HAPPY HOLIDAYS TO ALL

All is well in Denver, we dug out and the plan for the future is being set in motion.

2007 is going to be a great year.

Peace to all!

Snow Day

Schools cancelled and lots of snow means no riding outside today.

Leg Burn

Riding the Poma lift - Fallon solo/Me with Keagan

Riding with Keagan

Spent some time skiing with the kids early at the base of Peak 9 - utter craziness! After a few runs of snow plowing with Keagan my legs were like noodles. Fallon got her ski legs back and is ready for a season of showing up dad. Skied with my Dad after sending the kids back to hot tub. We did some laps at Peak 10, my dad was timing us - 12 mins per lap. Then worked our way back over to Peak 8, skiing the trees/bumps off the 6 chair. Good way to make the legs burn as my dad is a non-stopper and we are skiing hard from top to bottom. This year I plan on working on my Tele technique and ski some harder stuff.

I was informed that we will be skiing through the end of March this year, so I have been planning my long runs/rides for up in summit county. Then again we have to wait and see if a move is in the future. I think our preference is to stay in Denver, but already two offers from Austin. We'll see what the week brings.

IN

Looks like I'm in for another long ride in Iowa!

Spent the day working on my Tele turns with Fallon after spending a night of barstool time at a new place in Breck called the Mother Lode. We figured out our life after a few too many pints.

Time to get training.

Switching Sports

Sunset on the Ten Mile Range

Heading to Breck to end a nice week of transition with a weekend of knee dropping fun - plus a few pints with the wife to discuss our future. Hopefully we can have a plan by sometime next week.

TIv3 lottery results will be up sometime tomorrow. Hope my bro and I both get in.

Transition Time

After finishing up with the season, it is time for me to relax and prepare for the start of my program in January. I plan only a few low intensity rides and quick weightlifting sessions to get me ready to hit it hard. I have found that as I get older (over 40) that I can't afford to take much time off, therefore I keep at it year round. I try and stay fresh by taking some mini-breaks throughout the year and setting my goals for spring and fall giving me the summer to enjoy cycling.

No news on if where I will be racing next year, but not heading up to Calgary. Narrowing it down between here and Austin.

Seasons Over!

I finished up the year of racing with the State Cyclocross Championships up near Longmont at the Xilinx facility. I raced decently and finished mid-pack, kind of how the rest of the season went. I wasn't in the top ten in the Boulder Series so no call ups for me, a nice third row start position. Had a good start to the bottle neck of slippery mud and ice, then just settled in and rode as hard as I could passing a few riders.

My father and his wife brought the kids up to watch the race. It was nice for him to see what cyclocross is all about. I opted to pass on the Singlespeed race in favor of lunch in Boulder with the family. I think is was a good choice, only one bike to clean.














Thoughts on the CX season:
-I didn't get points the I wanted to get an automatic upgrade to Cat3 in CX.
-Riding a rigid 29er as my mtn bike of choice improved my handling skills.
-My starts were better than last year.
-The courses are getting better and harder every year.
-Raced 19 CX races including skipping two weekends (Gunni & USGP)

All in all a great time and can't wait to start racing again.

What a back drop!

After a crazy week, full of highs and lows, I raced down in Morrison. It was chilly and the course was snow covered with a few patches of ice. I was not really motivated to race but I knew I needed to get out and shake off the weeks events. I got a third row position, which then I went easy for the first lap just trying not to get tangled up with others. Turned up the heat a bit and ended up with 19th in the Cat4 race. Not to bad for really not trying and just having some fun. The course was awesome with only a small section of mud and one stretch of ice (which caused me to get an upclose visual inspection of the tire treads of my competitors).

With backdrops like this for races, it makes it hard to imagine moving.

Postcards sent!!

Single Speeding

Race the SS cat a couple of weeks ago and held my own until the legs couldn't spin fast enough to keep up with 3rd/4th place. I was pushing a relatively easy gear (32x15) which was good for the technical sections but not as good for the flats.

Two more races until the end of the season. The snow arrived this week here in D and in the mountains. I will have to wait for three more weeks until its time to get back to freeheeling it.

Change!?!

They say change is good, but........
We found out this week that after a 6 year run in Colorado, it may be coming to an end. They are closing my wife's office as of January 5th. This will open up those opportunities that were unotherwise not considered, like me actually finding a job and contributing to society (okay thats a stretch). At least my wife has stayed connected over the past 6 years and the thought of being without a job isn't the problem. What is at issue is where we are going to be in 3 months.

Here are our options:
-A long commute to the Republic of Boulder
-A chilly location down the mountain from Banff
-A place we have already called home once
-A couple faraway locations here or here (Would race Merida series instead of TIv3)
-Or back to the land of Milk and Honey

Taking the day off today to get some domestic chores completed.

Where did the time go?

I don't know where I been or what I have been doing that has kept me away from updating lately. After the forced rest, I have started to ramp back up to finish off the season. Last week was a great week of training with lots of hard efforts that left the legs a tad stressed for Saturday's race. Settled for 18th as I couldn't seem to stay with the guys passing me. Legs came around for Sunday's race which I moved it up a few places to 11th. It always seems my Sunday race is better, both mentally and physically.

This week is looking to be another great week of training, even with Rene enduring the cold up in Calgary. Headed to GMRC for a new spin class today as the wind was howling so bad that the idea of hauling a small child in the trailer wasn't going to happen. The new lady really understands cyclists and gave me a pretty good workout, I did stay an extra 30min to knock out some more hard efforts.

With the CX season still in full swing, it has been hard to think much past December for those 2007 events. But some I am at least considering:
Mas O Menos - time to get back to the roots
TIv3 - ?, some unfinished business
Dirty Kanza - fits nicely into the master plan
24hr in the Sage - missed last year
Salida Ominum - need to do it again

USGP Men's race

Trebon chasing (and almost catching the leaders)

The leaders cruising by

USGP Women's Race

Katie Compton

Katie and Lynn coming up the hill

Week of recovery

I have felt tired and on the verge of sickness for the past 2 weeks, so this week I took it easy. A couple spins out on the road enjoying some crisp fresh air. I went to bed early and slept in every morning, at least until the kids dragged me out of bed to make breakfast. I feel great now, but still plan on not racing this weekend so as to finish out the second half the season with some positive results.

Volunteered yesterday at the Derailer Bicycle Collective. I helped get their new shop ready for a Dec 1st opening. Keags and I will be heading that way every Thursday to lend a hand.

Crazy 'Cross

Check out this picture from the Boulder Cx #2 Single Speed race.

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!