the Backroads of Polk County

Cruising Thru January

2012-01-25T13:25:00.000-08:00

This month is flying right along! The weather has been incredible, but I am itchy for a little snow in which to play...
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Training... er, riding is going pretty good. During January I don't look at any numbers and anything related to 'training'; it's all about just getting out and riding when I can. With the temps being so good that has translated into quite a bit of riding and not much of it on the rollers (weapon of choice in winter). Since most of my spring is racing mtb's (which is kind of funny as I hardly touch single track except for racing) I am spending all my time on my 29er with some 35mm cross tires and 1 x 9 gearing. This set up is great for winter backroad riding while getting me adapted to the mtb position.
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Race calendar for early spring is kind of set (super flexible on most of this):
- Frozen Waffles RR in early March
- God's Country MTB weekend late March
- Omba Caramba MTB mid-April
- Bone Bender 3HR mid-April
- Joe Martin Stage Race late-April
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On a fitness front I somehow stayed clear of the holiday snacks (along with showing some moderation) and now am 170lbs (this time last year I was 178) and feeling pretty lean. This is around where I would like to stay as a couple years ago I dropped to 165lbs and totally felt lacking in power/strength so 168-172 is the focus. Next week I start lower body workouts in the gym and really looking forward to getting it going.
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Jake and I (and Ira) are still running the Syllamo 25 trail race in mid-February and unlike him I going to see how it goes on 'one run a week' (he is knocking out the miles daily). I am feeling my age more and more on the runs and since my runs are all 10+ miles my legs can't take it too often. I am looking forward to the weekend with Jake and getting this stupid running behind me (ha!).
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On the home front we are staying pretty busy with Ian's basketball games and all the boy's general activities. Ian is having the time of his life and when asked if he wants to slow down he replies "why would I do that when I'm doing what I love?" You really need to know the boy to understand his internal drive.
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The little man has really fit in great with us and visa versa; he is so much fun (and work). He and Ian hug and bicker with each other just like they were natural brothers. He is excelling in school, but still struggles with 'personal space' issues from time to time; he has really come a long ways and it's getting better and better daily. Deb is almost always referred as 'mom' now and he is occasionally calling me 'dad' which I have to say is pretty cool. It is unknow when (or if, although it looks pretty good) he will become available for adoption, but we aren't letting it effect the way we love on him.
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Jake had a great first semester at SBU and has a tough one (18hrs) this spring. He picked up a sweet Bustin long board a couple months back and is loving cruising on it.
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Deb is, well, Deb (translated to super awesome!); keeping busy keeping the rest of us in line...

Still Alive

2012-01-05T08:54:00.000-08:00

Not a single post since returning from our cruise in early December and the reason - lazy.

Christmas was great for all as was the New Year's festivities.

In review/hindsight now with US Nationals done, I made the absolute correct decision to stop my racing with MO State Champs as there is no way to be a functional part of the family and have gotten training/racing in order to stay sharp into January. Don't really foresee me hitting Nationals or other races into late December or early January - just not worth taking away from the family and friends during the holidays. Good to see JPow get a Nat'l win and even better was watching a great race.

Been running and riding the 29'er SS (only gravel roads and no trails as of yet) casually and will probably pick up a little training regiment in a week or so in order to hit some early mtb events. Trying to see how a 16mile trail run/race goes on 'a couple runs a week' program (ha, not expecting much). Jake on the other hand is flying and it'll be interesting to see if he goes after the win come mid-February or if he hangs out with the 'old man' mid-pack; either way I'm having fun on our outings.

Ian is chest deep into basketball season and so far (since late Oct) has played 28 games between his 5th grade team and the 6th grade (playing up) at The Courts and a couple weekend tournaments. We made a deal with him that he could play on two teams as long as it doesn't impact his grades and he doesn't make him too tired; so far he is still straight A's and getting plenty of rest... He is loving it!

Our little guy is really doing well with us and school, but his 'legal free' (adoptability) status is dragging on and looks like nothing will change prior to May. While it's slightly frustrating it's OK and changes nothing on our relationship with him.

Oh, on a side note: Colt at www.cyclingdirt.com selected MWI as the Best CX Team of the Year (based on FUN); way cool:

Watch more video of Who's #1? Cyclocross Rankings 2011/2012 on cyclingdirt.org

MO State Photo Dump

2011-12-13T07:44:00.000-08:00

Here are some pictures from Nate taken at the MO State Champs (a little late getting these out):

State Race and the Bahamas

2011-12-12T11:28:00.000-08:00

Quick post to catch up on the last couple of busy weeks:

After three days at Jingle Cross I was surprised to find my legs were not cooked (as they were last year) and I felt pretty sharp all week leading up to Sunday's MO State Champs in KC. Dale and I both skipped Boss Cross #4 as the forecast was for rain and figured it was best to skip and save it all for Sunday.

Loaded up early Sunday morning with Dale, Ira, and Nate and headed off to Raytown (KC) in a chilly conditions. Showed up to the course and found it pretty much like BC #3, but this time a muddy mess very similar to Sat/Sun at Jingle Cross. Walked the course and skipped pre-ride and snagged a decent warm up; felt ready to go.

Lined up in the Masters 45+ with eight others while the other masters categories had several racers in upper 30's* temps but not too windy. Looking at the competition I felt confident in my fitness and needed to ride a clean (relative term) race and not make mistakes. My group was the last to go off and shortly into the race I established a large lead and moved through the younger fields. Rode good lines, only bobbled once (down hill mud corner), and came away with the win. First State jersey (2nd twice) which felt pretty good (2nd goal of the year accomplished). The Blue was totally junked up with thick mud, but never had a single issue handling it; Nate let me use his bike in the pits, but I never really needed it (nice to know I had the option).

more pics coming...

Dale killed it in his 55+ race taking home the win and State jersey; awesome and a great reward as he worked so hard this 'cross season and rode so smooth in adverse conditions.

Ira skipped racing as his clinicals had kept him from riding for a handful of weeks and Nate took a tons of pics. Fun having the crew on hand hearing the support (and heckles - ha!). These guys are awesome and I owe a successful season to them; wouldn't trade these guys for any training partners.

Season consolidated: 18 races since Dogfish (Hermann) in mid-Sept; two primary goals (win Cat 3 Dogfish and win State race) accomplished; rode pretty decent at L'ville and Jingle Cross; and had only two races in which I felt flat - Gateway Cross (20th - ugh) and the 2nd race at Jingle Cross. Other than that I was encouraged with my fitness and driving ability which makes me hungry to increase this for the '12 season; especially since I move to the Masters 45+ division at the larger races - very motivated! According to USAC standings I ended my season ranked 9th in MO (all categories) and even though these are subject to scrutiny, I'll take it.

Cleaned up at GLove's casa after the race and then Deb and I headed to the airport for a week of relaxation on a cruise to the Bahamas. Flight and overnight stay in Orlando before heading to the boat in Port Canaveral; departure mid-afternoon and the relaxation began for the next 6 days. This is Deb's 5th cruise and my 4th so we know exactly what to expect. This time around we opted away from excursions at each port (Nassau, Half Moon Cay, and Freeport, Bahamas) and wanted to keep it simple spending tons of time soaking up the sun (Deb w/a book and I napping) on the deck or on a beach. Mission accomplished as that was the most peaceful/restful vacation ever!!!!! Had so much fun with my girl. Every day was clear and sunny in the lower 80's* - perfect.

Flight home Saturday night and back to the boys; great welcome home.

So what's up next? My 'cross season is done even though there are a handful of local events coming up and Nats/Worlds in early January. Deb and the boys have given me so much freedom to play 'biking rockstar' since September that I simply couldn't ask for another six weeks especially with Christmas thrown in there; absolutely no regrets or issues skipping Nats (after all its Madison, WI in January - brutal). Every year at the end of 'cross season I brake down the bikes until Jan 1 and totally take a break from riding, but always lace up the running shoes and hop out on the trails (love winter running). This February Jake (50k), Ira (25k), and I (25k) are signed up for Sylamore trail race so its time to hit the trails. After that it's back to some spring mtb racing as it worked out pretty good last year racking up some base miles and improve handling skills.

So as I just mentioned, I can't say thank you enough to Deb for letting me train daily and be gone pretty much every weekend since mid-Sept; she is awesome!

Jingle All The Way...

2011-11-26T17:10:00.000-08:00

After a well timed weekend 'off' after L'ville it was time to load it up again for Jingle Cross '11 in Iowa City, IA (my second year racing it). Dale decided to make his rookie appearance so I had my travel partner. It's pretty much expected that JC will include cold wet conditions and last year didn't disappoint, but I was cooked at the end of the three days of full gas. With State 'Cross next Sunday I was trying to figure out if I wanted to go all out all three days or hit it Friday and Saturday and pretty much take Sunday as a workout and not a race trying to save some steam, but it's hard to line it up and not compete...

Friday morning I swung by Dale's and we headed north. Got in to Iowa City around 1pm, ditched some stuff at the hotel, then off to the race venue. Absolutely perfect conditions as the ground was tacky and the temps in the low 50's - awesome. Pre-rode and found a fairly non-power course with the 'run up' Mt. Krumpit as the main focus of each lap. Hit the MWI compound for a super sweet set up with full wall'ed tents on the start grid/line with heaters, chili, hot drinks, Mrs H's cupcakes, trainers, and whatever else needed to prep before and after a race.

Dale killed it in the Cat 4's getting 5th.

I entered the Masters 35+ race for all three days; knowing that this is a smoking fast group I had no expectation of finishing places, I just wanted to race clean and see how it goes. 2nd row start was nullified after missing a pedal at the start and dropping quick. After a lap I was feeling decent and moving forward steadily. After two I was sitting in 10th with 9th not too far up on me, but a handful of guys not far behind. At the top of Krumpit with 1 1/2 laps to go I dropped a chain (usually not a big deal with a regular set up, but with my Paul's catcher it is a pain to get it back going). I immediately settled my mind and started working on it never looking up; but I knew several spots disappeared. Got back in the groove and by the end I caught one and finished 12th; good start to the weekend.

The below is a great video from Keith Walberg (visual extraordinaire) of Friday night's pro action

Jingle Cross '11 Friday night cyclocross from Keith Walberg on Vimeo.

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Cleaned up, headed back to the venue, and caught the pro's; amazing how fast and technical savvy!

Day two, Saturday, was started with waking up to rain everywhere; soaked all night. Decided to skip the pre-ride and simply warmed up in the MWI tent. Ran my Vittoria tubies around 28psi on a course that was total slippage (and the temps were upper 40's).

Lined up and actually got a good start then things went south... I felt like a rookie going thru every corner for pretty much the entire course, every lap. The feature of the day was the long ride up the slippery Krumpit and then the slip-n-slide down the zig zag the other side. I tried to ride the descent the first lap and messed up my leg pretty bad as I ended up on my back more times than I'd like to admit. From then on it was running down only. By the end of the 45 minutes I was 16th (of 6o some odd riders). I wasn't physically spent as I never felt like I was racing and more like riding around.

Cleaned up and watched Dale race the 3's; he raced well. Watched the pro's then off to the hotel for the evening. Got hooked on Pawn Stars (never saw it before time in the hotel) and am looking forward to upcoming episodes.

