Boulder UCI

Here are the leaders.

Photo from Sunday

Naomi making it look easy as she begans the painful running section of Boulder Cx race.

Found this picture here which only has picture of the really fast people.

Photos from Saturday

I forgot my camera both days and forget my new phone takes pictures so here are a few I found at a THF site. No pictues of Paddy.

Naomi running the sand pit.

I am slogging through the mud!

'Cross weekend update

Arapahoe Ridge Cross Results
Me - Poor start put me in the middle of the field of 35+, Cat4s. Churned mud for 45 mins finishing in 18th out of 33.
Paddy - 9th in the Cat3s but officially DNF'd by the Officials due to some screw up.
Naomi - Rocked the house with a 3rd place finish in the Open Womens division.

Boulder Cross #2 Results
Me - Another poor start put me in a position to chase down riders in the 35+, Cat 4s, finished 28th out of 57 riders. Doubled up and raced the Single Speeds where I finished 7th out of 9.
Paddy - No dnfs, but instead had him finishing 3rd.
Naomi - The official results have her coming in 15th out of 24 in the Open Womens division.
Noonan - Showed up and finished 13th racing in the Mens Open race.

A great weekend! Raced bikes, drank beer, cleaned bikes, drank beer, and did over all over again.

No racing until Sunday, so a day of rest and then back to work on those starts!

First Snow

The snow came yesterday, so I headed the gym for a quick workout on the stationary bikes. I rode to a video from Boulder that starts at the Res, climbs up Lee Hill Rd, and loops back to the Res via Nelson Rd. A decent dvd for mindless indoor workouts. The roads were ridable after my indoor session, maybe a quick spin this evening.

The 411 on the weekend of 'cross.
Sat: Arapahoe Ridge Cross
Sun: Boulder Racing

B/F Cross

Brecktober Cross - I felt good during warmup and the course seem pretty fast so I was hoping for a good finish. Had a great start and was going well untill the first runup where I t-boned some guy who decided to dismount sideways across my bow. Went from 5th to 15th in a matter of seconds. Ended up 20th after a futile chase back to the front. A friend Kevin ended up with the W. Cooled down a bit and went back watch the races with beer in the backpack. Drizzle and snow rounded out the rest of day. The family joined me in time for a dinner of mexican in downtown Breck.

Frisco Cross - There was snow on the ground in Breck and I was preparing for a sloppy day of 'cross, but by the time I made it to Frisco the ground was dry. The course was a great one with a lot of variation - a road climb, sandy run-up, and speedy descent. With a short warm-up I picked a second row starting position. Good start up the paved hill and hit the dirt in around 6th place, lost a little ground as I struggled up the first of many run-ups. I found my groove and raced into 7th place.

Snow is in the forcast for the next few days which is ok as I have domestic chores to catch up on.

Two days of racing in Boulder this coming weekend. Looks like Paddy and Naomi are cruising through Boulder on Sunday. I will be bringing the Hoegaarden!

Off to the mountains!

A weekend in the thin air racing 'cross.

Its a plum theme?

Will continue to tweak the colors...

Who Gar Den

The Belgiums make a fine wheat bier, since 'cross season is in full swing this has become a staple to my training table (or back deck). The weather took a turn to full on fall earlier in the week. I had to deal with some issues regarding running, spin class, or riding in the cold. As always, riding in the cold damp weather is better than sitting in a small dank room with sweaty bodies on a bike going nowhere. I headed out yesterday morning with the temp hovering around 35 degrees and a fog hanging over Rooney Valley. Took the Waltworks out dressed in wool and enjoyed the stillness of the early morn. Something about riding with lights by yourself listening to only your breath that makes getting up at 5 am somewhat bearable. A shot of espresso doesn't hurt either.

Heading to Breck for a weekend of 'cross. The course is back to the Nordic center for a big loop of pain. I was hoping for a little snow or at least some bad weather up there but I think it should be a glorious weekend. If I can stay sober Sat eve, then I will head to Frisco to finish off the double. I am going to play hooky on the kids last soccer games.

Running Related

No 'cross racing for me this weekend as I get kid duty while Rene is off to run the Danielesque Marathon. The race is two loops at White Ranch, which turns out to be 27.6 miles of up and down.

I will be missing the races in Gunnison again this year, I think it is 3 years running that I have had a conflict. This means some training and catching up on house projects.

Good news for the Derailer Bicycle Collective as they have found a new space.

Some Randomness...

Spirits are lifting and things are back to normal. No plans for riding today as I feel whooped but will manage to get some bike work done with the help of my ever present assistant Keagan.

The winner of the Large Brewery Company competition at this years Great American Beer Festival was none other than the Pabst Brewing Company. Go figure, but with their line of beers you can't go wrong. I personally have been drinking Belgium whites in order to become one with my 'cross persona.

