Ready to Roll

Here's the re-painted Redline Conquest. Les at Powder Coat Specialists did the stripping and repainting and did an excellent job. Not a flaw to be found anywhere. The decals were created online at SpeedySigns.com and I took the liberty of choosing a font that appealed to me and not one that matched the Redline company font. I also must thank Dave Schindler at FitPro for putting the bike back together to meet all of my fitting specs. Dave took the time to get the single chainring set-up just right and I couldn't be happier with the results. As always, I have to thank Mark and Cody back at my home shop, Ballwin Cycles, for their help with the parts I needed and the deals they give me.

The bike weighs in at 19.3 pounds and features the following options:
Ritchey WCS full carbon fork
Cane Creek SCX-5 brakes with Kool Stop black/red pads
FSA Carbon Pro crankset with Salsa 42T single ring and Salsa chainguards
Crank Bros Twin Ti pedals
Dura Ace shifters
Dura Ace rear derailleur with VCRC ceramic pulleys
SRAM 12-27 rear cassette
Nokon cable housing
Ritchey WCS stem and bars
Fizik bar tape
FSA carbon seatpost
Selle Italia SLR Gel Flow saddle
Neuvation R28 SL3 wheels
Michelin Jet S rear / Michelin Mud front tire

This will most likely be the last time the bike is clean as it's time to start putting some training efforts in and the early season races will be dusty or muddy.

Not so Lost Valley

Had every intention of heading down to the TNW's last night to put in a hard effort workout. Wasn't planning to race as much as I was planning to do sprints and push some harder gears up the hill at pace. However, the need to help my daughter with her homework won over (rightfully so) and before long I was staring at a clock which read 6:30pm and knowing my chances at riding were dimishing quickly. I thought if I left immediately, I could get out to Greensfelder for a few quick loops on the race course for Sunday, but by the time I threw everything together, that idea was also a mirage.

So, as I organized my bike stuff I had the plan of heading out to Lost Valley and riding in the darkness with me, myself, and I. Luckily when I got home yesterday, I was thinking a little in advance and tossed the Light & Motion Arc Li-Ion battery on the charger. As I rolled into the parking lot at the Mound, I saw several GORC-sters changing and cracking open their post-ride bottles of hops. Envious, I continued to suit up, do a battery check, and roll down the Hamburg Trail for a little me time. As I descended into the trail, I used the waning sunlight to guide my way. However, as I crossed the creek and headed into the singletrack, I was quickly met with darkness. I flipped on the headlight and lit up the trails. I buzzed along for 45 minutes on the trails and decided to point back to the car. During the ride, I saw two very nice trophy bucks and a bazillion frogs. I even passed a rider going up the last hill. I went from feeling like no ride was going to happen to getting a great, albeit less than planned, ride in.

Dr. Strangecross (How I Learned to Stop Worrying and Love the 'Cross)

Mud, slop, ruts, roots, run-ups, barriers, sand pits, and stairs. Sun, rain, wind, snow, and ice. Gin, trombones, beer, frites, and cowbells. Those words conjure up wild images of pay-per-view excitement more akin to the likes of this Japanese Game Show than the real, fall/winter season Belgian-based spectacle that is Cyclocross.



Why did I choose cyclocross? Heck, like almost everything I've ever done competitively on a bike it's because of Pfoodman. Nah, he just mentioned it to me (over and over and over). More likely is the fact that I've always loved the fringe sports. No, I'm not talking trampoline, rhythmic gymnastics, or dressage. I'm talking real sports where skills are involved and subjectivity are eliminated. Sports were healthy doses of intestinal fortitude, addictions to pain, and embarrassment are very real possibilities. Cyclocross is one of those sports where you feel like the guys in the video. Their options for success look slim, but doggone they put forth the effort and they don't care if they survive or not. Participation isn't an option, but a calling or a duty. A duty to push your body and mind in a manner few others would dare. In the end, others may shake their head in wonder and ask, "what's the point?" Fellow crossers only you and I will know the real answer.

So, what's left to worry about. We'll never have any barriers in our Bubba Cross series that remotely resemble the ones in the game show. But then again wouldn't it be great if we did???

Happy Birthday RP!

You're a great Christian man and I'm proud to call you a friend! Happy Birthday!

Say What???

I don't know what the heck they're saying, but I'm certain is something along the lines of "Ouch, that's gonna leave a mark!"

Not much going on this weekend. More riding and this morning was 60 miles including the Big Shark team ride. Rolled with Theo down to BS and then met up with Damien and the rest of the gang for an easy paced ride. I guess that was good enough for me because I really never felt good the entire morning. I never felt like my lungs opened up and was working harder than normal when the pace quickened or the road tilted upward.

Right now, it's time to take the kids to Carl's for cheeseburgers and root beers. Seeing that I rode 60 miles this morning, I think I'll have the same.

An Hour in Hell

Fitness

After my strong build-up earlier this year, I was highly confident in a lot of my rides and races. Then the mid-year funk set-in, my confident waned, and my desire to ride and race seemed to evaporate overnight. I literally walked away from the bikes for a week and never gave them another thought. During that period, I also formulated a plan to take more time off the bike, focus on doing fewer races, and set some late season goals.

I'm now one month into my second half fitness and planning for upcoming events. Today is the "one month to go" date for the Hermann Cross Invitational and as I assess where I am at in preparation for the start of cross season, I'd say I'm right where I want to be. My legs and lungs are responding nicely and mentally, I'm starting to get into racing mode. Ah, racing mode. That 'mode' was a primary contributor to some of my mid-season malaise. So, I'm working on channeling my energy and truly racing when I need to race, not when I want to race. I guess I suffered from a little bit of the porch dog syndrome. You know, laying calmly on the front porch until a vehicle rolls by and then it's GO TIME!

As I train, I'm training my body and mind. Fitness will come in terms of how my body responds to efforts physically AND mentally. Responding to race choices and responding within races. I'm chasing fewer race choices and I'm responding to more strategic opportunities within races. I can't race every race and I'll only race within the race when it strategically suits my game plan. Most of you know this about bike racing already. I didn't. I tend to learn best by experience. In bike racing, experience is a dangerous and painful teacher.

