Dang, it doesn't take long for the pounds to come roaring back with a vengeance! I really haven't cared about what I was eating for the last month or so. My early November birthday sort of kickstarted the whole affair. While I knew there was another month to go in the cross season, the cooler November caused my body to respond with a seemingly natural desire to increase caloric intake. Call it an inate survival mentality. Cold temps require more fuel for the fire. Unfortunately, calories come in at a higher rate, but my body gets more sedentary. As a result, I get fat. Quickly.
I'm okay with it to some extent. It's been good enjoying food and drinks with my friends and family. Really nice not worrying about when I'll get on the bike and what foods I'll skip vs what I'll eat. However, that fire is quickly burning itself out. This morning's weigh-in was shocking! Once again it's time to start each day with stretching, lifting, riding, and focusing a little more on what doesn't get consumed. Not my formal training mind you, just getting ready to train. Base building...getting ready for training camp you might say.
I'm not going to begin my formal training until the end of January and yes, that's 3 months behind last year's schedule. Why the change this year? Less focus on MTB and Road and more focus on TT's and CX. I think I'm looking at 5-6 MTB races, 4-5 crits, and all of the TT's I can find, as well as another full season of CX. I've had a blast racing TT's and loved the CX experience. Therefore, they will become my main focus. I also like the similarities in what it takes to excel at each. Riding a solo effort with a willingness to push your body harder than the next guy.
I look forward to this year. Stay tuned.
Sunday, December 28, 2008
Wednesday, December 17, 2008
Wow, am I that Famous???
Was surfing around on Fuhrman's website Route66bicycles.com and noticed the MTB Name Generator. I put in my name and what was the result....
Big Boss Hoss
Big Boss Hoss
Huh, I guess I'm a little more widely know than I thought.
Sunday, December 14, 2008
Go Out on a Good Note
Finished my 26th race of 2008 with the I-64 TT today. Don't know my official finishing place yet, but I do know that I ran it in just over 20 minutes and averaged just under 24mph. Considering there was some considerable climbing (for a TT) in that short distance as well as gusting winds, I'm pleased with my effort more than ready to drop the curtain on this season.
The new bike was very fast (more than I can say for the pilot's legs) and it really responds well when the pace quickens. I'm looking forward to making some tweaks in the off-season and getting the bike ready for quite a few TT's this next year.
The new bike was very fast (more than I can say for the pilot's legs) and it really responds well when the pace quickens. I'm looking forward to making some tweaks in the off-season and getting the bike ready for quite a few TT's this next year.
Saturday, December 13, 2008
Looks Fast Just Sittin' Here
I'm not sure I can reign in this locomotive. We'll see tomorrow. Big, big thanks go out to Russ and Dave down at Mesa Cycles for the fit and the good deal. Let's just hope she's as fast as she looks.
Monday, December 08, 2008
That's All Folks!
Officially, Bubba Cross is done for the year. The State Championships have come and gone and it's now time for the silly season, I guess. I-64 TT, Team Seagal's CXMas, and Cross-Ocalypse are the only events left before I really start to focus on next year. Next year is my year!
First off, let me say that Jeff Yielding and the city of
Hermann put together one of the best races of the year! Very gracious hosts and a tremendous event thanks to Jeff, Dawndi, and their crew from Hermann!!!
Saturday, I raced the B's (along with 11 other dudes who are much faster than me) and finished 10th. I had a good race and kept guys in sight of me the entire time. A good race for me but overall it was very uneventful. I tried different lines and put in a good effort to shake the cobwebs off in preparation for Sunday's state championship race. Two key things I learned on Saturday were that you can ride the uphill, W-shaped run-up section and if you carry enough big mo' you can ride the entire sandpit.
Sunday, the temps were cooler by at least 20 degrees, which put them somewhere in the high 20's to low 30's. Crisp was an understatement. I lined up with the Masters (about 30-35 of us) and actually got one of my best starts of the year. I tucked in around the top 12 or so and really tried to keep my eyes on the other Master 40+ guys. Chris from Big Shark was one of them and I knew he'd be strong (having just taken 2nd place in the C's on Saturday.) We rolled together for the better part of 2 laps before I somehow got around him. I tried to keep putting the pressure on and did until 1 1/2 laps to go when my bike started mis-shifting. I think the old Shimano 9spd stuff has seen better days. Luckily, I had a spare bike in the pits and my teammate, Rick, was there to have it ready for me without too much time lost. The bike change did cost me a little bit of concentration and momentum though, but it wasn't too much in the end.
After the bike change, James Nelson, rolled past me and towed me around for a short while before he busted a move and rode me off his wheel. He's looking super fit and ready to tackle the SS class at Nats this week. I kept hammering in my own little world keeping an eye on the competition. If they got close, I stood and powered up, otherwise I just tried to stay out of trouble. In the end, I held off the guys I wanted to hold off and finished 4th in my class. I really don't know how close 3rd place (and the podium) was from me, but it really doesn't matter. I rode my best race of the season and it was all I could do. In the end, I was pleased with my effort and it gave me something to build on for next year.
Here are a few pics from Mike Dawson and Jeff Yielding.
First off, let me say that Jeff Yielding and the city of
Hermann put together one of the best races of the year! Very gracious hosts and a tremendous event thanks to Jeff, Dawndi, and their crew from Hermann!!!
Saturday, I raced the B's (along with 11 other dudes who are much faster than me) and finished 10th. I had a good race and kept guys in sight of me the entire time. A good race for me but overall it was very uneventful. I tried different lines and put in a good effort to shake the cobwebs off in preparation for Sunday's state championship race. Two key things I learned on Saturday were that you can ride the uphill, W-shaped run-up section and if you carry enough big mo' you can ride the entire sandpit.
Sunday, the temps were cooler by at least 20 degrees, which put them somewhere in the high 20's to low 30's. Crisp was an understatement. I lined up with the Masters (about 30-35 of us) and actually got one of my best starts of the year. I tucked in around the top 12 or so and really tried to keep my eyes on the other Master 40+ guys. Chris from Big Shark was one of them and I knew he'd be strong (having just taken 2nd place in the C's on Saturday.) We rolled together for the better part of 2 laps before I somehow got around him. I tried to keep putting the pressure on and did until 1 1/2 laps to go when my bike started mis-shifting. I think the old Shimano 9spd stuff has seen better days. Luckily, I had a spare bike in the pits and my teammate, Rick, was there to have it ready for me without too much time lost. The bike change did cost me a little bit of concentration and momentum though, but it wasn't too much in the end.
After the bike change, James Nelson, rolled past me and towed me around for a short while before he busted a move and rode me off his wheel. He's looking super fit and ready to tackle the SS class at Nats this week. I kept hammering in my own little world keeping an eye on the competition. If they got close, I stood and powered up, otherwise I just tried to stay out of trouble. In the end, I held off the guys I wanted to hold off and finished 4th in my class. I really don't know how close 3rd place (and the podium) was from me, but it really doesn't matter. I rode my best race of the season and it was all I could do. In the end, I was pleased with my effort and it gave me something to build on for next year.
Here are a few pics from Mike Dawson and Jeff Yielding.
Tuesday, December 02, 2008
Queeny Update
Sunday was Bubba #7 or #8. Officially, it was to be Bubba #7, but with the additional night race at Creve Coeur, I guess it was bumped to #8. Doesn't really matter in the scheme of things, I guess. What did matter was that we finally got a little taste of Northern Belgium weather with light snow, bracing winds from the north, and temps in the low 30's. The feeling was right and the course was within a mile from my house, so there was no way I was skipping out. I can't say the same feelings were had by others as we only had 30 B racers on the line at the start. And as I looked around, they were most of the serious (read fast) dudes, too. I quickly shaped my strategy as this...don't come in last place.
I had a decent start and was riding somewhere around 20th and doing fine in most of the technical sections. I really could never find the right way to make the grass climb and seemed to always lose places on that part of the course. I seemed to make it back in the turns, but that climb really set the tone for my day of suffering. Most of my race was with Bill Howells (The Hub) and Ian Sasek (WildTraks). We traded punches riding different parts of the course with differing levels of proficiency. I can't say that I made a whole lot of mistakes, I just didn't have anything extra to bring to the fight. Bill always seems to have a little extra boost when he needs it and Sunday was no exception. His greatest win was surprising me as we made the gravel road climb up the center of the course late in the race. As I reeled in Ian, I looked off to my right to see where Bill was and to see if we'd dropped him. I didn't see him, didn't hear him, and was briefly confused. Then, I turned to my left to see him standing on the pedals and gassing away from us. Mentally, that effort (or my lapse of thinking) really broke me down.
The see-sawing continued back and forth and in the end, Bill and Ian got a nice gap on me going up the grass climb. I purposely backed off a little hoping they'd ease up heading into the more technical sections of the course. My feigned backing off seemed to work and as I turned off the paved road, I pinned it and made an attempt to get back onto their wheels by the barriers. Unfortunately, Bill looked back to see me attacking out of the saddle and he accelerated a little. I had already accelerated hard enough and carried a lot of speed towards the barriers and that's were I caught Ian. Problem was that I stuffed my bars right in behind his right foot and he hooked his leg dismounting his bike. Knowing that was a very UNsportsmanlike move, I yielded the barriers to him and let him cross without further challenge. Unfortunately, my gaff also let Bill get a few bike lengths on us that he promptly carried to the line. Make no mistakes, Bill would have had us anyway, but it took away the drama from the final moments of the race.
