Working On Something New

I know I haven't been on here in a while but I'm working on a new site, it's a site I'm using to promote Hammer Nutrition as I will be a sponsored athlete for the 2012 season. I will give more details about this soon.

Early Fall Gravel Grinder

I went out to Indian Creek today to ride and as I was getting my stuff together I got a text from James, he was looking for a ride around Noon (it was about 9:30 at this point). I text him back that I was in for a ride and decided to go ahead and do my original ride. I started around the campground loop and then headed over to the dam and then north. My full suspension bike was giving me a bit of trouble on power sections, not exactly sure what is going on but I have to get it fixed because it is not functioning as it is intended. Anyway I didn't go all the way to the top, pretty close but not all the way, since I needed to get back to town for the other ride. I ended up with a little over 13 miles of singletrack and other than my bike acting up it was a good time.

I met James at Hy-Vee at 12:30 and he told me we were going to meet Doug at his house and then meet up with Brent. We weren't really sure where we were going and to tell you the truth I don't think I could really tell you where all we went. I can tell you that it was a great ride and we found one road in particular that was an absolute blast to ride, it looked like a private drive and then ended up with an amazing climb with loose rock and some small rock shelves to lift up onto and then it was about the same coming down the other side (it was a mountain bikers dream gravel road hill). We spent most the afternoon on our ride and had a lot of fun, we ended up around 63 miles for the ride. I'm pretty sure there will be more of those in the future.

It's Getting Cooler

I'm sure we will get a few more days of warmer temps along the way but the temps right now are sure feeling cooler and I am really liking that. Now the delivery I got today is a bit premature as far as temps go but it won't be long and it will be time to get these out.

I got Louis Garneau winter cycling shoes.



And a pair of Castelli cycling bibs, these are fleece lined with a windproof front on them. I'm pretty excited to try these on.

An Expanding Nation

Okay so I am a sucker for documentaries about all natural foods vs processed foods and all the problems that are created from the latter of the two. Looking at the rising cost of health care in our nation is staggering, especially when the world is being structured on convinence which is just making health matters worse. I am very curious what percentage of our diets comes from processed foods which have little or no nutritional value whatsoever. I read a book a few years ago called "Sugar Blues" that really opened my eyes to just how bad sugar is for us. I did really well after reading that book on cutting down on my sugar intake but I have let it creep back in here and there, running a bakery makes it tough to stay away from sugar (actually even if I didn't work there it might still be tough). Another eye opening occurrence is how select countries that still live on mostly plant based diets and some fish do not have an obesity problem, and the health of those countries is for better than ours. I have been thinking about putting myself through a challenge but I am not sure if I can handle it, but I'm thinking if I only consumed an all natural primarily plant based diet for 30 or maybe 60 days what difference would I noticed in my body, mood, and emotions. This would be a detoxification process that could be tough at the start but I hope would be easier as time goes on. Now I haven't decided to pull the trigger on this yet but I will let you know if I do.

Hammer On!!!

24 hr of DINO

Well the 24 hr of DINO is going as I type this, I really wish I was there again this year but my schedule just didn't work out. Missouri has a good showing with many St. Louis riders going again. I told Molly that maybe they will race so hard at DINO that they might still be tired for RIM and give some of us a chance!!!

2011 24 hr of Seven Oaks

Instead of writing up a summary of the race I thought I would take 5 times as long and do a little documentary. I know it's cheesy but my kids are cheese lovers!!!

Out And About

Wow, where have I been lately? I for sure haven't been posting anything on here, I hope I have been out riding my bike. I can say that I have saved some money this year by not racing as much but I have paid a price of fitness and speed in doing so. Now I'm saying I'm not in shape or able to ride very fast because my fitness is pretty good and I can still carry some speed, it's just racing is a whole different level of training in fact I believe it is the best training. And for a guy like me that has never won a race when you come across as second best here and there it is some motivation to do better next time. Plus the racing scene is just so much fun, being around like minded individuals that enjoy riding their bikes in the dirt.

I am less than 2 weeks away from my second 24 hr solo race, I'll be heading to Boone, IA for the 24 hr of Seven Oaks on August 20-21. Am I ready? Maybe not where I want to be but I don't think it matters how good of shape I'm in I don't think I will ever be satisfied with where I want to be. I am ready to go out and race my bike for a day. My wife, kids, and parents will be there so it will make it that much more fun. I'm trying to get my body and especially my mind ready for the pain and agony that is inevitable. I will be taking my Specialized Epic and my Dad's Santa Cruz Blur for this race, I thought about taking Mary but I hear there is a ton of climbing on this course and I don't want to toast my legs earlier with no gears. I have only ridden my Dad's bike a couple times, but I really like how it handles (even with it being an XL frame). I rode a lap of the race course at Crowder and on some of the rocky climbs that bike climbed like a rocket, that bike has the VPP (Virtual Pivot Point). I don't know exactly how it is designed but it makes the bike handle very well.

I've been getting some miles in at I.C. and the cobwebs have been excessively bad this year. My last ride James was there before me so he got 95-98% of them knocked down for me so that was great, thanks James!!! My last ride out there I did a couple extra laps on the campground loop (which is blazing fast right now). After riding next to the water there is a short distance of gradual climbing and then the drainage crossing followed by some downhill again. The sun was getting lower in the sky and on the downhill the glare of the sun off the water was almost blinding and riding that section was a little difficult since I couldn't see exactly where I was going. My concern was that my speed was pulling me to the downhill side of the trail and I was afraid I was going to clip a small tree but it all worked out just fine. It made me think about Coach and the fact that he could probably close his eyes anywhere on that trail system and ride for 30 seconds or so and not miss a beat, I think that man knows every rock and root on that trail. Actually I think he knows a lot of trails like that, Lyle has mentioned about how fast Doug can memorize features on trails even in a single preride.

Truth In Advertising?

I am always looking for a deal whether it is on ebay or Craigslist or just a huge blowout on one of the many online shopping outlets and I have come across some really good deals. I watch a lot of bikes sell on ebay basically just to keep in touch with what bikes are going for, they always vary but it gives you a pretty good idea of what to expect. I am however always amazed at how many people list their bike as "Gently Used" or "Barely Ridden" or "It Has Never Seen Dirt". Wow, you mean you dropped $3,000 on a brand new bike and didn't ride it? I will say that I do believe that is the case sometimes as there are probably some people that have more money than they know what to do with and the idea of a high dollar bicycle sounds cool.

It's funny how these "Barely Ridden" bikes have "Normal Scuffs" on them, of course because you rode it because those scuffs on your chain stays didn't happen by keeping your bike in your garage. Now I'm not saying that there aren't some bikes that haven't been pampered out there and are probably just as good as they were when they were brand new but I sometimes want to list my bike and lay it all out on the line...something like this.

For Sale: 2007 Specialized Epic Comp

This thing has seen more miles than a hooker on the Vegas strip, and has been ridden harder too!!! I have beat the crap out of this thing out on the trails and she just keeps coming back for more. I wouldn't call her "Chubby" but she isn't exactly light, this is no featherweight carbon bike here. Adding to the weight is a downgraded wheel set that I bought after she and I took quite a tumbling pass down a hill at a high rate of speed, you have to watch out for gravity. I didn't buy the same level or better of wheels because...I'm cheap. The inside of the handle bar is able to breath really well as I have bounced off a few trees and tore the ends of my grips off of the bike, it's these little things you don't get on a new bike!!!

Now don't get the wrong impression because she is a great bike and has handled everything that I have thrown at her. Just be careful if your riding in Oklahoma, make sure she doesn't try to put her saddle somewhere it isn't suppose to go...I'm just going to leave it at that.

Registered!!!

