Gunni Photos

It's about the bike

Gunnison, CB, and Salida it is all about the bike, maybe it's only a townie (bike) but in my book that's still a bike. I went to Gunnison for a 'cross race which was the best course of the year set in one of the best places, if you want to read about the races go here.

I drug the family once again in my pursuit of middle aged stardom to Gunnison which was abuzz with parents weekend at WSC, elk hunters, and BCR point hunters. Saturday brought a glorious start to the day, after the cowbells stopped echoing in my head we sat at a cafe on the main drag watching the alternative transportation at its best. The town was filled with folks riding to the big game, from the the farmers market, or just heading off to who knows where.

After basking in the college town feel, we head to the ski town just up the road. As we detoured thru what could be considered the new face of Crested Butte the number of bikes parked in front of these newly constructed villas was mind boggling. Kick stands were optional as many homes had artisan crafted bike racks sitting out front. After a Pabst and pizza at the Secret Stash it was back to Gunison for day two of racing.

The sleet that made for slippery race fun did not make for good family fun, so over the pass we went to Salida. Admired a pair of Moots fully loaded undoubtly on some grand adventure across country. Saw Greg from Salvagetti in Bongo Billy's hanging out in paradise for the day. Talked 29ers with the folks at Absolute Bikes before heading off into a snowy south park on the way home.

A weekend of high altitude cross.

We headed up to Breckenridge so I could partake in a weekend of racing in Frisco.

Day 1
I awoke to a glorious day in the mountains. At a balmy 37 degrees on the thermometer, I decided to ride down to Frisco as my warm-up. I bundled up and headed out the door for the easy spin to the race. I quickly warmed up and was border line overheated as I rolled into the Nordic Center. I met Eric from Breck on the ride down and had a nice chat. Picked up the awesome sweatshirt, which I sported most of the weekend when not on my bike. The legs felt okay, not real snappy. I got the call up for my 14th overall in the BCR competition which gave me a front row starting position. Dean yelled ‘go’ and off we went. I have been getting great starts this year (thanks to Jared’s training tips) and went into the first barrier in around 5th position. I slide back a bit after the first lap but still feeling good. On the second lap I ran smack into a tree after one of the 180 degree turns, this thru my off for a bit and allowed a couple guys to get up to me. The legs slowly faded and ended up 18th. I was a little disappointed because the legs felt flat. It was good to see my ex-teammate Brian giving 'cross a try. The beer flowed as Dave Towle kept things lively, which is the best way to spend an afternoon watching bike racing with the family.

Day 2
After an evening hanging with Bil, we woke to chilly morning. A cool 23 degrees on the thermometer but no snow and sunny skies, I bundled up once again for the ride down to Frisco. I rolled into the Nordic Center with plenty of time to check out the new course layout. I got worried as Dean said that only the top ten were going to get call ups, he ended up calling up the top twenty and I secured another front row start. The start went well as I tried to hold my ground up the first climb. I was around 10th until I took a digger into the dirt when the front wheel washed out on one of the many loose corners. I tried to keep the tempo high but made a tactical error following two riders and letting two riders attack going into the hill. They dangled in front of me until the end. Wound up 14th. SC headed up for the day and scored another impressive finish (21st) on the Vanilla.

I had a great weekend of racing with new and old friends. We forgot the camera at home so no pictures. Next stop Gunnison.

Boulder y Lakewood

'Cross season is swinging into full gear know that we got to race in the Republic of Boulder. Ambled north in the Westy headed for Research Park known for short track racing and 'cross. I got the call up, front line was pretty sweet as we rocketed the asphalt start. I was sitting top ten after the first lap when the abnormal loss of breath had me struggling for wheels. Fell back into 25th. Boulder Racing is always known for sporting a SS class I figured more punishment was in order, cruised the SS race passing some Cat 3s and completely wrecking the body. Loaded up with some Negro Modelo (not exactly Belgium) for the next days racing.

Since no points were up for grabs I chose the Waltworks for Sundays pain. I was in a pissy mood and armed with the proper tool got to work. The course was awesome - finished out the weekend with a 16th. Even got a Pabst as fuel for the ride home.

I have to work out the breathing issues, but that is what doctors are for. Medicate to win! or at least breath.

