Thanksgiving '09 in the Books

Last episode left us the day before Thanksgiving closing shop a little early (Wednesday) to head to my mom and dad's bueno vista.

Arrived to find my bro, his wife, their two girls, and my parents having a relaxing afternoon. Numerous round of Bananagrams were played along with several other games. We munched on a soup and sandwich meal before kicking back the rest of the evening for a huge helping of nothingness and relaxation - nice. We watched several episodes of Man .vs. Food (never saw it before) and will make a road trip soon to Little Rock and Memphis to take on a couple mini-challenges of our own (Shut Up Habanero Juice and 7lbs burger).

Got up turkey morning and after a lounging morning we were off to SPR (grandma's bungalow).

Thursday lunch was spent with the Smith side of the family. Great spread of grub (as always) and good conversation. Especially like keeping up with my cousin Scotty (not ScottyD) as he is always working on a new project and his most recent is making long boards (skate type) which I am hoping he'll whip me one up soon. Do I really need one, no; but who really NEEDS most things we have???

Left the SPR and returned home to partake in the Appleby clan festivities. In attendance was Deb's sister Mandee, her husband Chris, her sons Tanner and Tucker, Deb's mom Linda, and her dad Jim A. The girls spent the afternoon cooking (guys spent time sampling) and early evening we sat down and chowed on a huge spread. The pictures do not do the quality and quantity of food justice. Jake topped off the meal with his 'Black Olive Fingers' (a ritual since he was a mini sized Jake).

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After dinner was what is quickly becoming a tradition at our house known as 'How Much Can Jake Suck Up to Grandpa' night or otherwise called a death-match of Risk between Jake, Jim A, Chris, and I. Jake has this way of getting Jim A to abandon all rational thinking in hopes of gaining bonding time with his grandson and all the while Chris and I scramble for self preservation. This year he and I established a quick alliance to fend off The Sucker and The Sucked, but to no avail as Jake claimed world domination over Chris in the end.

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Friday morning found me up at 4am getting Jake out the door for his trip to Kenosha, Wisconsin for the Footlocker National Regional XC meet held on Saturday. Every year Coach Bandy takes a group to compete and this year included a couple kids from Bolivar and a handful from Lebanon. Jake takes this low-key as his season was over a couple weeks back and he looks at this as a fun road trip with a run for good measure.

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Since I was up I jumped in with Deb, Jim A and Mandee at Wal-Mart at 4:30am helping Deb secure a significant Christmas present (at a crazy cheap price) for the boys. The item will go unnamed in the case Jake reads this before December 25th. More than getting a good deal it is much more fun to observe others in the 'Bolivar Mall' at zero-dark:30. Long and short of it - mission accomplished and we were out of there. Since we were up it with coffee already in us it was on to Brenda's for a huge breakfast at 6am. Got home and crashed for a short hour nap before beginning the day.

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Full day of activities included pawn shopping with Chris for a bow and a youth shotgun, eating, playing some driveway basketball, eating, trip down to a local creek for goofing around, eating, pet store visit followed with ice cream, then eating. Friday evening the Appleby clan gathered for a little Texas Hold'em and I was the first to go out (to my mother-in-law who slow-played me). As my hopes dashed I grabbed Ian and we headed over to SBU to watch the men in action the SBU Thanksgiving Shootout. We got home a little after 10am, got Eball in bed, and Mandee, Chris, Deb, and I watched 4 Christmas's (pretty funny as I like Vince Vaughn humor).

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Saturday morning found Dale, Dale's nephew Jason, and I on the cross bikes taking in a couple hours of the Polk County backroads. Fun ride but a shorts change was needed as we were just about to cross 'the' abandoned bridge when a bunch of duck hunters unloaded about 30 meters from us (at ducks and not us). To bad I wasn't wearing a HR monitor as it shot through the roof as I was looking to take cover. After a quick mental recovery we continued on (no dabs going up the erosion pit hill after the bridge - ScottyD) until a double flat (only 1 tube between all of us - stupid, I know) had me doing a couple mile hike back to civilization while Dale and Jason went for the truck. With 2+hrs of riding (+ the hike of shame) the morning was not a loss at all and I had a great time.

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After snagging breakfast Chris and I teed up the Stratego game board and engaged in a couple battles. I know it's a kid's game, but I still like it. The rest of the morning was pretty easy going as the Burt crew headed home to STL. I slipped outside to trim up the shrubs in prep for winter. Jim A and Ian got in some basketball time (see below). Deb, Ian, and I caught a SBU basketball game in the early evening then we dropped off E at Jim and Linda's for the night. Deb and I caught some tube and drifted off to sleep entirely too late.

Ira and I talked Saturday afternoon and it was decided to skip the 4+hour drive (one way) to race Bubba #9 in north STL and instead spend some time on the mtbs at a much closer destination.

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Sunday morning came all to quick as Ira and I hit an early departure to get in some mtb'ing at the Lake of the Ozarks area. Honey Run (south side of the state park) was first on the agenda and several runs (one way then do it reverse) through had us ready to move on the next destination. Honey Run is a great double loop with the north one my favorite - fast flowing tightness with some decent up and downs. Temps were getting colder as the day progressed and by the time we unloaded at the Bitter Sweet trail it was time for extra layers. We dropped in for about 4 miles (of an 8 mile loop) when my rear derailleur decided it had enough and ripped in two - bummer! Ira continued on the loop as I hiked (once again) back to the truck, which ended up being only 1/4 mile as I bushwhacked it AR style. Both Ira and I were disappointed to cut our trip short as we had an all-day pass from the wives and we intended to use every minute of it and make it over to the Trail of Four Winds as a caper - will have to come back in a couple weeks to get our Tof4W fix.