So how's it going? Fitness is on track. During our last team ride, we were approaching the last 2 miles of the ride and there's always a sprint finish on this particular route. As I was riding front wheel in our group of 4, I was fighting back every urge to put the hammer down and push the guys to their redlines. However, Kent Jones was in our group and he's got some serious fire power. So instead of riding harder for the last 5 or so miles (which is what usually happens), I kept the pace down. Actually, I was testing myself. I was strategically riding easy and waiting for someone else to tire of the pedestrian pace and start the sprint. To my delight, I hear Kent say, "watch it, this is where Boz likes to attack." My plan was perfect. I had no intentions of attacking. I had every intention of ambushing. I continued to spin and they took the bait hook, line, and sinker. First attack, I didn't respond by staying at the front. I actually sat in the back. Only until I got on top of my gears and let the others attack did I proceed. When I was second wheel again, I attacked and succeeded. My patience actually paid off and as a result, my fitness grows.

A Little Bit of Everything

Yesterday's ride was a team ride on the Covered Bridge route. I really enjoy the route and use it as a gauge of fitness and training, as it has a little bit of everything tempo climbs, steep hills, false flats, rollers, and technical downhills. Of course, it's also what the route doesn't have (stop signs, stop lights, heavy traffic, too many homes, stores, buildings) that makes the ride appealing to me. When you throw in the awesome natural beauty of the valleys and ridgelines, it's just a great, great ride.

However, yesterday's ride also included a lost teammate and me getting hit by a car (or me hitting a car depending on your point of view.) The lost teammate was the result of him taking a wrong turn near the top of the first climb away from the bridge and resulted in two teammates spending the better part of an hour and a lot of climbing tracking him down. Unfortunately, this was his first ride on the route and he had no clue where he was or where to go. Thankfully, our two "search and rescue" teammates were diligent and found him and had enough gas in the tank to bring him back safely. The other four of us sped for home with the full intention of bringing the vehicles back to drive them home, but after a final phone call they decided to pedal their way back. They looked a little tired, but all survived without too much additional drama.

As the four of us sped for home, I was on the front as we started our descent out of High Ridge. As we dropped onto Hillsboro-High Ridge Road, I noticed a car further up the road backing out of their driveway onto the road. Sensing this car will be in our path soon enough, I sat up and waved to the group to slow and called out "car up." Once the car backed out of the drive and blocked the lane, they began to pull forward and then stopped again in the middle of the road. By this time, we were rolling slowly enough, but also not understanding why the car stopped again. I yelled out to the driver to "go" and she started moving (I don't think she saw us or the car behind us.) Unfortunately, she quickly stopped again and caused us to scatter to avoid a collision. Two riders made it around her left and thankfully there was no oncoming traffic while me and another rider tried to squeeze between the car and the ditch. I didn't make it and banged into her right rear tail light and rear quarter panel. No damage was done to her car (other than my sweaty arm leaving a streak of sweat on her black car), nor was my body damaged. My elbow was a little sore, but I knew I would be okay. I signaled "OK" to the driver, but shook my head in disbelief. She rolled along behind me and at the stop sign I fully figured she'd roll her window down to say "Sorry." Nope. Just rolled on.

I'm thankful God watched over us on our ride. Next time, I'll get everyone's cell numbers before we take off and we'll all just try to watch over each other.

Insight

I'm training, resting, and eating very well. I'm not racing road bikes the rest of the year. I'm not racing mountain bikes (with the exception of Burnin') the rest of the year. My next race will be the Hermann Cross Invitational on September 20th. I chased after too many race distractions this year and as a result I didn't have great results at anything, including my personal life. With all due respect to El Cavano, there is still time left for me to lay claim to the year as "my year."

I'm also dealing with some personal issues. While everything in my immediate family is good and all are healthy, I was thrown a major knockdown pitch last week pertaining to my brother. I'm really not prepared to write about it here and those close to me know what's going on. It's very tough to handle. I pray constantly and have asked others to pray for God's grace, mercy, and healing for the situation. While I'm better than I initially was, I'm still in shock. Little things can set me off and I'm reduced to tears. Riding the bike has been a good outlet for the pain of my heart. I simply replace it with pain in my legs or lungs. God will see us through this valley and in Him I put my faith and trust.

Commuting

I've dabbled with commuting to work by bike a few times. I enjoy it, but I also work in a suit and tie environment and our work facilities aren't equipped with showers and changing rooms. For the times I've ridden to work, my bike comes into my office (cubicle) and remains propped against the wall like a piece of art and a source of questions for all who enter. "What's that?" being one of my favorites.

While traveling with the family in Munich this summer, we noticed more bikers than motorists. Everyone, I mean everyone, rides a bicycle in Munich. Grandmothers in housecoats, businessmen in suits, children, families, dogs. Yep, we even saw dogs sitting prouding in the baskets while their owners pedaled merrily on their way. I'm thinking to myself why can't I do that? Why do I let some of the work inconveniences rule my life. No more.

I'm building up a full-time dedicated commuting machine. Complete with fenders, baskets, lights, funny handlebars, and one gear. A utilitarian machine. Something the likes of Ultra Scott's current machine. Laugh if that sort of thing is not your bag or if it looks too old-school but remember two things. My legs are getting stronger and I'm not the one burning $4 fuel.

Putting in the Miles

Did the TNW's B race last night. Planned to do some hard efforts with some short recoveries. I went hard and stayed in the top 1/3 of the pack until 20 minutes in and then jumped out for 1 1/2 laps (I soft pedaled 1/2 lap) and then finished with 1 to go. I wasn't going to contest the race, so another bike in the mix wasn't going to do any good.

Today, I rode for 60 minutes of recovery in the rain. I love riding in the rain (weird, I know) but it's just a fun time for me. The only down side is the bike cleaning that must occur following a ride. Nice recovery miles today with little issues. In fact the only issue (which is actually major) is that I came the closest I ever have to being hit by a car. Someone decided they didn't want to wait for oncoming traffic to clear before passing me on Weidman Road and drove their Subaru Outback station wagon to within 6-8 inches of my left leg at 30 mph. I had nowhere to go and it certainly got my attention. At times I think it's inevitable (getting hit by a car) and other times I feel invincible. Just another reason to pray before, during, and after my rides.

My legs really seem to be coming back around. I was a little worried early on, but the miles seem to be healing the time off the bike. I'm sticking to my schedule of ride hard, recover on bike, and rest. It's working well thus far, but there are a lot of miles left to go.

More teasers

Racing under the lights interest you?