Sunday morning came way too soon. No rain, but not dry outside with the temps mid 30's with the windchill in the mid 20's - cold! Had to put the MWI kits back in the bag and go with the Big Shark thermal fleece skinsuit as it was just that cold. Dale jumped in the 55+ race at 10:20am and bagged 6th place. As evidence of his bike, the course mud was different than the day before as it thickened and grasping to every part of the bikes. I took a walk about to view the technicals spots of the course and opted to skip the pre-ride again. The feature of the day was the 'run up' Krumpit (much like Friday) with a short riding climb afterwards before a much more humane descent down (all rideable). Not a great start but immediately was 'driving' much better than the day before. Mike H let me use his FMB Gripo setup and with 27psi they were spot on. Moved up pretty well during the race, but dropped some time on the second and third laps when I stopped on the flyover to pull out as much crap/mud from my drive train as I could get. It was amazing how much I picked up every lap. **Note to self: pit bike in 2012 is a must** By the end I finished 12th (a couple people had me at 11, but they must have been wrong), but the better news was my bike was still operable and I didn't feel like I dug too deep (maybe leaving some legs for next week's State race).

Quick clean up and Dale and I were south bound (in a warm car with the heater blowing) taking in the last bit of a great weekend.

Spent today cleaning up the bike, clothes, and gear; amazingly everything is in good shape and working smooth.

Saturday is Boss Cross #4 and the day after is State Champs (at the same place BC3 was held - BMX track). Looking like I will skip the BC4 and save the legs for Sunday, but I'll make that choice on Thursday. Hard to pass up a race knowing it's the last weekend of the season for me. So far I've raced better the 2nd day after racing a day before so we'll see.

On a side note: Sunday afternoon Deb and I are hooking a flight to Florida to catch a cruise boat to the Bahama's for a week. That was the thought that kept me warm at Jingle Cross the past couple days...

USGP in Louisville

2011-11-14T11:35:00.000-08:00

This past weekend was so much fun on so many different levels; racing at an incredible venue, seeing good friends, but most of all was three days of one-on-one quality time with my girl.

Friday morning with the car loaded up and my mom taking care of the boys for the weekend Deb and I hit the road for our first time visit to Louisville, KY for my first experience with a USGP 'cross race (Saturday and Sunday races). Pretty uneventful drive (especially S. Illinois) of 8 hrs until we pulled into downtown and picked up race number down on 4th Street Live. Over to the hotel and some chow before hitting the sack.

Saturday morning I jumped up early and rode over to the course a couple times before heading back to the hotel to change up for my 9:30am start in the 2/3 race. The course was super fun and challenging (more from a power standpoint then from a technical one) with a little bit of everything requiring 100% focus. With our race only 40 minutes I wasn't looking forward to the ensuing pain as there would be no recovery with 100+ races.

After a decent warmup and a good luck smooch from Deb it off to the starting grid where I run into Ross and Patrick (MWI teammates) and chit chat a little. I considered myself in an OK position getting a 4th row start. Gun goes off, pace shoots up (and never lets up), and find myself in the upper mix of the top 30 for the first lap. On the 2nd (of 4) lap I totally bit it on a barrier not lifting my stupid foot up high enough and I went flying face first to the ground. Regroup, back riding, and trying to shake it off (lasted about a 1/4 lap) then it was back to the pain cave. During the 3rd lap Ross catches up and immediately goes on the attack. I tried to hold his wheel on the open sections, but that kid is soooo freaking strong that it would take a couple technicals section for me to catch back on; this intensity benefited as we were distancing a bunch guys and catching some. Last lap I couldn't hold his pace and dropped off, but luckily didn't have anyone too close and was able to keep steady and ride in for 19th. TOTALLY EXHAUSTED!!!! Hardest effort of '11 by far.

Warmed down before meeting up with Deb for a day of watching some incredible racing at a great venue. Deb is awesome and actually convinced me it was OK for us to hang out and watch Jeff in the 35+; crazy fast group. Had a fun day moving around the course and showing Deb different aspects of the course/race. We were both quite impressed with how easy the Pro's make it look.

Later it was off to downtown for some eats at the Sports and Social Club before catching a show at The Improv (funny comedians). I was surprised how spent physically I was at the end of the night (and in the back of my head I was a little worried about Sunday's race).

Sunday morning I skipped the early ride to get a little more sleep before heading to the venue with Deb around 8am. Took a cruise on the slightly altered course and my legs felt incredibly flat and heavy. Warmed up a little shorter than regular on the trainer (saving what I had left in my legs for the race).

Back to the grid for a 3rd row start this time around. Race starts about the same as the day before and to my chagrin my legs are 100% under me and firing great. Moving comfortably in the 30's until I have to bail from the 'fast line' in the back corner sandpit when the guy ahead of me bobbles and immediately I lose 10 spots (in a blink of an eye). Recover mentally and get back to racing. Start moving through some groups and by the last lap Ross had caught me and he was flying so I jumped on the express. Going through the technical sections toward the end I let a guy slip between us and Ross was gone. I stuck on this guy onto the pavement and was able to time my sprint at the line to take 23rd (one spot behind RC) finishing way better than I expected during warm ups. Local KC guy Chris Hersey had a solid race and was with or near us for most of the race (always fun having familiar faces nearby).

Jeff was on course and cheering (maybe heckling, I'm not sure) me on and took the below pics:

Back to the hotel for a quick clean up then off on the road for the drive home. Deb and I stopped in STL for some Christmas shopping (and for me to stretch the legs). Got home around 8pm in time to put the boys to bed before the always brutal 'unpacking' and then hitting the hay.

Great weekend with Deb and also racing. Looking forward to making L'ville a staple in the future.

360 Cup & Blvd Cup Weekend in KC

2011-11-06T19:46:00.000-08:00

Racing first then on to family activities.

This past week I did some smart things after doubling up in the Masters/Open at BC #3; I made sure I got plenty of rest (Monday & Tuesday), got in a great 'big gear' interval session with Ira on the Frisco finished up with 4 start simulations which included a long dismounted run for each (felt totally recovered), another rest day (Thursday) and then a little bike driving with Ira and Dale on Friday (included routine openers). Recovery & rest had me feeling ready to go for the 360 series races.

Planned to travel up to KC alone and crash at JB's casa (thanks for the offer) and jump in the Masters, but the little guy had an early basketball game and Dale was going up by himself on Saturday so I switched up plans and made the 2:15 hr drive (one way) with him, raced, then came back home. I enjoy drive time with my training partners as we discuss cycling stuff, but mostly share non-cycling aspects of life and it really increases our bond as friends.

Back to Stump Park... pulled up and immediately realized elevation was in play. After talking with a Jeff Yielding (amazing weekend for him in the Masters races) and taking a quick pre-ride it was clear there were places to make solid efforts and plenty of places to recover. No dismounts required as the barriers were short (easy to clear) and the potential for a run up was rideable every lap (even in the opening traffic). Fun course with a lot of off-camber stuff and just a great layout.

Dale jumped in the 3/4 race, got after it, and had a great finish of 18th out of 45+ riders; awesome. Got there too late to watch Karl racing the Masters, but I imagine he did the MWI kit proud.

Good pre-rides and warmup had me toeing the Open line with 23 others (most notable was the front line of who's who of the fast kids minus only the Tradewind folks). Got off to an OK start and things went better as the race progressed. Ended up riding most of the race with Troy Krause (NE masters guru) until I simply couldn't hold his pace up the climb with 4 to go. From then on it was chase and fend off those coming behind. I caught a decent second wind with 2 to go and made a run at TK only to come up short by about 5 seconds to finish 12th (of 24). I am not a climbing type of guy so I was pleased with my result and especially my handling as it was a clean race hitting good lines pretty much all race.

***Great photos from Roger Harrison, Keith Walberg, and Jon Peck***

Loaded up, chowed at Gates, and was back home in time to settle in with Ian to catch the Bama vs LSU game (not a disappointer).

Changed up Sunday plans (for the better) as Deb and the little guy came with me so I dumped the Masters and went with the later Open. I love when Deb and any of the boys make a race as it just makes for a great day.

Pulled up (next to the playground for D), pre-rode the fast power course which was totally different from the day before. Flat open start into a couple switchbacks, more flat pedaling into tall barriers, to a fun technical section (that kept you on your toes) of up and downs and off camber turning (with a short steep dismount bump), then more power pedaling, thru a deep sand pit (totally rideable even though I dumped it once - can you say Her-Crustules ala 2010 Herman?) back to open pedaling... and do it for an hour with no recovery to speak of.

Got to catch Karl drilling it in the SS events; great job, my man.

Lined up with another good sized field of fast kids (27) and off we go for the BLVD Cup Open. Got a decent start (for me) and tried to keep the gas going from there on. For most of the race I swapped spots with a guy from NE (Noah something) in the lower teens in placings; I would put in a dig and open a gap, he would then counter... it made for a non-stop on the gas FUN race. At the end Noah bobbled in the technical section, I punched it, and was able to hold on for 11th. Once again I was satisfied with the way I raced mentally and physically and came away with a little confidence boost going into the rest of the season. Oh, on a side note, I dumped it three times during the race (once in the sand - embarrassing and twice simply pushing the technical sections a little too fast when smoothness and reserved was needed. Fun layout and great racing!

Another great course layout! The last three races/venues have been super and the FUN FACTOR 'cross racing on these courses is off the chart!

Still tentative to really open up fully on the first lap as in the back of my head I continually think "it's an hour, conserve for later...". I need to get past this as I am losing too many places early and spend the rest of the race chasing those I should be near early on. Now, that being said, it's interesting racing with the same guys several times as I can pretty much tell you who will go out hard and fade in the last 20 minutes of racing while I feel I am hitting close to negative splits (runners term). Gotta figure out how to fix this mentally...

Loaded up the crew and made the drive back home. With the time change it felt like it was way late getting home, but nice to see we had some evening left to relax.

Next weekend Deb and I are heading to L'ville for my first USGP. I registered pretty early and might have a 1st or 2nd row start for the 2/3 race. With it only being 40 minutes I am going to have to kill it early to hope to get in the top 20 (wishful thinking and actually have no expectations). Should be fun.

Family activities: the little guy had his first kindergarten basketball practice on Wednesday and first game (Saturday morning); he scored a basketball and generally had what appears alot of fun.

Speaking of D, early in the week he was pretty sick and stayed home a day and a half from school and then Thursday night Ian came down with 'the sickness' and it still battling it (missed two ball practices in hopes of recovering for this weeks games). I crashed with him on Saturday night to monitor his sleeping and am now waiting for it to hit me...

Other than that (I am sure I am missing tons) it pretty much routine operations at work and home.

BC #3 - Doubling Up

2011-10-31T10:03:00.000-07:00

Boss Cross #3 was yesterday and for the first time this year I doubled up (Masters and Open). Scheduling has been the main reason this hadn't yet happened, but with a single day of racing instead of two this past weekend and a little extra time I jumped in the pain cave...

Sunday I picked up Ira bright and early and we headed to KC for a new venue; Raytown BMX track. The layout was fun with a semi-technical section on an actual BMX track (high bern corner, rhythm section...) then the rest of full on open flat pedaling (full gas).

Parked next to JY, got in some good warm up laps, then off to the start line. Gun goes off, David H drifts my way a tad, Jeff and I almost lock bars, and by first turn I re-gathered myself and set on David through the BMX part, then BOOM! Once we got to the open area he flat took off. Shea Bergman and myself kept it steady with Jeff on our tail and we were not closing anything on David. Jeff jumped around and I went with him (with Shea on my wheel) until I fell off Jeff's pace. From there Shea and I worked some together until he dropped me. I worked for a good 1/2 lap to trying to close it to him, but it wasn't happening. 5th place was wayyyy behind us and knowing I was riding the Open in a couple hours I backed off the pace to save what was left the legs. Ended up 4th (DH won, JY 2nd, Shea 3rd).

Kicked back and watched T Jay and David race the Masters 40+ Cat4 and then got ready for round two.