Since Austin, we have routed a computer feed to the hi-fi for the sole purpose of listening to KEXP and Virgin radio. Also, found sound bluegrass sites and plugged into the Dead for a day.

I am going to try and revamp the site soon, as I am growing weary of it.

Looks like 700see is available, I plan on getting a copy.

Weekend to forget

On the racing front, a definate weekend to forget! After a week home with sick kids and probably catching some strain of sickness, I shouldn't have raced. But, excercising poor judgement without the aid of alcohol is a downfall on mine. Race one, after a small mental battle with a fuzzy head, I line up in the second row. The start went great as I was in the top ten right behind friend and the winner of the race. Decent first lap, then the energy was suck from my body and I fought hard just to stay in the race. Finished a disappointing 26th!! On a brighter note, a BKB clad team mate was cheering me on! Happens to be this guy's brother. Race two, single speeded myself into utter pain and dehydration. Skipped racing Sunday because the head was fuzzier than ever, also Fallon was still sick and the stress of her slipping back into another bout of ADEM was more than I could cope with. She is back at school and seems to be recovering okay.

Some random sites to check out:
We all need to ride this way!
BBR not PBR

A couple of weeks of training before the next race, hopefully the kids will remain healthy and I can remain focused.

Bitter

I have been following the recent string of comments on 'cross racing in CO. It makes me a little perplexed that so many racers are complaining about the way the courses are set up. We all race for different reasons, I race to be challenged and every course should provide an adequate degree of difficulty. That may mean some tight sections with twisiting corners, sand/gravel pits or long road sections. If I knew every course was going to be laid out exactly the same, I would opt not to race every weekend. That said, when living in Austin there was one 'cross race for the season and we were just happy racing our bikes. I become tired of the cycling community in CO some times because they feel that the promoters should make each race perfect for them, I have news the world is not a perfect place. Enough.

One kid is still sick and the lack of bike time has made me edgy!

'Cross pictures and impending doom

Found some pictures of me racing down in Colorado Springs here, here, and here. Professional pictures are on this site. Found this cool 'Cross site from a guy in Boulder.

Part of my job is to take care of small childern when they are unable to attend school due to illness, so today instead for riding I am home tending to Fallon who caught her brother intestinal virus. Lots of vitamins, water, EmergenC, and coffee to help me stave off this weight loss opportunity.

If I don't get sick, it looks like a double dose of 'Cross - Boulder on Saturday and Littleton on Sunday.

Season Opener

The 'Cross season started!
Drove to the Springs yesterday to partake in the first race of the season, it was well worth the drive down. The morning start brisk with the course still a tad muddy from the previous nights rain. Pre-rode the course to determine which bike, IRD or Waltworks, would be called up for the first race. Ran the IRD for the first race because it has gears and I knew I could ride the muddy section on it. Race one started great as I was with the lead group to the first set of barriers, then completely lost contact as the body went into shut down mode. Recovered and found myself painfully chasing down riders. Ended up with a 12th place finish not that far off the lead. I was hoping to capture a top ten finish but overall happy. Race two, the Waltworks got the call! I geared it with a 32x15, which was the perfect all around gear. I suffered like a dog and ended up finishing 17th. It is great to be back in race mode!

No race today as Rene is running the Backroads Marathon. I plan on taking the kids to the race in Morrison.

I am sorry to hear that the EnduroSnob Epic has been cancelled, it looks like the focus will be changed to hard efforts in order to finally get my lazy butt moved up a class in 'cross.

Beer, bikes, and bands!

So, I have just posted some quote and pictures since returning from what I still consider home. Time for a short recap of the madness. We tried to deal with the experience from the saddle of a bike as much as possible. The fest was great but a crush of people tended to overwhelm and in my opinion take away from the music. My favorite bands were Nickel Creek and The Greencards, both bluegrass bands. Missed the South Austin Jug Band! All in all a fun was had at ACL Fest.

Austin is one of those cities that I come away from inspired. I am not sure if it is the vibe or maybe just the people I hang with. The King of Brykerwood has been waging a war on McMansions that have been ruining the charm of central Austin. With a new ordinance, it looks that his efforts paid off. He says his political ambitions end there, even though Brykerwoods has been the springboard for mayor.

Also, caught up with the folks from Orrmanor. I am so happy after all these years to have had someone like him as a mentor when I started racing on the road. We were able to grad a few pints at the Bark&Quack, a few Mexican Martinis at Trudy's, and finished of slamming a beer at Barflys. I did get turned around on the way home riding aimless for 30 mins until finally passing the old house on Salado. The bike almost took control and rolled me to the gate, if it wasn't for the monolith in the backyard I would have done it. Rene was able to run the next am with D's wife as he tended to the kids (I left his house around 3am and the kids woke at 5:40am).

Summary of places I visited: Homeslice, Deep Eddy Cabaret, Mangias, Toy Joy, Wheatsville, Texadelphia, Trudys, Bark & Quack, Amys, Kerby Lane, Central Market, Barflys, plus many more!

