Day of Track & Field

Spent Wednesday at the Central Ozarks Conference (COC) vs Ozarks Conference (OC) SuperMeet yesterday in Branson. Jake rode down with me and hung out with his crew for the day. Absolutely amazing is a good way to describe the level of athletes at this one meet. Jake and I constantly were touching base about this race or that time... We both enjoyed the day. Probably the best thing that came out of the day was Jake warming up with his distance runners and his leg having minimal discomfort (that was huge). On the way home he decided that it is time to get back on the track so today (Thursday) he starts practice again with the team. We'll get him taped up prior to each session and see how it goes. Fun day also in that I saw an old college roommate (now AD at Branson) and spent some time catching up with Diane Diebold (AR teammate from last year). Her daughter is a sophomore at UofA and was an All-American at indoor pole vaulting (pure studette).

Speaking of 'the boy' (term of endearment for Jake), he talked with M Weiss (stud distance runner from Lebanon who got Jake hooked on mico/'skimps' running shorts) yesterday and apparently let Jake know the skimps are still good, but spandex/compression-like shorts with nothing over the top is the way to go. Of course Jake now is obsessed with this and will be heading to the sports shop this weekend for some new running attire. He's pretty funny when it comes to looking the part of a top runner (especially Weiss) and I say it's all good and if that is part of what motivates him to do his best then I am all for it.

He has made a handful of driving trips on his own and is absolutely loving it. Last night he gave his first ride home to a friend and thought that was pretty cool.

Ian has two basketball games in SPR this afternoon (luckily not back to back) so he is pumped for that. I picked up a new baseball glove for Ian yesterday and of course we had to break it in as soon as I got home... in the rain! He saw the MLB logo on the back and instantly told me his skills would improve with this sweet mit - funny little man, he is. Oh, the best comment he made in the past couple day had Deb and I cracking up. He was talking about jobs he might do when he grows up and his 4th was a 'professional bikalist (pronounced as a combination of biker/cyclist). He quickly understood what he said and laughingly started correcting himself.

Tour of Romandie is going on this week and I have followed it fully. Rast (Astana) had a good result in a break-away yesterday and was able to keep his lead for another day (today) as Oscar F easily won the group sprint. Rast will have a tough time holding on to the lead with the last day being a big mountain stage and Valverde looking pretty sharp. Lotto (Evans and Gilbert) made a good run at the finish, but ran out of gas with 6k left - seems to be their recurring theme this year. This is not a bigger known event, but I have watched the past couple years and enjoy it (as Deb and I traveled through Switzerland some years back). Gila is going on this week as well and it will be interesting to see if Horner and Armstrong can defend Levi's lead. I have a hard time thinking Levi will lose it as these guys are head and shoulders better than the rest (even if they are only three without any other teammates).

Fitness: Steady tempo for 1 1/2 hrs on trainer last night while watching Role Model (not a very good flick). Legs have recovered from Monday's blast and Tuesday's intervals and I am looking forward to Sunday's race (mtb or crit - doesn't matter to me). Full rest today and then a couple hours with the mistress tomorrow morning (daddy needs his love). Still raining on and off (third day in a row) so probably on the mtb tomorrow.

We Have A Driver!!!!

Jake has had his driving permit for the past year and today (only a month after turning 16, for Pete's sake) he took his driver's test and... PASSED (first try). He has dramatically improved his driving skills over the past six months and I feel pretty good about him driving alone. Needless to say he is on cloud nine! He took off on his first solo drive tonight (all of 2 miles to a bible study). He left wearing a grin and arrived home with the same one (don't figure it ever left). To quote the boy-wonder "O to the Yeah"!

On a side note: His leg is not hurting today (walking only), which is pretty significant considering it was giving him fits on the last part of his treadmill test yesterday. Hopefully rehab is working. Tonight he has a significant interval session on the trainer as it is only a week before conference meet.

Ian has battled asthme since birth and up until Saturday had taken Singulair as a daily preventative. Recent studies showing an increase in anxiety and suicidal issues in those taking the med, so (like the great mom she is) Deb took him in for a updated physical exam and got his preventative changed to a different med. It is interesting as Ian is such a fun-loving guy (who laughs a ton), but has made off-the-cuff comments that caught us by surprise a handful of times (which sparked Deb's research). We hope the new meds (or lack of Singulair) will help address this soon. He and I got in a ton of baseball and basketball this evening. He will not be a happy camper this morning when he finds out the Spurs are out of the playoffs.

Fitness: Ira and I headed out for an hour of intervals after work on the road and got in 4 x 5min and 1 x 7min great efforts (after Monday it was all my legs allowed) over rolling terrain. I like training with him as our HR/effort levels are very similar and he never skips out or dogs an effort.

The Bright Spot in the Rain

Woke up this morning to a nice light rain, which is exactly what the garden, new flowers, and GrubX (for the lawn) needed. It has rained on and off so far today with some heavy stuff supposed to hit tonight. Tomorrow is hopefully dry with the rest of the week getting thunderstorms on and off. This may work out for the best for a couple reasons. We were hoping for Jake to run this Wednesday at the COC vs. OC meet Branson, but if it gets cancelled then he has extra time to recuperate. Additionally I am planning to race mtbs at Castlewood on Sunday, but they are protective of their trails (with which I agree) and will cancel it if they get much rain. Why is that a good thing; there is also a crit (Sylvan Springs) in STL the same day and I would like to hop in one as it has been some time since I last crit raced. So either way I am racing a bike in STL this Sunday. I like rainy days (summer or winter, it doesn't matter).

The upper right picture is from a Colorado rafting trip Jake, Deb, her dad, and I took two summers ago.