Not sure if I should be excited or scared, I just registered for the Men's solo division at the 24 hours of Seven Oaks in Boone, IA on Aug 20-21. From what I have read and been told this will be a VERY demanding 24 hr course. I have been told that this trail is NOT built to IMBA specs and has a lot of up and down, lots of short steep climbs that can wear a person down. From what I remember being told it isn't too technical as far as rocky and rooty (but I could be wrong) but there is a lot of off camber tight twisty single track to enjoy.

It's time for the trails to dry out so I can ride a mountain bike again!!!

She Doesn't Want To Listen

I keep telling my Epic that the trails have been too wet to ride most of the year this year but she just isn't listening to me. I think she is still mad that I didn't take her to Michigan this year. I got quite the silent treatment from her when she found out that Mary got called up from the minors for that trip. That being said she is ready to perform, last week at Crowder she was loving that trail!!!

My Trail Buddy

I have been out a few times here lately to do some trail work, this has consisted from just simple trimming to blowing debris off the trail to armoring and deberming. I have been taking a companion out with me on these trips, it is our dog Selma. She is a Weimaraner/German Shorthair mix and she is a high energy dog, she loves to run and play outside. I have been going out often enough that on my days off when she sees me grab my hiking boots she starts getting pretty excited, she will go to the back door and start hitting her lead with her nose.

I really wanted to take her out but was hesitant at first because I wasn't sure if she would just take off and then have a hard time finding me but she has done really well everytime we have gone out. She only gets about 40 yds out and then runs back to me and then off again, that is about the perfect range for a bird dog and it must just be instinct. I'm glad that she likes to go because she gets a lot of exercise and when we get home she is on the couch and is out for a couple hours.

This last trip I took her on we were doing some armoring and dirt work and it was pretty hot, I brought water for her but she wasn't drinking as much as I thought she should. On the way out I was stopping and doing some deberming and she was getting hot so as I removed layers of the top soil she would lay down in it and roll around to cool off. I tried it but I just got dizzy and dirty!!! At one point she thought she would help me dig but I had to put a stop to that real quick, while I appreciated her interest her technique still needs some honing.

What's Your Kryptonite

I'm no Superman (I just have the chiseled body) but all of us have our weaknesses, Sampson couldn't cut his hair or he would loose his amazing strength. I keep checking out James' hair length and it appears that he is still having it cut so that is not where he is getting his leg ripping power from, let me guess he's probably doing the old fashioned way by earning it with hard work and dedication...figures!!!

I think my biggest weakness is that I am a classic over eater at times, especially when I'm overly stressed or start getting depressed. Thing is that I eat all the wrong stuff and I absolutely know better. I know what it takes for my body to perform but I still eat the crap I shouldn't, then I get mad at myself and to punish myself I eat some more. Well this shit has to stop, eating the occasional crap isn't that big of a deal to me but doing this spiraling out of control is not okay. I'm seeing my performance drop off with it and I do not want that at all.

On a side note, when the trails dry up everyone needs to get out and ride them because they really need some traffic on them to make them faster. They are a bit spongy right now and need to get packed down....just sayin.

Right And Wrong

There are the "Right" things to say and then there are the "Wrong" things to say. Here is a list of examples.

#5) When you see a couple riding tandem and you engage them in conversation. The right thing to say is "Do you ride together often?". The wrong thing to say is "Do you shower tandem?".

#4) When someone asks you if your friend really just took their drivers test and why, the right thing to say is "They let their license expire by 2 YEARS, and they had to take the test over again. The wrong thing to say is "Well he grew up Amish!!!".

#3) When you see someone applying Chamois Buttr the right thing to say is...nothing. The wrong thing to say is "Do you need a hand?".

#2) When you are in a race and you work hard to bridge a gap and you tuck behind another riders wheel to recovery before passing and they ask if you want around, the right thing to say is "Not just yet I will let you know when I'm ready". The wrong thing to say is "No thanks, I'm just enjoying the view".

#1) When your riding to the top of a long climb behind someone that is in their granny granny gear the right thing to say is "Great job, keep it up" (with great enthusiasm). The wrong thing to say is "Are you still in that gear?".

Lumberjack Recap

Wow I almost forgot to post anything, been so busy not riding my bike and eating way to much! Like I had mentioned in an earlier post I was up at 4:30 on race morning, I already had all my bottles mixed and on ice just needed to get dressed an the rest of our gear into the van. We left the cabin about 5:15 for the race site and we got the best parking we could ask for, just across from where we could walk over the single track to our tent. We got everything set up pretty quickly and awaited the riders meeting. It was cool, about 56 degrees so I was really enjoying my jacket around that time.

This was a 3 lap race and I decided to use Perpetuem on only the first 2 laps, I tend not to not drink it later in a race. I also had decided to try and do the race with only bottles, I didn't want to carry the extra weight of a Camelbak on my back if I didn't need to. I had a Camelbak ready to go just in case in between laps. I had 2 bottles on my bike and then a 3rd bottle in my Mountain Feedbag on my handlebars.

As far as my bike I was riding my Haro Mary SS, I was riding her all rigid. I was running a 32 x 18 gear combination and I had a new set of Specialized Fast Trak tires as they are a low profile fast rolling tire. For the start we had to ride about 1.5 miles down the road for a rolling start. Many of us were freezing on the ride to the start line, my arms were a shade of purple and I had lots of goosebumps. I wasn't really looking forward to the start as I knew I would get dropped while spinning out. We took off and I was getting passed by a lot of geared riders, the lead pack had got out of sight rather quickly. I just did the best I could and knew it was a long day of riding to make up ground. Soon we were turning into the parking lot and the next turn would take us into the start of the single track.



As with any endurance race the early part of the first lap was congested, not much anybody could do but just try to be patient until things were able to speed up a bit. The slow going was tough on me riding a single speed, I need momentum to get me up some of the hills and it wasn't happening early on. After a couple miles I was able to get around a few riders and then pick up some speed. Soon I was behind 3 tandems in a row and their climbing was very slow. When we got to a short steep climb I did a cyclocross dismount and ran my bike through the weeds around them and took off again. A few miles later we hit a road section and I was surprised that I was able to pass so many riders since I was riding on a single speed. The rest of the lap was pretty good, my calves were getting tight but other than that I was feeling pretty good. I finished the first lap 9 minutes off of last years pace but I was okay with that, I didn't know what to expect riding one gear.

I was in the pit for less than a minute and back out on the course. I was making sure to stay on the fluids and trying to keep endurolytes in my system. A couple of the climbs seemed a lot longer on the second lap than they did on the first. The run up to the fire tower seemed a lot steeper and I was pretty sure it would seem even worse on the third lap. I came in from the second lap 1 minute faster than last years second lap so I was pretty pleased with that.

I was in the pit for 3 or 4 minutes this time, got new bottles and took some Endurolytes and Ibuprofin and had Molly put some Biofreeze on my lower back (oh and had to lube the chamois again). As the third lap progressed I could tell I was slowing down but I wasn't wiped out totally. I was walking some of the steep climbs and parts of the long sustained climbs. I would climb until I could feel the lactic acid building to a certain point and then I would walk a bit and then back on the bike. I decided to stop at the aid station on the last lap, it was about halfway through the lap. I still had a full bottle and I topped off my other two bottles, I also got and orange wedge which was really tasty. It wasn't until just as I was leaving that I realized the water they put in my bottles was a little skunky. Not a great tasting water but it was wet. I ended up going to my full fresh bottle and saving the other bottles until I had to drink them. The last 10 miles of the last lap was tough, I was really having to dig deep. Finally I knew I was getting near the finish line and I was going as fast as I think I could, this section of the course is fast and flowy. I passed two geared riders with about a mile to go and could see another rider ahead of me shortly after that. That rider was another single speeder and I went around him as fast as I could in case he tried to jump on my wheel. He didn't make a move but I stayed on the gas as much as I could to the finish, I looked back a couple times but didn't see him coming. I rolled across the finish line in 9 hr 40 min. This was 21 min slower than last year but I didn't care, I was very happy with that time.