Supercrossed

The solitary gravel road section

Gravel path of pain

One lap to go

Over the speed barrier (Poached from UltraRob)

I had a solid race down in the shadow of Pike's Peak. Things seemed to click as i got a decent start sliding again into 5th as we hit the dirt. I held my position well until a rider went down in front of me which slow me down enough that two chasers were able to get on my wheel. A slight bobble in a rough bumpy section and they gased it passing easily. Worked hard to get back up to them but the damage was done. Ended up 8th.

Brecksuffercross

The first race is behind me and I am stoked for what lies ahead.

We went to our mountain refuge and were join by SC and family for a weekend of family fun and racing.

Toed the line in the first race of the season not really knowing what to expect. The start was fast as I slid into fifth and just tried to find my pace. A solid first lap kept me in a top ten position, then the combination of allergies and elevation took hold of my lungs. I felt like an asthmatic gasping for air, short shallow breaths were all I could muster. The legs began to turn squares as I dropped slowly back losing places rapidly. Finally with 3 laps to to I felt some sense of recovery and tried to get a spot or two back. Notorious gave me much needed encouragement for the last two laps pushing me to the limit of what I could do with little oxygen. Finished up in 14th in the 35+/Cat 4s. Had to go to the inhaler just to get some lunch down without choking. SC rocked the Vanilla SS for cool 19th place. Notorious was riding high up in the Cat 3s before succumbing to a flat.

I did meet up with some of the Crossniacs and managed to volunteer some time course marshalling.

SC pulled out this quote:
"Tonight we drink, for tomorrow we ride"

Brecktobercross

Let the pain begin.

Colorado Alps

Spent the weekend in Ouray doing this:

While Rene did this:

She ran the Imogene Pass run in a time of 3:58.41 placing 433rd out of 1103 finishers and 22nd out of 76 finishers in her age group!

Finding Rhythm

School started last week! Which means I have 4 days in which I have a 3hr chunk of time to complete all my domestic duties (training, wrenching, etc.). It adds a bit more rushing around but it is a good exercise in time management. 'Cross training starts in earnest tomorrow.

So far we have been able to commute to school on the Tandem for most every trip, 3 round trips per day. I am on the hunt for a Burley Piccolo trail a bike to make the commute easier but they are not easy to locate.

In other news.....

If you have not made plans for late April 08, then TIv4 should be written in. Looks like GTed and Mr Pals are teaming up to bring us yet another great Iowa gravel adventure.

Por Los Runners

Just wanted to give the wife some props for running up Pikes Peak this past weekend in a time of 4:12.50. She placed 124 out of 485 female runners. Her next big run in Imogene Pass which is from Ouray to Telluride.

Next phase

With school starting next week, an increase in the available training time will be focused back to the dirt. Lots of 'cross practice with more days playing in the dirt than on the tar. The ACA has put up an awesome fall schedule of 'Cross events. The plan is to finish up the season in KC at nationals or take a mid-season swing out west for sscxwc. The travel for this cross season will be greater than in the past with weekends in Breck, Frisco, and Gunnison.

I can't wait to read this new rag dedicated to only one thing. Also, check out this site from Breck 'cross contingent, I am liking the Lion of Flanders logo. I will be flying some Crossniac colors this season.

The IRD is getting back together slowly. I have been riding the Waltworks mostly with a set of Speed King Cross tyres (700x35) pushing a 32x14. I am toying with the idea of mounting a set of drop bars on the Waltworks but still undecided.

I am not sure if I am more excited about 'cross or that the kids are going back to school.

Hiatus

After a quick trip to Iowa and Chicago, back in the foothills with preparation for the start of school and 'cross taking up much of my time. Brief recap of the trip: Heading east into the humidity that is the midwest making a stop in Lincoln to pillage the farmers market eating all things unheathy. First visit was M'town where we played tennis, rode bikes, ate sweetcorn, and visited ISU. Then on to Chicago with a stop in Dubuque to ride the tram and eat pizza. In Chicago we rode bikes, visited downtown, boated, and drank beer. All in all a great relaxing end to the summer.

Getting the 'cross bike built back up, decided to add gears back on with the idea of actually trying to have a decent season. The Waltworks will be called into service as my backup bike and for those few SS races. The 'cross specific workouts have begun with the first race in Breck only a month away.

Time to stock the fridge with Hoegaarden! (and some PBR)

Midwest

Marshalltown Sunrise

Circle Racing

It's a wrap. The Tuesday night activity of racing in circles has come to a close. I was able to meet both goals for the series, garner some points and gain some fitness. This was a good way to maintain base for 'cross season and to finish up the summer in good form.