All in all I raced a good race and didn't hit the deck, so I consider that a personal victory. I came in 25th place which means I wasn't last. This week I'm planning to recover a little more as prep for the dual race weekend and the State Championships. I'm entered in the Masters 40+ class and am shooting for top 3 in my class. We'll see how that pans out.
Here are a few pics courtesy of Mike Dawson:
Me and Klages on the run-up (aka $1 alley)
Howells leading me into the slick downhiller. (Anyone else think this section was like trying to ride on a slip and slide?)
Sunday, November 23, 2008
Suson Bubba - quick recap
Notice the different bikes in the above pictures??? (Thanks to Mike D. for the pics)
Don't ever race a new bike in a race. Lesson learned. First lap, don't know if someone ran into my rear derailleur on the start or the bike decided to begin mis-shifting all of a sudden, but within 100' of the starting line my bike wouldn't stay in any gear. As a result, I was off the back and almost a half-lap down by the end of the first lap. Luckily, I did have a spare bike in the pits and jumped on it and began my chase. I was able to chase down 13 racers by the end of the race, which I consider a personal victory.
The fans on the hillside were a tremendous boost for me, too. El Cavano, Slick Willy, and of course Team Seagal. My favorite chant of the day...."Welcome to Hell!"
Bubb-a-Rama
What a weekend of racing, spectating, and partying. Mike and the Big Shark boys along with Jay Strothman, Anthony Dust and others totally outdid themselves with the courses and creating the foundation for the atmosphere. Also props go out to my racing bud, Ralph Pfremmer for his continued pfood sponsorship for the series.
Saturday night, I got all decked out in a full Santa Claus suit and made myself fat again (this time not with all-you-can-eat buffets), but with 2 pillows stuffed into an older pair of bibs.
It was actually a perfect get up considering it was in the 20's when the race started and I decided since I was goofing around, I jumped into the C race, so as to not mess up that many serious racers. I started with a reverse hole shot and waved to the crowd as we tore it up the paved start. I think I passed 20-25 racers throughout the evening while working hard to not work that hard. Each time I crossed the start finish line I would work the fans into a little pre-Christmas frenzy!
Aaro Froese looking quite the playa in the leopard print robe was a big help on the PA announcing me several times. The only real problem I had was that I couldn't see my feet or the bike on the remounts thanks to the pillows. However, since I really wasn't racing hard, it wasn't too much of an issue. In the end, I brought it home to 42nd place. Afterwards, I hooked up with the Team Seagal gang for a rowdy evening of cheering, jeering, and beering. Fun times. Casey Ryback was looking splendid as ever....
Sunday meant some serious racing and I had a 2nd row starting position (why I'm not sure) and promptly turned it into something towards midpack as the race unfurled in a fairly brisk tempo. I grabbed a small chase group and yo-yo'd with them for a good part of the race.
However, in the end they lit it up and dropped me when I really wasn't paying much attention. As many of you know, it's much easier to keep a wheel than it is to bridge back up to a lost wheel. I need to get that through my thick head, quickly. Ralph and I had our early battle, but he had gone out a little too hard too soon and while he was trying to recover, I bolted around him and kept increasing the gap. He's fun to race with and I really look forward to our races. However, today my race became a race of trying to stay ahead of Craig Farrell. Craig is uber strong and usually starts slower and winds it up as the race goes on. He's that rider you keep seeing out of the corner of your eye and before too long, bang. He's passed you and put a sizeable gap on you within the blink of an eye. Today I was able to hold him off even though my bike started misshifting again on the last lap. He certainly pushed me to my limit. In the end, I think I eaked out a 23rd place finish and while I could have pushed a little harder for a top 20 finish, I'm happy with how I ran the race.
Next weekend, is my 'home' course in Queeny Park. I say 'home' because it's directly across the street from my house and I look forward to racing there. I can't say that I'll have a great result because of that, but looking forward to it nevertheless.
Saturday night, I got all decked out in a full Santa Claus suit and made myself fat again (this time not with all-you-can-eat buffets), but with 2 pillows stuffed into an older pair of bibs.
It was actually a perfect get up considering it was in the 20's when the race started and I decided since I was goofing around, I jumped into the C race, so as to not mess up that many serious racers. I started with a reverse hole shot and waved to the crowd as we tore it up the paved start. I think I passed 20-25 racers throughout the evening while working hard to not work that hard. Each time I crossed the start finish line I would work the fans into a little pre-Christmas frenzy!
Aaro Froese looking quite the playa in the leopard print robe was a big help on the PA announcing me several times. The only real problem I had was that I couldn't see my feet or the bike on the remounts thanks to the pillows. However, since I really wasn't racing hard, it wasn't too much of an issue. In the end, I brought it home to 42nd place. Afterwards, I hooked up with the Team Seagal gang for a rowdy evening of cheering, jeering, and beering. Fun times. Casey Ryback was looking splendid as ever....
Sunday meant some serious racing and I had a 2nd row starting position (why I'm not sure) and promptly turned it into something towards midpack as the race unfurled in a fairly brisk tempo. I grabbed a small chase group and yo-yo'd with them for a good part of the race.
However, in the end they lit it up and dropped me when I really wasn't paying much attention. As many of you know, it's much easier to keep a wheel than it is to bridge back up to a lost wheel. I need to get that through my thick head, quickly. Ralph and I had our early battle, but he had gone out a little too hard too soon and while he was trying to recover, I bolted around him and kept increasing the gap. He's fun to race with and I really look forward to our races. However, today my race became a race of trying to stay ahead of Craig Farrell. Craig is uber strong and usually starts slower and winds it up as the race goes on. He's that rider you keep seeing out of the corner of your eye and before too long, bang. He's passed you and put a sizeable gap on you within the blink of an eye. Today I was able to hold him off even though my bike started misshifting again on the last lap. He certainly pushed me to my limit. In the end, I think I eaked out a 23rd place finish and while I could have pushed a little harder for a top 20 finish, I'm happy with how I ran the race.
Next weekend, is my 'home' course in Queeny Park. I say 'home' because it's directly across the street from my house and I look forward to racing there. I can't say that I'll have a great result because of that, but looking forward to it nevertheless.
Thursday, November 13, 2008
Bubba Faust (The Pictorial)
The Race is on.
Now, I know why BillH reels me in so easily. His legs are gigantic!!
Craig Farrell and Pfoodman in hot pursuit.
Mouth wide open...can't get enough air!!!
This is beginning to be a very common scene this year. Howells reeling me in and dropping me. 
It was so bad I was getting jeered at by a street woman! (She was very ugly by the way.)
I was wondering why the crowd was yelling "go get him Craig!" because there wasn't anyone in front of me. Then I realized they weren't cheering for me.
Gassed across the line. Note the wide open mouth gasping for air.
Scott Mortimer looking fresh as a daisy after the race while Ralph teaches him proper technique for doing a bench press. Bob Crow and I are waiting to cough up a lung. 
The podium girls for my race.Special thanks to my good buddy and brother in Christ, Tom Heinze, for coming out to cheer me on and take the photos. Nice work!!
Tuesday, November 11, 2008
Who's Side You On?
For me, the answer to this question is a simple one. Always has been. I'm on God's side.
God has always been a part of my life. Notice I say "part". Why do I say "part" and not "whole." I'm a sinner. I'll always be a sinner. Sin is what works to separate me from God. Sin wants me in a full-time relationship. But so does God. Guess what? In the end God wins. Sin loses. Therefore, the choice to me is a simple one. I don't need to question it and I don't desire scientific proof (even though I love scientific studies.) Faith. Pure and simple. I pray and work hard each day to make God more than a part of my life. Faith is what I can control.
Consider this, Romans 3:23-24 says, "for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God and are justified freely by his grace through the redemption that came by Jesus Christ." It's simple for me. During the race this past Sunday, I put this verse on my bike and read it several times during the race. The verse was Psalm 119:50 "My comfort in my suffering is this: Your promise preserves my life." God promises us an eternal life in heaven by accepting his son, Jesus Christ, as our personal savior.
Who's side you on?
God has always been a part of my life. Notice I say "part". Why do I say "part" and not "whole." I'm a sinner. I'll always be a sinner. Sin is what works to separate me from God. Sin wants me in a full-time relationship. But so does God. Guess what? In the end God wins. Sin loses. Therefore, the choice to me is a simple one. I don't need to question it and I don't desire scientific proof (even though I love scientific studies.) Faith. Pure and simple. I pray and work hard each day to make God more than a part of my life. Faith is what I can control.
Consider this, Romans 3:23-24 says, "for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God and are justified freely by his grace through the redemption that came by Jesus Christ." It's simple for me. During the race this past Sunday, I put this verse on my bike and read it several times during the race. The verse was Psalm 119:50 "My comfort in my suffering is this: Your promise preserves my life." God promises us an eternal life in heaven by accepting his son, Jesus Christ, as our personal savior.
Who's side you on?
Monday, November 10, 2008
Finally, Real CX Weather
Yesterday's temperatures were ideal for a cx race. Cold, windy, overcast. A raw Belgian day if there ever was. Possibly the only thing missing was some form of precipitation, but I suspect there's plenty of time for that. Seeing as the weather was below 40 degrees, many were faced with the dilemma of shorts, knickers, or tights. Not being a fan of the two latter choices, I opted for the "Belgian Knee Warmers" option and used embrocation. My choices for the day were a double layer of:
Qoleum #3
Mad Alchemy
The Qoleum #3 is the hottest of the trio of embrocations produced by Qoleum. The consistency is somewhat similar to mayo (don't know what it would taste like with frites, though) and it goes on in a sticky fashion. You really have to work it into your skin, but when it's on, it's on. You feel it begin to work almost immediately. When you're not moving around and creating wind chill on the bike, your legs will feel prickly and hot. In other words, you'll know it's working.