What are you waiting for? Hermann Cross - Saturday, 9/20

Weekend Recap

Saturday morning was a team/group ride out to the West Co. hills. Several teammates showed up, as did a few potentially new teammates. The idea was to ride several climbs, but to do them in a no-drop fashion, with some good tempo riding in between. Since this was my ride and route, and most didn't know the route, I found myself rotating to the front to yell out directions and then circling to the back to ensure everyone made it through the various turns and terrain. The route was:

Einstein's on Clayton at 141
Clayton west
R on Valley to Strecker
L on Shepard
R on Orrville
R on Eatherton
L on WHC
R on Ossenfort
Cross T
R on Melrose
L on Bouquet
L on Manchester
Cross 100
Continue on Fox Creek
L on Six Flags-Allenton
L on Melrose
R on 100
R on Woodlands Meadows (tackle the 24% beast)
R on Manchester
R on Glencoe (through Rockwoods)
L on Woods
L on Manchester
R on 109
R on Clayton to Einstein's

Everyone had a good time and put in a relatively good effort. The 24% gradient on Woodlands Meadows certainly humbled some on the ride and left them shaking their heads in amazement. Jim Moore actually spun his rear wheel almost a full revolution when he pedaled over a wet patch of road sealant while tackling the climb. Looked like a dragster doing a burnout. The good news is he completed the climb!

My legs continue to come around nicely and I should be back in shape for some racing starting next month. This week will be another round of recovery loops in the valley with some weight-lifting and a few spin ups thrown in for good measure.

After church on Sunday, we took our son to lunch and then off to church camp. There were some logistical issues with the busses not arriving for the campers, so at the last minute I decided to drive him up to Carlinville, IL for camp. That put me on the road for 3 hours but in the end I think he enjoyed getting a little time with me and the chance to take a nap on the way.

God was certainly providing for me as I was able to drop him off and make it back to our church just in time to see the start of Drama Night. Members of our youth group (including my daughter) worked the past week to put together vignettes from 4 Broadway plays. They did a remarkable job and it was a funny way to unwind from impromptu travels.

Just Around the Corner

Cross season is just around the corner. While reviewing videos of what makes cyclocross so fun, I came across this humorous clip. In particular I like the footage around 0:50 and right at the end. Listen closely to the end when the fallen rider is asked if he's okay and the commentary from the onlookers. Good stuff. While cross isn't about falling, it's inevitable that you're going to mess up some part of the course during some part of the race.

Goings On

Been riding a little more lately. In the last week, I've ridden 4 times and today will be the first back to back day I've had in a while. Last night was 90 minutes out in the valley doing loops. Yep, those boring 18-19mph loops just riding recovery around and around. My legs really seemed to feel better at the end of the night, too. Saturday was another edition of the Covered Bridge route. Man, that ride kicked me hard. It was fun to share the ride with 3 teammates and a buddy from work who races for Manchester Trek, because without them, I'm sure it would have taken me twice as long.

For the rest of the year, I will be focusing my efforts off-road. Mountain biking and cyclocross will fill out the remainder of the competitive events. I may jump into 1 race at the Gateway Cup, but it's been too much this year trying to balance all of the options of racing road and off-road. Besides, there are some great events coming up in the next few months. Greensfelder, Cape Girardeau, Rapture in Misery, and Burnin' at the Bluff just to name a few.

From the training perspective, I made a decision to drop my coach, Andy Gibbs. This was a very difficult decision for me. Andy helped me prepare myself far beyond what I thought was possible. I recall thinking about what sort of times I would need running to be competitve in the sport class this year and simply shook my head in disbelief. Andy helped me prepare a plan to cover those gaps and do it in a way that was right for me, not a 'one size fits all' plan. He studied my workouts and made changes or offered the right amount of advice at the right times. All in all, he deserves a lot of credit for the success I had this year and my decision to stop working with him was tough to say the least. My decision wasn't based on any negatives with Andy, but rather due to a commitment to my family. If you're looking for a great coach, look no further that AGCoaching

Fat Chance

In a recently published article regarding 'caloric sticker shock' NY'ers were shocked, horrified, and angered by the caloric levels of some of their favorite treats, snacks, and meals. Thinking the change to publish calorie levels may shift their choices towards healthier options appears to be a pipe dream. Take a look at some of these quotes from the article:

"Some people actually tell us we should take off the labels, because it discourages them from ordering what they want," he said.....says a spokesperson from Outback Steakhouse.

"I’m so upset," she said, noting some entrees — like the Jack Daniels ribs and shrimp dinner — contain almost 2,000 calories, and the desserts were more of the same (the brownie obsession is 1,500 calories). "I wish they wouldn’t have done this."....says a customer of TGI Fridays.

So, are people shocked to learn when calories in exceed calories out they get fat? or are they shocked to learn a muffin, cheeseburger & fries, several cokes throughout the day, a cookie snack, and a dinner out is more than a human being needs to consume in any given day? I guess I shouldn't be shocked, but perhaps it was just a fat chance to begin with.

European Tour de France coverage

In 3 of the last 4 years, I've been lucky enough to be in Europe during the Tour de France. In 2005 and 2007, we watched the race firsthand but in all cases we watched to tour on EuroSport TV. I've got to say the coverage is second to none. Unlike Versus' coverage, they actually show the race. How's that different you ask? In a stage that takes 5 hours, you'll most likely see a total of 30 minutes of commercials. On Versus, on a 5 hour stage you're likely to see the exact opposite. Last night, I literally felt like I was being brainwashed to buy a Saab. Ever wondered what happens when the riders need to answer the call to nature? Want to see what happens in the pack when there's no one to chase or the peloton is content letting riders with no chance of being GC contenders go off the front? You'll find out if you watch the EuroSport coverage.

I'm thankful for the sponsors paying the bills so Versus can bring us at least glimpses of the tour, but it sure would be nice to actually watch a race compared to watching commercials that permit viewers to see a bike from time to time. Tivo is a magical machine.

You're Better than That

During last night's coverage of Stage 10, Bobke muttered the words, "He's as cool as the other side of the pillow" to described a racer climbing the Col de Tourmalet. I shook my head in disbelief. Bobke, you're better than those pop-culture-appeasing talking heads on ESPN. Keep using your Bobcabulary to entertain us. Don't steal from the guys who live vicariously through the athletes they never were. You're better than that. You've climbed the mountains, suffered at the pack of the pack,
or shot the gutters in an attempt to gain position. In short, you talk and we listen.

