$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.

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.

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.

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!

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.

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.

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!!!

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.

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.)

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.