Catching Up

Last week was a hard training week which culminated in 2 days and 3 races. This was my multi-day, multi-race weekend and I've got to say, it's a little taxing on the body and mind. The races were 'C' priority races for me and coming into the weekend, I had just completed a really focused and strong effort on the bike. In the prior week, I included a 30 min TT, crit sprints, and hill intervals, so my legs certainly weren't rested.

I was optimistic for the weekend and took it as an opportunity to see how my body would respond to the increased loads. Surprisingly enough, Saturday went well. During the crit I rode strong, at the front on a few occasions, and even brought the field back up to catch a rider who had gone off the front. As I made that move to bridge the field up (was never intending to bridge up in an attempt to make it a two man break) one of my team mates immediately responded with, "go Boz, I'll block for you." Saturday's race also gave me my closest glimpse at life during a crash. I was very slightly caught up in a big crash in the first turn. I saw everything going on in slow motion and while I did my best to steer clear of it, I began running out of room as the portable fence barricades pinned me in. After taking an extremely quick inventory of myself and my bike, I was left with a handful of riders who had suffered no damage and were forced to race to catch the back of the pack. Bridge on we did, but the effort took just a little bit out of my 'bank account' for the weekend. The rest of the race unfolded well, and at the final lap I was at the front with 3 other team mates, but our acceleration was timed a little early and we were caught by the masses at the end. Fine with me, we are starting to ride well together and we're having fun doing it.

Saturday's TT went as expected. I had hoped to post a time of 22mins or less and I posted a time of 21:46. That was good enough for 12th in the Cat 4's. I caught my 2 minute man (had a ghost rider as my 1 minute man) by the 5th mile and was chugging for home when I felt a twinge in my left hip flexor. That caused me to shift gears a little in an attempt to work out what I thought was the start of a cramp. About 1 1/2 miles from the finish, I was able to bring the speed back up and I finished strong. Overall, I was pleased with my effort.

Sunday's crit was fun, but very tough for me. I never really felt good the entire race. I had warmed-up on the trainer with the guys from our team, but once we got on the course, I never felt comfortable. I moved around the pack looking for the right lines (I'd never ridden the course before) and once I had my feel for it, I settled in. The race was to be 35 mins + 5 laps. At the 25 min mark, the final prime bell was rung and it was also about the time that I wanted to start sliding towards the front. As we arrived on the backside of the course, I found myself on the front of the pack and decided to slow the pace down a little. That worked for 1/4 a lap and then a team mate, Todd Harris, came up with 2 or 3 other riders. As I felt a little recovered at that point, I simply mentioned to him that I was on his wheel. We were 4th wheel at this point and Todd decided to ride me to the front in the final corner and turn me loose.
As I left Todd's wheel I was on top of the gear pretty good and decided to give it a go. I knew I had at least 1-2 other riders on my wheel but kept spinning madly. As I neared the line and decided to stand and sprint, my left hip flexor again signaled enough and I responded in submission. I was beaten at the line by 1/2 bike by Ryan Michaels. He rode the sprint to perfection and deserved to win it. After that, I was spent and my leg was sore. I soft pedaled as the pack caught us and then fought to stay on. I bridged back up once with the help of a team mate, Mike McKee, but just couldn't maintain tempo. I bagged the results, but finished the race as I hate to quit. I did 3 solo laps with another rider and finished as the latern rouge runner-up.

Overall, the weekend was fun and a great effort for me. I learned a lot more and was humbled at the same time. God has blessed me with gifts that I'm trying to use wisely and a fantastic group of racers who are extremely helpful to me. I'm proud to wear their colors and hope I do nothing but bring glory to God and to them.

The Price of Speed

Can you buy speed? I don't mean the street slang term for amphetamines, but rather miles per hour? Yes, yes, you can.

Here's my new TT bike. I went with a Leader LD-735TT frame and carbon fork. Total price of the frame, full carbon fork, and headset was $600. I decided on this route, as I didn't want to put a ton of money into a TT frame in the event I didn't use it a lot. I'd also read up on the Leader frames and for the money, they seemed like a great deal. The bike is outfitted with a combination of parts from my trainer bike and miscellaneous parts from around my workshop. The only new parts on the bike are the Profile Design T2 cobra aero bars, a Profile Design Razor aero seatpost, and the Mavic Cosmic Carbone SL wheels. Fully equipped as you see it here, the bike weighs 20.4 lbs. The key is that the rotational weight is low and the right parts are aero shaped.