Just be the Bobke we know and love.

Now That Was Pfun!

Last night was the kickoff for the Short Track Training Series hosted by our local food and hospitality guru, Ralph Pfremmer, and his VeloForce teammates. They had laid out a very nice combination of technical sections and uber-fast dirt flats. The result was one narrow, but ultra quick loop that took riders roughly 5 minutes to complete and a honking large BBQ and beer party following the races.

Registering for the race, I had all the plans to jump into the B race but since Ralph has been bugging me to go head to head with him in a race, I elected for the A race at the last minute. I actually paid and registered for both races with the idea that if I got shelled in the A race, I could drop out and then race the B race. As it turns out, no shelling occured. My goal was simply don't get lapped by the pro-level racers. (I held off Chris Ploch until the final creek crossing and then he got me.)

Several of us didn't really contest the start and let the really fast dudes take full advantage of the open field to narrow singletrack flow of the race. As a result, we found ourselves near the back of the pack very early in the race. However, we quickly formed our freight train and begin to hammer through quite nicely. I passed several riders over the next few laps and then settled into a good rhythm with teammate, Kent Jones, and DRJ rider, Mark Bauer (Lil' Buddy.) Those two were running 29er s/s with 44/20 and 44/21 gearing respectively. I was running the big ring on most of the course and then the middle ring for the creek crossing section. We yo-yo'd back and forth until Kent took a corner too hot and then it became a race with me and Mark.

At the end, Mark's teammate, Chris Ploch, popped out of the creek behind us and immediately passed us and Mark jumped onto his wheel and got a pretty good gap on me at the same time. I fought really hard to get back onto Mark's wheel and by the time we entered the grass field for the last time, I had bridged up to Mark (and felt like he didn't know it.) I thought this was my only chance, but it would require me to outsprint him in the field. As we cleared into the field, his cadence went into hyperdrive on that s/s just as my right leg cramped (again) blowing me up in the process. My gears offered no advantage and the race was done.

I was spent, but smiling like it was Christmas morning and I was 5 again. What a cool race format. Reminded me of cyclocross and mountain biking. No elitist attitudes, nothing but slaps on the back and smiles galore. (Okay, maybe my teammate Mark Hasler wasn't smiling when he double flatted leading the B race, but that's a different story.) I'm going to miss the next two weeks while the family and I are in Germany and Austria, but you'll know where to find me on Thursday evenings.

Thanks again to Mark & Cody and the gang at Ballwin Cycles. They got the Gunnar Rockhound dialed in and it rocked last night. That bike floated underneath me and was ripping fast.

Time to Get Dirty

If you're like me, watching that video gets your blood pumping for some racing in the dirt. Tonight is the first installment of Pfoodman's Velo Force dirt crits and I'm bringing back the Gunnar h/t. Mark and Cody at Ballwin Cycles helped yesterday with the finishing touches and she's smoking hot! Crossmax 29'er wheels, white cables, and carbon galore. I've never raced a dirt crit, but I settle that score tonight. No plans, no goals, just riding to have fun!

On another dirt related note, I opted for a Kona Explosif s/s frame. Thanks to one Matt Grothoff (Casey Ryback for the insiders) I was given a deal I couldn't refuse. I figured the sooner I took the deal, the sooner I'd be on the trail learning to snap some wrists with Team Seagal! Hopefully, this is the path to enlightment. If not, it's certainly the path to a "superior attitude and a superior state of mind."

Finally, on the subject of snapped wrists. "Heal well" wishes go out to Mike Gibson for his broken wrists (yes, as in both) and for a damaged hip. Mike suffered 3 breaks in one wrist and 8 breaks in the other. Tough stuff for sure, but if you know Gibson, I'm sure he'll be training while he's recovering. Mike come on out to the dirt crits, I'm sure you can yell from the sidelines and have a beverage or two to kill the pain.

Possible New Pony

Vassago Jabberwocky

Been having problems with the bolts on the Niner One9's BB and am looking for a possible s/s replacement. I discovered this frame by talking with a buddy from my company. He has one and says several of his buddies are riding them and loving the heck out of them. Price is good and seems worthy of checking out. I think I'll get one on order and have it built up when I return from Europe in mid-may.

If You Can't Laugh at Yourself....

Happy Father's Day

I lost my own father back in 1991. He died at an early age (50) and lived a tough life. Unfortunately, he made his life much tougher with an addiction to prescription painkillers. I recall the day he died like it was yesterday. The phone rang at 5:00 in the morning and the first words out of my mouth were, "when did it happen?" No "hello," no "who is this?"

By the above description, my father wouldn't seem to be the role model for fatherhood or parenting. However, he was in many ways. He and my mother divorced when I was in the 6th grade. I remember crying at my parents' announcement to us and wondering where I was going to live. My father made it very clear we were to live with him and there was nothing to worry about. When I was sick (and as a child I suffered badly from asthma) my father was the person sitting on the edge of my bed rubbing my chest until I fell asleep.

He was also one of the funniest guys I knew. I loved to make people laugh and could make any tense situation loose, almost hilarious, with something as simple as a facial expression. He was a darn good baseball and softball player, too. I followed in his footsteps to become a catcher and have him to thank for my bad knees and back, but wouldn't have it any other way. To a fault, he would give someone the shirt off his back if it meant helping them out.

All in all, he was a great guy and I miss him a lot.

Happy Father's Day, Pop.

Let's Roll

I'm back to riding and having fun. Two nights in the saddle this week and the next few days will include some spinning goodness. Tuesday night I rolled through the 'wood with Mikey Teiber and found time to hammer a few miles and laugh many more. Even found some time to 'yard sale' while jumping a log on the rollercoaster. While I didn't think much of it at the time, the wreck cost me the upper swingarm bolt on my Intense Spider 29 and real pain deep in my shoulder. While nothing seems to be broken, the simple task of lifting my arm causes significant pain. I'm holding off going to the doctor, but will proceed cautiously.

The pain wasn't too bad to pull the road bike out for 90 minutes of spinning in the flats last night. I rode 3 Kaspar loops and then went out with a buddy from work who's just getting into road biking. It's nice to see another person joining our ranks and asking more questions than a 3-year-old.

I've also talked with Gibbs and we seem to have a good training plan for the second half of the season. I look forward to getting more miles in the legs and smiling a lot more while doing it. For the rest of the year, I'll be focusing more on the mtb and then the 'cross season in the fall. Til then, let's roll.