As I went through the finish chute I saw Molly and I heard Emma but I didn't stop. I grabbed my finishers patch from a volunteer and just kept pedaling to our pit area. I felt bad for not stopping but I was looking for a chair to sink into. After about 45 minutes of resting and talking about the days adventures I went up to the food tent. I was hoping they had orange juice again this year and that was about all I really wanted but instead I found a huge burrito and a corn/black bean combo that was really good. We also went over to the timing kiosk and found out I was 28th out of 47 in the Single Speed class and I was 152nd out of 337 overall.



While I was still out racing Emma got to meet womens pro rider Danielle Musto, Emma got her autograph and also got her picture taken with her. As Mark and I was loading the van Danielle tracked Emma down and gave her a brand new set of Optic Nerve racing glasses, how awesome is that???



As much fun as the race was I was glad that it was over. I think we all slept very well that night, then it was a long day in the van on the way home. I had a great time and I was very pleased with my results.

2011 Lumberjack Prerace Activities

Well on Thursday June 16th around 5:00 p.m. or so Molly, Emma, and I headed over to Marks house and picked him so we could start our 659 mile drive to Manistee, MI. I started off with the driving and held the wheel until a little after 10:00 or so and then Mark took over. I decided I better try and get a little sleep so that I could drive again later. Molly was willing to drive but I knew she had worked all day and I really didn't want her to have to drive but we would let her if needed. Mark dove til 2:45 I think and then I took back over and drove until about 5:00 a.m. or so. When I took over driving the last time I stopped and got a cup of coffee and it kicked in quickly, not only keeping me awake but also making me have to stop and pee. As we got close to Ludington, MI the fog was getting very thick and it was tough to see very far in front of the vehicle. Mark took back over driving from Ludington and got us into Manistee. We decided to get something to eat and then we headed to the beach. It was cool that morning, around 55 degrees, and the fog was still pretty thick. The view off the pier over Lake Michigan was very limited but it was still pretty neat, I think Emma really enjoyed it.




From there we headed to the race site so Mark and I could pick our pit area, we had a great spot last year and wanted the same location. Most people don't pick their pit area until the come to preride the course and do their packet pick up but we decided to go ahead and claim our spot. We got the same exact spot as last year which was about 60 yds after the lap but still on the course as we would head out for another lap. The corridor widened there and it would be easier to access our pit while not obstructing the trail. Mark mentioned later that he knew we had a good spot because the pros pitted right next to us both years, they were looking for the same area too.

With still some time to kill before we could check into our cabin and get some mid day sleep Mark and I decided to walk part of the trail. We walked in the opening stretch which was a long gradual climb that seemed to go on forever. The mosquitoes were unbelievable this year so we made sure to spray ourselves really well. After we hiked out we decided to go to the cabin and see if we could check in, it was almost 11:00 a.m. by now. We were able to get in and we got some stuff settled and Mark and I laid down to get some sleep. I think we slept for 2-3 hrs off and on, I don't know about him but it wasn't the most restful sleep I have ever had but it was better than nothing.



About 4:00 p.m. we headed back over to the race site and picked up our race packets. The raffle this year was already underway, they had drawn race numbers and labeled the prizes so if you were a winner you could get your prize at that time. Mark won a hydration pack with about a million pockets in it, it is pretty cool.



We got our bikes down and prepped and worked our way into the single track. The early part of the race had a couple good climbs in it so I was trying to fly downhill into the climbs to carry momentum so my single speed wouldn't get bogged down. After a couple climbs I went ahead and walked a couple big climbs because I didn't want to burn my legs up on them during the preride. Early in the ride Mark noticed this tree was having "pecker problems" so I had to take a picture, it's hard to see the issues in the picture.

About the time I took the picture Marks phone rang and it was fellow Lumberjack Tim Riekena so Mark had to take it. We sure did miss Tim this year.



We only rode about 5.5 miles and then was back at the van, my legs wanted to ride some more but I knew the next day was going to be some work. We headed back to the cabin where Molly was just finishing up some lasagna and cheesy garlic bread...YUM!!! It didn't take much for me to pass out on the bed that evening and then I was back up at 4:30 to start getting ready for the race.

I'll do another post about the race later.

2011 Dirty Kanza...

I had high hopes for the 2011 running of the Dirty Kanza 200, not about placing high just of riding strong and finishing. I had got a lot of training miles in, my base probably could not have been much better. The thing about Dirty Kanza is that it is such a brutal race, it takes a lot of mental and physical strength. My race day preparations were all in order, I had been eating pretty well and hydrating very well. My bike was set up and ready to roll and I had my nutrition plans all laid out. Molly and I arrived in Emporia around 2:30 on Friday afternoon, we got checked into the hotel and then went and got my race packet at registration. Then we came back to the room and I started prepping all my bottles and laying out my riding gear. My fellow Lumberjacks (Mark and Tim) were on their way too as they were doing the team relay event. We all met up at the pasta feed which was put on by the Emporia Farmers Market, it was a really good meal and very convenient. Then it was back to the room for final preparations and then time to get some sleep.



The race start was set for 6:00 a.m. and if anyone knows me very well at all then they know that I am a hurry up and wait kind of guy. I was up at 4:20 to let my body get woken up and so I could do some business. We made our way to the start venue around 5:20 a.m. and Mark and I rode up and down the street a little bit, I think for me it was more to calm my nerves than for anything else.



When people started forming on the start line there were huge gaps here and there so instead of just getting in line I rode my way up to the middle of the pack and took my place, Lyle rolled up next to me and we talked for a little bit.



Soon we were off and the pace thru town seemed to be faster than the year before, I didn't run off with the leaders I just maintained a steady pace and by the time I hit the gravel road (about 2 miles in) the leaders were probably a half mile ahead of me at this point. I didn't care about that because I know I cannot ride that pace without blowing up. The first leg was 58 miles and all of it was into a headwind or a head/crosswind. There wasn't a ton of climbing but some good climbs were littered throughout the course. I started out slowly, I did have to bridge up early to draft off a group of riders because I was stuck in the open with riders a ways behind me. When the group I was drafting sped up I just eased into an easy pace and waited for the next group to catch me and then I rode with them for a while. I did not want to be a hero as I knew it was a long race and we were not very far into the race.

About 22 miles in I was flying down a hill in a group when I noticed something fly up in the air, as it was doing flips I could tell it wasn't a rock but I wasn't sure what it was. I looked down and I found out what it was...it was my computer. Well I just kept going since I was in a group and who knows where it landed. The remainder of the first leg was pretty good, steady effort but nothing too hard. I finished that leg just under 4 hrs.

I came into my pit area and was there for 10 min max and then was back out on the road again. The second leg was 44 miles and I was feeling pretty good about it. It started out with a lot of flat sections and a tailwind, this lasted for about 20 miles or so. I was riding with Gerald Hart and another guy toward the end of that 20 miles and when we made the turn back to the West Gerald made the comment that we had 24 miles of wind so we better settle in. Only a couple miles down the road we came to a turn that was not marked but it seemed by the map that this is where we should turn. Gerald and I said that we should turn but another guy rolled up and said we were suppose to go straight. Gerald went on but I wanted to make sure and there were more riders rolling up. There ended up being about 10 of us there and half of us thought one way and the other half thought the other way, we could see several other riders had gone straight but I still didn't feel that was right. Soon we could see some riders coming back from that direction, it ended up being about 30 people and now there was around 40 of us standing at this intersection, we quickly realized that we did need to turn there and we all left as a group. About a mile in we found some more course markings so we knew that we were on course. We had 3 water crossings, the first one was a stinky muddy mess but the other two were not so bad. Soon we were climbing out of these low sections and back into the wind, I started to slow down. I just kept pushing on as best as I could. The last 8 miles or so was more of a tailwind or cross tailwind but I knew not to go too hard thru there as I was just getting to the halfway point of the race. As we rolled into town I looked at another guy and said "Man that was a tough 44 miles", he smiled and said "Thank you for saying that because I thought I was just being a wimp".