Got home and caught up with Jake about his trip north. He had a great time and the race was super tough as it had rained all week and the entire thing was a muddy mess. Turns out a couple kids cancelled at the last minute, but Jake still got to hang out with some Lebanon kids he likes along with a couple Bolivar runners (and coach of course who always makes events fun). Deb and Linda were in SPR doing some Christmas shopping and Ian and Jim A were also in SPR doing some fishing and shooting at Deb's grandpa's place. I got out in the man cave and prepped/repairs some bike issues and finished my shrub/garden work. Everyone made their way home eventually and the evening was pretty laid back with getting the house back in order and watching Amazing Race and Sunday Night Football (that would be me alone as Ian was already in bed).

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All in all it was another great Thankgiving weekend with mucho food going down the gullet and quality time with family. That being said it was nice to return to a quiet and peaceful house Sunday afternoon.

The following are some pictures and clips from Ian's basketball games the weekend before Thanksgiving (take notice in the videos how much he uses his left hand - nice):

Let's see, it should be a fairly relaxed week as nothing major is taking place any night this week and Ian doesn't play at The Courts next until Saturday morning. Sweet, a chance to get some honey do's done and get a good week of prep before JY's MO State Champs on Sunday in Hermann, MO.

On This Hallowed Turkey Eve...

Monday AM had me knocking out an hour run through Bolivar. Made my way over to the muni golf course, which a great place to run fairways in the dark. Longest run of the past 9 months.

Lunch time was dedicated to the build out of Deb's new (to her) Trek FX 7.5 (pictures coming) and getting her fitted. Snagged a great deal on Ebay and it showed up looking practically brand new. She loves it (and that means I love it - you know the whole "if mom's happy, then every one's happy..." thing) as it is a better fit than her mtb and it is so much faster/easier with the 700c wheels. She hooked from work early and got in a great ride with Marla before it got dark.

Monday evening Dale and I snuck in a 'dark' ride on the Frisco to the Sac River bridge and back (1:45hrs). Ran into a truck parked on the trail and quickly found out it was MO Conservation Agents staking out some popular 'spot lighting' areas. After Dale made some quick comments explaining our innocence (since we forgot our pannier to carry out the deer) and a couple laughs we continued on our way. Night air was chilly, but the thermal suit once again came in handy.

Tuesday was pretty routine as I 'stole' a workout from ScottyD and punished myself with long repeats. Got on the edge of cold outside, but decided to stick to the Frisco to keep out of the winds and it work great (and actually got down right warm during the session). Basketball practice with Ian after work and then Deb and I watched Angels and Demons (not as good as De Vinci, but still decent). Jake has some friends over 'til late and who knows how long he stayed up after that.

We are heading to my mom and pop's after lunch today, stopping in at my grandma's tomorrow for lunch, returning home sometime tomorrow afternoon and having our meal with the Appleby crew (looking to avenge my Texas Hold'em beat down Deb handed out last weekend).

It's not Turkey Day without the below:



Jake is heading to Wisconsin early (4am) Friday morning to run in the Footlocker National Regional XC meet on Saturday. This is his second trek and it is more of a 'road trip' then it is to compete as it's a couple guys from Bolivar's XC team, four or five from Lebanon, and Jake's coaches. He has looked forward to this for some time as last year was a blast.

I have no set plans for the weekend, but would like to get in some solid riding and possibly a cruise to STL on Sunday with Ira to tackle Bubba #9. Would like to get one more race prior to the MO Champs in a couple weeks.

This is a funny clip from Hulu of Jimmy Fallon doing Neil Young doing Fresh Prince. What makes this so funny to me is the fact (at least to my ears) NY always sounds the exact same just insert different words for a new title... (On a side note: I am a huge Hulu fan)

From Bummer, To Bad, To Worse

OK, so the title is the overall gist of how I am feeling this late Sunday evening, but honestly there was tons of good mixed in...

Early in the office Friday morning then Ira and I got in a good 2hrs on the Frisco. Weather was still nice. Friday afternoon we shut down the office and headed to SPR for two games at The Courts; my bro jumped in with us to check out Ian in action. My dad and mom, Cheri, Alexandra, and my grandma all showed up.

BUMMER - First game the boys looked a shade off and lost (to a team we easily beat earlier) by 1. Second game the kids looked way tired and ended up losing by 4. Tough night for all of us as I feel I let the little guys (and parents) down in the way I managed our game. Deb reassures me all was good and that always is good to hear from her as she shoots me straight (most of the time). Knocked out some McAlister's afterwards with the group then headed home.

Saturday morning Dale and I got in a nice 2:30hr road ride in the crisp early air. Got home and prepped the bike and gear for a run to STL. Jake threw in some running gear and he was quasi interested in the Bubba running race held at each Bubba 'cross race and seeing with what swag he could walk away.

BAD - First things first as the trip started off with another game at The Courts. The boys played great and for the life of them could not get a shot to fall (great shots, just didn't go in). I really need to emphasise how many GREAT shots we had and how the basket was CLOSED tight! We ended up losing this one by 6 or 7, which is still amazing to me as they played so well.