All Decked Out

I haven't touched a bike in over a week now. I may ride tomorrow, I may not. I've spent the better part of this week finishing the new deck at my house. It's complete and I'll feature some photos as soon as I find my camera. I spent Friday and Saturday putting in 9+ hours each day and another 4+ hours today getting it completed. I did it all by my lonesome and it's ready to be broken in as soon as we solve one major problem...furniture.

We looked around today for patio furniture but couldn't decide whether or not we wanted an outdoor living room set or a traditional 6 chairs and rectangular table. I'm sort of leaning towards the sofa and chairs with ottomans for the deck. I like the idea of hanging out on the deck in the mornings drinking coffee. Also, we don't eat outside a lot, so this just may make more sense.

As a result of my efforts on the deck in the scorching heat yesterday, I opted to skip the KC Cup MTB race. I really would have loved to go with Pfoodman but it was just too much to ask my tired body. Besides, I have the finishing touches to get done today. There's plenty of summer left and I'll get back on the bike soon enough. That is if I don't find some outdoor furniture that's too comfortable.

What Time is It?

Time to get this on the trails here.

In Case You're Wondering

I'm in the middle of a week off the bike. Maybe it will last longer, maybe it won't. I'm in a good frame of mind for the rest of the year and by no means am I quitting or going back to being a casual rider. Thanks for all the positive comments I've received from friends and teammates. I greatly appreciate the support. However, I am going to make some changes in my approach to racing (what and when) and my life in general. Spend more time living and less time focused on results. I was getting too consumed with the outcomes and less concerned with the journey. (Johan, you were right. I should have listened, but I thought I was immune.)

In the meantime, I'll be perfectly content building the deck at home, dropping another 5+ pounds, and ignoring my bikes like broccoli at dinner. It's been a very good year and I'm going to make it even better.

Suddenly Your Heart is Pounding, Wishing Secretly You Were a Star

The race went as planned. I was on my first peak of the year and I DNF'd. Excuse? I'm fighting an injury right now and while I hoped it wouldn't bother me in the race, it did. I made it through 1 1/4 laps of the race, but in the end I was fooling myself. Hated the idea of quitting, but everything happens for a reason.

I'm taking a break from the bike. Not because I'm discourage, upset, or changing my approach on my training. I'm going to spend a little more time with my family, get some things done around the house, do some work travel, and get my body recovered and healed up. Don't think I'm coming to terms with a defeatist mentality, here. Rather, I'm understanding where and how God is leading me to bring glory to Him. The bible verse on my bike held true this weekend. Psalm 7:1, "O Lord my God, in you I have taken refuge; Save me from all those who pursue me, and deliver me." God did save me and delivered me from all who pursue me. In the end of my race, no one was pursuing me and I was at peace with His will.

My teammates were a great group today. First of all, we met and traveled together in Todd's RV to the race. I can't tell you how enjoyable it was to ride together and have good fun and fellowship before and after the race. Everybody rode the race in a strong fashion and most importantly had fun doing it. They are an amazing group of men and I am humbled by their physical and spiritual gifts.

On a final note, the race was a great race. Very well organized and the route, while challenging, was a good route. I certainly think it has the potential to be one of the better races in the metro St. Louis area. Thanks to the good folks at Metro East Cycling for putting the race together and giving of their time.

The Stage is Set, The Band Starts Playing

Tomorrow is my second road race of the year, the inaugural O'Fallon Grand Prix. My first road race, Froze Toes back in February, will seem like a ride around the neighborhood compared to this race. The course involves a great deal of corners (18-20 or so), narrow backcountry roads, and a few short, but strategic climbs. The chatter on the local boards hasn't been too excessive, so I don't know if others don't know what to expect, they don't care (just show up and race), or they're skipping the race altogether.

As prep, I put in a few hours this week of spinning to open up the legs. A few hard sprints and hill attacks here and there, but nothing too sustained. This morning was an hour on a small loop down Clayton road to Spoede and back along Conway to Mason. Nothing major but enough to get a little oxygen into the lungs and some tightness out of the legs. Saw several riders out this morning including local mtb star, Drew Black, replete in his Mesa digs. Drew's off to a great season on the mtb and as soon as he's wrapped up the Sport series title, will be thrashing riders in the Expert class.

Our team seems to be ready and I look forward to riding with them tomorrow. We've got a great group of racers and I'm honored to get to put a wheel on the line with them. Tomorrow's bible verse to be placed on the bike will be from Psalm 7:1, "O Lord my God, in you I have taken refuge; Save me from all those who pursue me, and deliver me." Let's have a great race!

Wiffle Ball

Tonight, I got home and was greeted by my son and his friend. They were looking to install a video baseball game on the computer and were asking for my permission. My response, "No. By the way, go outside and play catch or something." Amidst the grumbles and huffs, I decided it was time to teach the boys a new game. Wiffle ball. Yeah, they've messed around with it, but they've never played with the lawnchair, 1 pitcher, and 1 fielder.

I changed clothes, asked my wife to hold dinner for a while, and proceeded to explain the rules of the game. Within a matter of minutes they were hooked by the game and the physics of the pitches. While I'm no pitching ace with the ball, I can make it move around with enough movement to buckle your knees or fool you into thinking this pitch has no chance of making the strike zone. After 1 hour of playing, we had a brief intermission for dinner and resumed the game. The boys love it now. Hopefully, they'll play during the day, but I think the video games may lure them back. I recall my father and his best friend taking me, my brother, and the best friend's son on in a game of wiffle. They beat us like rented mules. They could hit and throw mesmerizing pitches. After that, we played for hours on end trying to get good enough to beat them. It never happened.

In an attempt to learn even more pitches, I stumbled across this dude's video which shows how to really throw a wiffle ball. Amazing stuff. Perhaps with a little practice, I'll be in his league. More likely, the boys will learn how to throw it like this and start schooling me.

A 'Perfect' TT

Yesterday was Ghisallo's Velo in the Valley Time Trial. Over 130 racers lined up to test their meddle against the clock for a 12 mile race of truth. Originally, the TT was to be on Saturday and a criterium was to be held on Sunday. Unfortunately, after a great deal of work the plans with Chesterfield just wouldn't come together and the crit had to be scrapped. Let me say the good folks from Ghisallo made up for the cancelation of the crit by putting together a fantastic TT for racers. Kudos all around.