The Mad Alchemy medium on the other hand is a easily spread ointment of sorts quite similar to the consistency of butter. Goes on smooth and works into the skin nicely. The added benefit of the Mad Alchemy is the fact that it has a reddish copper coloring to it (all natural by the way) and it gives a nice PRO sheen to your legs. As was reported on Belgium Knee Warmers the natural color of this stuff "would convert George Hamilton to cycling." They are right, this stuff is PRO all the way!
I guess it worked for me, I had my best finish of the year, a 17th place, and my legs were perfectly warm and rockin' throughout the race. Heck, even after my shower this stuff was still keeping my legs warm throughout the evening.
Qoleum #3
Mad Alchemy
The Qoleum #3 is the hottest of the trio of embrocations produced by Qoleum. The consistency is somewhat similar to mayo (don't know what it would taste like with frites, though) and it goes on in a sticky fashion. You really have to work it into your skin, but when it's on, it's on. You feel it begin to work almost immediately. When you're not moving around and creating wind chill on the bike, your legs will feel prickly and hot. In other words, you'll know it's working.
The Mad Alchemy medium on the other hand is a easily spread ointment of sorts quite similar to the consistency of butter. Goes on smooth and works into the skin nicely. The added benefit of the Mad Alchemy is the fact that it has a reddish copper coloring to it (all natural by the way) and it gives a nice PRO sheen to your legs. As was reported on Belgium Knee Warmers the natural color of this stuff "would convert George Hamilton to cycling." They are right, this stuff is PRO all the way!
I guess it worked for me, I had my best finish of the year, a 17th place, and my legs were perfectly warm and rockin' throughout the race. Heck, even after my shower this stuff was still keeping my legs warm throughout the evening.
Sunday, November 09, 2008
Another Year in the Books
Turned 44 yesterday. Spent the entire day with my wife and kids at the Mizzou game. Eventhough it was the coldest day of the fall season, it was great being together and having no pressing bike race, soccer game, or school-driven commitments. Forty-four is also an odd birthday. From a racing perspective I'm not on the cusp of being able to race 45+, which is good. But otherwise, no real feelings or frames of reference.
Although I did get one frame of reference today (and unfortunately it's one that is too often getting repeated). The checker at Schnuck's was prompted for my birthday when he rang up my beer purchase. I responded that it was actually today. He smiled and too cheerfully said, "yeah, I just turned 19 this week!" I smiled, shook my head and replied, "well, I could be your father!" This is getting more and more prevolent for me. Just at work the other day, I was talking with some younger associates about college and when I started. That prompted one young lady to respond, "wow, I was only 1 then."
All I can say is that I'm in better shape (and weigh less) than I was when I graduated college. How many of them can say that? Although it's just another year in the books, it's been another great year and I wouldn't trade it for the world.
Although I did get one frame of reference today (and unfortunately it's one that is too often getting repeated). The checker at Schnuck's was prompted for my birthday when he rang up my beer purchase. I responded that it was actually today. He smiled and too cheerfully said, "yeah, I just turned 19 this week!" I smiled, shook my head and replied, "well, I could be your father!" This is getting more and more prevolent for me. Just at work the other day, I was talking with some younger associates about college and when I started. That prompted one young lady to respond, "wow, I was only 1 then."
All I can say is that I'm in better shape (and weigh less) than I was when I graduated college. How many of them can say that? Although it's just another year in the books, it's been another great year and I wouldn't trade it for the world.
Saturday, November 08, 2008
Flying Blind
Yesterday morning, a handful of us played hooky or took the day off and rolled out of Greensfelder at 7:30am. If you recall yesterday morning, the temps were in the low 40's and the wind was brisk. Fearing not the troops (Pierce, Grothoff, Melies, Struckman, Peiffer, and I) staged at the Muckerman Shelter for a few hours of singletrack bliss. I took the lead and led the gang on the race loop. Little did we know the leaves were completely covering the trails making our navigation something more akin to heading off for a ride through the woods. Funny how the absence of a sight line really throws off your desire to bomb an otherwise fast trail. Furthermore, when the singletrack would appear the leaves made for minimal tread bite and therefore, sketchy lines.
Most of the ride was without injury or mishap, although Matt G did take an ejection seat ride at the expense of a leaf covered rock outcropping. No harm, though. JP fell at the hands of a root that was hiding rather sinisterly in the corner just below the shelter. He was riding at a good clip directly in front of me when his pedal caught and he shot skyward. Unfortunately, so did his bike and let's just say his saddle found it's home in a rather forceful manner. Again, he was fine, but the nose of the saddle looked a little down.
Most of us ran our s/s bikes and JP was a good sport to stick to similar gearing for most of the ride. Climbing was a little tougher due to leaf-induced lack of traction, but who's complaining when you're not working.
Most of the ride was without injury or mishap, although Matt G did take an ejection seat ride at the expense of a leaf covered rock outcropping. No harm, though. JP fell at the hands of a root that was hiding rather sinisterly in the corner just below the shelter. He was riding at a good clip directly in front of me when his pedal caught and he shot skyward. Unfortunately, so did his bike and let's just say his saddle found it's home in a rather forceful manner. Again, he was fine, but the nose of the saddle looked a little down.
Most of us ran our s/s bikes and JP was a good sport to stick to similar gearing for most of the ride. Climbing was a little tougher due to leaf-induced lack of traction, but who's complaining when you're not working.
Monday, November 03, 2008
Great Deal My Butt!
October 10th of last year our old dishwasher shot craps. I trudged out to Lowes in search of a replacement. Much to my delight they had a KitchenAid unit that originally sold for $1200 on closeout for $739. This was a beautiful stainless steel unit that had every bell and whistle and the only reason it was deeply discounted was because it was a display model and the store was in the process of updating the old models with the new one. Everything was included (manuals, hook-ups, etc) and it carried a full warranty.
The unit sucked. It never cleaned well and my wife complained the entire time we owned it. To top it all off, I just discovered it's been leaking from under the motor for most likely the last week or so. I pulled the unit out tonight and it's sitting in the garage awaiting the trash pick-up. The 1 year parts and labor warranty ran out 20 days ago and now we're left with the parts are covered but not the labor. I don't have the time or inclination to put up with the pains of calling, scheduling service, and dealing with what's going to go wrong next with this lemon. I'm chalking it up to I should have known better. Tomorrow, I'll pick up a new unit and then I'll be installing it or I'll be doing the dishes like I did tonight. Trust me, if it's too good to be true...it is.
The unit sucked. It never cleaned well and my wife complained the entire time we owned it. To top it all off, I just discovered it's been leaking from under the motor for most likely the last week or so. I pulled the unit out tonight and it's sitting in the garage awaiting the trash pick-up. The 1 year parts and labor warranty ran out 20 days ago and now we're left with the parts are covered but not the labor. I don't have the time or inclination to put up with the pains of calling, scheduling service, and dealing with what's going to go wrong next with this lemon. I'm chalking it up to I should have known better. Tomorrow, I'll pick up a new unit and then I'll be installing it or I'll be doing the dishes like I did tonight. Trust me, if it's too good to be true...it is.
Faust Park quick update
Felt better on the bike at Bubba 3, albeit that doesn't mean there wasn't any suffering. Towards the end of the race, my lower back was hurting but I have to say my legs actually felt good. I had some power and I think the worm is starting to turn. I'm going to keep hammering this upcoming week and building more strength. I'm also going to tweak my bike set-up a little more. Based on my cursory glance at the results, looks like I finished around 33 out of 51, so I'm moving up (or should I say I'm moving farther away from the back of the pack.)
More later and hopefully some good pics. I had a friend out there watching and he was snapping a lot of pics, so I'll post them up later along with a preview of the new cross ride.
More later and hopefully some good pics. I had a friend out there watching and he was snapping a lot of pics, so I'll post them up later along with a preview of the new cross ride.
Saturday, November 01, 2008
Just Keep on Building
Friday afternoon I decided to again hit the 'wood before the Halloween frenzy began. It was an awesome day weather wise and I worked my butt off in hopes that I would be able to steal some time to get in another ride before dark. Luck was on my side and I was able to get out around 2:00pm. I arrived at the park and was ready to roll by 2:30. The only bad thing was that I didn't have any short sleeve jerseys in the car, so I rolled the l/s team jersey. Not too warm, but definitely not my first choice for the indian summer day.
I warmed up with 2 laps on the dirt crit loop and then headed for Justin's trail. My new goal (and no this wasn't a result of my exploding rear derailleur) is to climb as much as I can in nothing lower than the middle ring. I've never really been a fan of the granny gear, as it just seems as though you can climb anything as long as you're willing to plod along at a snail's pace. My bike choice of the day was my fully rigid Mamasita that currently tips the scales at 22.5 pounds. This bike was originally built up as such for the dirt crits, but I've got to tell you, this has become my go to bike. It climbs like a mountain goat on EPO and descends fairly well thanks to the carbon Origin 8 Black Ops fork.
From Justin's trail, I crossed over to the Rollercoast and enjoyed one of the sweetest trails in the area. To me that trail is just fun. Keep your head up and your eyes down the trail and you can really rail. I'm really not the best at carving a trail with pace and little braking. For me, the ultimate test for that sort of riding are the trails at SIUE. However, the Rollercoaster is the next best one to practice on if you want to learn to stay off the brakes and pin it.