Funny thing between races, Jeff and I are chatting and he checks out my air pressure and make a 'holy cow' comment referencing my 'over inflated' pressure and I had to remind him that 32psi for a 173lbs guy is a 'tad' different than the same psi for a 135lbs guy; HA! And no, Ira, he doesn't ride a 42cm bike...

Regular fast kids lined up in the Open and settled in 8th-15th (pretty good group just stuck together) for the first couple of laps. I pushed the effort a couple times trying to break it up, but felt the efforts of the Masters race and decided to 'hide out' for a couple to see if I could make it to the end. During this time Micheal Gaherty, my MWI teammate, started mixing it up and so for the first time in forever we actually raced as a team and took turns firing attacks while the other covered all the moves behind. Mike made a strong move with about four to go that shattered the group while I sat on a Dogfish rider who was trying to run him down. A Colovita guy jumped the group next and I quickly moved to his wheel as he was moving pretty good and with three to go he had caught Mike with only I on his wheel. This guy tried to attack us in a gravel section and went down (hard!) so Mike and I quickly buried ourselves swapping pulls and opened a big gap. I grabbed a second wind just about the time Mike started to cramp. He moved backwards to the chasing Dogfish rider while I held on for a couple laps to get 10th. Some of the funnest racing I've done in a while and big thanks to Mike for such great teamwork.

As we loaded up my body was completely drained, but in a good way. Don't know how many more 'double ups' I have, but it was definitely what I needed for this one day event. Solid day of racing!

Ira nabbed 3rd in the Cat 3 so it was his treat for food on the way home (we have a deal that whomever wins cash buys the eats afterwards).

Up next is 360 Cup on Saturday and Blvd Cup on Sunday; cash payout for Masters which is a rarity these days.

So for you non-racing types here is a run down of 'family' activities for the past couple days:

Thursday night was District football play for our HS and it was a great game, but sadly Helias beat Bolivar with 1:30 minutes to go..., but the night was 'saved' when Freese blasted a homer to send the Card to game 7!!! Ian and I went nuts!!!!

Friday needless to say was all about Cardinal baseball and they didn't disappoint. During the evening some pumpkin carving went on and while D chose a traditional look for his Ian went with the crowd favorite 'up chuck' pumpkin look.

Saturday morning we caught the SBU homecoming parade from the cozy breakfast eating flat of Tom and Sarah Jones. Right afterwards it was off to watch BHS girls and guys teams qualify for State Cross Country - great job Coach Bandy and crew!

Saturday afternoon I got in a lite spin with Dale and got my openers done, before heading back home for some yard work.

Deb's parents showed up for their early winter (from Blackhills SD area) stay and the evening was spent catching up with them and getting the little guy familiarized with some new 'grandparents'.

Great weekend!

**Photo's courtesy of Roger Harrison, Mark Breeding, and Kat Gaherty**

Where Was I...

2011-10-28T08:28:00.002-07:00

Totally slacking on the past week's activities, which were plenty. Quick recap:

Last weekend no racing as I needed a week (a couple actually) of recovery riding as the next six weeks are loaded -
10/30 Boss Cross #3 (Masters and Open)
11/05 11/06 360Cup and Blvd Cup (Masters and possibly some Open)
11/12-13 L'ville USGP (2/3)
11/19-20 Tulsa CX (Masters)
11/25-27 Jingle Cross
12/4-5 Boss Cross 4/MO State (Masters and Open)

Got in some great dirt/gravel longer rides with Dale on some awesome weather days. Threw in some intervals to keep sharp and am anxious to see how it goes this weekend as the legs feel ready to go. Should be a stacked Masters 40+ field.

Ian's basketball season has kicked off at The Courts and it's going pretty good. He is playing solid and scoring as expected, but he has really stepped up his defense. He is playing 'up' with a 6th grade team and also playing with his 5th grade team. Keeping him busy, but a good busy.

Jake is popping in from time to time to raid the fridge. School is going good and he is really keeping on top of his studies and getting good grades (so far...). He's still running quite a bit on his own and is debating doing his first marathon next weekend or waiting until mid-December.

The little guy is doing really good with us and really loves school. He (and we) have come a long way over this past 4 1/2 months and we are excited where it is going.

This past weekend Dale and his daughter Mary joined our crew (short of Jake) for a fun Sunday afternoon hike at Sac. I ride there quite a bit and have run also, but I had never taken my time on a nice stroll. Everyone had a great time especially when D and Deb squealed and jumped after almost stepping on a snake (a little green grass one); Ha!

Been enjoying the STL Card World Series even if it is about to 'stroke out' Ian. Game 7 tonight ought to be a good one...

Incredible

2011-10-21T14:23:00.000-07:00

The following is totally non-bike related, but absolutely blew my mind.

Last Friday we took the young boys to SDC and met my folks there. During a routine conversation my mom brought up the issue of Jake using his monthly 'college' money from them to support an under-privileged child and how she's always been impressed with his generosity. That's when she pulled out a small stone from her pocket and said "that's why I always carry this stone." Not ever seeing it before I asked it's relevance and she said when Jake was young (probably 8 or 9) he was showing her his rock collection. He picked out his favorite one and showed it to her. She then made a comment about how nice it was and he immediately insisted she have it; his favorite one. After some discussion it was clear he was not budging so she received the gift... and has carried it in her pocket every day as a reminder of selfless generosity (over 10 years!).

Incredible and Powerful!

I have reflected on this a handful of times over this past week and it makes me realize I need to do a much better job of 'carrying' God's most treasured gift which he gives freely with me daily and sharing it with others. Now, this all being said don't run from me if you see me at a race or event as I'm not going 'TV evangelist' or nutty, but do snag me if you have questions about salvation or just want to chat.

On a sidenote: Jake has always made me want to be a better person...

Joules Cross Weekend

2011-10-17T12:22:00.000-07:00

Busy week at home leading up to the weekend and I debated and debated between heading to STL for a Bubba weekend (Sat night and Sunday late afternoon race) or head to Lawrence KS for Joules Cross (Saturday afternoon and Sunday morning races). Ian and D had soccer games early Saturday so racing the Masters at Joules was out of the equation and it's always nice getting back to the crew with some Sunday afternoon left so... Joules it was, but that choice wasn't reached until Friday afternoon.

Speaking for Friday, Deb and I took Ian, one of Ian's friends, and D (Jake couldn't get out classes) to Silver Dollar City for the day. We ended up meeting my folks there and having a great day. Nice cool weather made for a super 'stroll around' atmosphere.

After the boy's soccer games I loaded up and headed off to Lawrence for the Open race. I raced one day at Joules last year (mechanical took me out 15 minutes in) and it is not high on my list of favorites, but it's fine. Wide open power pedaling (not a strong suit for me in the Open) is the only focus of the day as there is 0.0% technical aspect.

Got to the course and the pre-ride found it much like last year which meant slight up and downs, bumpy and rough and wide open. Chatted up some friends, warmed up, and at 3:15 it was go time. A smallish field of 14 lined up and after an hour of suffrage I was 9th after a frustrating day of felling 'off' and never could mentally or physically get it going. I will openly admit it's hard to get mentally fired up for a race you know your going to get drilled; in other words I could have my best race of my life and be absolutely lucky to get a top 6, oh well, enough pity...

*photos from Keith Walberg and Roger Harrison*

After the race I headed to Mass to people watch and grab some food. Ended up keeping it simple at Pickleman's. After snagging some groceries and checking out some cars (hopefully changing out the Durango in a handful of months) it was back out to the venue where they had free camping. Beautiful night made 'Durango Camping' perfect with the tailgate and windows open.

Sunday morning got in a solid warm up and pre-ride (much different course with less elevation change, but a little longer) and lined up in the Masters 40+. Good group of guys and solid racers.

David H. jumped away and George Robinson (Slimen) dangled the entire race around 10-15 seconds ahead (simply couldn't close the gap) and finished 3rd. I raced much better as being near the front will do that to a person (unlike the Open for me).

With the boy's soccer games coming to a close I will have more opportunities to race Saturday Masters events, which is a great event for me right now. Saturday afternoons will still find me getting punished in the Open also...

While I was away Deb took the boys to the SGF zoo and had a great time. Sunday afternoon, upon my return, we all played a bunch of soccer at SBU before crashing in front of the tube to watch the Cardinals pound on Brew Crew to move on to the World Series (who would have thunk it...).

Next weekend is race-free and I am looking forward to being home with the family. I now have 8 races done and achieved my main goal of the early season with winning the overall Cat 3 at Hermann and racing solid at both Boss Cross 1 & 2 events. I feel like I am racing better, smarter, and faster than last year, but that might just me my imagination.

My next month 'run' includes Boss Cross 3 (masters and Open), 360 Cup & Blvd weekend, and then L'ville USGP.

Crossing Out Cancer During a Rest/Recovery Week

2011-10-09T18:26:00.000-07:00

This past week worked out way better than I ever imagined...

I try to stick with a training routine of 3 weeks on the gas and 1 recovery/rest and this past weekend it came at a really good time. I was starting to feel the five races over the past three weeks and after Boss Cross 1 & 2 I turned the training volume and intensity way down. Got in some cruising miles on the road, the Frisco, and some good ol' Polk County backroads and restarted my two-a-week run/stadium step workouts.

Debated heading to KC on Sunday for the Cross Out Cancer race as last year it was my worst race, but David Evans (local Bolivar 'cross crew) wanted to do his first 'cross race and I like the KC Livestrong guys and didn't mind supporting a good cause.

After four soccer games Saturday morning (Ian had 2 and D had a couple) I jumped out with Ira for some cruising and openers. He was putting the smack down on me and it had me worried about maybe taking the week toooo easy...

I needed to get back to Bolivar early for an event Ian had Sunday afternoon so I opted for the early Masters 35+ race instead of the Open three hours later. David and I jumped in the car and headed north. It's been since early last year that I last toed the line with the masters and was surprised to find 28 guys in my race alone (and not really sure how many of the other categories were on course at the same time, but it was a ton).

Course was pretty similar to last year, some open pedaling stuff, lots-o-turns, regular set of barriers, and a low set (which was easily 'hoppable' every lap). Temps were a tad warmish for Oct cross and with a lack of rain the ground was hard and bumpy (easy fix with tubulars). Not a favorite, but it was fine.

Gun goes off and Brendon Jenks (360 guy) jumps out and solo's for most of the first lap with myself and a Slimen guy close behind. The Slimen guy joins Jenks and I get pretty close to contact before they open up a gap and that was it. Slimen guy rides off solo for the win while I chase Jenks at a 20 second distance for the rest of the race. We finish that way while 4th (a Cow Town guy) finished not too far down on me.

David raced well and nabbed a 3rd in the Cat 4 Masters event.

Loaded up and headed back south. Good day and the 40 minute race was just what the recovery doctor ordered on this last day before hitting it full gas again.

Up next is a couple Bubba (I know, the name if fitting for Missouri) races in STL next weekend; a Saturday night event (starts at 10pm!!!) and then a Sunday day race.

Boss Cross 1 & 2 (KC at it's Best)

2011-10-03T11:04:00.000-07:00

Been looking forward to Jeremy and Joe's events since pulling off of the State course in December (they are just that good at setting up courses and running them off smoothly) and this weekend I partook in the goodness that is Boss Cross in KC.

The week leading up had some quality workouts and bike driving, but Wednesday's intervals with Ira had me cooked and hoping I would recover before the weekend; which I did, but I was sweating it.

