Wish you were here, don't ya!

Cross Worlds

2012-01-28T22:48:00.000-06:00

Day 1 of Elite Cyclocross Worlds is over and the Juniors and U-23's put on quite a show. I had a personal interest in the U-23 race as I know the 2 guys from the USA. I might actually have to get up early tomorrow, yup, way early at 4am, for the Women's race. After that I might have to take a nap until the Men's race at 8am.

Zach had a good ride after starting way back

Lyne from PodiumInsight is covering the race.

A few of the Rapha Focus crew enjoying some of the local snacks.

Sand, sand, and more sand,

Better go to bed soon, it's going to be a short night.

Cyclocross Worlds

2012-01-24T21:04:00.000-06:00

Cyslocross World Championships are this weekend, gotta get up early to catch the races live streaming on the computer. I'm pretty excited to watch as there are Americans in every race that have a good chance of a top 5 or even a podium.

Euro Pro road races are in swing in the warm climates.

I'm ready to roll, just have to remember that it's still January.

One season ends and another begins

2012-01-17T21:13:00.000-06:00

The cyclocross season has just ended here in the USA and even though there are a few more races and the World Championships in Europe, cross is essentially over. Now that we have adopted the euro version of cross the season now lasts until the middle of January. It's kind of funny that last Sunday I was watching the first Pro Criterium of the season on TV. That's right, like Pro sports baseball and football here in the States, the euro road season has begun before the euro cross season has ended. The Santos Tour of Australia has started and soon the racing here in the states will start as well.

It will be fun to watch the last World Cup race this weekend and Worlds the following weekend. All of the top Americans are in Europe and good results should follow. It will be fun to watch both the road and cross races.

It was kind of slick for the Women's race at last weekends World Cup race. Kate Compton crashed as well as many others.

It was cold at the cross races but it was something like 105 degrees in Australia!

Dean ended the year with two 4th place finishes, all ways an inspiration.

By the way, if you are looking for TV coverage and can find VERSUS, that's because in now called the NBC Sports Network.

Masters Worlds

2012-01-13T09:41:00.000-06:00

J-Pow in his new USA National Champions Jersey. Pretty sweet st see Zach in one as well!

It was pretty nice in Madison for Nationals but Worlds in Louisville is getting the weather instead. Brrrrr.......

As much as I'm bummed at missing Worlds the reports of all the running is making it easier to take. Power and running would be rough.

I can honestly say that this looks like fun!

Firefighter Curly, the uniform is a little big but you get the idea.

I was watching the Elite race live on the computer and the barriers pictured are at the top of a hill. Bunny hopping barriers takes speed so this had to be tough.

As for Masters Worlds, yesterday was the qualifying races for most of the people I know. So far everybody has ridden well and will have good start positions in tomorrows finals. Brad Cole races for the World Champions Jersey today and then the rest have a go tomorrow. Wish there was a live feed to watch but Joan is doing a good job with twitter updates during the day.

Cross Nationals

2012-01-10T22:22:00.002-06:00

So Cross Nationals has come and gone with none of the issues with the cold and snow that people thought there would be. Madison WI had a unusual warm spell and no precipitation made the conditions perfect for the races. I was pretty much stuck to my computer for 4 days getting twitter updates from podiumInsight just to keep up with the races. Riders from the KC area as well as the Nebraska riders all had great rides and showed the strength cross in the Midwest. The KCCX crew once again pulled off a podium finish and a number of top tens.

The Men's Elite race was by far the most exciting race of the weekend. All of the top riders were at the front of the race duking it out for the win. Watching Zach Mcdonald pull the hole shot, then crash, then chase back on to the lead group was amazing. Then J-pow finally attacking near the end for the win was fun to watch.

This week is Masters Cyclocross Worlds in Louisville, KY. I was going to make the trip just to watch but decided to save money and stay home. Quite a few of the Midwest crew have made the trip. How cool would it be to have one of them bring back a World Champions Jersey!

Probably one of my favorite pictures from the weekend. Tim Johnson congratulating his ex-teammate on finally winning a National Championships. No matter how much the press plays up their rivalry they still have a good time!

The start of the U-23 race, McDonald on the front and Fish a few back. Zack would end up winning by 2 minutes.

Brad had a podium in the 30-35 race. Great effort in race stacked with really fast riders.

One more day before Worlds begins, better get some work done!

Cross Nationals Week

2012-01-07T10:14:00.003-06:00

It's now half way through the Cyclocross National Championships and I'll have to admit that I'm finding it hard to sit at home and follow along on the computer. Various factors have led me to end my cyclocross season early and even though I know I made a good decision it sure looks like fun! On the positive side I've been home for end of quarter/end of year at Mathgeek work. She has to put in long hours at work so we didn't have to hire a nanny to stay with the boys while I was off racing like we thought we would. Even better is the weather in KC the past week. Unseasonably warm weather has made getting back on the bike pretty easy to do. The slow build up to the road season has begun and even though I'm fat and slow it feels good to ride again.

The KC crew had a good run the first few days of Nationals with quite a few podium places, hope that continues today with the bulk of the masters men racing. Good luck to the KCCX, Ethos, and of course the Nebraska guys.

Not unhappy about missing the railroad tie stairs. It looked like quite a bit of running the other day in the Masters 50-54 race.

Steve Tilford won my category again this year, that makes it something like 6 times or so. Looking at the results I probably could of done pretty well.

Dean Parker had a great race and was on the podium with a 4th place. Finally a podium after a couple of injury prone years. He continues to show the younger guys that you can still go fast in your 60's!

On the other end of the spectrum is Karen Brockett. I've been watching her develop as a rider for the past few years and this year she has really come a long way. She placed 9th in the Junior Women 17-18 category against some tough competition.

What I find interesting is that my coach, Adam Mills from Source Endurance, coaches both of the above athletes. I think it shows real coaching skills to be able to develop training plans for people of all age groups. If you have never used a coach you have no idea how many factors come into play in developing a training plan, or how many times that plan has to adapt to changes in the athletes life. It's pretty easy to notice the change in results when a rider goes from just riding around to using a coach and having a plan.

The climb up to Wyandotte County Lake park, climbing sucks at this point for me. It's amazing how much fitness you lose when you are off the bike for a month.

I went for a long ride with Joe and Adam on the 65 degree day last week and it was awesome. Hard to believe that it's January but I'll take it for now. It would be pretty weird to have a winter with no snow......but we still have a month or so to get some.

This one is for Grampa, all most forgot about the end of the semester at the boys school. Both did well and Curly just missed the all A honor roll. I'll take the A-B honor roll any day. JoBro is finding Middle school tougher to adjust to but he just missed A-B. No worries, he's finally finding his way which makes Mathgeek happy. It's tough to please a former college professor/teacher but at least they have their own tutor in house.

Back to checking out race results while I do chores around the house. Numbers are due at work for Mathgeek today, I might even get out for a ride today!

Time to get started

2012-01-03T10:31:00.000-06:00

I guess it's time to get back on the bike. Today the kids went back to school after their winter break so I have time to ride. I was pretty fired up to ride when I got up and then I walked Curly to school, jeez, it's pretty cold out there. Now I'm going to wait a bit for it to warm up. Weird how the motivation comes and goes when you don't have a plan for the day. Oh well, I've got some pictures from last weekends race. It was super nice out so the boys and I went out to watch since Mathgeek had to work.

This picture is from last weekends race in Chicago. This was a UCI race and once again it looks like the promoters didn't get enough power washers for the pits. There is nothing more important than power washers for muddy races. It's incredibly frustrating and stressful for the mechanics to have to wait forever to wash the bikes.

Kelly in Chicago, the team wasn't there so thanks goes out to SRAM and Jose for helping her out.

My attempt of a kind of artsy photo of Shadd.

Bill on a downhill off camber.

Josh making up time from a poor start, pretty much went from last to 3rd. JoBro in the background taking pictures.

Definitely windy out at the races. JoBro and Curly doing their best Titanic poses in the wind.

So this week is Cross Nationals in Madison, WI. It's a little tougher than I thought missing the race this year but that's the way it goes. Kind of on the fence about going to Louisville to watch worlds. Another opportunity popped up that looks more appealing so I may spend my money on that instead.

Good luck to the folks heading off to Madison for Nationals!

Post Christmas Cross

2011-12-26T21:22:00.000-06:00

Christmas is over and it time for the cross world to move on to Nationals and Worlds. Here in KC we have a week of cross in preparation for those races. This week it's races Monday, Wednesday, and Sunday. Perfect for the crew that is heading off for Madison WI the following week. JoBro and I headed out to the races today with Carly just to get a little fresh air in the warm (for KC) weather. We hung out for a while and then headed for home to begin the process of packing up for a trip. I originally thought I would be going south for some warm weather training but now it's going to be a bike free trip. That's ok, it's been a while since I saw my Dad and brother so I'll just make my time off the bike a little longer. So the dog/house sitter is set so I'll leave you with a few pictures from todays events.

Zach McDonald kicking butt in Belgium today for his first podium!

Starting them early, way to go Ty!

Shadd rolling along to a win today(I think, I left before the end)

JP continued his string of strong rides.

Bill was out doing some work.

Most of these guys are heading off to Madison for Nationals so the prep work has begun. For me, I'll start prepping for something else when I get back.

Schools out, Christmas Break

2011-12-22T11:03:00.000-06:00

Yep, it's that time of the year, Christmas Break. The kids are out of school for a few weeks so it's time for some quality time with the boys. Break comes at a good time as the shop is slow and this year I'm injured so I've got nothing but time on my hands. It's probably a good thing that I've got the boys to keep me busy, a injured bike racer gets pretty grumpy with out time on the bike. There is some pretty good videos out there this week from last Sundays World Cup Cross race. The one of the Woman's race is really good with a little more artsy angle to it. The men's race is good and I'd love to watch the whole race over again. Maybe I will, just to figure out how Sven Nys managed to win after 2 flats!

That's my kind of course!

Here's the video of the women's race.

http://vimeo.com/34015292

Just in case you missed this on Facebook or Twitter, this is a x-ray of my knees. I've been complaining about my knee forever so I figured I'd let people see what's going on. The left knee is what a relatively healthy 50yr old knee looks like. The right knee shows the scars of 5 arthroscopic surgeries to remove damaged cartilage and bone, and 1 Andrews Procedure (major Surgery) to tighten it back up. So now, 25+ years later I have what you see above, bones grinding away with no cartilage and a few strands of ligaments holding it all together. The pin you see is actually from the last surgery where they used a chunk of my IT band to tie it all together. Bottom line is that I'll be getting a new knee sometime in the near future. It just depends on when I want to slow down enough to do it. I'm thinking 2 yrs but it all depends on how things feel. When I asked the doctors how long my knee would last like this they just said that I would know when it's time to get it fixed. I guess that means whenever I can't deal with it anymore. On the positive side they also told me that they have never seen someone wear down the bones so bad that they could not replace the knee. Then again, they also said that they have never had a patient make it this far with the severe arthritis that I have. So that's my story. It is what it is and I'm going bike racing!

So now I'm off to make cookies with the boys. I can't wait for tomorrow when they have a Euro cross race at night. Yea!!!! I love night races!

Concerts and cross

2011-12-17T07:40:00.000-06:00

Mathgeek and JoBro are off camping with the Boy Scouts this weekend so it's just Curly and I hanging out this weekend. Got up early and watched the Euro cross race. Super muddy today so tomorrows World Cup race should be much the same. First race for Ryan Knapp, Tim Johnson, the Euro cross camp crew, and a host of other Americans. Should be fun to watch.

Cal Giant Cody threw something up about this concert/festival that happens every summer in Belgium. Pretty amazing how many people are there and everything that goes with the music is pretty over the top. The boys checked it out and Jobro thought it was really cool. What was I thinking, planting that music festival/concert seed in his head!

Tomorrowland 2011

That's a lot of sand to ride!

Another weekend off the bike but the end is in sight. Last treatment to the knee Monday and a few days after that I can get back on the bike. Time to get ready for the Road/MTB season.

Cross Weekend

2011-12-12T21:17:00.000-06:00

This past weekend was was all about cyclocross but the weird part was that I didn't race. Really it was a trifecta of cyclocross events, 2 events in Europe, the USGP series in Bend OR, and 2 local races one of witch was the Kansas State Championships. At this point I've come to the realization that my cross season is done so it was a weekend of watching racing for me. Mathgeek warned me that too much race watching was going to make me grumpy. She knows me so well, it's tough when you want to get out there and race but it's just not in the cards. The cross races in Europe were great. The courses looked like they were fast and fun. Pretty easy to excited about racing once you see the action across the pond. Then later in the day the USGP races came on. In both cases I watched the races on the computer through live streaming. The coverage of the races in europe is really good and the USGP, well, not so much. I really can't complain, without Velonews/cycligdirt there would be no video coverage at all so spotty coverage is better than none at all. The USGP coverage was killing me. I probably could of got my spot back for the podium for the overall in the 45+ but I didn't go so I'll never know. Then there's the Kansas races, from what I hear there were fun courses and everybody had a good time, sounds like a good time.

So here are some pictures from the weekend.

This was my place during the last 3 years at the USGP races. Even though it was on the computer it was pretty enjoyable watching the Elite race from somewhere other than the pits.

Little bit of history here from the shop today, it's a Dura-Ace, Mavic MA40 rear wheel with 7sp cassette straight block. I've got a toe strap full of cogs if this guy ever needs them.

Saw this while I was out on the MTB Saturday. Funny how an old engine block is out in the middle of the woods. Looks like the hikers are having fun with it.

The freeze thaw cycle is playing havoc with the trails lately. You have to get out early before it gets slimey.

Euro cross fun!

Sven is the man right now.

More USGP action, the Cannondale guys have a nice setup and you know its cold when the riders are dressed like this inside the tent. No snow in Bend but it was cold both days.

Here's my race at the USGP, the 45+. Points leader Mike McShane leading Tim Butler who was 2nd in points going into the last weekend. Both guys rode hard all weekend and traded wins. Mike kept the leaders jersey and won the series.

So overall it was a pretty good weekend for cross racing no matter where you were. There are still a few more races locally that lead up to Nationals and then Masters worlds. I wasn't be making the trip to Nationals but maybe I'll get down to Louisville to check out Masters Worlds. I won't be racing but I should be fun to watch the Kansas/Missouri crew give it a go.

Photo credit to Wil Matthews, Lyne @ PodiumInsight, and a few others I just don't know.....

Are you a Introvert, read on....

2011-12-06T16:45:00.001-06:00

I saw this article posted on the inteweb by a friend. It's written by Carl Kingdom and you can find the whole thing here. Mathgeek and I were talking about it at dinner last night and we decided it definitely discribes Curly. Like most things, Curly and I share the same tendencies and it kind of explains why I am the way I am.

10 Myths About Introverts

In late-2008, I was lucky enough to discover a book called, The Introvert Advantage (How To Thrive in an Extrovert World), by Marti Laney, Psy.D. It felt like someone had written an encyclopedia entry on a rare race of people to which I belong. Not only had it explained many of my eccentricities, it helped me to redefine my entire life in a new and productive context.

Sure, anyone who knows me would say, “Duh! Why did it take you so long to realize you’re an Introvert?” It’s not that simple. The problem is that labeling someone as an Introvert is a very shallow assessment, full of common misconceptions. It’s more complex than that.

A section of Laney’s book maps out the human brain and explains how neuro-transmitters follow different dominant paths in the nervous systems of Introverts and Extroverts. If the science behind the book is correct, it turns out that Introverts are people who are over-sensitive to Dopamine, so too much external stimulation overdoses and exhausts them. Conversely, Extroverts can’t get enough Dopamine, and they require Adrenaline for their brains to create it. Extroverts also have a shorter pathway and less blood-flow to the brain. The messages of an Extrovert’s nervous system mostly bypass the Broca’s area in the frontal lobe, which is where a large portion of contemplation takes place.

Unfortunately, according to the book, only about 25% of people are Introverts. There are even fewer that are as extreme as I am. This leads to a lot of misunderstandings, since society doesn’t have very much experience with my people. (I love being able to say that.)

So here are a few common misconceptions about Introverts (not taken directly from the book, but based on my own life experience):

Myth #1 – Introverts don’t like to talk.
This is not true. Introverts just don’t talk unless they have something to say. They hate small talk. Get an introvert talking about something they are interested in, and they won’t shut up for days.

Myth #2 – Introverts are shy.
Shyness has nothing to do with being an Introvert. Introverts are not necessarily afraid of people. What they need is a reason to interact. They don’t interact for the sake of interacting. If you want to talk to an Introvert, just start talking. Don’t worry about being polite.

Myth #3 – Introverts are rude.
Introverts often don’t see a reason for beating around the bush with social pleasantries. They want everyone to just be real and honest. Unfortunately, this is not acceptable in most settings, so Introverts can feel a lot of pressure to fit in, which they find exhausting.

Myth #4 – Introverts don’t like people.
On the contrary, Introverts intensely value the few friends they have. They can count their close friends on one hand. If you are lucky enough for an introvert to consider you a friend, you probably have a loyal ally for life. Once you have earned their respect as being a person of substance, you’re in.

Myth #5 – Introverts don’t like to go out in public.
Nonsense. Introverts just don’t like to go out in public FOR AS LONG. They also like to avoid the complications that are involved in public activities. They take in data and experiences very quickly, and as a result, don’t need to be there for long to “get it.” They’re ready to go home, recharge, and process it all. In fact, recharging is absolutely crucial for Introverts.

Myth #6 – Introverts always want to be alone.
Introverts are perfectly comfortable with their own thoughts. They think a lot. They daydream. They like to have problems to work on, puzzles to solve. But they can also get incredibly lonely if they don’t have anyone to share their discoveries with. They crave an authentic and sincere connection with ONE PERSON at a time.

Myth #7 – Introverts are weird.
Introverts are often individualists. They don’t follow the crowd. They’d prefer to be valued for their novel ways of living. They think for themselves and because of that, they often challenge the norm. They don’t make most decisions based on what is popular or trendy.

Myth #8 – Introverts are aloof nerds.
Introverts are people who primarily look inward, paying close attention to their thoughts and emotions. It’s not that they are incapable of paying attention to what is going on around them, it’s just that their inner world is much more stimulating and rewarding to them.