I hooked up with Cody for the bike shop and we tackled the back part of the park. The washout (scene of the drivetrain mishap) is really getting bad. You can ride the entire section when coming from the back to the front, but on the way out you'd need some trials skills to clear the steep, uphill step over the tree root. Cody and I took turns of leading and carving the trail. On one particular section I refer to as "Misery" you're forced to make a choice to dive between two trees just barely wider than your handlebars or take the sissy route and shortcut the corner. I was leading and came into the corner really hot and had to dive to the outside of the corner and Cody took the opportunity to put a wheel underneath me and take the lead. We weren't racing per se, but certainly had fun riding at tempo and testing each other's handling limits. All in all a great 90 minute workout and that marks the longest training week I've had in the last several months. I was able to get on the bike 5 times in the past week and that certainly should start to help me a little in the cross races.
I warmed up with 2 laps on the dirt crit loop and then headed for Justin's trail. My new goal (and no this wasn't a result of my exploding rear derailleur) is to climb as much as I can in nothing lower than the middle ring. I've never really been a fan of the granny gear, as it just seems as though you can climb anything as long as you're willing to plod along at a snail's pace. My bike choice of the day was my fully rigid Mamasita that currently tips the scales at 22.5 pounds. This bike was originally built up as such for the dirt crits, but I've got to tell you, this has become my go to bike. It climbs like a mountain goat on EPO and descends fairly well thanks to the carbon Origin 8 Black Ops fork.
From Justin's trail, I crossed over to the Rollercoast and enjoyed one of the sweetest trails in the area. To me that trail is just fun. Keep your head up and your eyes down the trail and you can really rail. I'm really not the best at carving a trail with pace and little braking. For me, the ultimate test for that sort of riding are the trails at SIUE. However, the Rollercoaster is the next best one to practice on if you want to learn to stay off the brakes and pin it.
I hooked up with Cody for the bike shop and we tackled the back part of the park. The washout (scene of the drivetrain mishap) is really getting bad. You can ride the entire section when coming from the back to the front, but on the way out you'd need some trials skills to clear the steep, uphill step over the tree root. Cody and I took turns of leading and carving the trail. On one particular section I refer to as "Misery" you're forced to make a choice to dive between two trees just barely wider than your handlebars or take the sissy route and shortcut the corner. I was leading and came into the corner really hot and had to dive to the outside of the corner and Cody took the opportunity to put a wheel underneath me and take the lead. We weren't racing per se, but certainly had fun riding at tempo and testing each other's handling limits. All in all a great 90 minute workout and that marks the longest training week I've had in the last several months. I was able to get on the bike 5 times in the past week and that certainly should start to help me a little in the cross races.
Thursday, October 30, 2008
$200 mistake
Hit the 'wood yesterday with Pfood and Thrasher yesterday for some miles before dark. After attacking the upper trails of the park we rolled the River Scene trail enroute to the back side of the park. I decided to lead the gang and was mashing the big ring trying to put a little pain into Ralph. I don't know that I did as he was right on my wheel at the end. I backed off before popping into the field but forget to shift out of my big ring. As we rolled back towards the 'illegal' washout area, I went to upshift into the 34T in the back when I started hearing banging and grinding coming from the drivetrain. Thrasher was dodging carbon and metal behind me as my rear derailleur ripped itself to shreds as the chain stretched between the big chainring and the largest cog.
What resulted was a derailleur with no cage left and a bent derailleur hanger. I nursed the bike back to the truck, called the shop, and had them hang around so I could drop another $200 on a new SRAM X.0. I saved the old derailleur and I think I'll make a necklace out of it to remind me what a dumba$$ I am.
What resulted was a derailleur with no cage left and a bent derailleur hanger. I nursed the bike back to the truck, called the shop, and had them hang around so I could drop another $200 on a new SRAM X.0. I saved the old derailleur and I think I'll make a necklace out of it to remind me what a dumba$$ I am.
New Kicks
I picked up a new pair of mountain bike/cross shoes last week. Richard and Christopher down at Mesa helped me wisely spend my money on the new Shimano SH-M300's.
Truth be told I had heard of the shoes, but was really heading down there to pick up some Specialized shoes. Yes, the Shimanos are pricey (not much more than a pair of Sidi's) but their benefit is the individual customization which comes as a part of a heat-induced, vaccuum molding process.
I've been running my shoes with custom insoles and I have to say the new Shimanos blow them all away. The shoes actually feel comfortable. No hot spots, no tightness in the wrong areas. You slide your foot in, tightening the straps, adjust the buckles click in and ride. No second thoughts of your feet. Very nice all around. The only negative I can recall with this shoe is the actual vaccuum process. It becomes a little uncomfortable due to the force of the vaccuum, however that feeling is temporary and the fit is permanent.
Truth be told I had heard of the shoes, but was really heading down there to pick up some Specialized shoes. Yes, the Shimanos are pricey (not much more than a pair of Sidi's) but their benefit is the individual customization which comes as a part of a heat-induced, vaccuum molding process.
I've been running my shoes with custom insoles and I have to say the new Shimanos blow them all away. The shoes actually feel comfortable. No hot spots, no tightness in the wrong areas. You slide your foot in, tightening the straps, adjust the buckles click in and ride. No second thoughts of your feet. Very nice all around. The only negative I can recall with this shoe is the actual vaccuum process. It becomes a little uncomfortable due to the force of the vaccuum, however that feeling is temporary and the fit is permanent.
Tuesday, October 28, 2008
Is Anybody Home???
(Thanks to Mike D. for the pictures)
Mike Weiss and the crafty cx boyz set-up a mad course this past weekend. Of particular interest was the "spiral of fear and death".
Okay, no one died, but it was damn confusing at the start. I was spinning around in a hallucinogenic fashion due to the colors of the jerseys, helmets, and bikes. At one point I thought I was riding around in a kaleidoscope. Definitely interesting.
The course was set-up a power course which generally should bode well for me. It didn't. I think the only time I was in contact with other riders and moving up was near the start of the race. Quickly after this picture was taken I began getting caught and moving backwards.
I'm a little confused by all of it too. I feel good on the bike, but I really feel as though I have no power when I need it. I've been changing my diet around lately and trimming back on the carbs. Now I'm starting to wonder if that isn't hurting me a little. It's certainly a possibility. I'm sure missing almost two weeks on the bike in the last month hasn't helped either. Back to the race, there's not much to report other than Bill Howells and John Reimbold put me in arrears fairly easily during the race and they are two guys I look forward to being able to race with. I should say they are riding really well and I don't have anything on them right now.
Next week, due to a scheduling issue I will be running the C race. Yes, down a class and my goal there is to not get passed by as many guys. Let's face it, the fields are getting strong and the race paces are fast. That's all good for the local scene, but leaves you feeling like the lights are on but nobody's home when your legs can't respond.
Mike Weiss and the crafty cx boyz set-up a mad course this past weekend. Of particular interest was the "spiral of fear and death".
Okay, no one died, but it was damn confusing at the start. I was spinning around in a hallucinogenic fashion due to the colors of the jerseys, helmets, and bikes. At one point I thought I was riding around in a kaleidoscope. Definitely interesting.
The course was set-up a power course which generally should bode well for me. It didn't. I think the only time I was in contact with other riders and moving up was near the start of the race. Quickly after this picture was taken I began getting caught and moving backwards.
I'm a little confused by all of it too. I feel good on the bike, but I really feel as though I have no power when I need it. I've been changing my diet around lately and trimming back on the carbs. Now I'm starting to wonder if that isn't hurting me a little. It's certainly a possibility. I'm sure missing almost two weeks on the bike in the last month hasn't helped either. Back to the race, there's not much to report other than Bill Howells and John Reimbold put me in arrears fairly easily during the race and they are two guys I look forward to being able to race with. I should say they are riding really well and I don't have anything on them right now.
Next week, due to a scheduling issue I will be running the C race. Yes, down a class and my goal there is to not get passed by as many guys. Let's face it, the fields are getting strong and the race paces are fast. That's all good for the local scene, but leaves you feeling like the lights are on but nobody's home when your legs can't respond.
Monday, October 20, 2008
Weekend Update
(Thanks Mike D. for the photos)
I hadn't been on the bike since the Dirt Crits on 10/5 and thought it was high time to break free and double up on the weekend. Work has been nuts lately and I've been regularly putting in 12-15 hour days so suffice it to say I would be in "less-than-perfect" racing form. Saturday our team hosted the area's mtb race finale at Spanish Lake and Sunday was the official opening to the Bubba Cross series. I planned on racing both. The heck with official training plans, let the games begin.
The first game I had planned was to start at the back of the Sport class in the mtb race and then see how many rider I could pick off. We started with 21 or 22 and I proceeded to reel in over 1/2 the field before having an epic wipeout in the slick, long grass. I was running a Kenda Small Block 8 in the back and when I grabbed a little rear brake to set-up the 90 degree right-hander, all hell broke loose and the next thing I know I'm flying through the air and then slamming my head into the ground. In flight I must have punctured the side of my knee cap and it was swelling and bleeding for the rest of the race. I then bridged back up to 8th place or so and ran in a train with several other racers (one of them Sam Yount of Ghisallo) who were running very well. Just as I was setting up Sam for what I hoped was the last time, I sucked my chain and away the 4 of them went. I charged as hard as I could on the final lap to catch them. I did catch onto the back of them at the top of the final gravel climb, but it was too late. They had started their initial decent and it was directly into where I had crashed earlier. No need to tempt fate twice, so I let it be and settled for 12th. All credit to Sam and the others. They rode strong and kept me pressured the entire time.
