On The Rivet

43 miles on the bike and a pulled pork sandwich

2010-05-25T11:09:00.000-07:00

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.

Summer

2010-05-24T13:19:00.000-07:00

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.

Marty Minnesota road race

2010-05-02T12:44:00.000-07:00

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!

f'in cold

2010-04-25T08:47:00.000-07:00

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! : )

The Birke hangover is almost over.

2010-03-31T06:42:00.000-07:00

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.

laying low

2010-03-26T09:12:00.000-07:00

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.

The bike is back

2010-03-07T09:20:00.001-08:00

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.

Activity Details for The American Birkebeiner 2010

2010-03-02T14:19:00.000-08:00

Here is the garmin data from the birke.

Garmin Connect -
Activity Details for The American Birkebeiner 2010

birke video

2010-03-01T14:09:00.000-08:00

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.

The Short Story

2010-02-28T20:12:00.001-08:00

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....

t-36

2010-02-25T20:39:00.000-08:00

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.

City of lakes loppet 2010

2010-02-08T13:09:00.000-08:00

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.

Getting ready for the loppet

2010-02-03T08:09:00.000-08:00

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.

merry Christmas

2009-12-25T10:59:00.000-08:00

Today has been one of reflection as it usually is for me. I am reminded of the countless wonders I have to be thankful for. The love and care of my family and friends. To live in reletive plenty and health. So easily taken for granted and so easily taken.

To everyone my wishes of peace and comfort.

Merry Christmas

Snow making at Wirth park

2009-12-05T14:39:00.000-08:00

I went out to see how the snow making was going at wirth today. Here are a few shots. Looks like they have a ways to go yet but hopfully we'll be skiing soon.

2009-12-02T08:53:00.000-08:00

Here is a quick bit of video I shot a couple weeks ago of some rollerskiing.

It a couple of my friends doing a quick sprint.

In other news... there isn't much:) Still just waiting fir snow. Dry land training is getting old. Enough with the methadone lets get some of the good stuff going here! Some of the regional parks will start making snow this week. It is possible I could be skiing man made snow by mid next week. I am keeping my fingers crossed for that. Hopefully I'll have some skiing pictures for you soon.

Weight lifting and running has me consistently really really sore. I am just not a good runner that's for sure. It makes my legs sore as hell. It's my first season of running I suppose like all of this stuff your body needs time to get used to a new stimulus. I figure spending park of my training year doing a bit of running is probably not a bad idea from a big picture point of view.

Getting better

2009-11-13T11:16:00.000-08:00

Today I ran for a short period at eh gym and the calf felt really good... pheew. So it looks like this injury is going to clear up relatively soon. I did all my strength stuff today and all went well.

I think I'll be ok for rollerskiing and and hill bounding work this weekend. Wooohooo!!! Not being able to get you was driving me batty. No too much else to report. Just waiting for snow.... tick... tock....

The ski coach that was hired for the ski team will be meeting with us for the first time on sunday so it will be interesting to see what he has in mind. I am sure he'll be a hugh help.

Can't wait to get back out on the skis and running in the woods!

oops

2009-11-06T04:59:00.000-08:00

Well I've gone and done it. I tried to get two workouts in yesterday and managed to pull the dickens put of my right calf. I can barely walk on it. Kind of frustrating I was really starting to see some progress now I'm laid up for a few days at least. Aaarrrggggg!

I went out early in the day and did a couple hours worth of rollerskiing. Then in the evening went to hill bounding/ running and whammo. I could feel a serious POP in my rights calf.

I guess I'm not ready for a two-a-day work out schedual just yet.

So it't vitamin I for me today. Oh well. This too shall pass.

Rollerskiing breakthrough

2009-11-04T05:50:00.000-08:00

I've been trying to get on my roller skis whenever conditions permit. So far this fall I have really been struggling. Roller skis are a wobbly affair. They are very unstable feeling and hard to stop on. I have had two crashes on them one of which was 6 weeks ago and my shoulder is still sore and do not yet have full range of motion back yet.

Yesterday was a real breakthrough however. For a few moment it actually felt a great deal like skiing! wow! As I have discussed in the past at times training is some bitter medicine you have to take. Yesterday it was standing at the summit. Days like yesterday are why you go take your medicine.

Just for reference I'll include a you tube video of some rollerskiing done properly for those that may be unfamiliar. this is a video of a local skiing celebrity. Her name is Caitlin Compton and she lives and trains here in Minneapolis for the Vancouver Olympics. I see here out training from time to time and it is so great to see. Her skiing has a flow and ease to it that is like magic. It is truly inspiring. What I wouldn't give to be so gifted.

I am hoping to get out today if the leaves dry a bit this afternoon. They get pretty slick.

See you on the trails.

Pre season skiing training

2009-10-13T09:19:00.000-07:00

Well here we are in the fall and getting ready for cross country ski season. I took a couple weeks off to rest after my last race of the bike season and starting yesterday officially started ski season training. we've been doing some hill bounding but it's only twice a week. I started strength training last night and will be doing mostly long slow distance on the roller skis over the next three weeks then on to more threshold based work on the roller skis. I would really like to be on the roller skis 5 days a week if possible and two strength workouts a week. We'll see if I can fit it all in.

We had a Surprising snow this week it's all melted off but the temps and snow are unusual for this time of year. I am hoping this means we'll have good snow this year all year.

Not a photoshop trick

2009-09-27T05:38:00.001-07:00

This is not a photoshop trick or optical illusion; that is yours truly on the top of the podium. this weekend was the last race in the minnesota state championship series and I came in first in my age bracket. I was in the citizen/beginner race. So there are harder divisions to work towards but this was a real win. It was a tough race and up to the last 1/4 mile a toss up as to who would win.

For most of the race I was trading the lead with two other riders and I didn't know if I was going to hang on to the end. Fortunately as the race progressed the other two started to wain and my strength was holding. In the last few places where the trail opened up wide enough to pass I really put the pressure on and speeding up the pace and eventually was able to ride off the front.

This course thankfully played into my straights and didn't penalize me to greatly for my weaknesses. It had frequent sections of grassy double track to plow through and made very good sprinting opportunities. Which as it turns out is a strength for me. It's surprising smaller guys don't tend to be good sprinters. Climbers yes but sprinters not so much.

The track did have a good deal of very tight twisting single track which I am not very fast in. so I was loosing ground in the single track and gaining it in the open. If I am too Improve my overall standings and or move up in division Bike handling skills really need work.

I must say I am very pleased with the seasons end. As always through the season there have been countless times where I get beat so bad, it is nice to not be at the bottom of the pile for once.

Ok bike season is over.... time to ski... birke is in 153 days... better start getting ready!

Transition

2009-09-11T15:05:00.000-07:00

This week started transition to ski season. Which means trail running and hill intervals with poles.

Like the last couple years by September I an ready for a change of pace. My skiing mentor is telling me that I need to spend more time on my rollerskis. I went down pretty hard on them acouple weeks ago and now I'm scared of them. I'll have to buck up the courage on keep trying. Maybe football pads : ).

My 73 year old father started working out at a gym last week after years of reletive inactivity. After 3 years of work and improvments I almost envy him. To be starting at the beginning on hindsight was a really exciting part of the grand experiment. Change and improvement comes so fast in the beginning. Mental peace, clarity; once long forgotten, return and the contrast is so drastic.

I have distant friend who I know is really struggling and I hold hope for her that she finds her path to feeling better soon.

So many of us live unnessesarily discomforted.

Wishes to us all for peace, not joy, not elation simple peace will do.

Albany Road Race

2009-08-24T08:05:00.000-07:00

I races this weekend in Albany Minnesota. It was on the coarse of the state champ. road race last year. It has one big climb and a few rollers so the race comes down to the one climb with the finish line at the top.

My race didn't go very well... just not my day I guess. It was 3 laps and I dropped out at the end of 2. A team mate and lost touch with the main field going up the climb the second time and struggled to catch them on the second lap but by the time we got to the climb to go up the third time we were blown and decided to call it.

Why poor performance? I have no Idea..... just one of those days.

I have the potential to do 3 mountain bike races before the season is up. I am going to try to do some of them. So there is still time to end on a high note.

Then plans are a couple weeks off and start base training for skiing. I am ready for a break in training. It's been a long haul sense february.

Ragbrai 2009

2009-08-14T12:08:00.001-07:00

Ragbrai 09

I'll keep it brief as I've covered this relatively well in the previous two years. It was great as always. Jillions of people and 7 days on the bike. The only noteworthy difference this year was I went into the week really really over tired. By the last couple of days I was out of gas and was ready to go home.

One thing I've been thinking about a lot lately is what happens away from the bike has such an huge impact on how things go on the bike. Not bike may be as important as bike. I think this basic formula applies to all sorts of things one wants or needs to do in life. This years Ragbrai was a great example. All the work I had done on the bike all spring and early summer was nearly mitigated by over work and stress in the week before the event.