Hope to visit again when the humidity is low and I have time to take some long bike rides to places like Elroy (not really)!

Cross season starts on Saturday. Let the pain begin......

ACL Fest

Some bicycle related photos from the madness Austin calls Austin City Limits Fest!

"Ginger Rogers did everything that Fred Astaire did. She just did it backwards and in high heels."
Ann Richards

The leaves are changing

It seems the more free time I have the less time I spend on the computer. The weather has been great for the past few weeks, which means heading out and enjoying it.
Some pictures from the route I took on Labor day, a nice easy 11 mile grind up to Boreas Pass. The leaves were changing with absolutely clear blue skies. My wife actually took the pictures on her run up this road the day before I rode it. It was my job to see how many miles she ran ~ 22 miles!

Making a quick trip to Austin for ACL fest (has nothing to do with an orthopedic convention). Plan on meeting up with the old gang and visiting some drinking holes (Bark&Quack, Deep Eddy, Crown&Spanker, and Trudy's). Might try to hook up with the folks at OrrManor for a ride/run. It will be a nice break before 'cross season kicks in.

Frozen Fixed Fete coming the weekend after cross!

A quick ramble

I have been logging some weekday miles but nothing of note. Just enjoying the time to ride my bike. The tandem has been getting a bit of work this week with only two trips to school by car (weather & flats were to blame). I have hauled recycling down a couple of times and flipped the trailer for the first time, good thing it was only loaded with papers.

Cross season is only three weeks away! The folks at Mob replaced the bottom bracket in the IRD and we are ready to roll. Before I can think about cross, I have to start training for a trip south to ACL. We will be visiting the King of Brykerwood for the weekend, which means lots of beer and coffee with a visit from Don Julio. More details later.

Received an article from the Chicago paper stating that it is against the law to ride a bike without brakes. That means all those fixed gear riders cruising the streets are breaking the law. Does this mean that the folks riding at the Northbrook Velodrome are also breaking the law?

I haven't been following the Vuelta, but I have been watching the Tour of Britain. Kristian House, ex-Violet Crown Junior, is riding in the top twenty.

All for now, heading to the high country for the long weekend.
Peace!

School started

This is how we commute and ride.

Yesterday was my first taste of the good life.
I rode multiple times that included 3 trips to shool to drop-off/pick-up small children. First ride include a fast ride to school with two children with a solo ride home. Then headed out for my first solo ride during the day. Maybe I should have spent the time being productive but I have been waiting for this moment ever since I began my slacker lifestyle. Was able to ride for two hours over some hilly terrain. Got home and rushed back out the door to pick pick the little one up from school. So, soloed down and hauled one child home. Relaxed for a few hours before heading back down to school with the little one to pick up my stoker. Rode home and called it a day. I get to do this twice weekly until the end of school.

Official end of Summer

Lost my stoker to school today!

Last week of summer

It has been a long week and a half. My mother was in town for the Denver Grand Prix which she was working the Formula BMW races. It was interesting hanging out at the track watching motor racing for three days. She was able to extend her stay for the week which meant logging of many early morning miles on the bike with a little wine in the evenings.
Headed out of town for a weekend of camping at Steamboat Lake (just north of Steamboat Springs). A great way to end the summer!

Its been a long time

A first in about six years happened. My wife and I went out for a glass of wine paired with some chocolate and atmosphere. Then this morning we rode our bikes together. Just a easy jaunt before Rene headed off to work. Life is still great!

More training

Life is too short not to have big beers! Here I am enjoying some quality family time with the kids having pizza at Proto's in downtown D. Training has been modified to include more beer and less miles as 'cross season is approaching.

Training?

A week of training by using the age old method of drinking beer instead of water to improve tolerance to dehydration. Tuesday, SC and Notorious met at mi casa for a ride to the watch some baseball. Rolled through the burbs of D and diced it up with some downtown urban riding. Watched the game, more beer, then sprinted to Mead St for a meal in a glass. Rode home and fell asleep on the couch. Great night!
So, Thursday rolled around, I did some more. Drove to D, parked the car, rode to Stranahans for the tour and a sample. Cellarrat was celebrating a bday. Meandered down to Swankys for PBRs and talk of cycling. Meet some folks from Flying Dog and Salvagetti. Then off to Pints Pub for a pint. Left Cellarrat to consume more as I headed home. On the ride back to the Westy, I saw large heads being projected on to the side of a building - freaked me out a bit.
I accomplished the goal, as today I am dehydrated!

Done

I having been feeling a tad sorry for myself as the events over the past few months have affected many things. Most of all for me, my racing calendar. Riding has been kept at the forefront as a way for me to deal with stuff and work out those day-to-day issues. Now I realize that life is full of great things and that the health of my family is more important than some silly race marked on my calendar. That said, time to ride my bike and get back in the swing of this blogging thing.