Sunday, Bubba Cross #1 was laid out at JB Park and the course was painful. 3 decent climbs in the day and it proved to be too much for me and the single 42T chainring to handle. I didn't start fast (knowing this was a day to suffer, not race in the front) and tried to pass some riders. Out of the 35-40 that started the race, I think I made it as high as 22 or so before giving a lot of it back late in the race. I really had hoped to avoid getting passed, but that wasn't happening either. I got passed with 2 to go by the race winner, and then passed by the chasers 1 lap later. Right about the time Drew Black and the others came through, my shoe decided to let loose and I was trying to stay out of their way, cross the barriers, and keep my shoe from flying off. I kept the 'wheels' on and made it back to the start finish. Exhausted, I called it an officially hard weekend.
I'm glad I didn't wuss out and not race because of my work-induced layoff. Won't get back into form watching races, so the time was right. Thanks to my wife and son for coming out to watch me race! Sorry I stunk, but thanks for helping me turn the pedals over. Great cowbell ringing!!!
My knee is quite sore, as is my neck, but they're better when iced down and I'm getting ready for week #2 and Spanish Lake. Perhaps a little relegation to the C race until my fitness resumes. Look out LC and gang, I may be paying you a visit!
I hadn't been on the bike since the Dirt Crits on 10/5 and thought it was high time to break free and double up on the weekend. Work has been nuts lately and I've been regularly putting in 12-15 hour days so suffice it to say I would be in "less-than-perfect" racing form. Saturday our team hosted the area's mtb race finale at Spanish Lake and Sunday was the official opening to the Bubba Cross series. I planned on racing both. The heck with official training plans, let the games begin.
The first game I had planned was to start at the back of the Sport class in the mtb race and then see how many rider I could pick off. We started with 21 or 22 and I proceeded to reel in over 1/2 the field before having an epic wipeout in the slick, long grass. I was running a Kenda Small Block 8 in the back and when I grabbed a little rear brake to set-up the 90 degree right-hander, all hell broke loose and the next thing I know I'm flying through the air and then slamming my head into the ground. In flight I must have punctured the side of my knee cap and it was swelling and bleeding for the rest of the race. I then bridged back up to 8th place or so and ran in a train with several other racers (one of them Sam Yount of Ghisallo) who were running very well. Just as I was setting up Sam for what I hoped was the last time, I sucked my chain and away the 4 of them went. I charged as hard as I could on the final lap to catch them. I did catch onto the back of them at the top of the final gravel climb, but it was too late. They had started their initial decent and it was directly into where I had crashed earlier. No need to tempt fate twice, so I let it be and settled for 12th. All credit to Sam and the others. They rode strong and kept me pressured the entire time.
Sunday, Bubba Cross #1 was laid out at JB Park and the course was painful. 3 decent climbs in the day and it proved to be too much for me and the single 42T chainring to handle. I didn't start fast (knowing this was a day to suffer, not race in the front) and tried to pass some riders. Out of the 35-40 that started the race, I think I made it as high as 22 or so before giving a lot of it back late in the race. I really had hoped to avoid getting passed, but that wasn't happening either. I got passed with 2 to go by the race winner, and then passed by the chasers 1 lap later. Right about the time Drew Black and the others came through, my shoe decided to let loose and I was trying to stay out of their way, cross the barriers, and keep my shoe from flying off. I kept the 'wheels' on and made it back to the start finish. Exhausted, I called it an officially hard weekend.
I'm glad I didn't wuss out and not race because of my work-induced layoff. Won't get back into form watching races, so the time was right. Thanks to my wife and son for coming out to watch me race! Sorry I stunk, but thanks for helping me turn the pedals over. Great cowbell ringing!!!
My knee is quite sore, as is my neck, but they're better when iced down and I'm getting ready for week #2 and Spanish Lake. Perhaps a little relegation to the C race until my fitness resumes. Look out LC and gang, I may be paying you a visit!
Friday, October 17, 2008
Not for Long
In this Oct. 13, 2008, photo released by Denny's Beer Barrel Pub, Brad Sciullo of Uniontown, Pa., is seen before attempting to eat a 15-pound cheeseburger with five-pounds of toppings including bun, lettuce, tomatoes, cheese, onions, mild banana peppers and a cup each of ketchup, mustard, relish, and mayonnaise.
"The 5-foot-11, 180-pound western Pennsylvania chef..." not for long.
Sunday, October 12, 2008
GoPro Hero
I picked up one of these the other day. I plan on filming some of our upcoming Bubba series races and from everything I've read on these, they are easy to use and shoot respectable pictures and footage. Truth is, they are cheap and I'm not making a large investment in something that could easily get broken. I'm going to be doing some 'beta' testing in the upcoming week, so look forward to a little cutting room floor clips.
Someday
Today, was the first day of singletrack for my son, Collin. He's 11 and he's always wanted to test his skills off-road. We loaded up after church and headed over to the 'wood for a little workshop. Now, the bike he's riding is at least 10-15 years old and it's a 14.5" Giant fully rigid mtb. It sports the tiny wheels - 26ers, so his learning will continue the curve until he hits the 29ers. At least that keeps him away from my bikes for a while, too.
I have to say he did a really good job with the trails. Granted, we didn't roll anything beyond the dirt crit loop or the River Scene trails, but he handled the roots, rocks, and sand portions without so much as a little braking. I told him the bike would be much more stable at speed so don't go too slowly if you think the particular section of trail begins to look more technical. He kept his speed up and many times, I'd look back to see him rolling right up to my wheel. I'd hit the gas and put some daylight in between us and he'd roll right back up to me. I rode in front of him to help show the lines and call out what I wanted him to do or think about. He was a good student and had a fun time on the bike. At the end, his hands were getting tired, as the rigid bike was fairly unforgiving.
Our next stop will be to Ballwin Cycles to get a real bike for him to ride. We'll donate the old one to charity and get one that fits him a little better and is updated with some better functioning gear. I look forward to the day when he feels strong enough to actually push me on a ride. I've got a feeling that 'someday' will come sooner than I think.
I have to say he did a really good job with the trails. Granted, we didn't roll anything beyond the dirt crit loop or the River Scene trails, but he handled the roots, rocks, and sand portions without so much as a little braking. I told him the bike would be much more stable at speed so don't go too slowly if you think the particular section of trail begins to look more technical. He kept his speed up and many times, I'd look back to see him rolling right up to my wheel. I'd hit the gas and put some daylight in between us and he'd roll right back up to me. I rode in front of him to help show the lines and call out what I wanted him to do or think about. He was a good student and had a fun time on the bike. At the end, his hands were getting tired, as the rigid bike was fairly unforgiving.
Our next stop will be to Ballwin Cycles to get a real bike for him to ride. We'll donate the old one to charity and get one that fits him a little better and is updated with some better functioning gear. I look forward to the day when he feels strong enough to actually push me on a ride. I've got a feeling that 'someday' will come sooner than I think.
Tuesday, October 07, 2008
Dirt Crits & Creek Crossings
(Thanks to Mike D. and Pfoodman for the photos)
As you can see from the photos, this weekend gassed me. First the B race and some serious racing for sure and then the PF race, which is when this pic was taken. I had just come off one of the first laps having really put the hammer down. As you can see, neither me or Jeremiah were looking ready to hit it again. The PF race was like riding hard intervals in front of a crowd. Fun stuff. In the end, I made too many riding mistakes and it cost our team. Most of my mistakes involved the creek crossing. I could never pick the right line and as a result, I often dabbed or in the case of one crossing, crashed on the far bank of the creek. On the time I crashed, I was unlucky enough to snag my necklace around my handlebars and since I had one arm pinned under the bike, it was a little awkward getting up. That crash left me with some nice bruises on my legs. However, on my second to last lap our team was about to get put a lap down by the Ploch-Cash powerhouse. As we took our hand-off's Carrie was about 3 bike lengths behind me. Carrie and I had a good race together in the B race and I was going to give it everything to keep her from passing me. I was mostly successful until we were about to pop in the start/finish area wherein I hit a tree with my right shoulder while flying along pretty well. It certainly got my attention (as well as the attention of the spectators and even Carrie.) Stunned and with my right arm hanging, I made it to my teammate and evaluated another lap. I did finish, but it was only because I had one lap to go. I felt bad for my teammate Rob Oellerman. We certainly could have finished closer to the top, but it was fun racing with him nonetheless.
During the B race, we had a train of 6 in the first chase group which included two of my teammates, Kent Jones & Mark Hasler, racing with Carrie Cash, Todd Holtman, and another rider. We were putting down some serious efforts hoping to catch a glimpse of the lead group of 4, but it never materialized. It was okay for us, as we had a teammate in the lead group, Zak Hafner, but he was up against some serious competition in the form of John Peiffer, Jeff Powell, and Devin Clark. Those guys were thrashing each other with Devin, John, Zak, and Jeff going 1-2-3-4, respectively.
Here I am after my teammates broke free of the train before the creek crossing to get away and I'm waiting to get through traffic and bridge up to Todd Holtman. Carrie Cash is so pro, she offered so much encouragement to people during the race. I really enjoyed the competition with her during the race. (Little did I know one, Casey Ryback was lurking in the pack as well.)
I made the bridge up to Todd, but in the end he had too much for me to deal with and he beat me out. He's a strong dude that will be more competition for the Sport racers next year.
In the end, I finished 8th out of 29 racers and that was a solid effort. Big thanks to my teammates and to Pfoodman for putting the series together! Well done and look forward to next year!!!