Cycling has always been a tool for examining/testing assumptions and personal qualities. Cycling at a high effort level draws ideas into fine contrast to make them easy to see. Press hard this way reveals a great deal.

I think what has been drawn if finer detail this year is that a seemingly separate areas of life are connected whether the links are visible or not.

So this is every town, infested with cyclists.

Tent city... one of many

Some of the gang at a beer stop

Balloon race as we roll out of the first town on the first day.

The gang at camp.

Group shot

Loin cloth guy... sheesh

The finish

Banff

2009-08-12T12:35:00.000-07:00

Ok let me first say, thank you Canada!

I had a great stay in the Banff area last week. We had great hikes, mountain bike rides, food, Beer...... The beautiful mountains and being among them for 5 days really did rejuvenate me after an unbelievably difficult july. I am not going to go into the details of july ( too Boring ), but by August first I was a cooked and really really needed some fresh air and to be waaaaaayyy out of cel service. I got both in buckets full and am energized and centered again. Phew.

This is the trail from banff to canmore and back 40K, 6000 feet of climb. What a great trek. mostly fire road and double track, not technical at all, with stiff climbs and fast, fast, descents, crazy fun. You'll notice in the garmin data, we took our time up to the last half hour, then I couldn't take it anymore, I had to let er' rip. It was cycling glory. There are those rare, rare days when you can go as hard as you like and your body says "more please". I was soooo lucky to have a magic day fall on a day I was in such a beautiful place. This may have been the best ride of the year. A "10" for sure!

http://connect.garmin.com/player/11047867

This is where we stayed.

We hike up to this lake, had the place to ourselves.. amazing!

The main lodge

View from the lodge.

This is Chip, he/she really liked trail mix!

I did a touch of rock balancing just for good measure.

Tri-Loppet

2009-06-29T11:32:00.000-07:00

The people that put on the city of lakes loppet x-country ski race, host a summer race on a similar course. It is a tri though, so you do canoe/kayak, trail run, off road mountain bike.

I entered with my wife and it was a really fun event. we entered at a relay so we canoed (11K) together then she ran(5k) then I did the Bike (11k).

It rained buckets the night before and some on us in the morning in the canoe. So everyone and everything was soaked. The trails were mud and slick but that's ok. It was all good fun and another chance to get some experience. We came in 8th out of 13 teams. Having canoed only once before together i think that's not too bad.

All in all a fun weekend and a good outing.

Buck hill attempt #1

2009-06-19T07:16:00.000-07:00

Great weather last night at buck hill for my first race there.

So here's what happend...

I have never races this coarse before and this is only my second mountain bike race of my life to I entered the beginner bracket. Because I am a beginner mountain bike racer. right?

I ended up in a race with about 10 people or so three of which were children.... doh! There were 5 other adult men in the race and a woman and me. I won by 2 1/2 minutes on a 15 minute lap.

Clearly I should have raced the intermediate/recreational class. Which is what I'll do next time.

The other guys in the race were pretty regular guys and I beat them fair and square but it's sort a dubious win.

This is me receiving my $10 gift car as my winning prize... and the crowd is yelling "move up" at me. I assured them I was.

It's all ok tho... I have defiantly taken it on the chin many, many times ( see the marty minnesota road race from last year... ouch) and for once it wasn't me taking a pounding. I am looking forward to the next Buck hill race and the rec class!

Look out Rec... I'm comin' ta get cha..... haha

NVGP Wrap up

2009-06-16T08:01:00.000-07:00

The Nature valley grand prix wrapped up in stillwater on sunday and the crit they host every year did not fail to deliver. Both races were unbelievable ( see last years posting for more awe driven pros).

The Story this year like last was Kristen Armstrong. She pulled the front the entire race then took a break of three away then with two to go dropped them and rode away to a solo victory. She is unbeatable... amazing.

This is the break with three in it.

The mens race was great don't get me wrong.. The speed of it is so far beyond anything, it is hard to have any sense of it if your not there to see it up close. It's truly shocking, to the point it's difficult to even perceive them as human beings, it's just to fast for a human being.

21% grade at 30+ mph = ouch!

Dethroned Floyd Landis was here for the race. He was sort of in the middle of it all week but not dominating.

All in all very inspiring and just plain fun!

In my personal racing-ness... I am thinking of racing ... maybe tonight ((crit) biting my nails), if not then thursday (mountain bike race)

I'll have some video of the minneapolis uptown crit soon.

Ciao

Band of Horses

2009-06-16T07:37:00.000-07:00

I ran across this song working in a local cafe recently and was reminded how much I like it.

For your listening pleasure.......

Nature Valley Grand Prix stage 1

2009-06-10T09:44:00.001-07:00

Stage one was this morning a 6 mile TT. Here is a picture of Kristin Armstrong about 50 meters from the finish to put in her first stage win for this year. It was super cool to see such unbelievable athletes up close.

Floyd landis is here this year and i saw him too during warm up but didn't stay for his finish.

Stay tuned

Nature Valley Grand Prix

2009-06-09T06:15:00.001-07:00

NVGP. starts tomorrow with a Time Trial. The finish line is at the top a of a mile long 14% grade twister climb. It is a regular training spot for local nutbags like myself. It will be very cool to see the pros rocket up it. Kristin Armstrong is back again this year I am really excited to see her race again. Last year she beat the crap out of everyone..... then went and won gold medal. I hope more of the Cervelo Test Team come this year. She was essentially on her own last year.

It will also be fun to see some of the local heavy hitters tangle with someone their own size. We have a local woman road racer that is unbeatable with local talent. On one hand it's cool to see a racer of that level on a regular basis. On the other hand it has a dampening effect on the women's racing scene. I mean why bother with Teresa out there. She is a great racer and on the few occasions I've spoken to her, quite pleasant. I imagine being a local celeb could be annoying as hell some times.

We have a rider in our club who I am sure could take on anyone in town and beat them. But she won't because she to afraid to tangle with Teresa.

Anyway enough local racing scene soap opera stuff.

This week is a recovery week so rest and easy rides for me. Good thing I am baked... : ) On saturday the last of my hard rides in the microcycle I had no legs at all, and a huge head wind coming home....hahaha.

I'll post some NVGP pix tomorrow

Bread and Butter

2009-06-04T05:54:00.000-07:00

Some of the usual suspects lined up for a saturday ride

I haven't posted much lately due to the a lack of exciting or post worthy activites. I haven't races in a while I am just pugging away at my training and feeling pretty good really. I went out with the guy's ( all of them regularly faster than me) and faired pretty well. I even got in a break with one of the better sprinters of the group and held my own.. not bad for little ol' me.

On a personal note.... It's interesting that this little experiment of mine has gone on long enough. People are beginning to accept me in my new role. I don't mean approve of it I mean they have changed their assumption of who I am. A sign of this changing role is, on several occasions recently people have been coming to me for help or guidance. Whooa?

I have been a ride leader for the beginner ride for the club /team this year and I am really enjoying it. It is very gratifying to offer to others some of the care and patience that I've received from my mentors on the team. I am a big believer in pay it forward. It's an opportunity to show my gratitude by giving and listening.

Gotta keep on truckin.

erik's spring cup.

2009-05-18T09:14:00.001-07:00

So I went and did it... a mountain bike race that is, and it was a really cool experience. The race was the Erik's Spring Cup. It was about 10 miles of dirt single track with only one obstacle. The whole race took about 48 minutes. I came in 4th in my age group and 48 out of 125 overall.

By far this is the highest I have ever finished in anything. At least I'm in the top half! A first for me. All kidding aside this was a pretty big win for me yesterday.

I would have done better but I wrecked twice. I did a full superman on one of them. It cost me 20 or 30 spots in my wave that I had to work my way back through... all that traffic took time and cost me overall positions. Note to self try not to wreck..

I am defiantly going to do one of these again.

Busy bee

2009-04-27T05:37:00.000-07:00

Training and work have been very full for the last couple weeks. I wont bore you with work flotsam but I will bore you with training babbling.

Me finishing The durand road race with a birchwood racer

One reader has teased me that my photo's and movies tend to feature peoples butts.. here ya go. As we all know the reality is in cycling you spend a fair bit of time with other peoples butts in your face.

So the durand road race was good. I did as usual coming in toward the back. There are several circumstances that are keeping me from being too bumbed out. Most Importantly I am still in a base period of training and nowhere near ready to race. I knew that going in and so looked on the race as an opportunity to get some training in and have some fun. mission accomplished.

I am on a new training plan and it includes weight lifting and plyometric drills. so I have been consistently sore for the past few weeks. I am having moments on the bike that are really encouraging, but they are fleeting. Hopefully as I near the preparatory and racing periods these occurrences of good performance will be more consistent.

The team is having one hell of a spring and is getting podiums in about every race we're in. Unbelievable. Keep in mind we're all beginners and in cat 5 but, but compared to last year when I was nearly alone out there and getting slaughtered. It's a night and day change.

