of us racing each other, it just saves me some time". What do you say to something like that???

What A Jerk!!!

I slipped back out tonight for another road ride, I was able to get in 35 miles and that sometimes "Jerk Off" friend of mine, the wind, gave me some punishment. I started out on the loop but after climbing to the top I stayed on Hwy A over to Hwy U and then made the turn South back to 190. It doesn't take much of a wind at all to get a heck of a workout on Hwy U, I rode in my drops most of the time and still felt like I was barely moving and by the time I got back to 190 to ride out the end of the 190 Alps my legs were pretty blown. As the wind was hitting me I could hear her whispering in my ear: "Where have you been?" "Trying to avoid me?". I started screaming absurd, almost lunatic comments: "I had detention" "I had to clean my room" "I wet my pants". Absurd comments.....well the first two weren't true, and that last comment can stay between you, me and the Internet!!!

Actually I have gotten in quite a few windy rides this spring and they have served me well but today was a bit of a struggle. I did ride hard yesterday but I thought I could carry a better avg than I did tonight, I dropped to a 19.0 on the last climb coming back into town. I know there are some positives in that ride somewhere, if nothing else it was better than not riding at all.

Finding My Groove

Today was an ideal day to do a time trial except for the fact that I was exhausted from an early shift at work and hadn't properly fueled myself.....not that that is unusual. The temps were not real hot and the wind seemed fairly mild so I set out to ride the loop knowing in the past on days like this one that I could ride a 20.5+ avg. Heading out on old 190 proved to be a chore for me and I was already thinking that this might be another tough ride.....man, I have got to find my groove again. It felt like I was riding into a slight headwind but I don't believe I was. When I got out onto 190 and on the trip North on Hwy Y it felt like a headwind still but I kept looking at the tree tops and they were not moving at all....Marco.....I'll find it sooner or later. Once I got to the top I checked my avg and it was at 19.1 which was better than what it felt like I was riding, I continued over to Hwy A and headed South. I did have a very slight tailwind but I wasn't carrying a ton of speed, I was able to get the avg up to 19.8 once I hit 190 again. I rode solid through the bottoms and carried pretty good speed up the Grand Oaks hill but I was really starting to feel the burn at the top and started to fade when a good song came through my ear buds.....I kicked up my cadence and found my groove!!! I think we all know that feeling of suffering but you know you are doing things right and you are loving the pain you are in, I was finally in that mode cresting the hill and cranking back towards town. I only wish I had got into that rhythm earlier in the ride but it was still a really productive ride. I ended up with a 20.4 avg on the loop which for a solo effort is not too bad right now.....I'm feeling the effects of my ride right now and I'm loving it!!!

Still Recovering

I went out this morning to the campground loop to get a few laps in before the possible rain comes.....again. Monday night I really didn't have much in the tank to ride after Saturday's hard effort. I don't know how the long ride home on Sunday played in the scenario but I have to think it didn't help but we had to get home......right? I was hoping to get some night laps in last night since today is my only day off this week and night laps would fit into my schedule but Molly and the kids are going on vacation today so I figured I better spend some time with them before they left since I won't see them until Monday sometime. I hadn't ridden my single speed in a while so I decided to take Mary out and let her play in the dirt. I have never timed it but I think I can ride the campground loop faster on my single speed than I can on my geared bike. The first lap I went out pretty hard and kept the fast tempo through the whole lap and then on the second lap I backed off and flushed my legs. I could tell that I had power but it was not sustained. The third lap I let it all hang out (well maybe not "everything") and was ripping corners and flying up the gradual inclines, I was picking areas to work on break aways and then trying to stay on the gas. I was cranking right along but I soon realized that I was getting gassed much quicker than I had expected, then I remembered it had only been a few days since the race and I need to be smart about my riding. I don't think it was a bad idea to go ride but I was getting down on myself for feeling so weak. I took it easy on the fourth lap and started the fifth lap out pretty fast but quickly started to slow down, I decided to just ride and not push it too much. I was bombing down the grassy section that feeds in below the camp area and leads down to the water and as I made the right hand turn back onto single track I nearly went down as the back end washed out......I knew right then the tire was too low. Sure enough it was going flat, I hit it with air and it sounded liked the leak was coming from the around the valve stem. Instead of fixing it I decided to walk it out and that is when I noticed a big thorn in the front tire....and I'm running tubes in both tires, the front is still holding air but I am not about to pull that thorn out right now. I have to get this bike converted to tubeless, I guess all I need is the rim strips since I have everything else already. Priorities have kept me from getting this done yet but it is time to do it. I am considering getting a suspension fork on Mary to make trail riding more enjoyable.....plus then my eyeballs wouldn't be rattling around in my head on the rocky descents. There are times I literally can not see what is going on due to the vicious bounding that my body is taking and I just hope for the best. I did put a Thudbuster ST on her though and that has helped a ton even on smoother sections. I know the long travel is designed more for mountain bike but the short travel that I have on her really takes the edge off. I would usually have some serious back pain after riding her all rigid, she is starting to so her softer side but don't let her fool you....she can still be a real Ball Buster!!!