The BPT docs got Jake on a treadmill today and it was good for the first 3 minutes then the pain came back. It was not as much as before, but still there (as expected since it has only been a little over a week). The game plan going forward is to skip COC/OC meet on Wednesday, start him running on the track Friday (through the weekend), run him at conference meet on Tuesday (a week from today), Districts (May 16th), and sectionals (if they make it). He is going to run doped up on meds and with a lot of pain to get him through this and mega rest/recovery after track is done. The BTP docs don't expect the activity will cause further/more damage, but just a lot of pain while it is going on. With him i the mix the 4x400 and 4x800 have great shots at moving to Sectionals. He continues working hard on the trainer and is looking forward to getting back to him teammates.

Fitness: Strength workout this morning (burned the legs and lower core) and 1 1/2hrs of basketball at noon. Hopped on the rollers for an easy hour while Jake was rehabbing on the trainer tonight. How stinking cool is it to look over and see your son doing what you absolutely love; I'll tell you - VERY STINKING COOL! After looking at the pic to the left, it appears it is time to introduce Jake to a friend I call Mr. Sun (a little pasty there, boy).

Sunday

LBL turned out to be a snoozer (at least I thought so) as A. Schleck rode away and no one did (or maybe like no one could do) anything about it. Good for him as he, his brother, and Saxo are always on the offensive and make races. Big losers on the week were Valverde, Evans (Lotto in general), and Cunego (good showings but never the pinnacle).

Got to sleep in a little this morning, but had enough time to mow the lawn before church. Ian had a buddy sleep over so after we rounded up the group it was off to church. Tom had a lesson on Songs of Solomon this morning and it was so funny to watch him squirm a little in his explanations.

Ate a little (ok, more like a lot) pizza after church and came home to a full afternoon of activities. 1) Teach Jake to parallel park for his driving test this week - went way better than I was expecting and he is fully capable. 2) Finish planting for the garden - mission accomplished 3) trim hedges/shrubs and general yard maintenance - knocked out for another week

Ian has a project at school to bring in some cool rocks so he spent the day playing geologist. He was quite the collection (not just one) to take to school tomorrow.

Waiting for Jake to get home from his church youth activities and it is an hour on the trainer for him tonight at a recovery steady pace as last night he was punished with many intervals. Jake has You, Me, and Dupree recorded so that is his trainer movie for this evening. Coach and I are expecting him to not be off too much went he returns to the track as a result of his hard work on the trainer. Tomorrow (Monday the PT guys are putting him on a treadmill for a light run of 5 min to see how the Achilles reacts. He are hoping he can go to the COC vs OC meet this Wednesday, but I am not holding my breath. Conference is in a week and a half so that is more of a realist goal for return.

Deb headed out for an hour on the bike and now she too has learned to hate the headwind. She had been active with her power walking, but is having some fits with the feet so she is planning more time on two wheels.

Fitness: REST DAY! Forecast for this week is RAIN everyday so it may be back to the trainer for a couple workouts. Heading to STL for #4 mtb series

Saturday

Got out on the road early this AM with Dale. He headed south into a pretty stiff headwind for what seemed forever. Needless to say the ride home was pretty sweet - pure tailwind. Great 3:10hr ride.

Deb (and a friend) had a big garage sale today and it never ceases to amaze me how people will buy other people's crap... oh well, at least it is out of my house.

Jake slept until 11am (I had to wake him). He loves his sleep and I don't have an issue with him getting caught up ever once in a while.

Ian had baseball practice at noon (and I am helping coach) and it went pretty good... well, more like amazing. His team is a bunch of stud all-stars that is fun to be around. They all want to win and each kid is really good and needs little instruction or motivation. I would easily put this team up against any 8yr old team around.

After practice Deb took Ian and Payton, Ian's friend, to a birthday party at SPR for the afternoon. I went to a fund raiser poker tournament and ended up 4th (out of 32 players) and brought home a little cashola. Pretty fun afternoon.

Got home and Jake hit the trainer for a tough interval rehab session. He is turning in to quite the cyclist (trainer cyclist that is). We are getting ready to crash in front of the tube and catch SNL (Jake and I's favorite).

Fitness: 3:10 min good solid tempo ride.

I Love Friday... Mornings

There are few things that let me know Spring and Summer are truly here then spending an early Friday morning with my mistress. While Deb is still sleeping and the sliver of light is just rising in the East, I slide out of bed, throw on my sexiest outfit, and spend 3 hrs with my girlfriend on the back roads where we are seldom seen. She knows exactly what I need and I know what makes her hum. Deb handles it pretty good as she knows this is what my soul and body needs... I love my Friday AM rides and looking to the next gets me through the work week.

Meet my LADIES:

Below is a picture of a project bike I did last year for Deb. I thought it turned out pretty sweet (as chick bikes go...).

My Friday morning ride is almost always done on cross bikes with Dale and Ira, but this morning I rolled out solo on the mtb with semi-slicks (more slick than semi, but you get the idea). There was a section of SE Polk County I had not explored so I headed south and 3:15hrs later I rolled back in. Low 60's and light winds made for a great morning. I ended up exploring a cut-through at the Pleasant Hope Conservation area; I had never been there and it has a couple of trails for hiking (all signs did not specify no biking). Nothing special, but always fun to find some new roads/trails for future reference.

One thing that is frustrating is the increase of road maintenance in Polk County. Chip and seal is going in all over and the number of quality dirt/gravel roads are becoming an endangered species. I know that progress is good, but not when it impedes on my cross routes; FREE MY GRAVEL! I soon will have to ride to Dallas, Dade, and/or Hickory just to find miles of the sweet stuff.

Thursday: After work headed down to track practice and worked with the jumpers until it was time to grab Ian and head to SPR for his basketball game. Jake had an orthodontist appointment earlier in the day so he and Deb did some shopping before meeting us at The Courts (Jake picked up some new kicks and shorts and is definitely styling much more than his old man ever did). Both Deb and Jake (seperately) said they had a great time just the two of them hanging out. I think Deb really misses 'little Jake' as he was a snuggler and loved to be near her as much as possible (but now it's teenage years and the hugs are getting fewer and fewer). Ian's game was another in the L column, but he continues to play super (although you can't tell him that because he wants to wins so bad that individual stats don't matter). Got back home, Ian hit the hay, and Deb, Jake, and I watched Survivor (while Jake rode the trainer for 45 min at low steady effort - recovery from the day before).