I am hope to finish a race this year in the lead group. I am reluctant to say getting on the podium this year. We've come a long way from two years ago for sure but keeping it real is important. Goal #1 is start finishing races in the front. We'll worry about where in the front we end up, once we're there.

Thanks to my team mates, The Big Kahuna, and Mo for all their support!

Seasons first race one win for the team!

2009-04-16T05:50:00.000-07:00

The first race of the year was Tuesday and a teammate won. It was a cat 5 win as we are all beginners but a win is a win. So everyone is really excited for the durand road race this weekend. I just hope the weather holds. The early season races can be cold and rainy. I am feeling pretty good. I can tell I'm not anywhere near a peak but that's how it goes.

I am starting to feel some confidence creeping into my cycling and feeling mentally stronger than I have this time of year in past years. I have been riding relatively strong with my teammates and on my solo training rides.

I think I am finally starting to develop some usable leg strength. I am finding I can ride temporarily in a little bigger gear letting my cardio recover a bit. It's not there yet by any means but it's a tool that I didn't have last year.

I have been thinking about strategy for the race on saturday. I think I ride with more confidence. Ride closer to the front and risk being on the front a little bit. I always ride very very conservatively which holds me toward the back and in a poor position to stay with the pile when it accelerates. I wish I was going to have some teammates in my race but they will all be in the 4-5 race. I am staying in the 5 only race. If I stop getting dropped in the 5 races I'll consider the 4-5.

As you can tell the race nerves are starting up somewhat. I really do need to work on not beating my self up mentally too much in the days leading into a race. Always something to work on.

next entry: Durand Road Race Highlights!

Durand Road Race

2009-04-09T09:01:00.000-07:00

So it's one week from the first race of the year. The venerated Durand Road Race. Last years addition was the first race of my life. Re-reading last years full on panic attack makes for entertaining reading. I am going in to this more as a training ride than a race I'm too worried about outcome. I am in a base training time period and not really prepared to race. I am looking forward to racing course for the second time. having done it once I'm a bit more mentally prepared which is comforting. I am going to mimic my preparation prior to birke. That was as prepared for any event as I have ever been. Which mean a very restful week next week. I've been riding everyday this week though not really long efforts and not a lot of really hard efforts. It will be interesting to see how I respond to racing when really rested.

In other news. One of my team mates thinks I pedal wrong so he used my camera to film my pedaling just sure I would see the error of my ways.. Looks like regular pedaling to me..What do you think?

on the road.

2009-04-09T08:54:00.000-07:00

I'm off to Durand Wisconsin. I had a terrible ride yesterday so my hopes for an above average performance took a good knock. Lucky for me I have been a poor predictor of outcome so who knows.

I still have a few hours to get my head on straight. Better get to work on that.

Next post I'll have a report from the field.

weekend outside.

2009-03-30T05:57:00.000-07:00

Caption: Waiting for someone to fix flat.

Rode outdoors both saturday and sunday. It was a bit cool in the high 20's low 30's but sunny and clear. Overall not too bad.

It's been a couple of week since I was put on rest and it's ok to start riding again albeit easy,easy. I feel surprisingly strong given how goofed up I've been. It is getting hard to hold back I am so eager to uncork it to see where I'm at. Patience and discipline are defiantly the lessons to be worked on for this year.

I dug this hole by not recovering properly after the birke. I just got right on it pounding away at the bike just a couple days later and felt worse and worse. In response to poor performance I went harder. As it turns out not such a good strategy.

This year I need to work on affording recovery proper respect. Apparently it's a big deal : )

I think there is a global lesson here too. Allowing yourself to "recover" from all the efforts life offers and having the patience and discipline to respect that your mind and body need it to continue and grow is a lesson I am beginning to get aquatinted with.

Rest and recover is not laziness. It is half of the one-two punch that you need to perform well.

These guys are interesting.

2009-03-20T10:34:00.000-07:00

sprung

2009-03-16T16:58:00.000-07:00

It's here!!! It was 64 and brilliant sun today. People everywhere. Spring has arived in Minnesota! 4 days ago it was -4 doh!

I Cheated alittle on being grounded I went out for an east, east spin on the bike. Waaaay to beautiful to stay in. I'll take some shit over it but it's worth it.

Aditionaly the magnolia out in the front yard has buds on it! Actual greeness may not be far behind.

bed rest

2009-03-13T07:23:00.000-07:00

I've been put on two weeks rest. After cycling class on Tuesday the coach claimed I looked "unusually sluggish". Ouch. I talked to her after class and it would appear my half ass recovery after the berke did't quite get it.

So " no soup for you" : )

Last night I embrased my time off with a tall glass of a local porter and caught up on some tv via hulu.

I think I needed someone I trust to tell it's ok to ease off. It's very very hard to tell yourself it's ok to let go. If only temporarily.

I am on vacation and it's Friday. Watch out. Haha.

on the mend

2009-03-05T15:59:00.000-08:00

Went out for a quick ride this afternoon and am begining to feel like my old self. The birke really took it out of me but I am starting to get my legs back! It was wet overcast and 40 today. Not perfect but not too bad. Today was one of those days where it's just good clean fun to be on the bike. I rode in shorts and knee warmers, so nice to be on the bike without a million pounds of clothes on.

It is possible that as an old guy I might need a bit more recovery than my younger teamates.

Sorry for the random unconnected thoughts.

I'm just jazzed to be on the show. Reference anyone?

Still not recovered.

2009-03-01T07:14:00.000-08:00

It's been a week now and I am still not very well recovered from the birke. Legs are still really sluggish and higher level efforts are really hard. I hard climbing to max effort intervals in cycling class on tuesday and it was really hard to get into and maintain proper heart rate ranges. I went out and skied about 1:45. I had to go relatively slow to keep from blowing up. I am going to have to take it easy this next week see if I can get myself back in order.

It's the first of march and hopefully we will see the first signs of spring soon. Not today however woke up to 1 deg F. I think by the end of the week we're supposed to be in the mid 30's. I am really looking forward to riding outside but there is still a tone of ice out there and I am really not wishing to get in a wreck.

Birke picts

2009-02-23T12:15:00.000-08:00

Here are a few shots from the birke...

So you've probably heard it's hilly, here's some examples.

This is Bitch hill.. It comes along at the 40k marker. After 40k, this hill looks like a mountain

Typical Views just after OO.

Finishing on main street hayward.

Did it!

2009-02-23T11:54:00.002-08:00

3 days

2009-02-18T16:45:00.000-08:00

3 days to the birke and the gitters are starting. I've been on rest since sunday and I'm climbing the walls. I wish i could go ride my bike like you would not believe! sleeping is near impossible. 3 or so hours then up for an hour then 3 or so more then morning. Thinking about the beginning of bike season is easier than thinking about the big finally of the ski season. So today I watched tour of california coverage.

Thoughts of doing well have started to creep into my thinking. I am running a real risk of setting myself up for disappointment. But your supposed to think positively ... right?

According to the weather the conditions will be the sort of snow and temps I have good days on. I am trying to have confidence that all this taper business has something to it : )

Trying to produce a consistent outcome ( other than bad) it would seem is somewhat hard. I am unable to manufacture the sort of results I would like. I am really working on allowing the outcome of this to be what it will be and not fill my mind with expectations.

the durand road race is in 8 weeks so after this weekend you won't be subjected to race panic for a while.

back to music videos and funny shit!

monster

2009-02-14T08:48:00.000-08:00

I went out for a ski last night and wow!

I had the fastest ski of my short skiing life last night. I did 20k in 1:28! That is 50 % faster than anything i've ever done.

The snow was fast and I was rested. But the big difference was the handfull of tiny technique changes I've made in the last few weeks. It is really amazing the cumulative effect of the smallest of improvments. This posting is boring enough without getting in to the details. I'll just say climbing and flats speeds are way up! Woohoo!

this just in!

2009-02-12T07:19:00.001-08:00

Here is a link to a 3d flyover of the birke trail for anyone interested.

http://www.pointnorthland.com/birkiefly.html

Cool weather returns to Minnesota.

2009-02-12T06:37:00.000-08:00

the weather has begun to shift back to cooler, but not cold temps in the last couple days.

Here is the bad news. the warm temps and rain have destroyed all the skiing in the twin cities so I have no snow to train on and I'm a week and a half from my event. DoH! I am officially on a taper schedule anyway so it's not like any really pivotal training was going to happen anyway but I am worried without being able to get on my skis I'll loose some of my technique and stride.

The good news is for cycling. This early thaw means an earlier than usual outdoor cycling season maybe in the works. The durand road race is april 19th (8 weeks from now) and I'm going to need all the saddle time I can get. Skiing is great but I need to get my bike legs back in time for the first race of the season.