Peace,
Mike

41

Minimal free time

Have been busy with my domestique lifestyle and of course watching the Tour, so my posting/surfing has been limited. Well, no CB100 this year. I hated to take it off the calendar but that is the way is has to be. The rest of the calendar for the summer is under scrutinty also. Looks like mainly local rides and races with a serious ramp up for cross season.

Besides missing the CB100 this weekend, I am also missing one of my most favorite Texas rides. The ride from Austin to Luchenbach was always a must do when I resided in Austin. The rides starts from Freewheeling and meanders out to Luchenbach via the RealAle brewery. Check out the details.

The Wednesday night ride with the Denver Cruisers looks more appealing than the suffering of the Denver West ride.

Firecracker on the 4th

A great cycling weekend was had this past weekend as we celebrated the 4th of July. In honor of the 4th, I tried to get in 4 rides.

Loaded up the family on Saturday and heading off to the little mining village of Leadville. We rode the Mineral Belt trail that encircles the town. In the summer, the cyclists rule the trail whilst in the winter it is a cross country skiers paradise. It is only roughly 11 miles, with it split at half climbing and the other half descending. Then we poked around town, ate lunch, and shopped.

Sunday brought some clear skies in the morning so I headed out to climb Vail pass. It is a 10 mile descent from Breck to Frisco and 12 mile climb through Copper Mtn to Vail pass. I left early as to avoid the throngs of people. This is an easy climb compared to riding to the pass from Vail or any of the other area climbs, but it is still always enjoyable.

Monday was for doing a little pre-riding the FC50 course. Met up with SC and headed out for what turned out to be a bad idea. Made it up to the first section of single track off Boreas Pass road and the skies started to spit. By the time we made it to the first mine, it was sleeting. We trudged onward until we intersected the road to the Iowa Mine. There we made a downhill line to town. We quickly descended out of the rain/sleet and hit the road for an almost 40 mph cruise to town. The chill set in quickly but made it home in one piece. Missed the BlunDurd Hundurd up north (Happy Bday to Paddy!).

Sunday was a time for 50 miles of suffering. Actually, not much suffering just a long day in the saddle. I had a plan and I tried to stick to it, but the legs said something else. I started out at a moderate pace wanting to go easy on the first lap and then pick it up a little on the second. The legs felt good after the first lap which I completed in about 2hr 45 min. The second lap started well as I cruised the road section passing many of the guys/gals that blasted me on the previous downhill. Made it to the first real up and the legs couldn't turn the gear I had. It was faster to walk than try and pedal. I was pushing a 32x18 on a 29er which was the biggest gear of those I polled. I am sure the guy that won the thing was pushing a bigger gear than I. I made it to the finish feeling pretty damn good. I lost over 30 minutes compared to the first lap and ended up completing the 50 miles in just under 6 hours. Drank a beer at the finish and ate some veggie chile before the short ride home. More beer, a shower, more food, hot tubing with the kids, and topped off with fireworks. SC did a great job on his ride! The SS winner rocked the course in 4hrs 9 mins.

A great way to spend the long weekend.

Western States Recap

Two runners and a pacer the day before the start.

The start was a blur as the runners took off at what appeated to be a brisk walk. They only had a few miles of climbing before they reached the first aid station.





Nikki rocked the course again, winning her second WS in the past three years. I got the opportunity to chat with her after her first win and she really is down to earth.








My brother after 30 miles and one hot canyon. His feet were soaked from the snow fields and his shirt soaked with sweat. The crew packed him in snow and filled him full of fluid before sending him out.









Rene was disappointed to here my brother drop from the race at mile 50 after the second brutely hot canyon. Only 56 % of the runners made it all the way to Auburn. Rene was able to pace a friend of my brothers. They headed out at 10 pm in a moonless sky.











Only 9 miles left from the Hwy 49 aid station. The heat was already building. Just a note: hot chocolate and instant coffee makes a concoction that taste much like battery acid (but did manage to wake me up a bit).











Rene finishing her pacing duties and crossing the line in Auburn, CA. 38 miles in a little over 12 hours with major one river crossing (by raft). Rene's runner finished in just over 29 hours. The times for this years race seemed to be slower than the past two years, whish can be attributed to the 100 degree temps.






She finished with Dirty Feet!

Bummer

Finally back to the realm of the computer. So much has happened and I have been a bit overwhelmed. First off my Brother was unable to complete his 100 mile run over the weekend. Also, Cellarrat nodded off on the side of the road just long enough for someone to snatch his bike. After a bit of hoofing it and some help from friends he made it back to Denver. Need to take a trip to downtown and buy that man many beers!