More road, less dirt

Where do the days go? The summer schedule has been busier that ever - kid activities, spousal running ambitions, and racing in circles. With the end of summer almost in sight the mind is starting to turn back to the dirt/ 'cross. I have taken the past few months to fuel that roadie urge. It has helped to be racing on a fairly new team that currently has the desire to race. Some off my teammates my be more movitate than I to move up a category but my reasons for racing are plain and simple - Fun! I have been able to race at least once a week for the last two months, which I have to say has really done wonders for fitness and overall joy of cycling. I don't have that mid-summer feeling of burnout or not wanting to ride, instead the desire to continue to race/ride is even stronger. I was hoping to end my road season with some good racing in Salida or catching a few days of SuperWeek, but they will have to wait until next year. This will be a good lull of activity if I want to have the motivation to continue racing until mid-December.

A couple links to prepare for my favorite season:

Race CX

CX Elements

Bicycling Touring

A bike tour is just that a tour on your bike, it is not a race or a reason to out perform the other cyclist around you. To tour is to view the country side less traveled with the support of many volunteers working their hearts out at strategically placed rest stops providing cold water, encouragement, and food. Who exactly participates is a tour? The whole gambit of cyclist – from racers to mere novices riding high end bikes to those well aged.

The collection of hardware.

Why did I participate is a bike tour this year? Well, the team made a commitment to raising money for MS and the MS150 was the obvious vehicle to do that. The experience of riding a tour is something that I haven’t had in a few years. The mindset that one must obtain is one of a moderate pace with frequent stops. In order to set my mind correct I decided to give the Borthwick a rebirth of sorts. An Eno hub, some new bars, and a modest gear were all I needed. The Borthwick is my old hand crafted stead created in a Marshalltown, Iowa basement, which has taken me on every MS150 I have ridden.

The Borthwick.

I convinced a fellow teammate, Brian “the Hammer”, to ride the century options each day on a fixed gear. There turned out to be four fixed rider but we were the only two to ride back to back centuries. The routes were far from easy even for an experienced cyclist sporting a derailleur which raised the challenge for those of us fixed. The hardest part was the end of day one when we skirted Carter Lake and Horsetooth reservoir with constant ups and downs, the downs being the most draining. An over night stop at the CSU campus before doing the route in almost reverse with the century loop heading up Rist canyon a bit before heading to the nasty climb up Horsetooth reservoir before rejoining the rest of the masses. Rollers to the finish in Broomfield reeked havoc on the already tired legs. We finished, completing 200 miles in two days on fixed geared bikes and I raised 700 dollars for MS.

The Team.

A cause to ride for.

I am participating in the MS150 this weekend.

It won't be the black train of death rumbling through the crowd, just a couple of no-coasting fools.

Hearts and Stars

Summit County Riding

We escaped the heat this past weekend and headed to our mountain refuge in Breck. It was an action packed weekend that included running (for those inclined), biking, fishing, hiking, and relaxing.


Saturday was beautiful day in the mountains so after Rene's grueling run to the summit of Peak 9 we gave her little rest before heading to Frisco. We looped thru Frisco and found a place on the Dillion Res to have lunch before heading up to Breck. Having the tandem makes for great family rides and great workouts for me.

The kids looking less than thrilled with Rene working tired legs to keep up. She opted for the FSR instead of the Colnago for more rolling resistence.

Lunch stop views

Sunday was another picture perfect day. I headed up to enjoy the sunrise on the divide up on Boreas Pass. Tooled over towards Como mainly on gravel with some single track into Breck because I forgot cogs and was running a 32x15. Stopped and picked up a tag-a-long bike to give a whirl around town. Ran into Mr 24 working (and breathing) hard.

The tag-a-long to the mix.

Keagan actually helping

One looong bike.

Eno Laced

The past days have been filled with wheel building, racing in circles, early am riding, and hanging with the kids.

The Dead Dog Experience

I love to race my bike and when I can head out to somewhere as nice as Laramie thats makes it even better.

Road Race:
Really Hard! I felt pretty good for the first 17 miles until the climbing got intense then I popped like a balloon in a cactus patch. I gave it my best effort to recover and remain in sight of the riders up the road, but to no avail I was going to slog the next 13 miles to the turn around solo. Brian "the Hammer" caught me after the steep climbs which gave me the boost I needed to keep going. I found a comfortably painful pace and just climbed to the summit trying to enjoy the views in between gasping for air. Made the turn around to see my two teammates were close behind, the big men were surely going to catch me on the downhill. I reached only 50 mph in a full tuck and couldn't quite go faster - I should of grabbed some bottles (or rocks) to give gravity more mass to play with. Finished up with an 11 mile uphill drag to the finish, I was cooked. At this point I was riding alone and heard someone yelling at me, it was Brian. We rode in together finishing the painful 1000 m climb to the line. The team went 33, 34, and 35 over 30 minutes down to the leader.