I was 9th man (or racer to be politically and technically correct) off the line. I did my warm-up, settled into the line-up and soon enough was off. My goal this race was to get to my target heart rate as quickly as possible and stay there for the entire race. For me, that's a HR of 165 beats a minute. I averaged 166 beats a minute for the race. My other goal was to finish in 28 minutes. I finished in 28:32. That's close enough for me. Albeit in the world of TT, 32 seconds can be the difference between 1st and 20th. Although in this race, the difference between 1st and my 5th place finish was 74 seconds. During the race, I used two gears. I would shift up to keep my cadence over the rollers while attempting to keep the lactic acid buildup in my legs down. Cresting the rollers, I would downshift and use the incline to pick my pace back up. Talking to several racers afterwards, they did the same.

This was also my first TT with my new rear wheel. Mark at Ballwin Cycles provided me with a sweet team deal on a Mavic Comete for my TT bike. The wheel was definitely a plus during the ride and I'm thankful to Mark for the help. My good buddy, Mark Ewers, took advantage of his recent upgrade to the Cat 4's to put his foot down and acknowledge his presence as a super solid contender for today, and future TT's, with an impressive 2nd place and a time of 27:25. Also, it was good to see a couple of my teammates, Theo Vander Velde and Rob Oellermann racing in the Cat 3's. Theo finished in the money with a 4th place and Rob got himself a top 10 place. Well done gentlemen!!

Looking back on my race I really couldn't have changed much. Technically, I messed up one of the only 90 degree corners on the course, but that was with the help of a non-racing rider on the course. He cut across the apex of the corner on my line and I had to seriously come out of the pace. Didn't cost me any finishing spots, but certainly took me out of my rhythm. I'll just say it was a good thing I have been racing crits because I ended up taking a very aggressive line on a bike ill-suited for such cornering.

Finally, I must mention the bible verse I put on my bike. 2 Samuel 22:33 "It is God who arms me with strength and makes my way perfect." While I didn't win my race, God certainly was with me and made my way perfect.

Gone Fishin'

Today is going to be a beautiful day. I'm skipping work and going fishing with my son. How nice, eh? What a dad, you say? Keep this in mind. Joining us will be the remainder of my son's 4th grade class. All 61 of them! Yep, I'm one of the parent sponsors for the field trip and my job...baiting hooks and removing any fish which may be caught.

Joking aside, my wife is joining me and I'm actually looking forward to spending the day with her, my son, and the kids. Fishing is a great way to pass the time and relax the body. If you're a parent and you've never taken you child(ren) fishing, you're missing a good opportunity to connect with them in God's nature. The goal is never to catch a lot of fish or even your next meal, just relax and have fun. And that is exactly what I intend on doing today.

Chasing a Dream

Yesterday I decided to get in one of the Monday night rides. This ride is fast group ride and it usually draws a large group of diverse cyclists. Generally, all of the hammering starts out early and the pack dwindles as riders are spit out the back the further the ride continues. Last night was a particularly fast ride and early on, Shawn O'Neal decided the pace was going to be kept high. Immediately, we rolled out stringing the group down the road. I was joined by Kent Jones from my team and we took up spots near the front of the pack. As we rolled out of the first turn, we decided to slide back to recover.

As we rolled along, the traffic was a little heavy and the front of the group used that to their advantage by blocking off the back half of the group. They immediately sensed blood and surged the pace. Gapped, we fought to get back into the crowd. Kent and I found ourselves with 11 other riders in a chase group. The lead group kept the pace high and with the headwinds, we organized into a good rotating paceline to keep our own pace high. We seemed to be gaining some ground, but never enough to close the deal. Our group eliminated 1-2 rider and then it was 9. One two occasions, I decided to ride off the front of the group. While I wasn't expecting to bridge up, I was effectively working on the effort it would take to do so under race conditions. Suffice it to say I need more work in this area. I'm not sure it was the wind or the unrelenting gears we were pushing but my back was really starting to ache.

With 5 or 6 miles to go, I again decided to ride off the front to see if we could get our group's pace up and reel in the lead pack. While I did get off the front for a while, I basically burned my self up in the process and was done for the night. With 4 miles to go, I was fighting to stay in the chase group and once that feeling hit me, I shut it down and cruised solo at 23mph in no man's land finishing 45 seconds behind the chase group.

After I finished I cooled down with Kent and listened to his advice. Don't pull too hard into the headwind and don't do more work than you need to. I've got a lot to learn in this sport. I'm thankful men like Kent are there to help point out my faults and keep me coming back. In the end, it was one of the fastest rides I've done this year and that includes all the races I've done. I'm shutting it down for the rest of the week and only doing recovery spins until the TT on Saturday. And then, I'll chase down that elusive dream. A dream of speed.

Castlewood 2, Boz 0

Sunday marked my return to the 'wood for a few hard race laps and a strong desire to even the score. As you recall, Grotpeter knocked me out 2/3rd's of the way through last weekends race. I needed to put in 2 hours of hard hill efforts and after a 30 minute warm-up, that's exactly what I intended to do. Unfortunately, the 'wood had other plans for me.

The river trails are worthless right now. I didn't know that and cluelessly headed down to find repeated sections of either mud, water, or large sections of fallen treelimbs and many cases large fallen trees. After hiking the bike in several sections, I made a beeline back to the front of the park and some race loop laps. However, by this time my bike was considerably caked with mud. (Sorry GORC-sters, but trust me on this you have fewer issues to deal with than my muddy groves in already decimated trails.)

I began the loops on the painful Lone Wolf climb, my Garmin was registering 22% gradient on that beast, but I wasn't buying into the pain. I kept the cadence strong and the power on until the chainsuck started. At all of the right places, I would have to come out of the gas, backpedal, and restart the spinning. Happened 4-5 times until just before reaching the castle and bang, the chain breaks. Luckily, it was the Connex quick link which separated and after working with it for what seemed like 10-15 minutes, I got it to re-connect and I rolled down towards the parking lot. Being slightly angry, I was hammering the downhill and entering the small hairpin ditch crossing (the one armored with rocks that you cross when coming off the downhill of LW) I pressed a bad line and paid dearly. The result was an ejection seat like dismount over the handlebars. The kind where you get propelled over the bars but have enough time to attempt to jump from the bike as a rodeo cowboy leaves a buckin' bronco. The damage? A rather large bruise on the front of my right shin.