Rolling into the second checkpoint I was not feeling really good, my stomach was not feeling right and I was not wanting to eat anything. I sat down for a while and took of my jersey and soaked a towel in ice water and put it on my face and neck to keep cool. The longer I sat there I was hoping to feel better but just didn't, so I decided to try and go to the bathroom. That was a good choice because I felt much better after that. I got new bottles and filled my Camelbak and headed back out on the course. The third leg was 60 miles and it was getting hotter out now and I was a bit concerned. Not very far into this leg I realized that I should have just brought all water because I tried to drink my Perpetuem and Fizz but my stomach wasn't having it. Now I was going to have to rely on my 70 oz of water in my Camelbak to get me to the end or try to force my other options. I was feeling really good early on, I wasn't riding very hard but seemed to be carrying a good speed (couldn't really tell without my computer!!!). This good feeling stopped about 15 miles in, I knew I still had 45 miles to go and I was hurting. I found a shade tree and stopped for about a minute and then went on again but was not feeling good. Now my stomach was not wanting water in it either, I was a cotton mouth since I had already slowed my fluid intake but I couldn't stomach the fluids. I decided to look for a water source to cool myself off. The next creek I came to the water was a ways down the hill so I went on, the next one was bone dry. Then I came to a low water crossing where there was concrete in the low spot so water wouldn't wash out the road. I laid on the concrete because my back hurt but the concrete was so hot. Stephanie McCreary, from St. Louis, rolled up and said "Oh Water", I told her I was thinking about getting in and she said "What are you thinking about, let's get in". So we did and the water was so cold and refreshing, my core temp was able to lower and it felt nice. A couple other people saw us and joined us then she and I got back on the bikes and took off. After a few miles we noticed rain in the distance and that it was clouding up so that was a good sign. I rode on ahead and could see some lightning off in the distance and the clouds were getting darker and darker. It wasn't long until my stomach thought it was time to put me through the ringer, I stopped and was hanging over my handlebars and dry heaving like a champ. I couldn't get anything out but my stomach didn't care and it kept trying to empty itself. Stephanie rolled up next to me and checked on me, I was in a world of hurt. She asked if I needed to call my wife and I told her I think I should. I turned on my GPS so I could get the coordinates but I did not want to quit. I told Stephanie to go on and I would be fine. I talked myself out of calling Molly and straddled my bike again, Emily Brock (last years female winner) rolled up and checked on me. I started riding with her and the lightning was increasing and the clouds were getting darker and the wind was picking up. Then it started to rain hard and it was big drops, usually I take my glasses off in the rain but it was raining so hard I couldn't see with them off. Emily said she was trying to decide when we should take cover and then she saw a tree line up ahead and said "I don't know about you but I'm going in there". I was hot on her heels and Stephanie was already under the tree line and then 2 or 3 other guys rolled up too. The rain was pouring down in sheets and the wind was thrashing the trees like crazy, then lightning struck about 50 yds away...it was a little bit scary. I heard later that someone had reported that they saw a tornado, I don't know if that was true or not. Another guy I talked to said the group he was riding with took cover also and the wind snapped a tree in half near their location. He also said a guy got blown off of his bike.

When the wind and rain slowed up we all took off again and about a mile down the road we made a turn back to the East, it "was" a dirt road but now was a mud road. It was impossible to ride as the bike was picking up huge amounts of mud and the wheels would not turn. Really made the bike nice and light!!! We all picked up our bikes and started carrying them, then the road turned back to the North and it was a mud road as far as I could see. We all ended up getting into the tall grass on the side of the road and did a hike-a-bike for 3 miles, talk about suck!!! My stomach was still not happy with me, I would stop and dry heave here and there and after nearly 2 hrs I was at the end of the mud road. There were a few riders there and a farmer had his pick up truck there too. The last thing I wanted to do was to quit but I was in so much pain and I couldn't drink anything without wanting to throw up. Also I was concerned about any other mud sections on the rest of the course. The farmer gave 4 of us a ride to Burdick, KS. It was about 4 buildings and a couple houses. We all tried to give him some money but he wouldn't take it, he was such a nice guy and you could tell he enjoyed helping us out. There were about 10 other riders in Burdick when we got there, they had gotten rides from other farmers. Soon after I climbed out of the truck I started my dry heaving again, man was I getting tired of this. I got a hold of Molly and she came and got me. We gave another rider a ride to the third checkpoint since that is where his crew was and he couldn't get a hold of them. On the way to drop him off I was shaking in the van, my fingers were curling into my palms and my hands were curling in toward my body and I just couldn't stop shaking. I was a mess.



I am disappointed with my race but not upset, I am more disappointed that I don't know exactly what happened to me. I don't ever want that to happen again, I hope that this experience will make me stronger.

Dirty Is Fun

I have spent several hours trying to get my wheels on my single speed set up tubeless, I would say somewhere between 6-8 hrs. I have a Haro Mary with WTB Laser Disc wheels, not the lightest wheelset but hey it's what I got. I had originally purchased the Stan's conversion kit made specially for that wheel and it didn't work, talk about being pissed ($50+ that I can't get back). Every time that I tried to get the wheel set up I kept leaking air around the valve stem and out around the nipples, have you ever leaked air out of your nipples? It kinda tickles!!! This told me that I wasn't getting a good seal up to the edge of the rim on both sides. I had tried the ghetto version and did not have any luck...the first time. I did some more reading and watched a couple videos on youtube to see how these guys did the ghetto version. When I worked on the wheels prior I would get so frustrated that I would have to just walk away from it and let myself calm down....sometimes for weeks. The first time I tried the ghetto version I tried to trim the cut tube before I put the wheel on, I found out later that the excess tube doesn't get trimmed until after the tire is mounted on the tire and it is holding air. I am very happy to say that I finally got Mary's wheels set up tubeless, I spent about an hour and a half trimming the excess tube material from both sides of both tires. I haven't ridden the tires yet, I am anxious to do so. I really wanted to get Mary set up prior to Lumberjack, if I had to run tubes I would have but I wanted to be able to run lower pressure that only tubeless set ups let you do.

Pull Me Away

Somebody pull me away from the food, oh my gosh I am eating like crazy. I need to get my caloric intake up but not this much, plus I should be eating the right stuff and not.....um, everything I see!!! I'm feeling fluffy right now that is for sure. I was off today and then I go back to work tomorrow and work thru Thursday, I am taking next Friday off to travel to and hang out in Emporia, KS for the Dirty Kanza 200 on Saturday June 4th. I really would have liked to gone for a ride today or even trimmed trail but I was still not feeling 100%, I have to get this taken care of as I don't need to deal with this next week. I have to work thru Monday for sure because of the holiday weekend and we have inventory on Memorial Day...I leave that alone. I am at least coughing stuff up a little bit so it is productive. My throat is still sore and another issue that I will leave unlisted!!! I have been doing pretty good about drinking water, I have been getting 80-90 oz per day but the past couple days have been tough because drinking water sucks when your throat hurts. Anyway I can't stress over it because that won't help anything, I think I have been stressing a bit and that is one reason I am eating so much...that and just sitting around the house. I did get my yard mowed today so that is good since we have some more rain in the forecast.

Are You Serious?

I'm dealing with a bit of a scratchy throat and a slight cough right now, it's never a good time to deal with that especially with a big race coming up. I am doing what I can to take care of it although I did go out and ride my bike today, I have to remind my legs they are on "light" duty and not "off" duty!!! Anyway the not feeling quite 100% isn't the reason for this post, it is just leading up to it.

I don't take a lot of medicine, I'm not opposed to taking it but it seems that too often there are more natural ways to get healthy. Last night I was really wanting something to soothe my throat so I went looking through our medicine cabinet and the only cough syrup we had was "Children's" cough syrup. I figured if it was good enough for them it would have to be of some benefit to me. I started reading the back of the bottle (since there wasn't any pictures to look at) and one of the things it said was "Avoid alcoholic beverages"....are you serious? This is medicine for kids. I can just picture it now, "Sorry son I'm going have to cut you off at that 6 pack because it's time for you to take your cough medicine".

