Tuesday, May 25, 2010

43 miles on the bike and a pulled pork sandwich

Went out for a ride with my wife. We did 43  miles of streets and bike paths around town then stopped for a quick lunch at gigi's.

Here is my lovely wife devouring at spinach and tofu burger.




This is me waiting for my Cubano sandwich. Which ended up worth the wait.

All in all a great day.

Monday, May 24, 2010

Summer

Summer weather finally comes to Minnesota. the last couple days have been not just not cool but actually warm... really warm. The high today got up to 95. for May in Minnesota that's pretty darn warm. I didn't ride today so I missed the oportunity to get aclimitized for the months to come and upcomming ragbrai in particular.

I have felt really consistsntly good on the bike. I am however not doing at much riding as I am used to. It concerns me a little to be not logging the miles I should. My schedule both at home and at work has been really busy and I am struggling to get work out time in.

I really need to get out on my rollerskis.... speaking of workouts. I would like to get some rollerskiing in this summer to maintain some skiing skill and strength.


Sunday, May 2, 2010

Marty Minnesota road race

the Marty rr was yesterday and I decided to go for it. it was my first bike race of the year and it turned out to be quite and opener to the season. it was a largely flat course with a few rolling hills. one would think it would be a fast paced race with A big bunch sprint finish. On any given Saturday that would be the case, but not this Saturday. The standing 25 mph wind with 45 mph gusts had plans of it's own.

Every division was broken up after the first few miles by the ripping cross winds. the fields was broken into small groups clinging to each other in desperation just trying to make the distance. I was one of the many lost soles struggling in perposterus conditions.

Every race is a story, with charictors an motive and hapenstance. this Saturday was certainly a tale to remember.

Afterword in he parking lot I watched from beyond earshot groups of friends and teammates wiery and windblown. retell their tales. Rounds of laughter and wild jestures mime the shaken landscape and the chaotic maylay that was attemping to ride in a group.

It is a slice of pride that I was one of a few hearty soles that finished the day, spirit intact.

Oddly I am greatful to have a shared understanding with strangers. why would that be a source of content?


Marty rr that's one for the books!


Sunday, April 25, 2010

f'in cold

I have mentioned this before but it stands to be stated again. riding in a cold spring rain is the coldest thing I do all year.

I ski in temps as low as the single digits and never get as cold as I got on today's ride. the rain had me soaked to the skin and the driving wind and rain was freezing me to death. the air tempurature was about 45. so it was like swimming in 45 degree water for 2 hour. by the end my fingers and toes were complety numb. my knees ached as did my back and sholders.

The truly estonishing part is I went out in it!? I've done this to myself before. Why I would subject my self to it again is either eternal optomisim that it will be different this time or just plain dumb.

it took a half hour scalding shower to get me to stop shaking and calm.

note to self: don't ride on cold rainy days, you fucking itiot! : )

Wednesday, March 31, 2010

The Birke hangover is almost over.

Like last year after the birke I turned into a puddle of goo. legs have had no snap to them at all and tired, sore and sore. But this week things are starting to feel better. Rode yesterday short ride 25 miles but hilly and windy.  defiantly not a stellar day on the bike I got pretty much spanked but the two guys I was with.   the real news is the recovery. My legs feel better today than they have in three weeks. I think the base riding I've been trying to do is starting to sink in and my legs are starting to acclimatize to the bike. Skiing if so radically different from cycling from a muscularity point of view that it takes my legs some time to adapt to the high specificity of cycling.

So that's a really long winded way of saying I'm feeling a bit better and am pretty jazzed about it.

Friday, March 26, 2010

laying low

I've been off the bike and weights for the last 4 days. I was having really really sore legs and very sore knees. Every trainer I've talked with or worked with has always been very cautious about knees. So when mine really started to bark I laid off everything. Today is the first day I have felt significantly better.

I am leave to go out of town for a week and am wondering if I should try to ride today. I think I'd have to go really easy but it might be nice to get some air.

I always struggle when I have to take a break or when I'm on taper. I've become so accustom to having physical activity when I don't I start to get really irritable and fidgety. Oddly I tend to get sick when I lay off too.. odd. I don't tend to get really sick but a light cold is a common side effect of taking it easy for a while.

I'll be heading south next week and am taking the bike and will be riding in a warmer climate. Hope my knees and legs are feeling better to take advantage of the opportunity.

Sunday, March 7, 2010

The bike is back

Yesterday was my first day on the bike. I went out for a really short ride and took it pretty easy. The good news is the legs weren't totally dead feeling and more importantly it was really really nice to be on the bike. This is one of the best aspects of having a two sport year. Just about the time your bored with one sport the season is over and the next feel fresh and exciting.

I took out the mountain bike as the roads here are still really messy. Icy spots, tons of sand, debris, and wet. So the mountain bike is defiantly the bike of choice in the early spring. once the roads clear up I'll get out the road bike. The weather is to be consistently in the mid to upper 40's and on and off rain for the next 10 days. That should melt the remainder of the snow and wash the roads a bit. we have a really deep and high water volume snow pack. It will takes a lot of heat to melt all that mass. but once the cooling effect of the melting snow is gone then the temps can really go up.