So on the road we are up I44 and around 5:30 or so we pull into Mandee's house (Deb's sister) in Wildwood. Deb's mom and dad are visiting Mandee (and crew) this week so it was a houseful of Appleby blood. Mandee whipped up some great White Chicken Chili and fixings. After dinner Jake hooked up with Mandee's nephews (Jake loves hanging out with them) for some hot wings and SNL. The adults didn't move from the table the rest of the evening as the conversation and laughter continued. Later on a little Texas Hold'em broke out and the end had Deb taking me out for the overall win (seriously, DEB?!?!?!?). Turned in close to 1am and was hoping for a late wake up.

Sunday morning gets started around 8am (nice sleep in) and after a brief conversation with Jake (who was 7/8th still asleep) it was decided he would skip the run and I would race the A event as it was the last event of the Bubba day and that way it gained maxi um time with Deb's family. Deb and her sis jumped on their bikes and got in a good hour in the cool morning air. Coffee and various breakfast items were taken in while good conversation was had. Around noon we loaded up the gear and crew and headed to Mt. Pleasant Winery in Augusta, MO for Bubba #8 (and my first of the year).

Mt. P is an incredible place as Deb and I commented several times that we are coming back to that community for a do-nothing weekend of lounging and riding some Katy Trail. Alright enough of our plans; the venue was super cool and the course layout was super tough. Climbing, off-camber (everything), and riding through an indoor bar was the highlights. Nice turnout for a beautiful day.

I did the quick registration and course preview and caught Ira as he just finished the C race. I think he was 9th overall and all he kept saying was "Crap that was tough!". I kitted up while the crew made their way to a good viewing spot and I got out on the side roads for a little warm up. Ran into JY on the course and we chatted for a bit (super nice guy if you haven't met him yet) and then it was time to toe the line. I had no expectations other than getting in a solid hour of hard racing and fully understood I would be lapped, but hopefully not twice in 1 hour (which is 20 minutes longer than what I race in the KC area).

WORSE - Gun goes off and get a decent start and around the 2nd turn of the first lap my foot slides out of the pedal. I loose momentum and reach my foot to reconnect and it is not happening. I quickly dismount and see that there is only a pedal axle/spindle and no pedal body. I take a quick step back to get a better grasp on what the heck just happened and find the pedal body is still connected to my shoe. My day is done... Just a goofball thing that I hadn't checked in some time (I will let you know tonight I went over every bolt on the rig and everything is snugged up nicely). Screw on the end of Crank Bros. Egg Beater simple backed out and needed to be re-inserted and tightened - simple fix, bad timing. I shouldered the bike, got the crew's attention, loaded up, and got the heck out of Bubba-land. Here are a couple clips from the Bubba #8 to give a glimpse of the course layout; the first is (provider unknown) from youtube of a C racer doing his start lap and the second from JY of an awesome crash (1/2 through):



I was super disappointed (not mad, just disappointed as this is only a hobby) as I was on the end of a great rest/recovery week and an hour of intensity was just what I was looking for to start off a couple week block 'til state.

All in all it was a great trip to STL; Jake hung out with his crew, fun visit with family, the youngsters had fun together, and it just happened to end with a bummer. On the way home I thought I would get in a good hour run and some type of exertion, but after a 3 1/2 hr drive I simply lost the motivation and settled for a maintenance session with the Blue. Monday will be the start of what I expect to be a 10 day stretch of good workouts.

No Bird Here, Just Colt McTurkey

So do you think Colt McCoy, quarterback - University of Texas, has any idea his image is being used to disguise a turkey for Thanksgiving? It's hard to make out in the pictures, but Colt McTurkey is not an albino, just can't make out the light brown coloring Ian put on.

Last night Jake was at Focus (then with his crew at Java Station), Deb and Marla was so wrapped in 'girlie' conversation they power-walked at SBU for nearly 2hrs, and Ian and I put the finishing touches on 'The Bird' while watching the Wiz shut down the Cavs (and then the opening quarter of the Spurs and Dallas).

I played an hour of basketball at noon yesterday and today Dale and I hit a 2hr road ride in some beautiful weather. So good I told me bro (who was out with client's all morning) to not show his face in the office this afternoon as he needed to be snag a ride for himself.

Got a call from the Marrow Donation Center this morning (first thought was "uh oh, here comes another round") and turns out yesterday was the 1 yr anniversary of my first donation and they were simply following up to make sure all was good with me. I am still 'bound' to the female recipient I first (and secondly) donated and will not go back in the 'pool' until May 2010. I requested not to know the recipient's health status at the onset of my donation, but Deb made an interesting observation that she must be alive or I wouldn't still be 'bound' to her... good point.

Heading to an SBU basketball game tonight with the crew; they need to bounce back from the beating Drury put on them Monday night (sigh...).

An Evening of NHS

As mentioned previously, we attended Jake's NHS induction last night. Grandpa and grandma Jones, Jim, Cheri, and Alexandra were all in attendance (nice to have family close). It is nice to see a number of Jake's crew with whom he hangs out also inducted as I am a firm believer in the old 'you are the company you keep' (oh crud, maybe I should change that as I just took a head count of who I ride and race with on weekends... sigh). At one point during the event it was asked for parents who were also NHS members in high school to stand and of course Deb (a no-brainer) stood along with numerous folks and I though about an upward motion for a split second as I consider myself a life member of the Not (so) Humorous (to most) Syndicate, but better judgement took over and there I sat. My bro and I commented on the joys of a super short 15 minute ceremony (sweet!) only to get chastised by an older gentleman sitting nearby. Seriously?!?!?!?! ...not every event mandates a long drawn out amount of time to get a simple point across (reference to other school events and the occasional church service). Picked up Ian from his basketball practice and was home bound.