Lumberjack 100 Report

This was the third year in a row that Mark, Tim, and I made the trip up to Wellston, MI for the Lumberjack 100 mountain bike race. This year it was only Tim and I racing as Mark wasn't able to get an entry for the race, the registration filled up in just over 12 hours with a field limit of 300 racers. I had to make an emergency run to Parkville the Saturday before we left so that I could get the rear brake bled on my bike, it was kind of scary how little braking power I had. I went back on Wednesday to pick it up after work and with a 3 a.m. shift on Thursday and then leaving Thursday afternoon I had to hurry to get things prepped and packed. After picking up my bike I wanted to ride it around town for 2 reasons: 1. To make sure everything was working well 2. To give my legs a little stretch before the long drive the next day. I rode around town for a little bit and then as I was rolling toward the driveway I grabbed brake and the rear brake lever mashed to the grip and I just kept rolling. OH DEAR LORD, let the panic begin. I'm not sure how many emotions ran through my body at one time but it was overwhelming, I grabbed the brake lever with my fingers and pulled on it and it came out in my hand.......OH SWEET MOSES!!! I compared the two levers and quickly realized that the pin that held the rear lever in place was missing. I called Mark and he told me to bring it on over, on the drive to his house I was already getting my mind right to ride my single speed instead of my geared rig. Mark already had an old Avid brake system that he had saved (just for these kinds of events) in the driveway when I arrived and quickly determined what was missing and how to retrieve the part from the old brake system. Within minutes of tinkering he said "Try that", son of a gun it worked......I had pooped in my pants for nothing, well maybe not nothing because it was actually pretty scary.

Thursday about 5:00 p.m. we loaded up in Tim's van and headed on the road. Once we got North of Chicago a ways we found a town to pull over in and get a couple hours of sleep, it wasn't the best sleep but it was still sleep and it was good. We woke up as the town started to stir and grabbed a bite of breakfast and then back on the road. We only had another couple hours or so of driving left to reach Manistee, MI. Once we arrived there we found a small camping area and pulled in and slept some more until mid morning and then picked up a few things in town and then headed over to the Black Bear Inn. I don't think check in was until around 3 but we arrived shortly after Noon and was able to get into the room with no problem. We had the exact same room as last year, of course it was a 1 in 6 shot at the Black Bear Inn. We all took another nap and then geared up and headed over to the Big M ski lodge to pre ride and pick up our race packets. The start of the single track started a long gradual climb that was getting my heart rate and breathing up rather quickly but after we got to the top we were able to bomb down some screaming fast twisty single track. Mark and I rode together, we only rode 6.5 miles as I found myself pushing harder than I probably should, and Tim rode another section. After cleaning up we went and had dinner and then off to bed for an early rise to get to the race site, every year people start arriving earlier and earlier. I knew we had picked a great pit area because several pro riders were pitting together and they picked the site right next to us after we had already put up our tent.