Finally

I finally got to get in a high intensity ride last night, it wasn't the biggest leg ripper ever but it was pretty good and just what I needed. The group ride went to Chula and James led the way out of town and he gradually built up the pace so it was nice that we didn't just start hammering. I was panting pretty good early and continued to do so most of the way up.

The ride back started the same way, nice steady pace that gradually built until we were pushing pretty hard but not too hard and then the stretch back to town was much faster (or at least it seemed faster). I was trying to be fairly aggressive on hills, not because I was wanting to drop anyone but I was wanting to get some good climbing intervals in. I had to tuck back in on the final descent as I was hurting pretty good, I did have enough left to attack the last climb and when we got over the bridge I was officially spent. James, Denny, and myself made it to the street just over the bridge first and we stopped to wait on the rest of the group. You know it was a pretty good effort because all three of us were shaking in at least one place on our bodies. My hands and legs were trembling but it was a good feeling, the noodles I had ate prior that were trying to work their way back up was not a good feeling!!!

Another Phase

Well it's time to taper off the riding with DK less than 2 weeks away, I will still ride just not nearly as far and not at a high pace (well if we ride tomorrow night I will try to hang with the big boys for that one). I can tell that the race is getting closer because I am having a hard time trying to get deep breaths. That happens to me on races I get nervous about, the first time I was afraid I was getting sick but turns out it was just a bit of anxiety. It is affecting me early in rides as I am totally winded but after about 10 minutes I must seem to settle into a groove and forget about it and then am fine. I am needing to get my water intake at about 90 oz per day which I am short of right now so I really need to focus on that. I also need to get better at eating the right foods and not a bunch of empty calories, although a few extra fat stores in the upcoming 10 days will probably be a good thing. I like to eat but the extra calories right now along with the shorter and less often rides make me feel "fluffy", but I know it needs to be done.

I have to keep telling myself that the DK 200 is a long ride and that I am riding against myself. It is too easy to get sucked into racing early in this ride but going out too hard too fast usually doesn't work out too well. I had such a good finish last year that of course I would like to finish that well or better but just finishing is the goal, plus there are double the racers this year so that can change things dramatically.

Every time I read about someones training for DK I get worked up and start getting concerned that I haven't trained enough, but looking at my mileage that I have logged so far this year I have the base. The lack of interval training really doesn't concern me too much in the race due to the long distance of this event.

I put my bike back up on the stand the other day and got the shifting better, not nearly as good as Cale did but it is better. Then I put some tape on the barrel adjuster because I am concerned that it is a bad adjuster and could be letting slack back into the cable. After taping the adjuster I took my cross bike back out and rode the loop and it did much better, the chain never did jump down to the lower cogs when I applied more torque. I need to ride it some more to make sure that the problem doesn't happen again, I am sure hoping that this problem is not going to come back and affect my riding.

Okay it's about 3:00, must be time to eat again!!!

Pre Race Big One

My normal pre race "Big One" usually involves getting to my bibs and a port-a-pot but I am referring this time to my final big ride before Dirty Kanza. I have gotten 2 really good long road rides accomplished in the past month or so but this time I wanted to ride gravel. Mainly because after changing out my drive train I was having some shifting issues and I had finally gotten my bike up to Cale to check it out. He made some minor adjustments and then realized that my hanger was slightly bent, after fixing that the bike was shifting perfectly on the stand and was ready to be tested on the road. I took off out of town and I could not believe how well the bike was working, I don't think it ever had worked this well before. About 20 miles into my ride I had did 2 monster climbs and then was on a moderate climb when it felt like something popped, I could feel it through the cranks. Shortly after that the shifting went to pot. I made a minor barrel adjustment and the shifting was better, not perfect but better. The more I rode the shifting would return to it's not so good function. On flat sections where I could really hammer I wasn't able to because as I would shift to smaller cogs the chain would just jump down all by itself. To say that I was frustrated is an understatement.



I continued on my ride and came across some sections of road that a maintainer had been, it was a lovely site. Other sections of road had fresh heavily laid gravel and it was very slow moving.



I came back to the house at mile 76 and took a couple hour break, I really needed something to eat and my rear was really enjoying the break from the saddle. Normally when my rear is hurting I stand and ride for a while but due to the shifting issues this was not an option as everytime I stood up it was not a good situation with my gears.

I went back out later and got in another 32 miles, this put my total just over 108 miles. It was a tough ride due to the distance, and the bike issues as they were making me very frustrated and angry. I have been preparing for this race since January and to have bike issues is making this tough, I am still working on it and I will get it figured out.

On my earlier ride I came across what looked like might be some trouble but it just turned out to be some jackass' and a horse's ass!!!

Back In The Day

This is what we used to rock out before bicycles in Amish country. Still living the lie, courtesy of Jan Pyrtle.



Thanks Jan!!!

Hey, What's The Big Stink???

It's a stinking mystery, who farted???



I think someone looks guilty!!!

Still Around

I haven't been very consistent on posting on here lately but here I am. When it comes to racing I think we all have felt like we were lacking at some point in time, right now I am trying to get my mind wrapped around Dirty Kanza. I have to get my mind right for the pain that is close at hand, if you continue to push on at every checkpoint you can't escape the pain. I think back to last year and two legs in particular I had really good rides, the other 2 weren't bad just a little more pain than one would care to remember. In fact the mind is an amazing thing, it doesn't forget all pain but it does let some of the memories of intense pain fade. Last year at RIM I was in the most pain I have ever been in on a bike, when I sunk into that chair after the race I was so trashed that I wasn't even sure what to do. Now I remember it hurt, I remember I had the opportunity to go back out and take 3rd place and I just couldn't do it but I can't truly remember all the pain....but I know it was there.

I have got some solid base miles in this year but I feel like I am lacking in the intensity aspect with a lack of interval training. I plan to finish at Dirty Kanza, I probably shouldn't even show up if I felt otherwise, but I don't know if my performance will mimic last year. I had a handful of races under my belt before DK last year and most of them were marathon class races that were 3+ hrs. This year I only have one race but at least it was a 6 hr 30 min effort for me. The lack of interval work doesn't concern me as much for DK as it does for Lumberjack which is only 2 weeks after DK. Lumberjack is a whole different ball game this year since I will be riding a single speed, I have no idea what to expect from myself.

I look at some of the riders signed up for DK and there is some very stout competition, very fast Men and very fast Women (fast as in quick...not easy!!!). I know of several of these riders that have a ton of miles on their legs and lots of racing too. I have to remember to not go out too fast at the start, I have to tell myself that at every endurance race (I don't always listen). Last year I was able to hold back for at least 3 or 4 miles and then I just couldn't take it anymore, I really started to feel it at about mile 30. I was smart enough to know that when that fatigue started in to back off and settle into a recovery pace for a bit. I am amazed at the speed that the lead riders take off at, I don't know if I could go 25 miles at that pace. I can't think about what other riders are doing, I should look at it as I am racing against myself. Do I think about winning that race? Sure I dream about that, I would like to win at least one race some day!!!

Dirty Kanza is 3 weeks from tomorrow and it is almost time to start tapering off on the riding efforts. I didn't get around to changing the drive train on my cross bike until recently and I am trying to get some bugs worked out of it...that is stressing me out big time which is a performance inhibitor. I am almost wishing I hadn't changed the drive train now but Cale is going to look at it for me and we will see what he can do. I was getting really excited for the race but since the hiccups with the bike that has faded back a bit but I am sure that Cale can help me out and I will be back on track.