I was pleased to finish the race under the time limit but was a tad disappointed that I didn't climb better. I was shooting for top 20 in the Road Race, but thats the way racing goes.

Crit:
Fast and Fun! We had the opportunity to kicking off the Sunday racing schedule with a 7 am crit in downtown Laramie. Didn't sleep well the night before (even with a few beers) so I was tired at the start line. Once the gun went off, the fun began. The JDS squad pushed the pace early on to assist in the safety of the event. We remained active throughout the race and I even bridge to a breakaway towards the end but they had given up and we got swallowed up into the pack.

I felt great and was able to move around in the pack without a problem. I made a small tactical error towards the end when I bridged up and should of kept going past the break, oh well.

Time Trial:
Pain! These aren't suppose to be fun. I pushed hard to the turn around - 5 miles out downhill with a tailwind. Then I just suffered back to the finish.

I did better than expected and I am now perusing online for a set of aerobars.

Overall a great weekend, finished 30th, found the veggie restuarant, hung out with teammates, didn't crash, and enjoyed Laramie. The team raced great and it was fun racing with Brian and Bill. Dead Dog is on the calendar for next year.

Ring of Fire

Burn, burn, burn!

Laramie is for racing.

I am preparing for my first stage race in 9 years, a bit excited and nervous all the same. The last time I race a true stage race was the Fayetteville Stage Race in 1998. I have race some omniums since but nothing based purely on time. The legs are feeling good and my attitude is surly, so that must mean I am ready to go. I was able to get out this past weekend and train in the mountains, got out with SC on Sunday for a great Fathers day ride. I did some racing in circles last evening which was a blast, I even worked my way to the front for the last two laps and took a mini-flyer with half lap to go. Needless to say the pack gobbled me up but I stayed tacked on the back and made a futile sprint effort. Having never been to Laramie, I am looking forward to checking the place out, I'll have to see if I can find some PBR on-tap (to ease the late night cycling demons).

The summer has been shaping up well and a few events are starting to fall into place.

Keep up with D-Nice here.

Foray to downtown D

Yesterday headed to Salvagetti Bicycle Workshop to order up a WI Eno hub for the Borthwick. I have to say it was a great experience and will be directing some of my business their way.

Notorious has got me stoked for cyclocross season, even has me thinking about heading to nationals in KC.

A good chunk

After a decompresive weekend, it was time to hit it hard to prepare for the Dead Dog Stage Race. I haven't done one in a few years so not sure how the legs are going to react. I was able to race in circles on Tuesday with the weather subsiding just enough as not to race in a complete downpour. Only 9 brave souls toed the line, we went off with a flash and that was the last I saw of most of them - I forget how easy it is to hide in the pack.

Last night was a great ride in BCLP with SC, Drew, and BIL on some of the single track in the park. It was good to get out with the boys for a ride. BIL was sporting a new GF 29er which was sweet.

It was my morning today, which meant I got my butt out to ride. Rolled over to quiet stretch of road and commenced to do hill repeats, the legs wanted to be back in bed. After 2 more than planned the body was in need of coffee and food, so I rode home in enough time for Rene to catch the bus.

I feel like I am coming back around after a brief hiatus. The weekend will be filled with some long rides and time with the kids. Can't wait.

Bluegrass, beer, and bikes

Spent the past weekend lounging amoungst the cottonwoods listening to the sounds of bluegrass. The North Fork Bluegrass fest is on the western slope in the town of Hotchkiss which is nestled between the Grand Mesa and the Scenic Mesa on the North Fork of the Gunnison River. The stress level went almost to nothing, which was much needed. Fallon rolledwith her bike on the dirt roads and I got out for a nice gravel grinder on top of Scenic Mesa. Lots of great roads and trails in the area for further exploration.

We opted for the scenic way home with a drive up Kebler Pass (home to the largest living organism), then up Cottonwood Pass (over the divide), and then across South Park. Most of it was on gravel that got me thinking.

Got my Conti fix last week, tyres for TIv3 came in (finally!) and pick up a load of toobes from Mr JDS. Rode the tandem to grab my stuff which packed nicely into front panniers.