Got home and dove into some of Deb's chicken noodle soup (there is no getting too much of a good thing); perfect for a cool evening outside. Deb and I helped Ian with a school project to disguise a turkey (keep from being eaten on Thanksgiving) and he chose Colt McCoy (UT quarterback). I have to remember to snap a shot as this thing as it is hilarious.

Afterwards I headed to the Man Cave and replaced cables on the 'cross bike which was in need before this past weekend's race, but now was a mandatory swap out. Lost track of time and everyone (and everything) was lights out upon my return to the house.

The boys and I hit a local diner for breakfast this morning and I now am trying to figure out what I want to do fitness wise the rest of the week. Looks like I will keep it really lite (unwind mentally more than anything), race Bubba this weekend in STL, and then start a build up for state champs in Hermann.

My brother fowarded the below picture - freaking hilarious!!!

What Did You Do Over The Weekend?

Snagged the below video clip of this past weekend's Men's 3 race (mud fest) from the boys at Bad Goat Racing. I make a guest appearance around the 39 seconds mark (note how freaking far back I am on this first lap - the worst start of the year!).



Passing my coaching responsibilities of Ian's team to other parents tonight as it's the same time of Jake's inducted into the National Honor Society. We are quite proud of this accomplishment as it demonstrates a balance between academics, community, and extra-curricular activities.

Family is heading to STL this weekend for a little visit with Deb's sister (and her crew) and jump in Sunday's Bubba 'cross race. Tempted for the heck of it to jump in the A race to see how I fare against the keeper of Scott's jersey.

Dick Vital says it the Best...

"... you need to get a TO (time out), Baby!!!!" That is exactly what I need for a week or so as I am physically and mentally cooked.

Since Jake's birth and even more so after Ian's arrival Deb and I have focused on a non-hectic lifestyle with ample time to simply breath in and out (and repeat) with our feet up and relaxing. We see friends and families on a constant 'stuck in full speed' gear and we do not want it nor is it good for the boys. We do (have done) a great job in managing this and often comment on the light flow we are in and how it keeps us sane. This, at least for me, has dramatically changed since Jake's cross country season started, more so with my 'cross schedule, and now throw in Ian's basketball. I have headed up a couple time and energy sapping fund raisers for BHS XC and this past weekend was the last one for some time (I hope). I refuse to give up a restful lifestyle and a couple things are going to have to give (one already dropped with the completion of the trail race and a month or two more of 'cross is all that is left) to regain this.

That being said I am mentally tired and it is dragging into my physical psyche, which is not good if you race every weekend. Breath in, breath out, and repeat...

Friday has me in the office early so I can scoot down to Sac after noon. Meet Dale around 1:30 at Sac and we finish out hanging orange tape marking the course. I am super anal about getting this thing right so we are going over and over it. A friend of ours had a du-race at Sac last winter and she reported that a ton of their taping put up on a Friday afternoon was ripped down by Saturday morning so I left the taping of intersections until the next morning. I felt really good about the course (both 1 mile and 5 mile) laid out and the diversity it offered.

Around 4:45 I cleaned up and headed into SPR. I stopped by The Starting Block to grab last minute pre-registrations and then over to meet the family at Nakato's to celebrate Jake's successful season of XC. Everyone loves this place and we usually hit it only for the boy's birthdays. Jake and I grubbed on a little sushi before loading up on the main stuff. After dinner Ian and I headed home while Deb and Jake did a little shopping. I planned to get to bed early, but ended up staying up way later than needed.

Saturday morning found me on the Sac Trails before 5am with bike light and headlamp. I was putting the finishing touches on the course layout. Coach Bandy met me around 6:30 and we set up all the start/finish line stuff along with a tent to house the timers. By 9am (start of the 1 mile fun run) the place was packed. Initially we hoped for 50 entrants, but it was apparently we exceeded it. 25 or so kids (some with parents) knocked out the 1 miler. After that we had 88 runners for the 5. Everything was flowing nicely as I checked on the lead runners at a couple points on the course. Just about the time I was going to pat myself on the back three runners came to the finish about 10 minutes or so ahead of schedule! I was thinking how I must have jacked up the course and everyone is going to be bummed until I realized the lead guy had not come through and he was way ahead of them, hummmm... 10 or so minutes later the leader comes through followed by the rest of the field over the next 30 minutes. Turns out the three 'blind mice' did not follow the course (probably so focused on speed that they weren't paying attention) and didn't do 1 1/2 miles.

Jake had a solid run as we talked prior to the event about him not 'racing' it and simply making it a training run; he was 5th overall and looked super relaxed and agile on the course. I love watching him run and especially on the trails.

Pretty much the rest of the field all gave good feedback on the course marking so I felt much MUCH better knowing 85 out of 88 got it right. So there we are with all the finishers in and I stick my head in the tent only to see sheer panic and coach telling me that everything is screwed up and it will be some time before the results are available. I am not blaming anyone at all, I just want that known, but... all week he and I talked about the keys to a successful event was a marked course where no one would get lost/confused and the timeliness of posting results/awarding prizes. I personally know the overall female winner (and had met the male) along with both the masters so we went ahead and got them their stuff and asked for patience as they continued to get age group results. A group of us (we had an awesome volunteer turnout) started breaking down the site and around 11:15 I had to hook to coach Ian's basketball game at The Courts.

Deb took E-ball and I grabbed Jake and headed across town and shifted modes to COACHING basketball. Good fan base for Ian as Deb, Jake, Grandpa and Grandma Jones, my Aunt Marti, and my Grandma all had a front row seat for the action.