I am considering hiring my, on and off, cycling coach to help me with the transition. 6 weeks is what I'll have to prepare and that isn't much. So moving over as efficiently as possible is going to be important.

it's really too bad this weather put a stop to the party I was really making progress... rats! Oh well that's how the cookie crumbles.

So far the birkebeiner site says the birke trail is going to be fine for the race if the temps stay below freezing ( crossing fingers).

Well that's the state of things. On to 60 minutes of bike trainer in the basement, Yum : )

random bit.

2009-02-10T06:03:00.000-08:00

So this has nothing to do with cycling or skiing in any way. This is just a funny bit from a tv show I like. Thought I would share it with the masses of viewers I have.

It's from the show Spaced. If you haven't seen it ... do, very funny.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_P7dileY9sY

I'm melting?!

2009-02-09T07:16:00.000-08:00

We are having freakishly warm weather for february in minnesota. For just about everyone this is great news, except me and the rest of us training for the birkebeiner. I really will need to stay on my schedule until it's time to rest prior to race day. Will I end up on roller skis in february in minnesota?... Doh!

It's two weeks until the race I just need to hold it together until then.

I skied 21 k on saturday and the trails and conditions were perfect. I had really well suited wax and it was one of those magic rounds of skiing that make the tough days worth it.

The good news is the outdoor cycling season may come early this year. I am just about skied out for the season so that should time out just right to move over to the bike full time and start preparing for the durand road race. It is the first race os the year and when i did it last year, first race I had ever done in my life. I am looking forward to going again it will be the first time I've returned to a race course having done it once.

City of lakes loppet 2009

2009-02-02T13:59:00.000-08:00

Well the loppet was yesterday and I made it just fine. the time was 2:55 minutes which is 5 minutes faster than I planed. But that is not the story of this years loppet. We had really unseasonably warm weather and the coarse turned into glide-less piles of wet ice ball bearings. Very, Very tough going. Anywhere there was shade the snow had no glide at all it was like skiing on sand paper. In the sun the glide was maybe half that of normal/favorable conditions.

Me and my main training buddy.

Me hauling my totally shot ass... legs, arms, back, front, and lungs, across the line : )

That's me in the green coming through a wooded and really hilly section

Well that's enough whining about the snow. Other than that really positive experience. great people, teammates from cycling racing, family and skiing friends all there cheering each other on. The good karma was in full flow on sunday. I skied the last 4 or 5 kilometers with the mayor of minneapolis, super fun.

Below is the data from my garmin. My heart rate was in climbing threshold most of the time. 3 straight hours of threshold punctuated by max efforts will really make a guy tuckered : ) for those who may be interested my tested vo2 max is 182.

I am still digesting what happened yesterday it was to say the least a very dense experience.

On to the next.

race day!

2009-02-01T05:16:00.000-08:00

It's here it's race day. It's 7:14 in the morning , I got up at 5. I needed to change the wax on my ski. The weather is warmer than expected and the wax I put on yesterday afternoon is for cooler snow than we have.

It should be a really nice day temp at 34 and sun.

Ok quick note on strategy:

1) DO NOT BLOW UP IN THE BACK 9!!

2) Easy on the decents it's going to be icy.

3) water and gu. Times 3

4) no bird doging

5) ready

6) set

7) GO!

oops

2009-01-25T17:31:00.000-08:00

So I took a pretty hard tumble on the skis yesterday and by evening my knee and ankle hurt a fair bit. Ankle swelled up so I put ice on it and took some advil. The swelling went down. I'm unsure what to do about getting ready for the race on Sunday. Do I lay off it? Do I go to cycling class on Tuesday? I am sure the answer I would get from a coach would be , it depends....

Ok if I lay off. I would get a max recovery for my knee and ankle. However I find it's best to maintain some training albeit lighter right up to race day. Otherwise I get sluggish.

If I try to get back on it when it feels reletivly ok, I risk putting pressure on it and possibly adding to it's injury. On the other hand If all goes well my ankle gets better and I get to do enought effort to stay sharp for race day.

It's race day and I am looking for a peak performance. So I am inclined to get back out there as soon as I can.

That being said I think workouts for the week should be short with a hand full of hill intervals and speed work. No long efforts to tax the system at this point. I am not going to aquirre any additional fitness In the next 6 days. Better to keep the pump primed and rest.

As you can tell race nerves are settling in, which is standard for me. I've been thinking , wax, trail conditions, pacing, evaluating where in the cource to pick up possitions. Where good passing opottunities may be found. Where to recover. Watching the weather. On and on.....

I have a fair amount of work to do this week. How on earth will I focus on it when the critical questions, Like whether to wear my training pants or my cycing thermal tights remain unanswered?

Stay tuned for more prerace panic.....

42k day

2009-01-18T08:53:00.000-08:00

So yesterday was according to the training schedule to be a 42 k day on the skis. it was a pretty tough day. I was struggling pretty much the entire ski. I was hanging in there but struggling. my lower legs and butt hurt after the first few k and never shaped up. the conditions were a little off too.. strong winds made for trails that were a combination of windblown Icy snowpack alternating with soft drifted patches. So it was difficult to really settle into a pace. and wind chill at time was a little rough. That all being said we did 38k in 3:38. so overall not to bad. I was getting close to bonk toward the end. I got really wobbly, pace slowed, and climbing efforts got really hard. I am really going to have to get better at managing my calories going in. It's tough tho.... on the bike i can drink and take in gu on the fly no big deal, but not so skiing so stopping to drink and gu is pretty disruptive to pacing.

I was hoping for a more confidence boosting " nailed it " sort of a day. It instead showed me I have work to do if I am to be ready for the birke.

Helmet cam footage from this weekend's skiing.

2009-01-12T12:49:00.000-08:00

City of lake loppet test run # 1

2009-01-11T07:47:00.000-08:00

I did a test run of the race course or the city of lakes loppet yesterday and had a really good outing. There we're 8 of us that did the run together. It was very nice to have a gang out there. We did the course in 3:03 @ a length of 33k. that's not very fast by elite skier stats. But it's 45 minutes off last years time so I'll take it. There was fair bit of standing around chatting/waiting for ppl so I think a sub 3 hour loppet is defiantly a possibility. I sort of doubt I'll be able to turn in a good time on the actual event. I am starting clear in the back as a first timer. The traffic will be really bad with long waits at the climbs and bottlenecks in the course. It's ok this is my first year at races and hopefully will get me seated in higher waves for next year.

As for how this pertains to the berke... I got to the end and felt that I could have continued with more hydration and fuel. So over all a really solid confidence builder.

Next weekend I am scheduled to do 42k So I'll do the back 9 section (9k) twice then proceed with the rest of the course. the back 9 is one of three hill sections and probably the largest of the three. So this route should offer 20k of hills or so. Close to the distance to double O on the birke. After double OO the birke course drops in elevation verses the front section which rises in elevation.

I am still not climbing efficiently but there nothing to do but practice. I'll be as good at climbing as I'll be by the time the birke is upon me.

Threshold test

2009-01-07T06:07:00.000-08:00

Last night was threshold test at cycling class. The coach has us do a test using 2 x 8 minute max efforts as a threshold estimate. It's sorta tough. after you've done it a few times it's no big deal. I think people like to grumble about it though. I haven't been on a bike for 3 weeks. It's been all skiing, the looming specter of the birke is defiantly having a focusing effect on me. I've been skiing as much and as hard as I can. I could defiantly feel the effects of the skiing on the bike last night. I felt really really solid. Skiing does so much for your core that your sense of stability on the bike is really improved. Legs felt great, cardio was right on the numbers.

As much as cyclist don't want to hear it I think the best thing you can do for your cycling is do a bit of skiing in the winter. I have a City of Lake Loppet test run this weekend and then next I have a 42k lsd.

I converted a marathon training calendar to derive down the training distances and taper to the birke. I think the lsd numbers look good but the mid week stuff I think is light. running is harder on your body so I think as a skiing calendar the volume can go up.

On the todo list... practice, practice, practice v2!

skiing 18k today. I can't wait to be back out there!

In other news: if you missed the end of the tour de ski you really should go watch the final stage. Unbelievable personal efforts by the athletes.

here is the landing page for the tour

and here is a link to the mens finish

and here is the women's finish

Vacation and an anniversary.

2009-01-01T05:55:00.000-08:00

I've been on vacation in florida as I do once a year. Usually I come down at spring break time when the kids are off from school but this year some friends from france were going to be in miami for a few days so we came down now so we could see them.

I've been missing my skis but the warm beach has been really nice. With no bike or skis to keep me afloat I've had to run.. ooof. I have never been a fan of running but I felt I needed to keep up with something. the birke is a month and a half away and I am no where near ready. I couldn't really lay around for a whole week.

The weather here has been beautiful and running outdoors in the palm trees is not so bad really. We are going home today so one last dose of sun before returning the snowy north.

Today January first is the two year anniversary of my grand experiment to see what happens if I try to clean up my act. This journey has taken me so much further than i had ever anticipated.