Mind Clearing Therapy

The last two weeks have felt like trudging through muck on some 'B' level Iowa road. Maybe its life, death, traveling, iceburg lettuce, beer/liquor, family, humidity, bugs, past, or the future. The ebbs of life come smack you with a reality check every so often and all you can do is 'Kick it in the Junk'!

Going to race in circles tonight to clear the mind of demons.

Back Home

Roughly 8 days away from the bike visiting Kansas and Michigan seeing family. Home! Time to get my mind cleared with some riding.

Summer break started while I was away, the kids and I are planning some fun stuff with a fair bit of riding sprinkled in.

Quick Break

Off the bike this week to travel and visit with family.

Alternative plans

Racing in circles was substituted with hill repeats at Red Rocks last night as the police were practicing catching bad guys on the circuit.

Reading

The DK write-ups:
Snob
Cornbread
Paul
Gary

Need to plan the next big ride but for now I'll be riding in circles.

From the Sidelines

I cheered from the sidelines this weekend and it was a great place to be. Fallon ran her heart out for a mile and Rene knocked out a marathon.

It was our Porcelain Anniversary today! - 18 years

Heatin' up

I raced this past weekend at Wheels of Blunder, it turned out okay as the legs were lacking the high end but managed to finish with the pack. When I was cooling down some guy thought it his place to come and yell at me about the bike handling skills of my teammates. I kept calm but wanted to scream back at him - F***ing upgrade you stupid f***ing whinning bastard!!! I ride in a group contains developing older riders and riders like me that quite can't break the top 7 for upgrade points but have been riding/racing for years. I get frustrated because I am just happy to be racing my bike. I am just glad that all the TI riders were friendly, helpful and nice.

On a positive note, I was able to get the kids out riding their bikes. Fallon has been scared of her bike since her illness and didn't want a thing to do with riding. She has made great strides in the past year re-learning how to walk and talk. With one quick session, she is no longer afraid and ready to tackle more - I guess you never forget how to ride a bike. Keagan did great but was distracted by other interesting things at the park. We will continue throughout the summer in hopes of family rides sans trailer and tandem.

I am going to miss riding this weekend at Dirty Kanza, Rene is runnning in the Colfax marathon and Fallon is doing the Marathons Kids race. DK is on the calendar for next year.

Summer is around the corner which means less words and more pictures.

Meridian Mid-Week Race Series #1

I am working the registration table tonight for the race and dragging Fallon and Keagan along. They are less than thrilled to go watch racers go around in circles - it is better than TV.

I'm still twenty-something?

"Your old and you need to rest" - Rene'
I have been at this bike riding thing for a few years and still have a hard time resting, so she is correct and that is what I have been doing. Granted I have only taken one day off the bike since returning home, the (slow) commutes to/from school with the kids have been most enjoyabe!

Trans Iowa - the written word

The brain has been out of sorts lately, which means that the meager write up from TI has been slow. Hopefully the events are close to being in the order they happened and the names resemble those of the people I actually saw on the ride. If not, it’s my story and I am sticking to it.

First I need to thank Mark, Jeff, the volunteers and their family members that made this possible.

The first leg of the journey was the long drive which gave me the opportunity to spend many hours in the van with Mr. Nice. 11 hours to M’town with another 3 hours scouting the roads south of the ‘Loo up towards Decorah. It was blind luck that I picked some gravel to drive on that was on the TI route into Independence. We met up with my Brother Matt and Chris Friday afternoon before pizza and the meeting.

I woke early Saturday morning is a cold sweat and a throbbing head (which I had lingering for over a week). Needless to say I was worried with the outcome. The crew (Pivvay, Snot, Bro, and I) from room 106 stumbled around pulling the last minute items together and trying to cram some food down our throats. We rolled to the start at 3:30 am giving us plenty of time.

After the start I quickly found myself blanketed in darkness, the light was my only guide and the tell-tale signs of flashing red ahead. I wasn’t feeling so hot but kept telling myself to keep the pedals turning over and keep eating/drinking. The sun came up but the spirits were not improving. Rode with some of the Folks from Lincoln (Jeff, Butch, & ?) which help the mental side of things. I was seriously thinking this was not my day. Another rider rolled up and we seemed to just roll along with our own thoughts. The FfL took a break and I rolled on ahead thinking they would soon be catching me. I meet up with Mike Meister at my first break in Postville, we ended up riding the rest of the way to Decorah together.

