Too much time away from the bike?

Well after about two weeks off from being sick and out of town on business I will attempt to get back to business. I guess I really have only a week to get back into shape for Mt. Kato. This race has treated me well in the past and I'd like to keep that going. I could be really stressed about being off the bike for so long but I think it will be good for me. And yes, I am going through withdrawal. I'm looking forward to riding tomorrow and paying for my absence. Should be a great day.

So with that out of the way, what the hell is going on with the Pro Peloton? Basso, Ullrich gone. That sucks for everyone else but rules for tea Red, White and Blue. It's going to be a fight between either Hincapie(I hope) or Popo and Landis.

Comfy pace and cow dung smells

Rode this morning before work. For a change I could say it was cold. Being close to the river can create quite a change in temp quick. After I had a chance to warm the legs up I decided to attack the very next incline to start my ITT of my Dirty Thirty loop. Hmm, bridge to engine room we need more power... No response. It was pretty clear that my intentions of putting in any kind of an effort were futile. So I decided to ride recovery pace (the plan for the week) and take in the scenery. Before long I was taking in some smells that stunk as much as my legs. Thanks cows.

Anyone want to go cow tippin'?

6 more days 'til Millar Time

British Championship marks the return of the Scot David Millar to professional cycling after a two year ban for using EPO. It'll be great to see what the lad brings to the table after two years off. I for one am a fan of Millar's and hope he does something special.

Afton Avalanche

Hot! Really hot! I rode the course last Wednesday and thought it was going to be a little easier this year. With todays heat it was as nasty as ever.

I was able to get a front row start which made all the difference. Made it through the first singletrack section with no bottleneck. Tried to hold onto the lead group but eventually slowed into a pace that left me lonely the rest of the race. Besides that it was the typical up down, up down that is Afton. This was by far my best finish on this course and I'll take it, 10th overall and 5th for my age group!

But, it came at a price. I guess my body doesn't want to sleep after the effort that I put in today/yesterday, hence why I'm up at three in the morning writing this. I have what I like to call happy legs. They just don't want to sleep. I just keep tossing and turning. Weird!

Rested and re-motivated

I think DMX said it best. "Stop... drop... shut'em down, open up shop".

I'm feeling pretty good again. Here's a pic of me from my ride today:











source: velonews.com

Tired and unmotivated

Not sure if you can say I've over trained, but I really feel like I need a break from riding/training. Maybe I'm down on my performance thus far in '06???

No ride again today for this guy.

Maybe tomorrow.

Steeple Chase

20th overall, 12th in my age group.

Not super pleased with the result.

And that'll do it for this entry.

The big bluff

Finally after many years I get a win. What a night.

The cat 5 race started just like any night and I felt really good, or so I thought. Went for the 1st sprint and the legs just weren't there. Thought that was kinda odd after putting in the 100 mile ride this weekend. Lalla said before the race that he thought those 100 miles would play to our advantage tonight. So the second sprint came and again I could only muster like 8th or so. So, I was thinking oh crap, maybe I'm not feeling so great, and decide to sit the 3rd sprint out and rest for the final. As we headed out on the 12th and final lap I decided that I wasn't going to wait for the sprint to start as we made our way up the final hill. NV and Hoigarrds had been playing some tactics and I really wanted to spoil there fun all by myself. So, half way through the back straight I start ramping it up. I go around the outside and notice that no ones taking me seriously. Their mistake. By this point the left turn after the straight before the merge was approaching and I wanted to use that merge/bottleneck to my advantage. So I just hammer. Hammer my arse off! I come haulin around the ess curve praying that my tires will hold. And hold they did. Made it to the final climb and kept looking back to see if they were coming. No, not yet. Pedal, pedal, pedal. Look back, still no real reaction. Nice! No one wanted to commit. Bad news, I was popped. I told my self, cry, scream, shed blood, or black out, but you get your butt across that line. There was no way I was going to blow this. I had just enough to keep the group behind me. Score 10 points for me and the overall win. Yah hoooooo!

No way that just happened. Did I mention that I was listening to the "Gambler" before the race. I found an ace that I could keep!

Just like some one mentioned in their blog a few weeks back. It's funny how you do well and everyone's like, hey when are you going to upgrade, or call you a sand bagger (Pete). I say bring it on. Make sure your comment reaches the ears of those who can grant upgrades. I want to be a cat 4. It's hard focusing on racing mountain bikes and getting your 10 mass starts. If this tips the scales I'm all for it.

101.4

No this is not a new radio station. Adam decided that with part of the team going down to Chippewa Falls for a century ride that we'd have to put one together for those of us who we're staying local over the holiday weekend. So after we suckered Lalla into riding with us he recommended that we start off with the Grand Performance ride and then continue on from the shop up to Stillwater. So that's what we did.