Myth #9 – Introverts don’t know how to relax and have fun.
Introverts typically relax at home or in nature, not in busy public places. Introverts are not thrill seekers and adrenaline junkies. If there is too much talking and noise going on, they shut down. Their brains are too sensitive to the neurotransmitter called Dopamine. Introverts and Extroverts have different dominant neuro-pathways. Just look it up.

Myth #10 – Introverts can fix themselves and become Extroverts.
A world without Introverts would be a world with few scientists, musicians, artists, poets, filmmakers, doctors, mathematicians, writers, and philosophers. That being said, there are still plenty of techniques an Extrovert can learn in order to interact with Introverts. (Yes, I reversed these two terms on purpose to show you how biased our society is.) Introverts cannot “fix themselves” and deserve respect for their natural temperament and contributions to the human race. In fact, one study (Silverman, 1986) showed that the percentage of Introverts increases with IQ.

“You cannot escape us, and to change us would lead to your demise.” <-- I made that up. I'm a screenwriter. It can be terribly destructive for an Introvert to deny themselves in order to get along in an Extrovert-Dominant World. Like other minorities, Introverts can end up hating themselves and others because of the differences. If you think you are an Introvert, I recommend you research the topic and seek out other Introverts to compare notes. The burden is not entirely on Introverts to try and become "normal." Extroverts need to recognize and respect us, and we also need to respect ourselves. Let me know your thoughts. -Carl.

I usually don't post articles like this but it seems kind of important to me. Anyway, on to some fun stuff. I found a few more pictures out there of Jingle Cross to post. It really is a great race to attend, if you are looking to hit a bigger regional race next year put this one on your schedule, you won't be disappointed.

The run up at Jingle cross is epic, really, that sucker is long and steep. Once you reach the top you have to get on your bike and ride the rest of the way to the top of Mt. Krumpet

Bill on the decent of Mt. Krumpet. Sunday the switchbacks were ride able, Saturday, not so much....

Here's a better way to see what Jingle Cross is all about in a video shot by Keith Walberg.

http://vimeo.com/33167953.

Jingle Cross

2011-11-28T15:39:00.001-06:00

Another edition of Jingle Cross has come and gone and here I sit not sure just what to do next. I guess that's something for later in the post so I'll start with the races. It's kind of funny that I was checking the weather a few days before the race and I started whining to Mathgeek about the predicted cold, wet, windy conditions. She just looked at me and said, "I guess you will have REAL cross conditions this weekend". Ouch, that must mean just shut up and race. That statement actually isn't true, the KCCX crew has seen our share of muddy races this year when we have been on the road, it's just the local races that have not seen mud this year. In any case the weather on Friday was actually pleasant, 50 degrees with a little wind had me taking my number off my thermal skinsuit and putting it on a normal one after warming up. Conditions were really good and the course to my liking so I was ready to race. The only part of the course that I didn't like was the run-up but it was so steep that nobody was going fast up it. That's a good thing for this gimp. I races the Masters 45+ race that starts 1 minute after the 35+ race. Once we started it didn't take long to mix in with the 35+ race and I managed work through some of the 35+ race and get into the lead of my race. The problem with mixing of the two races is that you never really have an idea of who is in your race and who isn't. I pretty much set a pace and stuck with it to the end for the win. Kind of nice since my fitness is pretty questionable right now.

Saturday dawned and it was a whole different ball game. The weather had changed and it had rained all night. On top of that the temps had dropped a bit. Even with the steady rain it wasn't too bad out, that is until just before my race when the wind changed to the north. Soon the temps dropped even more and a gusty cold wind popped up. As you can see in the picture above the course soon turned to sloppy mud and many of the climbs/descent's turned into runs. I'm no fan of the cold but the muddy conditions favor my style of riding so I was ready to race. After another good start I got into the lead and started stretching it out a bit. I was running the downhill switchbacks until the last pitch then jumping back on the bike. It worked great until the 3rd lap when I didn't get clipped back into my pedals. As I was trying to get clipped back in I hit a bump and went cartwheeling over the bars. There's a video below of Steve crashing at the bottom of the same hill. Anyway, I did a complete yardsale to the roar of the crowd and then jumped back on my bike only to find the front brake messed up. I got it fixed enough to get back to the pit and change bikes and that's when I found out my knee and ankle were tweaked pretty bad. It was bad when I went to change bikes and even worse when I hit the barriers. Game over, time to quit. It was just about then that I noticed I wasn't wearing my glasses anymore. Hmmmmm, I guess it's a good crash when you have to go back and look for your glasses!

Crop circles in Iowa! Actually It's the death spiral part of the course that was worn into the grass during the races.

Sunday came and it was cold but the rain had stopped, yea!!!! That didn't mean that the mud would be better, actually it was worse. It went from a soupy consistency to sticky peanut butter. Here is where having a good crew in the pits really makes a difference. Our teammate Logan and his dad worked the pits to perfection for Bill and I in the 35+/45+ race. We were changing bikes every lap and it makes a huge difference. I would dump off a muddy 30 pound bike that wouldn't shift well and pick a perfect bike. They would scramble to wash it, dry it, and make it work, all before I came around again in 9 minutes. Lap after lap they were ready and it worked, I won and Bill was 6th.

I don't know where I was for this! Actually there is a speedo/swimsuit/singlespeed charity race for a race sponsor. It's really fun to watch for a number of reasons and I'm kind of sad I missed it.

Below is something that you see quite a bit during the weekend. Mud mixing with pea gravel is not a good thing for bikes. Just one pebble in the der and jam it up and in a second you end up with what you see below. The bummer for this guy is that he has a destroyed electronic Dura Ace der and those are big $$$$$$$.

Here's the video of steve crashing. I crashed with a bit more speed about half way down the hill and ended up rolling through the tape. Found my glasses in the weeds near the bottom and now I have a black and blue ankle for my efforts.

The Specialized mechanics showing classic form in the pits. One ready to catch and one holding the clean bike. Once the exchange is made one guy washes the bikes while the other keeps track of the riders. You can see the other mechanics in the background looking for their riders. Lyne at PodiumInsight has a good article that she wrote on the subject here.

One of the best parts of the weekend is that both Joe and Kevin got UCI points. People with UCI points start in the front rows at UCI races like the USGP series. It's the difference between starting in the 3rd row of 8 riders vs the 10 row.

Now for that what next question I was referring to at the beginning of the post. Today is the day that I went in for a 2nd opinion on my knee. Last year there were 3 choices, cortisone, arthroscopic surgery, or joint replacement. Last year I chose to shoot it full of cortisone and muddle through the rest of the cross season. During the summer I really didn't have many problems with the knee during road season but as soon as cross started I had issues. So since the season has become such a disaster I decided to see what could be done and not worry about Nationals or Masters Worlds. Today I was told that my knee rates a 8/9 on a scale of 1-10 for knee replacement. In fact, if I were 60 or older he would schedule it for next week. If I decided today that I was done bike racing he said that it was a strong possibility he would just go ahead a do the surgery now regardless of my age. But mentally I'm just not done yet, I have been thinking about scaling back a bit so maybe the process has begun. Anyway, after much discussion with the surgeon today cortisone and arthroscopic surgery has been ruled out as they would be ineffective. There are really only two options, knee replacement or injections with some stuff called Orthovisc. So injections it is starting next week. For the next 3-4 weeks I'll be going in every Monday to get my knee shot full of goop.

So that pretty much kills any hopes for Cross Nationals and most likely Masters Worlds. It all depends on how my knee reacts to the first injection. If you can't train you can't race so I'll just have to see what happens.

Lincoln Cross Weekend

2011-11-21T22:24:00.001-06:00

Last weekend I made the drive up to Lincoln with the family for the cross races and more importantly, to catch up with some folks we have not seen for a while. After making all most monthly trips to Lincoln for years we somehow found ourselves not making a trip for over a year. The cross races are all ways well run and fun but more than anything Mathgeek and I really wanted to get away for a little mini vacation. So off we went with a somewhat late start Saturday morning and headed to Lincoln. the grand plan was to get to the venue in time for me to do the Open race. We did make it in time but my head just wasn't in it, a little too rushed and just out of sync. Did a few laps of the course and found it quite a bit different that what we are used to at Pioneers park. At first call for line up I rolled over to the start to find that I was going to be in the back at the start. That was a bummer but I thought I could work my way up. Little did I know it would be all most impossible to pass in the first few laps and after jamming my front wheel into unmarked holes tyring to make passes my motivation was flagging. In fact, after a few laps I just quit at rode around for a few more laps taking a buck on one lap and a beer on the next. That's right, a beer, and I don't drink, it was that kind of day. But later in the evening things got much better good company and pizza at Yia Yia's.

Since I can't ride the cross bike I've been trying to ride the MTB for training. The trails at Swope are in great shape this fall.

We had to run to the Nebraska Bookstore to pick up a few items of Husker Wear and check out downtown and campus. Pretty amazing the changes from year to year not to mention the changes since I lived there. JoBro was unimpressed with campus, still a KU fan.

On to Sundays race. I did the Masters race since it was early and we wanted to get back to KC as early as possible. I didn't figure on the low temps and 17 degrees when I got up was a stunner. At least the sun was out and the wind had died down. This time I got a better start position and got into the lead near the end of the first lap. Overall I had a pretty good race but I can tell my fitness is pretty suspect. Maybe it was the cold but it really took a while to get comfortable in the race and by that time my fingers were frozen. During the race it was hard to shift and after the race it was pretty pain full as they warmed up. Might have to get better gloves before next weekend. I was busy chatting and hanging out with some old friends and before I knew it I had to get going. Mathgeek and the kids decided to hang out at the hotel and go swimming while I was racing. Pretty smart considering the temperatures.

The drive to Lincoln was on I-29 and HWY 2, both were under water for most of the summer and it was pretty interesting to see what's left when the water goes away. Kind of a lesson for the kids.

So now it's time for Thanksgiving and then my annual trek to Iowa City and JINGLE CROSS! 3 days of racing in the cold, rain/snow, and sloppy mud. I'm just guessing it's going to be messy, I don't think I've ever been there and had dry conditions. As a bonus Nebraska plays Iowa on Friday and I should start my race Friday night just as the game ends. Should be an interesting weekend.

A little catching up to do

2011-11-17T20:39:00.001-06:00

Once again it's been a while since I've posted anything. What can I say, not too much positive stuff going on from the racing side. On top of that I managed to crush both my phone and my camera since my last post so I've been a little short on the equipment side. Cross season has been a disaster and the cross bikes didn't even leave the hook between the Ft.Collins USGP and the week before the GP in Louisville. I did a local race to see if my knee was going to function well enough to race and it held up pretty well. Louisville was a bust for a multitude of reasons so that leaves us with the Lincoln weekend this week and Jingle Cross the following week. It will be nice to get back to Lincoln and see some people we have not seen in a while.

Birdy at the Cinci C3 races

Kelly at the top of the Green Monster in Louisville. Yes, those steps really are that big!

cross and beer in Louisville

A barely ridden Trek/Volkswagen MTB came through the shop with an original Rocket Boy seat on it, brought back some memories.

Mark on a tear at eh BLVD Cup race here in KC

Tonight was pie night at the Cub Scout meeting. JoBro got pied a number of times. As a Boy Scout den leader he was a bit of a target.

BLVD Cup shot of me.

Maybe I'll have a few pictures after this weekend. There should be plenty to see on Hooligan hill, weather it will be suitable for the blog remains to be seen.

Picking on Ryan again

2011-10-25T22:42:00.000-05:00

I finally decided to join the bandwagon and get a twitter account and see what everybody is up to. It's been pretty amusing and every once in a while you see something that's pretty good. Last post I had a picture of Ryan Knapp crashing in the sand and through twitter I came across this web site. Mathgeek thought it was pretty amusing but beware, it's a little bit beyond PG.

From BDIPC:

Listen. We need to talk. We’ve been having some second thoughts. Surely you, too, are familiar with that feeling. It occurs immediately after receiving confirmation that someone’s read something you’ve written about them. You see, we generally write under the assumption that the Dudes we write about will never read it, and we never gave even half a thought to the idea that we’d ever meet the Dudes. But then we wrote the CX season kickoff post and every Dude we wrote about read it, which was fine. But then we found out that we were traveling to the USGP CX Planet Bike Cup in Madison, and it felt exactly like the second you’re forced to inhale ocean water because you know you won’t make it to the surface to breathe in time.

But as we all know, there’s no way to say “I want to un-fuck you,” so after we’d arrived and stopped hiding behind our friends, we faked a bit of bravado. Jeremy Powers bashfully called “Hello!” to us before we recognized him. Ryan Trebon looked up to see us perched on a picnic table behind the actual press during the post-podium presser, broke into a grin, waved, and afterwards gave us a hug that lasted just a bit too long. And much to our surprise, the world kept right on spinning as the first day of racing ended. Relieved, we returned to BDIPC’s Madison HQ to find a message from one Ryan Knapp. It read: “I tried to shoot a wink to [BDIPC] as I took a dollar handup from her today. Hope she got it.” Hands clapped over mouths. Giggle. Who is this Dude and how does he know who we are? Google. Ladies and gentlemen, this is Ryan Knapp:

We fucking know, right?!

So on day two, we told him where we’d be. We sloshed through the mud, glancing sidelong into other Dudes’ faces in the hope that it would be him. Nothing. Just as we were about to give up hope, our most trusted advisor approached, pointed, and said, “There.” And there he was. He looked up, saw us, smiled, and called out, “I looked for you! I couldn’t find you.” Cheek kiss, small talk. Good luck! We walked away to shiver and cowbell our way through the race, and when it was over we ambled toward the line and looked for familiar faces. And there he was again, laughing as he was being sprayed down. He came to us and we walked together as he told us how the mechanic said “Don’t forget ze veenar!” which incidentally appeared to be the only area on his body that wasn’t covered in mud. We successfully suppressed the urge to shout, “Do you have any idea who you’re talking to right now? Ve vould nevar forget ze veenar!”

Then there were goodbyes to be said and hands to be shaken, hugs to give and photos to pose for. And when it was all said and done, the only thing there was time for was goodbye. So, Ryan, listen. The next time we’re farewelling in the middle of a parking lot and you hold onto us for so long that there’s time enough to open our eyes and peek over your shoulder to see your teammates gaping open-mouthed at us, know that you have two choices. We can either go somewhere we can be alone or we’re going to give those poor, jealous teammates of yours something worthwhile to stare at. Because forget about forgetting about it, ve can’t stop thinking about it.

What a stud........

Copied from, bangabledudesinprocycling.com

I got nothin.........

2011-10-16T23:03:00.000-05:00

It's been a while since my last post but really I don't have too much to say. Not much racing to talk about except the Ft. Collins USGP round. Illness and injury at this round pretty much blew my title hopes out of the water so I've been laying low and trying to figure it all out. It is a good time to get some stuff done around the house so I'm feeling pretty good about that.

I'll just have to amuse myself by looking at some of Lyne's pictures. She was at Spooky Cross in California and has some great shots of some crashes on the beach. Here's Ryan Knapp getting ready to eat some sand. Bummer that he's going down but hey, it's more fun when you know the guy!

The Weekend that Wasn't

2011-10-04T22:39:00.000-05:00

The weekend the wasn’t……….Ok, I should say the race weekendthat wasn’t. Let me explain. So far the cross season has started off with abang, a real big bang. CrossVegas, Cross after dark in St. Louis, and then offto Madison WI for the first round of the USGP series. It’s been a little bitcrazy for a variety of reasons on top of the team duties and we only have one weekend off before we head to Ft. Collins, CO for second round of the USGP. That's not much time to get caught up around home and with the team as well. Asyou might guess priority number one was to get caught up with what’s going onwith the family and school and maybe even get a little work done around thehouse. Second on the hit list wasfiguring out what needs to be fixed after last weeks mud race. Mud is the greatdestroyer of cross bikes so the list was long. Of course we are still gluing uptires and figuring out our wheel situation. Such is life when the road teamuses the wheels up until a week before Vegas.

I had really hoped that it would be a little slow around the shop last week so I would have some timeto get caught up with other things but it was not to be. I had forgotten thatthe Tour de Bar-b-que was happening on our off weekend. We had tune-ups,overhauls, you name it , all week. Bad timing for me for sure but I’ll nevercomplain about the work, especially going into the slow season. So I had littleor no time to get anything done on the team bikes during the week and then another issue creeped into the mix.Out of the blue on Tuesday my knee started swelling, I was at work and by themiddle of the day my knee woundn’t bendenough to test ride bikes. To say that I was a little freaked out would be anunderstatement.

So we roll into the weekend and I was scheduled to race dayone of the Boss Cross series here in KC. I was a little nervous about racing for a number of reasons. Onebeing the fact that Mathgeek had quarter end at work so I was running solo withthe boys. Another was that I only had one bike due to the fact that other onewas still shelled from Madison. Of course the biggest issue was the balky knee.

Now I’ve been to the venue where the race was happening andI know it’s not a family friendly course. There is no parking at the course so you have to park at a school aquarter mile away and use a walkway to get to the course. So we arrive at thecourse to find a huge line at registration and nowhere to park. I decide topark at school and ride over to thecourse while the kids stay at the car. It’s an hour and a half before racetime, I figured I had plenty of time to register and pre-ride the course. Butafter 30 min of waiting in line with little movement I had to get back to thecar and check on the boys. Since the boys were ok I went back to giveregistration another try. Once again the line was long so I set my bike backdown in the same place I had left it before. So now it’s less than an hour torace time and the line is just as long and it’s not moving so I decide topre-ride a lap of the course and come back. The sand runs were going to be longand that’s just not what the doctor ordered for a bad knee. So I come back toregistration and the line is just as long. Again, I’ve been gone a long timeand need to check on the boys so I ride back to the car. So three times I’vecome and gone from the registration line leaving my bike in the same placeevery time, remember that fact.

So as I’m leaving I spot a place in the ditch next tothe venue that I can squease the van into. Off I go to the van, throw my bikein the back, strap in the boys and move out. We get the coveted parking spotand now its 30 minutes until race time. I jump out of the van and walk over toregistration to find the person I was standing behind earlier now 10-15 peoplefrom the front of the line, still moving slow. In my mindthe great debate was raging. Not warming up was going to be an issue andrunning in the sand was going to be an even bigger problem. So I waited, anddebated, and waited some more, and got even more stressed out. All of the timewondering what my boys are up to.