Mumbling under my breath, I rolled back to the truck to cleaned the chain as best I could and apply some White Lightning lube to help coax the chain into another hour or so of riding. The chain seemed fine as I rolled up Love trail passing several riders moseying along. The park was packed with picnics, hikers, and bikers. As I passed several riders of all levels at what seemed like a breakneck speed, I wondered if this is how the race felt for Matt Keevan last weekend? The upper trails were in remarkably fast shape and I was hammering along grinning like Dwayne G. Dropping out of the upper waterbars I muttered a few words that had something to do with renovation plans for said area that included a pickaxe and shovel. (See prior post for reason why.)

On the second lap, more of the same. However, this time just as I reached the connector turn-off to head to roller coaster I heard the screech of car tires, a very loud boom, and then a car horn blaring non-stop. Immediately sensing this was a car wreck I turn and start pedaling for Ries road to see if I could help. As I pedal I'm thinking I'm not a doctor, I don't have any medical experience, and I nearly faint at the sight of someone getting a shot. Yeah, I'll be helpful.

I pop out onto the road and sure enough it's a head-on collision. The occupants are standing outside of their cars, airbags are all out, and one driver has bloody hands. As I ask if everyone is okay, they all respond 'yes'(thank God.) As I continue to ask them if they are okay they keep saying something about the other driver. I look back at the cars and don't see another person in or near the cars. Then they say the other driver took off running. Now I'm trying to decide if I need to ride after the runaway driver. After confirming they were okay (they were talking with family and friends on their cell phones) I decide to go get the park ranger. About this time the other driver (shirtless and looking rather angry) comes walking back up the hill. I turn around and see the park ranger coming and ride up to point out the runaway driver to him and explain what the people told me. He shifts into serious mode, cuffs the driver, and proceeds to get the situation under control.

I get back to my riding, say a prayer for the people involved in the crash, and attack roller coaster one last time. I pour out everything I have into the trail and scoot on down to the truck. I'm thankful for the day, but feel the 'wood took another bite out of me. I'm keeping score and I'll be back. The ride wasn't a complete waste of time and I got in some hard efforts. My legs are feeling great and my mind is getting stronger. That's the plan and the plan is coming together.

Just Ride

This week is filled with a lot of recovery rides. Totally cool. Seems like a gift in a way. Riding a bike with the sole purpose of doing nothing. Recovery rides call for keeping my heart rate under zone 2, which for me is under 142 beats per minute. In the flats to rollers, that means I can still get up to a little over 20mph without moving the needle on the HRM above the governor limited 'redline.'

Tomorrow, I hope to 'just ride' a few miles with my good friend Scott Thompson as he begins his 400km brevet ride. Nope, I wrote 400km. Yep, that's 248 miles in one day. Scott's done several of these before, too. Why do you think his blog is called Ultra Scott? Last year, Ultra Scott completed the 248 miles in just under 20 hours. While I know Scott isn't usually focused on the speed of a ride, I'm sure he's looking to improve his time overall. Based on the weather forecast for the weekend, looks like he'll have favorable conditions for his effort.

If things go well, I'll roll out with him for the first hour and a half and then bid him well. I'd ride longer with him, but my son has a full slate of baseball and soccer tomorrow. Besides, I just need to ride a little, not a lot. I'm not going to deviate from my training, either. I can really feel my legs coming on now and I'm optimistic for some upcoming races. While I've been just riding this week, I have never felt stronger on the bike and I'm sure the best is yet to come. The good news is that the fun factor of being on the bike has never been higher.

Castlewood 1, Boz 0

Saturday was the do or die day. Depending on my results in the race, I was either sticking to the roads for the rest of the season or continuing my plans to race both mountain and road for the remainder of the year. Specifically what sort of result was I looking for? Depended on the field. As it turns out, we had 40 racers in the Sport class field. Nope, that's not a misprint, 40 racers. It was an awesome sight for sure. Actually looked like the start of a crit race. The only sight that surpassed that was the sight of 7 of my ICCC brothers lined up to represent.

I felt good coming into the race. I had two weeks of good training coming into the race and took a few days off before the race. I lined up near the front, but I wasn't overly worried about staying in front leaving the field. I knew there would be plenty of legs and lungs exploding on the Lone Wolf climb. My plan was to start hitting the gas near the top waterbar and begin picking off riders. I was fairly successful, but watched the top 5-6 guys immediately open a gap as we neared the castle. About that time, Superman Matt Keevan was killing the pace on his singlespeed (his race started 1 minute behind ours) as he began picking his way through our field. I rode behind him until the first bridge on Love and then he was gone like a rocket.

The first lap was a train of riders heading through Love and Rollercoaster. Good clean racing all around. As we neared the lower Grotpeter fireroad descent, I grabbed a little gel and drank three big swigs of Heed and settled in for the second climb of Lone Wolf. As we climbed Lone Wolf, our pack of riders splintered a little but regrouped closer to the Ranger Station. The pace was not overly fast, but it was strong as we rolled towards the top of Love. As we started to dump onto the connector I missed two upshift attempts and that brought the group right on me. Having snapped out of my rhythm, I also fought hard to get back into the flow of the trail and that brought everyone onto my tail.

I was second in the train of 5 riders all within seconds of each other and I knew I needed to keep it moving. About that time, John Peiffer made a totally legit, albeit stealthy pass on me. Surprising, with plenty of trail for all, and as quietly as a tiger. Within the blink of an eye, he was riding second in the train and putting pressure on our leader. At the next possible chance he took over on the front of the pack and was immediately gapping us by busting down Grotpeter. I didn't want to get gapped badly and was beginning to get anxious to get around my rider. As we neared the upper waterbars, I decided to back off a little, recover, and then hit the gas hard coming out of the tree root hairpin. As we flew down the last waterbar, I aggressively grabbed a little too much air and landed hard on a rock immediately blowing my front tire off the rim. The tire exploded with a large crack similar to the sound of a rifle. The rider ahead of me yelled out, "What was that!" while I rode the rim down the rocks and narrowly avoided a massive crash.