Friday I took a new 'cross virgin (T Jay) out for some basic handling, dismounting, and mounting skills as he was itching to race his first 'cross event after watching the rest of us have so much fun at it. He picked up his Specialized Crux on Thursday, we dialed it in and fit him that evening, covered some basics on Friday, and Saturday morning he was in the truck with Dale and I heading to KC. Fun adding to the sickness and it's pretty nice in a 9,000 person town to have six guys who consistently ride 'cross bike and five of them who race. Per capita I have to believe Bolivar is the 'cross capital of MO - ha!

So Saturday morning Dale, T Jay, and I (Ira drove up separately) loaded up the bike and headed to north KC. Got to the venue in time to watch JY finish 2nd in the Masters and to catch how they were riding some of the course.

A quick walk thru and a couple lap ride found it had a mix of a little bit of everything and was typical of a KC course (need to be able to drive a bike and have fitness). Bit bumpy in places, but with the dryness of late it was expected.

Dale and T Jay raced the Cat 4 Masters event and placed 2nd and 3rd respectively. Both had a ball.

Ira and I lined up in the Cat 3 field and before you know it I was off the front with Kyle Skinner (Bicycle Shack, or something like that). I led the first lap and then he took over for a couple. I put in a couple of attacks and he did they same and the result was neither could drop the other so 1/2 way thru we briefly chatted and took turns riding laps. On the last lap Kyle put in a well timed dig as we were passing a lapped rider (who apparently wanted to race us - sigh) and the lapped guy dove in front of my on a tight corner and blew me off of Kyle's wheel with two turns to go and I never could reach him and finished 2nd. Oh well, it was a solid effort by both of us and he deserved the win. BC races the Cat 3 field with the Open so we race and hour like the big boys, but when after 3 laps they flashed 8 to go I knew it was going to be a long day and it turns out we raced for 1:13 minutes.

Ira finished 7th after rolling a tubular in the final lap after being in 5th - bummer!

Picking up the awards (a little cash) Joe and Jeremy gave us some humorous crap about racing up as apparently we finished minutes ahead of 3rd place. Speaking of cash payouts: I'm of the opinion that two classes should get paid cash for placing: Men's Open and Women's Open, the rest should get some swag or a little something, but cash in the lower categories only entices guys like me to stay a 3 and collect. Example (and I told Joe this): Skinner got $60 for the win in Cat 3 and that's the same amount 2nd in the Open gets; I got $50 for 2nd and I believe that's the same as 3rd in Open... keep the cash for the Open guys and don't bait baggers (not saying that Kyle or I was, but the enticement is there).

Sunday Ira and my son Jake jumped in for the drive to KC for BC #2. I debated what to open and after a quick chat with Jeremy and Joe I moved up to the Open race. Smaller field than the day before, but still quality guys. The course was ran backwards and one technical section was removed which made for a much faster race. I felt good and at the end of the hour finished 8th (of 17 starters). I think this shows I need to race Open (and throw in some Masters) from here on out. I'll never see the front of these races, but don't imagine I'll see the tail end of them too often either...

Ira had a tough day and finished 7th again.

Two great days of racing in somewhat warm temps, but nothing too bad. Looking forward to some events in the near future in the 50's for sure. My fitness appears pretty good and my 'punch' and 'snap' is still coming along nicely. Bike driving is at an all time high as the mtb'ing all spring and early summer along with our routine driving sessions during the week have me confident on most anything a course can throw at me, but I will admit the sand started feeling really long the last part of day 2...

Picked up my new MWI custom Giro Aeon helmet and that is the lightest lid I've ever seen. The MWI graphics are spot on sweetness; Mike H knocked it out again.

It was nice having Jake there as he had never been to a cx event and it was his first time watching his old man suffer like a dog (usually it's me watching him). Fun day with the boy and hopefully it will happen more often. Speaking of Jake, the kid is putting in miles in preparation for the Bass Pro marathon and this past Saturday he nabbed a solo 22+ mile run (yeah, I think he's ready...). It's nice seeing him do this for HIM and running for the love of running.

Next week is racing in KC on Sunday at Cross Out Cancer.

Weekend Activities

2011-09-26T12:34:00.000-07:00

Couldn't decide for the longest time whether or not to go race Saturday and/or Sunday at Manions in KC until Friday morning when I pulled the plug. The course used last year wasn't a big favorite of mine and with other races a priority I chose to score some 'home' brownie points.

Friday afternoon I got out on the road for a couple hours and spun pretty easy soaking in the beautiful day.

Deb, uncharacteristic for her, got really sick Friday evening so I took the boys and hung out a long time at the gym trying to give her some peace and quiet. Got the boys down and headed to a side room to crash for the night. By Saturday morning she felt 10000% better.

Saturday AM in my house right now is all about soccer; Ian's games start around 8am while D's are 9:30. Both the boys played well with Ian scoring two goals in his game and D once again blanking the other team while playing goalie. Fun morning followed up with a Brenda's breakfast.

Got out on the dirt/gravel backroads for 2:30hrs with Dale and David in the afternoon and cruised a steady pace. Felt good and the legs recovered from Wednesday's activities.

Watched a little USGP; it's always impressive how freaking fast the Pros ride and how technically sound.

Saturday evening was just a bunch of goofing around with the boys and Deb.

Caught the end of the Worlds road race and don't have a problem with GB and Cav winning the race. More times than not he is right at the right spot at the big events. Could have done without is dome cover...

Sunday church and then lunch with the crew to include Jake and his suite-mate Scott. Fun getting to know his friends.

After lunch Ira, Dale, and I set out for an afternoon of 'hurt' and the mission was accomplished. Legs felt sharp early, but as the session wore on I was gassed.

Got back in time to watch (all but last lap - sigh) of the USGP and oh how rain and mud can change the dynamics of a 'cross race. Surprised the other Belgies were not closer to the front, but that bodes well for the US guys who rode strong.

Last night Deb and I snuck off for a little 'date night' and took in some chow at the Springfield Brewery and then caught Moneyball; a quality flick that I recommend whether or not you are a sports fan.

All in all I'm glad I stayed home to not only be there for Deb, but to get a lot of 'home' stuff accomplished and hang with the boys. Those will be few and far between over the next couple months.

Gateway Cross Cup

2011-09-22T11:25:00.000-07:00

Yesterday was the Gateway Cross Cup in STL Heman Park. Incredible event and a pretty cool venue which made the most of a pretty compact community park. Wednesday racing is a rarity, but no way were we going to miss racing and later catching the Pro's.

Ira, Peter Krause, and I loaded up the Durango early Wednesday morning and made the trek to STL in time to catch Dale in the Cat 4 race. Dale rode great and nabbed 7th and later Ira got 9th in the single speed. Had fun watching Jeff Yielding lay it down in Masters for a 2nd (later 8th in the Open - man on fire!).

Got in three laps a couple hours before our race and man that was a fast fun course with four dismounts (2 - short stairs, 1 - flyover, 1 - double barrier) and just about as flat of a course as I've raced. Lots of turning, but none very tight or technical and the Grifo's hooked up great. It was almost the anti-Hermann course; I was in trouble as there were a ton of great crit racers in my field...

Early registration for the USAC Open got me a front row on the start grid, got a solid jump (thanks Jim Davis for the photo) and almost got the hole shot coming off the asphalt, but I lost my nerve right before turning off and dropped into third or so into the grass. First lap was pretty quick and was feeling OK (but not great) and the second lap was disastrous; couldn't get my legs to do anything and had little zip which caused an immediate drop of way too many places. My mid-race I got a new breathe of life and felt really good, but the damage was done with all the spots lost earlier. I raced and felt much better the 2nd half of the hour and was able to reel in several in the last laps to finish 20th (of 63 starters). I was OK with that and had a lot of fun. *Side action shot from Dan Singer - http://www.dansingerphotography.com/*

After a quick change up it was off hitting various parts of the course as the Pro men shredded it up. Incredible how simple and effortless they make the barriers and cornering look. J-Pow for the win!

The best part of the evening was having my brother drive up to watch me in action; it was his first 'cross race and I think he enjoyed it.

Packed up and made the 3.5 hr drive (that's right JY, we stayed, watched, AND drove back home; hope your 1.5 drive didn't keep you up too late - HA!) back home. Super tired this morning, but still wearing the smile from the event.

Not sure about Manion's this weekend (Sat and Sun races in KC) as I could use a couple days to regroup as Boss Cross 1 and 2 (the following weekend) have priority. Will make the decision after I catch up on some sleep and have a clear head.

Dogfish Cross Starts the Season Off Right

2011-09-19T08:55:00.000-07:00

And just like that we're back at it...

Jeff Yielding's Dogfish Cross is the kick off to MO's 'cross season and is a restaurant quality event; Jeff and crew go to great lengths to make sure every aspect of the races go off top notch to include seamless registration, great mix of a little everything on the race courses, prizes and swag, and endless entertainment. Now on to the racing.

Ira and I loaded up and made the three hour drive to Hermann is perfect 'cross weather/temps; everything about it just felt 'crossy. Got there in time to catch Dale racing the Masters 50+ and he looked good (especially considering one week ago he knocked out a great LOTOJA - 209 mile road race where he averaged 20.3mph). The course got some rain earlier in the day but it wasn't sloppy, just a little damp.

Checked into the Hermann Motel (not a bad place, but won't be taking Deb) and relaxed a bit before our 8pm start for the Cat 3 race. Back to the venue to roll a couple laps and found everything was pretty tacky and fast. The course was pretty routine (which = awesome) for Hermann Park with a good mix of stuff; especially like the double sand with the low barriers on the turn -nice touch. Course was pretty tacky and nothing slick to speak of. Time flew by and before you know it we were lined up ready to go.

Side note: In general I like Cat 3 guys as everyone usually super friendly and easy going. We all know we're not super fast like the Open kids, but good enough to have challenging races. I'm going to miss that eventually...

Got a good start and settled into second place off the asphalt and by the time we made a couple turns on the course myself and another guy had a little gap. I passed him leading to the stairs hoping not to get caught up behind a mess and it worked out pretty good as from that point on I had clean driving off the front. After 4 laps (of 8) I had established a healthy lead and settled in to maintain it and with 2 to go I was able to back off the gas some (hoping to save a little to Sunday) and cruise in for the solo win. Picked up the Source Endurance leaders jersey and hopefully would keep it tomorrow. Everything felt pretty sharp and hopefully a good indicator for the weekend and the season.

Ira rolled a tubular which cost him some spots, but he raced well.

Another side note: When you grab a 'beverage' handup from Jim Davis make sure it's opened; he did have it dialed in on the next lap.

Here is a video circulating from the boys at Airborne; incrediblely done! There's a couple clips of me early, but after that its all of the chasers.

Watched the Open race then grabbed some chow at a local bar and hit the sack.

Sunday was nice and laid back as we didn't race until 2pm. We grabbed a little breakfast then headed over to watch the Masters and check out the course. It rained overnight and everything looked a bit slicker than the night before. Back to motel to hang out and then back to race.

Rolled a couple laps before the race and while it wasn't bad there were some slick corners to watch for. Rolled to the line wearing the Source Endurance leaders jersey (target on back) and took by light-hearted ribbing from the others.

Another solid start and led off the pavement where I promptly took out the tape on the first little sweeper (embarrasing). Regained composure (still leading) and put in some good digs to get off the front with a decent gap by the top of the stairs. From there on it was like the day before - ride smooth thru the turns, stomp a bit on straights, and really push the pavement. By the second lap I had a decent lead and maintained it until to top of the stairs with less than 2 to go. BAM, chain gets jacked up in my Pauls catcher and it's time for cool heads. Took a bit but worked it back on just as a Big Shark guy passed me; jump on his wheel and follow until last time up the stairs where I put in a good dig; got a little gap and rode it to the finish for the win.