So I finally get my number about 10 minutes before racetime. With my mind reeling I walked over to where my left my bike and it wasn’tthere. I was sure where I left it............. but it was gone.Maybe Bill thought it was my back up bike and took it to the pit or maybesomeone just picked it up by mistake. I was sure it wasn’t stolen but where wasit? Perplexed, I stood there looking for it before walking back to the van............................ andfinding my bike in the back. Duh………..

Emotional meltdown, you bet. I loaded everything up andheaded for home. No race today. But in the end it was all for the best. Theboys and I went home and had a great day together. We got some things donearound the house that needed to be done and had time to play and jump on thetrampoline and generally goof off. In the end I guess I just needed to get awayfrom the race scene for a weekend and be a dad. Glad I did.

So am I bummed about not racing, sure, I love to race. Wasit for the best that I didn’t race, yep, no doubt about it. At this point I’m threedays away from heading out to Ft.Collins and round 3/4 of the USGP series and I'm pretty relaxed. My knee is slowly getting better and I'll just do what I can.

And so it begins........

2011-09-28T22:42:00.001-05:00

Cross season has finally started for me and it really came in a rush. After a short blast out to Interbike and Cross Vegas we had a few days to prepare for St.Louis and the beginning of a long road trip to the first USGP in Madison, WI. We were still scrambling to get our bikes and wheels prepared for the season so Bill and I got a early start to St. Louis while the rest of the team headed out later. It was a smart move, we were at the venue in plenty of time to set up our tents, ect... and then get ready to race the masters race. I figured it was going to be a pretty interesting race, riding a bike that had never been ridden before with no pre-race warm up. Lining up in the back made the start a little crazy but I managed to work my way up to the front pretty quick. It was about then that I really began to feel that lack of a warm up and really started to fade. Lucky for me we had a group of 8 off the front and the pace backed off for a bit. Not long after that the pace picked back up and by the end of the race it was down to 4. Going into the final sprint I had figured out where I needed to be in the sprint and it worked out and I won the sprint. The first race of the year ended with a win and then it was time to get to work setting up bikes for Ashley and the women's elite race. We had Kelly and Ashley in the Woman's race and Matt and Kevin in the Mens race. All of the riders had good races and we were off to a good season.

Ashley rocking the new KCCX colors!

The Telnet-Fedia riders hanging out in the KCCX/FUJI team tents. Wish I had more time to hang out and check out what they were up to but it was not to be.

Ashley got the Miss photogenic award for the weekend. Pictures of her popped up in photo galleries all over.

You know we are in St.Louis when you see a Fritz's Root Beer Sign. Since I don't drink the real deal I really could of used some Root Beer late in the night.

Day 1 at the USGP, so clean at this point.

Collecting dollar bills on the run up.

Joe and Kevin working the mud Sunday.

Yea, it was that sloppy for the women and even worse for the men.

We arrived in Madison early Friday to get the trailer set and start to prepare our area. Bill and I wrapped up prepping our area just about the time the course opened up to pre ride. The rest of the team arrived and we rode for a bit before wrapping it up for the day.

Saturday, Day 1 of the USGP and from the beginning we were just a bit off. I have no idea why but if it could go wrong, it did. I guess it had me a little off balance and just not mentally prepared to race. After a so-so start I was riding in the lead group and occasionally leading when my bike started shifting funny. I wasn't happening all of the time so I didn't take a bike but before I could get back to the pit the rear skewer came loose and the rear wheel started locking up. I hopped off and ran to the pit but lost a ton of time getting a new bike. In the end I made up a few places but ended up 6th.

Sunday we were entering the venue and noticed that I had rained overnight but at the moment I was dry. That was about the only dry time during the day. Most of the day it rained and at one point the races were delayed by lightning and hail. For me, the rain was a good thing as I'm a little better in the mud than others and it helped even more that they had changed the course and added in a few more technical features. The rain stopped just in time for my race to start and off we went into the slop. I got into the lead soon after the start and was able to ride a few areas of the course that others were running and that allowed me to get a bit of a lead. It was a good thing, I'm way behind in fitness and the lead was getting smaller in the end. I'll take a win any way I can get it and it moved me up to 3rd in the overall standings.

Everybody on the team had good rides during the weekend and as a team we are off to a good start. Hats off to the whole crew for pitching in all weekend. We have more riders, a bigger rig, and way more equipment than ever before and it took the whole team to keep it all up and running. Time to get a little training in before Ft.Collins in 2 weeks.

Where do I start

2011-09-22T23:06:00.001-05:00

Where has the time gone.........I keep wondering over and over. I've been meaning to post just about every day but life keeps getting in the way. Before I knew it a month or two have passed and I haven't posted anything. I guess the whirlwind really began with a trip to Steamboat Co for a little family vacation and to catch the Colorado Cycling Challenge bicycle race. It was a quick trip but we had a great time. We had a chance to catch up with family, ride bikes in the mountains, and even catch the Pro's race. It was great fun but soon we had to get back so the kids could get back for school the following Monday. The next Friday it was off top St.Louis, Mo with The Mercy Road team for the last series of races of the year on the road. I made the leap and rode the Pro 1-2 races all 4 days and I was pleasantly surprised to be riding fairly well even with my lack of training.

I came home excited to make the switch to the cross season but incredibly stressed about the lack of time and the work load before the first race. I guess the stress and fatigue brought on another illness that could of been shingles or another nerve disorder issue. From the high of riding well to the low of going on anti-seizure medicine and painkillers, it was just about enough to make me walk away for cycling. Just too many illnesses and injuries this season to make training and racing very attractive but after I started to recover the urge to ride and race returned.

So after 10 days or so off the bike I headed off to LasVegas with the crew from the KCCX/FUJI Cyclocross team for the Cross Vegas Cyclocross race. I wasn't racing but I went along to help Bill at the Challenge Tire Booth at the show and then wrench for the team at the race. I can tell you right now that Vegas and it's casinos are really not my style but Interbike and all the bike bling is right up my alley. Cross Vegas was great but a bit stress full, we were totally under equiped, as in no spare bikes, wheels, or even my tools. Our riders were out of luck if they had a flat or mechanical and sure enough it happened to one of our guys in the Elite race. If we had a spare bike it would of not been an issue but as it was a finish well inside the top 20 went down the tubes for Joe. Huge bummer for Joe and me as well, talk about feeling helpless!

Just one week after returning from Vegas we were off again for another race in the Cross After Dark Series, this time in St. Louis. Last night we has a little more than half the team present and I think everybody walked away with a little prize money. It was a good race with a number of Pro's mixed in with the local/regional riders looking for UCI points. Good crowds made the event pretty electric which was great for a 1st year event. I decide to do the Masters race since I still had a ton of bike building to do before the Elite races later in the day. After a last row start for both Bill and I we both managed to move through the field pretty quick to get near the front by the end of the first lap. During the rest of the race I went through periods of feeling bad then feeling good but it was mostly bad. At one point I was getting gapped off but got back on. In the end it came down to a 4 man sprint and I had a plan in my mind of what I wanted to do and it actually worked out. Coming out with a win was a huge surprise after only being on the bike once in the past 14 days but I'll take it. Quite a few guys from KC were in the race so it made the race even more fun.

So today we hung out at our host house and worked on bikes and wheels. Even after a massive gluing session we still have quite a few wheels left to do but with blisters on my thumbs and really sore wrists I had to stop. Tomorrow we are up early to head to Madison, WI for the first 2 rounds of the USGP Series. I'm going to leave it at that and promise more updates from the road. Time to get some sleep before a 4:30am wake up call. I'll just leave you with a few pictures......

Bill and Ashley (Birdy) after her first race for the team. First ride on the new bike and she was battling it out for the lead for the first part of the race and eventually finishing 8th.

Kelly's 3rd outing in the KCCX kit resulted in a 9th place finish. Kelly got our first 2 wins of the season last weekend at Hermann Cross.

Friday night at Gateway Cup, I love racing at night!

Shadd picking up a win for Mercy Cycling at Gateway Cup.

Kevin Fish is another addition to the squad and at 19 yrs old he's fast! 11th last night in the UCI Pro race shows he has huge potential and this is only his 2nd year racing cross.

Had to throw this picture of Curly defeating his fears and ripping the Alpine Slide in Steamboat!

This one is hard for me to put into words. This is Jobro on the same size bike that I ride. It's a little big for him at the moment but it won't be for long. He did great on the trails for his first time in the mountains.

So that's my update, short and sweet and really incomplete but it will have to do. More posts to come and hopefully I can shoot some video with all of my new cool equipment.

Nite.....zzzzzzzzzzzz

Quick post

2011-08-17T00:10:00.000-05:00

Not much time to post, once again it's back to dealing with doctors so our days are all messed up. Another inconclusive test result from last weeks MRI which I guess is a good thing. Now it's time to test out a different drug as the last one I tried really messed up my training. Then that's it for the ENT doc's and the next step is the neurologist. If that wasn't bad enough Jobro ended up going in for a root canal on a tooth he broke last fall. The dentist built it back up and it looked pretty good but it started hurting him the past few days and today it was time to take action. He got through the procedure just fine so he's good to go. Wonder what's going to happen next?

Rode up to Leavenworth last weekend and caught this view of the Missouri river flooding. Still makes me wonder what it looked like a month ago at the floods crest. I saw something on the news about the stench and junk that will be left over after the water recedes . I rode up the newly reopened Hwy 5 and found out that they were right, it did stink.

Game #1 for Jobro this season was a night game at the OP soccer palace. The boys played great for their first time on a full sized field and managed a tie. Pretty good way to start the season!

I've been following a bunch of people I know that went out to the Leadville 100 MTB race just to see how the did. Tons of great post race stories and I don't think anybody ever goes away disappointed no matter how their race went. After that was over I started following the Breck Epic race. The main reason I was interested was that Kansas transplant Cameron Chambers was in the race. Cam is a super talented mountain biker and a former National 24 hr champ. He lives in Colorado Springs, CO now but it's still fun to keep track of what he's up to. You should check out his blog on the Stumpjumper Trail Crew site. Here's the link to the site. Check it out, he writes a great post race report.

For me it's another week rolling around KC. Tomorrow I'll make another attempt at the Hill ride. The last few weeks I've went on this ride and have managed to get dropped by the 14 yr olds and most the old guys with hairy legs. Oh well, have to keep at it, the last thing to come back is all ways the climbing legs!

Last week of Freedom

2011-08-12T23:40:00.000-05:00

The end is near for the boys, two more days of summer vacation and then it's back to school. The past week is a off week for all of us as there are no summer camps the final week of the summer. With that in mind we've just been kicking back and relaxing at home.

If you know of anybody looking for a light fork for their cross bike I've got 2 Alpha Q forks for sale. They retailed for over $500.00 each when they were new but I'll let then go for way less than that. Let me know if you are interested.

Got my care package from Bob's Red Mill today. All you have to do is go here and sign up for the Train with Grain program. Tons of great products but the Steel Cut Oats are still my favorite.

Old school shoe drying methods are still the best! At least it was a warm rain.

I knew that it was going to rain when I left the house but it started looking pretty nasty so I turned around and headed for home. I was close, it started raining about a mile from the house. Good thing I was close, water I can deal with, lightning, not so much.

I can't remember where I got this picture, I think it was off Facebook, but check out Brad Cole sporting his Mercy kit on the MTB. Pretty sweet!

There's a ton of racing going on this weekend, MTB, road. Of course I'm not ready for anything this weekend but maybe next week.

2011-08-10T11:19:00.001-05:00

I saw that there was a pretty cool article written on our boy Joe Schmalz in Road Magazine . It's great to see him get some press after getting some great results this year. Road Magazine is a pretty cool but it's pretty pricy to buy. I never thought about the online version until Brian Hardy put the link to Joe's article on Facebook. It's pretty easy to page through the article and it starts on pg 40.

Not too much new for me, still battliing the injury bug and it's driving me crazy. The stitches came out and have healed nicely. I thought I could start riding hard again but was reminded yesterday that I don't heal as quickly as I used to when we hit a double set of train tracks and the bouncing made me feel like someone hit me in the shin with a 2x4. Oh well, I'll just have to be mellow a little longer.

I've really been wanting to ride North and check out the flooding in Parkville. Since the water has started receding the flood has fallen of peoples radar but there is still a lot of water out there.

In fact, it looks like the water has really only dropped a foot or so from it's high water mark. The line through the middle of the picture is actually the edge if the Missouri river. There were cyclocross races here last year but it looks like they may have to find a new venue this year.

Last fall Curly, Jobro, and I went out to watch the cross races the the river was down here. The bank of the river is to the left of the picture and about 20ft up. Pretty amazing how much water there is now and how long it's been here. I'm pretty sure that I-29 is still closed in Iowa due to the flood so it's still bad up there as well.

Here's a new addition to my sock collection. Choch gave me these and they will go nicely with my new Source Endurance kit.

Getting close to cross time! I may have to bring the waffle iron to the races this year so Bill and I can have something to eat on our early morning race day setups.

A few people asked about Carly lately so here she is. I think she is going to be on the small side as far as Labs go but that's ok.

This is where we were with Curly's front teeth, as in there were none! Seems that the gums had become like leather and the teeth couldn't push through. A little work with a scapel in the periodontists office and he now has all 4 teeth poking through. It's been a week and I think the teeth are now dropping down as they should. Yea!!! Kind of had me spooked that he would never have front teeth!

Tomorrow is going to be interesting. I have a appointment to get a MRI of my head to look for causes for my migraines/ear issues. I got a call today from KU Med and answered some pre test questions and the first thing he mentioned was do I suffer from claustrofobia? Ummm yep, I do. So tomorrow it's going to be a mind over matter test to see if I can handle being in the tube. I think drugs may be in order for this one since I had a reaction when he even mentioned the tube. It's weird that I never had clausturofobia until I started having issues with my ear but as the ear/balance issues have progressed so has the claustrofobia. I'll let you know how that one goes tomorrrow.

All quiet on the KC front

2011-07-31T14:41:00.000-05:00

The last post I did was 2 weeks ago after the fiasco that was the Omaha/KC race weekend. Since then I've had a few things happen that pretty much took me out of the posting mood. Where to start........... In the week following the urgent care/ER session I actually rode to work a few days and my leg felt pretty good. The problem was any time that I was standing, like at work, it began to hurt and just wouldn't stop until I put it up. On top of that it was keeping me up at night with the dull pain and occasional bump from my other leg. Bummer, but I could deal with it. During all of this I went in to the ENT clinic and got tested for Mineres Disease. This disease causes progressive hearing loss until deaf. Great week. That brings me to this week. Monday Curly and I went in to a periodontist to see why his front teeth are not coming in. Turns out that his gums have become too tough for his teeth to push through so a little surgery is needed to get that to happen. Oh Yea... Tuesday it was my turn to see a doctor. I went in to get my stitches removed and to see why my leg still hurts. Turns out that my fibula has two small fractures and there might be some infection in there as well. Back on antibiotics with orders to keep all exercise low impact. Wednesday I got a break with no doctors visits but Thursday it was back to the ENT office to find out test results. The test was negative for Menieres diseases but did show something else that will require a CT scan to check out. At least it is really becoming apparent that there is a connection between my migraine headaches and vertigo. Not so happy about going in the tube to have my head scanned but at this point I'll do whatever it takes. That brings us to Friday and by now I'm totally fried. Just making it through the day was a victory.So now it's the weekend and Curly and I have just been kicking back and relaxing. You may have noticed that I have not mentioned Mathgeek or Jobro and that's because they have been at Boy Scout Camp all week.

Speaking of injuries, here's Chad Reed getting really lucky to remain uninjured after this fall. Reminds me why I ended my motocross career. I crashed in a similar manner and ended up riding to the hospital in the back of a pickup truck. Just about lost a kidney from that one.

On a much more positive note we stripped all of our back up bikes and now they are just waiting for the SRAM parts to show up. Soon it will be time to start building.

Here's the parts kits that we pulled off the bikes. The kit includes Oval concepts wheels, stem, and seat post, Utlegra ders and shifters, FSA Slk cranks with 50-34 chain rings. I'm not sure about the bars as I never even unwrapped them. All this can be yours for the low price of $1000.00. We have 9 full build kits like this and for the price it's a steal. If you are interested let me know and I can hook you up.

I got a Challenge trucker hat and right away Curly tried to steal it from me!

Jobro as he was heading for Boy Scout camp. Bet he doesn't look so fresh now that he's been at camp in 100 degree weather for a week.

So tomorrow we begin another week with Curly's dental surgery which is a major bummer but is all good if it helps his teeth. Once we get past Monday it's finally time to get back on the bike and get started training again.

The Race Weekend

2011-07-18T00:19:00.000-05:00

The past weekend the plan was to run up to Omaha for the criterium portion of the Omaha Cycling Weekend on Saturday and then head for home and do the MTB race KC on Sunday. I knew it was going to be hot in Omaha but I had no idea that the humidity would be so high. At least we had a 8pm start time so temps were going to get a bit cooler than during the day.

Today the temperature at the MTB race was going to be HOT, at 100 degrees in the woods, there is no other way to describe it. So after arriving home from Omaha at 3am I rolled out to Shawnee Mission Park for the race. I did bring plenty of water and ice so I was prepared for the heat. What I wasn't prepared for was the trails. It's been a while since I've ridden trails at speed and the trails in the park are not overly technical but they are covered in rocks. Oh well, I was going into the race just to start getting more time in on the mtb so it was all good.

I picked up these super sweet GamJams Socks at the crit in Omaha. So with my cool new socks I set out for the start of the race. With a mile long gravel road start we rolled off into the course and I rolled into the singletrack in 2nd place. Shortly after that the leader fell and left me in 1st. Now that really wasn't my plan, I really needed to follow someone since I didn't pre-ride the course and my bike handling was a little rusty. But I took off and built a pretty big gap over 2nd place by the end of the 1st lap. Rolling into the singletrack at the start of the 2nd lap was where things started to go bad. As soon as I got in the rocky section of the course I could tell that my back tire was starting to lose air. Soon I was starting to focus on not bottoming out my rear tire on the rocks instead of focusing on my lines.

