Not a photoshop trick

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

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.

[Posted with iBlogger from my iPhone]

Albany Road Race

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

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

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

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

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