Game starts and our boys are playing great and by half we have a decent lead. The lead slips as some interesting fouls are called down the stretch and this kid from the other team is knocking down his free-throws like a pro. With 14 seconds left we are down 1 and they are inbounding the ball under our goal. Jaden (best defender on the team) picks off a pass and kicks it out to Ian who hits a 10' jumper for the win!!!!!! You would have thought we won the NCAA Championship; we were all going nuts. It was probably the best game I have seen Ian play as he was dribbling through and around defenders and mostly making difficult passes to open teammates that he made look extremely easy. He has an understanding of the game that is pretty cool to watch in motion on the floor.





After the game we shifted to FAN mode and sprinted back to Bolivar to watch our football team get destroyed by Webb City. Bolivar had a good run, but Webb City is a football machine and for the second year in a row they beat us in the playoffs (similar to running against West Plains - hope for the best, but understand it is what it is...).

After the game Deb and Marla got in some fitness while Ian and I played some basketball then whipped up some steaks on the grill for dinner. After filling up the bellies we watched G.I. JOE, which Ian really liked (if that tells you anything) and Deb and I suffered through. Got some last minute things organized for Saturday's race and dropped in bed around 10:30pm.

Sunday morning slept in a little before ScottyD and I hit the pavement to the KC area (our routine Sunday morning drive). Temps were dropping some while loading and it didn't take long before the rain started falling and continued to whole way to Leavenworth.

Arrived at race site to 39* and raining. 3rd time for St. Mary's this year, but each time a different course set up; great venue and a great place to hold 'cross races. A couple of races had run and in the rain the course was getting sloppier and sloppier as the day progressed. Scotty hopped out and quickly suited up for the task at hand. I took a walk around the course and the theme for the day was ride solid, but most importantly stay upright and outlast others. The only place on the entire course not slick was the brick road sections toward the end of each lap, the rest was a slip-n-slide.

Scott got a solid start (2nd week in a row), rode smart, and nabbed some greenbacks for the 1st time this year with a 4th. 32 Griffos with around 22lbs worked for him. Good to see a solid finish as he puts in his time every free weekend and is a much better racer than prior results had shown.

While Scott was doing what he does I kitted up (BTW fleece-lined ls skinsuit is one of the best purchases, outside the Blue, this year), embro'ed up. and spent more time running as a warmup than riding (trainer was left behind - poor choice). I have no 'mud tires' and that is a choice I made some time back as the budget is always a tight thing and it isn't (wasn't) a priority. I ran some clinchers with low pressure (as low as clinchers can get) with sealant inside the tubes (Conti removable cores - a ScottyD recommendation) and hoped for the best knowing I would have limited 'hook ups' in the slop.

Lined up against a solid field (all the players were there) and got a horrible start. How bad???? Guys I have never seen before in our race were in front of me and entering the grass I was maybe in the top 20, maybe. I didn't panic and simply rode safe and stayed upright (I listen sometimes Scotty) and sure enough I move through riders quickly. Apparently I gave Crusty a little more than a 'love tap' as I went around him on the first lap (which he let me know about later), but with my lack of skills in the slop he is lucky I didn't take us both down. Guess next time I'll give him a smooch while I nudge him so he 'feels the love'.

Each lap had 4 dismount points (1 barriers, 1 short climb, 1 long climb, 1 mud section on a pond bank) and I was making up most of my time on these sections. Half way through I was sitting 8th with 6th and 7th within reach. Bad news for me was the guy in 6th in the series (right behind me) was killing the race and I was dropping out of the prizes. Focus, back to the task at hand... with 2 to go I passed 7th and was moving toward 6th (now with 5th not too far in front). On the last lap Scotty yelled at me to stay under control and not press too much, but what did I do????? That's right - let's turn it up and go after these guys in front of me. So quickly I found myself on the ground at least 4 times riding like I had lost my freaking mind. 8th place passes me (now he's 7th) and I stay with him for a bit until I make an aggressive move and found myself sprawled out in the mud (again) and there he rides off... I gather myself and ride easy to finish 8th and loss my 5th place hold on the series. By far the most fun race of the year (although I have like every race so far in '09) and a race not so much of fitness (although you had to have it) as it was of handling skills and riding within the limits of what the course offered (as evident in my moving thru the ranks when in control and floundering miserably when riding aggressively.



I was looking obviously to hold my series spot, but it wasn't to happen. The way I look at it is I gave solid efforts every race, never had a bad day, and ended up pretty much where I deserve - 6th. My series finishes were 7th, 7th, 6th, 7th, and 8th so as you can see that is where I belong. In looking over the 3's final rankings in this series everyone seems to be accurately placed with Doug Stone, Dan O, and others riding consistently well; for the most part a good group of guys.

Showered and cleaned up on site (that was awesome), warmed up, and hit the road (added 40 minutes to the trip due to my forgetting my shoes at the gym - go ahead Crusty, post your comments now...). Skipped the bacteria factory due to time issues and got home in time for Deb's homemade chicken enchiladas - super YUM. Have I mentioned lately how much she spoils us? Ian asked several time where was his 'hot pickle' from the CDC's top 10 list (OK, he didn't reference the CDC, that was my interpretation)... I hosed off my race gear outside and ran everything thru the washer twice.

The rest of the evening was laid back as we caught Amazing Race, got Ian to bed, a little Napoleon D with Jake (for the 1,000th time), then I finished up the Colts vs NE (great finish) before shutting the body down.

Mid-Week Report (Updated Thursday...)

Took in a little Monday Night Football (Bodunklivar style) as Bolivar HS beat on Hillcrest 28-0. BHS plays Webb City Saturday (at SBU) Saturday afternoon in the state quarter finals. Jake spent the evening 'studying' with a certain someone; I find it interesting that the two of them aren't taking the same class, but yet they 'study' together.