*Above pics snagged from Jason Watkins*

By winning both day I won the overall points and snagged some goodies from Tin Mill brewery (good stuff). I wanted to go well at Hermann and it worked out as I hoped. Great catching up with folks I hadn't seen in a while and as always chatting up Jeff.

Soooo, I appears I need to contemplate punching my Cat 2 license if I do well in a couple more Cat 3 races and just get it over with. I'm looking to race Boss Cross as a 3, but that may not realistic after this weekend, but I'll make that decision down the road. Outside of BossCross looks like I will race quite a bit of masters stuff this year with some Open mixed in.

Rest and recovery and get ready to do it again in STL on Wednesday...

STL Cardinals and 'Cross Prep

2011-09-14T14:08:00.000-07:00

This past weekend was packed full of fun (new) stuff for our crew.

Saturday morning both Ian and the little guy had soccer games and it was Darion's first one ever. He played super hard and did a great job as goalie in the second half of the game. Once while playing mid-fielder he ran by me and said 'this is hard!' and then kept on running. His little 5 yr old legs were in high motion. Ian played super solid in his game which finished in a tie. He plays soccer much like basketball seeing and reading what is going on far ahead of most others.

Back to the casa for clean up then it was off to STL to spend some time with Deb's sister's family. Their boys are a great fit for ours and we hardly heard or saw from them while we were there. Sunday we went to a Cards game as Tanner (Deb's nephew) sang with his school choir during the 7th inning stretch. Chris and I took Ian and Tanner down to the ball park early to try to snag some ATL autographs. Mission accomplished and the rest of the crew joined us for the game. We got tickets up high behind home plate and what I like about the new Busch is there really isn't a 'bad' seat in the place.

Everyone had a great time and Darion loved it; it was his first major league game. Packed up the car and headed back home later evening. Super trip.

Training is going well and I am feeling pretty good about the start of the season. I have no expectation of 'killing it', but hope to be somewhat competitive on the Cat 3 level. Hermann is getting a little bit of rain right now, but forecasts don't seem to have much more falling before Sunday (sounds familiar). Temps look to be incredible for racing.

This evening is Cross Vegas and I am looking forward to watching the action. On a side note: how freaking dominate is Gilbert when the finish has a bit of an upward punch?!?!?!

Labor Day Weekend and Ramblings

2011-09-07T12:37:00.000-07:00

Wow, what a great relaxing (and taxing on the bike) long weekend! Bounced around here and there but never felt rushed or in a hurry to get to the next place. Monday evening both Deb and I commented on it greatness.

Friday morning got in a couple hours of bike driving with Dale. We ended up working quite a bit of technique getting on and off the bike and he will be way faster come race days as his mechanics improved tons.

Friday evening we got a sitter for the little guy and Deb, Ian, and I headed off to the Bolivar HS home opener football game. Before the game I watched SBU's home cross country meet - man those guys can run. Back to the football game; not much of a game to watch (BHS won 7o something to 7), but great night to hang out with friends.

Got in a good mix of longer climbing and shorter intervals on the road with David, Ira, and TJ. Tough workout, but it felt super good to hurt like that. Bolivar has gotten quite a nice group of guys with whom to cruise.

Grabbed some lunch with my folks in SGF and actually did a little shopping at the mall with them. The reason I bring this up is it's VERY rare to see my dad in a mall! He endured it like a champ and it ended up a good afternoon.

Sunday started the 'changing of the winds' and brought in temps in the 70's - awesome (actually made my 'cross sensors stand up and take notice)! After church Dale, Nate, and I hopped on the Frisco for a 2:30hr easy spin - incredible weather. Rest of the day was spent in the yard either playing or working.

Monday everyone slept in and lazied the day away! Rest day on the bike found me goofing around with Ira on the SBU 'cross courses making sure the carbon tubulars were glue up right (and they are). Like I said it was a day of easy pace and goofing off. Deb and the little guy made a handful of trips to the park and school playgrounds to get some energy burned off. Big bummer news of the day was the scooter gearing is toast so I have a choice to make: take it to a shop and spend some decent bucks to fix it, fork over bigger buck for a new one, or count it was loss and the fact that I paid $100 for it and it lasted two years... Not sure right now, but I do know I want it (or another) back; bad!

Tuesday at noon Ira and I hoped on some quality intervals at SBU and finished them off with a handful of race simulation starts. I'm feeling pretty decent and the legs are starting to get a little snap to them along with some decent acceleration. I was cooked when we got done.

The little guy had soccer practice last night and he is a lot like E-ball; all business and one heck of a good athlete. His first game (and Ian's) is this weekend and it will be fun to watch. Just don't hope he hurts to many others as he tends to go THRU them to get the ball and not around.

Got out on the Frisco at lunch today for a solid 2 x 30 min steady state effort. Great weather and a great place to train uninterrupted pedaling; very similar to being on a trainer, but without the stationary part.

Got on sportsbaseonline and snagged my registration for the Boss Cross series in KC. Joe and Jeremy do JY-like quality events and I love supporting them. Since the flooding played havoc with the Riverside venue they are mixing it up this year with bigger and better courses. Another great change is the BC 4 event (Dec 3) is the day before State Champs (Dec 4) so there won't be a couple different things going on in one race - nice change boys! The best news of it is Deb hooked us up for a week cruise to the Bahama's on December 5th so it all fits in nicely!!!!

Going to STL this weekend, but not to start 'cross; we are taking the boys to a STL Cardinals game Sunday afternoon to watch my nephew's school choir sing the national anthem. Should be a fun day!

It's Coming...

2011-09-01T13:26:00.000-07:00

Just secured my front row for this...

Took a look this morning at the Gateway Cross Cup (in STL) UCI list and looks like they'll have an all-star line up under the lights - awesome!

Going over a tentative 'cross schedule for my first 8 days of the season and it has me at JY's Dogfish Cross on Sept 17th and 18th, at Gateway Cross Cup Sept 21st, and then hitting up Manion's on Sept 24th and 25th. Nothing like baptism by fire... The following weekend is Boss Cross 1 & 2 (Sat and Sun in KC), but no information on this yet published.

First and Last Crit of '11

2011-08-29T12:45:00.001-07:00

Last week (actually the last three weeks) I got in some really good training both on the road and bike driving off road, but by Wednesday I was ready for a week of low-key riding to recover - nice! I took my typical rest Thursday, pretty much putted around Friday with Ira on the road, and then got a wild hair to do a little crit racing on Saturday. With Jake gone and Ian spending the weekend at the lake with some friends it was time to introduce Darion to bike racing.

This is always an interesting part of the season for me as I have good training under the belt, but have no idea where my 'real' fitness lays so I get antsy and nervous 'maybe I'm not doing enough?' or 'I feel quick, but is that just all in my mind?'. Last year the SGF dirt crits were in September so I got a great feel for my abilities, but with it moved to July and me missing most I still had no idea. A crit would be a great indicator...

Saturday afternoon Deb, Darion, and I headed to Sedalia for my first (and last) crit of '11. Typically by now I will have 5-7 done in late spring/early summer under my belt, but this year I did more mtb'ing than expected and I just couldn't get excited about crits - shame on me 'cause they are so much fun. After a short 1.5hr drive I was debating what race to enter: Masters 40+ or 3/4? Since Darion was with us and we are trying to keep him on a semi-routine schedule the earlier 5:20pm start time fit better than the later 7pm 3/4. Quickly found out I was the sole Cat 4 in the field and many of the names already signed up were fast guys; both of this had me a bit apprehensive, but that was quickly gone once the 50min race started and I found I was able to surf near the front comfortably (relative term) and even contribute to closing some gaps. Fun course and super smooth bunch of guys, which is a big change from lower Cat races where 'diving' for corners is the norm and not the exception; not the case here as the flow/corners were consistently risk-free. With 2 laps to go the pace drove faster and faster as teams were lining up 'their guys' so I took my cue (knowing I had no legs to sprint these guys) and at the beginning of the last lap I moved to the rear and rolled in having thoroughly enjoyed myself.

So, as far as fitness check: happy with right where I should be; little 'pop' or 'zip' to my legs, but I haven't started working that yet so I didn't expect much. I'm a tad frustrated now that I let the earlier crits slip by as I do have such a fun time at these. Next year (I know, everyone says that) I am not passing up on some crit racing.

The event and venue are really good and Deb and Darion had a great time watching. An easy drive home had the little guy in bed at a decent hour. It was a fun day!

Sunday was Deb's birthday so I got up early to make sure Darion didn't wake her up early (like usual) and at 7am I snagged him as he stumbled out of bed. He and I spent the rest of the early morning making Deb a 'personalized' b-day card and playing. Unsolicited he pointed out that if I pedalled harder I would do better, then went on with his business... oh how simple (and correct) are the observations of children.

Jake came over after lunch and we met up with Ian in SGF in time to chow down on some Japanese Steakhouse and do some light birthday shopping with Deb. Fun having Jake for the day and both the younger boys enjoyed it. Great day with the whole crew celebrating my sweetheart's special day.

Not much in store for this week; easy riding until Friday and then back at it for a decent workup to Hermann.

Over the weekend I put the finishing touches (still waiting for a Specialized Toupe saddle) on the Blue for full on 'cross season and this morning I got out and tried out my new wheels and Grifo rubber. This is my third year on the Blue and while my team has shifted to other brands I simply love the way she fits me and how everything works together pretty much without issue.

Two Ends of the Education Spectrum

2011-08-22T12:48:00.000-07:00

Deb and I are still shaking our heads with slight laughter as last Thursday we dropped off Ian for his first day of his last year at Intermediate School, then Darion (our little guy) for his first day of Kindergarten, then later in the morning got Jake moved into Southwest Baptist University for his freshman year... that's a 13yr spread!

So last week was alot of fun seeing everyone get excited about their new beginnings, but it was especially tough getting Jake prep'ed for leaving us. We know it's physically only four or five blocks away, but it's the not hearing about his day every evening at dinner or quite knowing what's happening in his life - wierd stuff. He joined us dropping off the little boys (which they loved) and we snagged a 'Brenda's' breakfast before loading him up. Move in went super smooth and by day's end when we left him it just all seemed 'right'. No tears from mom, but lots of hugs initiated by Jake. It's nice that we are close by if he needs something, but knowing Jake it will be infrequent that we see him (at least for a while).

Friday morning Dale and I got in a couple hour 'cross ride on the backroads and at noon I got in an hour of basketball (been a couple weeks since I was last on the hardcourt). I like a good basketball workout once a week as it does a good job getting my running and agility skills sharpened.

Saturday I jumped on the road for a 3:15hr easy cruise meeting Deb and the boys (from now on 'the boys' will reference only Ian and Darion) at Nemo Park on Pomme De Tarre lake where my folks were camping in their new rig. Good ride taking me west to Fair Play, north to Dunnegan, Humansville, Weablue, then east to Wheatland, Hermitage, then down to Nemo.

Spent the morning checking out mom and pop's new 37ft travel trailer and it is awesome! The boys and folks played at the beach for a while before loading up and heading to Bolivar for lunch. Good times

Saturday afternoon everyone snagged a solid nap and the evening was spent hanging out doing some lawn maintenance and playing with the boys.

Sunday morning I met Dale, David, and Nate for a 2hr 'cross ride which included 2 x 30min race simulation at SBU. I was cooked by the end of it; solid deposit in the pain bank.