About half way through the 2nd lap I managed to get near the edge of the trail and catch my pedal on something. Whatever it was it stopped me on a dime and over the bars I went. After rolling into the rocks I noticed that I was also sitting in poison ivy. Great! I ran back to my bike to find that my bars had spun around backwards and the rear tire was just about flat. I got the bars back around and started riding but it wasn't long before I had to stop and put some air in the tire. Twice I tried to put some air in the tire and twice it failed. Now that I was completely frustrated I started to become real aware that I was more than a little beat up and decided to call it a day. I figured a shortcut to get back to the start/finish area to get my cooler and then head for the car. Once there I figured out that my shoe was full of bloody water and the cuts in my leg were a little worse than I thought. So here I am, covered in posion ivy oil and bleeding, and to be honest, I was more freaked out about the poison ivy than the holes in my leg.

To make a long story short(er), I got home, used my poison ivy wash and then decided I needed to have someone look at my leg. Mathgeek drove me to the Urgent care where it was decided I needed to go to the ER at the hospital. Since the cuts went down to the bone the worry was that a vein or artery could of been nicked, or that the bone my have been chipped. So after some poking and prodding, a little hole expansion, it was decided that there were not other problems and they could stitch me up. In the end the total time spent in the UC/ER was 4 hours. I think the biggest bummer is that I'll have to miss the MTB race next weekend.

So much for my cool GamJams socks! Hope the blood comes out in the wash. This was after I tried to wash off most of the blood but it continues to bleed so it was time to pull out the emergency kit and wrap it up and head for home.

I can't forget about the Papillion Twilight Crit. The Mercy crew brought up 5 riders for the race and prepared for a fun night. We had a plan and it worked out pretty well. I decided to take it out hard from the start for a few laps to put pressure on the field. Once I eased up it was time for the rest of the crew to attack and counterattack until we got the breakaway that we wanted. It didn't take long for the break to go with Austin, Shadd, and Adam in it and Jason was back in the pack blocking and picking up primes. Where was I? Well, unfortunately those 4 laps at the beginning of the race made it really hard to recover and after dangling on the end of the field for a number of laps I got popped. From there on out it was just a training ride for me while Austin rolled in solo for the win with Shadd 2nd. And came in 4th and Jason 8th and picked up a prime or 2 for good measure.

So overall I'd have to say the weekend was really a bust for me. A pretty poor ride in Omaha and a crash today makes for a pretty crappy weekend of racing but for some reason I'm still ready to race. The road team has 2 big weekends of racing left in Chicago and St.Louis before the end of the year and there are still a few MTB races I want to hit.

Of course after that there's cross..................

On tap this weekend

2011-07-15T20:51:00.000-05:00

Looks like Sunday there is a race at Shawnee Mission Park. Since we don't have anyone to do hand ups at Road Race in Omaha we decide to come home after Saturday night's race. It won't be any cooler in KC but at least I can stop for a bottle every lap. Oh yea, above is Nick Weighall from the Cal Giant/Specialized team goofing off in a dirt crit. Major style points!

Tomorrow I'm heading up to Omaha with a few of the guys from the Mercy crew for a crit. The race is sponsored by the Trek Stores so we want to get up there and do the race. It's going to be a bit of a challenge getting up there with Interstate 29 still underwater but it's just going to take a bit longer.

The tour has been pretty interesting so far. Mathgeek has gotten way into the race so it's fun to sit down and watch it together at night. The race itself has been pretty crazy but it was good to see Tom Danielson have a good day. Hope he continues to do well so Garmin can pull off the surprise of the race again. Tomorrow is going to be a good stage to watch with all of the climbing so I'm glad we don't race until 8pm. Time to fold some laundry and watch the end of today's stage.

Last week in pictures........

2011-07-10T18:51:00.000-05:00

A week ago was the Tour of Lawrence which was a so-so weekend for me. The first two races were terrible but I really had a great race on the final day. Monday the 4th I had went for a easy ride and felt good and I though I was ready for a few hard workouts before a 4 day rest. Tuesday I found out how wrong I was, pre-race intervals were a disaster, and when Tuesday night Worlds got going I came off and headed for home. I guess I was more than ready for a rest. On that note, lets look at the pictures.......

Here's Joe Schmalz from the Elbowz team celebrating a big win at the Iron Hill Criterium in PA. This was race 5 of the US Criterium Series and puts him 9th overall as well. Another great ride for Joe, 2 wins in 2 weeks! I can't wait to see what he can do when he joins the KCCX/Fuji Cyclocross team this fall.

On the 4th we headed off to our annual Pool party at the Kesslers. Curly had a good time riding Jaws around the pool while we hung out with the adults. It felt really good to take a dip in the pool and scare all the kids with my bikers tan lines. Jobro on the other hand decided to go to a local pool with his buddies since there are only girls his age at the party. Wonder how long it will be before that changes, at his age it won't be long!

After the pool party we headed out to another friends place to watch the fireworks show. We got home around 11:00pm and the kids had to light some of the fireworks we bought the outside Lawrence. It didn't take long for some lights to go on in a few houses so we called it a night before they called the police.

Thursday I decided to go out and see if I could complete my scheduled interval workout. The problem was that I need a uninterrupted, flat, stretch of road and that just isn't going to happen close to the house. The next best thing is a long gradual hill and that I can find relatively close. Lets see if any KC folks can figure out what hill I was on by the sculptures nearby. The one above looks like the Terminator without any skin and was at the top of the hill.

I finished my intervals and they went very well proving that I am finally recovered and my legs are working again. I found this sculpture just down the road from the first sculpture. Pretty easy to find since it sits in the median.

A little further down the road I found this last sculpture. All three are pretty different from each other but still pretty cool. This reminds me that I need to change my routes a little more often. You can see so much more on a bike that I'm often surprised at what I missed when I was in the car. Anyway......guess what road I was on when I was doing my intervals and then you will know where the sculptures are.

Carly is still growing but I don't think she's going to get very big. Oh well, you never know what you are going to get when you rescue a pup. She is definitely smart....or lazy, I'm not sure which. She eats lying down and that could go ether way.

I've been watching the Tour de France this week and it has really been a crazy with all the crashes. Quite a few of the favorites have gone down and a number of them are out all ready. My personal favorite, Chris Horner went out in a scary crash that left him so concussed that he didn't know he finished the race. He actually rode the last 30k to finish last on the day.

Today's crash(s) were bad as well. The first one had guys walking out of the woods, some carrying injured riders. The 2nd one is the one that will get all the press. The video above shows a media car passing the riders in the break as it swerves to miss a tree on the side of the road. The car hits the riders and takes two of them out. Both riders eventually got up and finished the race but you have to wonder if they will continue after the rest day.

So that brings us to today, my 2nd day off the bike. Yesterday I was solo with the kids so I decided to get some projects done around the house. Last night I woke up with a mild case of Vertigo so there was no riding today with my head spinning. Tomorrow starts another week and by then I should be ready to ride. I'm hoping for a good training week before we head up to Omaha for the Omaha Cycling Weekend.

Tour of Lawrence: Day 3 Crit

2011-07-04T09:28:00.000-05:00

Yesterday was the final day of the Tour of Lawrence and once again the Mercy crew was looking to get a good result. Our main man for the day was Shadd who is our only true sprinter so the rest of us needed to either go for primes or be ready to help Shadd in the sprint.

As we sat on the line before the start in was pretty hot and with very little wind I knew it was going to be a fast race. From the gun there were attacks and the pace was high as every time a group was pulled back another one would go. About halfway through the race a group of riders got away and it looked to be a pretty serious move. The chase was pretty brutal and for a few laps we were single file and flying. Eventually the group came back and we lined up for the final 10 laps. At this point the Elbowz team lined up at the front and upped the pace stringing out the field. With 5 laps to go the real bump and run started in the field with guys chopping and bumping each other in every turn. I was holding position with Shadd near the front of the field with a lap to go when I got pinched against the curb in a turn and lost a bunch of positions. Ended up sprinting it in with teammate Colton for 21st and 22nd. Shadd had a great race to end up 8th.

Overall it was a good race weekend for the Mercy team with a rider on the podium on Friday, 2 in the top 10 Saturday, 1 in the top 10 Sunday. While we didn't get a win we executed our game plan every day and got the results we were looking for. Not too shabby for a team in a rebuilding phase. Next week is a bit of a rest week with a possible trip to Omaha for a MTB race and then back to Nebraska for the Omaha Cycling Weekend.

Tour of Lawrence: Stage 2 Circuit Race

2011-07-03T10:43:00.000-05:00

What can I say about the circuit race..... As a team we decided that our best bet for a good finish rested on Nemo and Colton as our best climbers. The course has some significant climbing in it's 55 mile distance and combined with the heat and humidity it was going to be a long day. With that in mind we knew that this was going to be a race of attrition. The other factor was Joe Schmalz and his Elbowz Team. Joe wanted to win in his hometown really bad and motivation on his team was high.

So as we were preparing to get started I looked up at the sky and it was really looking like rain. Last year it started raining during the race and roads turned into ice and there were tons of crashes. With that in mind I let a bit of pressure out of my tires on the starting line. Probably a bit too much pressure but it would of been great if it had rained. But it never did rain and that low pressure didn't help going up the hills. I could tell on the first lap that I just wasn't on a good day. I rode at the back of the field for a few laps before getting popped off the back. After that I just did a few laps to try and get my legs going for today's crit.

After I pulled out I changed clothes and took up hand up duties. The guys were taking water bottles every lap and I have to say thanks to Alyson and crew for all the bottles for the team. By the end of the race the lead group was whittled down to 8 guys and our boys did a outstanding job with Nemo 6th, Colton 8th, and Shadd 15th. Jason and Logan both hung in there and finished but I don't have results yet to see where they ended up.

Yesterdays winner Joe Schmalz accepting congratulations from our favorite announcer John Lefler. Joe wanted this one bad and her rode everyone off his wheel to get the win. Well done Joe!

Today is the final day of the Tour of Lawrence with a criterium in the downtown area. We don't race until 5:30PM and at the moment I'm pretty happy with that. Looking outside it's pouring rain and with any luck it will be over by race time.

Tour of Lawrence: Street Sprints

2011-07-02T09:17:00.001-05:00

Last night was the first day of the Tour of Lawrence and it started with street sprints. Most of the Mercy team is racing this weekend and we were all entered in the sprints. For the most part we only have one true sprinter in Shadd but street sprints are a different animal. 200m sprints from standing start means anything can happen and it usually does. This year our surprise came in the form of Colton who got 2nd last night. Well done Colton! I should mention that Logan rolled in from Colorado and made it into the semi-finals as well.

Pre-race chat, not much to talk about here other than how hot is is and what it's going to be like tomorrow.

I think this is new Papa Jason at the start. Happy to see him out at the races even though he's suffering from sleep deprivation. Those first few weeks with the baby can be rough.

So overall the Mercy crew did all right in the sprints even though we really aren't sprinters. I went out in the 2nd round which was just what I expected. Today is the circuit race, 55 miles some ridiculous amount of climbing in the heat.

This has nothing to do with racing but I had to take a picture. This Honda Accord Wagon was parked behind the shop. Pretty cool, lowered with a spoiler and ground effects panels on the sides. Looks like fun!

Top Photo credit: Richard Gwin

TNW and the Hill Ride

2011-06-29T22:55:00.000-05:00

Fresh off the Tour of Kansas City I was still feeling pretty wrecked when Tuesday Night Worlds rolled around. On my training plan I had a scheduled rest day but rumor had it that Joe and the Elbowz buys were in town and racing. I couldn't resist, I decided I could still race. The key here was that I had to sit in and do nothing, just roll around in the field. It was kinda boring, kinda amusing, but in the end I think I averaged somewhere around 130 Watts. Pretty mellow but probably not mellow enough for my coach!

Didn't take long for Joe and the Elbowz boys to be off and running.

Jobro was taking pictures and he really didn't think he took any pictures of me. He was surprised to see this one. I was surprised as well, I was kind of hard to find hanging out at the back of the field.

So the next part of the training plan was to do the Wed Hill ride. The ride itself isn't that hard or hilly but you can make it as hard as you want. The plan was for me to go hard on the hills and rest on the flats to get my legs going again. I was a little worried as my legs were dead before the ride from my 8hr slow dance in front of my workbench. But it was going pretty much according to plan until I broke a spoke in my front wheel on one of the climbs. That was pretty much it for me and I just rolled it on home.

Tour of Kansas City, Day 3

2011-06-26T22:22:00.000-05:00

Today was the final day of the Tour of Kansas City and the Mercy crew was sitting in pretty good shape for the overall. The way it shook out was that Shadd was leading and only 4 other riders were close enough in points to catch him. As a team we needed to focus on those 4 riders, keep the group together, and make sure that if it came down to a field sprint Shadd had to finish 5th or better. It would be a bonus if we could get one of our guys away in a small group of riders to suck up all the omnium points. Of course it goes without saying we wanted to win the race as well. So how did it play out.........

The race started out with an attack right off the line and then they just kept coming. About the 5th attack Bama started chasing a solo riders attack when I told him to let it go. From behind I heard Steve (Tradewind) make a comment and then 2 turns later he attacked. Austin was on his wheel right away and Kent (Colavita) made it to the group and they were off and running. Pretty much perfect for us, 3 guys up the road that were low in the overall and now it was time to keep the group together. The team did a great job and with 5 to go we got on the front and started ramping up the pace. Unfortunately the heat got to me and I started to cramp badly with a few laps to go. In the end Austin got the win for Mercy and in the field sprint Shadd just got nipped at the line to end up 5th.

For the weekend we ended up winning all 3 stages and finished with Shadd in 1st overall, Austin 2nd overall, and Adam in a 3 way tie for 3rd (6th after the tiebreaker). Huge effort from the team this weekend paid off with great results. Next weekend is the Tour of Lawrence where the competition and courses are going to be much tougher so we are going to have our work cut out for us.

This is pretty much how most of us spent the race today. Time to rest up for next week.

Tour of Kansas City, Police Academy Crit #1

2011-06-25T22:52:00.000-05:00

Ok, I'll admit that I was less than excited about racing today. Last nights problems and rumor's of a boring course had me wanting to stay in bed. Justin had said that I would be surprised that the course really wasn't that bad and actually fun. After racing today I would say that it was a pretty good course. It had a a few turns and a little bit of a hill so at least you could let it rip in a few turns. In the race the Mercy crew had a game plan on what to do during the race and I would say that we executed pretty well. It wasn't smooth sailing but in the end Adam won and Shadd took the field sprint for 3rd. I'm not sure where Nemo ended up but I'm sure it was top 15.

Today was definitely a tactical battle between Mercy, Tulsa Tough, and Tradewind teams. Everybody is looking for the win but also keeping an eye on the omnium points as well.

Steve Tilford (Tradewind) patrolling the front of the field while teammate Bill and Adam (Mercy) were off the front of the field. Both photos by Trudi Rebsamen.

So the great dilemma for me is that there is a MTB race tomorrow as well as the final stage of the Tour of KC. I had been planning on doing the MTB race but I've decide to do the Tour of KC. Kind of disappointing but the team needs me so I'll go and do what I do. Don't get me wrong, I really like working with the road team but I really want to start hitting more MTB races . Maybe July and August will be better on the MTB front, we shall see.

Your of KC, Longview Crit

2011-06-25T12:08:00.000-05:00

Have to make a long story short for today as I'm running a little late getting ready for today's race. The race started pretty hard but I was feeling pretty OK for as fast as we were going. After about 5 or 6 laps my foot popped out of the pedal going up a hill and when I tried to get going it happened again. Bummer, I knew that my cleats were pretty worn out but I didn't want to change right before a race. It's kind of tricky making the change with a bad knee and I all ways need a easy day or two of riding for the knee to adjust to the change. But I guess the cleats were worse than I thought and my race was over.

On the bright side Shadd and Nemo from the Mercy team made the break with 2 Tulsa Tough guys and that was the race. Shadd Won and Nemo was 3rd. Adam got away with Bill Stolte with 3 to go to get 6th.

Nick made a appearance to cheer on the team. Still waiting to figure out the extent of the injuries to his shoulder.

It was getting pretty dark at the end of the race but here's Shadd winning the Pro 1-2 race.

The winning break. Picked this picture off Facebook but forgot to get the photo credit, sorry.

Day 2 today, a crit the the police academy training grounds. Sounds exciting!

Photo dump

2011-06-23T22:52:00.000-05:00

Clearing out the camera in preparation for another race weekend and I found a few pictures from the past week or so. It's been pretty busy with swim lessons and soccer camp but we did find time to finally hit the trails.

Jobro got a new MTB this week. I really didn't plan on getting him as nice of a bike as I did, but I think it's going to be worth it in the end. I think the deciding factor had to be the weight. The move from a mid level bike to one more to the upper end had a significant impact on the weight. Of course half the weight equalled twice the money so I'm glad I work at a bike shop on that one.

We rode the trails at Swope park and it was Jobro's first time on any trail other than River Trails. I knew that the 2nd phase of the trails would be ride able for Jobro for the most part and I had heard the the new trail would be even better. I was right, the Earthriders crew did a great job creating a beginner friendly trail that's really fun. We figured out a way to use the road to connect the trail loops so that there really was nothing technical he couldn't handle. I can't wait to get out solo and see how fun it is at speed.

Here we are just before the Tue Worlds Crit. Pretty decent showing in the A race. It was kind of a weird race, our guys were tired from Nature Valley and the wind made attacks kind of short lived. Eventually there was a break, or a split......I'm really not sure. Quite a few guys up the road and I wasn't one of them. Later in the race Bill, Adam, and I, and one of the St.Johns guys formed a chase group. We got within 9 seconds but we ran out of time and that was it.

Curly had swim lessons for the past 2 weeks that just ended tonight. He passed on to the next wave and was really proud of himself. I know it was touch and go on weather he would pass to the but he pulled it out in the end!

Here's some real Tulsa Tough happiness. Yes it was hot and humid all day. We got the stinkeye when we told him we were going to be there a little longer. When I went to pick up my prize money they had given my check to someone else and were trying to sort it out. After watching another race and hanging out for another hour their solution was to give me the other guys check and say that they will mail me the difference. Yea.....checks in the mail.....right. The topper to all of this is that I was so frustrated about all of this that I just took the check they handed me for the 50+ race without looking at it. Big mistake, I just grabbed the checks and boogied out of Tulsa. When I got home I looked at the check and they gave me the check for 3rd instead of 2nd. I know, I should know better than to leave a race before sorting out payout problems but what are you going to do with a cranky family at the race and a dogsitter at home costing you more and more the longer you are gone.