The race started with a 2 mile roll out on pavement before diving into single track and there seemed to be a lot more riders trying to ride with the lead group this year. Last year I was on the tail end of the lead group when we hit the single track but this year I rode the pavement strong but didn't push too hard, I knew it was going to be a long day of riding regardless. The first 5 miles or so was a steady train of riders but we were able to work free for a bit and then we got clustered again. I found myself in 3rd or 4th position in a string of 15-20 riders and we rode like this for a few miles. We got to the aid station and a few riders dropped off to fuel up and I was now in 2nd position of this train. A short distance after the aid station was about a 3/4 mile climb in a sandy section and I was able to overtake the lead of the caravan and found myself pulling for roughly the next 8 miles. I was getting tired but didn't want to let a single rider pass as I knew they would all want to pass and besides I was controlling the pace......I kept it uncomfortable. We finally popped out onto a road section and I backed off to let someone else take over and it seemed that no body wanted to but finally a couple guys jumped up and I used the road section for recovery (the road was sucking the energy out of me most of the day...I was glad it wasn't very long). The cluster of riders scattered into the next section of single track and finally I was heading toward the end of the lap and ready for a pit, I was amazed when I crossed the line at 2:52. My pit stop only lasted 2-3 minutes and then I was off again.

If you couldn't tell from the picture....I was suffering and I think I looked like that most of the day. I would find myself feeling really strong and I would push hard during those times and as I would start to peter out I would back off and find a recovery zone to ride in but I made sure not to stay in it. Hydration was a big goal for me that day as I knew that cramping would be an issue for many riders. I didn't get nearly as much liquid as I would have liked on the first lap because I was trying to stay focused with so many riders right behind me. The second lap I drained my camelbak and only had a few ounces left in my bottle. I finished the second lap at 6 hr 2 min into the race, I was really pleased with my pace. This pit was 3-4 minutes, I seemed to have more trouble taking the pills I had set out but quickly was on my way. Only a couple miles in I just couldn't seem to drink enough water, I was so thirsty and just kept hydrating....even to the point I was feeling a bit water logged. I had not stopped at the aid station out on the course on either of the first two laps and I had no intention of stopping on the third lap but I realized that I would not make it to the end of the race without running out of water. When I arrived at the aid station I didn't rush too quickly but I had a plan and I executed it and left. It was a good thing I had stopped because I had already drank 3/4 of my camelbak and was only half way through the lap. I found my happy place with about 10 miles to go and was able to fire on all pistons the rest of the way in. I did struggle at the top of the last big climb, I could feel my hammy's start to tense and I knew to dismount or pay the consequences. After stepping off the bike and taking a couple steps to crest the hill my muscles were trying to knot up but I was able to fight it off. I eased up the rest of the gradual climb and then it was the wicked screaming fast downhill to the bottom and then about 3 miles of flowy single track to the finish. With about a mile to go I caught another rider and was on his tail in a flash, he heard me coming and just moved over and I stayed on the throttle. I was afraid he was catching me but it was my camelbak making noise behind me. Just to make sure I rode with a very high intensity to do a break away that I was certain he would not catch and I ended up making quite a gap and was able to sprint to the finish line. My goal of 10 hr 45 minutes was crushed with a time of 9 hr 19 min 06 secs. I don't think I could have been more pleased with the race that day, I feel like I rode at the next level and I hope that I can continue to do so.

What made the day even sweeter is that Tim is an official Lumberjack, Tim finished the race and he had been suffering.......seriously suffering. A finish is a finish Tim, and no one can take that away from you....GREAT JOB!!!