The rest of the morning had us at church and the afternoon more playing and yard work. Jake dropped in to say hey and do a little lite cooking for his small group; he was on cloud nine and loving his new adventure. Broke out the supplies and started gluing up my tubulars. I am a multi-day process guy so hopefully by Wednesday I can give them a 'roll around' and check the quality of my work.

Got a rest/recovery seven days coming up starting Thursday and am looking forward to it. Toying around the though of racing a crit Saturday evening in Sedelia

Game Face

2011-08-17T13:19:00.000-07:00

In preparation of the upcoming 'cross season I am going with the 'Last of the Mohican's' cut to get the intimidation effect over my competition... not really, read on.

So I'd grown my hair since January (light trims to keep it healthy and manageable) and was bound and determined to let it grow for a year, but holy cow it was driving me nuts!!! Yesterday I had had enough and so Deb got out the clippers and just like that I was back to zero head maintenance; awesome! But, during the process she cut me a nice little mohawk; the boys thought it was awesome (and so did I). I seriously asked Deb if I could keep it for a couple days for fun, but since tomorrow we take a youngster to kindergarten, one to 5th grade, and one to college I was DENIED!

Yesterday at lunch I got out and drove the bike a little over an hour at SBU opening up the legs for the evening's Sac Dirt Short Track race in SGF. Pretty good (quality over quantity) group showed for the last of the series and just like that it was game one. After having fun on the 'cross bike last week I decided to give it another whirl and after 1 lap I had a decent little gap on the field. JBrackett jumped to me as we hit the single track and I was surprisingly able to hold his mtb wheel though it and as we got to an opening I had a mechanical and dropped to 6th or 7th place. Quickly fixed I took off in pursuit feeling about as sharp as I had all year and making up ground quickly. Closing in on Mark G and poof, the rear goes flat and my race was over; bummer! Cale ended up with another win, JB second, Mark G third and Ira snagged a 4th. While it is a fast course there are just enough rough spots to keep 34mm wheels on the edge and I crossed over it. Oh well, fun evening and good for the moral as the preseason work is feeling good.

Dale, me, Ira, Mark, JB, and Cale

As mentioned above, big day tomorrow for the boys as they head back to school and Jake moves to a whole new stage in his life.

Branson Weekend, SGF Dirt Crit, and MTB riding (say what?!?!?)

2011-08-12T14:20:00.000-07:00

Two weekends ago was a ton of fun. Friday evening we shared a condo in Branson with my folks and my brother's family and stayed in the area until Monday afternoon. Our weekend included some laser tag, mini golf, a day at Silver Dollar City, and wrapped up with a day at White Water. Lots of fun and quality time with the boys. The little guy loved both SDC and WW and couldn't decide which was the best (neither could I). Lots of pictures, but all contain the little guy so I can't post 'em.

The temps have dropped back to 'normal' and I am actually getting outside in the afternoons.

Tuesday morning Dale, Ira, and I got out for an hour of bike driving at SBU and then that afternoon Ira and I made an appearance at the Sac Dirt Short Track. We (mostly I) decided to take our 'cross bikes and while it worked out decent for me (4th place) Ira battled a couple flats. Fun course and perfect for working on mad driving skilz (that's for you Crusty) in the tight twisty stuff. Cale, JB, and Mark G were killing it like usual.

Wednesday was nice out so I got in some SST work on the road.

Friday Dale and I got out early and did a couple hours of solid bike driving at SBU, City Ball Fields, and the City Park. I love cutting the first tracks in fresh dew...

With 'cross season just around the corner it continues to be time to jump on early registration for fall races. This week I secured my spot in the USGP 2/3 race in L'ville (sorry Madison, couldn't fit you in my schedule) and today I locked up a spot in the USAC (not UCI) open race for the Gateway Cross Cup in STL. Next up is finding the opening for the Boss Cross races (think those guys are still trying to find dry ground).

Speaking of Gateway Cross, is it just me or is this the weakest promoted UCI event ever? Very interested to see the turnout.

This past weekend I got in some solid riding with some quality hill intervals on Saturday and went with Ira to Warsaw on Sunday to do a little mtb'ing (I know, I said I hung it up, but the opportunity presented itself). The SS Champs were going on at Warsaw and I needed an easy longer ride instead of pushing the limits for the 2nd day in a row so I got in 3hrs of ss pedaling while Ira killed it to bag a 5th place in the 'fast guys' race. The temps were pretty cool and made for a great morning.

Just a couple days until we send Jake off to SBU (a whopping three blocks away). We'll see him plenty, but just in a new way from now on - weird!

Funny (to me, not so much with Deb) thing; over the weekend I taught Ian how to drive the scooter by himself. I remember being 10 and riding a mini-bike all over the place; it was a blast and I totally understood his anxiousness. So while Deb was in SGF Ian quickly got the hang of it and was cruising all over the backyard (and doing well). Yesterday while I mowed he jumped on it again and was having fun until... I asked him to park it in the garage (not thinking much of it) and as I came around the corner there he was pretty shook (physically fine) with the scooter laying on the ground at the side of my Durango; he T-Boned it! Put a solid dent in the truck, busted up the fairing on the front a bit, but he wasn't hurt. We had a long talk about controlling speed and being safe, shared a bunch of hugs, and laughed it off. We went inside... Deb was not over joyed with me; sad how I felt 10 myself again apologizing just like I did when I was growing up (guess I still am).

Friday Morning Bliss

2011-08-05T12:06:00.000-07:00

Always interesting to me that the closer 'cross comes the more I blog...

This morning (Friday) was a long awaited return of the 'Friday Morning Mistress Ride' ('cross bikes early AM on the back dirt/gravel roads of Polk County). Sure I've been getting in some rides and more and more on the 'cross bike, but to me there is something satisfying about getting in a solid 3hr cruise Friday mornings. I think mentally it sets my weekend up for quality stuff on Saturday and Sunday (or if I need to skip one it's not a big deal).

This morning almost fell through as the lightening was still popping right up until our 6am departure. Dale and David were on board and we headed out northeast to hit up some lumpy gravel I hadn't seen in a while.

Interesting side note on Polk County backroads: a handful of years ago they chip-n-sealed tons of our favorite routes, but over the past couple of hard winters they have broken to bits. Instead of patching or re-covering they have dropped tons of a fine/medium gravel mixture to make them somewhat passable to autos; this is perfect for us as 'cross bike routes are re-opened (hate riding asphalt on these rides).

3hrs in the saddle was just right as the skies opened up with lightening and rain as we pulled into town. Great ride and super company. Nice adding David to our mix as he if fairly new to 'cross riding but pretty strong rider none the less.

My gym work seems to be paying off as my core and legs feel more sharp with every session. Dale has joined me for some and laughs about feeling the results for days...

Heading out this afternoon for a three day get-away with the family to Branson. Not sure yet if I am taking a bike... nice thing about this being a hobby. Our little guy is hyped to go to 'Hundred Dollar City' (correctly incorrect for SDC) on Sunday then White Water on Monday; he told us he has never stayed in a hotel before so this is all a new experience; fun to share. The bigger boys always have fun when we head out of town as a group and no reason to expect this to be any different.

A couple fun/cool things coming down the pipeline on the MWI front and will share as they develop.

First 'Cross 'Win' of 2011

2011-08-02T14:45:00.000-07:00

Not a lot to report on since returning from Jake and I's trip except for the heat and dryness (but everyone is experiencing that so no more on that topic).

Been a while since I referenced our little guy. We have passed 2 months now and it looks like we are a good fit for him and he for us. Both the boys are given the full stamp of approval so hopefully this will workout long term. He is a handful from time to time (as we all are) while trying to establish trust and attachment and teach structure and rules, but considering from where he came he is doing awesome. Found out last night he has gotten quite the talent with a soccer ball so look for him on a field this fall. It is a different world having a 5yr old around as Ian kind of skipped over the 'kid' stuff and went right from the crib to Sports Center so it's been since Jake was young since we played 'cars' and with toys. Deb and I ask ourselves 'what are we doing' from time to time, but when the little guy hops up in your lap to read a book or gives out huge hugs before bedtime it makes all doubts disappear.

Training is going really well and pretty much all it taking place prior to 9am ('cool' of the morning). Pretty happy with how things are progressing.

Tuesday morning I met up with Dale and Ira at SBU and we cruised around a bit before getting in some light interval work. It mentally felt good to shift from mtb'ing and road to my true passion and the beginning of 'cross specific tooling. While most of the continued base work is on the road I will find myself on the various SBU courses a couple times a week in the wee early hours.

Got a good laugh from Jeff Yielding letting me know I won my first 'cross race of '11 when I was the first to register for the Dogfish Cross in Hermann (Sept 17th/18th). He has thrown some new twists/incentives to this year's event and as always will be a stellar one not to miss. I opted the route of 'motel' this year instead of a floating trailer; we'll see how that works out...

Heading for a long weekend in Branson with my mom and pop and Jim's family; our yearly get together.

Anniversary and Boys Week Out

2011-07-28T12:57:00.000-07:00

Deb and I had our 20th wedding anniversary last week; can't believe it was flown by so fast! For those of you who know her you know how incredible she is and the fact that she wants to spend time with me blows me away. Thanks baby and absolutely looking forward to the next 20yrs!

With not a ton of stuff happening on the home front Jake and I (with assistance from my brother embarked on a trip we had wanted to take for some time - 2011 Boys Week Out. I had told Jake that once he graduated high school he and I would disappear for a while just the two of us and have some fun, but as graduation approach and summer schedules loaded up it appeared it would not happen and both of us were bummed. But... a window opened up and we jumped at it.

First and foremost I have to thank Deb (as usual) for letting us take off while she took care of the crew and with our 'addition' I know it was a handful - you have rock star status in my book (but you always have).

So here's how it went:

My brother is on the Board of Governors for the CFA (a world wide institution in the Financial Advisers realm) and they routinely have meeting internationally. This past week he was supposed to meet in Japan (Tokyo), but that all moved since the meltdown, and he was going to take Jake along as a travel companion. Jake was stoked, but it got moved to LA (Beverly Hills) instead and Jake thought it would still be fun to go. They took off last Tuesday for LA and hung out at Santa Monica/Venice beach, was on the 'Lets Make a Deal' game show (with Wayne Brady), and generally hung out until Jim's meeting started. While he was in meetings Jake went with a group to The Getty museum and did some activities with board member spouses and guests. Both had lots of fun together and turns out a Swiss colleague brought his family and Jake had the full attention of three very cute Swiss girls the entire time (life was rough...). They (we) stayed at the very nice Beverly Hilton just a couple blocks off of Rodeo Drive (way nice).

I flew out on Thursday and after setting in the Hwy 405 traffic for a while joined them that evening. I arrived just a little late and missed having dinner at Spago (Wolfgang Puck place), but ended up soloing it until their return. The below is the 405 and then to what I parked my rental next at the hotel:

Friday morning Jake and I hit the various tourist spots of LA while Jim was in meetings; these included: Pierce Brother's Cemetery (M. Monroe and Don Knotts' tombs along with many more), Santa Monica Peer, Venice Beach, Pink's Hotdog stand (line was way too long), Roscoe's Chicken and Waffle for lunch (an LA icon eat place, but seriously it was not worth killing a meal there, Hollywood Blvd (including all the routine spots), Rodeo Drive (Jake's new mission in life is to buy something from the Gucci store), and a cruise through Beverly Hills looking at homes. It was a full day, but it only got better as the CFA group had three suites that evening at Dodger's stadium for a home game (it was killing Ian knowing we were there). It was a great evening and Jake had to 'suffer' through another outing with the Swiss girls; the smile has yet to leave his face. The LeBelle family insisted he come visit in the future and I plan to make sure that happens. Below are random pics from our day in LA:

Saturday morning (early) Jim, Jake, and I hit the road and drove to Zion National Park in the SW corner of Utah which was roughly a 7hr drive through mountainous desert. Once there we jumped the park shuttle and headed to the 5mile (round trip) hike up Angel's Landing. This is an incredible ascent and the pictures don't do justice to the grade of pitch and narrowness toward the upper climb; it is an amazing jaunt taking you to 1535 ft above the valley floor. In the summer I highly recommend it as an early or evening hike (which we did).