Tuesday Ira and I knocked out a nice 45 minute run in the AM as the weather continues to be perfectly coolish in the mornings and mild in the afternoons. Spent a little time with Coach Bandy going over trail race details for this weekend. We are getting more and more feedback of runners intent on showing up. We have no idea how many to expect, but will be thrilled with 50 for a first-time event.

Basketball was on the agenda for lunch yesterday and once again I sucked into an 'interval' session as several of the ex-players from SBU was in attendance and the intensity/speed of the game always increases. 1:30hrs later I was trashed (no bike intervals this Wednesday - will push to Thursday since don't race until Sunday).

Tuesday Deb and Marla knocked out an hour walk after work while Ian and I had basketball practice. My kids are really getting into the flow and looking sharper every time on the court. E had a couple sick passes last night; unlike Crusty hopping off a berm, Ian truly has SKILLZ. We have a game this Saturday in SPR and will look to improve on our 3-1 record.

After practice we all dove into some of the best home-made chicken and noodle soup Deb has ever made! Afterwards I addressed some well needed bike maintenance issues ('cross, mtb, and Deb's rig). Later Ian snugged into bed while Jake, Deb, and I caught up on some Monday night 'shows'.

I am heading down to Sac River Trails this afternoon for some mtb'ing while firming up the 5 mile loop for this weekend's trail race. Trip to Sac was a success. Took the mtb and cruised the course numerous times at a moderate pace. Sac is a fun place to ride/run as long as you don't do it ALL THE TIME (then it simply gets mind numbing) and I probably hit it once every two months so still in the 'fun' range for me. Was able to mark 1/2 of the course (yes, all those orange streamers tied to trees are mine) before I ran out of materials. Ran into a couple runners who knew nothing of the Saturday race and they said it sounded like fun and they would be there (play, work, and recruiting/promoting all at the same time). Heading back down Friday afternoon to finish it up. It is amazing how fast it gets dark now.

After Sac I headed over to chat with the good folks at the Starting Block (key contributor of our race this weekend). Eric had 14 pre-registrations and a bunch of awards to give out (free shoes, Nathan trail water bottle packs, and $10 gift certificates). Trail running is a different bird from road races when it comes to awards. At most trail events there is usually a memorabilia award to the top two or three (of course only top 2 at SwampStomper since I got 3rd) overall and nothing else; that's absolutely normal for trail running, but roadies want something for every division/distance..., so this weekend's event is a little mix of both worlds. Eric and I looked at this weekend's run calendar and now there are like 5 different area running events going on (a couple months ago when we posted it there was only us and one other), but we are the only 'trail race' in town and hopefully folks are looking for something different. Eric seemed to think we will do pretty well and estimated anywhere from 75 to 100 (we were and still are shooting for 50).

I gave coach a call on my way home and he reported receipt of 20 or so pre-registrations (up to 35 so far) and the bulk of folks he knows (and I) will be race-day registrations; so who knows with how many we'll end up (good problem to have). During our conversation coach reported that Jake was selected/voted to 2nd Team All-District Cross Country (sweet!).

Got home in time to watch a little Cavs .vs. Magic with Ian before bedtime. It was a struggle as UNC was playing on a different channel, but in the end he stuck with the Cavs. Shared the All-District news with Jake and a light smile broke across his face along with a hug for me (bonus for dad). It was well deserved for a good season of dedication and hard work.

Ira and I are hitting some intervals on the SBU XC course at noon today.

Just Starting to Catch My Breath...

Thursday after work I stopped by the last XC practice of the season. Light running with 4 150meter blasts and a light cool down. Kind of sad to have another year pass as I do love me some XC. Later that evening Deb and Marla grabbed a quick walk while Ian and I hit the gym for some 1-on-1 basketball. We have quite a bit of fun playing each other and it always amazes me how he picks up little things from watching others (lately the SBU team) and works them into either his play or terminology. Deb and Jake went to watch Riley (and the rest of the crew) sing in a fall concert; Deb was impressed with the level of talent. Jake stayed around to take a certain friend home after the concert and then it was on to getting Jake packed for his trip to Jeff City.

Friday morning I caught Jake before taking E to school and he seemed pretty relaxed, but there was definitely an under lying sense of nervousness. After unloading Ian I saw coach and we chatted little before he headed out with the crew to state. He was excited for the kids and looking forward to sharing the experience with them. Jake was a little bummed that he was the only guy going (along with 9 from the girls team) as he is not an 'estrogen ocean' kind of kid.

The rest of the workday was routine. Jim headed out early for a 60 mile ride (longest he had ever done - sweet) with some guys and I ditched early and got down to the Sac River Trails to do some prep work for next weekend's Liberator Trail Race. The temp and weather was incredible and I enjoyed the next 3hrs doing a little trail running (around 4 miles or so) and marking the course. Dialed in the 1 mile fun run for the kids and figured out how to incorporate two creek crossings (mom's will be hating me afterwards). Did some recon work for the 5 miler and found the 'outer' loop is the best option as the inner trails are still mud pits. Good day of prep work and will finish up next week. I have heard from several that plan to run so who knows what to expect (I am prepping for 100, but realistically know it will be much much less).



Friday evening we dropped off E to spend the night with a buddy and with Jake out of the house Deb and I kicked back with the in-laws for what turned out to be a humbling loss in Spades (loss for me and Jim, that is...). I spent the rest of the evening packing up for my 'cross race in Topeka (followed by one in Leavenworth on Sunday).