2010 Dirty Kanza Recap

The DK 200...WOW!!! Does a 205 mile gravel road race sound like hell? If you answered yes then you would be correct, especially when temps reached into the mid/upper 90's. First of all I would like to say that Jim Cummins, Joel Dyke, and all the Dirty Kanza sponsors did an outstanding job putting on this event. The event had a new host hotel this year, The Best Western, and it was about as good of a setup as you could have. Racers arrived to do race packet pick up and then had the option of an all you can eat pasta feed followed by the racers meeting later in the evening. Molly and I were fortunate to get a room there so all we had to do was walk across the parking lot to get everything accomplished. Looking around the room during the racers meeting it was a little intimidating to see the caliber of racers that were there but then I remembered that I was there mainly for training for Lumberjack and 24 hr of DINO. Coach asked me what my goal was for the race and I didn't really have one because to be really honest I wasn't sure if I could do it. I figured if I could complete the race then I would be happy to do it in 18 hrs.The race started and finished at the Granada Theater in downtown Emporia, this would prove to be a great location for the festivities throughout the day. The race started at 6 a.m. with a police escort through town. I had a bit of a panic on the start, we started rolling and I looked down and my computer was not registering speed. I knew immediately that the magnet had been moved in transport but I was riding in the middle of a pack and didn't want to work my way to the edge and fix the problem and then have to play catch up. I was really frustrated because I wanted to know my mileage to help read the map and also so I knew how much farther to the checkpoint. As we turned onto the gravel I was quite a ways in the back but just rode a steady pace until I found a way to get around a few riders and then worked hard to get to the next group so I could draft and then worked my way through that group and bridged up to the next pack and tucked in to recover. I would ride somewhat hard for a while and then drift back to a recovery pace knowing that I had all day to sit in the saddle. Several riders were going out super hard and I kept telling myself "It's not a race".....not a race??? I kept telling myself "At that pace it's a race to see who bonks first". I was riding pretty good and feeling pretty good when Troy Krause came around me at about mile 45, he had dried blood all down his right arm but was riding strong. I rode close behind him for a short distance and he would ride with his arm just hanging straight down, it looked like it hurt pretty bad. Shortly after he and another rider went around we were riding a pretty fast section and all of a sudden my rear tire got cut and started spraying sealant on every revolution. I stopped quickly and spun the tire but it didn't totally seal, I found the hole and rubbed it and it sealed. It was a sidewall cut and I was pretty sure it wouldn't stay sealed but it was worth a shot, I hit it with CO2 and she blew open again so I pulled the rim strip and put in a tube. I decided to run higher pressure than I would have preferred because the roads have large rocks embedded in the ground and some are almost like small ledge drops and I did not want to pinch flat. The higher pressure would cause me to spin out while climbing out of the saddle but I could handle that over a pinch flat. The rest of the first leg I played catch up without blowing up, I rode strong but not at my max. I pulled into the first checkpoint and took about 10-15 minutes to refuel, put on my lovely Chamios Butt'r and rubbed some Biofreeze on my lower back.

I had fixed my computer during a pee break on the first leg and decided I would zero out at every checkpoint since the mileage from checkpoint to checkpoint was on the map. The maps were much better this year, much easier to read and you could of rode the whole course without a map....it was marked that good. The second leg had quite a bit of flat section which was nice but the temps started to climb and fatigue was starting to settle in on many riders. After one particular downhill the temp instantly jumped and it felt like a sauna, I was worried that the rest of the day was going to be like riding in this furnace but as I started climbing I looked around and realized we were climbing out of a small canyon and there was no way air could hit us. As I crested the top the air hit me and it felt awesome, it was still really warm but it was much better than what we had just experienced. The second checkpoint was at mile 103 and I had already decided that I was going to take some time there to really rest, I may have taken longer than I should have but it may have paid off later in the day as well. I was there for about 45 minutes and then headed out for the shortest leg of the race but I was told it had some interesting riding as well.

The third leg would prove to be my best riding of the day, on this 38 mile section I would pass at least 15 riders and did not get passed by anyone. Riders were really struggling and I think my prolonged break helped me push on. This section had "Lil Egypt Rd", I had heard of this but wasn't sure what to expect. Let me just say that I wouldn't drive on this without 4 wheel drive but I would ride a cross bike with 35mm tires on it????? I was wishing I had my full suspension bike on the downhill portions of this road, I was descending very slow so I didn't wipe out in the large sharp loose rock. I was able to climb every section of the road though, I passed several riders that were walking their bikes so I was able to make up some ground. As I got to the top of a short steep power climb I could see a rider just ahead lying on the ground in the road, I was a little scared he was really hurt. He looked up as I approached and I asked him if he was okay, he said he was but he was beat. Shortly after that I came across another rider that was laying over his handlebars but didn't take any help from me, I'm not sure he would make it to the next checkpoint. I rode into the checkpoint strong but the heat was intense too, I was getting gassed and was in need of some hydration and getting my core cooled. There was about 12-15 bikers in the local gas station trying to cool off in the air conditioning, I was trying to hydrate but it was difficult because my hand was shaking so badly that I could hardly get the water in my mouth. I would remain at this checkpoint for an hour before heading out on the last leg.