On this day two years ago, I walked down to the basement in my ratty old bike shorts I hadn't worn in years put my old rusty bike on my rickety wind trainer and started to peddle. I only made it 15 minutes in the easiest gear and I thought I was going to die. I think the most important day may have been the second day however. Thats the day I returned to the basement and decided this was going to be a permanent change. I returned to the basement, and didn't say "fuck it" and give in to my old ways. That was a real victory. Every day since that I "go to the basement" has been a victory. It is a triumph over my weaknesses and I can have peace, knowing that for today I am doing what i should.

I still do not know where this is all leading me but I am getting a sense for where I been. The last two years have shown me I am not a weak as i presumed. I have learned that I needed proper nourishment to grow and without i was guaranteeing disappointment. I am beginning to get a sense of the sort of nourishment the gives me strength. Because I am providing better nourishment I am making honest choices, honest mistakes. choices and mistakes I can stand behind and respect.

So I think I am making some progress and I am taking thanks on this two year anniversary.

Thank you to everyone around me that gave me encouragement
Thank you to the few that have really really cheered me on! thank you very very much. you know who you are.

And frankly I have to thank myself. thank you me.

So do I have a new years resolution for this year?

yes.

Merry Christmas

2008-12-25T19:39:00.000-08:00

Poped on quickly to wish anyone that happens by a Merry Christmas.

Recovery

2008-12-22T06:59:00.000-08:00

I skied Friday with a friend who is super fast. His birke time last year was 2:51. Yikes. I had skies the previous 4 days in row and my leggs are totally shot. I scratched my way up the climbs but it wasn't pretty. : ) I took yesterday off and will not ski today , too cold. -10 when I got up this morning and that's just a bit to cold for me. Tusday it warms back up into the 20's that will be great

Todays ski outing.

2008-12-19T12:18:00.002-08:00

Amazing weather, buckets full of sunshine and 20 degrees, no wind, fast snow. perfect!

here's a map from the outing today

dec 19th 2008 wirth ski
Find more Runs in Minneapolis, Minnesota

12k and felt great.

2008-12-19T05:51:00.000-08:00

skiing yesterday went really well. snow conditions were perfect as was temp and sunshine. Over all a great day to be out and skiing. I skied 12k and felt really good after. I needed to food but legs and lungs were good. so that is 1/4 the birke distance so progress! there are two more challenging sections of my regular haunt that I'm looking forward to getting into but we need one more round of snow first to make sure there is coverage.

Pictures above are of my outing yesterday. That's a friend coming up a long twisting climb. I was pretty nackard buy the top of it so stopped for a sec to take a picture.

Meeting with the ski coach today to get a new round of input and to do list to practice. I am really looking forward to her help it seems to be working already. Then again I'm such a newbie almost anything would help : )

Wrong wax

2008-12-17T12:39:00.000-08:00

just got in from a ski, and really had the wrong wax. I actually had to double pole down some gradual hills or i would grind to a halt! sheesh. The wax i have is for 18-28 deg and it's 8 out there. I'm a believer now about having the right wax.

It was a really nice day out though very little wind bright , bright sunshine and beautiful new snow.

Too cold.

2008-12-16T06:10:00.000-08:00

It's too darn cold. I have been skiing regularly and we even found a coach. I was really starting to find my stride then wham, crazy crazy cold. that negative double digit stuff is too hard to go out in. it's been windy to so the wind chills are in the neg 30's. AAARRRGG. So I sit like the kids in cat in the hat and wait for this to move through. I think it's supposed to break tomorrow. Just in time to meet with our coach. Not that i got much practice in, working on what we discussed last week. I may go to the y today and do, something? I've been idle for 3 days and I've had it.

In addition to having cold outside I have cold in my nose. it's been about a week or so on this cold and it's not going away fast. ratts! Times like these are what make those magic days so great. The ones where no matter how hard you press yourself your body can take it and there seem to be no bottom in the gas tank. As i have said on many occasions I wish i knew how one makes one of those happen on the day you need it.

Prior to the cold snap coming through we had a half day of light rain that was just above freezing so now all the ski base is a block of ice. reports say there is a small amount of powder on top of wind blown ice.. not the greatest. the groomers have there work cut out for themselves to get that in hand. I think we're due for an inch or two today as some warmer air moves in.

I did get the gps tracking working on my phone here is a sample of a recent short outing. I am hoping to have a live version of this running for the birke so my friends at home can check in on my progress if the wish.

wirth loop
Find more Ski At Wirths in Minneapolis, Minnesota

Second outing on skis and putting my money where my mouth is.

2008-12-04T05:52:00.000-08:00

Had a second outing on the skis and much better my stride is starting to come back, pheew was worried there for a sec. everything from the knee down aches like you would not believe when I'm skiing. If last year is a good measure this too shall pass in a week or two. while I was out there I slowed down and focused on form and it really helped. A couple no poles laps and then some slow-mo v2 and whammo there's the old stride! It was 18 deg. and windy so a bit chilly but it made the snow really fast so no room to complain.

as for my money and my mouth.... registered for the americam birkebeiner last night..... fuck.

So unless I wish to throw away 95 bucks I'm in. really the money isn't the issue it's the 50 k and 10,000 vertical feet. I have to admit i let the mouse hover over the submit button for several long moments before "click" then "Oh my god what have I done"
haha

So to my ones of readers stay tuned. My first birke has real potential to be a train wreck, and therefor potentially entertaining for you. : )

Skiing at last.

2008-12-01T06:01:00.000-08:00

Finally got out on skis this week and boy am I rusty. The old skills have taken a vacation and haven't come home yet. I had forgotten how demanding skiing can be, especially when your form is garbage. Efficient gliding strokes is so important that when your not on it it's like plowing through sand rather than gliding on snow. But I needed to get out there and get the transition process started it's a long way to the birkebeiner and I have a lot of work to do to get there.

The only show in town is at elm creek right now they have a 1.5k loop on man made snow. Here are a couple shots of the coarce where we skied yesterday.

Ridin' in the snow.

2008-11-24T05:48:00.000-08:00

One the guys on the team has started a regular sunday ride and will keep going out until the snow is too deep to pedal through. here is a little video ( not made by me) of the ride. I bought some roller skis from a guy online, they finally arrived and are all ready to go. may go give them a madden voyage today.

I have decided to race the American Birkebeiner this year I know it's a big leap but I think it's better to give it a try then to be scared off. for those of you not familiar. http://www.birkie.com/ It's 51k and big hills all day long. It, if I'm really having a good day will take 3-4 hours to complete. So not bonking is going to be a real challenge. X-country skiing is easily 900 calories and hour. If you do the math it's pretty easy to see that you could get in trouble. And bonking in freezing cold is nothing to take lightly.

But if as I've said this experiment is about challenging assumptions.... one that I've held is that the birke is too hard for me. So lets go see.

Here is the video from sundays ride:

Does a bunch of bricks ever become a house?

2008-11-14T12:47:00.000-08:00

An interesting mood has been creeping into my thinking about my riding and whatnot. I've been at it now for a little under two years. For the last few months I have been responding differently to my regular training. In the beginning i saw training as a bitter pill you take 5 or 6 days every week knowing that it's good for you. That you get faster on the bike and that was something I wanted and the discomfort and pain of training as the price you pay to get what you want.

Lately I have noticed that I am craving to be faster less than I used too. I am craving more the workout itself. No longer is it a biter pill but a comforting friend. Someone I miss if they are absent too long and am truly happy to see again.

I am choosing to see this change as positive for two reasons. One I think being focused and driven on the workouts themselves may make them more productive. Two I think it is difficult to be solely focused on very long term goal and not have short term rewards and failures along the way.

So I am trying to build a house here... Then it makes sense to make each brick with care. If the house this made of bricks then how well you make each brick matters. Obviously you need a master plan or you end up with a pile of bricks and no living room. But I am finding the growing interest in the process and less focus on outcome freeing a bit.

Am I prepared to accept an unknown outcome that is inherent in this sort of process? If i do the best i can, will I be pleased with the results?

While I am intrigued by this evolution in my thinking but I am worried it could indicate a relaxation of focus. I guess we'll just keep an eye on this and see where it takes us for a while.

Friday something funny....

2008-11-14T12:27:00.000-08:00

Here is a bit by David Cross, a tremendous smarty pants. Enjoy

I have a handful of visitors!

2008-11-07T08:29:00.000-08:00

hey all,

When I started this blog I was doing so knowing I would be talking to myself and that nobody would read it... ooops. According to the stats thing I look at from time to time, I have a handful of visitors. Which it amazing and great! I know someone that reads the blog in real life other than that I don't know who visiting my blog. Please feel free to leave a comment and introduce your self if you like I would love to know who's visiting. You don't need to leave personal info if you don't want to, maybe where your from and how you found the blog? if you have a blog too?

To my mystery viewers .. hi, and say hi back if you want.