LBL this weekend and I'll go with Cunego (can't be wrong three times in a tow, can I...), A Colom - Katusha , and S. Sanchez - Euskaltel and dark horse is Iglinsky - Astana. Jani is hanging tough in Italy and will be interesting to see if he holds on to the lead tomorrow with Basso only 4sec back. Astana is a nutty strong group when stage racing (even if the don't support anyone other than LA and Levi). I like Kloden more and more; not for his performances, but his supportiveness to whomever is the strongest rider in every race.

Fitness: Thursday was all about the rest. Fairly easy spin for 3:15hrs this morning. Hopefully will have time this evening for Deb and I to hit the tandem for an hour.

Quick clip of Ian shooting a jumper just inside the 3-point line at The Courts last night; he barried two from that deep to start the game:

Fleche, Trentino, Wednesday and Tuesday Recap

Fleche was a great race today. Pretty decent action leading up to the Mur de Huy, where Evans drug the rest up and... (wait for it, Scott...) ran out of steam as Rebellin jumped away to take the win ahead of A. Schleck. My picks finished 3rd and 4th. Dale stopped in and Jim came up to watch the last 10k. Great way to start a hump-day! Looking forward to L-B-L on Sunday.

Giro de Trentino is also going on this week as a prep for the the big boy Giro. Astana did their usual thing by grabbing an early lead and it will be interesting to see what Kloden can do this week (with another weak team surrounding him). Also interesting to watch is the fitness of DiLuca and Basso. I have no picks for this event, but lean toward Kloden taking top spot.

Tuesday: Got off work early and headed out on the road bike for 2 1/2hrs solo. Weather was clear and warmer than lately, but still a bit brisk so I sported the arm warmers (it's got to get above 70* one of these days). Got home to see... that's right, Ian and Deb playing some basketball. I changed up quick and he and I took a new route and played some baseball in the backyard until Deb rang the dinner bell. This kid has a cannon (and accurate) of an arm! Deb made one of my favorite dishes (pasta with some spicy turkey) and everyone chowed down.

Jake hit another rehab session on the trainer as we watch 'Yes Man' (it was ok - I like Jim C.). Jake rode 45 min straight with an average hr of 140, which we were trying to simulate a mid-paced run. His butt was pretty sore from the night before, but he toughed it out (I have forgotten about 'sit-bone tenderness' for newbies - kinda funny).

Deb hit the gym for a workout and came home red-faced so it must have been a good one.

Wednesday: Got into the office early to knock out some stuff before Fleche started. Listened to the race while working until the last 40k and then started watching. Got out for a 1:45 mtb workout at lunch. It was a warm day and the sunburn on my shoulders are evidence of such. Deb got Jake to his PT session and I went a little early to pick him up to hear the progress report from Tom. Progress was the word, but just how much we will find out in the upcoming sessions where he starts to put some stress on his leg. Jake and I headed down to track practice where they engaged in some team building fun relays in place of regular practice (well deserved as the kids have been going hard for some time now). Jake headed off to Focus with Scuba (Jake's best bud), Deb hit her women's bible study so if was another evening of I&J time. We orded up some pizza and played a ton of baseball until it showed up. We scarfed it down and headed back out for some BP (batting practice). After I shagged all the balls I could take we headed to Wally World for some mulch. Got home and spread it to all the designated areas and then the stud and I were off to the disc golf course at SBU. It was our first trip of the year and we were rusty. Many laughs were had and we called it an evening and headed home. On the way Ian said one of those serious little lines that makes you just die laughing inside: "...you got any body wash, dad? I have regular soap and it just isn't making my skin feel silky smooth..." - direct quote from my 8yr old. Jake just walked in from church and we are heading to the trainer for a tough interval session simulating a ladder track workout.

Fitness: Skipped the strength workout yesterday (mowed the lawn instead), but got in a 2 1/2hr road ride. Still felt Sunday's efforts early, but by the end had flushed the heaviness and was feeling fresh. Rode at lunch today (Wednesday) for 1:45hrs and got 8 x 2:10min repeat climbs up a section of 15% dirt backroads; totally feel blitz (but great). Doing a strength workout tonight while Jake is on the trainer.

Pic of me on the Frisco trail enroute to hill repeats.

Monday Recap and Fleche Wallone

I love the Spring Classics and the two best weeks are (as listed) 1) Flanders/Gent/Roubiax and 2) Amstel/Fleche/LBL. The Ardennes bring in a whole new crew to the race scene (more tour types) and they are more the light weights and not the HARDMEN of the earlier races. Tomorrow I am going with Cunego, Kroon, and Sammy Sanchez was possible winners (giving Valverde the snub) with Albisini (Columbia) as my darkhorse.

Not much happened yesterday as it was a pretty routine Monday; Ian had basketball practice, Jake had a rehab workout, and I revived my mtb after this past weekend's mudfest.

Went down after work and picked up Jake at track practice (no workout, just fellowship) and talked a little with the jumpers about tomorrow's meet at Osage. Three of the jumping crew came over after practice and we broke down video of their individual jumps from the Bolivar Relays meet. It really helps the kids to see what I am explaining rather than just hearing the words.

After dinner (Deb's famous-to-us grilled pizza) we headed over to Ian's basketball practice. His team has come so far this year and playing at The Courts is well worth the travel each week. It will pretty much be a staple for the years to come. On a side note: Ian starts baseball practice this weekend with a group of 8yr olds from Bolivar who will play in a SPR league. Deb and I never thought we would be those parents who takes their 8yr old on traveling teams, but he loves these sports so much and excels at each that it is not worth playing in the local YMCA leagues. Ian lives sports so much on a daily basis that he has to catch SportsCenter every morning at breakfast before school or he feels lost. This morning he rushed to the tube to watch the recorded Spurs game from last night (he had a small meltdown when the lost their playoff opener Saturday, so it was a good thing they won game 2). There are numerous times when I am talking with Randy W. or Jim about a game/score and Ian will correct us with the actual stat or score; too funny.