So........tomorrow is the start of the Tour of Kansas City. This year it's 3 crits. None of them are on the traditional KC courses. Less than excited about the courses and the last two will be on the police training grounds. Oh boy, racing on roads out in the middle of a field. Kind of reminds me of some Nebraska State games crits we did back in the day. Oh well, there is a MTB race at Perry Lake Sunday and you just may find me there.......

Nature Valley GP

2011-06-19T22:39:00.000-05:00

Following the weekend of racing that was Tulsa Tough my racing schedule becomes kind of slow. The rest of the Mercy crew (at least the Cat 1 part) went up to Minnesota to do the Nature Valley Grand Prix Stage Race. 5 days of racing in a Pro/Am field looked brutal from what I could see from the coverage. The live streaming video on Velonews.com was pretty good and you could really see the Mercy kits in 3 stages that they showed.

Joe Schmalz had a great race ended up 16th overall.

Joe also ended up with the Best Young Rider jersey.

It's been raining pretty much every day with an occasional strong storm. JoBro got a new MTB and it won't quit raining long enough to get it out on the trails.

I guess you can add me to the turtle savers club. I found this guy in the middle of a 4 lane devided road. Not sure where he was going but I put him in the tall grass on the side of the road.

Instead of hitting the trails Jobro and I got out on the road bikes instead. He's grown so much since cross season that his bike fit is all goofy. I might have to get him into the shop for a bike fit.

Friday nights storms knocked a bunch of trees down. I rode past these three trees that all lost some pretty big branches. Lot's a debris on the ground all over KC on Saturday morning.

Today it was pretty hot at ride time. I was just ending a interval set when I spotted this guy out for a swim. Pretty tempting but I was a bit too far from home to ride in witha soggy chamios.

What's up next? Not sure, maybe Tour of KC with it's police academy crits or a US Cup MTB race in Wisconsin. I guess I'll have to make a decision after my appointment tomorrow with the Ear doc. Still looking for answers to the balance/vertigo problems.

2011-06-13T23:49:00.000-05:00

This is a good video from the Cat1-2 race. You can see Mercy Team riders Jason and Nemo pretty much every lap.

Tulsa Tough: Riverview Crit

2011-06-13T23:37:00.000-05:00

With all of the turmoil outside the racing part of the weekend I forgot to mention that we actually had a pretty good time. Friday night Mathgeek and I got a bit of solo time without the boys and went down and watched the rest of the Mercy crew in the Pro-1 race. That's a first since....well, before the boys. In fact, since Jobro and Curly were worn out on Saturday night we went out and watched the Pro race that night as well. Saturday Mathgeek and the boys went and checked out the Tulsa aquarium before my race and said it was really cool.

Matheek and they boys enjoying downtown before it got hot. Breakfast at the Blue Dome Cafe was great and only a few blocks from the hotel.

Mathgeek wants to dress up like this next Halloween. If you see any video from Cry Baby hill you will probably see a really drunk jellyfish dancing in the street.

The Mercy Team compound during Saturdays race. This was during the Cat1-2 race when some huge raindrops began falling and road got really slick.

Jobro gave photography a try during the Riverview crit and did a really good job. Pretty impressive for a 12 yr old with a point and shoot camera.

Just about forgot to write about the race. Sunday I did the Masters race so we could get a early jump on getting home. The Riverview course sits by the river and has a pretty significant climb in it followed by an equally significant downhill on the other end. Usually this would be a pretty good course for me but after being sick and off the bike for a good part of 3 weeks I wasn't so sure I had much left on the 3rd day of racing. My plan was to be aggressive early and try to force a split that left most of the 50+ guys behind. It nearly worked, I got the split but a few laps later it all came back together. After a number of attacks and counter attacks we were still together and I was pretty gassed. Just when I slipped back a little bit in the field Will Gault from Tulsa Tough rolled off the front of the group never to be seen again. On the last lap I was pretty far back in the group but managed a sneak attack before the downhill to get in front of the group for the sprint. In the end there was Will and 4 others in front of the group and I was sprinting for 6th. I had a decent sprint but just got pipped at the line by 2 other guys and ended up 8th. In this race there is an additional prize list for the 50+ so I was 2nd there. So not too bad of a weekend!

I shot this during the Cat1-2 race on Cry Baby hill. Check out Jason blasting by right in front of me.

Time for a bit of a rest before Tour of KC.

Brady Village Crit

2011-06-12T08:32:00.000-05:00

Great Photo from Lyne! Took a few minutes to chat with Lyne during the Pro mens race last night and catch up. Nobody works the races like Lyne!

Started the day yesterday at 6am so I could get the van over to a shop and be first in line to get it fixed. I guys at the shop were great and got it dome pretty fast and with out any issues. It's finally back to normal and drives really nice.

As for the race, eh, it was just ok. I did the masters race and it was a pretty weird race. I have not done a masters race in over a year and I'm just not used to the negative racing and going into the turns 15 guys wide and all bunched up. In the 1-2 races I've been doing the pace is much faster and the group is usually line up going into the turns. On top of that most of the guys know what they are doing so you can get pretty close in the turns. Friday night was like that in the 1-2 race so it was a shock to race with the Masters yesterday.

That said I never felt good in the race and was just tired. I attacked a few times and went with quite a few more but nothing was going to stick so I backed off. A little after the half way mark I started to get a front flat. It was a slow leak so I rode it for a few laps so I wouldn't have to argue with the officials in the wheel pit over weather it was really going flat. With 10 to go I got a new wheel and got back in the race. I was feeling ok but just didn't have the snap to get back to the front in the end. I ended up 15th overall and 4th 50+. Nice to double dip in the prize list! Kind of bummed that I didn't place a little better but former Pro Jamie Carney won the race so I can't feel too bad.

So at the moment its raining and today's course had a bid downhill in it that is followed by a off camber turn. That turn is slick when it's dry so it should be pretty interesting when it's wet!

Day 1, Tulsa Blue Dome Crit

2011-06-11T08:02:00.000-05:00

Our home boy Joe Schmalz was off in breaks all night and made the final one when it counted. He was in a 5 rider break that got caught by another group with less than a lap to go. He still sprinted in for 9th place!

Tulsa Tough weekend has begun and it's been pretty interesting to say the least. Just getting to Tulsa was a challenge because of car issues. In fact, I'm sitting at a Firestone store right now while they look at the van again. Yep, instead of getting some sleep I got up at 6:30am to drive to the shop. What started as a dead battery turned into a alternator, then some tires, wheel balance, and alignment. After two days of hiccups, and missteps I got the van back yesterday morning in time to load up the family and hit the road. It seemed all was well until the speedometer hit 50 and the van started shaking. I guess it's pretty bad when Jobro looks up from the back seat and asks me why my hands are shaking so bad! Anyway, we made it to Tulsa in time for my race and the van should be fixed soon.

On to the race! I did the cat1-2 race and lined up with a full field of 150 riders. Since I was running so late I decided that a better start position was help more than a warm up so I rolled around a bit and headed for the line. Ended up on the 2nd row with my teammate Logan just in front of me and Nemo just behind. I'm not sure where Jason was but it didn't take long for him to roll up to the front of the field. Overall the race was pretty smooth and I was able to move around pretty easy within the pack and stay near the front.

Going back to the start, while sitting on the line I was looking at the sky and thinking it looked like rain off in the distance. I figured, or hoped, that it would hold off, but near the end of the race what I thought was photographers flashes was actually lightning reflecting off the buildings! With 5 laps to go Jason, Logan, and I were all up near the front of the race when the rain really started. High speeds, dirty roads, and rain are a bad mix and the crashing began. Soon there were bikes and bodies on the ground in every corner and after skating around and I decided it was time to sit up and wait for a better day.

So today is the Brady Village Criterium. It's a L-shaped course with a little bit of a hill in it. I'll start with the Masters race @3:50 and see how I feel. If it goes well I may go out and play with boys in the 1-2 race later in the day @7pm. The Pro-1 men go @ 9pm so it's going to be another late night. If you want to watch it's on Velonews.com.

Hope the van is done soon, I'm starving!

Photo Purge

2011-06-03T09:30:00.000-05:00

I've got a quite a few pictures that I never used so here's a few that I took a few weeks back in St.Louis and a few others that I picked up along the way.

Colton at the Driveway crit in Texas. It looks like it's pretty hot there and that's a great photo shot for our sponsors, TREK and Reynolds.

Here's Scott at the Friday night crit in St.Louis. Night time photo's are all ways a challenge with my little point and shoot camera.

This is my attempt at a kida artsy shot. Ok, it was an accident but I still like it.

Joe and Brad on the line Friday night. Joe would go on to have a great night riding in a 2 rider break for most of the race. They got caught with just 3 laps to go which was a huge bummer. Where's the GoPro video from that night?

Ah, the stores Sprinter van finally got wrapped. Looks good, sure wish we had one in KC! Ok, maybe just a 15 passenger van, or just a van, ok, maybe a pick-up truck, or yugo with a bike rack...........oh well.

So another weekend at home with no racing. What to do, what to do...............

Another week has flown by............

2011-06-01T23:04:00.000-05:00

Another week has gone by and once again I've been slacking in the posting department. It's kind of been a weird time around the house lately, I've been sick and on antibiotics for 2 weeks, the kids are out of school, and I've barely been on a bike for 2 weeks. Adding to the weirdness is that this week the kids are between school and summer camp. That means that I'm working nights and hanging out with the boys during the day. So with some day time hours available this week I thought I would knock out some projects around the house and make Mathgeek happy. We got off to a great start powerwashing the deck, until the pump blew on our borrowed powerwasher. The borrower, "you break it, you bought it" gaurantee may come into effect as it costs about as much to replace the pump as it would to replace the whole unit. Bummer........ So that stopped the progress on a few other projects that would of used the washer as well. darn! So after 2 days af taking 1 step forward and 3 steps back I'm going to get some sleep tonight and start fresh tomorrow. On the cycling side there is not much to report. The antibiotics are kicking my butt this time. I don't know why, there was a whole laundry list of side effects to this drug and I think I've felt all of them. Oh well, a 2 week break may help down the road but it's probably going to make Tulsa Tough well.......tough.

We decide to do a family bike ride at River Trails in Lawrence on Memorial Day and it was pretty great, even though there were a few issues. The biggest would have to be that I forgot my MTB shoes, Duh. At least I was planning on riding with the family so it was no big deal. Then I pulled my road bike out set out for KC while the family drove back. I love it when I get to double dip!

Mathgeek and Jobro, both on their final voyages on those bikes. Mathgeek has her new bike on the way and I'm shopping around for something for Jobro.

Curly also got in the act and tried out the trails. He wasn't thrilled with the narrow trail but for a first time out he did ok.

Finally got out for the Tuesday nighter this week. I think it's been 3 weeks since I did it so it was nice to finally get back. I actually rode ok for being off the bike for a while but I definitely paid for the early race efforts in the end. That and I took the wrong approach to controlling the field with 5 laps to go and totally burned myself out for the finish. People wonder why the Mercy crew practice our teamwork in a weekly training race. It's so I don't have a major brainfart when it really counts.

So with 3 days left on antibiotics and warm weather arriving I can only hope for a rebound. Sorry for the missed photo credit on my picture above. Great pictures, I just can't remember where I got it.

Bed time zzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzz.

Back to the Blog

2011-05-26T23:06:00.000-05:00

It's been a while since I've been on the blog. It's not that I've been too busy to post, I guess I just didn't have much to say. Finally went to the doctor to try and figure out why I've been sick so often and ended up on antibiotics and with a appointment with a ENT specialist. Oh Yea......

Today was the end of school for the boys and the end of elementary school for JoBro. Mathgeek and I both went to see the kids get their awards. Both Curly and JoBro got awards for academics which made Mathgeek proud. They sure didn't get those skills from me!

JoBro strolling back to his classmates with his one of his certificates.

I have been out for a few rides now and again.

Let's see, what else......Spent a fair amount of time watching the Tour of California. I'm a bit of a Chris Horner fan so it was fun to see him win the race. The domestic Pro's did a pretty good job of mixing it up with the Euro-pro's but when it came time to drop the hammer nobody could match Radio Shack. Props to Garmin-Cervelo, they managed to win the Team prize with a mix of young/old guys. That was one of the other cool things about the race, the number of young U-25 riders making their mark on the race.

The Tour of Italy is currently going on and it's been fun to watch as well. Pretty amazing to be able to watch it live on your computer in the mornings. The course looks crazy hard every day!

So here it is, Memorial Day weekend and I'll be sitting at home while my Mercy Cycling teamates are off in Texas for 5 days of racing. Sounds like if you didn't go to Texas you are heading off to the Quadcities for the Memorial Day weekend races. I can't remember the last time that I didn't race on Memorial day weekend but I'm sure I'll find something to do. Good luck to those racing where ever you go

Toour de Grove, Dutchtown Classic

2011-05-17T14:00:00.000-05:00

The Dutchtown Classic was the last race in the 3 race weekend and it was definitely a crazy one. We started off with 107 on the line according to the officials and in the end we finished with 29. The way it played out to end with 29 was the crazy part. At the start the weather was overcast, cold, and threatening rain. My teammates and I chose to go on the conservative side and plan for rain some time during the race. We started with about 70psi in our tires instead of the normal 110 for added traction if it rained. Hoping for a good start I rolled up to the line from the front only to find it full and nobody was going to move. Some times the officials will let it go and start with a few guys in front of the line but this time nobody was going to be in front of the line. So off I went to the back of the group to start DFL.

So off we go and I quickly worked my way up to the front of the field where I found by teammates were all ready there. It was all going pretty well but I could feel some mist or light rain falling. Soon the real rain began to fall and soon after that a 1/3 of the field went down in a corner. It was a huge bummer to find the race being stopped because of the crash with both Jason and I on the front. With shuffling due to the restart I was once again in the back of the field. It was still raining so I headed for the front as soon as possible and it didn't take long for all the crashing to begin again. I guess it began splitting up and I ended up in the lead group at the end of the race. 16th was the end result witch is ok but not great. With both races this weekend I could of played the finishes a little differently for better placing but maybe next time. Really can't complain too much about the weekend, stayed on 2 wheels and never had a flat. That's way better than most.

So tonight is Tuesday Worlds, not too sure if I'm going at this point as I've been feeling like crap, we shall see.

Tour de Grove, Day 2

2011-05-14T23:16:00.000-05:00

Today's race was held in the part of town called the "Grove". I'm not sure what the history is here but but the area is what you would call transitional. There are all kinds of start up businesses on the main street and some really cool refurbished row houses.......and a number of homes and businesses with boarded up doors and windows. Overall it's a cool area that needs some work. For this event it would be nice if they would consider fixing the roads. There are potholes, broken pavement, and even a big metal plate to contend with if the rain didn't keep you busy enough. In the Pro-1 race the wet conditions along with the broken glass and potholes saw the neutral support staff run out of wheels in the wheel pits. Pretty crazy time!

Here's the Pro field heading for the metal plate.

The plate was marked well but as you could see in the picture above, when the group is curb to curb sometimes you can't miss it.

Nemo and the plate, he said that he had to jump it a few times in our race.

The Pro's heading into a turn....

and coming out of the turn. That was one long line and you don't want to be on the back.

My artsy picture for the day, Nick in the rain.

In the 2-3 race Nemo, Jason, Scott, and I rode well and it was just a matter of keeping 2 wheels on the ground and hoping for a decent finish. It was raining and cold the whole race but I had my tire pressure just right and my bike was working really well. In the end it came down to the field sprint and both Jason and I had a chance for a good finish but our efforts got derailed with a 1/2 a lap to go and we both finished somewhere in the mid 20's or so.

So tomorrow is the final day of racing and we are hoping for better weather. With any luck it will be dry but it's going to be cold for sure!

Tour de Grove,

2011-05-14T09:33:00.000-05:00

This weekend the Mercy crew is St.Louis MO for the Tour de Grove. A series of 3 races with the Saturday race being a NRC race. There are a quite a few Pro teams here and the fields for all of the races are pretty big. We drove through heavy rain for a long time and we figured it would rain during the races but it never did. I decided to sit out the race since I was still feeling sick and just hung out. I did get some pictures and played around with a camcorder during the races. Today we are going to put a GoPro camera on a bike so I'll try to put that footage up tonight.

Here's some footage of the Pro-1 race. I think you can see Joe near the front.

Here's Joe just before he got off with 2 other riders. He would ride in the 3 man break until they got caught with 3 laps to go. What a bummer, they were flying!

dddddddddd

Jason looks so happy! Probably because it's not raining.

Jason on the attack in the 2-3 race. We have a split squad this weekend with half of us in the Pro-1 race and the rest in the 2-3 race. With any luck we can get Nemo some upgrade points in the next 2 races.

Shadd getting ready for the Pro-1 race. 180 guys on the line, good thing it was a long course.

This is the start of the 2-3 race. It's kind of hard to pick out Jason, Scott, or the St.Johns guys but they are all in there.

Today's race is on a longer more technical course so it should be pretty interesting since it's raining.

I hate being sick!!!!!

2011-05-11T22:33:00.000-05:00

When I left for Arkansas last week for the race I felt horrible, my head hurt so bad I was taking pain pills and sleeping non-stop just to get through the day. The first day sucked but after that the pain faded and the snot started to flow. Better to slimy than to be in pain and by the end of the race I actually was feeling OK. The race ended Sunday and after the 4 hr drive home the bottom had fallen out again. All night I had gunk running down my throat and I didn't sleep much.

Monday was much of the same but by time we Tuesday afternoon rolled around it was time to head out to the Tue Crit. The KC portion of the Mercy Team rolled west toward Lawrence to meet up with a Adam and Colton before turning back and heading for the crit. All systems go, or so I thought.........

The Tue crit started and right away the attacks started. I jumped with the first break and I soon found out that I couldn't breath. I tried sitting in, I even dropped off the break and tried resting in the group, nothing worked. I'm too old to be going full gas in a bike race with a tight chest and unable to breath, so I quit. I hate quitting any bike race but I do believe in the law of negative returns. For me to continue the race would not of gained me any fitness and probably made me sicker. Time to quit.