Getting Closer

It is a bit of a reality check to realize that the 2011 Dirty Kanza 200 is only 5 weeks away, and I have a feeling these next 5 weeks will go by rather quickly too. This has been a weird cycling year so far, lots of wind and quite a bit of rain which has lead to some shorter rides due to dangerous conditions and a lack of group rides. It is the same for most of us, we need to have decent weather on our days off of work to get a long ride in and there haven't been a lot of great weather days this year. I will say that I am really enjoying riding in the wind because it is good training and it is almost certain that we will encounter it at DK. I feel like I have a good base in but like I have stated before, I haven't got much interval training. That training usually comes with group rides and it just hasn't happened yet this year. Interval training isn't as important to me for DK because that race will be more about pace and perseverance but I am concerned about the lack of interval training for Lumberjack. When you really think about it my training for Lumberjack is complete at DK, because I will be in some serious recovery mode after DK. I say my Lumberjack training, that makes me smile because I haven't ridden much single track due to weather and I only have about 11 miles on my single speed this year!!! I'm not going to get worked up over that fact though.

Shoulder Update

Last night I was able to sleep the whole night without waking up in major pain, of course I got up at 2:45 so I really only slept half the night I guess. Sunday night was an agonizing night of sleep, I don't know how many times I woke up moaning and grimacing from the pain. Molly said I woke her up several times because I was whimpering in my sleep, if that doesn't make you feel like a man I don't know what will. Monday night was much of the same, the pain didn't wake me up as many times but it still kept me from getting a good nights sleep. Before I went to bed last night I put a large amount of Icy Hot on my shoulder (it was on fire) because it was causing more muscles to tighten up,this seemed to help quite a bit.

Today at work I was still being very careful with my left arm, and I wasn't having nearly the amount of sharp shooting pain episodes that I had been having. I could tell it is still very tight, the swelling has come down but it is still puffy. It is still very tender and my range of motion is very very limited, basically reaching back is not going to happen without a large amount of pain.

I don't think Molly was real pleased with me today because I decided I was going to ride my bike....twice. My body positioning on my road bike wasn't bothering my shoulder too much besides I need to keep it loose....right??? Okay maybe it wasn't the smartest thing to do today but I really wanted to ride and I got in some good miles today, not very fast but I'm okay with that.

It's Amusing To Me

A person could look at just about any set of pictures from a mountain bike race and when you get to the podium shots there is almost always a picture that it would seem a homeless person worked his way into the photo. The guy has a beard so scruffy because he hasn't shaved in about 8 months and is wearing a button up short sleeve shirt that is pretty baggy on him along with some cut off shorts. Your thinking "What is this guy doing at a bike race?", and then you realize that he just kicked everyones ass on an all rigid fixed gear single speed!!! You didn't see his bike because he as done so early that he already had it loaded up before you emerged from the woods.

Actually that last little bit reminds me of my first race ever, it was a duathlon at Clinton Lake. I finally made my way to the finish line and pretty much everyone had already loaded their bikes and many people were already gone!!! I guess they didn't realize that they were going to get the opportunity to see a well over 200 lb guy with blood stains on his legs come staggering across the finish line, it was well worth the wait for those that saw it.

Bone Bender V3

Yesterday was the 3rd annual Bone Bender mountain bike race held at Clinton Lake in Lawrence, KS. I will say that Clinton Lake is a great place to work on your technical riding, many places require great balance and constant focus. Some of the hills I opted to run up because I felt like I would use less energy to run up then trying to ride. I drew first blood on the second lap on the first climb, I was following Lyle and we both were running up the hill when my foot slipped and down I went. It happened so fast, I was shocked that I was laying on the ground. I cut my knee just enough to bring blood to the surface (I think it got dirt in it and that kept it from bleeding) and put a big scratch/strawberry on my shin, it was actually kind of funny.

I was nervous before the race which it was just normal jitters, I think I was more nervous about how congested the first couple miles was going to be especially since the course started off with some technical rocky sections. These areas would slow you down and then of course the riders behind you too which many would have to put a foot down to wait so the line of walking would begin.



I do feel lucky to get the picture below of my pre race potty break, after all my race number was #1. I had text some guys about my race number and Jan text back, "If people yell go #1, you will think you need to go pee". I thought that was hysterical. (Photo courtesy of Brady Bernskoetter)



We got to run up a gravel road to our bikes, it was very similar to RIM a couple years ago. My bike was one of the last to get put in the staging area and it was down the road a ways so I got to run a little extra distance. I wasn't running real hard up the hill but I was panting pretty hard by the time I got to my bike. We had a short section of paved then we dumped onto a gravel section and then across a burned off grassy section and then finally we dropped into single track. After the first couple miles of very slow moving the riders started to get more of a gap, I tend to go out too hard and settled in on a relaxing pace. I was riding 3 deep in a line of riders when the pace got too slow, the second rider went around and I went with him thinking his pace would be much faster. He was faster for a bit but seemed to slow down so I went around and turned it on, maybe turned it on too much. I did have a great first lap and when I came through the pit area I stopped for about a minute, I usually like to pit after going through the timing area but we pitted just before. My second lap was at a pretty good pace too, I started to get some early signs of cramps in my calves toward the end of the second lap. I popped some endurolytes and chewed them up...YUMMMMY!!! That seemed to help and I also made sure to drink a lot of water as well.



I really slowed the pace down on my third lap, I didn't want to push the issue of cramping and I knew I still had a lot of miles left to ride. Pretty early in the 3rd lap, just before a drop in, I popped my shoulder out again. I did this last year and it hurt really bad then and guess what.....it didn't feel any better this time. I stuck my front wheel in a rock and it jammed my arms straight back and my left shoulder was out, the pain was so intense and I knew it needed to go back forward. I am standing straddling my bike with my left shoulder dropped down to reduce the pressure on this ultra painful spot and I rocked my shoulder back and then thrust it forward and back in she went. It was another burst of pain that I can't hardly describe, now I was doubled over the side of my bike while clutching my arm against my body and "expressing myself" in a very much out loud kind of way. I figured if I could just keep going the pain should lessen and my shoulder might stay loose from riding, it was the ride home I was worried about. It only took a few minutes for the pain to get to a manageable level, probably because I was more focused on the trail. Shortly after this incident I was walking up one of the rocky climbs when the guy in the picture below came by me, he asked if I was okay and told him I was just fighting off some cramps. As he powered up the hill he said "Tell them to F#@K OFF!!!" I started laughing, I couldn't help but smile.



While I was out on lap 4 I was starting to feel some fatigue, there were some really fast sections that I felt great on and that helped the lap seem to go faster. It was on this lap that the reality that I still had to finish this lap and then should be able to get 2 more laps started to settle in. I was tired and the course was taking it's toll on my body. I just kept staying after it and trying to ride smart which can be a challenge as your body fatigues. There was a rider that had passed me around lap 2 that I kept pretty close most of the race although it seemed like every time he saw me he would turn on the gas. On lap 5 he stopped to get a gel and I went around expecting him to be on my wheel soon along with another strong rider from the St. Louis area that I was able to pass. Toward the end of my 6th lap (about 2 miles left) there was a switchback and you could see riders that were behind you (this means they could see you too!!!) and I was only about 1/4 mile ahead of them so I knew I had to stay aggressive. I didn't go all out because I didn't want to blow up but I did amp up the watts and stay strong to the finish.




I ended up 6th in the Men's Open out of 13 riders, I was very pleased with these results. I did finish ahead of some riders that are much faster than I am like Cam Kirkpatrick because he stopped early and I did get beat by 2 guys in the Sport class but that's okay because I did have a good race, I'm hoping it just keeps getting better from here!!! If you want to check out the results go to http://www.moto-tally.com/TWC/Results.aspx

Made It Through The Day

WOW today was a rough one. Any persons job can be stressful and mine has a few times when it is but today was a bit overwhelming. I won't go into too much detail but trying to manage two peoples clashing personalities all while trying to do my own work was almost too much to take today. A little over halfway through the day I absolutely think I could have laid down and fell asleep in a matter of minutes, I was so tired from being mentally drained. That being said I am home now and all of that is past me, on to bigger and better things.