I took the bike out the last few days and it fits me really well. I had Dave Schindler at FitPro dial in the aero position for me and I think he did a fine job. My first two rides on the bike were less than ideal and the post-fit ride was darn near perfect. No pain in the neck, back, or shoulders, and I felt like I was in a powerful position the entire time.

I chose Mavic Cosmic Carbone SL's for TT wheels because they can also double as crit and road race wheels. They really maintain the pace once up to speed and from everything I've been told by people, they are a darn durable wheelset. (Thanks for the deal Mark and Cody at Ballwin Cycles.)

So how did it perform compared to my standard road bike in a 30 min TT? My mph average over the 30 minutes increased by 2.5mph. (And that was with me being sick, too.)

What's Worse?

The Paris-Roubaix was held on April 13th but wasn't being shown on Versus until today. I did everything I could to avoid learning who won, what happened, how was the weather, everything. I succeeded. I knew nothing, I mean nothing about the outcome. However, to make things worse, I also knew nothing about when it was coming on Versus today. I assumed it was coming on at 4pm today. WRONG-O. As my luck would have it, coverage started at 2pm and I turned on the TV just in time to see the last 3 minutes of wrap-up.

Is stupidity a valid excuse?

Feels a little bit like battling your way back onto the lead group only to have them make another acceleration and drop you as reward for your effort.

I Can Only Imagine

I've written before how I am putting a Bible verse on my bike during races as my way of glorifying and thanking God for the gifts and talents he has blessed me with. In my last race, I didn't put a verse on my bike. Instead, I carried the funeral program for Hank Murphy, the brother of a friend of ours, in my back jersey pocket. On the bottom of the program was a simple quote from Hank, "I am blessed, and highly favored."

Hank passed away on April 3rd after a lingering battle with cancer. I only had the pleasure of meeting Hank a couple of times. Our family is very good friends with his brother's family we've come to learn Hank was a very strong Christian man, as well as a loving husband and father. At Hank's service, his pastor (from the Dallas area) spoke of Hank's servanthood to God and his many blessings in the lives of others. Later, in the service, they showed a photo/video montage of Hank's life while the song, "I Can Only Imagine" by MercyMe played in the background. As I watched and cried, I decided I would race in honor of Hank and thank God for the blessing he gave us in Hank.

While it would have been glorious (and very Hollywood-ish) to come across the line way ahead of the pack and hold the program high and praise God and Hank, but it didn't work out that way. My result in the race wasn't an important outcome this time. Seeing the lasting works of Hank and the lives he touched was. I felt humbled. Hank knew even in his darkest moments God would bless him and shine His glorious light on him. Hank was a beacon for Christ to all of us who knew him.

I know Hank is blessed, and highly favored and that's the greatest victory of all.

Tilles Park

First official crit is in the books. I raced the 4/5's race and from the folks I know in the race there appeared to be more 4's than 5's in the race. Not really sure how many were in the pack, but I'd guess somewhere around 50???

Overall a good race for me. I went to the front several times and actually led a few laps. Won 1 prime, too. My official finishing spot was 16th, but the officials had problems with the finishing line camera and failed to catch the numbers of several riders. I actually thought I was around 10th, but since I couldn't recall the riders around me (I guess a sprint finish does that) I didn't feel right taking the 10th place spot. When I got home, I talked with my wife and she said she thought I finished 10th and a couple of people around her (from my team) thought the same. Oh well, that's racing and it's in the books. I feel better knowing I had a great race and was mixing the field up whenever I could.

The prime lap was funny to me. Bill Howells and I were rounding the corner before the back straighaway and he looked over and said, "I really don't like Red Bull, it's yours." I laughed and said "I'll split it with you" and dropped the hammer. Bill is such a strong rider and I always enjoy seeing that lime green Specialized of his. Don't ever paint that thing man!

Overall, our ICCC team rode a strong race. We had 5 guys in the 4/5 race and our goal was to get someone (namely Scot Wallace or Jim Moore) launched off the front and then block like mad. As it turns out, we got Mike McKee off the front on one lap and then Rich Pierce, Scot, and Jim were blocking up the front. I was recovering midpack and trying to work my way to the front again, when Mike and the guy he was with started to slow. The field accelerated and the sight of the riders and soon enough they were back in the fold.

I'd say it was a fun day for all. It was awesome having my wife, Jennifer, and my kids, Kelsey and Collin, there cheering me on in spite of the chilly 42 degree weather. I'm sure they would have rather been sitting in a warm house instead of watch me play around on a bike. Next race for me will be the Tour of St. Louis on 4/26 & 4/27. If those races go well, you may not see too much of me off-road this year. I'm really enjoying the road right now and it seems to suit my body a little more. I'll be at Castlewood on 5/10 and will make my final assessment based on that race.