So that was it for Tue night. I really can't say much about the rest of the race because I bailed out.

Oh yeah, Stage 4 of the Joe Martin Stage Race. As a team we rode this crit pretty well. Most of the team rode at the front, I, on the other hand, did not. The final stage is a hilly crit that is reasonably technical. I was warned that I needed to start at the front of this race and stay there. So when they called us to the line I was in the 2nd row.........until they let 30 or so guys roll up to the front of the group and line up in front of us. Now I'm in the 2nd to last to the back of the group. That was the beginning of the end. As hard as i tried I could not get to the front of the group and every time I got close I got shuffled back on the climb. Bummer.

Overall I'm happy with how I rode in the Joe Martin Stage Race. I can see now that I was not at the top of my game but I guess that gives me hope for this weekend. That is if I can get this cold cleared up by then. What's up this weekend? 3 days of racing in St.Louis at the Tour de Grove.

Stage 3 Road Race JMSR

2011-05-08T10:08:00.000-05:00

Yesterday was the 3rd stage of the race and and at 89 miles it was going to be a tough one. The course was a lollipop shaped course with a 23 mile loop on the end that we did 3 times. As I said in the last post there are no flat roads here and the main feature on the course was a long rolling climb with a steep pitch in the middle. The saying goes, what goes up must come down, and that hold true here. On stage 2 we hit 56 mph on a downhill and I have no doubt we went as fast of faster yesterday. All I can say is that the brake pads were smoking yesterday going into a tight turn at the bottom a one downhill. The plan for the Mercy Team was to get Brad and Nick in the break since they were our highest placed GC guys. The race started off blazing fast and our guys were working hard all the way to the first climb to keep the field intact. As we hit the climb the field blew apart and a 15 rider break went up the road and both Nick and Brad were there. At this point Austin and the rest of the team did a stellar job riding at the front covering moves to make sure the break stayed away. After 2 laps of chasing the pack finally relented and the time gap ballooned up to 4 minutes. Job done and we could relax and focus on getting our remaining guys to the line. In the break Brad worked hard to protect Nick and ensure the they stayed away only to pay for the effort with about 20 miles to go. Once he came off the break he worked hard to beat the field to the finish but got caught with about a kilometer to go. the group was flying but Austin was at the back and managed to give him a push to keep him in the group and not loose any time to the field.In the end Nick ended up 10 out of the break and is setting 10th overall.

The Pro women climbing up the big pitch.

So today is the final stage, a 50 minute crit on a hilly technical course. Should be fun!

Resting up before Stage 3 JMSR

2011-05-07T12:25:00.001-05:00

I'm finally finding time to post something on the blog. The Mercy Team is currently in Fayettville, AR for the Joe Martin Stage Race and right now I'm just hanging out in the hotel. We have a late start today so we have a little time to just hang out and regroup. But first a little bit about my lack of posts. Talking to my dad the other day he wondered why the posts have dried up lately and it made me think, what have I been doing? The usual family and work duties but I think I've really been focusing on cycling a little more than in the past. Two years ago I was doing Masters races and getting pretty frustrated when Mathgeek told me I should "challenge Myself" and do some harder races. Not long after that Steve Tilford told me I should start doing the Pro 1-2 races. So here we are 2 years later and I'm doing the longest, hardest stage race in the area. The last time I did a stage race like this was 10 years ago at the Green Mountain Stage Race in the New York state. I've got to thank my coach Adam from Source Endurance for getting me to a level where I can actually ride in these races. I'm still working on making a few more jumps in fitness but a 50 yrs old how far can you take it? I guess we'll find out.

So back to Joe Martin. Stage 1 was a uphill Time Trial that was perfect for some of our riders. For me I was going into the great unknown, all I saw of the course was the first 200ft from the start line so I had no idea how hard I could go in the beginning. Turns out that I could of gone much harder and rode to a better time but I knew that it didn't matter as I'd be working for our General Classification guys during the rest of the race. In the end we had 5 guys in the top 20 in the GC.

Beautiful area in AR for the race and I don't think there is flat road anywhere. Lyne took this shot of the women's race rolling up one of the hills.

This has got to be the hill before the feed zone. This was the first hill that really hurt. It kept going up like in the picture and every time we went around a corner it just kept going up. Ouch!

Colton and I got our picture in CyclingNews.com after yesterdays stage. That was pretty much my spot in the middle of the field most of the day. I got to the front to cover some moves a few times in the first part of the race but after that it turned into more of a race of survival. With the last major climb coming up and cramps setting in I decided to ride the climb at my own pace and roll in to the finish. Luckily I came over the of the climb with another rider and on the way in we picked up some riders to make a group of 6. We worked pretty well as a group and ended up only losing 8 minutes to the main group.

That leads me into today's stage 3. Another day of climbing totaling 90 miles. We do a loop that includes a pretty big climb so it's going to be another pretty interesting day.

Tuesday Nite Worlds KC

2011-04-26T23:44:00.000-05:00

First of all I've got to say that the weather in KC has really sucked this spring! Cold and wet has been the norm and I've yet to wear a short sleeve jersey at Tuesday worlds. I guess I could be worse for the Tuesday race, at least it was dry. It would of been really cold if it rained during the race.

This weeks edition was once again cold but a little better than last week. I knew that Joe and Adam were going to roll over from Lawrence so I figured I would ride out and meet them at some point and ride back. Left work a little early so I could get my interval sets done before I met the guys and I was a little surprised to Steve, Brian, and Bill, from the Tradewind Energy Team with them. Now this isn't a bad thing, it's actually a good thing, as those boys are strong and it was going to make the race much harder.

Got to the race and found a much larger group for the race than in the past few weeks. The first few lap were kind of slow but the attacks started and then it was game on for the rest of the race. The attacks were non stop but with so little wind it didn't look like anything was going to stick. Even a late attack from Steve and Bill got reeled in with 2 to go. At that point it was up to Mercy crew to set up a lead out for Shadd to try to win the race from a field sprint. We did manage to get most of our guys up to the front but at that point most of us were pretty fried. In the sprint it looked like Joe may have nipped Shadd at the line but it was hard to tell from where I was sitting. Overall it was a good race, 27 mph average and pretty smooth as well. Fun, fun, fun.......

Can't we just get along...........

2011-04-25T23:21:00.000-05:00

In my last post I wrote a little bit about the Tue Nite Worlds Training Crit and some of the things that happened that night. Now we all know that it's a training race, as a team the Mercy crew uses it to practice tactics and of course we want one of our guys to win. The bottom line is that when the race is over we can all laugh at the things that happen in the heat of the moment during a race. Once it's over it's over and it's time to move on.

Now the Omaha guys, they seem to be a pretty excitable group on their rides and especially the Wednesday Nite Worlds ride. I check out GamJams Midwest pretty often as it gives a good recap of events that happen on the weekends in the area. Check out the Blog entry from Brian Redemske and the reaction or comments that it gets. Start at the top and read all the way down, it gets better and better.

Anyway, time to move on to more fun stuff.......

That is one small 29'er! Emily Batty is only 5'2" and can still fit on the big wheeled bike.

Makes me want to get my Superfly built up. She took hers to a win at Sea Otter!

Cody K. from the Cal-Giant Berries team rocking the Challenge tubies at Sea Otter.

Rolled up on this Sunday on the hard nine. The road has been sliding off into the Blue river for the last year and the city keeps trying to block the road. So far nothing has worked but every once in a while some doofus gets caught. This person tried to drive over the dirt they piled up to block the road and ended up with a giant teter-totter. Totally high centered, so bad that the wheels were pretty much off the road on both sides.

The picture really doesn't do the drop justice. It is at least 3 ft height difference between the upper and lower part.

Carly is getting bigger every day! Funny how I really don't see it but people that have not seen her since we brought her home can really tell.

So right now it's pouring down rain and I have to get the dog out before I can go to bed. Bummer, I guess it's got to be done or plan on getting up in a few hours. Good prep for our Tuesday nite Worlds Crit tomorrow!

Long time, no post……

2011-04-21T23:27:00.001-05:00

Let's see what's new..........

Got a new shed........

Got a new 29'er kit.......

Totally destroyed a wheel in St. Louis...........

Then this showed up in the shop........ the customer said that they bought it this way, then took it back because it didn't handle right. Came back the same way so they brought it to us. It has now cost them way more than it would of to buy a TREK with a service plan.

It seems like it’s been a long time since my last post. It really hasn’t been that long but I just couldn’t muster up the time to get it done. That and I really wasn’t in the mood for a post. I was taught that if you don’t have anything good to say you should keep your mouth shut. Soooooo, I’ve been a little quiet lately. Funny thing is that there is nothing really wrong. It’s just with any competitive athlete, when the racing and training isn’t going well everything starts falling apart. In my case Jobro still had band after school, business picked up at the shop, my cell phone blew up, the house started falling apart…………and then we got a puppy!

Of course training suffered and in turn the struggles in races started. I really don’t think I’m that out of shape because I was doing the training but doubt is in your head and that lack of confidence really shows in races. I really felt it last weekend at the Tour of St. Louis. There were times that I could of crossed gaps or attacked but I didn’t, that doubt was there, hidden in the back of my head.

So at this point my Coach and I are redefining my workouts and I’m going to be working on making my workouts more of a priority while getting my life under control.

Anyway, last week we went to.........

The Tour of St.Louis!

It had been a few weeks since I raced so 6 of the Mercy crew decided to make the trek to St.Louis. Two days of criterium racing was on tap for the weekend. Before I get into the races I've got to say thanks to the Logan's parents for opening their home to our crew. It's really becoming a home away from home for the whole Mercy crew.

Saturday dawned cold, really cold. I'm really done with the cold and after the cross season and I'm more than ready for some hot weather. So we all get bundled up and the race starts. To make a long story short, groups started going away. In the first split we had 3 guys so I got to the front and started to work. Then a few more guys go up to the break with another Mercy guy, then another guy and another Mercy guy. At this point the field had essentialy split in half and I'm in the wrong half, Bummer! So I pretty much hung out and took a few pulls here and there until the end of the race. I won't go into specifics of the race but the team was definitely off, way off.

Sunday: Better weather helped my mood and I needed all the help I could get. Finally some weather where we could wear short sleeve jerseys! The grand plan was to cover breaks and get a few people off the front if we can. I was feeling pretty good and was covering a attack when I hit a pothole at 30mph! I heard the loudest CRACK I think I've ever heard but kept rolling along. Wondering what was broken I gave the bike a quick shake for fork or frame damage and it was all good. A squeeze of the brakes and the wheels seemed fine.......It was all good until I started going into the next turn and the tire started to go flat. As you can see in the pictures above the wheel was crushed above the braking surface. The rim is severly damaged but it's still true. I would of kept riding it if the tire would of stayed up.

So here is where it get's iinteresting. I roll into the wheel pit and nobody is there......... Huh, as I come to a stop I see the USA cycling official sitting in a chair...........asleep???? Not much movement until I asked if I could get a wheel. It was then that I found out the mechanic working the pit was down the block getting some ice cream. It all worked out, by time we got the mechanic back and a wheel in the bike I ended up getting 2 free laps.

Back in the race I got back to the front pretty quick but in the end we really screwed up the finish. Really, I know better than to get swarmed like we did but again, it's a confidence thing.

So back home this week and the weather has just sucked. Cold and wet has ruled the day.

Tuesday Worlds was amusing this week. Not that many people and just Shadd and I for MERCY. Early in the race Shadd got away and eventually ended up alone. I did what a teammate does and started blocking by riding 2nd wheel. It was working pretty well but one guy was continually trying to rally the troops to chase. Now, I'm pretty sure everybody knows what's going on since we do this about every week but one guy had to make sure everybody knew I was blocking. Imagine this.....as we are riding down the finish straightaway this guy rides next to me screaming,"THIS IS TOM PRICE AND HE IS BLOCKING". Now I could care less what anybody says in a race but that was a little over the top. This guy is usually vocal in races but last weeks race was definitely a topic at shop this week. Pretty amusing to everybody. Bottom line is this, if guys can be that vocal in races you are not going hard enough.

So that brings me to the present wet, cold weather. yuck. At least I have a new Superfly to put together and some new Challenge tubies to glue up on some Velocity Major Tom 29'er wheels! Now if it would just stop raining!

Mathgeek on Embrocation

2011-04-16T09:08:00.000-05:00

This is kind of amusing. I kind of like the smell of embrocation but to others it stinks. I never thought much about this until Mathgeek wrote this on her blog a while ago. I've been meaning to post it but never got around to it so here goes...........

Sunday, February 13, 2011

The Sweet Smell of Embrocation

A couple of weeks ago, I was thinking of writing about the sweet smell. Well, rather, that the sweet smell had become not sweet at all. For those of you non-cyclists who may happen to read this and wonder what embrocation is - think of the act of using Icy-Hot or similar substance to rub into sore muscles. But in cold weather prior to a ride, some cyclists slather on designer concoctions of the stuff like a smear on a New York City bagel.

Velo-dude is one such cyclist. And whatever concoction he had been using of late this winter, the smell was over the top. It clung to the air in my house for hours after he departed for a ride. It found its way to areas of my house he hadn't been in. It was a nostril-burning sensation that seemed to permeate my entire head, even making its way to my taste buds. And I had just about had enough. As in, about ready to sneak into his closet, find the offending item, and confiscate. But this morning, I was pleasantly surprised. I think he got some new stuff. Not bad. When he came down to give me a kiss goodbye, I prepared to hold my breath, but I realized it wasn't necessary. Instead of the pungent odor taking control of all my senses, I got a subtle whiff of something faintly familiar and not too terribly unpleasant. Hmm. I was even able to kiss him back. He went on his merry way, and about 10 minutes later I headed upstairs to collect some laundry. As I passed the bathroom, I thought "wow, did he clean the toilets before he left? How sweet!" I kept walking, then realized what an utterly preposterous thought that was (he's great at picking up, vacuuming, and doing dishes. I don't believe he has EVER cleaned a bathroom since we married 21 years ago). Then I stopped to wonder why I had even had such a thought. And I realized, the new embrocation cream smells EXACTLY like Lysol toilet bowl cleaner (my brand of choice, only because that's what they carry at Costco with occasional coupons that I can't pass up). So, it smelled faintly familiar (only faintly because that's the kind of housekeeper I am). Still lingers in the house for a while after he leaves. But not totally offensive, and I can pretend I have clean bathrooms if only for a while. Good stuff that is. Must go sneak through the closet and find the brand. Perhaps he'll get a stash for Valentine's day tomorrow. Because that's the kind of romance we like to keep alive in this house.

I'll have to pass this along to the guys that make Chamois Buttr. They are working on some new embrocation that is really good. Bill had a sample and I liked it. Unfortunately I don't remember what it smells like but maybe that's a good thing!

At the moment I'm sitting in Logan's parents house near St. Louis with the Mercy Cycling crew having breakfast. This weekend is the Tour of St. Louis and we have 6 riders here. Joe from Elbowz Racing is here as well so we have a good group of riders for the 2 crits this weekend. The weather is kind of crappy for today's race, 50 degrees and a good chance of rain, plus 20-30 mph winds. Tomorrow the prediction is for warmer temps and no rain so it's all good.

More tonight after the race.

KC TNW Crit & Redlands

2011-04-06T10:26:00.000-05:00

Last night was the first of this seasons Tuesday Night Worlds Crit. Like many other cities we have a weekly training crit the brings out most of the competitive cyclists nearly every week.

But before I get into that I wanted Joe and the Elbowz Team on a great performance at Redlands and for becoming the #1 Amature team in the country. Joe had another good race and without a crash on one stage probably would of been in the top 20 overall. It's going to be a great year for the whole team.

Looks like Joe is showing how much room he had to move up.

Back to our race. First of all a big thanks goes out to Mark from Bike Source, the 360 crew, and all others that were involved in keeping the TNW race alive. This is a important tool for training and would of really been missed. We had a pretty good turnout for the first week even with the gale force winds. Right from the start of the race people were drilling it into the wind. Most of my teammates on the Mercy team took some hard pulls and when I got to the front I took a hard lap as well. I knew Shadd, Adam, and Nick were close behind and as the pace slowed at the top of the hill they were off. I think they had David from 360 with them to make 4. It was really windy last night and made the hill seem even longer than usual so it was going to be a long 40 minutes for those guys. Jason and I set about keeping them away by riding on the front and slowing the chase. It was never easy and Richard(Specialized), and Andrew(St.Johns) continued to keep it close until late in the race. In the end Mercy went 1,2,3, with Shadd, Nick, and Adam.

Richard and Rita from Specialized joined us for the crit. They work the Demo truck for Specialized for most of the Midwest. This week they in our area so look for them at the local trails. I think Smithville, Leavenworth, Lawrence, and then Swope Park on Sunday. I know Richard from Cyclocross where is one of the mechanics for the Specialized cross team. Cool dude to hang out with during the traveling circus that is the cross season.

Yesterday we welcomed Nick Coil to the Mercy Elite Cycling Team! Nick's a great addition to the team as a super strong rider and a overall good guy. As a cat 1 rider he fills a hole that we had for the bigger NRC races where they are Pro-1 only. I can't wait for the Joe Martin Stage Race when we will have the whole team together again!

So right now I'm sitting here watching the workers build a shed in the back yard. It's kind of nice having a little more relaxed morning for a change. This puppy business makes things a little crazy in the mornings. Maybe I should do some laundry instead of playing on the computer...........then again, I could just play with the puppy!

Hillsboro Roubaix

2011-04-03T23:21:00.001-05:00

Last week Mathgeek and were sitting down after dinner one night and she asked me when my next race was. Ummmmm.......next week? I thought we had it figured out that I could travel for Hillsboro Roubaix and the Tillis Park Crit in St. Louis. I had it all scheduled out but I forgot that it was the end of the quarter at Mathgeeks job. She works a ton of extra hours, usually all weekend long, and then most of the week. For the most part I'm a single dad for a week which is usually not a big deal. So with a child care issue I first figured I would just take the kids with me but that wouldn't work with soccer, scouts, and a puppy to care for. So we figured a workable solution would be for me to leave late Friday night and drive till I pass out. Next I find a place to sleep in the van, get up in the morning, and drive to the race. Once the race is over, hop back into the van and get back home. Did it work, yep, I'm still alive and I was gone just over 24 hrs door to door. So I bet your wondering why it was so important that I went to this race, why not just blow it off? The Mercy team race schedule has one race per month that the riders have to travel to. I made the commitment to the team to be there for the most important races and they are investing in me.