I got my new Thule roof rack for the van today so that was pretty cool, now I just have to assemble it. I did get out and ride the loop today, once again it was pretty windy out there (I know that is hard to believe for April). I am going to taper off my riding a bit this week with the Bone Bender 6 hr on Sunday, I will probably do a short ride Wednesday and another ride around town on Friday and then a preride of the course Saturday and then race on Sunday.

I need to set some time aside the next couple of days and go through my toolbox and totes and get all my gear together that I plan to use at the race. I put some more Stan's in my rear tire on my Epic on Saturday, it was pretty dry. I'm ready to make another attempt at getting Mary tubeless, I really want her tubeless for Lumberjack but if she isn't it will all work out.

Dreams And Theories

I had a dream the other night that I weighed 138 lbs which was really odd because the lightest I weighed myself last year was 162 lbs (I don't get on the scale but a couple times a year at best). So I thought I would check it out and what do you know 138....and then I lifted my other leg off the floor and put it on the scale. Just kidding, I didn't go near a scale although the dream was real.

I think we all have theories about many things but what exactly are theories but heories with a "t" on the front??? No seriously I'm asking because I have no idea, I mean I wasn't exactly an honor student in school.

Actually today while I was riding I was thinking about training in the wind, I personally love riding in the wind because it makes me stronger. It really sucks at the moment too many times but the reward is far greater. I do try to start out into the wind so I can finish with a tailwind but today I wasn't sure what kind of traffic there would be on Hwy 65 South of town so I opted to ride to Chula knowing there was a SSE wind and I would at least get a little push on the last couple miles coming back to town. I didn't realize just how much the wind was out of the South until I started heading North...Whoa, I was hauling tail. I was probably riding at an 8.5 out of 10 effort and was making great time, I ended up averaging 23.2 mph on the trip North and was still feeling really really good. That told me the wind was pretty strong out of the South and then I started riding back and it was soon a real eye opener to just how strong the wind was. I worked harder to get back home and only avg 16.7 mph...I don't know if my skirt was catching extra wind or if my heels were clipping the road on every pedal stroke. Since I had such a strong ride up my instinct was to really push on the way back to get the really good avg speed but one thing I have learned about riding in the wind is being steady. I was letting my muscles build up the lactic acid but not letting them get overloaded, there is a fine line here and I was trying to stay just below it. I don't like to ride in my drops when riding in the wind, I figure that the wind is a great training tool so why not create as much resistance as possible and get the full benefit. I was so excited to get to turn back to the West and head toward town at the latter part of my ride today. I was at a 20.0 avg heading into the last climb into town and I dropped to a 19.9 but I really didn't care, it was a good ride.

I've Got Needs!!!

Now that I have scared most of you with the title I guess I should expand on this topic. I have been getting in some good base miles but now it's time to move to the next phase and that is interval training. I will continue getting in long rides but I need the group ride atmosphere and need some of that leg ripping action. My first race, which is almost a month later than my first race last year, is just over 2 weeks away and I'm not sure how ready I am. What I mean by that is I don't feel explosive yet, the power that comes from those intense group rides that leaves me staggering when I get home. I know the race will be fun and will be good experience for the future. The lack of single track riding for a couple months has me a bit frazzled, I hope to get in a nice relaxed preride the day before the race. I want to really pick my lines in the technical areas, I hope this will pay off on race day. I think my Epic is feeling totally left out, I haven't ridden that bike since probably mid January.

I am taking off Saturday April 9th and there is a race at the River Trails in Lawrence that day, but it is Jonas' birthday so I will be staying home and celebrating his 4th birthday. There is a duathlon the next day but I am working, although I thought about going to work at midnight and then leaving a bit early to go race but I haven't done any running and it might be best to just save it for the next weekend.

Full Day....Somebody Answer The Phone

Well I finally got out to do some trail work today, my wife lets me play in the dirt as long as I'm driving back and forth in my truck and not in her van. I set out with my camelbak and some other items stowed in the pak and my Rogue Hoe and hiked out to armor the second drop in on my section. This drop in gets a lot of leaves built up on the high side of the drainage and on the lower side as well, so knowing this you would think that I would have planned a little bit better. I should have carried a rake in with me or went to the trailer and got a blower to take with me but instead I walked in and did the best I could with my hands and feet. I quickly realized that if I was going to do this job right that I needed to get the bulk of the leaves out so I could see exactly what I was working with. I went ahead and started mining rock from the drainage above where I was working, that was a workout in itself. After I got 4 good size rocks I decided I would hike out and travel to the trailer to get a blower but I couldn't remember exactly where it was so I text Denny to find out but I had to wait for a signal on my way out just so I could send the text. Denny told me where it was and soon I was back at the work site with a blower. I got a lot of leaves moved and then went and found a couple more large rocks and started the jig saw puzzle of armoring. I think I got it pretty secure, there was enough water in the drainage that getting mud to pack the seams was not a problem. The only thing is my gloves were so muddy that I don't know if I got the seams filled good enough. Time will tell on that one and I can always add more in later if need be. I got more smaller rocks and put them on the lower side right next to the armoring to add to what was already there to eliminate the water back cutting. It may be a bad idea but I also got some rock built up on the upper side and made a little pool, the water can still go over the armoring like normal. My hope is that if debris starts to build up it will get caught in the upper section and make it easier for me to clean out as needed. I think it turned out pretty good, take a look at the before and after picture and tell me what you think. Oh that's right I forgot to take my camera.

I went out this evening to try and get my new seat post and saddle dialed in, let's just say it wasn't on speed dial. When I took the measurements from my old seat post and saddle I shouldn't have written down a number and put "ish" on the end of it, I don't think that is how Mark does stuff at work!!! I rolled from my sidewalk onto the street and knew right then that the nose of the saddle had to drop at least half a skosh if not a full skosh. After dropping the nose a touch I rode some more and then slid the saddle forward a very little bit, then rode some more. After a bit I lowered the seat post and it felt better but still not quite right so I lowered it another mm +/-. It is feeling better now but I still need to get some more saddle time to make sure, plus I need to get it on some good climbs to see how it feels.

Beware

I went out and did a road ride tonight with James and I have to say that it was pretty painful, the bad part about it is that the speed wasn't very fast. I did get out and ride yesterday, it wasn't overly windy but it was consistent out of the East and while riding that direction I was feeling the burn. I rode to Chula and then headed East on K and KK over to BB and the South on B into Wheeling. Then I rode Hwy 36 home and that was nice because I had a very good tailwind. I was feeling the burn a little last night but it wasn't bad because I really didn't ride very fast on that ride either.

I was going to meet up with James at the YMCA and on my ride through town over to the Y I could tell that my legs were tired. Too often I don't eat during the day and today was no exception and that wasn't helping anything. I was a bit concerned at first but then I thought once I get going and get warmed up I will be fine. I must not have got warmed up because it was lactic acid city tonight. I knew riding with James was going to be a workout so I packed a lunch....and he ate it!!! He literally took my chain off my bike and beat me with it, he didn't have to smile the whole time but I guess he is just a happy guy.

Money Well Spent???

Okay the picture below is of four items that I hope will help me in the 2011 Dirty Kanza 200. When I look at these items I don't see speed, what I hope to achieve with these things is comfort and hopefully comfort will turn into less pain and less time stopped to deal with the pain. Notice I didn't say that these thing will stop the pain because let's face it, 200 miles is a really long ways. It doesn't matter how fast of a rider you are the Dirty Kanza takes centuries to finish...2 of them to be exact, 200 miles in who knows what kind of weather on smooth gravel roads, really rough gravel roads, and roads I wouldn't dream of driving my truck on.

