Warsaw Down & Dirty

Not much shaking on the home front...

Tilled, mulched, and planted two new rows of berry plants in the backyard (1 x 4 plants blackberries and 1 x 4 plants raspberries). My established blackberries are right on the cusp of ready to eat and I'll looking forward to one of Deb's cobblers. Our strawberries cranked out a ton this year (even though I accidental tilled under several plants - doh!) and the rest of the garden is coming along nicely. Last weekend I put in a ton of various flowers in the beds along with a new shrub bed in the front to block the sight of electrical boxes. Hasn't rained a lick since dropping these all in so I am watering daily to make sure they survive and establish good roots.

Jake snagged a job at DQ and starts tomorrow. He has a couple friends working there and they were super flexible to work around some already scheduled mission trips/activities this summer. He is looking forward to having a little spending money in the ole pocket now (ha). Over the weekend we sold his (technically ours) Isuzu Rodeo. Kind of a mix of feelings as our family took tons of trips and shared a bunch of fun in that thing. It was the first vehicle I ever bought new off a lot (1995 model bought in 1996). Felt good about selling it to a lady in a tough spot at a good price for all; we were really looking just to free up a parking place at the house (ha).

Ian wrapped up 6/7th grade basketball camp (they let him and a couple kids play up for the week) and knocked out a couple baseball games. Busy week for him, but all right in his 'wheel house'. His Bandits team is 9-2 and playing some of the best ball I've seen them do in some time. Eball got his best hit ever (deep right field on the line) scoring a couple RBI's and make a sweet solo double play in the field. He likes baseball, but will quickly tell you it's just killing time to basketball season.

Got in some decent riding this past week with a 83 miler on Monday with Dale (crazy windy ride) down new Sac then over to Fair Grove before returning home. Got in a little bit of sprinting trying to get by the cow in this picture (and no it was Greene County and not Polk). Good interval workout on the SBU crit course Wednesday along with some basketball at noon several days, solid 2hr ride Friday morning at Sac (missing Ira already), and a fun light 2hr spin with Deb on the tandem on the Frisco early Saturday morning. I have a blast riding with Deb on the tandem as we chit chat, laugh, and always have a good time. She is quite the stoker and not a whiner (nice on both accounts). We finished up with ride with a couple mocha's and donuts before going back home to boys just waking up.

Most rides from here on will be in the AM as the temps (and humidity) are climbing. A handful of years ago I got a pretty stiff heat injury during an adventure race in Nebraska and have never fully recovered (absolutely no problem with cold temps). That's why I usually move from mtb racing to crits at the end of May for the summer as the stagnant hot air in the woods zaps me much worse than having air moving over me during crits even with temps near the 100's. After years of doing this I know my limits and this year I am pushing them trying to make it the state mtb race next weekend (will probably pay for it).

Yesterday was a hot one in the woods at the Warsaw Down and Dirty race (united dirt federation). I raced the SS class and pretty much set in the lead group for the first ½ of the first lap (1 or 2) trying to not overheat. It was all going good until I got stuck behind a wreck (no big deal) and began chasing hard to catch back to the leaders. In my haste, I overcooked trying to pass someone and took a nasty fall on some rocks… leaders ride away. Chased for 4 or so miles and at the end of the 1st lap I am in 2nd with the leader just ahead of me. I grab a cold bottle and notice the leader is doing the same and I get out first. Led the whole loop by quite a bit but keeping it under control as I was on the limit of overheating and a couple times I even stopped to cool off a tab dumping water over me. 1 mile to the finish and I miss a turn (unmarked and on the first lap a guy in a vehicle was there telling us where to go, but on this lap he is nowhere to be found and I caught a glimpse of an expert rider up the trail – he missed the turn also). I ride quite a ways before I turn around as it just didn’t look and feel right. I jump back on the course and see off in the distance the guy who was 3rd (now 2nd), I chase and catch him pretty quickly, catch a glimpse of the (now) leader and close in, but ran out of trail and he beats me by 20sec or so. Frustrating, but oh well 2nd is still pretty good. Asked the race director about it and was told the corner marshal left to help an injured rider. Turns out I was one of several who missed the turn. Decent event, but not a huge turnout.

Quick drive back home and the rest of the evening with the crew was kicked back in front of the TV catching the X-Men trilogy (never watched them before and the kids love 'em). Before turning in I went out and watered most of the new flowers, berry bushes, and shrubs; like walking a pet before bedtime...

Got in a nice recovery spin and mowed the lawn all before 8am this morning. Good way to start the week. Vacation Bible School at church starts this week and Jake is leading a Middle School group, Ian is a participant, while Deb and I will work the Wednesday evening carnival. Ian's got a couple baseball games in SGF tomorrow night, but the rest of the week looks pretty tame - NICE.

This weekend is the MO State MTB race in KC (Landahl Park) and it will be my last mtb of the year before shifting to some crit racing. This is the farthest into summer I've ever ridden mtb's; the heat in the woods is really starting to get to me and if its miserable come Sunday I'll stay home...