So on to the race. Hillsboro-Roubaix, nestled 50 miles NE of St.Louis this race course has some bricks instead of cobblestones but the real challenge is the broken roads, rocks, and gravel on the roads. The Mercy crew lines up with 9 guys and a plan to make sure that we had a person in every break and keep the rest of the team near the front to cover any moves.

The first lap of the race was pretty sketchy with 100 guys on really narrow roads. On top of those issues we also had to deal with some pretty strong winds all day. The first lap we were constantly on the brakes and not 10 miles into the race I found myself off the side of the road avoiding the guys that had stopped in front of me. Here I was, dead last in the first 10 miles! Luck for me the field wasn't going that fast and I got on pretty quick. I figured I needed to get to the front so I put my cross skills to work and rode the gravel on the side of the road a bit to make my way up to the front. When I got there I looked up the road and it looked like 6 or 7 guys were off the front of the group and there was a red Mercy jersey (Brad)in there.

With a Mercy jersey in the break the rest of the team got on the front of the group and set the pace and chased down any potential groups trying to bridge to the breakaway. It was all good until we hit a section with a long hill and a heavy head/cross wind on the 2nd lap. Someone punched it and soon we were all in the gutter and hanging on. Most of the team made the split but unfortunately, I did not. I thought my race was over but I kept fighting and got into a group that was chasing and after 10 miles we caught the main group.

At this point we are on our last lap and Brad's group is down to 5 guys. No problem, they had a huge lead and wouldn't be caught. Job done for the Mercy crew! But now the group is getting antsy and with all the wind we are constantly in the gutter and flying. Then the catch happens and we slow down. The attacks go, we suffer in the gutter, and then they come back. About half way through the lap Adam covered an attack and they just kept going. Shadd and I were on the front at the time and covered the counter attacks and Adams gap grew. About now I had a huge brain fart as I was going through a rough patch. We were absolutely flying, single file, in the gutter, and I was going as fast as I could go..........and I ended up on the wrong side of the split. I guess I had my focus on staying on the road and failed to notice that there was a split. I tried to get a few guys together to chase but most of them were getting popped off the group and were no help. John Schottler (Big Shark) from Columbia was riding strong and we got really close to the group but just couldn't get back on. We never gave up and rode in with a group of 5 to the finish.

Overall I would say that the team really rode well this weekend. Some of the guys are riding really well right now and most of us are gaining form every week. The next major target is a month away and I think the team will really be riding strong by then. As for results...Brad 4th, Adam 8th, Shadd, Jason, were in the top 25, I was 36, and I'm not sure where the rest of the crew finished.

Today was the Tillis Park Crit and I think the boys got 2nd and 6th. More on that later.....

Race Photos from Smugmug Photography, nice album of photos from the race. If you were there you should check them out.

Shhhhhh...........could there be a new shop dog at TREK KC?

Here's Carly checking out some Shimano shifters.

So while the team was out racing in the ridiculously windy conditions I was busy chopping down 4, 12 ft pine trees and digging out the stumps. The boys had fun helping, JoBro really liked using the chainsaw and axe. Not too surprising that Mathgeek was not excited about that at all!

Time for bed! I'm all ready way late for my new bed time. I've figured out that sleep deprivation has become a major issue with my recovery. See ya!

The Road Season Begins

2011-03-28T22:49:00.000-05:00

It's been a busy couple of weeks, with all of the training and racing going on I figured why not throw a puppy into the mix. You see, we planned on getting a puppy but not quite this soon. But the opportunity came to get a 3 month old chocolate lab pup from Wayside Waifs we decided to get her. It's not the perfect time to get a puppy but like kids, if you wait until the time is right you will never have kids. So with the shop getting busy, a new puppy, kids soccer, and attempting to train, it's was time to go racing. Last week we started off the season with the Hell's Kitchen Road Race. It was both good and bad for the team. Some of the guys rode great and some did not. Unfortunately I was in the group of guys that had bad legs on race day. I know that I don't recover as well as I used to so 130 mile the day before a race is not a good thing.

This week we were off to the NWA Classic Road Race near Fayetteville AR. Early weather predictions were for warm temps and light winds. The morning of the race the weather was quite different, mid 30's and an increasing wind. Most of the team spent quite a bit of time trying to figure out what clothes to wear to stay warm but not overheat.

It was really nice to get the team van last week at camp. The whole crew can fit in there pretty easy and it's nice to be able to get your kit on in a warm place. The NWA race was a pretty crazy trip. Up at 3:30am to get over to the meeting place, load the van, and roll out at 4:30am. Race start time was 10am and we arrived with plenty of time to get ready to race. I even rode around a bit to attempt to warm up a bit but that was tough with the cold temps.

So the race starts and right off the bat a BMC guy lights it up and we all struggle to get going so early in the race. The race course itself is a little over 20 miles and in a rectangle shape. Naturally, the long sides of the course had a fairly strong cross wind so we were lined up in the gutter or on the center line all day. On the first lap there was a small break and we put a few guys on the front to keep them close. It worked and the break cam back but soon after on 2nd lap 3 more guys rolled away and quickly got some time on the field. The Mercy team had 4 guys on the front and started to pull the break back but no other team wanted to help to bring the break back. After 15 miles of pulling into the wind our guys were burnt out and the break rode away from the field. About half way through the 3rd and final lap the attacks started but none stayed away until we hit the bigger of two climbs on the course. A group got away with one of our guys in it. I ended up in the 3rd group on the road but was cramping badly and trying to hang onto the end of the group. The run in to the finish was a barn burner as all of the groups were chasing the group in front of them. Austin continues impress with some strong riding during the race and a 7th place finish in the end. The rest of the team finished in the top 20 so overall it was a pretty good race. Personally the race was an improvement over the previous weeks race as I felt better

but my legs are still just not right. Hopefully warmer weather will help and maybe.....a little more sleep as well.

Brad stuck around home in Ft Collins CO, and got in a race out there. I looked all over and couldn't find results anywhere. oh well.....he looks good.

After crushing at the Hell's Kitchen Road Race Joe headed out to California for the San Dimas Stage Race. He had a great race and ended up with the leaders jersey in the U-24 race.

Joe's team has great kit's! I grabbed a few pictures from PodiumInsight. Lyne travels to all the big domestic races so if you want to see pic's and write ups check her out.

I got my wheels ready for the weekends race with the help of Carly.

It was tough work for her. Time for a nap!

It's going to be another crazy race weekend this week. Mathgeek has quarter end at work so I have the keep track of the kids. Add in a new puppy and a road trip with the kids is out of the question. Looks like antoher late night drive to the race and then a sprint back.

I've got to go to bed, since I 'm falling asleep as I write this it should be an interesting read tomorrow.

Really Coach, my dog are my Garmin!

2011-03-23T22:11:00.000-05:00

Yes, it's true, my dog did eat my Garmin bike computer. This story really starts at the beginning of camp last week. As soon as we got there my back wheel started popping and by the end of the Friday ride it was driving me crazy. A quick spin of a the axle told me that the bearings were shot. Bummer!!!! This is my PowerTap wheel so no more power reading for the weekend. Saris is a great company to work with so the wheel will come back from being repaired really quick. As for the computer........it's a total loss, no repairs for that one. The funny thing is, the screen is blown, there are tooth marks on the sides, but the darn thing still works fine. Oh well, things happen when you have a 3 month old puppy in the house.

Met up with Bama at the Swope park trails today. It's been a long time since I've been out on the MTB but it didn't take long to get used to it again. The trails were in perfect condition and tons of fun. I got in a couple of laps and then met up with Bama and a buddy of his for another lap. Not long after we got started on our last lap Bama smacked a rock with his back wheel and put a dent in it. So much for that new bike feel, this was his 2nd time out on the bike and 2 crashes have given it that broken in feeling.

Here is an actual Bama sighting in it natural, relaxed setting. This kid can sleep with any of the teenagers that I've known in the pat few years.

Wow, I've got to get to bed while the puppy is sleeping. This sleep deprivation thing is killing Mathgeek and I.

Mercy Training Camp Day 1-2

2011-03-19T23:28:00.001-05:00

I really had plans to do a write up on Training Camp but I am way to tired at the moment. So it's going to have to wait for Monday since we are racing tomorrow and then driving home.

A shot from Fridays photo session at the fitness center.

We met with some of the staff at the Hospital.

Brad was still adjusting his bike before Saturdays ride.

Saturday we rode with the Mercy Cycling Club riders. We ended up with a huge ride and it was good to chat with the club riders.

Hanging out at the top of the climb.

Mercy Health Centers are working to help people eat better and we aim to help them.

Bama was getting his rest before we even got to camp.

This is a rather crappy video of the group ride with the club. This was what was left after the majority of riders were taking a shorter route back to town.

Back on a TREK, it's been a while!

2011-03-15T22:02:00.000-05:00

I'm pretty excited about this bike! It seems like it's been a long time since I've been on a Madone. The reality is that I did ride one a few years ago but the bike has changes so much since then. I was messing around cleaning up my work bench today and found a old sticker from my first year on a carbon TREK. I wish I had a picture of the old 5500 in Saturn Silver from 1994(maybe?). I think that was one the first years that TREK made full carbon frames. It's interesting to compare those frames to the present day Madones. It says something for the TREK's OCLV process in the fact that I see old TREK carbon bikes from that era all the time at the shop. They roll into the shop all the time for tune ups or updated parts. Pretty cool to see and it's one of the reasons I enjoy working on bikes, you see a little bit of history every day. Hopefully it makes up for all the Huffy's you see every day as well!

So here's my sticker, I think that was from 1994 or 1995. I've got some pretty amusing pictures of me in the full Rocket Boy kit at some of the NORBA Nationals around that time.

Yea!!! The new Mercy kits are in! I love red and there is plent of red in these kits. In fact, even the bikes are red. Later this week we have a short camp in Fort Smith, AK to do a little meet and greet with the Mercy Hospital crew, photo shoot, and get a few rides in with the whole team. The last day of camp is going to be Sunday and we will do the Hell's Kitchen Road Race. Since Brad and Fuzzy are in town early we are going to get a few days of training in KC before we leave for camp. Geez...... I'm feeling tired all ready.

Is it time to MTB yet?

2011-03-14T22:24:00.001-05:00

I was checking out the blogosphere when I found this on the Dirt Dobber's blog. Pretty sweet video of a guy on a MTB ripping a decent through all kinds of terrain. Chris said it was pretty motivating and I'd have to agree. Reminds me.......Chris if you still need help with your tubies let me know. I promise I'll get back to you this time.

Spring Break

2011-03-13T23:37:00.000-05:00

What a change from last year, last year at this time we were hanging out in Playa del Carmen, Mexico and drinking Corona's on the beach. This year we had Corona's in the kitchen watching it start to snow. That's a bit of a bummer but at least the weather is supposed to get better in the next few days. I guess it's just as well, that's my limit on beer anyway.

JoBro got his first injury of Spring Break on the first day. Nothing lasting, just a bruise from a over aggressive Lazer tag game. It's going to be tough to keep the boys busy this week with the weather kind of iffy.

I won't even get into riding this weekend. I'll just say that it was pretty slow and painful. I did see some pretty cool graffiti as I was rolling along near downtown. There are some amazing artists around that just decided to work in a little different medium.

I finally got a frame for my poster that Smitty gave me from Gravel Worlds. I think you can get updates for this years event here. As far as I can see there isn't a field limit but registration is open so get in while you can. Well, time to go. I'm working nights this week since I have to be home with the boys so I better get some sleep. At least I went in early today so I'm ahead right now. My guess is that it's going to slow down later this week since it's snowing at the moment.

New Scooter

2011-03-11T17:39:00.050-06:00

Well, gas isn't getting any cheaper soon, if ever again, so we decided to get something that would get a little better mileage, like 125mpg better! Pretty cool ride for running local errands and yea, it might just work for motorpacing as well.

Last weekend Curly had his buddies over for his birthday party. I think I'm still a little sleep deprived from that night even a week later.

Hmmmm...... Birthday dinner at the Cheesecake Factory!

That's about it for this week, not much to report on the riding front, bunch of family stuff and a busy work schedule has changed my riding dynamics. This weekend should be pretty good for training and maybe even a race on Sunday. I guess I should check for typing errors in my post. That last post was a doosy as far a misspelling and grammar errors. You can tell how tired I was when I typed my post by how many errors I made in my post. I'll have to work on that one.

2011-03-07T23:14:00.000-06:00

Poor Bubba, James Stewart has to be the fastest, most talented dude on a dirt bike in years but with the speed comes some wicked crashes. I watched the race the section that he crashed on really wasn't that hard. He was doing going incredibly fast through one section and gaining tons of time on everybody else and of course, if he screwed up, it was gonna hurt. That part, the crashing, is the part of racing motocross that I don't miss.

Joe won a race down in Texas last weekend for his new team, Elbowz Racing. Pretty cool to see him riding well all ready this year. It's going to be fun to see how he does against the big guns next weekend when he travels to California for Redlands.

The training camp for the Mercy Cycling crew is coming up next week but I don't think we will see the sights that the Cal Giant crew had at their camp. I guess that's the difference between the forests of Arkansas and the Redwood forests of California. I'm not complaining, I'll take the different terrain and a little warmer weather any day.

Hmmmm, rainy day tomorrow, maybe I'll actually have time to build up my now bike.........

Cleaning out the camera

2011-03-04T23:10:00.000-06:00

Today is Curly's birthday! Tonight was the easy night with a little family celebration after a birthday dinner at the Cheesecake factory. Tomorrow is the party with the sleepover and a late, late, night.

It's time to finally get the wheels in order for the Mercy Team. Today all the cross tires came off and next I'll check the bearings and start gluing up the road tires.

Now that's a whole bucket of dirty cassettes!

Hmmmmm, what to do with a bunch of 1 season old tires.......

Earlier this week I got out for a unplanned early ride. I managed to forget my key to the shop and since nobody was scheduled to show up for hours I figured I might as well ride. I got to this hill and found a few spots of ice that made it kind of tough to get up the hill.

You don't see too many covered bridges on Kansas City. I found this one when I was out looking for another hill to add to the Wed hill ride. I found one that would be easy to add and is right on the route.

No racing this weekend. Time to spend a little time with the family and after tomorrow nights festivities I'm sure I'd be worthless by Sunday afternoon anyway.

February Rain

2011-02-27T22:03:00.000-06:00

What a weird day, when I woke up the fog was thick and getting thicker. I was really debating weather I wanted to go out in the fog but Shadd and I decided to go out for a few hours anyway. It's not that it was cold or wet, it's just that cars can't see you when it's that foggy and I'm usually not one to take chances. It was bad enough that we weren't going to head over to Columbia, MO for the Froze Toes Road Race so we had at least get out and ride. It's kind of funny that I've never done the Froze Toes race. Some years it's the weather, others family, whatever, I've just never made it. Oh well, it's been a really rough week and I was just fried so I was better off waiting for the next race.

JoBro was off to the SAC Museum this weekend with the Boy Scouts so he was happy to get home early before the storms rolled in. Roxy, our old mutt was happy her buddy was home.

Here's the last couple of K's from today's race over in Belgium. Watching the clip really makes me want to race but it doesn't make any sense to go race if you don't have the legs to make the bike go.

Speaking of the first rainstorm of the season, so begins our watch on the stream behind our house. What the picture doesn't show is that the ditch that is underwater is 5 ft deep and the water is just starting to flow into our yard. It didn't help that the street drains were clogged up and the water was just raging down 99th St. I ended up going out in the storm and standing in above ankle water with a big stick unclogging drains. I beginning to think I need to get some landscaping stones ordered up to make a wall around the house.

Shadd and I went all euro pro on our ride today. Rode out to Parkville and stopped off at a coffee shop, had a quick cup and headed back to KC. I never stop for much of anything on rides but it was a nice change today. The fog was so thick when I left the house that I was wet in minutes. My glasses were worthless in no time but don't get me wrong, it was fun to ride in the foggy conditions.

Yep, fun to ride but what a mess. It was one of those days that you have no choice but to get the hose out and rinse off the slime. Since this picture was taken the rain poured down and the snow is now gone. The streets should be pretty clean as well as long as it doesn't snow again tonight and they end up putting down more salt. Enough of talking about the gloomy weather, it 's looking good for the next few days!

Snow, what a bummer!

2011-02-24T22:42:00.001-06:00

Just when we finally thought we had turned the corner into spring! I figured that we had one or two more snow storms to go before we were done for the year but I'm more than ready for warm weather. Oh well, I guess it's just going to be a few more weeks of piling on the clothes.

Spring has definitely hit at the shop! There has been a steady stream of Speed Concept TT/TRI bike rolling through the shop. Most people love to go the Project One route so they can pick and choose their components.

Then there was this........ I've seen a ton of bikes over the years but I've never seen the Shimano parts that were on this bike. Weird push button style shifters with a Rapid Rise rear der. The front der had this item that turns with the cranks and moves the der. I had to do an overhaul on the bike and I was a little worried that it wouldn't work when I got it all back together. Happy to report that all is well! As I said, Spring is here and I'm super busy but with bikes like this it's never boring.

It's Dean's (F.O.G., Fast Old Guy) birthday and his wife brought him a cake at the shop. Pretty amusing cake but I'm not too sure about what she saying with the decorations. We have a bike going over barriers and into a pile of dirt. Yea, I get it. Older than DIRT. But with all of his crashes that pile of dirt looks like something else. It could be a threat of what she's going to do to him if he crashes and hurt's himself again?

It was time to build some of the Mercy team bikes last night. Adam, Shadd, and Bill were there to help knock out a few of the bikes. Two of our riders all ready have their bikes and two more are heading to Texas to race this weekend. I've got two more to build and of course, the last one will be mine. After that it will be time to start working on gluing up some tubies. We just got a fresh shipment of Challenge Tires so it's time to get rolling.