This next section was the absolute worse for me, I wanted to stop and cry in the ditch more than once. My head was aching, my mind was far from focused and my body didn’t feel like pedaling. I kept telling myself to push on but the head winds sucked all life out of me. We hit Stanley only to find out that no services were there, another moral blow. (My Brother did stop in Stanley at the closed looking old service station which was a completely stocked convenient store.) I had barely enough liquid to get to Independence, I pushed on. I ran out of water a mile or so out of town and thought this is the end or my race. Limped into Independence and pulled right in a store and slammed a Gatorade and bought 2 gallons of water (under the premise that a gallon contained 64 ounces – I was wrong). I ate tons of food before heading to the Fairway for Mike to pick up some Ensure. At this point we had been joined by Steve McQuire.

I was in no mood to continue on to Brandon, but the two others were heading out and I decided I could make it to the checkpoint. I would make a decision there. Remarkably that section to Brandon had a slight tail wind and my energy levels were rising. I drank and ate lots during this stretch since I was starting to feel better. I guess a century in the legs will clear the mind.

We hit Brandon at 3:15 pm and saw Corey Heintz relaxing in the grass. I did a quick refill of the bottles at the store before heading on down the path to La Porte City. The energy was quickly coming back and mentally I was as sharp I could be. We hit La Porte City and were joined by Corey. Another quick stop was made before heading out to the first B-road section. At this point I was feeling slow and methodical in my riding but I had no doubt that the finish was obtainable. Corey and Steve rode a bit faster pace than Mike and I. The four of us road into Traer where we ran into a group of riders, I can’t remember who they were. With some more food in us we headed out in search of Dike, a nice long section of B-road the group split up leaving Mike and I plodding along. Steve waited up as darkness was about to fall. The winds seemed to have faded and shifted pushing us north to Dike. A 14 mile stretch found Snob, B.J. aka Travis, and Corey catching us. At this point in the evening the body felt good but my concentration on riding overrode any attempt at verbal communications. Another fuel up in Dike with Red Bull and bananas, Snob was there with the Folks from Lincoln taking pictures. We headed out first only to take a wrong turn on – we should have gone right but instead took a left, oh well. A short detour back to the route found Snob and crew at the corner we missed. Soon after we ran into Fixie Ken, Cale, and others and they were moving right along. The only thing that seemed to slow that group up was wrong turns and water. We caught back up with them at the first low water crossing, we stripped our shoes and waded across. The water was cold and gave a good jolt of adrenaline to the system. Off to Janesville for the last late night stop.

By the time we got to Janesville, my body was on autopilot, I felt okay on the bike but once off I was a wobbly mess. Most of the usual suspects were in Janesville at this point. A Red Bull and brownie (ahh sugar!) then attempt to get warmed back up and the temps seemed to be hitting the low for the day. I donned my wool shirt and leg warmers before heading back out. A slight type/error on the cue sheets brought us to a grinding halt, Steve called Mark to clarify the correct turn. Fixie Ken and crew were blasting from the dark looking for the correct turn as Snob rolled up. We got the right directions and that was the last I saw of the others until Decorah. Steve, Mike, and I worked our way through dawn calculating the possibility of finishing this thing under the time limit. We arrived at the second water crossing and I just plow right on through soaking my feet and leg warmers. My feet were wet but the sun was coming out and all was going to be okay, I did pop a No-Doze sometime around sunrise as the eyes were beginning to get heavy. We rode to Hawkeye for the last stop before Decorah.

In Hawkeye I dumped everything from crumpled up cue sheets to the homemade energy bars I started with. I reloaded with oatmeal crème pies and Gatorade, it was good to have a change in the diet. The three of us didn’t waste much time getting back on the bikes as we realized that we were going to finish. The last bit of riding for me was tough because my mind wanted Decorah to be around the next corner and the knees were screaming for mercy. The sun beating down felt good but I could feel the skin burning as suntan lotion was applied some 30 hrs previous. It is always an ominous sign when your reading the cue sheet and it says turn on Haugan Hill Road, it was the steepest thing ridden to that point. I hunkered down and tried to power up it, but to no avail I resorted to switch backing the climb. Steve, who was running some super moto tyres, quickly lost traction and walked the hill. Thinking that was the last off the hills we made the fast descent into Decorah. We turned onto some pavement and only one last turn to the cemetery, my mind was thinking no more hills but there was one more. I didn’t even try to power up it, I just started switch backing it until the flat where Mike and Steve waited to cross the finish line together.