All for now

Support Role time

It is time to head off to the Tahoe region of California to support my brother in his effort to complete the Western States 100 mile endurance run for the third time. Rene is excited to be able to join us and pace him for the last 38 miles. I will just be crewing this year, which means leapfrogging the runners in order to keep them motivated and properly fueled. I will try and run/hike with them from Rucky Chucky to Greengate and from Robie Point to the Finish. I will post some pictures here when I return. I wish my brother and Cellarrat great adventures in the coming days/weeks.

When you are 99 miles into a 100-mile running race, your brain is not the same brain you started with." - Paul Huddle


Here is a picture of the new kit. This is before the Winter Park race while I still look fresh. A weekend off the bike but will try and get in a run or two. Next up for me is the Firecracker 50 on the 4th of July.



This is how we roll in the summer. The tandem has a kid stoker kit mounted on it and I just put the front rack on to carry our stuff. Notice the old KUSR sticker on the bag, the ISU campus radio station that was a main stay for alternative music in a sea of BAD 80's rock.


Far Off the Track"
"If you're heading out there
I'll give you a tip
It's wild and it's far
And you're in for a trip.
For just when you think
It couldn't get rougher
The path goes crooked
And the going gets tougher.
But once you've traveled
This far off the track
You won't settle for less
And there's no going back."
-- Patrick O'Leary

Off!

WP #2

Twenty two miles of pure suffering fun! Managed only 13 out of the 15 finishers. I had a great ride but have to realize that my descending skills are holding me back. Something to work on, it was my first real race on the Waltworks. I need to get use to riding rigid and letting th 29er wheels roll over more.

Now for a little down time as I prepare for my support role at WS100. It seems there is someone who is going to try and convince me to pace the last 38 miles for them, I will be avoiding that person.

Week in Review

Had a great week of riding and recovering.

Did my first Wednesday night Denver West ride and got totally whooped! Those boys put the hammer down on a little climb and that was it for me. Ended up chasing for 5+ miles with the main group just a blur ahead, met up with a guy named Chris and rode the rest together. I didn't feel to bad considering I rode early that morning and it was only 102 degrees out. I am planning on making it a weekly suffer fest.

Hope that Cellarat has a great GDR!

Finally picked up my new kit from my new team.

Heading to mountains again this weekend to inflict much pain on the body.

Quote

Something to think about.

"Only those who risk going too far can possibly find out how far they can go."
- T.S. Eliot

Quote

Something to think about.

"Only those who risk going too far can possibly find out how far they can go."
- T.S. Eliot

Alpine Training

Spent the weekend training at elevation with SC. A couple of nice mellow rides with plenty of hanging out time. Great weekend!

Sorry for the short post, more later.

No transition for me..................

Normally at this point in the season I am making a quick transition to running in order to pace my Brother the last 38 miles of Western States. This year is different and I can say it is kinda nice. I do enjoy the mid-year break from cycling and the challenges running 12 hours at night bring, but staying on the bike and keeping some form are going to be good going into July. The last few years July has been a recovery month as I ramp up for the Fall. 38 miles tends to take a lot out of my legs, considering I only would run the month of June and last years longest run was no more that 1.25 hours. This year Rene is taking the reins as I help in the crewing aspect. The only thing that worries me is that Rene will start wanting to run 50 and 100 mile runs. That would mean 2 endurance athletes in the house vying for the limited amount of free time.

Did my first Crit of the year, it was fast and fun but I had a stupid mechanical which caused my wheel to come asckew and the tire to rub on my frame. It irked me a tad. Rode to the crit, raced and rode home which turned out to be a great day of riding. I might work a couple more crits in for a little redemption in July.

We have altered out plans for the summer which has been good for riding but we are missing out on heading my daughters birth place, Ausin (Texas). The family was looking forward to cruising the streets on the tandem, swimming at the springs, and eating loads of tex-mex. At least there is tex-mex in the mountains!

All for now, work to be done.

The Eye

Went to the Doctor today for this crazy swollen eye. I have a ulcer on my cornea which was caused by drinking too much of the neighbors homebrew and then sleeping with my contacts in. I can't wear contacts for a week but I can still drink beer.

3 Day Weekend

A couple good rides and some family time pretty much sums up the weekend.
Went for a long mountain bike ride on Saturday that ended up being 58 miles with roughly 3000ft of elevation gain. Left the house to start this ride with a quick five miles on Green Mountain before hitting the roads over to Golden. Met up with SC and friend to head over to White Ranch for a serious climb to get the heart racing. After a some straight up miles we hooked up with some roads/gravel and headed over to Golden Gate State Park. Here we did the Mountain Lion, Buffalo, and Mule Deer trails which brought us to a elevation a tad over 9200ft. A stop at the visitor center to look at trout and fill bottles we headed for home. We had a screaming descent on tar until a right turn that switched to gravel and went directly upward. I was geared with a 32x18 which was not small enough for this 1 mile of gravel hell. Made it to the top with a view of Dever and the front range that was incredible. Bombed down to Golden to cold beer. Down a few and pedaled home the short way to the back side of Green Mountain for one last taste of single track. Home in time for dinner!