Later in the evening I set the tandem up on the trainer and adjusted everything for Jake's fit for his rehab workouts. He has told me for some time that he was interested in cycling (like his old man) and would rather do cycling work than pool running to keep fresh while injured. What is a cycling dad supposed to say, "no son, I would rather you not partake in my most passionate sports activity in the ENTIRE WORLD"?!?!?!? I picked up my bro's mtb shoes, which are Jake's size, strapped on the HR monitor (so we could tell effort levels), and he rode for 50 minutes. It took 10 or so minutes for him to get fluid, but soon there after caught on. To keep him on his toes (not literally with his tendon issue) for the 800 and 400m events he did 4 x 2min at 170-175 bpm and the rest was around 135. Funny thing; I had Jake wear a pair of my smaller cycling short liners and he thought they felt weird at first, but was singing their praises toward the end of the workout. He ended up putting a pair of his shorts over the top as he wasn't that comfortable sporting the Lycra look (even in just the garage).

While Jake was doing his thing I tore down my mtb and re-greased several parts and dropped in a new rear shifter cable and brake pads. Two muddy races in a row takes a toll and a little TLC now is better than hiking-a-bike later.

Fitness: Played an hour of easy basketball at noon as I was feeling the day before. Plan to strength train at noon today and ride a couple hours on the road after work.

Weekend Update (without Seth Myers)

Busy weekend so lets get right to it:

Friday: Pulled Jake from school late and had his first physical therapy appointment. The crew at Bolivar Physical Therapy are great and we are looking forward to Jake's quick (hopefully) road to recovery. After work Ian was picked up to spend the night with a friend so Deb and I hopped on the tandem for a great ride around the back roads of Bolivar for a little over an hour. Now when I say we hopped on the tandem by no means does that say I towed us around; no way! That little girl of mine is the true essence of a stoker; she cranks it just as hard as I. Sometimes I'll ask her a question and I'll hear "wait... to the... top... of this... and... I'll answer...". Perfect weather and perfect girl; I loved it.

After our ride we changed up super quick and headed to SPR to pick up her new bedroom furniture. Jake had a busy week so he declined a meal out and opted for some down-time at the house - he needs that from time to time and I totally understand his need for decompression. We got to the store just as they were closing, but was able to grab what pieces they had available (still waiting on a stand up dresser). Afterwards we got a Chicago style pie at Old Chicago, which was pretty darn good. Got home around 10pm and then the work began. Jake, Deb, and I heaved all the pieces into the house and began setting it all up. A little after midnight we snugged into our new room (at least part of it is new). Deb did a great job picking out the right set for us. So for Friday I was 3 for 3 (let's review: perfect ride, perfect girl, and perfect furniture).

Saturday: Ian was dropped back off early, but we all got to sleep in until 8am (felt great!). I met up with Dale and Jake's XC coach (along with his wife and a friend) and we hit Sac River for a little mtb'ing. They are not avid cyclist (but all three were outstanding runners at SMS back in the day), but I was really impressed with their fitness and abilities. Dale and I took it pretty easy to make sure the group stayed together and it gave us a chance to catch up a little. Dale has been pretty busy traveling with work and I miss his company on rides and just talking cycling and life. It was a bit muddy (but isn't Sac always that way) and we ended up riding for a little over 2hrs. It was a great way to spin my legs in preparation for Sunday's mtb race. Got back home a little after noon.

Deb and I headed to Wally World for garden veggies, flowering bushes for shrub bed accents, and groceries. Stopped by my bro's casa to see my beautiful niece (with date and some other couples) before they headed off to prom. She probably has no idea about this, but I think Ashton is awesome. She is so cute, super smart, fun personality, and more than that she loves God and is gorgeous on the inside; she is her own confident person and I'm a fan. *Note - that is not Ashton and 'her date' in the pic; just her proud pappa

Got home and put in all of garden (with the help of Ian - the self-professing original jolly green giant) before the rains came in. We are going to have a great garden this year (I can taste those tomatoes now)! Got my gear together and lubed up the bike for Sunday's race.

Got some quick dinner in me and headed out to play a little poker with the crew. Nine showed up and as usual I was close (2nd for the 2nd time in a row), but no cigar (not that we are smoking, it's just a figure of speech, mom). Got home a little before 11pm and snugged into bed. Turns out Jake slept over at a friends house; I never know who is at or missing from my home on a weekend night.

Sunday: Got a great night's sleep and woke at 7:30. Got some breakfast and coffee in me and turned on Amstel Gold. I was banking on Cunego (and Lampre), but thought Kroon (that right Scott, I know I gave you Damino, but ask Dale, I referenced Karstin as a possible top three) might pull it off. I haven't heard the extend of F. Schleck and Matthew Loyd's injuries, but they did not look good on the side of the road after the big crash. I could only watch until 30k left when I had to head off to Neosho for round 3 of the Midwest Fat Tire Series. It rained all night and all morning and I was looking for a good excuse not to race, but I had great legs all week and didn't want to not reward them for all the training over the past fourteen days. So here I am driving alone (Ira had bike issues and Scott had a sniffle, ok so maybe it was more than that; it's hard to tell with these fragile Cat 1's) in the pouring rain to suffer for a couple hours in the mud. As I am pulling into Neosho the rain stops and turns out it did not return. Pretty cool to catch up with some of the SPR (in case you haven't caught on SPR = Springfield, MO) and STL mtb crew as it had been some time since I last saw some of them. The various field sizes were more than what I expected, but not real big. I saw several of the marathoners coming through before we started and they were covered head to toe in mud (not the clayish type, but good ol' fashioned get dirty and drain off of you type). We toed the line and I dropped into 2nd as we hit the single track. I stayed behind a guy (turned out to be 2nd place) for just a quick bit, checked behind to see we had a decent gap, and then at the first opportunity I surged past and put in a solid 5 minute effort (without looking back) before settling into a good tempo. Turns out my effort extended me to a sizable lead as I never saw my field again. I quickly started picking up the younger classes and by the end had caught a handful of the experts. I knew early I was on a good day and I wanted to make the most of it. The course was super fun with 95% single track and the other double track, not any climbing to speak of, and flowing/sweeping turns you could really ride the rails. It was all wet and only muddy for about 20% of the race, but that part was slop and completely coated everything. The bike ran great and I ended up winning my class (sport 40-49) and I think had the fastest time of all sport classes. I collected my 1st place cowbell (super loud - perfect) and some swag and headed home. Next race is Castlewood (STL) in two weeks. ***The S-Works shoes are INCREDIBLE!***