My brother was standing there to greet me, which was just awesome. Snob sacrificed himself and gave me the last beer – thanks!!! He also gave me some wipes to cleanse 32h 48m of gravel grime off my face.

More thought later.

Trans Iowa Version III, April 28th - 29th

The (gravel) road goes on forever......

And the party never ends!

See you all in Iowa!

T minus ?

Well I am about to embark on another adventure in Iowa for a race of epic proportion, TransIowa. This race is approximately 324 miles on the gravel roads in Northeastern Iowa around the city of Decorah. We have only 34 hours to complete the race which starts at 4am Saturday, April 28th and the official end time is Sunday, April 29th at 2pm. The interesting aspect of this race is that we will not know the first half the route until Friday night with the second set of cues cards handed out at the mid-race check point at mile 127. The race will consist of about 100 riders from all over the US and even some from Canada, most of those will brave this event with the use of a derailluer while the select group of riders like myself will do it on singlespeed. I'll be running my Waltworks 29er with 38c cross tyres and pushing a 32x14 (~63 gear inches).
You may ask yourself why? My answer is that I am a freak that has been cycling/racing for a long time and now I need to push my body beyond pre-conceived limits. I have dug deep many times at the tail end of a 1hr crit or 4hr ride but I have never had to do it at 3am with more that 200 miles in my legs, it is time to make that happen. Mentally and physically I am prepared as most attempting this feat but what lies waiting around the next corner is the wildcard. The weather last year played havoc with the event as no one finished, I made it 63 miles and pulled the plug. The contingency for this year envolves bar hopping all the way back to Decorah ~ the plan does stand firm to finish.

The race director (GTed) will do his best to update the world on Ride424 with real time reports on the race.

Here is my post from last year:

Iowa and Bikes (reposted from April 2006)

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 as my life ebbs and flows, I will go back to Iowa to finish up some business that looms. The initial plan was not to do TI again until the timing worked out better. I am missing my daughters 7th birthday and her first sleepover party (though 6 girls spending the night wasn't looking like much fun for me). I will be a time again to reacquaint with fellow riders and make new friendships.

No plans to post until next week, so please take some time to enjoy your days!

Days and Counting

The time seems to be flying by in the days approaching TI, I have my crap spread all over the house with lists of lists keeping me on task. The plan as it stands is to head from Denver early on Thursday morning, drive to Mtown for the night. Get some good sleep have a big farmers breakfast before heading to Decorah Friday. Then meet up with my brother and head for pizza at Mabe's prior to the TI meeting.

The head is spinning with details that keep me less than concern about the event it's self.

Sunday Ride

With some sore legs I headed out on the last big ride before TIv3. About halfway into the ride I started feeling good, then the winds kicked up.

Lookout Mountain Looms

Vernon Gravel

Blurrrry Gravel through the trees

The divide covered in snow

Climbing out of the valley

Boulder-Roubaix

Another great day for racing only to be squander with so-so legs in wrong place at the wrong time. The race start fast as a couple teams put the hammer down early, as DT would say "It's on like Donkey Kong!" I hung tight for a bit but being small in stature racing with giants I got shoved around more than usual, I tried to be assertive but end up on a bad line thru the gravel washboard. I drifted towards the back with hopes of making it up on the climbs, before I knew it the group was strung out for as far as I could see. Worked my way toward the front on the finishing straight climb only to get ridden off the back. Ended up in the second chase group working pretty well together trying like mad to get the group ahead. To no avail, ended up with a disappointing 31st. Did find out later that my saddle was 3 cm lower than normal, no wonder I couldn't generate any power and my legs were sore afterwards. Brian (teammate) and I rode up to Jamestown after the race then I headed home for a hike up Green Moutain.

Snow day

Looks like Denver is preparing to get hit with another round of bad weather. The weekend will be sandwiched in between two fronts. The plan is to race Boulder-Roubaix this Saturday with the new bar/stem combo on the DeRosa.

Final push

Need to maintain some momentum over the few weeks which will mean a continuous dose of saddle time. The WaltWorks is ready and will be running a 32x14 with some 35c Conti Speed King Cross (if they arrive in time).

TIv3 Information: There is a chance to pass through the Little Switzerland of Iowa on the way to an undisclosed check point. Will we head to the bohemian alps? Over towards M'town?

Quote

Found this in the local paper -
".., a lot of mountain bikers do use foul language on trails and drink a lot of beer."

I-cycles

Some images from my icy ride on Friday.