Pretty excited to get on the new bike but it's going to be a few days. At this point witb all of this new snow I don't think it's going to matter. Time to go to bed so I can gut up early and shovel the driveway.

I bet that stung a bit!

2011-02-20T22:06:00.000-06:00

I don't watch much track racing but I saw this picture pop up all over the blogosphere today. Big crash in the final lap of the Kerin World Cup. You can see the last lap or so if you go to YouTube. All I know is that's the biggest splinter I've ever seen!

The Elbowz Racing crew getting lined up for the Walburg Road Race in Texas. Nice kit's, you would never guess they are sponsored by a GP motorcycle guy. Pretty sweet bikes as well.

Joe and Kelly getting ready for the races. Joe had a good day and ended up 2nd to his team captain at the Walburg race.

No racing for me yet, maybe next week if the weather holds out at Froze toes or the following week in Texas. I'll just have to see how it works out. This weekend was pretty good for riding and at the moment my legs are toast. My recovery between rides was terrible but it's probably more due to crappy eating and staying up too late watching Supercross. Oh well, Supercross has been pretty fun to watch this year so It's been hard to go to bed early when it's on.

So it's back to more normal temps but at least it's still pretty warm and the snow is gone!

The New Mercy Elite Cycling Team

2011-02-16T22:03:00.000-06:00

Mercy Cycling Rolls into 2011 With new sponsors, a new look, and an improved roster

The Mercy Elite Cycling Team has begun its 2011 campaign like no other season in the storied 16 year history of the team. For the first time Mercy Cycling will be on the best bikes in the world, built by one of biggest manufacturers in the world, Trek Bicycles. “It is an honor to be riding Trek bicycles. They bring a legacy of building bikes at the highest quality,” says Team Director, Adam Mills. Mills adds, “To have organizations like the Trek Stores and Mercy Hospitals behind the team is truly a wonderful synergy in the making. Mercy’s “Healthification” initiative pairs perfectly with cycling and the health benefits associated with the sport. Also, the new addition of Reynolds wheels and the continuing investment by Challenge tires makes our equipment some of the best out there.”

The Mercy Cycling schedule will focus on NRC and major regional events in the Midwest and the team is comprised of young, emerging talent, mentored by experienced, seasoned veterans. Each rider was selected based upon their strength and personality. The mission of the Mercy Elite Cycling Team is to: Promote sportsmanship and cycling as healthy lifestyle activity, while providing talented young riders with the resources and guidance necessary to make the transition into the professional ranks.

Elite Roster: Brad Cole, Chris Hall, Colton Jarisch, Aaron Pool, Tom Price, Bill Marshall, Adam Mills, Shadd Smith

Development Roster: Jason Knight, Luke Lininger, Austin Vinton, Logan VonBokel

Sponsors include: Mercy Hospitals, Trek Bicycle Stores: Omaha- Kansas City- Saint Louis, Reynolds Wheels, Challenge Tires, Zero Mountain, Inc., Yaffee Iron & Metal, SRAM, Oakley, Verge, Source Endurance, Stephens Production, Dr. John Kareus.

(don't worry, the kit's will be Red, not Pink!)

It's pretty exciting stuff for me. I'm going to be doing some bigger races and working with the younger riders to get results. The team is a mix of older experienced guys that bring many different talents, to young guys that are new to the sport, and a few that are somewhere in between. This year Joe Schmalz has jumped from Mercy Cycling to Elbowz Racing, a team that is the step between Mercy and a Pro team. Hopefully we can take one of our young guys and help them move up the ladder as well.

On a unrelated note, I picked up this link to a euro cross compilation that is pretty cool from Justin's blog. This weekend is the last euro cross race but the planning is well under way for the KCCX crew for 2011.

Austin on Podium Insight, Valentines, and Rides

2011-02-14T22:00:00.002-06:00

Our new recruit on the Mercy Team, Austin Vinton was invited to the Jelly Belly Team training camp last week. Lyne from Podium Insight did a little interview with Brad Huff and Austin as to why he was invited to camp how he felt things were going. Pretty exciting stuff, spending a week with a Pro Cycing team when you are just beginning your career. Now it's our job as a team to help him progress to a level where he can make the jump to the pro level in a few years.

Valentines day morning! Muffins and milk in the morning and then it was time to get ready for the parties at school.

Last week I got a call from the school nurse that JoBro had hurt his ankle at school. The kicker was that she said I had to pick him up? It was bad enough that he couldn't walk so off to the doctor we went. In the end it was determined that he had rolled his foot and he just needed to let it rest. He thought it would be pretty cool to have crutches but that wore off after a few days. Today was his first day off the crutches and he is still limping a bit but he should be fine in a few days.

The Saturday ride ride was pretty good as the weather continues to warm up. We got caught at the tracks by not just one train but two! Nice ride with a good group. We rolled a nice, fast pace line for most of the ride before a ripping fast run into town.

Sunday the ride started off pretty weird. First it started off by the location for the group ride changed and I didn't notice in the e-mail. A quick phone call and I was off in a sprint to meet the group at the new location. Here's where the fun began. I ran into another group of riders heading out in the same direction. Without going into details I'll just say that I saw more than a few of the riders run red lights. On top of that there were so many dangerous moves that I just wanted to get as far away from those people as possible. No wonder this group of riders has been issued tickets by the Prairie Village police on their Thursday night ride. It's a bummer to witness riders like this. It's no wonder that motorists hate cyclists in that area of town.

Our ride on the other hand was really good. The group split up pretty early but I think both groups ended up going the pace they wanted. At this point I've got some pretty wasted legs after 2 days of fast rides. Now for a few days off and them more of the same.

Is it spring yet?

2011-02-07T22:02:00.000-06:00

It must be close to spring, last Friday night it was Pinewood Derby time. For the first time in a few years I only had to make one car. Now that JoBro is a Boy Scout he's out and it's up to Curly to carry the load. After Mondays time trials we knew we had a OK car. Not a great car but not slow either. So after doing what we could to make it go faster but overall it was a middle of the pack car. I think he got 4th or so but not good enough for a trophy. Overall I think it was good for him to have a so-so car. He's had pretty fast cars the last few years so I was good for him to be a good sport even when he's not the best.

Snow, yea, this is the end of our driveway! Living across the street from the school has it's advantages but when the snow flies and the wind blows it means big drifts. It took a while to clear off the driveway this time. Wonder how much snow we are going to get tomorrrow?

It's hard to believe that cross is still not over! Even after Worlds there are still a few more races going on in Europe. If you get up early enough (7am) on the weekend you can catch the races on your computer. I watched both of these races and the courses looked like so much fun. It's going to be a fun summer building for next years cross season.

More cross, makes me wish for warmer temps and no snow!

Just a few more weeks before road season begins and everything is taking shape for a great season. It's mind boggling trying to get all the bits and pieces together for a small team. I can't imagine what it would be like for a big team. I'm so glad I my part is relatively small but it's pretty cool to be involved in something that's bigger than myself. People talk about how cycling is a team sport but it's not just the riders that make the team. It's all the guys behind the scenes that make the whole thing work, and when it works, it's amazing.

Warm weather and Worlds

2011-01-30T21:27:00.000-06:00

This weekend the World Cyclocross Championships were held in Germany. The USA had a pretty good crew there for the races with hopes for metals and top 10's. Cody and Zach were both in the U-23 race and did pretty good.

Course conditions for the Juniors and U-23 races were pretty dicy at best. They shaved down the ruts but made a frozen/muddy skating rink. It was a pretty interesting race to watch and I felt for the Jr's as they all crashed over and over. I think the winner fell 3 or 4 times and still won.

I was up early both days to watch the live streaming coverage on the computer. Made for some early days as the coverage started at 4am our time. At least there is a pretty long break between the races and I got a few hours sleep. I can't wait for Cyclocross Worlds to come to the United States in 2012.

So with the warm weather I got out for a few good rides. Saturday I hit my first group ride of the year and racked up some miles. As soon as I got home I got busy cleaning the cars. It felt pretty good to get all of the salt off both inside and out.

Of course messy bikes come with the territory this time of the year and a daily bike wash was the norm. Bill and I broke out the fenders to at least keep my butt dry. I did'nt care how wet I got, it was warm and I was only dressed in one layer for a change. Of course the weather is going to change tomorrow so everything will get all messy again. Oh well, we are slowly rolling into spring!

Bike rides and Boy Scouts

2011-01-26T21:19:00.000-06:00

Let's see first off we had the Cub Scout Blue and Gold Banquet last night. It's a yearly ceremony that includes dinner and some type of entertainment. This year it was the Mik-o-say dancers, they do Native American dances that tell a story. Pretty interesting.

We got a few of the Challenge Gara tires to test out this spring. So far so good. I've got quite a few miles on the road and the trainer on them and they really don't show any wear. In the Challenge tire line up they are more of a training tire but they still ride really nice. Yea!!!!! It's that time of the year when the roads are full junk that just eats tires so a tough tire is just what I need.

Speaking of tires, I finally got most of the Reynolds/Challenge wheels in the shop. The big change over from cross to road had begun. Off go the knobbies and on go the road tires. I'll have to pull the hubs apart in all of the wheels and check everything to make sure they are a go for the Mercy Road Team.

Did the Bonner Loop the other day when the weather was nice. Love that loop, it's a good mix of flats and climbs with a bunch of rollers in between.

Still plenty of snow on the ground today even after a few warm days. It looks like even warmer weather is on the way. If that's the case Bill's white kit won't be white for long. Funny how 40 degrees feels like a heatwave!

It's been a while........

2011-01-25T00:46:00.000-06:00

Where to start.......just not too much to report in the last week or so. To say that the last week or so has been rough on the riding front would a bit of an understatement. Cold, snow, and icy roads make it tough to get out. On top of that lot's of snow brings on snow days for the boys so it's more days stuck inside. Oh well, I guess it keeps me from over training so early in the season.

So let's see, in the last week I got in a bunch of trainer rides, watched some Supercross, and even a few days of the Tour Down Under Bicycle race.

Getting ready for the annual running of the Pinewood Derby. This year I only have to get one car ready for a change.

Curly and I hung out a bunch. The poor kid has lost both front teeth but the new ones are on the way. Here he's looking for the instructions to one of his DS games. Pretty amazing what little kids can do on computers these days.

Here we are drying out the tent after last weekend's camping trip. The Boy Scouts camp no matter what and they went last weekend at 10 degrees and 7 inches of snow. Mathgeek went with JoBro just to see if she could tough it out. Happy to report that they made it through with no problems.

So today starts another week but better weather is on the horizon and I actually got out for a ride outside. It sounds like the trails are getting better so it's time to get the mtb out and ride.

Winter Blues

2011-01-16T20:18:00.006-06:00

Made the trip over to Lawrence Saturday to give River Trails a shot on the MTB. Scott, Bill, and I met Adam at his house and presented Bill with the framed skin suit that you see above. Just a little gift show our riders appreciation for all of the work Bill does to run the team. Cyclocross is so equipment intensive that it takes a ton of time to organize everything. Add that to the logistical nightmare of hauling 10 riders all over the country for 3 months, well, you get the idea. Just want to say thanks buddy, next year we get even better!

After we got done with our little presentation we headed off to give the trails a try. Adam said that there were a few drifts and he wasn't kidding. On the way out there were more than a few areas where the drifts were 4ft tall and we post holed our way through them. On the way back the trails were better with no drifts and once we got closer to the parking lot the trails were more packed down. Overall it was a good time and a really good workout.

That's just about how all of the rides have been lately. Slogging through the snow in below freezing temps. I like snow but I'm ready for it to go away and warm up a bit. It seems like forever since Cross Nationals and I'm ready to get back to racing bikes. Watching today's World Cup Cross race made me want to race even more! Soon enough I guess. This week I'm hoping we have a chance to tie up all of the loose ends for the road team and start finalizing some details for the cross team. It's going to be a busy year of bike racing!

Snow days

2011-01-12T21:27:00.006-06:00

Got out for a bit in the snow today. I think it had warmed up to a whole 14 degrees when we went out. It really wasn't too bad out, I was dressed just right and was plenty warm and the trails were fun with 6 inches of snow on them. A much better choice than the trainer.

Might as well enjoy the trails now because when the snow melts it's going to be a muddy mess.

JoBro had a vision to create his own Lego city on his day off from school.

More snow rides are on tap for the rest of the week the temps are going to continue to be below freezing and more snow is on the way.

Snow Daze

2011-01-10T21:34:00.008-06:00

Today was the first snow of the year and the first snow day of the school year. After a morning spent at the shop the boys and I headed out to the hill by the house for a little sledding fun. It was a great day for sledding, pretty warm with snow falling the whole time. Overall we didn't get that much snow but it was enough to really mess up travel around town. It took Mathgeek over an hour to get to work this morning. Her usual commute is about half of that.

JoBro got some time on on the snowboard.

I went out to the last cross race of the year in the KC area on Sunday. We had 4 guys from the KCCX team racing so I went out to help out. I can tell that I'm ready to race again because I really wanted to get out and race. The course was one of the best I've seen at the venue and just a little bit of snow made it look really fun. But it wasn't to be as I've all ready stripped my cross bikes and the frames are for sale. On top of that I have a feeling that with my current fitness it may of been a bit embarrassing. It was really good to see Joe, who was just flying after his return from EuroCross Camp. Nice to Chris Wallace as well. He was back from college and decided to come out and race as well.

It was fun to watch Chris ride again. Even with a year away from bike racing he can still make a bike go fast.

Then there was this. Bama came up with these retro Oakley's for the race. I'm pretty sure those glasses may be older than he is!

Another day off from school for the boys tomorrow. I'm not sure what we will do for entertainment. There isn't any new snow in the forecast but it's supposed to be really cold so I doubt sledding is in the picture. We shall see......

Unsafe at any speed

2011-01-08T20:45:00.003-06:00

I'm not sure why but Mathgeek seems to think this is a bit unsafe. Not sure why, it felt pretty stable to me. Here's my dilemma, I needed to paint the top of the stairwell. Of course the ladder I have won't reach so I had to come up with something. I remembered that I had some leftover wood in the garage so I built my own scaffolding with a ladder, 2 2x4's, and a hunk of plywood. I'm too cheap to go for the real deal so I got it done and nobody was injured. Of course, once I got it done Mathgeek and the boys came home and promptly leaned against the wall and I also noticed a nice hand print!

It is construction season for me on a couple of fronts. Since it's slow at the shop this time of year we have been working on some updates to the shop. Some of it you can see when you enter the shop and some is behind the scenes. All of it will help the shop run more efficiently and will make the store better for our customers. I've been working around the house as well. We are still dealing with the project creep from the family room remodel. Some painting and a bit of trim work and that will all be wrapped up. Then it will be time to build some shelves in the garage before tackling the basement. This list never ends but at some point it will warm up and the focus will move to the yard.

I did actually get out on the bike a few days this week. I wish I had some pictures from the rides but it was too windy on the days that I rode to take my hands off the bars. At least it was reasonably warm so the wind chill wasn't too bad. Today was another sick day but maybe I'll get out tomorrow and stop by the last cross race.

Failure to Launch

2011-01-03T20:36:00.003-06:00

JoBro strikes a pose........probably thinking about girls!

Today was the day that I was supposed to get back into the training routine. Like I said, supposed to start but that didn't happen today. Sick kids will change plans in a hurry and it didn't help that I touch of the sickness as well. I'm thinking that the boys and I both got food poisoning from some fast food we picked up on the way to the races Sunday. Oh well..... JoBro is back to normal tonight, I'm better, but Curly still has a long way to go. It's looking like another day at home with Curly. With any luck the stomach cramps will end along with the crying that goes with it.

We went to the cross race in Parkville yesterday. Funny how they look so happy in the picture and 6 hrs later they were both doubled over in pain. We spent a while down by the Missouri River checking out the sand bar and skipping stones in the river. Pretty nice day for the beginning for January.

Bama came out for both races this weekend. He had a good race Saturday and then suffered on Sunday. That's ok, it's good training for the road season.

Shadd is working the same plan as Bama. Keeping the cross season going until the end and holding on to their fitness for the road season.

Ah yes, the road season. 2011 is here and it's time to get rolling. For me it's going to be at least another day before I get started. No worries, it's a long season and I'd rather make sure I have healthy kids. Looks like a week with decent weather and it might even be pretty nice for the last cross race this weekend.

Looking for the sweet spot

2011-01-01T10:27:00.002-06:00

Went out to Cross out the old Year race yesterday after working a few hours at the shop. I knew that it was going to get cold but when I got out there I was a little surprised by how cold it was. If the temp wasn't bad enough the howling wind made it even worse. Kudo's to the folks that made it out and raced! I keep thinking that I want to get out and race one of the final races of the season but I know I just need to take the time and let my body recover before the road season starts. It's tough to sit out the races but my season was planned out to end with Nationals. Next year the plan will be to race all the way to Nationals and Worlds and if that's the plan from the beginning I think it will be easy to stay motivated.

This has really got me motivated for the road season. Our KCCX wheel sponsor Reynolds is going to sponsor the road team as well. We will have super sweet carbon wheels for racing and training and they even built up Powertap wheels for us as well. That will make my coach happy as I now have no excuse to leave the PowerTap wheel on the sideline at races.

I will say that KC has some of the wildest weather changes of all the places I've lived. It was near 70 degrees on Thursday and in the 30's and dropping on Friday. At the moment the temp is near 20 and it might get to freezing today. Brrrrrr, I'm ready for spring!

So what about this, "sweet spot". A friend of mine once told me that there are points in time when your children become a little less dependent on their parents and it frees up a little time for mom and dad. I think we were there at one point when the boys were really young and it feels like we are getting near that point again. I'll have to ask Mathgeek if she feels that way as she is the Boy Scout/Cub Scout queen and does a ton of running around with that. I guess I'm really wondering how bad I want this to happen. It would be really nice to have a some time for just Mathgeek and I, but then again it, won't be that many years before it will be just the two of us. I'm not sure where I'm going with this, it's the 1st day of 2011 and they boys woke up, said hi, and went and got their own breakfast. Now they are both doing their own thing as I sit here pondering the future.

2011 is going to be interesting and I'm excited to see how things play out! Thanks for reading the blog. I enjoy posting the events that go on in my little world and it's nice to be able to connect with people. Time to go play with the boys!