Got home and guess what, Ian was shooting hoops outside (if you haven't figured this out that is a staple in his day; he does it on his own and Deb and I have to pull him away most times). We grabbed some dinner, I caught the recorded end of Amstel Gold (average race - Ivanov was a sort of surprise), and then headed up to SBU. Deb worked cardio, Jake got a workout on a stationary bike (part of rehab), and Ian and I went to the volleyball court... NOT! Back to the hardwood for some games of PIG (shorter version of HORSE) and 1-on-1. Everyone finished, got back to the house, showered up, and that is where I am at right now (Ian snugged in bed after goodnight tucks, Jake icing his leg, Deb hitting a book, and I doing this). We are getting ready to watch a little Amazing Race and then it is to bed.

I know you are asking for it so here is this week's 'Ian on Film':




*Note* - That was a new net on the goal not too long ago; the kid simply wears those things out! ...and yes, Crocs are the official shoe of the IOBA (Ian Outdoor Basketball Association).

As I type this all in it appears we had a busy weekend, but it doesn't really feel that way now (or anytime during it). As repeated several times above everything was PERFECT - what a freaking blessed life I am part of (I know I shouldn't end a sentence with 'of', but it just seemed perfect).

Sorry Chad

http://www.cyclingnews.com/news.php?id=news/2009/apr09/apr17news3

It is honestly sad, but... Maybe he was depressed over not getting to know his twin or the fact that Rock Racing put him in the crappiest US National Champion's outfit of all time.

Recovery Day - Non Fitness Related

After yesterday's busy schedule it is nice to hopefully have an uneventful day. Here's the recap of Thursday:

Jake's meet went 110% better than what all of us expected as he was still in a lot of pain in the morning. When I saw him warming up I was thinking it wasn't such a good idea to have him run as he was limping on it quite a bit, but once he took his handoff on the 4x800 the limp was gone and he looked fluid and pretty quick. He would get done with one event, limp off the track, limp during warmups, run his event, and limp back off. All in all a great evening as his relays finished 2nd (4x800) and 3rd (4x400) and he got 5th in the open 800 - he was pretty stoked about his performances and wants to return as soon as possible. His team was 2nd overall. He woke up this morning and said it didn't feel as bad as what he expected, but I think that has more to do with the meds than what it actually feels. He is heading to rehab this afternoon and his aquaman phase (pool work with zero impact) of training starts tomorrow. Hopefully a short week or two will have him back by conference and districts.

Deb and Ian watched Jake's first event and then drove to SPR (Springfield) for Ian's double header, where they won one and loss one. Ian played great as usual and was one tired puppy after a back to back game. He was quick to give me the rundown of his stats last night; I know there aren't official books, but they way he rattles off stats during a game we watch or Sports Center it doesn't suprise me that he keeps them himself as the game goes along - pretty funny. Deb snatched him right after his last game and made it back to Jake's meet as they were lining up for the 4x400 (perfect timing).

We all got home late and Ian hit the bed right away while Jake iced his leg and we grabbed a bite. Jake headed to bed late and Deb and I settled in to watch epic 'Coach' on Survivor - he was the women's soccer coach at SBU (here at Bolivar) and I have talked with him several times before the show. I always got the sense he was on his own island, but no idea to what extent that went. I hope he makes it to the end. If you are a Survivor fan then follow this for a funny read: http://popwatch.ew.com/popwatch/2009/04/jeff-probst-b-2.html

I like the top picture as it depicts the team focus Jake's coach (Ron Bandy) on all aspects of track even though most consider it an individual sport and I like to pic to the left as it shows his personal attention to each athlete. Coach Bandy also heads up Jake's XC team and he is truly one of the few individuals I completely trust with my son. He always stresses team and committment in everything and demands not only they excel in sports, but as young men (and women) in their community and life outside of sports. He has incredible knowledge of middle and distance runners from his background as a collegiate runner and 11 years of coaching. One way to tell he is quality is that he and Joe Bill Dixon communicate on a regular basis and every coach at XC or T&F meets wants to talk with him. Bolivar his lucky to have gotten him this year from Lebanon (where he took them to a top three spot in state XC a couple years ago).

Fitness: I enjoyed yesterday's rest and got in an hour of basketball at lunch and this evening Deb and I are heading out on the tandem for 1 1/2 hrs. We picked up a road/cross tandem last fall and had a blast riding together before winter set in. It is a great workout for the both of us.

Busy Day of Sports

Jake is running at his only home meet tonight (4x800, open 800, 4x400) with 12 teams showing up; pretty decent sized event. He is not looking forward to the pain, but knows it is temporary and tomorrow starts rehab. Supposed to be pretty nice weather today (mid-60's and light breeze).

Ian has a double-header at The Courts (basketball).

Tilled up our garden at lunch and got the blackberry shoots planted; special thanks to Dale, the Eddy Mercy of gardening, for the blackberries. Deb will start dropping in the onions, spinach, and other greens this weekend. Take a look at that big-boy tiller - Troybuilt! Thanks to my father-in-law for letting me keep it at the casa. That thing is like a SPR Cat 1 at Cross Nationals - wants to beat on something for no reason.

