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!!!

Get On Track

I am so ready to ride some single track, I know it's winter and this is what the weather is suppose to do but I am ready to ride on dirt. I wish we had a few more weeks of just frozen ground before we got any snow but I guess we don't get a say so. I keep hearing people talking about one more big snow this year, not sure if that will happen. I hope it doesn't happen but if it does then we will just have to deal with it. This weeks weather isn't working with my work/riding schedules but I will take whatever riding I can get. We have the time change this weekend so starting next week we will have a little more time in the evenings to ride, I am digging that.

I am hoping once the weather warms up and the sun is more prevalent that peoples moods will make an up swing, including my own. It seems the pressures of life are more evident in many peoples lives now more than ever and as a society things seem bleak. Having to wonder if your job is hanging in the balance has to be a rough situation to deal with, besides all the other pressures we put on ourselves. Imagine getting a phone call and what the person on the other end of the line says will change your life (your entire families lives) forever. I'm rambling, yes I know.

Confidence or Cocky

Confidence is full trust; belief in the powers, trustworthiness, or reliability of a person or thing; or a belief in one's own abilities. Being Cocky is being arrogant, self assertive, or conceited. The ironic thing is that many times people mistake confidence for someone being cocky.

When I think of someone who is confident I always think of Coach. If you dare to toe the line with him he already knows he is going to kick your ass, and let's be honest, you know he's going to kick your ass too (probably because he told you so!!!). In fact he probably told you how he was going to punish you.....Hey, it is what it is.

Casual Ride

At Hy-Vee we are contracted with a company out of Des Moines that works on our refrigeration equipment and some other areas of the store. A year or so ago one of the guys that calls on our store heard me talking about biking and he asked me if I rode. I told him I did and he said he did a little riding so we talk every time he is in the store. For a while now I have been telling him that he needs to bring his bike down with him when he comes and we can go ride, of course I never know when he is going to be there. Well today he showed up at the store for a service call and I was eager to talk to him because he rode Cirrem this past weekend and I was wanting to know how he liked it. That was his biggest ride to date and with the winter weather conditions it was a great accomplishment. We talked about Cirrem for a couple minutes and then he said he had his cross bike in the van. I said "Seriously?", and he said yep, what time can you get out of here? I told him probably not til 4:00 and he said that would be perfect. I left just before 4:00 and went home and changed my clothes and got my bike and then we took off and rode the loop. We didn't ride very hard, we did ride a few stretches at a good pace but then we backed it off and talked for most of the ride. It was a really good time, I told him that if he is in town the summer on a Monday night then we will have a ride for him for sure. He said that sounded like fun.