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