Deb will be able to catch the 4x800 before running to SPR with Ian and hopefully she will make it back in time for the 4x400. I am staying in Bolivar to get some video footage of our jumpers and watch Jake. I video at practice (and meets) so the jumpers can actually see the instruction and it has worked out pretty good. After meets I edit film for each athlete so we know what to focus on at practice. I am expecting good things from a couple jumpers today (a couple of the others are having trouble with some mechanics).

A total rest day on the fitness side. Feeling the last two days in my legs (in a good way) and hopefully will get in a nice 2hr spin on Friday and a light mtb ride on Saturday at Sac Rive Trails before racing Sunday. I really like my race schedule for this year with mtb'ing (for fun and bike handling skills) this spring/early summer, moving to some crits early summer/summer, all leading up to a focused cross season this fall/winter. I am the first one to say I am in no way a good mtb'er, but it is a lot of fun and it's helping my handling skills for cross.

Scheldeprijs and an Evening of Fun

Watched the Scheldeprijs and as expected it was a group sprint (Ali Jet and LPR doing their thing), but the carnage pileup at the end was incredible. Didn't watch long enough to see the extent of injuries, but numerous big names were splattered about. *Note - the picture to the left is not today's race, but depicts the same outcome...

Enjoying some of Deb's homemade banana bread with my morning coffee. MMMM, good stuff!

Fitness: Headed out at noon for 1 1/2 hrs of spinning the mtb around. Hit the Frisco for 45 minutes or so then to Bolivar's city park, which has a pretty twisty single track section (on which Ira and I work 5 minutes intervals) for an easy spin through several times from different directions,and then finish up back on the Frisco.

I am loving the S-works shoes! One of the best three purchases made in the last year (1. xt crankset for mtb 2. DA crankset for cross bike 3. Specialized S-works shoes). I have always read and heard about how stiff a mtb shoe could be and now I know the difference - awesome.


Headed down to track practice after work and talked with Jake's coach about his injury. We all decided to have him run tomorrow night then immediately start recovery with a lot of pool work and physical therapy. Coach emphasized the importance of him recovering fully and being ready for districts/sectionals in mid-May. We will take it week by week.


Got home just in time to give Deb a kiss as she left for her women's bible study. Jake headed out to Focus (youth church group) so it was another evening of some J&I (John and Ian) time. We mounted our steel steeds and headed to McDonalds (his choice). We detoured on the way home and cruised around SBU campus for some trials training. Once home we laced them up and got in on for the Wednesday Night World Championships. 2-1 for Ian and he gets to sport the crown until next week.

The below clip is what I get to deal with on a daily basis - a hilarious goofball (who I love with all my heart).

Another Day in Mayberry

Ian stayed home yesterday not feeling good (not the kind where he blows chunks, but more head cold stuff). Deb stayed home with her little man and by the end of the day he was back up to speed and trying to convince mom he had to go to b-ball practice (house rule is if no school then no after-school activities). He was fine this morning.

Today Jake had an asthma/breathing test at CMH. It will be a couple days until we know the results They changed his daily meds a week ago and hopefully this test will help with finding him some relief (and more air during training/races). He is still battling the tendinitis like a champ. I met with some friends who are physical therapist this morning and came up with a treatment plan to help. His next meet is Thursday here in Bolivar. After the meet it is probable he will take some time off while receiving therapy to heal it fully. Better now as a sophomore than his senior year.

Fitness: 1 hr of intervals on the trainer this AM - absolutely great workout and anther hour of intervals this evening - still feeling great. Looking forward to 1 1/2 hrs of spinning outside tomorrow at noon on the mtb (breaking in the new footwear). Skipping strength workout this week as it is not fitting in my schedule this week. Legs feel pretty good so I will get some bike handling time in the next couple days and not press again until Sunday.

Easter Weekend

Saturday was pretty nice out so I got some yard work done, but it was a little too wet still to turn the garden (hope to get in by Wed or Thurs). I did get a section tilled where the blackberry bushes are going in. Jake and a handful of varsity tracksters headed to SPR for a radio interview on the Jock. He is so funny and got a good joke in on a friend of his on air.

Saturday afternoon we headed to my parent's home outside of Crane, MO. I rode my bike and Deb brought the boys down. We had a great visit and got to catch up on a BBC tv show my mom got us hooked on called 'As Time Goes By'. She has the full series on DVD so we watch a handful everytime we go down. Ian got to feed the cows and drive dad's big tractor and many games of chess were played. Jake is getting better and better, but still no match for his pop.

Sunday began early with a Sunrise quick service (followed by a huge breakfast) at my dad's church. Afterwards we returned home, regrouped, and went back for Sunday services. His church has grown so much since we went there and has quite a large group of active youths. My pop is a great preacher and his message (and the supporting worship from the youth performances) was a great reminder of the importance of this day to all christians; the simple fact that Christ carried all of MY sins to the cross so I could live eternally - what incredible selflessness just for me... The rest of the day was eating and hanging out with the crew (watching a the Masters and sneaking candy from Ian's basket). We got home late afternoon and after Amazing Race Deb and I watched 'The Bucket List'. Great weekend had by all. I love my parents.

Roubaix was pretty good, but I didn't particulary care for the finishing km's. I have no problem with Boonen winning as he was aggressive and had mechanicals (and falls) like others, but I would have loved to see him go the final 10k with Thor and Pozzato and watch how it would have played out. Kind of interesting to watch Silence continually miss out on the big ones (what am I saying... all of them!). George continued to be George; not at all his fault as the guy needs to come to peace that he will not win that event.

Fitness: Got a great ride to my parent's home on Saturday. The effort was steady and the weather was great (lower 60's and slight cross wind). We got home late afternoon and it continued to rain (in the mid 40's) so I mounted the indoor steed for a light spin a little over an hour while watching 'Bucket List' (enjoyable). I got my first spin in the new Specialized S-works mtb shoes and they are super sweet (fits like a glove). The BG shim effect was a little interesting to get used to, but I see benefits coming from it (although I never had knee issues in the past).