Saturday morning (bright and early) Deb and I hit the road (after a coffee stop) for Jeff City. Bolivar girls didn't run until 12pm and Jake at 1:15, but I love to watch all the classes (boys and girls) as for a XC fan it doesn't get much better of a day. We arrived at 9am right at the start of the races. It was already really nice outside and the temps continued to climb as the day progresses. Coach and crew showed up around 9:30 and we all kicked in to set up the tents and get everyone prepped. Jake, once again, was a ball of nerves but looked to handle it much better than the week prior (at Districts). I knew from my personal experiences that hydration was a key to getting through the warm temps and all morning I made sure Jake was sipping Power Ade and water; didn't see many of the girls doing the same thing (uh-oh). By the time the girls ran the temp hit 80* and it felt more like 100* after weeks of running in the 40*s.



Rachel Schrader, senior BHS runner, was our best chance for an all-state spot and she was well placed in the first couple miles and moved to a solid 12th spot when disaster hit. 75meters from the line she started to buckle and weave almost incoherently. She kept trying to move up the incline to the finish, but a straight line was impossible and she fell several times. It was brutal and simply ripped your heart in two to watch. By the time she literally crawled across the line she dropped to 60th position. In the same race, the leader (a Potosie girl) buckled 25meters from the line and staggered/crawled across to finish 14th. Several runners were dropping off the course and some of the top contenders for all-state succumbed to the heat and simply tried to finish. The Bolivar girls battled hard with some, like Rachel, having a tough day and some running solid.

All this time Jake is watching and waiting for his turn (Class 3 boys were the last race of the day), which continued to get longer and longer as the 4 boys' start was pushed back (along with his race) as additional medical teams were brought in. Jake nervously talked about watching Rachel's finish and he was little by little taking himself out of the game. Several factors were taking their toll on Jake prior to his race (first time jitters, super tough course, increased heat and dry air - asthma, first time jitters - oh yes, I mentioned that already).



Finally it is his turn and we are all gathered about 60meters from the line just watching, hoping, and praying. The gun fires, he is off, and finds himself around mid pack (quickly). Jake has always been a strong starter knowing the early position will keep leaders out of trouble in the pack, but at state everyone knows this and everyone is stinking fast. We all had pre-determined spots to catch Jake on course and I didn't go to the 1 mile mark as I could see most of it from a distance and that way could get more cheering on the backside (which is hard to reach with the runners from the front of the course). Jake came through the first mile at 5:25 in 70th spot. He looked like he was laboring at the 1.5 mark and was having a hard time holding some runners as they passed. This was the flattest part of the course and had faded to the mid 90s by mile 2. The rest of the way (the tough hilly last mile) I was not able to watch as I headed toward the finish, but Deb and those who watched said he did not wither on the hills and looked as strong as they had seem him climb all year. I caught sight of him with about 300 meters to go and he was battling all the way to the finish; passing a couple on the final push. 19:04 and 97th place. Much slower and further down than he anticipated, but he battled and gained valuable experience for next year's run for All-State. He was toast after the race and we all took turns holding him up while walking back to the tent; he truly gave it his all and we are so proud of his effort Saturday and all year. On the walk back he commented that his asthma was some of the worst all year and by 400meters in he knew he was in trouble.






After a long recovery everyone packed up the tents and gear and exited the course (only to return next year stronger, faster, and wiser). With the time delays and extended time to pack up the team and leave I was running too close to missing my Topeka race so I scrubbed it and my dad and I drove back to Bolivar having a little Father/Son time. I was bummed about missing the Topeka race, but there was little to do except regroup and get ready for Sunday's event. Deb and her folks stopped off at the LofO for some shopping and we all regrouped at home later in the evening. During the drive home we were getting text messages on Ian's double header basketball games in SPR. Turns out he won both game (the first on a last second shot) so we are now 3-1 (cancelled game they gave us credit for win). The evening was spent unwinding from a long and busy day. Jake made it home and he appeared relieved to have some time off (since they have ran since June 1) but quickly pointed out he needed to keep some sharpness for the Footlocker Regional Nationals the weekend of Thanksgiving as that was one of his favorite courses to run. He was bummed about his placing and time at state, but he gave all he had; what more could you ask. I have told him several times of how proud I was of his dedication to countless hours/miles (mostly by himself), leadership for the team, and performances (good and bad) throughout the season. He stepped his game up huge this year and I am excited to see him on the track come spring, but mostly to see him continue to mature in XC in 2010. If he makes gains next year like this he will be on the front end of most any race in which he toes the line.

Sunday morning I moved the biking gear from the Durango to the Camry and headed to Leavenworth (after picking up the Randinator). The temp was pretty sweet outside and I was looking forward to racing. Randy and I had good conversation on the way up and time flew by on the 2.5hr drive. We pulled in to the St. Mary's campus, picked up my race number, and checked out a little of the action. We caught the start of Scott's Open race and then I went to get myself ready. Earlier in the week I had done some maintenance on my rig and had totally forgot to finish up the fine tuning prior to the race. As Crusty and I warmed up my gears were jumping all over the place; frustrating to say the least that I forgot all about this until game time. Crusty slapped me around a couple times and did his voodoo on my rig and shifting was back to normal. Big props my man! Rode the course and it was bumpy and rough, but good layout with a mix of everything. I was feeling pretty decent on the warm ups and as always was looking for a top 10 finish. Got a good start (around 3rd or 4th into first set of barriers) and tried to keep a decent position early on, but I quickly realized I was missing the 'zip' in the legs and this was going to be much harder than I had hoped. Handful of folks went by and I caught some keeping in around 7/8th spot for most of the race and that's how it would end - 7th, AGAIN. I felt lucky to finish in that spot as I never really got in a good rhythm or had a good punch during the event. I did, however, have a great time as I will continue to say that I love racing 'cross much more than any other event.