Have to admit I was a little nervous for the GP ride since it has a history of being pretty big. Kinda think Adam was too. So I rode from Woodbury to Lalla's in West St. Paul where we hooked up with the ride. The ride was just the amount of challenging that I was looking for. Much better than the ride I did earlier in the week. The sprints were a little tricky for Adam and I since we really didn't know where the were. We did manage to go 2-3 for the 494 bridge on 13. That was awesome! Not sure but I think we figured around 40+ at the line.

From the GP ride we were able to sucker one person to join us for our Stillwater leg. Took the paved trail that runs along 36 from the Capitol to highway 12 and 12 into town. Nice route choice Lalla. It was a great morning of riding. I peeled off from the group on the way back at the junction of 12 and Manning. Ouch! Solo headwind all the way home. Got close to home a little short of 100 miles for the day so I went out for a small loop around my house to make good on my goal. That was the best 100 miles I've ever done!

Grizz took some pics that I'll steal and post later.

Football is not the only game of inches

Great weather and awesome course. Nice work Erik's! Harmon park is now my favorite trail. Started off fighting for a good position and had to get a little nasty with a couple dudes. I mean really, they're holden up the show. I kept tellin' them to go but they'd only go when I called out my pass. That's really irritating. I know in this instance I don't have the right-of-way but when you're going too damn slow... get out of the freakin way! It was really bad. I'd call out my pass and they'd speed up and cut me off. I was sooooooo close to just checking them out of the way. So here's a warning those I pass. If I'm coming up on you pretty hard... GET OUT OF MY WAY! I'll put you in the ditch!



So I hook up with Paul S. and the Grizz once we passed all the riff raff and we're haulin'. I'm starting to feel really good like Jens Voigt or somethin'. We get out of the singletrack and I go for the gels and H2O. Then I feel the power of the Earth's gavitational pull and cheese grind it on the pavement. There goes the day. Not sure what really happened just some bad contact at the wrong time I guess. It took me a while to remember who I was and that I was in a bike race. Weird! Got back on the rig and Paul had dropped back to check on me and pull me back up to speed. Thanks to the adrenaline I was able to get going right away. Started to feel good again and was almost done with the 3rd lap just past the rock when I cramped up like a SOB. Thankfully Scott and Ty were there snappin pics. So I hung out with them for a while thinking I was done racing for the day. So after chillin for a while I decided to roll back to the start/finish to turn in my transponder and report my DNF. Well I started feelin good again. Rode myself back into the race. Unfortunately my race was over and I was just riding for points and to get my monies worth. I was surprised when I started hammering again. I was feeling pretty good and glad I decided to keep going after I went through the s/f. It was kinda fun racing by myself just crankin. Then Doug Swanson came up on me and passed. I swear that guy's a ninja. He's so quiet on the bike. So smooth. So I got to pretend I was racing expert again and with the lead racer. That didn't last long. Then a little while later Eric Dahl came up and had a chance to chat with him and give him some props on his new gig w/C'dale. Very nice! Tried to hold off the group behind him for a spell so he could get some more time on them... Not really. I couldn't quite block after the hell I went through for my race. It just didn't seem right.

Anyway I finished up dead last in my age group but got some much needed points. I'm pretty sore today but all in all I'd say it was one of my best races. If I wouldn't have stacked it or cramped I'm pretty confident I would have finished in the top 10 for sure. I'm also proud of myself for hangin in there and finishing the race. Didn't know I could be that tough. Good to know.

Well, I'm off to go see Ice Age 2 with Finley. That will cap off a pretty stellar weekend.

Check out the Grizz's pics: http://www.flickr.com/photos/grizzlyadam/tags/mnscs1/

Call it... 11:00 pm

It is done. I finally got the new mtb built, and I must say I did a pretty nice job of it. I was able to eyeball everything up for the drivetrain and barely make any adjustments. It rides pretty sweet too, and it fits. I can't wait to unveil it at this weekends Spring Cup at Harmon Park. I'm exhausted and ready to crash. More after the race.

*UPDATE*

It may be an Access POS but it sure rode well for only $130.

Here are some pics of BASEHELL:

Here's my protege

Opus # ?... 2 for me

What a night. I'll admit I wasn't thinking about the points tonight. Maybe I should have. But my passed experience at Opus has taught me that I have plenty to learn when it comes to circuit racing. 1st time I did it I got dropped, not my fault really, but dropped none the less. 2nd time spit out the back on the last lap just before the finish. last week, same as my 2nd attempt. Tonight, well that was different. I decide that I'd stay towards the front for the whole race and not go for any primes until the end. I went for it alright! It came down to that darn last turn before the hill that gets me every time. I came around the outside pretty much uncontested. So right as we hit the hill on the straight I start to rev it up. I feel Tim (from the Oakdale Erik's) hop on my wheel. He doesn't stay long and makes a move to go around me on the right. So I crank it up, he cranks it up, the next thing you know it's just me and Tim going all out for the line. We're both redlined and he gets me at the line by a wheel. I was really hoping to get the 10 points which would have made for a two way tie for 1st overall, but that's the best second place sprint (4th overall) I've ever had.