Crashed at the hotel and prepped the next day's journey....

Sunday morning back at it early to catch an 1 1/2 shuttle ride to the start of The Narrows hike; a 16 mile top to bottom trip with at least 60% of it in the river on slick rocks. I didn't take a camera as there was too much potential for damage from either water or slipping on the rocks. Cool dry-air morning conditions were perfect for the start. Hard to describe the technical hike, but at multiple points you hike in the thigh high river 30' wide with 1000ft rock walls on both sides - incredible! There were several places with water chest high and a some the only way to get down was to swim. I can read a river pretty well which gave an advantage as it was pretty much all about picking the right lines and negotiating river rocks and boulders. About 3/4 of the way down we made a side trip up Orderville Canyon which was really nice; technical and tight. We didn't press the pace and likewise didn't 'stroll' and it took us 10:15hrs to make the 18 mile hike (added 2 miles with Orderville). It was a long day and topped off with some really good pizza at a local joint. I was impressed with Jake and Jim's performance; no slackers which made it a fun trip. The follow are random pics from Angel's Landing:

Jim hooked during the night to make a 7am flight out from Vegas (3hrs away) the next day while Jake and I took our time leaving before heading to Vegas ourselves. While that area is incredible I would be hard pressed to live in that part of the country as it's pretty desolate and quite a ways to a major city; great place to visit... He had a little time before check-in so we cruised over to Hoover Dam and took in the sites. While it is an impressive man-made structure it lacks the 'awe' after standing on top of Angel's Landing.

Jake and I stayed a couple days at Bally's (hard to beat $34 a night) and took in the sights of that desert oasis. I hadn't been there since Deb and I's honeymoon 20 years prior and holy cow how things have changed. While checking in the attendant asked if we wanted tickets to Jubilee (Bally's show) and I asked if it was appropriate for an 18 year old and she smiled, said you have to be 18 to go, so I re-adjusted my question to include 'if his mom would approve' at which she let me know it was a topless performance... I smiled and told her I was a dead man if his mom ever found out I took him at which she replied "you do know you are in Vegas, right?" Needless to say we opted from Jubilee (and MULTIPLE similar shows) and took in the Blue Man Group one evening; highly oddly entertaining and would go back several times if available (highly recommend, just don't know how to describe it). Fun couple of days.

Wednesday early morning flight home and back to reality. It's been some time since just Jake and I spent quality time together and this trip was exactly what I was hoping it would be. He is an incredible young man with a wide open future ahead of him. I feel lucky he wanted to spend time with me and I'll hold on to this trip for the rest of my life.

Great seeing the crew and settling back into 'the whirlwind called life'. Oh, can we get SOME rain please!?!?!?!?

Routine Days... Breath in Breath out, Repeat

2011-07-08T14:06:00.000-07:00

Not a ton going down on the home front; training is going super good, the kids are all good, and outside of my lawn drying up all is going good.

Ended my 2nd week of building base for 'cross with 10 more to go. Feeling fresh and the gym sessions have me (at least mentally) feeling sharp. Getting in a lot of AM rides to avoid my arch nemesis 'heat and humidity' which is allowing me to focus on the work to be done instead of surviving.

Sunday morning was a good 3hr early AM road ride, but by it's end (at 9:15am) I had all the heat I wanted.

Would have liked to race the local mtb OMBA at Sac Trails yesterday, but the heat index was well over 100* so I passed. I've ridden the new course (5.5miles) a couple different days (this morning being the latest) and it's really fun, fast, and not your typical 'Sac' rough surfaces. After volunteering and watching the racer's faces I'm happy with my decision as I don't want another heat injury like I had a couple years back (now it's tough to shake).

Tour DAY France has been interesting and hated to see Horner get knocked out and not really sure for whom I am rooting. Levi, well what can you say about him... when he is on the TdF roster the DS might as well plan on racing with 8 guys; not a fan. Nutty watching 'the arrow' and Johnny H get destroyed by a car and one of them ending up in a fence. Reminds me of a mtb race in Germany when I overshot a corner and ended up in an electric fence - took a bit to get out and the whole time I was on 'electric' fire! AC looks like a guy off of 'spanish meat' while Evans looks impressive. Looking forward to the mountains. Ian watches everyday and calls me at work when the leaders are within 5k to go over play by play. He's a Cav & Thor fan.

Speaking of the youngster, he finished up baseball last Friday night and his group ended up 15-7. He had a ton of fun, but is thankful it's over and much closer to basketball season. He is at the Anthony Tolliver (Minn Timberwolves pro) basketball camp with some buddies this week at the Courts. He is loving that. Funny deal - the high school coach called me the other day and asked if Ian could play in a three day 'shootout' jr. high (7/8th graders and Ian's in 5th grade) tourney. He's played two games so far and has played more than he's sit; not scoring much, but doing the fundamental things that keep him on the floor. He is 2/3 the size of these guys but it doesn't shake him much. The below is him (little guy in the background in a red shirt) at a shoot around with the jr. high guys:

Jake is working like a Jamaican (multiple jobs) splitting his time between DQ and BASE (youth day program). He says the days are long, but he is liking finally having some change in his pocket. He's having a fun summer hanging out nightly with a bunch of friends.

On the subject of summer fun with Jake, he is heading to LA with my brother for a handful of days; Jim has work and thought Jake might like to hang out with him for a bit. Jake jumped at it and turns out I am going to fly out, spend a day hitting LA with him, taking in a Dodgers game with he and Jim, then the three of us are driving to Zion National Park for a couple days of backpacking before going to Vegas for a couple days. Should be really fun.

Not much going on with the little guy as he is still getting to know us and visa versa. Lots of energy in that little body!

Been pretty dry (rain wise) lately and my lawn in hanging on for dear life. Watering the garden and plants regularly and they look great. The garden is pumping out the goodies daily and dinner usually includes some kind of the day's pull.

R&R was Great, but Time to Build (oh, and get some Waffles)...

2011-06-27T12:31:00.000-07:00

Took the last two weeks off (except for a lite ride with Dale last weekend) so Sunday it was time to get back up on the iron horse and start building for a fun (and longer) 'cross season ahead. Feel refreshed and ready to spend some building time in the early summer hours to avoid as much as the heat and humidity as possible.

Looks like the Hermann weekend will kick it off for me in September with a Wednesday evening race (if categories are available for the After Dark race), then hopefully head off to race with teammates in Madison at the USGP. After that it's Boss Cross 1&2 then on to the routine events. Really hoping Tulsa puts on another weekend of racing as that was fun. Jingle Cross is now a staple and I'm trying to work out a trip to L'ville. Figure state champs are my focus and try to maintain a little something and go to Madison (again) just for fun.

Not much changing in way of 'the ride' for 2011(12) as I love the feel and performance my Blue Norcross so why change up. Adding a set of carbon 50mm tubulars this year and have yet to decide on the rubber. Speaking of the Blue, haven't yet swapped it over to 'cross mode (yet), but it's coming this week (gravel roads and SBU here we come).

Family life is going good and everyone is getting into a flow with the youngster around. To bad I can't post pictures or videos containing the little man, because he is in most that I take.

Last Monday night my brother and I took our pop out (late Father's Day) and enjoyed an evening watching the SGF Cards play some baseball via the Redbird Roost; ate entirely too much ball park food. Hammond's Field is such a great park for a any city, but especially for one SGF's size.

Jake, Deb, and I took in Green Lantern Wednesday and it was decent, but I'll be the first one to say none of these have measured up to Iron Man in my opinion. Jake and I are looking forward to Capt America.

Friday evening Ian had a couple ball games (won 1 lost 1) and the little man did pretty good until the way home when we once again were reminded he has a limit before he needs sleep. Up early Saturday morning as Ian had a 1 day/3 game tourney in which they won 2 and lost 1. Fun, but long day; big thanks for Jake for watching 'the kid' while Deb and I took in the last game (in somewhat silence - ha!).

Sunday was all about some rest and relaxation for everyone (that is after an early AM 3hr ride for me) which included a couple hour nap for everyone - awesome! Lots of baseball was played in the backyard and just a generally feel good evening was had by all.

Monday I hit the weights/gym again and I must say that hurt (and will for a couple days). Always mentally sharpens me to move some metal around.

Tuesday was the last St John's Waffle race in SGF and I really didn't care to go in that I had not had much speed/power in the ol' legs being off for the last couple weeks, but these are good guys and I want to support as much SGF racing as possible so screw it, let's go. Got out at noon and spun around for 40 minutes to loosen up the weights from the day before. Rode down with Dale and TJ John's (long time rider and newer racer in Bolivar) and it turns out all the nutty fast guys didn't want to miss this either as it was a who's who of SGF in the 'A' race (crap, this was going to hurt). Roll out was quick right off the bat and the gas did not let up for the full 33 miles; when Brad Huff says at the end of the night 'I thought that was fast' that's telling you something. Fun group as there were a few breaks (nothing of significance), but everyone rolled through taking good pulls and at the end turns out no one was dropped off the pace. Knowing I can't get up the final lap's climb up the dam with the likes of Vinton and crew I took a couple solo digs at the group; one after the school turn and then my hardest just before the descent. Both they let me dangle out for a bit before easily reeling me back in. Going into the climb I punched out with Cale, Skip, Huff, and a couple others. Not sure what we averaged speed wise, but it was quick and surprisingly I felt great and was never under too much pressure. This bodes well mentally for the build session.

Both Dale and TJ had a great time in the B race and fun blow by blows were shared on the drive home.

Wednesday I jumped out for a quick 1:30hr spin on the SS on the Frisco before loading up the crew and heading to Silver Dollar City. The little guy had never been so everyone was looking forward to making sure he had a great time - mission accomplished! Fun time and the boys were all smiles until they hit the pillows at the end of the day.

BTW - Do not miss the below event put on by Jeff Yielding and the Hermann crew:

Change of Direction

2011-06-20T13:28:00.000-07:00

Finished up mtb racing and found I was mentally and somewhat physically tired so I am dropping the crit racing in KC and Lawrence, taking a couple weeks R&R, and then building for the 'real' season. I think the tiredness is primarily due to I am a person who needs scheduling and routines and our new little one(s) this spring/summer has thrown me a little out of kilter with sleep and time in general (which is perfectly fine for now). It's just a matter of time before we all adapt to a new routine and training/racing is just as much fun as ever. I've learned over the years to listen to my body and it told me it was time to regroup so that's what I am doing.

The little guy is work, but its good fun work as he and we are meshing really well. He is feeling more and more comfortable at home and with us and is becoming more and more independent with his play. It's pretty funny how he looks a tad like Jake and Ian when they were young.

Learning experience/refresher as Friday evening we went to support the Bolivar Relay For Life and ended up staying there until 10:30pm or so and that was wayyyy past a 5 yr old's bedtime and we paid for it with one tired/upset kid; totally forgot little guys need schedules (similar to me already).

Saturday we took him to the zoo and had a blast. He had never been before and it was fun watching him discover new stuff. SGF zoo is one of the worst I've attended so if he liked that he is going to flip when we hit STL or Omaha! Got some great pictures and video, but can't post any pic of him that show his face (legalism).