Yours truly winning a prime.


Greg Lyeki from Trek on the lead.


Rich Pierce, Jim Moore, and me taking care of business.


Rich Pierce and Scot Wallace keeping the pace high.


Me (left of center) and Jim Moore (right of center) mixing it up at the front.

I Pledge (Part Deux)

Last month, I pledged to no longer wear my winter clothes as a gesture of solidarity with Spring and Summer. Winter, I no longer acknowledge your existence! This weekend's forecast:



So at the race, I'll be the guy in the shorts shivering and turning a rosy hue of rare tuna. Jacket, perhaps. Qoleum #3 Extra Hot embrocation? You betcha!! Time to start acting like a man!

Betcha Won't Eat That

Last night our family headed out to JJ Twigs for some pizza and family time. For our dinner, we ordered a Bacon Cheeseburger pizza and a Grilled Chicken and Mushroom pizza. The Bacon CB pizza was advertised with the special JJ Twigs sauce, bacon, hamburger, onions, dill pickle slices, cheddar and mozzarella cheese. After it was baked, they were to add shredded lettuce and tomatoes. My son and I thought that would be a decent pizza, so we ordered it sans the lettuce and tomatoes. (It's a little to much meat for me, but I figured I'd give it a go.)

We were having a great time talking and catching up with each other's week. As the NCAA men's basketball was now complete it was time to discuss the winner's prize of our family pool. My wife, Jennifer, won in a tiebreaker over my son by guessing the score of the final game. Mind you, the objective was to be the closest to the total points for the final game. My wife hit the tally on the nose. Her prize, a foot massage to be delivered by me and my son. As we discussed the foot massage, my son reminded her that foot is singular and feet is plural, so she still needed to determine which FOOT was getting massaged. (We think he has the right skillset to become an attorney or worse yet, a politician.)

During my attempt to weasel my way out of the bet, my wife commented that she didn't want me to just write a check to a spa. I began seeking other alternatives when I spied one of my daughter's remaining chicken tender appetizers along with the ranch dip. I quickly asked if the massage would be waived if I were to eat the chicken dipped in the ranch dip. As they laughed and piled on conditions for the bet, the deal was struck and I was eye to eye with a ranch dip coated chicken tender. Let me just stop right here and say that I H-A-T-E dips, dressings, mayos, mustards, and anything else that resembles any of the above. I could tell this would be a big deal for me and them.....but I chickened out. I couldn't get past the smell of the dip. I'm a weenie.

Now the pizza arrives. Looks awesome, it's hot, smells great. I grab a piece of the CB pizza, take a big bite, and frown. Maybe it's the tang of the pickles?? No, it's too tangy to my taste buds. I think to myself, that tastes a lot like yellow mustard. Weird. I take another bike. Bingo! Yellow mustard. And I'm thinking is this some cruel joke to get me for the failure to eat the chicken? I call the waiter over and he says, yeah, it's got mustard on it. I ask, what a part of the description on the menu? He says, absolutely, but let me bring you a menu. Here is their menu description:

"Made with our own Special Sauce, hamburger, crispy bacon, onions, Cheddar & Mozzarella Cheeses and dill pickle chips. Topped off with lettuce and fresh Roma tomatoes. Tastes just like a cheeseburger!" Dang. Why didn't that register with me? Long story short, they made us a new one with the regular tomato based sauce and it was great. Again, a little too much meat on it for my tastes, but it really did remind you of a burger. Actually, it reminded you a little of a white castle.

Overall, it was a great meal and we laughed a lot. Good Times!

A Good Ride

Yesterday called for 2 hours of easy spinning. The weather was still cooperating, so I gave Mark Ewers a call and arranged a 4pm start time in the valley. The plan was to ride along the new Monarch Levee trail and then head over for a few 'Kaspar loops' on the business park side of the valley. If you're wondering what the Kaspar loops are, read this blog courtesy of a buddy, Pfoodman. (Did I just break the record for the most hyperlinks in a single paragraph??)

Surprisingly, the weather cooperated for the entire ride. With the exception of freshening winds, we were able to complete 2 hours of riding and even get in a few spirited efforts (making up for my shortened workout from Tuesday night.) As we did the 'Kaspar' loops, we would take turns pulling into the wind. As we rolled around we got to talk a lot and catch up on things. I got to ask a lot of questions about wattages, TT bikes, and training while Mark obliged me and answered all of them with his polite, friendly manner.