Had an active rest day and played basketball for 1 1/2hrs. Little bit of core/upper strength work tonight.

I am looking forward to racing this weekend, but forecast has it raining Saturday and Sunday so it might be another soggy affair - fine by me. I have never ridden at Neosho, but it sounds like it is fast and fun. Looking forward to seeing KC Harding if he makes it down (not sure if Bone Bender will be rained out).

Felt Like a Saturday

Fun day so far (considering it is raining again and in the lower 40s). Deb slept in while I ran Ian to school while Jake got to get a little extra sleep (that's really not a fair statement as he had morning practice at 5:30am) as he had a sports massage lined up at 9am. Jake was heard through the walls yelling for mercy as a deep tissue massage worked out months of knots in his legs and hit a little ultra-sound on the tendinitis. At the conclusion he thought it was good, but painful, and hopefully this will help with his lower pain. Dropped him off at school, got back home, and Deb and I ran to SPR to get her some 'cruise' clothes and I was shopped mtb shoes. I found what I would like (Specialized S-works) and she found what she needed. Ended the trip with a quick stop to Fudruckers. Got back to Bolivar around 2:30 so I ran over to track practice (school was 1/2 day) and watched the jumpers doing sprint work, as it was too nasty to do any jump work today. Got home and Ian and I went to battle at Madden '08 and so far we are tied 1 to 1 games today. Had a fun supper with the crew (and Steven, Jake's best friend) and am going to watch 7 Pounds tonight.


Back to the shoes: I have needed to replace my Answer mtb's as they are ripping in two places (one being the ratchet system). I have researched several models and it came down to Shimano or Specialized. I know, I know, most are asking 'why not the standard - Sidi?' Simple, rode them on the road for a couple years and they don't fit my feet as well as others. Went to some local shops and tried on the S-works and Shimano 300s and the S-works are the one's I am going with. While I thought about them in white, I made the smart choice and am going black/grey/silver (sorry Keller).

Fitness: Enjoyed another rest day (kind of rare to have two in a row) as the motivation to ride soggy and cold outside wasn't there. Riding to my parent's home tomorrow (spending Easter weekend there), which will get me around 80 miles. Will be my longest ride this year (which I don't mind after countless hours last year for AR'ing and LOTOJA); it is supposed to be in the 60s. Talked to Chad today and he said it was 96* in my old stomping grounds of San Antonio.

Enjoy the Silence... not Lotto

I have followed the Pais Vasco this week via Universal Sports http://www.universalsports.com/ via http://www.steephill.tv/ all without a commentator, just the sounds of an open mic. Sometimes it is just helicopter sounds, mostly light wind or motor sounds, but once in a while you get some interesting chatter between riders. Today we got to hear Horner drop some F-bombs during his diagnosis of a broken shoulder while others were trying to get him back on the bike to continue. He saddled up but immediately dismounted and left in an ambulance. A little later Christian VV was chewing on Albasini and Van Den Broeck for not pulling an equal amount (guess he should listened to Elvis - "... little less talk a little more action..."). While I prefer Paul and Phil, this provided a different viewing experience.

It appears I am on a roll for putting the bad mojo on riders. Before Gent I named Cavendish as an easy winner and yesterday I referenced my growing fondness of Horner. That being said, GO LANCE, MCEWEN, and any Rock Racing member.

Just received word Jake's meet was cancelled for this afternoon (with no information of rescheduling). Good for him as it will give some time to help with the tendinitis.

Riding Outside...

For weather and family schedules it seems I have not been able to ride very much actually on the road. Well that changed this afternoon!

I played an hour of hoops at noon and at 5pm I was OUTSIDE on my cross bike (with the roadie tires on). I was beautiful with little wind and just a hint of crispness in the air. I got in a solid 2 1/2 hours and wished it could have been a couple more. With the upcoming Roubiax race this weekend it was only fitting that I hit some of the less traveled backroads of Polk County and got my sampling of bouncing around, but you know, who cares, I was outside with a smile on my face. Anytime I can get a 3+hr day in mid-week is a bonus; especially with this Friday off of work and hopefully a 4hr day on the cross bike again (there is a section in SE Polk County that I have never explored and needs to be ridden).

I got home just in time to kiss Deb goodbye as she was heading out with a friend for a power walk (that ended up kicking her butt as her friend is significantly longer legged) and play a Wednesday Night World Champion best of 3 series of b-ball with Ian. The little man had to go down after taking it to me the last two series we played and tonight I walked away with the crown. Ian says the Championship series is now tied 5 win apiece.

Tomorrow is a rest day and Jake's track meet in Aurora in the afternoon. He is still battling a little tendinitis, but after watching him in practice a couple times over the past 10 days it looks like his legs are over the ski trip and flowing pretty good. I hope he has a solid day tomorrow as he could use a little boost of confidence.

Gent & Pais Vasco

Caught the last kilometers of each this morning. Gent was ok with Boasson Hagen (Columbia-Highroad) winning rather uneventful two-up spint. Columbia took a page out of QuickStep and played it perfectly (other than Cavendish not making the initial split after a flat tire). This race has never been one of my favorites and I suppose it is because of its placement between the two biggies.


As expected the Basque Country wnet the way of Contador with Astana doing their thing and taking the overall lead. Horner freaking lit it up on the bottom of the final climb. Never cared for Horner as a domestic rider, but have grown found watching him with over the past couple years.


Looking forward to Sunday and seeing what misfortune hits Hincapie this year. I almost have come to look forward to his debacles more than who wins...

VS

This was the scene at our casa last night as one of Ian b-ball teammates and family came over to watch UNC open up a can on MSU. Both boys were decked out in Carolina blue (Payton sported Hansbrough and Ian wore Ellington). It was a fun evening for us (and not our cat as they boys tortured, I mean played with it during every commercial). Jake refused to take part in the festivities since 'our' Duke was not represented. The last thing he wanted was his little brother rubbing it in (again)!