Bits and pieces

2008-11-06T06:59:00.000-08:00

Fall is in full force and comfy outdoor riding opportunities are getting thinner. We had a couple of warm relatively dry days in the last week so got a couple nice rides in. Short .. but nice. Cycling class with my coach has started and will run for 10 weeks. She starts the session with a threshold test. two 8 minute max effort intervals with a 10 minute easy spin in the middle. My perception of discomfort has changed for sure. Last year(my first year) I thought I was going to die.. this year ... It was hard but.. ok. Are the nerves sending less signal to my brain or is my brain ignoring some of the signal?

I borrowed a friend roller skis yesterday to try them ... Thinking about getting some. It was really fun. I could have stayed out there all day. oh to win the lottery and bike, roller ski or ski all day. Maybe in my next life : )

I have my training schedule in mind for the winter but need to get it down on "paper". I rode indoor trainer last night for about 2 1/2 hours watched tv and "rode". I am hoping to log a lot of low and moderate effort time on the trainer this winter. In the outdoor season almost all my riding is very high effort stuff and I am coming to believe that logging lots of moderate effort is a necessary component to building a really solid fitness base. Once again I am trying to figure this out on the fly here. so I am trying different things and seeing what effect they have.

so the winter schedule breaks down like this roughly.

2 days indoor trainer ( bike) 2 to 3 hours per
2 days skiing. maybe more if I can 1 to 3 hours per
1 day weight room ( I'm being told I may need some strength stuff). 1 to 2 hours

Total time per week: 7 to 14 hours a week ... pheew, does that sound like a lot to you too?

So now I am just waiting for the snow to come... tick, tock. the methadone that is you tube skiing videos will not hold off the heebee geebees to long.

here is one of my favorites.. check out the how fast they are going.... good heavens.

Hill running with poles

2008-10-20T13:11:00.000-07:00

So ski pre-season has begun. That means running up and down the hills of a nearby reserve with ski poles. It looks easy enough in the video but as you will notice at the end of my last trip up the hill I fell on the ground totally fried. hahaha The leaves here have been spectacular and so running in the woods has been wonderful.

enjoy the show.

thursday opus ride

2008-09-29T09:21:00.000-07:00

My camera died part way into the regular thursday ride so this is the little bit I got before it died.

dull boy

2008-09-28T14:27:00.000-07:00

All work and no rest, In this case is making Joel a dull rider. Today, mountain biking with a guy from the team was my third ride in row with lower than normal performace. My heart rates on really hard efforts are very low too. On yesterday's ride I was blowing up with heart rates in the low 170's. today I couldn't get out of the high 160's. All these are canaries for me to heed. My vo2 max is aproximatly 182,though I see high 180's to low 190's regularly on a strong day.

So I am laying down the law
" no bike for you tomorrow"

I think a full day of rest then a couple of medium pace cruisers ought to set things to right. The up side here is. I'm finally acruing enough experience to start seeing these trends and dealing with them before they get worse.

it would be great to get one of those magic days where you have tons of gas. Hopfully a little test will have my back on my better game.

Never better

2008-09-24T12:37:00.000-07:00

I was coming home from a meeting yesterday. I had ridden my bike to the meeting about 40 minutes or so to get there. While i was in the meeting the weather changed and I started my ride home into a 40 mph headwind at the leading edge of an inbound thunderstorm. When the front rolled over the air cooled and the rain started. It was the industrial size drops that come with a good old fashion midwestern thunderstorm.

it goes with out saying that i got soaked. I could not have gotten wetter had I jumped in a swimming pool. But here's the fun part. Every once in a while l'll catch myself kavetching about something and just have to smile. This was just such an occasion. I was riding along in the rain grumbling. When it occurred to me this was some premier grade complaining!

Sometime complaining is just good clean fun and you shouldn't have to feel bad for it. So I laughed to myself for a few seconds then went right back to the highlight of my day, bitching about having to ride home in the rain : )

Lebanon hills

2008-09-20T14:02:00.000-07:00

Here is a little video from a trip down to Lebanon Hills just south of minneapolis.

new and improved with video

2008-09-18T17:32:00.000-07:00

a friend started posting video on their blog and has up'd the anti so I went out and bought a helmet cam and here is the first test. enjoy

Will mountain bike racing screw me up?

2008-09-12T07:32:00.000-07:00

I have been riding a fair bit of mountain bike in the last couple weeks. It seems to go well with the fallish weather we've been having lately. I must say i am really enjoying it. i am worried however about loosing focus on my road goals.

I think doing some mountain bike races may be really fun and put some energy into training. I've had to work pretty hard to acquire the fitness I have and don't want to jeopardize it. I'm not saying that mountain biking is easier. Obviously it can be as hard as you like just like road riding. It's more a concern for maintaining focus and keeping my eye on the prize.

I hired a full time coach last spring for a few months to help me get ready for the racing season. She is an ex pro mountain bike racer I am sure she will have all kinds of advice. I can sort of already hear her in my ear. "well you have to decide what your goals are"

I am really glad my season ended on a relative high note. It has me already thinking about the durand road race in the spring. Hopefully another season of skate skiing and the indoor cycling classes by my coach will have me all set to do better at durand than last year(crossing fingers).

These are the three numbers from the three races this year. Sort of a little scrap book above my desk.

Well better get back to it, i have a mountain bike ride at noon and I have stuff I need to get done before I can go.

Ratts back to fighting.

2008-09-04T05:51:00.000-07:00

So I have avoided politics mostly because there is so much political ranting going on on the internet that it's covered pretty well. But.... after the speech by Gov. Palin at the republican convention I feel compelled to note something just this once.

the politics of the US has been driven by a strategy of the republican party that seeks to divide the country in a way that garners them the advantage. it's been very successful for them from the point of view of gaining and retaining power. But at what cost?

This concept again and again demands of americans if they are to consider themselves americans in good standing to revile their neighbors and fellow americans. It demands that pick and support them in their entirety with out question and vowing total allegiance to their cause. It demands that you fight with every fiber to destroy those who would choose something different particularly the democratic party. It demands that you separate yourself from "them" politically socially geographically, and religiously. The architects and tacticians of this strategy would have you forget that the " them" they may be talking about are your neighbors, family and fellow countrymen. Those who plan and impediment this dissecting of the american people would have you fill your heart with fear and hatred for your own family if they do not subscribe.

The Mc Cain campaign has up to this point payed passing homage to this policy but largely avoided it and I have appreciated them for there courage. It would take some strength to not succumb to it as a leader in the republican party. this has been the way they have conducted themselves, that is until last night.

Governor Palin last night demanded of the convention and the country that they fill their hearts with suspicion and hatred for anyone who doesn't support the presented ideology and it doesn't matter how kind or hard working or faithfully they and their ancestors have sacrificed for this country. If they will not march in lock step and carry the republican torch, you must hate them.

I am truly sad. I had hoped that We the People could take this opportunity to address some really troubling times but it would seem we will be wasting our time finding reasons to undo the work of our neighbors.

Sadder still is how willing the american population is to give them their wish. So many of us will say yes. Yes I will oppose and disassociate myself with my fellow americans. Yes I will segregate my community and tell my children that they are not to talk to the kids across the street or across town. Yes I will say aloud that those who believe differently from me are dangerous and that peril will come to us all unless we destroy them.

Last night we returned to the gloom and I am sad and angry for it. I don't want to be afraid. I don't want to hate my neighbors to tell you the truth they seem ok to me.

I don't want to be hated.

look how far away we've fallen from, "The only thing we have to fear is fear itself !"

Gone is the america that is a squabbling family that loves each other, and would do anything for their brother or sister.

Just really sad.

On the bike after a week

2008-09-03T05:46:00.000-07:00

I finally got on the bike last night after being away from it for over a week. I've been getting thinner and thinner on patience for days now. It is a good thing I could finally got a ride in before I totally loose it. I can tell that I've lost some strength from my being away from the bike. But work and the beginning of the school year have made my bed for me.

All the people that know fitness stuff say however good long term strategy comes with periods of rest and recovery so I'll just pretend this is one of those. The people that ran the race I was in last still don't have the results up, bugger. I've even emailed them to ask when they may be up and no response. hmmmm. sort of frustrating, may be my best finish of the year and I can't find out. well we'll see.

The air for the last two days has made a definite turn cooler and the smell of fall is out there believe it or not. I am not ready to give up on summer weather but it's not up to me.

If anyone reads this please leave a comment I am curious if anyone other than Tamsin reads this at all.

hey tam

State Championship Road Race

2008-08-25T07:27:00.000-07:00

This is me and a team mate waiting to line up to start.

Starting rollout.

Pack going by on lap one. I'm in there but you can only see my helmet in the back (behind the guy in the red and white jersey.

My team mate won the race this is him coming across the line.

This is me coming across the line. by the look on my face and the victory salute you'd think I'd just won a tour stage. haha. I was very happy it went well. so A little victory dance just for me.