As you can see from the photos, this weekend gassed me. First the B race and some serious racing for sure and then the PF race, which is when this pic was taken. I had just come off one of the first laps having really put the hammer down. As you can see, neither me or Jeremiah were looking ready to hit it again. The PF race was like riding hard intervals in front of a crowd. Fun stuff. In the end, I made too many riding mistakes and it cost our team. Most of my mistakes involved the creek crossing. I could never pick the right line and as a result, I often dabbed or in the case of one crossing, crashed on the far bank of the creek. On the time I crashed, I was unlucky enough to snag my necklace around my handlebars and since I had one arm pinned under the bike, it was a little awkward getting up. That crash left me with some nice bruises on my legs. However, on my second to last lap our team was about to get put a lap down by the Ploch-Cash powerhouse. As we took our hand-off's Carrie was about 3 bike lengths behind me. Carrie and I had a good race together in the B race and I was going to give it everything to keep her from passing me. I was mostly successful until we were about to pop in the start/finish area wherein I hit a tree with my right shoulder while flying along pretty well. It certainly got my attention (as well as the attention of the spectators and even Carrie.) Stunned and with my right arm hanging, I made it to my teammate and evaluated another lap. I did finish, but it was only because I had one lap to go. I felt bad for my teammate Rob Oellerman. We certainly could have finished closer to the top, but it was fun racing with him nonetheless.
During the B race, we had a train of 6 in the first chase group which included two of my teammates, Kent Jones & Mark Hasler, racing with Carrie Cash, Todd Holtman, and another rider. We were putting down some serious efforts hoping to catch a glimpse of the lead group of 4, but it never materialized. It was okay for us, as we had a teammate in the lead group, Zak Hafner, but he was up against some serious competition in the form of John Peiffer, Jeff Powell, and Devin Clark. Those guys were thrashing each other with Devin, John, Zak, and Jeff going 1-2-3-4, respectively.
Here I am after my teammates broke free of the train before the creek crossing to get away and I'm waiting to get through traffic and bridge up to Todd Holtman. Carrie Cash is so pro, she offered so much encouragement to people during the race. I really enjoyed the competition with her during the race. (Little did I know one, Casey Ryback was lurking in the pack as well.)
I made the bridge up to Todd, but in the end he had too much for me to deal with and he beat me out. He's a strong dude that will be more competition for the Sport racers next year.
In the end, I finished 8th out of 29 racers and that was a solid effort. Big thanks to my teammates and to Pfoodman for putting the series together! Well done and look forward to next year!!!
Monday, October 06, 2008
Dirt Crit Finale (aka I hate creek crossings)
Very sore shoulder, multiple bruises, big ol' smile knowing our team had 4 guys in the top 10. More to come later.
Friday, October 03, 2008
I'm Yearnin' for Burnin'
Last year was my first year racing and I had no idea what Burnin' was or what I was missing. After living vicariously through others, I made a vow that come hell or high water, Burnin' would be on my calendar as a main event in 2008. It was the first race on the calendar and everything in the fall revolved around the event. That is until my wife's cousin decided to plan her wedding for the same weekend in Omaha. Now, I'm missing the race so she and her sister can fly to Omaha to attend the wedding. You know what, it's cool. Yes, I'll miss the event, race, and party of the year but I'll get to spend a little time with my kids and rest up before Bubba hits full swing the following weekend. It just leaves me with another year of Yearnin' for the Burnin'.
Push-Ups...Day 2
Yesterday morning was push-up workout #2. The Perfect Pushup workouts schedule a day off between each workout. My arms felt a little better following the first workout, but they never really quit aching altogether. Many years ago I remember doing weight-lifting workouts with a trainer and recall the same kind of soreness. I began the second workout feeling a little better. The regular pushups went by okay, the wide set was a little harder, but by time I attempted the close arm pushups, my arms were again fried. While doing the first 8 close arm push-ups I was using ever fiber in my body to complete these. Chance of doing the remaining 6, then 4, and 2??? Dwindling quickly. I rested a few seconds, and then got 4 more push-ups before my arms were toasted.
Overall, are these "Perfect Push-ups" doing anything for my arms and upper body??? Way too soon to tell, but I am definitely feeling the soreness in the muscles I've never focused in much (mainly triceps, pecs, and abdominals.)
Overall, are these "Perfect Push-ups" doing anything for my arms and upper body??? Way too soon to tell, but I am definitely feeling the soreness in the muscles I've never focused in much (mainly triceps, pecs, and abdominals.)
Wednesday, October 01, 2008
I Can't Touch My Head
I decided to focus more on my upper body and core development for this part of the season. More sit-ups, crunches, planks, etc. I always wanted to do push-ups as a part of my workouts, but ever since I had a cyst removed from my wrist, the outward flex on my wrist required for push-ups would greatly aggravate my wrist. I decided to take a look at the Perfect Pushup.
My thought was that would be a solution to not putting undue flex into my wrist and also provide a little more than the standard push-up. It did seem gimmicky to me, however. But for a $39 investment, I figured it was worth a try.
Here's what the marketing lingo says about the product:
"The Perfect Pushup's rotating handles allow your arms to rotate naturally the same way they do when you throw a punch or press up a dumb bell. This unique feature engages more muscles and helps reduce joint strain. Works for any fitness level – from beginner through professional athlete. The Perfect Pushup was developed by a US Navy SEAL using the latest in biomechanics and engineering to help you achieve better results from your pushup workouts. Smooth rotating handles accelerate results by engaging more muscles in the arms, chest, shoulders, and back. It also helps reduce strain on wrists and elbows, and helps to stabilize and strengthen the shoulder joint."
Now I know many of you can do push-ups, do them well, and do a heckuva lot more than I can. I'm a whimp, I know that, and I'm okay with that. I have no upper body strength and I could never do many push-ups. As you read the instructions for they ask you to do a maximum number of pushups using the product and several times they mention "be honest," "don't cheat." I could do 10. Now, I've been able to do as many as 30 'regular' pushups at one time, but with these I thought something's gotta be wrong, because at 10 I'm quivering. The workout is simple.
For the first set-up, your arms are placed in the normal position (shoulder width) and in the span of 2 minutes do 8 pushups, then 6, then 4, and then 2. Then put your hands wider than your shoulders and do the same (8-6-4-2) in 2 minutes. Finally, you put them together near your belly button and do (8-6-4-2) in 2 minutes. That's it, you're done. Hmmm. Seems easy enough.
I tried it last night after my interval workout on the bike. I BARELY completed the workout. I'm serious. On the final 2 pushups I was quivering and wished I was back doing 30 second sprints with 30 second recoveries. They were brutal. When I was finished, I did crunches, sit-ups, and leg lifts. When I jumped in the shower, I attempted to wash my hair, but it was hard getting my arms up to my head. The rest of the night, simple tasks like scratching my nose or rubbing my eyes were a real chore. I'm not being melodramatic here, I'm being brutally honest. If a regular pushup is great, I'm wondering what in the heck these things are going to do for me. In addition, I felt no wrist pains or soreness while using them. I'll keep you updated.
My thought was that would be a solution to not putting undue flex into my wrist and also provide a little more than the standard push-up. It did seem gimmicky to me, however. But for a $39 investment, I figured it was worth a try.Here's what the marketing lingo says about the product:
"The Perfect Pushup's rotating handles allow your arms to rotate naturally the same way they do when you throw a punch or press up a dumb bell. This unique feature engages more muscles and helps reduce joint strain. Works for any fitness level – from beginner through professional athlete. The Perfect Pushup was developed by a US Navy SEAL using the latest in biomechanics and engineering to help you achieve better results from your pushup workouts. Smooth rotating handles accelerate results by engaging more muscles in the arms, chest, shoulders, and back. It also helps reduce strain on wrists and elbows, and helps to stabilize and strengthen the shoulder joint."
Now I know many of you can do push-ups, do them well, and do a heckuva lot more than I can. I'm a whimp, I know that, and I'm okay with that. I have no upper body strength and I could never do many push-ups. As you read the instructions for they ask you to do a maximum number of pushups using the product and several times they mention "be honest," "don't cheat." I could do 10. Now, I've been able to do as many as 30 'regular' pushups at one time, but with these I thought something's gotta be wrong, because at 10 I'm quivering. The workout is simple.
For the first set-up, your arms are placed in the normal position (shoulder width) and in the span of 2 minutes do 8 pushups, then 6, then 4, and then 2. Then put your hands wider than your shoulders and do the same (8-6-4-2) in 2 minutes. Finally, you put them together near your belly button and do (8-6-4-2) in 2 minutes. That's it, you're done. Hmmm. Seems easy enough.
I tried it last night after my interval workout on the bike. I BARELY completed the workout. I'm serious. On the final 2 pushups I was quivering and wished I was back doing 30 second sprints with 30 second recoveries. They were brutal. When I was finished, I did crunches, sit-ups, and leg lifts. When I jumped in the shower, I attempted to wash my hair, but it was hard getting my arms up to my head. The rest of the night, simple tasks like scratching my nose or rubbing my eyes were a real chore. I'm not being melodramatic here, I'm being brutally honest. If a regular pushup is great, I'm wondering what in the heck these things are going to do for me. In addition, I felt no wrist pains or soreness while using them. I'll keep you updated.
Monday, September 29, 2008
Ronde von Deathmarch
Yesterday, I loaded up with 3 other teammates, Kent, Rudy, and Zak for a trip down south to Carbondale and the Ronde von Evergreen cx race. The weather was absolutely perfect for a picnic or a BBQ, but a little warm for a cx race. Sunny, clear, and 82 degrees for the start with a slight breeze. Most of the course was in the sun, so that meant even more heat on the body during the race. I mention all of this because it was one of my biggest days of suffering on the bike.