Spring isn't here yet but you and tell it's knocking at the door.

Monday, March 1, 2010

birke video

Here is a helicopter view of the birke that got posted today. It offers an additional viewpoint.




here is a helmet cam one for an in race viewpoint.


Birkie 2010 Lead Women at 15k from Scott Brown on Vimeo.


ok more vids


Birkie Freestyle Lead Pack Coming up OO Hill from Scott Brown on Vimeo.

Sunday, February 28, 2010

The Short Story





Here are a few pictures and a short bit on how the birke went.

Over all went really well. my time was 4:15 that is 53 minutes faster than last year and 10% higher in the standings. I still have a long way to go but took a huge bite out of it this year.

Like last year the birke is unbelievable hard. There is nothing all year that is this hard. The loppet was hard but the birke was harder be a good share.

I had really fast skis up to 00 the half way point and then the race was on south facing slopes from then on and my ski's slowed in the warmer snow. But I had build a bit of a cushion in the first half which I needed with the slower ski's.

All in all though really good.

More later....

Thursday, February 25, 2010

t-36

It's less that 36 hours until the Birkebiener and the gitters are setting in nicely thank you very much. I will say however, this years nerves are nothing compained to the full on panik of 09. Honestly I feel ok, not great not bad, basic ok. Work and life has been stressful, and being on taper always goofs me up. I don't sleep well on taper and just about the time your settled you have to go ski a marathon. You don't realy get to bask in the glow of the taper. I do feel ready however, and I think that's a good sign.

A few changes for this year. I'm not drinking the provided energy drink. By the 40k marker last year my stomach was a mess and I couldn't get anything else down. Consequently the last 10k was a bonky wonderland. As far as I know I was pretty sure I skied with the care bears, rainbows and unicorns, for about 45 minutes. The Birke is a garanteed bonk. So you just have be ok with that I guess.

This year I'm and going to carry a water bottle with hammer perpetuem. I have used it on long rides and I find it is good at holding off the bonk and is easy on my stomach. I like gatorade endurance too but I think perpetuem is a little beefier. So water at the aid stations and gu every 45min or so. Then after doubleO ( roughly the half way point ) start drinking the perpetuem. I am hopeful this will give me a better final stretch. They have bananas too I may try a few bites of banana along the way too. We'll see if any of it makes a difference.

Perhaps being less crazy this year is a good omen. I wish I were superstitious. All have to do is sacrifice a goat and I'm good to go.

36 hour .... Tick tock.





Monday, February 8, 2010

City of lakes loppet 2010


City of Lakes Loppet 2010 is in the books. It was pretty good. I took a good spill that had me goofed up for a while but by the midpoint I settled back in and made up a lot of lost ground in the last 10k. It's funny, because it's on the network of trails I train on, and it's in my home town, you get the idea it's going to be relatively easy. Ummm no. There were long periods where I was just sure someone was driving a knife into my left calf muscle, maybe an hour or so of that, ouch. There were periods where I thought my lungs would explode.

I had to have several serious conversations in my head about not quitting. And On several occasions questioned if I get to the end at all. Crossing the finish line was such a relief. I thought I was doing terrible but as it turns out I dropped 25 minutes off my time from last year, and went up in the standings by 10%. I am still waaaay at the back but I am a little less waaay than last year. I went from 2:55 to 2:30.

For the life of me I don't know why I put myself through this. But for some reason a day or two after an event I can't wait to go do the next one. What is the matter with me? : ) Stupid or Crazy?

The birkebiner is in two weeks that is my second and last race for the year. the loppet is 32k and 3500 feet of climb. The birke is 52k and 9000 feet of climb. It will be my second birke and after the loppet and the suffering I must say it's got me a bit spooked. But if I can hold my loppet pace at the birke. I could finish in 4 hours. That would be 55 minutes faster than last year. That would be one hell of a trick if I could pull that off.

Ok time to go my advil is wearing off... talk to you soon.


Wednesday, February 3, 2010

Getting ready for the loppet

The City of Lakes loppet is this Sunday and so final preparations are underway. I have been reading the waxing recommendations for the last few days and starting today will look to ease off training. Give the body a few days to get really rested. At this point any new training would have no impact on outcome anyway so you would be unnecessarily tiring yourself.

I skied yesterday on the lovely new snow that fell throughout the day. The temperatures were perfect and the new snow was soft fluff. It didn't have a super fast glide to it but it was so wonderfully soft and cushioning it was pure joy to ski on.

So far my body feels pretty good. I am still having pain in my right shoulder from my rollerski tumble this summer but it doesn't bother me too much skiing and isn't getting worse from it. It has been several months since I've competed in an event and the pre-event gitters are starting to settle in. I am enjoying the excitement of an upcoming event meanwhile lamenting the pain and suffering to come.

What a joy it has been to be a part of a team this year with a coach and everything. The kick off year for the squad has been going really really well. It will be so satisfying to see my teammates at the finish line on sunday. I will post pictures after.

The coach we hired brought a video camera out to, practice a couple weeks ago to film our skiing to look at and talk about form and technique. Here is yours truly doing a bit of skiing.