Jake's leg is still giving him fits, but he thinks it is getting better on a daily basis. He is hoping to run solid on Thursday (Aurora track meet).

Deb's dad is making a caribean jerk dish tonight so I am looking forward to filling my belly; he always whips up some good stuff.

Fitness: Played 1 hr of easy basketball yesterday and called it a rest day. I hit the gym today at lunch for a strength workout and a 1:50hr session on the trainer (with 2 x 20 min efforts mixed in) while watching 'The Day the Earth Stood Still - not bad, but not great.

Here's the dilema for the morning: Gent on cycling.tv or Pais Vasco on NBC Universal Sports. The Gent is probably a group finish with Cavendish as odds on favorite at the classic, but Pais has 1 cat 3, 2 cat 2, and 2 cat 1 climbs with a mountain top finish and I am curious to watch Contador take on a stacked field. The 'little prince' for Lampre looked pretty strong on stage 1... I'll probably end up doing a split screen. Why is my life plagued with so many tough choices?!?!?!?

Feels Like Spring (Saturday) and Now Its Gone

First and foremost - just finished watching Flanders and Devolder (and QuickStep in general) is a STUD! He has been one of my favorite spring riders for three or four years now. He just goes and goes and goes. What was great about today is he was totally committed to riding for Boonen (who couldn't shake his shadow Pozzato), then for Chavanel once he jumped across, and finally at the Muir he took things into his own hands as he was clearly the strongest up front and solo'ed. I love this week with Gent on Wednesday and Hell of the North next weekend. Picture to the right is his win at Flanders last year - the Belgium national colors are awesome and the US should take note and dump the crap they have worn for the past couple years.

What an great Saturday we had here at the ranch (ok, not really a ranch, but you know what I mean). Deb headed out early to SPR to help family with Maggard's estate sale. I decided to make the most of the morning and tackled several household chores to make Deb's day a little easier when she got home. She does so much keeping us afloat and gets little recognition for how easy she makes our lives. I intended to get a good long ride in, but with it being so nice I moved from the indoors and headed out to get some yard work done. It was really the first nice weekend day without us going somewhere so it was time for catch up. Ian and I got in the first mow of the year and then hit the shrub/flower beds to get them in order. We are supposed to get some freezes this week so I am holding off on putting in the flowers until it looks like spring is fully here. You might wonder where Jake was during all of this and in typical teenage fashion he was asleep until 11am or so. He gets up so early during the week with 5:30am team runs that I don't have an issue with him catching up on the weekends. Deb got home just after noon and she jumped in helping finish up outside. Ian got in several games of basketball with Deb and I, along with throwing the pigskin around with me in the back yard. I was getting so much done and having a good time with the boys that riding was a back thought and not really a priority. As the day progressed I did get out for a good spin with Dale. Got home and watched some Final Four action (UNC is going to be tough to beat).

SUNDAY: What the heck just happened to the nice spring feel around here!?!?!?! I want my open windows back!

Deb (and Ian) finished the living room painting and it turned out awesome. Just a little tone change makes it tie in so well with the kitchen wallpaper and a warmer feel throughout. Just another thing Deb does to make it better for everyone (sigh in a good way - add it to the list of how my life would be lost without her).

Fitness: 2 hr mtb ride with Dale on Frisco. Expected to ride long, but enjoyed the day doing other things of greater priority so no big deal. 3 1/2 hrs on Friday gives me options for the weekend. Pretty chilly and crazy windy out this morning and after church it was raining so another afternoon on the trainer. Worked some bigger gear stuff for 1 1/2hrs while watching Love Guru (not very good).

The Kid's got Heart

Worked with the jumpers at track practice and watched Jake suck up some discomfort and flow through 6 x 600m and 6 x 400m. He is starting to find his legs after his ski trip. He's got a couple days rest off his feet to address the tendinitis and then re-evaluate on Monday. Great job boy, I could tell it was bothering you.

Fitness: Just got back from a easy 2hr spin with Jim Jones. Felt good to get outside and much time on the rollers/trainer.

Close, but no cigars at The Courts

Ian played two games last night and lost each in the final moments. Like always he played solid on both ends. He was one tired kid at the end of the second game having set out less than 1 minute in both games combined. There were some tears afterwards as he hates to lose. He's back up again next Thursday with a double-header, which will be tough as they at least had a game between last night. I am always impressed with his on-the-court knowledge of various aspects of the game; he often is directing the defense and finding open teammates either on the break or in the lower post areas. I imagine he gets most of it from watching so much b-ball on TV and that we talk a lot about it when we play.



Jake came up a little lame (possibly some tendinitis in the Achilles) from practice a couple nights ago after an 8mile run (and 3 mile at early practice). He ran 4 at early practice and an easy three yesterday afternoon. The crew is doing speed work (tons of 600s and 400s today) and he doesn't know if he will be able to make it through. It is pretty frustrating for him as he was looking to get back into the groove after being gone skiing and the school play. We talked this morning about going as much as possible without damaging it further and I am sure coach will not push him past that point. A couple days rest (Sat & Sunday) will be good for it. The below picture is from Jake's '08 xc season.
Fitness: Yesterday turned into a typical busy day and I wasn't able to get in a light spin; no big deal as I was going to count it as a rest/recovery day anyway. Not sure what this afternoon has in store so I got 1 1/2 hrs on the trainer (30* outside this morning) with some nice extended steady efforts. If the afternoon doesn't fill up I plan a get outside (supposed to hit 60*) for 2 hrs after work. I am looking forward to some good road riding (3 1/2 - 4hrs) tomorrow as I haven't been able to ride long these past Saturdays with races on Sundays. Will try to get 3hrs riding on Sunday; may take the mtb on the Frisco or hit the famous dirt back roads of Polk County cross bike style.