I ate breakfast at 8am and then failed to eat again before my race at 1pm. That's a recipe for disaster for me. Also, the course, while a good course, just didn't set-up well for me. It contained a lot of places where you had to reaccelerate your bike. Over the course of the race, the combination of my weight, the heat, my lower back aching, and my lack of fuel it didn't take long before I was toast. How much so? Let's put it this way, my final lap was my cool down ride. We had enough of a gap on the following 8-10 racers, that I was able to keep anyone from passing me, but let's just say I wasn't breaking any speed records.
Bob Crow and Bill Howells worked me over really well. Bill did it early in the race and he seemed to be riding with a great rhythm and was having a great day on the bike. Bob and I punched back and forth at each other, but in the end, he too had too much for me to hold off and at the pea gravel pit, he put the final nail in my coffin. After the race Anthony Dust told me, "sometimes your the hammer and sometimes your the nail." I responded and said, "well today I felt like the nail and the board."
I finished 14th, while my teammates Zak and Kent finished 6th and 9th, respectively. Rudy had a fantastic effort in the C race with an 8th place finish. He absolutely carved his way through the field picking off racers. After the first lap, he was 20th but rolled a very strong effort to close down on the guys ahead of him and was successful. I think he just needed 1 more lap and there would have been a podium in his sights.
A great day with my teammates however. The ride home is always the best and these guys didn't disappoint me. We were amazed by Zak's nutritional advice and his insights on racing with Kent. Dr. Pierce called us to get a report on the day and tossed in a little good humor that had us laughing for miles. Good tonic to cure and aching body. I'm happy God put these men in my life. And I'm also glad He gives me days like yesterday to keep me humble.
I ate breakfast at 8am and then failed to eat again before my race at 1pm. That's a recipe for disaster for me. Also, the course, while a good course, just didn't set-up well for me. It contained a lot of places where you had to reaccelerate your bike. Over the course of the race, the combination of my weight, the heat, my lower back aching, and my lack of fuel it didn't take long before I was toast. How much so? Let's put it this way, my final lap was my cool down ride. We had enough of a gap on the following 8-10 racers, that I was able to keep anyone from passing me, but let's just say I wasn't breaking any speed records.
Bob Crow and Bill Howells worked me over really well. Bill did it early in the race and he seemed to be riding with a great rhythm and was having a great day on the bike. Bob and I punched back and forth at each other, but in the end, he too had too much for me to hold off and at the pea gravel pit, he put the final nail in my coffin. After the race Anthony Dust told me, "sometimes your the hammer and sometimes your the nail." I responded and said, "well today I felt like the nail and the board."
I finished 14th, while my teammates Zak and Kent finished 6th and 9th, respectively. Rudy had a fantastic effort in the C race with an 8th place finish. He absolutely carved his way through the field picking off racers. After the first lap, he was 20th but rolled a very strong effort to close down on the guys ahead of him and was successful. I think he just needed 1 more lap and there would have been a podium in his sights.
A great day with my teammates however. The ride home is always the best and these guys didn't disappoint me. We were amazed by Zak's nutritional advice and his insights on racing with Kent. Dr. Pierce called us to get a report on the day and tossed in a little good humor that had us laughing for miles. Good tonic to cure and aching body. I'm happy God put these men in my life. And I'm also glad He gives me days like yesterday to keep me humble.
Saturday, September 27, 2008
Tuesday, September 23, 2008
Made the Leap
Took the plunge and finally upgraded the road bikes to SRAM Force 10-speed. I was probably the only guy left in the Lou running Dura-Ace 9-speed stuff, but once I started having problems with one of the bikes, I figured it was time to replace all of it. The bad news is that I never lost a neutral wheel to someone during a race but I guess that's about to change. The good news is the SRAM stuff rocks. Technically, I made the leap to SRAM two years ago on my mountain bikes, but the double-tap technology on the road bikes just works and works really, really well. Learning to shift the SRAM way took me every bit of 500 feet. Now the only question I ask myself is "why didn't I do this sooner?" Which reminds me, I'll need to start looking more closely for my wheels after races.
Ronde von Evergreen
Taking another carload of teammates this weekend to Ronde von Evergreen in Carbondale. Looking forward to a good race and another good time.
Cross Bike
I should comment that the new cross bike set-up performed flawlessly at Hermann. The single ring 42T chainring with the 12/27 was perfect. No problems with shifting in the front and plenty of tall gear in the back. The only complaint I had was the 42T in the front made it a little too much gear while trying to pedal through the mud as it was putting too much torque on the rear wheel. As a result, my back hurt like hell and I lost a lot of places to people in the mud. Finally, with two laps to go, I started running the mud and that was way better in every way. Lesson learned, but the bike rocks!
Sunday, September 21, 2008
Opening Night
Last night was the season opener for the local cross races and our host, Jeff Yielding, put on a heck of a race. We were treated with everything you could want in a race. Chip timing, large fields, tight turns, a sand pit, a mud bog, smoking fast paved sections, and the dreaded stairs. In addition, it was rockstar status for the racers with tons of volunteers and screaming fans at every turn. Toss in the live band and you've got one hell of a fun night!!
I started 12th on the grid and was thankful once I saw the twisty sections that would come early in the race. I really hadn't planned for a fast start, but was lucky enough to come out of the first section around 8th. However, the front guys were pegging it and since I was racing with some guys clearly ahead of my level, I didn't want to burst too soon so I backed the pace off a little. That allowed several people to pass me early in the race, but I was okay with that. I settled into the top 20 riders and began a tempo that would bring me to the end. My teammate Zak Hafner, passed me (from the back of the pack) around the 3rd lap enroute to his 6th place finish.
I kept tempo riding with Kent Jones and Jeremie Meitz and I think we also had Andy Schuette and a couple of other riders in a train on the last couple of laps. I was hesitant to get into a battle with either Kent or Jeremie on the paved sections as they are both strong riders, but now I wished I would have challenged them a little more in the lower field before the sand pit. I don't think I could have made it stick but it would have been nice to make the try. Kent ended up dropping his chain with 1 1/2 laps to go and ended up with a DNF.
On the last lap, Jeremie and others hit the gas in the mud bog and I was too far gone to go with them. I checked our gap to the riders behind and we were clear by several seconds, so I worked enough to stay ahead and took it to the line for 23rd place (out of 58.)
BIG BIG Thanks go out to Matt Grothoff and Robert Metz and the Team Seagal warriors as they were out in full force with cowbells and loud cheering just when you needed it most. They must have had the VIP passes as they were at all the critical sections throughout the race. Top of the stairs, mud bog, barriers, you name it they were there. Best of all, they were at the end of the race handing out cold PBR's!
James Nelson had a great race too finishing in 27th from a back of the pack start. I would see him several times during the race and knew he was certainly capable of bridging up to me, but was lucky enough to hold him back. Rich Pierce was out on the "Deer Dozer" and had a great time mixing it up in the field. James, Rich, Zak and I rode out to the race together and had many laughs on the way out and the way home. True Epicnicity!!
I started 12th on the grid and was thankful once I saw the twisty sections that would come early in the race. I really hadn't planned for a fast start, but was lucky enough to come out of the first section around 8th. However, the front guys were pegging it and since I was racing with some guys clearly ahead of my level, I didn't want to burst too soon so I backed the pace off a little. That allowed several people to pass me early in the race, but I was okay with that. I settled into the top 20 riders and began a tempo that would bring me to the end. My teammate Zak Hafner, passed me (from the back of the pack) around the 3rd lap enroute to his 6th place finish.
I kept tempo riding with Kent Jones and Jeremie Meitz and I think we also had Andy Schuette and a couple of other riders in a train on the last couple of laps. I was hesitant to get into a battle with either Kent or Jeremie on the paved sections as they are both strong riders, but now I wished I would have challenged them a little more in the lower field before the sand pit. I don't think I could have made it stick but it would have been nice to make the try. Kent ended up dropping his chain with 1 1/2 laps to go and ended up with a DNF.
On the last lap, Jeremie and others hit the gas in the mud bog and I was too far gone to go with them. I checked our gap to the riders behind and we were clear by several seconds, so I worked enough to stay ahead and took it to the line for 23rd place (out of 58.)
BIG BIG Thanks go out to Matt Grothoff and Robert Metz and the Team Seagal warriors as they were out in full force with cowbells and loud cheering just when you needed it most. They must have had the VIP passes as they were at all the critical sections throughout the race. Top of the stairs, mud bog, barriers, you name it they were there. Best of all, they were at the end of the race handing out cold PBR's!
James Nelson had a great race too finishing in 27th from a back of the pack start. I would see him several times during the race and knew he was certainly capable of bridging up to me, but was lucky enough to hold him back. Rich Pierce was out on the "Deer Dozer" and had a great time mixing it up in the field. James, Rich, Zak and I rode out to the race together and had many laughs on the way out and the way home. True Epicnicity!!
Tuesday, September 16, 2008
Almost Here....
It's getting closer and closer. Almost like Christmas morning is upon us. Cross season begins Saturday night under the lights and I couldn't be more excited. Last year was an abbreviated season, but this year I hope to do upwards of 12=13 races. I can't say I've been training super hard, but I have been training with the focus of being competitive. Based on the pre-season buzz in the local scene, cross will be hot this year. I'm looking forward to mixing it up with my buddies on the course and then hoisting a cold beer with them afterwards. HUP, HUP!