Woke Sunday to a glorious day. The legs felt better than the previous day and I had managed to rehydrate. I rode down to BCLP to spin out the legs. Went to the RMO race to watch some suffering. Glad I wasn't out there but wanting to get back to racing form.

The Mountain Flyer is a great magazine about cycling in the mountains. Kristian House, an alum of the Violent Clowns, won the FBD INSURANCE RÁS. Check out Paddy's DK write up.

Off to the doctor today to have the eye looked at, hopefully just a scratch or something.

Peace!

A full week of riding.....

I am back in the swing of riding again, boy it feels good. A solid week back on the bike.

I was planning on racing all this weekend but with the lack of intensity since TI, I decided to save my money and just go for some long rides. Still trying to get my summer race schedule worked out. It looks as CB100 is being nixed but might add either (or both) the Breck100 or Laramie Enduro into the mix. I am also adding 24hr Rage in the Sage. I will add some road racing in where it fits.

I received my Thomson stem the other day and realized that I ordered it for an oversized handlebar. I lurk here to look for good deals from the pros. They have some used bars that might work on the Cross bike. I don't know what I was thinking when I ordered the stem, oh well, I could use some new bars.

Try to work in 3 days of riding!

More DK write-ups

Check these out for more DK adventures.
Rte66
Dave

After seeing the pictures and reading the accounts, it has been like deja vu. I have stayed in the Travel Lodge at one point in my life.

Some random links
The Fixed Gear
Old Skool
Kristian House's Team

All for now

Home

I am happy to say that the Family is all home and things are looking better. It will be a long summer but I think in the end all will be well.

I have been able to throw a leg over the saddle the last three days and boy has it been good for the soul. Spending the days in a hospital can really zap your motivation, along with mess with your emotions. Rode Grn Mtn twice over the weekend and even found a new piece of trail crafted by the trail elves. Woke early this morning to a nice ride to BCLP to watch the sunrise over Mt Carbon.

I have spent the rest on the morning with domestic chores and reading about the weekend adventures. Paul, Cory, Matt, GTed, and Joe all rode the DK and lived to write about it. Next year it is on the calendar. I will be lurking for more stories from the weekend. I did sneak onto the computer a couple of times to listen to GTeds audio blog - good stuff.

I will be spending the rest of the week determining my short term racing plan. More change but hey family comes first. I will have to start adding in some running to the mix as WS100 is coming up and I may have to pace my brother (if Rene bows out) or maybe someone else.

Til later, Peace

Rolling with the gut punches......

No riding and no posting.

Things have been, well crappy! Spent a lot of time with my daughter in Denver, while she is recovering from a super nasty viral infection. Hope to get her home by the weekend.

Will give a post of that first time I throw a leg over the saddle, till then peace.

What's next?

This was suppose to be a time to reflect on the past weekends accomplishments or failures. I was going to spend 2 weeks relaxing with the kids as Rene was enjoying a working vacation in Moses Lake, Washington. Plans are meant to be altered. Now I have been scheming for the next race/event. Lucky for me that from here to the middle of December there is some sort of race – mountain, road, or cross.

What’s next? I am not sure. I wish I could make Dirty Kanza work but Rene arrives home on the 19th and runs a marathon on the 21st. I have done the math and decided that sleep deprivation and driving through western Kansas/eastern Colorado would not be a good idea. I will be signing up for the EnduroSnob Epic in November even though their are USGP CX races scheduled for that weekend in Boulder.

I think my next focus will be the Rocky Mountain Omnium. It consists of an uphill time trial that I may do fixed or at least single speed, a circuit race that is less than a mile from the house, and a twisty crit in downtown Golden. First I need to get some speed in the legs. From there the summer is wide open with the Firecracker 50, Crested Butte 100, Mountain States Cup, Winter Park Series, and many ACA races.

The weather has not been conducive for hauling small children around in the trailer so time has been spent on the trainer trying to work last weeks kinks out. Having spent many mornings throughout the winter on it, I find it hard to motivate to awake before the kids and put in a workout.

On another note, I was surfing around and found an article from a local guy on adding a disc brake adapter to rear hub for mounting up a fixed gear. I found this interesting as my DT Swiss hubs can accommodate this type of setup with their adapter. Boone Ti is the only one I have found who makes a disc brake cog. This way I don’t have to keep switching wheel sets to ride fixed. These are the things I find instead of doing domestic chores when Rene is away.

Is anybody having nightmares about worms?

Time for more coffee and maybe then I'll do some laundry. nah.....

TransIowa.....

An abreviated report of my adventures on this years TransIowa. Despite the weather and all the time preparing for this event, I had a great time. Met some great people and will be able to build on the experience.