This last saturday was the state championship road race. It sounds much more prestigious that is it . It's just another road race. It's just that it's the last for the season. I went and raced. I a happy to report that it went really well, on the joel scale that is. I felt relatively good throughout the race and finished somewhere in the middle. A group of about 20 got away on down wind sprint during the first lap. I held on for about another 15 miles or so then fell off on a big climb on the second lap.

The front group just barely got away from me. But I had decided that in this race vs previous races i would not blow up trying to stay with the front group. So I put in the hardest effort i could that I thought I could recover from well enough to finish somewhere in the mix. At durand and marty I chased the front group to collapse then got passed by everyone later in the race as I was spent. this time after the front group got away I managed my effort to keep it sustainable then waited for groups to work with from the rear to catch me and I piled on the first one. there were 3 riders from birchwood, a grand performance guy and another i didn't recognize.

Quick note on the birchwood guys, Super good guys, very cool and good to share the burden with. Kudos and thanks to the birchwood guys.

They haven't posted the results yet but I think I finished in the low 30's somewhere. There were 49 starters.

While my finishing place doesn't reflect it I did much much better. I was very comfortable in the peloton. I managed my effort much better. I still had some cramping issues which is odd. I've ridden further and harder with the club and not had that happen. I think it's the food and drinks that i'm taking prior to the race that may be the culprit. have to do some experimenting there.

It was nowhere near as painful as durand or marty. I was spent when i crossed the line but the agony getting there was much less.

I am looking forward to the spring races now. I think If i stay on track with my training I may hang on the the front pile in one of the spring races, cross your fingers.

Bad days happen

2008-08-10T14:06:00.000-07:00

So went out for a ride yesterday with the usual suspects and totally blew up. I had no energy at all, nothing. I think a day like that is a canary in the coal mine. It's an indicator that something is going on. In the past these days almost always came at the end of a particularly wearing time or a time where I am not being mindful of recovery and rest.

I have had so little down time after ragbrai. I am sure yesterdays debacle is nothing more than my body saying basta! So I need to go on a recovery schedule for a few days and see what happens.

I am sure this is boring for anyone who may chance upon this but if this i to be a semi record of my effort to become a middle aged bike racer I sure note this down turn for future reference.

So there you have it.

Back from Colorado

2008-08-08T12:58:00.000-07:00

Hey all, home at last and home to stay for a bit.

A bit up blog updatery. I finally posted a new song o' the day... enjoy!

Colorado was good. The mountains were beautiful as expected. we went for a couple of amazing hikes. One was way above tree line so everyone was huffing and puffing pretty good but we all made it. We hiked up to a ridge next to a peak and you could see up and down the mountain range to the horizon. Truly amazing and well worth the effort.

I did not get to Bike as much as I would have hoped. I only got out twice last week in the mountains. Both were high quality workouts though so not to bad. The hikes were also good workouts to i doubt I lost any fitness while I was out there. I am looking forward to settling back into a more regular cycling schedule.

There is the possibility of one more race for the year. It's a really challenging road race. I may do it knowing I will likely get dropped. But if others on the team are going to give it a crack I will too. I don't think I'd like to go it alone like the marty MN. road race.. that sucked.

Mostly I am totally tired from ragbrai and then going to colorado with no recovery time. So once again I'm looking forward to hunkering down into a more regular routine and getting settled a bit.

Also It august In Minnesota so it is time to start getting ready for ski season. Trail running and mountain biking as prep will start soon. I am already lamenting that road bike season is coming to a close. Like I didn't ride enough road this spring and summer.

One more race to close out the season I think..... see how we ended up for the year. Start planning for the spring races. The durrand road race is only 8 months away.... haha.

I'll post some colorado pictures as soon as i get a sec to pull them off the camera.

until next time..

"the world belongs to those who show up" my mom

Ragbrai 2008

2008-07-28T11:21:00.000-07:00

Good heavens where to start? Ragbrai this year was as amazing an experience as last year. So it didn't fail to deliver. It was really great to reconnect with people I'd met last year. Good to meet new people that joined the weary band. As much as I enjoy my bike riding... Ragbrai is about people. People you meet, you see, you hear. People that raise your spirit, inspire and confirm that we are alive and well.

Along the way I saw so many struggle and succeed, as I struggle, uplifted as I am uplifted and reminded that we are human and magnificent. I can't imagine you can spend your week as I have and be ambivalent. It is such a unique experience it would certainly get a reaction out of anyone I would think.

I'll include in this entry some picture that I am sure will not help you understand what ragbrai is like. I have no idea how to describe it so that anyone will understand it. You really do have to see if and ride it for yourself to understand it. the closest I can say is it's like woodstock-stugis-mardi-gras on bike. Your there to live in a wholly separate society from your regular life.

There really isn't much to ragbrai. Everyday you pack up your tent put on your bike clothes and ride about 70 miles or so through rural Iowa.. so what. How could that possibly be interesting let alone inspiring?

For me the inspiration comes from two sources. One, as I have mentioned in this blog on many occasions I am interested in confronting assumptions. And so the physical challenge of riding 491 miles in 7 days provide many opportunities to challenge the assumptions we hold for ourselves. How strong am I? how weak? stronger than last year? And Two, knowing how physically challenging it is. You see thousands challenging themselves too... amazing!

As for how I feel I did this year. I am very pleased with how much stronger I was this year compared to last. I rode very very well. As an example, On friday I had to pace another rider up to meet with the main group that had left a half an hour or so before. So i soloed the first 20 miles and about 21 mph through rolling hills. Then after meeting up with the main group the peloton moved along at about 25 mph for the next 40 miles the finished the last 5 or 10 miles off at 27-30 mph! I did not get dropped! the guys on the front are obviously on another planet from me as far as fitness. I could have never hung on to that last year, no way. So I am feeling really encouraged about my progress. I rode 4 days with the fast squad and didn't get dropped once.

Well obviously I can go on and on about it but you have other things to do so i'll leave it there for now. Enjoy the pictures.

Next stop Dillon Colorado for a week. I am hoping to ride to vail pass a few times while I'm there.

Keep your heals down

Hopkins Crit

2008-07-15T07:59:00.000-07:00

This last weekend was the hopkins crit. five of my team mates raced. I didn't race because I'm leaving for ragbrai on saturday and I didn't want to risk getting in a wreck and not having a bike for ragbrai.

I really enjoyed watching the race though. A lot of people from the team came to cheer and I made myself nearly horse yelling at them as they whizzed by. The race started really fast the first 3 laps (.7 miles) were about 28 mph then is settled down a bit for the majority of the race then picked back up for the last couple of laps.

Out of the 5 starters we had had 4 get dropped and one came in dead last. we really are the bad news bears. but you know for three of the guys it was there very first race. So i think we are all such beginners that the results show it. But huge credit to the guys for going for it. As i have learned taking the risk of racing takes courage and a willingness to accept getting trampled the first few times. I am so glad some more of the guys are starting to race being out there alone was really hard. I think I may have helped some others muster the courage. If joel can do it... shit anyone can. haha.

We had a couple of very hard group rides in the last week. I'm still toward the back of the pack but I'm hanging on ... not getting dropped, this is a good thing. I have so far to go to reach a place where I'm satisfied with my capacity but i continue to make painstakingly slow progress. As alway patience is so very important. there are defiantly time where I am pounding my head against a wall and seemingly getting nowhere. Then all of the sudden a dreaded hill is not so dreadful.

courage and patience

I am tapering my training in preparation for ragbrai. So I only rode 20 yesterday and today. I will probably stop riding on friday and rest friday and saturday. Then get up sunday morning and it's day one of Ragbrai. WooHooo!

I may try to sneak into libraries or something to file some updates but realistically probably won't be able to say much until I get back.

a few things and items

2008-07-08T13:03:00.000-07:00

Thing or item 1: I decided not to race today. I was concerned about crashing and making my bike unridable for ragbrai. so no race for tonight. I'll be racing in august after I get back. More of the team will be ready to race next month.

Thing or item 2: I was at gooseberry falls over the fourth holiday. It's a great national pask on the north shore of superior and get a full endorsement. The camping was great and the trails and falls were really spectacular.

Thing or item 3: A little while ago I posted you tube video of a guy who stacks rocks in these precarious piles. While on the north shore this weekend there was tons of lakeshore stone so I thought I'd give it a try. And what do you know it's really not that hard to do. I'll include a pictures of my attempts at stone stacking. Once again no glue no wires.

Next Race

2008-07-02T07:23:00.000-07:00

I am considering racing next tuesday in a crit series here in town. I am a little gun shy after the debacle in Marty Minnesota. I have been feeling stronger since coming back from bran and have kept my miles up pretty well. I think it may be time to go test myself again see how I am progressing. The crit is almost entirely flat and in an open coarse. So may be a good one for a newby like me. I am hoping more of the team will be interested in racing. Being alone at these races adds a level of stress to them, like it needs more! But I've been riding well lately and hanging on to the team rides relatively well. Something that was not true only a few months ago.