Saturday, September 13, 2008
I'll Give You a Run-Up
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Saturday morning I held another cross practice in Queeny Park. The early course didn't feature a run-up, so I tossed in a little "heinous epinicity" (local phrase) for the boys. Suffice it to say it had them squealing like piglets. Perhaps, I led the squealin'. The run-up was from near the entrance of the park to the upper road. Approximately 120 steps to the top. HRM blowout to say the least, but look at it this way, the 61 steps at
Hermann will be next to nothing.
Drew showed again, as did Curt, and Dennis. We ran several laps and tossed in some of the gravel roads to work the lactic out of the legs. Great ride overall and spent roughly 2 hours working on our mad skillz.
Saturday morning I held another cross practice in Queeny Park. The early course didn't feature a run-up, so I tossed in a little "heinous epinicity" (local phrase) for the boys. Suffice it to say it had them squealing like piglets. Perhaps, I led the squealin'. The run-up was from near the entrance of the park to the upper road. Approximately 120 steps to the top. HRM blowout to say the least, but look at it this way, the 61 steps at
Hermann will be next to nothing.
Drew showed again, as did Curt, and Dennis. We ran several laps and tossed in some of the gravel roads to work the lactic out of the legs. Great ride overall and spent roughly 2 hours working on our mad skillz.
Wednesday, September 10, 2008
Queeny Park - Thursday night CX practice
Thursday night at 6pm. Turn on the first left upon entering the Weidman Road side of Queeny Park. We'll practice near the upper parking lot (where last year's Bubba race was held.) I'll have barriers, but at this point, we don't have a stair run-up area. I'll try to work one in on future practices.
Tuesday, September 09, 2008
Have Barriers, Have Entry
Just completed cutting and fitting the PVC for my new cyclocross barriers. Got the idea from Mud & Cowbells but I made a few modifications of my own. I built 4 barriers so that will give me a couple of spares in the event someone (namely me) heavy foots a crossing. I used the following pieces:
PVC Corner
PVC Tee
I used 10' lengths of 3/4" PVC pipe. I cut the legs 20" long placed them in the PVC corner. I cut two 4' cross members and inserted one end in the PVC Corner and then joined each of them in the center via the PVC Tee. I inserted a 14" leg in the PVC Tee and viola, barriers. Overall, they are just over 8' long and 15.75" high. I'll take some pictures of them at one of the upcoming Queeny Park practices and post it up. For now, it's time for a little HUP, HUP.
PVC Corner
PVC TeeI used 10' lengths of 3/4" PVC pipe. I cut the legs 20" long placed them in the PVC corner. I cut two 4' cross members and inserted one end in the PVC Corner and then joined each of them in the center via the PVC Tee. I inserted a 14" leg in the PVC Tee and viola, barriers. Overall, they are just over 8' long and 15.75" high. I'll take some pictures of them at one of the upcoming Queeny Park practices and post it up. For now, it's time for a little HUP, HUP.
We've Got it, It's Not About the Bike
VeloNews Article
Should he come back? Is he coming back? I don't know and really, I couldn't care less. Will it change anything about the sport? Personally, I wish the sport would clean itself up and keep the wind at it's back. Or the sport can continue to operate like an ostrich and bury it's head in the sand. If LA is truly entertaining a comeback, click in, and ride on. Personally, I'd like to see LA compete in some high level cx and xc races.
Should he come back? Is he coming back? I don't know and really, I couldn't care less. Will it change anything about the sport? Personally, I wish the sport would clean itself up and keep the wind at it's back. Or the sport can continue to operate like an ostrich and bury it's head in the sand. If LA is truly entertaining a comeback, click in, and ride on. Personally, I'd like to see LA compete in some high level cx and xc races.
Sunday, September 07, 2008
All Signs Point to "No Go"
This past week was busy with work meetings. All day and into the night through midday Saturday. No time to ride, little time to sleep, and virtually no time with my family. When the meetings concluded on Saturday around noon, I high-tailed it out of downtown and sped for the ranch in hopes of loading up the mountain bike and getting in a few laps at Greensfelder. Jennifer and Collin were at the PGA event and Kelsey was with her grandparents, so the afternoon was mine.
I grabbed the Spider, an extra set of wheels (different tread options), a set of clothes and headed out the door. As it turns out, I forgot to grab a spare tube, pump, or mini-tool of any sort. Luckily, the tires looked okay, but I really had no idea of what sort of air pressure I had in the the wheels. As I suited up and started to roll the race loop, I noticed Team Pirtle-slager climbing up and asked who else was on the course. Word was Pfoodman and Schuck were out and coming up on a lap. I waited and was met by RP and Eric, as well as Mike Gibson. We chatted for a while comparing loop times. The fast experts were quoting something in the 13 min range, while Pfood was more confident of 15 min times.
Once the gang left, I set my watch and rolled to the shelter to begin a lap. I thought my rear tire seemed a little low, but thought I'd give it a go on the course and compare whether or not it was faster due to the better traction. I was definitely grabbing better, but I was also noticing the tire wanted to roll on hard corners. Sure enough, I pressed hard into the bermed corner and rolled the tire off the rim. Hike a bike #1. Up to the car, wherein I grabbed another rear wheel and started to head out. However, that one seemed low on air as well. Luckily, I spotted El Cavano prepping for his throwdown with Senor Grumpke and begged use of a pump. We chatted for a while and then I began another lap.
Not more than 4 minutes into the ride, my front tire started losing air. Within seconds, it was completely flat. Since I was running tubeless, I suspected a decent cut in the tire. Back to the car and tire number three. Quick change, back into the trail, started lap number three. This time it was clean. I pushed hard, but not until the end did I really start pushing my self. As a result, I ran a 15:30 on the nose. I think I could have run a sub 15 minute lap, so I started off on my second loop and right behind the shelter, I tagged a rock and blew out my front tire. Sheer stupidity was the culprit this time. As I had locked out my front shock on the prior lap's climb and since I was bombing downhill into rocks it was only a matter of time before something bad happened.
I was only a slight possibility for the race on Sunday. After my experiences on the trail Saturday, I took those as signs pointing to 'no' and gladly filled the day with church, a round of golf with Collin, and then baseball and dinner. All in all this was a scheduled rest day and it felt like one too.
I grabbed the Spider, an extra set of wheels (different tread options), a set of clothes and headed out the door. As it turns out, I forgot to grab a spare tube, pump, or mini-tool of any sort. Luckily, the tires looked okay, but I really had no idea of what sort of air pressure I had in the the wheels. As I suited up and started to roll the race loop, I noticed Team Pirtle-slager climbing up and asked who else was on the course. Word was Pfoodman and Schuck were out and coming up on a lap. I waited and was met by RP and Eric, as well as Mike Gibson. We chatted for a while comparing loop times. The fast experts were quoting something in the 13 min range, while Pfood was more confident of 15 min times.
Once the gang left, I set my watch and rolled to the shelter to begin a lap. I thought my rear tire seemed a little low, but thought I'd give it a go on the course and compare whether or not it was faster due to the better traction. I was definitely grabbing better, but I was also noticing the tire wanted to roll on hard corners. Sure enough, I pressed hard into the bermed corner and rolled the tire off the rim. Hike a bike #1. Up to the car, wherein I grabbed another rear wheel and started to head out. However, that one seemed low on air as well. Luckily, I spotted El Cavano prepping for his throwdown with Senor Grumpke and begged use of a pump. We chatted for a while and then I began another lap.
Not more than 4 minutes into the ride, my front tire started losing air. Within seconds, it was completely flat. Since I was running tubeless, I suspected a decent cut in the tire. Back to the car and tire number three. Quick change, back into the trail, started lap number three. This time it was clean. I pushed hard, but not until the end did I really start pushing my self. As a result, I ran a 15:30 on the nose. I think I could have run a sub 15 minute lap, so I started off on my second loop and right behind the shelter, I tagged a rock and blew out my front tire. Sheer stupidity was the culprit this time. As I had locked out my front shock on the prior lap's climb and since I was bombing downhill into rocks it was only a matter of time before something bad happened.
I was only a slight possibility for the race on Sunday. After my experiences on the trail Saturday, I took those as signs pointing to 'no' and gladly filled the day with church, a round of golf with Collin, and then baseball and dinner. All in all this was a scheduled rest day and it felt like one too.
Tuesday, September 02, 2008
Time for Practice
Yesterday, I took the cross bike to Queeny Park for some practice on last year's cx course. With the exception of the short, steep uphill section above the parking lot, I was able to run the entire course weed-free several times. After 40 minutes of course loops, I worked my way over to the Dog Museum side of the park to do some hill run-ups. I figured the hill would be the closest thing to the 61 steps we'll be running at Hermann. I did 3 run ups and I'm sure people walking through the park were trying to figure out why a middle aged man was running a perfectly good (and ultra sexy) bike on his shoulder up a very steep hill. Afterwards, I took a lap around the park to cool down a little and then headed for home just across the street. All in all a great workout and the only thing missing was my ability to practice my barrier crossings. However, thanks to Greg at Mud & Cowbells I'm going to be building myself a nice set of portable barriers for practice.
Sunday, August 31, 2008
An Evening with Jennifer (and Katy)
About 10 days ago, I was in need of a recovery spin so Jenifer and I dropped Collin off at soccer practice and drove over to the Katy trail for a just that. Jennifer had the benefit of gears, while I chose the s/s mtb. She rolled off a few minutes ahead of me and I found myself pedaling as fast as I could to catch her some 10 minutes later. (I guess her spinning classes are paying off.) After I caught up with her we pedalled for an hour and then buzzed back to pick up Collin. It was a perfect day for both of us and perhaps this could become a regular date??
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