In all my training efforts this year, I haven't had too many rides like last night's. The perfect combination of effort, mileage, weather, and companionship. A Good Ride!

I'm Fine, Really

Thanks for all the cards and letters, but I'm fine. Yes, I know you're concerned that I've done myself serious harm, but really, I'm great. No, I didn't do any serious trauma to my head. It's nothing. I'm wearing this:



Now, I can safely dress as fast as I want and not personally endanger myself. Go back to worrying about whether or not folks are wearing their helmets while riding on the streets, or drinking from water bottles found along the side of the road, or whether or not shopping center developers hate cyclists (even though they may sponsor their teams!!) I'm fine, really.

Sometimes LIFE Gets in the Way

of training that is. I've had a bad week from a training perspective. Too much life and too little training. My reason for missing my workout on Friday withstanding, I've enjoyed all the family reasons for missing some workouts this week. Spending more time with my wife and kids isn't something I'm going to ever regret.

Friday night, however, I missed a workout because I banged my thick skull into the side of a rather large dresser and darn near knocked myself out. I got home late from work and was quickly getting dressed to ride. The plan was to ride out past St. Albans and meet up with my wife and kids at her sister's house for a birthday party. However, as I smacked my noggin' on the corner of the cabinet, my plans quickly shifted to remaining upright as little, imaginary birdies began circling my brain while my knees buckled. Yeah, I've taken a few shots to the head while crashing on the mountain bike, but this one was a doozie. My head did split, but luckily, it wasn't anything more than a small cut. After an ice-pack and three Tylenols, I managed to drive my suv to the party and get through the night with a dull headaches and a knot on the side of my head. My wife said she was going to wake me every 2 hours Friday night to check on me, but she fell asleep. So did I.

Saturday, I made a late decision to take on the Covered Bridge ride. Kent Jones had asked if anyone from our team wanted to ride and I decided at 7am that morning that I would. Due to my late decision I tackled the ride solo. After a foggy and extremely chilly start, I think I evened the score to 1-1 with Saturday's effort. I definitely climbed much better than last time. I even added in one hill climb to the route for good measure (Tishimingo to Old 21). That route is addicting if you've never done it. Of course, it's an epic route from a climbing standpoint, but it's also epic in the traffic flow, lack of traffic lights, and the scenery. My heavens some of the early spring scenes were something. Also, I think there are 3 lights in the 50+ miles of riding. I averaged around 18mph, which I'll take on that route anytime.

Sunday, I was planning to spin for 1-2 hours in the flats, but my wife made a suggestion to try to get Cardinals tickets and take the kids to a game. How many times in St. Louis do we get a cloudless, 70 degree day for a 1:15pm game? I used StubHub (very easily, I might add) and we were sitting at the game following a morning at church. What a great day and a Cards shutout to boot!

Finally, when we got home from the game, the Tour of Flanders was coming on Versus. The Ronde de Vlaanderen is my favorite race of the year, so I settled onto the couch and watched all but the last 6km before we headed up to church for our small group evenings. Afterwards, we watched the final 6km's on Tivo and what a finish!! A Belgian wins!!

Last One Out Gets the Check

You've all seen the scene in the movies. Some guy is walking down the street completely unaware of the calamity taking place behind him. Soon people are running past him at a speedy clip and he's wondering what the heck is going on. Quickly enough he turns around to see two things. One, no one else is left behind him and two, he's on death's doorstep. Well that appropriately sums up my performance at last night's Tuesday Night Worlds, B race.

My less than stellar performance should have been expected. I stood around on my feet all day Saturday, put in a strong TT on Sunday, didn't sleep at all Monday night. As a result my race was a little more than an experience in pedalling really fast while my lungs staged a sit-down strike. Seriously, it was good experience. I learned some more things about racing crits and namely, where I can attack on that course. I didn't sit in the back all night and I actually put my nose within the front 5-7 riders once late in the race, so all wasn't lost.

Funniest part was when I talked with my wife afterwards the first words out of her mouth were the truest. "Well, you're not going to do well everytime you race." True that. Perhaps the Lord sent me a good message last night. You see, the verse I placed on my bike last night was Ephesians 6:10, "Finally, be strong in the Lord and his mighty power." Maybe that was a little insight into how I was feeling and where my true power is and will be.

It's all a part of racing and I'm learning and loving ever minute of it.