This sport ROCK!

Maybe I should stop racing mountain bikes and only race road?

Cheq. 1992

Oh yes check this pic out. Those were the days. Sadly that Kona Hot I was rollin is a lot better than what I'm on today. Notice the onza sticker on the Julie Furtado Leader helmet, and the first generation Marzocchi. I was so fast back then. I think I'm shedding a tear. Sniff, sniff.

Spring Cup

I can't believe the Spring Cup is this weekend. That was quick! Too bad I'm behind on my so called training schedule, I'm sure I could have pulled of a win. Ha ha! Should be a sweet race with plenty of action for all. The weather looks awesome for racin' with temps in the 70's and sunny skies. Cross your fingers so it stays that way.

Who's going? Who's ridden the course?

Doing Opus CX style

Yeah well since I don't have an official road bike I'm forced to ride the redline. Not that it would make that much of a difference, or would it?

Started off pretty well. I knew I didn't have for the overall win or at least I knew I'd have to suck wheel too much to get it. I really just wanted the miles and experience. Rode pretty strong. Got 4th or 5th in the 1st sprint, didn't go for the second, got 1st or 2nd in the 3rd sprint, was about to attempt a long sprint for the finish but the engine room shut down as I came up on the last turn.

Oh well, maybe next week right?

Anyone seen my bike?

Really! I haven't been on my bike since the Monday after Oxbow. This basement is killing me. This was looking like the best start to a season ever for me. I think I've reached the max time off before you actually start losing fitness. Unfortunately I'm not out of the woods yet on this basement stuff. The carpets getting installed as I write this which leaves a few plumbing details, some painting, and trim work. So, Tuesday at Opus is out. >:(

So everyone is getting stronger and I'm getting spit out the proverbial back. This leaves me with 3 weeks to get the form back before the Spring Cup. AHHHH! I still haven't built my mtb bike. This sucks! And the worst part is I saw that the guy I hate to lose to was at both Ken Woods(Andy will be so proud with my spelling) and the Iron Man. You know how you have that one rider who you know you should and can beat, that's why you hate them. Yah, looks like he'll be kickin my can all season.

Time to go undercover...
...Undercover training that is. Super dooper top secret training. Stealth-like.

Since the weather is so nice I think I'll finally take the semi-slicks from Oxbow off the bike and trade them for some slicks and ride the trainer.

Did I mention it's been so long that I've been on my bike that I have hairy legs again.

Gotta turn this around fast!

BTW- the picture is from a party that Tyer had. We tried to recreate our prom from a million years ago. I had to put something up that made me laugh.

Hell of the North

This picture just about sums it up for tomorrows race.


source: Velo News

Need motivation?

I just had to post this clip from Velo News

Saul Raisin's dedication is inspirational:

I was distressed to read about Saul Raisin's crash and his drug-induced coma. I remember racing in Union City, Georgia, several years ago. It was a split day: a morning time trial and an evening criterium. After the criterium (which was held in a shopping mall parking lot) there was this kid riding around and around the 1 mile shopping mall access road. He was there after all the races were over, and he was still doing laps around the mall after the race-sponsored pasta dinner (we are talking four or so hours of riding in circles, folks). I remember walking out of the mall after dinner as the sun was dipping in the sky, and I saw the same kid still cranking around. I thought, "Who is this kid? That is some dedication."
It turns out that was a young Saul Raisin who needed to get in some extra training miles, and the mall road was the only place to do it in an urban, traffic-clogged setting. He did not use the unfriendly cycling terrain as an excuse to dodge training. There was work to be done, so he did it.
I saw him the next morning in the race hotel and overheard some other guys asking him why he rode so long around the mall. A simple "I needed to get in the miles" was his reply. What a professional.
Steve Prefontaine said that "to give anything less than your best is to sacrifice the gift." Saul's dedication that day demonstrates that he too must live by that motto. I often think of him that day when I struggle in my own training, and his example still gives me an extra boost of motivation.

Hang in there, Saul.

John HartKnoxville, Tennessee

(Source: Velo News)

Please keep Saul in you thoughts.

A little something...

Been a little too busy to write anything lately. Between work, riding and working on my basement, I just haven't had the time or energy. Well, I've got something that I can finally report on. Christine and I are expecting number two in October. Looks like the baby might show up right around Halloween. Good reason to miss out on some of the cross season:)

Cheq in!

Yeah baby! My check cleared too! So it looks like I made it in to the 2006 Chequamegon 40.