The drive back, to include the h1n1 factory outlet (went with a Monterrey Chipotle cheese this week), went pretty quick and uneventful. Deb and her folks were in SPR for the day and I caught them before the left and had her bring home some Buffalo Wild Wings for Jake, Randy, and I. Got home, unpacked the bike gear, cleaned up, and was ready for some Cowboys vs Eagles and wings.

Jake headed out with his 'friend' to her church for the third time. He likes the small feel of their congregation and feels the pastor's messages speak to him. I have no issue with Jake finding a church group that works for him and will encourage/support his decisions to worship where he feels called. The boy is incredibly sharp and grounded in his Christianity so I don't feel a concern that he is not going with us to FBC.

Deb showed up with the goods (a mix of hot, spicy garlic, and wild) and we (Randy came over for the game) chowed down. Ian watched the game until halftime when Randy departed. After Ian hit the bed Deb and I kicked it over to Amazing Race for our weekly fix. I finished up the football game and called it quites on a busy weekend.

Dale and I grabbed a 1:30hr road ride at noon today; good spin of the legs and great weather.

Upcoming Week: Monday Night Football @ Bolivar - Sectional Playoffs, Tuesday - E's basketball practice, Wednesday - AM Intervals PM Liberator Trail Race work, Thursday - nothing, breath deep, Friday - final work on Liberator Trail Race, Saturday - Trail Race and Ian's basketball game, and Sunday - KC trip for De Stad series finals.

***Photo's provided by: Marla Kemp, myself, and House of Roger***

Hump Day Report (Updated on Thursday)

Monday AM I got out for a 30 minute light run and at lunch Ira, Dale, and I swung down to Stockon Lake (and back) on road bikes for 1:30hrs where in we hit 2 x 20 minute sustained efforts. Super nice weather, which is supposed to continue through the entire week.

Monday afternoon Deb's folks arrived for their winter hiatus from the S.D. Black Hills. Good to have them back as we all enjoy their presence (the boys begin the 'Season of Spoil' as grandpa and grandma Appleby for some reason show them a ton of attention, huh, go figure).

After dinner Ian and I met up with my bro and Randola for SBU's basketball season opener (exhibition game). They looked pretty sloppy and have a ton of fine tuning, but they did score 140pts in a win. The Bearcats are ranked as high as #3 in the nation on some polls and it looks to be another solid year for the purple and white. As always Ian wasn't concerned with his friends who were running around as he was there to 'watch the game'. He picks up so much watching that transfers to his personal play.

Jake and Deb had a relaxing evening at home, of which Jake is in desperate need. He is still cooked mentally from the past weekend's stress.

Tuesday was pretty routine with a little basketball at noon and Ian's basketball practice in the evening. His crew is coming along nicely. I am going to miss E-ball's double-header this weekend while in Jeff City - bummer.

Wednesday morning (late start school) had Deb grabbing some breakfast with the boys while i came in early. Ira and I are hitting a couple hour ride in the afternoon with a tough interval session on the FT. Ira and I got in a solid ride which included 3 sets of 20 seconds on and 10 off x 10 with 4 minutes recovery between each set. It's a pretty quick workout, but the intensity is at 100% and by the end it is all I could do to accelerate back up to top end. I like this quick one a couple days out from racing as it really fires the legs but doesn't destroy them for the weekend. Tonight is BHS football in Bolivar as the state quest starts (playoffs begin). The regular football crew showed up last night (eventually West Coast Randy made his appearance still with wing sauce in the corner of this mouth - jerk) and although the game was less than exciting (Bolivar killed Union) the fun of the group is always a constant.

Jake stayed at the casa for a little relaxation (not a football fan). He looks fully recovered and is looking forward to this weekend's journey. Coach is taking a select few others from the boy's team to give Jake someone to preview the course Friday and warm up with on Saturday.

BHS Cross Country got a nice write-up in today's paper. Always good to get some 'press time' as it draws more attention to the success and will hopefully increase community awareness and get more and more kids in the program next year. Jake is pulling out of the fatigue from this past weekend and is looking much more fresh. He is enjoying the tapered mileage and the workouts with a smaller/closer knit bunch. He has not said much about this weekend so it will be interesting to see how it goes. Forecasted weather is near 70* for Saturday and sunny all week. For those who don't know, the Jeff City course is the toughest in MO. The first mile is up and down, the second is relatively easy and flatter, with the last mile a deal breaker; big drops and climbs all the way to the finish (just ask ScottyD).

This weekend I am shooting over to Topeka for the 'after-hours' Heartland 'cross race and the Veteran's 'Cross (De Stadt #4 series) the following day in Leavenworth. The Heartland race is on a dirt cart track (goes on and off of it) and last year it was my first race of the season and I suffered like a dog (along with 2 mechanicals for a DNF). It was the first time I had seen Crusty in a couple years and he had fun dishing out the 'love taps' (oh yes, I remember) during the opening laps. Sounds like he is getting back up to speed (after some nasty illness) and I look for us to have some fun racing together at both events so look for a pink Jackalope in a race near you.

Thursday (today) looks to be a pretty uneventful go at it. Probably take the day off from the bike or might grab a light hour spin right after work; will have to see how the day plays out.