Hawarden, the start of the slog. We left Marshalltown at 11:00 am and it rained all the way across the state. I was still optimistic that the gravel would be in a condition that I could complete the race. Needless to say I was wrong.
I was lucky enough to have my brother accompany me on this trip. I have had the opportunity to support him on his epic runs and now I have him supporting me. That support went all the way to Detroit as my Mom was relaying messages from the website to him.
Preparing and overthinking what I should bring with. It was an early wake up call for a 4:00 am start.
Rolling into Alton I was questioning my sanity and gear selection. My legs were expending way more energy than needed, especially if I was going to get to Decorah. I was still falsely believing that I could actually finish the race.
Paullina! I was so happy to roll into this town after 3 miles of ditch riding. The freshly made single track left from the leaders was a guide to navigating. A farmer rode his quad next to me and chatted about the weather, the race, and how the roads were great 2 days ago. Another farmer waved me down to ask what in the heck was going on, I gave him the quick version and headed on in.
I actually felt really good at this point in the ride. I knew I was not going to make the cut off but justing riding made it all fun. 50 miles in and I was still smiling.
I got a kick in the butt with a cup of coffee and chatted will fellow riders before heading out to what appeared to be 2 miles of B level roads (according to the cue sheets). I was somewhat demoralized by this section to Sutherland as I push my bike more than I rode it. I wanted to short cut the course and be done with the ride. I decided to gut it out to and see how I felt in Sutherland. I was spent and ready to be done for the day.
Sutherland is where I pulled the plug.

I did make it to Algona. Enjoyed a few beers before heading back to Marshalltown via Ames. The leaders got sucked into the Bar in Mallard instead of me to end their race.

It was a race of epic scale. Sign me up for next year!

Quick TIv2 Update

Made it home late last night and finally can use a computer than will operate faster than I can pedal.

Started in Hawarden and ended in Sutherland. The cue sheet said 63 miles but I only had 62 on the computer due to an early hike a bike section. Average speed was 7.5 miles per hour. Rolled into Sutherland at around 1:30 pm.

A more detailed race report will follow later today.

Hope all the TI riders made it home safely!

Peace,
Mike

Iowa and Bikes

When I first started riding a bike, I lived in the small suburb of Chicago called Carol Stream. We would ride from morning to night without worries of cars or anything else for that matter. This began my obsession with bikes. I would rebuild them, swap out parts, and even have derbies in the driveway. This little neighborhood had a street called Iowa Court which amazingly enough is where I lived. Through this period of my life I rode often with friends and more importantly with my father.

Upon graduating from High School, I headed away from the influences of my friends to Iowa State University. My first roommate was from the town of Mallard, which is a TIv2 pass thru town, and spent many a weekend learning about rural farm life. Spending five years in Ames I frequented Michael’s Cyclery a bit. They built up a great set of wheels for my campus bike and gave me a glimpse into a cycling lifestyle. There was a guy called Scooter on my dorm floor who was a racer and I was always in awe at his dedication to the sport. He would be on the trainer as we headed out to the bars. I have become that dedicate person.

From Ames I moved to Marshalltown, where my wonderful wife is from. She had done Ragbrai five times and I thought she was the coolest. I still do even though she is more of a marathoner now. I ventured back to Michael’s Cyclery to purchase my first bike, a touring Schwinn. From there I added another bike, this time more of a racing one with indexing downtube shifting. The touring bike turned into the around town bike and the other was one I headed out in the fields of Iowa. Having lived in Marshalltown for a year it was time to marry and move on.

This brought us to the great State of Texas! Lived in Houston for awhile and held tight to the Iowa roots I had planted by becoming involved with the alumni association. Here my passion for bike could not be quelled by the looming chemical industry or the mass of cars. I hooked up with West End Cycles and started racing mountain bikes. We traveled all over the state to attend races, from Lajitas to Tyler. I was a great time to race as it was more about the hanging out drinking beer and riding than anything else. During this period we traveled to Austin a lot. One trip was to watch the Tour of Texas. A college roommate came down to watch his brother race in Zilker Park.

Finally, we moved to Austin. I got a job with the electric utility and quickly got caught up in the road racing scene. One of the first rides I showed up on my Borthwick, which was handmade in Marshalltown, and many of the riders asked if I knew Porky. Porky was the son of the frame builder and the black sheep of the family. Some of these guys would head to Iowa for Ragbrai and then to Super Week. Also, I met a few Iowa transplants who came to Austin to race. After a great stint in what I consider my favorite city, it was time to move on.

We ended up in the mountains of Colorado. Here life took a drastic change. No job other than keeping up with one child, who is an Austinite! We added another for good measure and to make sure I was getting enough on the bike strength work hauling them around. One of the new neighbors happens to have grown up in Mallard, Iowa and knows my first college roommate.

Now I head on the longest and probably toughest thing I have ever done, TransIowa. The journey of life takes us on paths that at the time do not seem relative but in ways bring us back to the roots imbedded in our psyche. Life is an adventure and for those who would rather sit life out, I feel sorry for you.

