After a long hiatus on the blogging scene I decided I am going to give 'er a try again. Lots of fun stuff going on recently so try to keep up!
Monday, August 8, 2011
I'm back!
After a long hiatus on the blogging scene I decided I am going to give 'er a try again. Lots of fun stuff going on recently so try to keep up!
Sunday, June 20, 2010
Lumberjack 2010
This year was all about change. I decided that I am tired of burning myself out on training and racing. I decided that I just needed to get back to riding bikes for fun. And that is just what I’ve done this year. Rather than bind myself to a rigid training schedule, I just ride when I want to. Tuesday night brick workouts, Thursday night group rides, riding bikes is FUN again!
Yesterday was an amazing day for a mountain bike race. The weather could not have been any better. It was very nice to sleep in an actual bed the night before this race too (I’ll be camping before big races no more). 4:45am came pretty early on Saturday but I felt rested and refreshed and was ready to race. I ate as much as I could for breakfast and headed to the Big M.
I am pleased to report that I had a pretty uneventful race. The roll out is always interesting on a single speed. I lined up in the front half, spun my balls off and got passed by about 200 people that I knew I’d catch and pass in the single track. As always the first lap is a bit of a pain trying to match speeds with people in front of you. Why is it that no one can cruise down hills without brakes? Easy on the gravity jokes there folks… There were brake bumps (BAD ones) on sections of trail that didn’t even require braking.
I was on cruise control all day- trying not to blow myself up early. I stopped at the aid stations and walked the hills I couldn’t ride. I was focusing on keeping my heart rate down and breathing under control, I knew I had a long day ahead of me. Coming up the cement step and around the corner, I saw the start line, I was sure I was seeing things, 2:54:44? Really? I was well on pace to attaining my (now seemingly achievable) goal of 10 hours. After a quick stop to refuel (perogies!) and fill up water I was on my way.
Lap two was much more of the same. I rode with a guy named Rob from Ann Arbor for quite a while. I had a few moments of suffering (the 10 miles after the aid station were a bitch! I swear it was ALL up hill). I had a few moments of worrying that I hadn’t eaten enough or had eaten too much. The aid station was great. Seeing familiar faces is one heck of a pick-me-up. I was in a great mood after the stop and it helped me finish the lap.
Lap three and a bit more suffering. I rode most of this lap alone. I’m glad to have had my mp3 player with me (Metallica, Beastie Boys, Johnny Cash). I caught up with Jeremy Karel a few miles before the Aid Station and rode with him for a bit. After the stop it was much more of the same. I was feeling pretty good after the stop so I decided to pick it up a bit. I passed a few guys on single speeds and I saw Steve Kunnath in the distance (thankfully, he was walking the same hills I was). Steve is a monster and I just couldn’t catch him. I did pass my buddy Craig about ½ a mile from the finish line (also on a single speed).
Even though my lap times were slower each lap I felt pretty strong throughout the race. I pedaled my way to a 9:04:04 and that was good for 21st in the single speed category. I had a bit too much gear (32x16x29) and next year I’ll take an 18t on the back. It was great to see old friends and meet some new ones. Great job to all of the 19 Greyhounds! Rick Plite’s events are always top notch and this was no exception. Thanks to all of the volunteers and everyone else that made this race possible!
Tuesday, March 30, 2010
Tuesday Night Worlds
Tuesday night is a good night for an ass kicking, and that's just what I got tonight. If you like to ride the pain train check out: http://tuesdaynightroadride.blogspot.com/
Next up is the Yankee Springs Time Trial on April 18th. See you there.
1Gear1Love
Monday, January 11, 2010
Wednesday, December 30, 2009
Where have all the Cowboy's gone?
Its that time of year again. I know it because I am going through withdrawls from all of my velo-friends. Its also the time when we start spending money on new bike parts and drafting up race schedules and training plans that will all fall apart within the first week of the season.
- I'm now gainfully employed. Bottom line- I should have ridden more when I had the time.
- The PSSWC was again an absolute blast. Even though I dropped 4 beers out of an expensive 6 pack of Bell's.
- I placed 9th in Expert 24-29 at Iceman on my Soul Cycles Dillenger SS 29er
- I got my ass kicked at several Cyclocross races around the state of Michigan this fall
- The Racing Greyhounds adopted a bunch of new Puppys