The last leg was 66 miles, not a distance that I liked staring in the face but I had no choice. The next little town was about 24 miles away and it was nothing but uphill and downhill the whole way. They were long climbs and the downhills were pretty loose gravel, I was stopping every other climb to rest as I was really feeling the pain now. I eventually stopped, laid my bike on the ground and just stood and ate a Hammer Bar, the doubt was starting to slip into my head then but I had to dig down and push on. I wasn't sure how far away Eskridge was and the hills were still coming on fierce, we were on an off road section that I had to walk some of the climbs. Finally after getting to the top we made a turn South and after slow pedal strokes up the hill I could see the water tower for Eskridge....finally. There was a gas station there and it closed at 8:00 p.m. I arrived at 7:50. I wasn't out of water but I stopped and got a little more and decided to rest along with a multitude of other bikers. There were several vehicles picking up riders as they were throwing in the towel for the day. I knew I wasn't going to stop now but I was going to rest a bit longer. One rider was going into the gas station and asked me if I needed anything, I told him a kick in the nuts would probably be best at the moment.

Another rider said there was a section coming up that he wanted to get through before it got dark, that got my attention so I jumped up, put on my helmet, and took off on my bike. He was right, I wouldn't want to ride it in the dark either....it was doable but not preferred. After I got to the main gravel again I decided to ride as fast as I could without blowing up so I could get as far as I could before having to turn on my headlights. I ended up being about 30 miles away before I turned on my headlights and the wind had shifted to the North to give us an awesome tailwind. I lost 2 spots to some riders that were riding very strong, I was feeling pretty good but couldn't hang with them. About mile 184 I cut the front tire and it went totally flat within seconds. I was able to change this flat pretty quickly, I think I was too tired to panic and try and rush. The worst part of this repair wasn't the fact that it was in the dark and I had to use the beam from my headlight, it was the fact that I was getting eaten alive by mosquitoes and I lost another couple spots to advancing racers as well. The glow of the Emporia lights was getting brighter and so was my spirits and finally I came to a sign that said "End Of Gravel". I was so excited until I realized that the sign meant it was now a dirt road and not going to paved road. I couldn't read my computer in the dark so I was not sure how much further to town but finally got to Hwy 99. It was a short ride to cross over I-35 and then the turn into the Emporia State Campus, I was getting really excited now since I knew that I was almost done. The ride through campus was longer than I had expected but soon I popped out onto Commercial St and it was only a few blocks to the finish line. I could hear music in the distance and people were cheering me the whole way down the street. I was out of the saddle from the time I entered the campus to the time I crossed the finish line. I was so excited to be done, I think I could have ridden farther but it was a relief to know that I didn't have to. Remember I would be happy to finish in 18 hrs, I finished in 16 hrs and 34 mins. After Jim wrote down my name and congratulated me on my finish I walked my bike out of the finish area and saw Coach walking toward me with a smile from ear to ear. He shook my hand and congratulated me and then Molly was running toward me because she had been up the street keeping watch for me to finish. She gave me a big hug and took my bike so I could take off my gear. After a short visit with Molly and Coach I laid down on the sidewalk and rested my back and body, it felt so good to just lay there. Coach went to see where I finished and I could not believe my ears when he came back and said that I finished 22nd out of 157 riders. I know that I finished in a higher place than I probably should have because there were several riders that were much better than I am but fell victim to crashes, heat, and exhaustion.....but that's part of racing.

I also have to say that Stoney Cranmer rode like a champ on a single speed, Stoney took second place in the single speed division. He was winning that class but his crew had the wrong van at the last checkpoint and he had to wait over an hour for the right equipment. I am sure that if he didn't have to wait for supplies that he would have won the single speed division, I think he would have beaten me as well. Well done Stoney!!! I also finished one minute before one of Stoney's teammates, he would have finished well ahead of me but he was being a true team player and riding with a slower team rider early in the day.