As I assessed the situation, I realized I had rocks in my rim and tire and not much Stan's left. Within seconds, I removed the valve core and put in a tube. As I wiped the Stan's and rocks from my tire and got it all put together. As soon as I hit the valve with the CO2, the side of the tire blew out and the tube swelled to the size of a football. Disgusted, I threw everything down and knew it was a DNF. A good friend, Greg Suter, caught it all on video tape and as soon as I've got it loaded up, I'll have the whole thing on the blog for your viewing pleasure. (Inspecting the rim after getting back to the car revealed several chunks of the rim have been burred or ground down. Good thing I purchased the Mavic MP3 protection plan.)

Walking down the trail, I knew a top 10 was thrown out the window. I had the legs, the lungs, and the positioning. I discovered our group had almost 2 minutes on the rest of the field and while we weren't going to catch the top guys in the race, the field wasn't likely to catch us either. In the grand scheme of things, it was just one race and I didn't get hurt. That's cool. God has plans for all of us and this was his plan for me in this race. While I had a hard time dealing with the DNF, once I got my head around the bigger picture, I was okay with it.

It was so awesome seeing out ICCC'ers out there in full force. Congratulations to all of them!

3rd Zak Hafner
13th Bert Carlen
16th William Cahill
19th Rich Pierce
26th Todd Harris
30th Rob Oellermann
DNF Eric Lewis
DNF Scot Wallace

Thanks to Jim Moore, Kent Jones, and Scott & Babette Melies for cheering us on and giving us race support, too.

I'm definitely going to be mountain biking the rest of the season, along with the road events. I knew the sport would keep me tied in and I'm glad to see I'm ready to compete. Thanks to Bob Arnold and the DRJ crew, for putting together such a great race and Bill Howard for his officiating duties. It was a great day all around. I'll be back.

Izzy Isn't

After blowing your 5th save of the year and the second Friday night in a row, perhaps he doesn't have the arm anymore. Who knows? Frustrating. Sad. I hope he figures out his funk. At this point, it's gut wrenching for everyone.

Losing Time and Tubes

It's been another crazy week of work. I finally get a recovery week from the bike and work goes crazy. Nothing bad, mind you, just busy with an assortment of things coming to a boil at the same time. Today was the peak of the week's activity and in anticipation of it I slept like crap last night. (My sleep has been hit or miss at best. I finally broke down and went to the doctor seeking help and he recommended I start taking Melatonin, which works for approximately 5-6 hours before I wake up for good. That's an entirely different story, however.)

Today, I was scheduled to be in two places (30 miles apart from each other) at the same time, but I worked out an arrangement to be at one meeting until noon and then get to the other meeting by 1pm. To make matters worse, I was told I'd have a lunch waiting for me when I got to the second meeting only to find out that was bungled up. (No big deal really, I'll just use some of the glycogen I'm trying to store up for this weekend's race.) I covered both meetings and felt the day was positive, but mentally exhausting.

Driving home I was thinking I'd still give tonight's TT a try when I discovered my kids needed some help around the house and it was more than I needed to ask my wife to cover. I hate to skip a day of training, but my family is more important and after the day I had, it was really what I needed most.

On another front, I've finally gone tubeless for the mtb. I removed the tubes from the Schwalbe Little Alberts, added some Stan's, and converted the valve cores on the Mavic Crossmax 29er wheels for the no-tube experience. So far, the conversion seems to be holding. It was far easier than I thought to make the switch. The tires mounted without problem and have held air for a day now. Hopefully, they hold up well for the race. My greatest concern is the fact that I saw Pfoodman's Little Alberts at the shop and they look like he ran through razor wire with them. I know he hammers the terrain, but the knobs on the tires were ripped off in several places. Ain't enough Stan's in the world to hold a tire together if it does that. We'll see where it goes from here. Hopefully no more pinch flats and greater traction. All you guys who busted my chops for the past year, look out.

Chicago Cubs

In St. Louis it's always been popular to 'hate' the Cubbies. I guess being a fan of baseball, I love all teams who've pulled for their the fans in regardless of their post-season prowess. Besides, the Cards and Cubs rivalry is one of the oldest in baseball and it's as good today as it's ever been. Having said that, you just have to chuckle at some of the Cubbie jokes that have circulated for years. Here a sample of a few:


How do you stop a red hot Cubs team???
Wait until the end of June.

**************

What does a bear on the pill and the World Series have in common?
No Cubs.

**************

A man was at Wrigley Field watching a Cubs game, when he called a security officer over and said, 'Those people are bothering me.' The security officer looked around him at all the well-behaved spectators and said 'Who, sir?' Wearily, the man pointed out to the Cubs players on the field and said 'Them'.

**************

What's the difference between the Cubs and tissue paper?
The Cubs fold easier.

**************

A little boy is walking down the street one day and finds a genie jar. He opens it and out comes a genie.

Genie: I'll give you three wishes.

Boy: I wish for an XBOX 360, and a PSP and....peace in the middle east.

Genie: Where is the middle east little boy?

The boy pull out a map and shows him where the middle east is.

Genie: Uhm, I dont think I can do that little boy. Do you have another wish?

Boy: Well, could you make the Cubs win the World Series?

The genie pauses and then says:

Genie: Lemme see that map of the middle east again.

Training and Training...for what?

I'm on the tail end of a stretch of 13 day stretch of training and racing. The legs are starting to respond less and less and I'm certainly feeling it throughout the rest of my body. Over the next two days, I'm going to get another 5 hours of effort in and then begin a little recovery week in preparation for the Castlewood mtb race on 5/10. The race will be the first time I've been back on a mountain bike (for any reason) since the St. Joe's race back on March 2nd.

I'm enjoying the road bike quite a bit right now and based on how I do at the 'Wood will determine whether or not I commit to the rest of the mtb season or shift my focus over to the roads. I really enjoyed the TT and I'm enjoying the crits, as well. The weird issue on the crits is that there is such a steep learning curve for me. The races aren't necessarily about who's the fastest. They are much more about strategy and positioning than I ever realized. That appeals to my problem solving mentality so much more than the mtb races ever did. Yes, they may be easier than a mtb race (based on duration and effort) but I'm amazed at how the races unfold and how experience will trump power almost every time.

The biggest problem will be this. Bob Arnold and the DRJ-ers are hosting the C'Wood race again and I know I'll have a blast. After the race, I'm sure I'll rekindle the love I have for the mountain bike and make the decision that much more difficult. That is, if there is a decision to be made. Stay tuned. Perhaps I'll know. Bugman raced a mountain bike last year and I made a commitment to try road racing in return. What did he know when he offered the challenge???

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.