Spring Break over

I spent some great time with the kids last week, taking a nice tandem ride (~40miles without much complaining!), skiing, and hanging out. It was a great break for me to refresh and prepare for the end of April.

Cateye RR

Woke early this am and headed to the northern section of Boulder County to compete in the Cateye Road Race. It was good to have this on the schedule as I would have sat on the trainer instead of venturing forth into the rain/snow mix with 40 degree temps. The weather let up for the first two laps of the race then started to rain for the last two laps. There were two nice water logged gravel sections that really made you work to stay with the leaders. In the end, three off the front with Brian F (Dream Weaver) taking second. I finished in a heated pack sprint with Brian M. Props to Jamie (Furious George) for putting in some hard efforts to chase riders up the road. Needless to say I was wet, muddy, and cold after the finish.

The darkness fell, I lit it up.

A little ride last night to shake the mind free of riding with the fireball (K's nickname for el sol). I have been feeling a tad more surlier and grouchier than normal, must mean I am ready to throw down.

Stoker Time

Keagan has moved up from the trailer to a Stoker. In the course of one day, he went from quietly riding in the trailer around BCLP to throwing his leg over the tandem.

Keagan's morning view

Looking at the little man.

Getting use to the pedals.

Excited about moving up one seat.

Good times to be had.

I'm going to have to start looking for a triple now so I can take both kids at once. Next week the tandem will be getting much use as the kids are on break.

Team Antics

Another great day here on the Front Range, the team meet east of Denver out by the airport and rode out to Strasburg. It was a hammer fest out to the turn around point as we worked on pacelines - a bit of a change from spending hours pedaling around by myself. We pushed it coming back into a fierce headwind. Worked out to 55 miles with a 20.1 mph average.

Happy Saint Patricks Day!

Another great day to ride in Colorado!!!

A little Colorado gravel, mostly uphill.

Some switch backs

Looking down the valley

Heading up the road

Spinning out on the bike trail

Just a little ride around Denver that took me from Morrison to Idledale then up to Genesee into Golden with a fly by through Denver and back home to Lakewood.

Ready?

Things are starting to come together for TIv3. I got the WaltWorks setup for some long rides over differing terrain and will be dialing it in over the next few weeks. Now I need to work the logistics of getting to Iowa, looks like I may leave on Thursday morn and spend the night with the in-laws in Mtown Thurday night then head to Decorah on Friday morn.

Don't forget to be Nice to Nice by March 17th. And don't miss the soiree at Snooze on April 18th from 5:30 to 9:30 pm - meet at my house for the ride down.

Also, you can donate to help the fight against MS here. A good friend of mine is inflicted with the disease and my daughter's recent illness is eerily related to MS.

End in site

All the play will be coming to an end after tomorrows ride, Rene has got plans for me.
Wednesday (day5 - IRD) was a easy spin to work out the legs.
Thursday (day6 - deRosa) was a VO2 max session with Mr JDS himself.
Friday (day7 - couch) was for drinking beer!
Saturday (day8 -IRD) was a short ride with hard hills.
Sunday (day9 - IRD) was a great day for just being on the bike.

More of the same

Was able to get out for some serious pain today (day4) with a fellow teammate. We did two hard efforts up Lookout Mountian in addition to the partial I did waiting for the determined meet time. I think I could get use to this training everyday stuff, only two more years until the kiddos will be at school for a full day and by then I may even be able to race with the 45+ guys.

Good & Plenty

I have had the luxury of getting some time on the bike.
Three days so far with a full week planned.
Saturday (day 1 - IRD) was a nice spin with cooler temps and much snow/ice on the ground.
Sunday(day2 - deRosa) was the first geared ride in 3 months.
Monday(day3 -IRD) was TIv2 revisited . Rode with Mr. Nice (who posted some pics) down the Highline Canal.

Next couple of days will include some riding with new teammates and the weather is still looking good.

More Winter

More winter rolled into the front range just added that bit of aggrevation I don't want to deal with. Though I did get to fishtail in a school bus on Wednesday morn loaded with 1st graders, not my idea of a good time. Passed on my ride today due to really slick streets.

Today is Rene's last day of work! She is taking two weeks off to hang out with the kids and get some house projects done. That means I get next week to RIDE! 4 to 6 hours each day with great weather in the forecast and I am stoked.

Clear skies

Was able to weasel out a ride today as the weather was nice. Took the IRD out for an easy spin around BCLP.

Mt Carbon looking toward Denver