Thanks for reading! I will be disconnected for the next week so please go out and do something enjoyable.

What I could be doing instead of TIv2

If I wasn't doing TIv2, the family would be celebrating Fallon's birthday here or I would venture to the western slope for this.

Here are some photos from last year in Fruita. The folks from QBP, Surly, CrC, and Team Evil all made the event a drinking good time.

PBR and Carhart models!! Doesn't get any better.

Looking for something? Having fun on some awesome singletrack.

More Racing action.
Hitching a ride with a Boulder chick.
Never let a hippie chick apply lipstick!
My kind of bike.

Not many more posts before I head east to Iowa.

Whirl Wind

Wind has been blowing

Spinning the legs

10 days

Enjoy life

Day off

Migas for breakfast! I love migas! There is nothing better than a big plate of them, smoothered in homemade salsa. This is the way I like to start a day off the bike. Doubled up yesterday with a morning ride pulling the trailer through Red Rocks and then hit the Grn Mtn Trails to end the day.

Did some tandem work this afternoon, getting little Miss Fallon better positioned in the cockpit. After our last outing to Boulder she was complaining about her position. I have to make my stoker happy!

Weekend filled with riding and hiding eggs.

TIv2 Update: Ordered up some tubes and barends. Only 15 more days..........

Midweek rambler

Recovered from the weekend, somewhat. The legs feel great and I am ready for TIv2.




Some nice easy singletrack that is out my backdoor.









Morning sunrise on Dakota Ridge and Red Rocks.










Mounted the racks on the van for its TIv2 adventure.








TIv2 update: I am mentally disorganized and a tad overwhelmed by the looming logistics of the weekend. Still no firm tire selection - that will wait until I get a few miles of central Iowa gravel. My Father is securing a large cooler of PBR for the finish! Now that is some incentive.

Back to being a domestic slave.......

Lakewood - Boulder - Lakewood

I was a bit ambitious this weekend. I rode to the Republic of Boulder for the Boulder-Roubaix race. It was a long 45 miles to the start besides getting turned around in Boulder and not properly eating. I made it to the line with the 35+/cat 4s (and yes, I am old and slow). Gravel at 25 mph on skinny tires is amazing, almost rethinking about my TIv2 tire selection. Body gave out with 2 out of the 4 laps complete - not enough fuel in the tank. Ate large amounts of calories and headed to my cousins for a spot of tea. Rode home and finished up the day at 114 miles.

The Sunday ride was a bit shorter and more laid back. Met a buddy in Golden, then did a mountain bike loop at White Ranch. Then home to watch OLN for my tv cycling fix.

Out of the funk

I gave a good kick my lethargic butt! Last evening, I went to an old standby route up to the top of Lookout Mtn to gaze west at the snow cap peaks. It was a slow slog up to the top as the winds were howling. Blasted down to Red Rocks with lights on high - there is nothing like overdriving your lights going 30+ mph. A quick ride through Morrison and headed for home.

Today, just to kick myself again, I hooked up the trailer and headed out. Dropped one kiddo off at school, then headed to BCLP for a quick loop. The ceders/pines are shedding there nasty yellow pollen which is finding its way into my brain. Popped allergy pills and tylenol when I got home which makes me more bearable.

Only 23 days left until TIv2! A couple more long rides and then its taper time. I am not concerned that I will not make it, as I know there are going to be times when all I want to do is curl up in the ditch and die. Thats is why I hope I can hook up with some riders to help the me get to the second sunrise. Misery loves company.

It is nice to have more than 5 minutes for an update. I will try and get some ride pictures soon.

Peace!

Lethargy

After a great ride on Saturday, a day in the mountains the energy has been sucked from my body. My confidence level entering the week was high but it has dipped in the last two days. I am popping allergy pills and sleeping over 8 hours a night and still don't have the energy to wash the dishes let alone knock out some good rides. I have been then focusing on the other preparations for TI like securing my Hammer gel and flask, checking in with the new team, procuring a new Jandd saddle bag, and checking the weather.

A front is blowing in tonight and I hope it blows this funk far into the eastern plains.

TIv2 update: Looks like the Denver metro area will have 3 people representing it, including a last year finisher.

Saturday ride

A 4 am start to a 100 mile day. Actually, it was more like 4:20 am as the dog was getting sick and pacing around the house. I headed out with the temps in the 40s which quickly dipped into the low 20s as I hit the Bear Creek Trail. It is about a 6 mile descent to Morrison where I pick up the trail, so I spent some time trying to warm up after the chilly ride down. Made my way over to Cherry Creek SP, pealed some clothes and rode home. The sun came out for awhile but was rather elusive most of the day.

Random TI thoughts I had on the ride:
What tires?
Will the bar in Mallard suck me in again?
Are pickled gizzards and eggs good endurance food?
Should I buy a lottery ticket at every stop?
Is PBR good for recovery?