I am not looking at the Dirty Kanza as a race, for me it is about a ride that I want to finish. If my name was Corey Godfrey, Troy Krause, Andre Lance, Joe Fox, Mike Merchand or Doug Long I would have a different approach to this race. I don't want to make my efforts sound weak because I know I am a strong rider but these guys have the ability to put out some amazing efforts.



Let's start with the new cassette and rear derailleur. I will be replacing my 11 x 25 cassette with a 11 x 34 cassette to have a broader range of gearing for those really steep hills but also for late in the day when your legs are so fried that riding on level ground can be a challenge. I will be switching my cross bike over to mountain bike gearing by pulling my 105 derailleur and replacing it with a XT long cage derailleur. Last year the last checkpoint was around the 145 mile mark and it was in a little town called Alma, KS. After a very long stay in Alma I headed out of town with Stoney Cranmmer and Chris Bopp, both of Team Redwheel. Stoney was on a single speed and I'm not sure how he was able to do it. The climb leaving Alma was very long, steep, and had loose rock and I was having trouble getting to the top with gears but Stoney just kept grinding it out to the top as well. We had been told that the next 20-25 miles to Eskridge was hilly but we had no idea that it was going to be as brutal as it was. About 15 miles into this non stop sequence of climb climb climb, descend and repeat over and over and over again I stopped at the top of one hill and laid my bike down and just stood there. This is where the doubt started to try and work it's way into my head, I remember thinking that if the last 50 miles was like this I don't think I could do it. I told myself "Just get to Eskridge", people had said it was much better riding after that town. Fortunately getting to Eskridge was such a relief that it helped lift some of that doubt from my mind. I guess I am hoping that having more gearing options will help as the day goes on and I can spin more if need be to get to the top of some hills. Of course I believe the route is different this year so maybe we won't be hitting those big hills late in the race....or maybe they found some bigger ones.

I don't think there is anyway around having legs that are running on empty by the end of this race, and last year my legs were pretty well shot when I crossed the finish line. I did however have to deal with some other pain for the majority of the day and that was in my lower back and my butt. My last two items in the picture are of a Thudbuster ST seatpost and a Fizik Airone saddle. Damon Hennon had recommended to me before last year to change the gearing on my bike, get a Thudbuster and to get a saddle like the Fizik Airione but finances kept those items out of priority. This year those items went a little higher on my list although I am not looking for them to make things easy, I do hope that they help. I have a Thudbuster ST on my single speed and it helps take the edge off of trail riding so I feel confident that this seatpost will be greatly appreciated on gravel rides. The Fizik Airone is widely known for it's comfort and that is why it is my saddle of choice this year.

I will probably make some more posts about the upcoming Dirty Kanza since I have been thinking a lot about it lately. I have been getting in some good base miles and I am eager to have some team effort interval training on Monday nights this spring and summer. Later posts might include my nutritional plans for the race, strategy for the start and checkpoints or any other topic I can come up with.

Salsa Frameset Contest

Salsa Cycles is the premier sponsor again this year at the Dirty Kanza 200. They are offering up a new frameset, either a Fargo or Vaya, in a contest titled "Why I Should Win A New Salsa Fargo Or Vaya Frameset". I would really like to get my hands on a Fargo, built up to my riding style it could be the perfect adventure bike. Below is my entry into the contest...wish me luck!!!

Pen And Paper

I guess I should write this down, some really good advice that is. I have heard this advice floating around for a long long time but I guess I forget about it until I do the opposite of the advice. Okay the tip is: Don't pee into the wind. I remember it as soon as I do it, so maybe I should just write it down. I told Molly my bibs were just really sweaty!!!

Saddle Up Partner!!!

Okay I have pretty much been riding by myself all year so far which is fine because I do a lot of endurance racing and I am out there by myself for several hours but training solo doesn't do nearly as much as interval training with a group of other riders (even if it's just one other person). I have an area I plan to train on whether I am riding with someone or just do this by myself but it is some good climbing and I plan to do so on my single speed to build up my legs for Lumberjack.

I have no idea what I weigh, I have been feeling pretty skinny until today (I only ate 2.5 dinners tonight so I'm not sure why I feel this way!!!). I'm not worried about it though because I know I have a lot of riding yet to come and my weight will take care of itself, as long as I don't let it get out of control.

I hope I am not falling off the back of the pack early in the year, if I do I will just have to work that much harder and I know I can. I sure am ready for Monday night rides to begin, even if we don't go real hard the first week or two it will be good to ride in a group (I am all over the road right now, probably should pedal with both eyes open).

This Is Making Me Hungry

Where is my training going? I feel good that I am getting in base miles but I am discouraged that I am not getting in many "Fast" miles. It is so tough to judge a lot of ride this time of year because it seems to be windy everyday. Don't get me wrong I love the wind, it can be your best training partner. In fact it is great training for the DK because wind is something you can pretty much count on in that race, better be ready for it.

Yesterday I had to cut my ride short due to time constraints but I was glad to get some riding in. Today was my 6t straight day of riding (although I don't feel like I am making much progress) and I cut it short again today. My legs were really feeling the fatigue from the start and the wind wasn't helping matters at all. The reason I decided to cut the ride short is I think my legs need a bit of rest, I think too many times we push too often and don't let ourselves really recover correctly. I still got a few miles in today but I didn't push very hard. I'm sure I need the rest but the racer in me is screaming cuss words at me right now. I am talking about rest but if I get the chance to ride tomorrow you can bet I will be back at it again.

I also think the lack of trail riding is affecting my speed of road riding right now, the more trail riding I do the faster I road ride. I'm trying not to get discouraged with where I am at right now, it is what it is. I will say that I am getting hungry to ride more and really ready for some group interval training. These base miles will pay off!!!

Easily Impressed

Well today we had to run to Independence to do some stuff and since the kids were out of school we took them with us. It seems that my kids are trained to have to go to the bathroom at Cameron and today was no exception. I went into the stall with Jonas and before he even went to the bathroom asked if he could flush the toilet yet. He finished up and then asked me if I needed to go potty, I told him I was going to go too. As he is pulling his pants up I hear the bathroom door open and close and notice the feet of another gentlemen in the stall next to us, then I step up to do my business. Jonas is watching me the whole time and then says "You have a BIG penis". I can only imagine the look on the other guys face, I didn't what to say so I didn't say anything. I did however wait for the guy to leave before we stepped out. I guess it doesn't take a lot to impress a 3 yr old.

I Couldn't Believe It

I went out and rode the Chula route yesterday but I wanted to add a few more miles so I rode through town North to 190 and took that to the connector to old 190 and back into town. While traveling some side streets through town I had something happen that if I didn't see it then it would be hard to believe. I was coming down a small hill and something caught my eye in a fast downward motion and then I heard a LOUD "Thud" on the street. It was a squirrel that fell out of the tree, it jumped up ran in a circle and then took off. I'm sure it was thinking "I hope nobody saw that" and then it saw me!!! I don't know how far he fell but it made a very loud noise, I had music in both ears and it was still a loud thud. Of course it landed only about 5 ft from me, pretty amazing.

It's A Win Win

I have to admit that I don't usually ride a lot of gravel roads (if I can't ride trail I usually am road riding), the main reason I have been doing more this year is because of the Green Hills Challenge. I find myself either riding pretty strong on some rides and then just getting saddle time on others, both have their benefits. The faster pace rides are when I am riding roads that I know but there is just something about going out on an adventure and finding roads that you personally have not ridden. I find myself not riding as fast on the adventure rides but they are so much fun to just get out and explore, besides I can ride them again later at a faster pace. I have to get an updated map though, I have already posted about one ride that had some unexpected areas. The other day my map failed me again, I was riding along and the gravel turned into pea size gravel and then into grass but I just kept riding. I saw a levee up ahead so I rode to it and saw a sign that said "Bridge Out". I thought I might be able to get across the creek and keep exploring....well I was wrong so I had to turn around and find a new route. It was a lot of fun, although I was waiting for a truck or something to track me down wanting to know why I was on their property!!!