Here is a link to the race series and the results from the last two iterations http://www.spbrc.org/

I need to get me bike insured before I race again if I wreck it I will have a hard time replacing it.

Insuring it will be a bit expensive but worth it to ensure I'm covered if I wreck.

The new bike is riding really well tho I am a bit self conscious on it. It's a little conspicuous and it makes me sort of embarrassed. But I'm trying to take this seriously and do my best. So I put myself on the best bike I could afford.

I am looking forward to racing again. I have no idea how it will go but as always courage is important.

Makin' Some Pie

2008-06-30T11:33:00.000-07:00

My Dad came to town this last weekend and so we fired up the pizza oven. My dad loves makin a pizza about as much as me. It threatened to storm all day and did rain off and on in the morning. But held off for us to make pizza and hang out in the yard. this is the second time we've used it this summer. I am hoping to press it into use more and more as the summer continues.

Ride notes from the weekend:

I rode on sat only 25 miles or so and not really pressing. Then on sunday rode with a friend that is slower and so rode about 35 but really slow. as bad as this sounds it was hard to wait for them. I wanted to let out the rains and run so bad. my goodness all the kind people who've been held up by me.

I may try to go out over the next couple days and hit it harder to even up after a more mellow weekend.

In other notes you'll notice that ragbrai is 19 days away! I am getting really excited and nervous. the team/club is taking 40 this year vs. the 16 that went last year. So the tone of the thing will be different for sure.

Fyi: home made wood fire pizza... nothing else like it.... everyone should have a clay dome in their yard.

Summer Buzz

2008-06-26T11:52:00.000-07:00

I am feeling stronger and stronger on the bike. It's so hard to tell if your really getting stronger or are you just in a good mood and it seems that way. Am I getting faster or do I just have a summer buzz? As I've mentioned in recent entries I seem to be recovering well from longer days on the bike. I was telling a team mate the other day i feel like I am about to graduate from the beginning group to the medium group. I certainly hope that's true.

I went out with a team mate for climbing this morning we did about an hour of hill intervals. total ride time was a hair under 3 hours. We were climbing in flat threshold and climbing threshold. no max efforts today.. Woohoo!

I am going out with larger group this evening for a couple hours. It will be nice to get some peloton time in after grinding away on hills this morning.

Hopefully i can start a local tt series to put down some real numbers... we'll find out if we're any faster or not.

Coolest tv commercial ever

2008-06-24T08:12:00.000-07:00

So this is my favorite tv commercial of all time. it came out a few years ago but I remembered it the other day so I thought I'd up it up for fun.

Sony Bravia

Sunday ride

2008-06-22T15:17:00.000-07:00

just a quick ride note. Rode 53.71 today at an average speed of 19.6 we had 8 from the team ride to i sat in most of the time to try not to get droped. I burned 2300 calories. One of the guys rode a double century yesterday and then showed up for the team ride today... wow.

For all you non cycling insiders a century or 100 miles is sort of a touch stone. it's something to accomplish, riding a century. From a caloric expenditure point of view it is roughly equivalent to running a marathon. So this guy essentially did a double marathon, then came to a team ride the next day. Once again.... wow.

Seat hight... who knew

2008-06-21T19:41:00.000-07:00

I went for a ride with the team today. I adjusted my seat up about 5mm. After being fit for the new frame the seat felt a little low to me but "their the experts, right" so I figured I ride it on their settings for a while. I moved it to a more historic norm and what do ya know, the knee was great today. I did watch my cadence pretty close, but all was good today!

Ride notes

35.98 miles

1:59.22

18.09 mph ave

1691 calories

HUH OH,,, my knee hurts

2008-06-20T13:07:00.000-07:00

I've been having mild knee pain for about a month. today I was on a ride with a team mate and it really increased. hmmmmm. knee pain is defiantly something I am told to watch out for. I've been instructed to do some stretching and then ice it. So i'll go do that.

There are full team rides scheduled for tomorrow and sunday. These rides tend to be really fast and very sprintish. I'll have to sit on the back for a while and see how the knee is feeling before getting into it with the guys.

Ride notes:

43.17 miles

Time: 2:23

Ave : 18.11

Nature Valley Grand Prix

2008-06-18T11:42:00.000-07:00

As mentioned in the previous entry, I went to watch the Nature Valley Grand Prix in stillwater Minnesota this last weekend.

It was a great experience It was the first professional race I had watched in person. Let me start off by saying I'm not sure these beings are the same species as me. The speed of it was so far beyond anything I am accustom to, both shocking and inspiring. Granted these are actual human being doing this, not aliens or robots.

The star of the day hands down goes to Kristen Armstrong (no relation to lance). She won the day and the series that day. she was off the front from the second lap on and the gap grew throughout the race. by the final lap she was alone in front by 3/4 of a lap. really amazing. There is a tough climb in the coarse as you can see in the video. She was so consistent climbing, her last lap looked exactly like her first. No change in cadence while climbing same speed, she was a machine chewing up the road.

I wish I were just enough faster to feel confident to race again soon. But I'm not quite there, patience grasshopper.

Ride Notes:

I rode today with two from the team. we did 39.79 in 2:11. so a hair over 18 mph average speed.

I continue to feel stronger after bran. I really think putting in some long efforts has been working well for me. I continue to recover better and better from hard efforts.

I think recovery is as much a mental process at a physical one. As a hard effort like a hill abates you have continue to apply pressure continue to work even after a max effort.you have to resist the temptation to coast over the top. Dialing the effort back just a bit then wait, wait, wait, for recovery to come. Training your mind to be patient and that relief is coming all the while you body is screaming for relief now!, takes some learning. I have so far to go in this area but am beginning to build some skill.

Back from bran

2008-06-16T07:59:00.000-07:00

I am back from the bike ride across Nebraska. I went down there to ride with some relatives. I rode three days with them in rural Nebraska. I was very surprised at how remote and western it was. I had always thought of it as a midwest state but it is defiantly more western. Huge open expanses of rolling cattle land dotted with tiny towns that serve as the rail connection and grain elevator. Throughout the region we met incredibly kind and generous people who saw us as lost children or perhaps mental patients.

I rode 190 miles over the 3 days. The terrain was mostly rolling hills. the major defining element was the wind. Every day we had a stiff 20 to 30 mph wind out of the southwest. It is remarkable how wearing it is to be pummeled hour after hour by the constant wind. By the end of the day you are very tired not so much from the miles but from the exposure to sun and wind.

I hope to have some pictures to accompany this entry soon so check back.

so for the last week I put on 277 miles. that's the most I've logged since ragbria last year. I must say tho I feel much better prepared for ragbrai this year than i did last. i felt very strong on these longer days. I had little trouble sustaining long hard efforts and recovering quickly. It appears all the training is paying off!

On sunday I went to stillwater to see the nature valley grand prix. It is a professional bike race. They did 5 stages here in minnesota. I saw the final stage on sunday. It was very inspiring. More on this and pictures in my next entry.

mendota loop

2008-06-08T18:55:00.000-07:00

I went out for a 40 miler today. Warm and humid so nice to have real warm weather to ride in. I would much rather be a bit on the warm side than too cool. I rode with a team mate that is a fare bit faster than me so hanging on was tough. I was all over vo2 max on many occasions today. It was a hard ride but felt very strong even when at max. I have been having a touch of knee pain on my left. I'll need to keep an eye on that. This is one area where you can get yourself in trouble. I may have to set aside my affection for low cadence climbing. At least until my knee starts to feel better. Very nice day on the bike.

Ride notes

40 miles

2:15

ave speed 17.87

calories 1982

e=mc2

2008-06-06T05:44:00.000-07:00

So I went out for a quick 18 mile loop yesterday. The cervelo is definitely faster than my old bike. It's hard to say without precise calculations but I may have bent spacetime out there :)

A non-objective review of the RS

2008-06-05T06:31:00.000-07:00

So I took the new ax out for a spin last night and it rode beautifully. It is light and nimble and very, very fast. But what really defines the bike are the subtleties.

There is a layer of finely detailed feedback from the road and the state of the bike that is wholly new to me. The dampening qualities of the carbon filters out so much noise that the information you need appears load and clear because it's not lost in noise. This feedback makes the bike incredibly intuitive. You just think turn left and it does. It boarders on precognition.

It is also amazingly stable. The track is so straight. This is a bike that knows how to hold a line. Even when pounding at the pedals the bike doesn't wobble back and forth, rather it shoots forward with each stroke. How can it have such stability and explosive power?

It is clearly beyond anything I've ever ridden.

I will definitely have to bring my game up to be worthy of it.

The new ax is in.

2008-06-04T13:31:00.000-07:00

Just a quick post before I take 'er for a madden voyage. A shot of the new ax... woohoo!

ok I'm out.........