Jake returned late Saturday night from his mission trip to Toledo, OH and everyone was psyched to have him back home. Ian put it best that our house is wrong without him; going to be tough on all of us this fall. Glad he is staying nearby.

Sunday was spent enjoying the boys, the afternoon with my dad and mom and my bro's family.

Trek sold so I just ordered up some carbon 50mm tubular cross wheels for this fall. If you can't be fast than at least look it, right?!

So I enjoyed my first week of rest and one more to go before build up to Jeff Y's season opener. Going to be interesting to see how this season plays out since we now stretch it to January... and of all places Madison in January (you know I'm heading up there to race with the Jackalope herd)!

2011 MTB is a Wrap - Landahl MO State Race

2011-06-14T07:46:00.000-07:00

First part of the 2011 'cross season is a wrap closing it out with the MO State Champs in KC this past weekend. For me spring is a time to get in some general fitness, sharpen the handling skills, and throw in some racing for good times. Usually I am done with mtb'ing at the end of May, but this year I was having so much fun on the SS 29'er I extended it a couple weeks and I am glad I did. Up next for me is a week off the bike, a handful of crits in July then building for what to me is the focus of the year - cyclocross, baby!

So, this past week I felt absolutely drained and tired after the Down and Dirty in Warsaw; not from the race itself, but just generally. Outside of cycling our family has been much busier than normal (for us and I'll get to that later) and I think it was starting to take it's toll on me. I took a super lite week of riding with a recovery spin on Monday, good long effort session on Wednesday and some openers on Saturday. I needed rest more than anything and by Saturday's openers I was feeling pretty good and ready for Sunday's race.

CMac and I made the trek to Landahl Park Sunday morning but not early enough to get in a pre-ride so it was going to be a learning curve as the race progressed. Word was the 7 mile course was super fast with a little bit of everything and they were spot on - fastest course I've raced in a long time. The temps were super nice (low 70's before the start) and it had rained lightly Sunday morning and a lot of folks were concerned about the 'rock' sections; it had been several years since I last rode Landahl and I remembered some significant ledge/rock sections but had never ridden them wet - you needed to be on your game to stay upright on these sections, but I thought it made it a fun challenge. With such a fast loop expected we figured the 2 loop race (for SS class) would last just a hair over an hour which is not good for me as I tend to do better the longer the event, but it was what it was.

Great turnout in general for the race and a good sized field in the SS class with some fast guys (pretty sure CMac had it in the bag as long as he rode clean). Gun goes off and get a decent start setting in third for most of the first 1/2 of the loop; Cale and Mark Cole rode off. A pre-ride would have helped as I was a tad tentative on the crazy fast single track, but it turned out like you were on rails flying through the woods. Got to a double track opening and a handful of guys passed me in an open section and I didn't respond like I should have and was sitting 7th or 8th as we entered into the single track for the second half of the loop. This is where the handling was key as there there several rock ledges and formations that were really slick and folks were dumping left and right. I rode a steady pace and 'cross'ing' it (dismount and run) when I saw riders having problems with sections and took little risk. I couldn't believe how fast the loop went and at the end of 1 of 2 I was in 4th place with a guy right on my butt.

Second lap was similar to the first, but was able to ride the single track 'cleaner' as I knew a little bit of what was coming up. These sections were so much fun! Got passed again in the double track and now was in 5th (with a pretty decent gap on 6th). Hooked up with Josh Taylor (Cat 1 race) and we rode most of the loop together. With about a mile to go I t-boned a ledge with my rear wheel and immediately I lost a ton of pressure, but was about to continue on for a short bit. Like the idiot I am I didn't pack a co2 as I figured with such a short race if I had to change out a tube my hope of winning was over so I simply didn't take one. So with 3/4 mile to go I was totally flat in the rear and started running. Josh offered me a hand, but I told him to ride on as I had to live with my stupid decisions. I was actually making pretty good time on foot over the rough terrain, but as I hit the clearing (100 meters from the finish) Pete came out of the woods and passed me to take 5th and me with 6th (MO State I was 4th) - bummer, but what can you do... Cale rode away from everyone and easily won the state jersey (champion) so at least I got to share a ride with the smell of a new jersey (ha). Mark G. dominated the marathon class so it was good to see SWMO getting the job done and snagging it's fair share of bling.

By far the Landahl course was the funnest I've ridden in a long time; great mix of everything except climbing. Cale and I both commented on how short it was and how neither of us felt very taxed. The promoters did a great job with every aspect of the event. Good to see some of the regulars and several I hadn't seen since 'cross season.

I had a great handful of races with some decent results this spring and feel my handling is what benefited the most from the time on the trail. Hard to explain how much fun I had with the 29'er (forgiving for my bull-in-a-China-shop style) and equally so with the SS.

Up next hopefully is a couple days of the Tour of KC (hard to make all three days) which will include Friday night at Longview, then a couple days for the Tour of Lawrence. After those I'll find a couple more in July then regroup to start training for 'cross.

On the home front this week we got 'the call' and now have a new little guy living with us. While I won't go into details this little 5 year old boy is a great fit (already) with our family and hopefully it works out that he is with us for quite some time. This has changed a ton for our lifestyle and now all of us are getting re-familiar with Hot Wheels, Disney Jr., and Lincoln Logs. After dinner every night he is already going for the ball gloves and shags Ian's hits for hours. While it is a lot of smiles for us it is a load of work; did I mention lots of work?

Jake currently is on a mission trip to Toledo, Ohio for the week and will get home next Sunday. We talked a couple times and he is having a good time, but the schedule is busy as they are working in a food distribution place and then hosting a Vacation Bible School. Jake is a quality kid...

My day lilies are killing it right now and my established blackberries are pumping out just enough for a decent daily snack. Hopefully in a couple years I will have enough for multiple cobblers.

Absolutely enjoying my week of nothingness (fitness wise).

Oh, on a side note I am selling my 17.5" (medium) Trek Fuel if anyone is helping someone get onto trails at a good price. $400 gets a great running XTR shifter/brake (RIM only), XT crank (external BB), LX derailleurs, Rock Shox fork, and Bontrager Race Lite tubeless wheels.

Warsaw Down & Dirty

2011-06-06T08:46:00.000-07:00

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...

ICC and Things...

2011-05-25T12:07:00.000-07:00

So what's been going on since the Graduation post; let's see...

Our 'visitor' has come and went as planned since it was only a two week placement. Until we find a youngster available for adoption who is a fit for us (and visa versa) we are helping foster kids with 'emergency placement' which in a nutshell has us as a 'holding area' until a long-term foster placement is made. Both Deb and I went into this knowing we are not a good fit for a long-term/revolving foster home and our main focus is to adopt. Folks ask are asking 'how is it?' and pretty much Deb and I's replies reflect an odd feeling in that it's a stranger living with you and you protect yourself from bonding too much because you know he'll be gone soon, but on the same hand it's so important to support and provide structure so they don't feel too isolated and alone; odd deal, but one we'll keep doing. The boy with us was a good kid in need of some structure and attention and we (the whole family) gave a good dose of that while in our home and luckily he was placed in a good long-term home. Now we wait for the next call and look through kid profiles.

So Ian had a gap of a couple weeks between baseball sessions, but has filled his time playing up with a 5th/6th grade basketball team; almost funny how small he is compared to the others. This past Monday (their last games) he scored 9 in the first game and then went off for 23 points in the second! He was on fire and probably had nearly 10 assists. He also attended the Bolivar High School camp for 3rd/4th graders and had a great time with his friends. The HS coach has asked him to attend the 6/7th grade camp next week to which he is looking forward.

Baseball kicked back up and last night they split their two games. He had a walk and a strike out in both games.

Jake took off last Tuesday with a buddy and cruised 1,432 miles being kids with no particular place to go. They started off a couple days in STL, jumped down to Memphis for ribs one afternoon, spent some time in Hot Springs, AR, hiked to Hemmed in Hollow near Ponca, made a quick trip to Eureka Springs before returning home 5 days later. He and Cody had a great trip and his prize possession was a samurai sword (full metal) found in HS, AR (hilarious, but fitting for him).

He is now activity waiting for someone to hire him as he put out tons of applications a couple weeks ago (please someone put this kid to work!).

So for the past several years Deb has wanted a storm shelter and a month or so ago she ordered one and it was installed in our garage last week (good timing, eh). I didn't think it was that big of a deal and was primarily looking for keep the ol 'if mom's happy then everyone's happy' thing going, but I have to say there is sense of peace knowing that thing is in the garage and super accessible if needed.

This past weekend Ira and I teamed up for the Indian Camp Creek (ICC) 6hr team race and earlier in the week I was really looking forward to it as I had a solid week of riding leading up and I was curious how it was to race alternating laps with a little 'breather' between. Thursday I woke up with an uneasy feeling in my belly and to keep it simple let's say things were moving thru me pretty quick; I felt horrible. Friday was the same and by Saturday I was feeling somewhat better, but just drained. After talking with Ira I figured what the heck and would give it a go, but if I would have registered as a solo I wouldn't have even thought twice and would have stayed at home in bed. Frustrating, but what can you do...

Loaded up bright and early Sunday and drove to northwest STL; easy 3:45hr drive. I still had some of the bug and wasn't feeling too good on the way up and we decided Ira would start us off and hopefully get in any extra laps if needed (race rules dictated alternating every lap). Ira and I primarily ride our mtb's in SS mode and even though the course was described with little climbing and flowy we opted to keep it SS and do what we could knowing there would be some 'hoss' teams lining up. Ran into Mark G and Jeff Y and ended up sharing a canopy with these two beasts (Mark - 6hr solo and Jeff - 3hr solo; both finished 2nd in their class). We pre-rode the lower portion of the course and it was all pretty much straight forward flow in tacky dirt (hard to ask for better conditions).

Loaded field in the 6hr Team and not a good feeling of energy level had me hoping for the best. Ira knocked out his loop while I waited and then took my turn. The lower section was fun and flowy and the 2nd half was more the same with light elevation changes thrown in. I was going ok, but had absolutely no 'zip' or 'punch' in the legs and knew I had to regulate my efforts to make it thru the 6 hrs (even only riding every other lap). Ira and I had decent first laps, but while Ira was on his 2nd run out of nowhere my stomach started hurting (that flu type nauseous type) and I started hurling! Todd Holtman, race promoter, made sure I was doing alright, while I was trying to get some fluids and substance back in me. I shouldn't have raced as I was not over the bug, but too late then. Ira hands off and I am energetically flat the whole loop and can't get things going even though my stomach is feeling much better. Ira has a tough lap 3 (while I am eating and drinking trying to still refuel) and asks if I feel like going again; why not we are here... I take off still flat, but actually feel a little better (not saying much) on the 2nd half of the loop. As I come in to exchange with Ira I tell him I am done and he says this is his last lap also and as it played out a storm moved in during his 7th loop and they called the event due to lightening at around 5:30hrs in. We sucked and got 6th out of 7 teams; nothing I could have done different, just one of those days.

Mark asked me afterwards what I thought about 'team' racing and my take (and it has no bearing on how bad I raced Sunday or having Ira as a teammate) is I don't think I really care for it. I didn't really like the time waiting and found it a bit hard to find a rhythm when I was pedaling after being off. **The below was a new thing having the ol' feet up in the middle of a race***

The drive back was pretty uneventful except for the news coming from Joplin about the tornado (tragic). Deb checked with our church and community and hopefully we can get a day over the long weekend to go down as part of a team and assist with cleanup/recovery in the Joplin area.

Up next for me is the Down and Dirty mtb race on May 5th in Warsaw then the MO State MTB Champs the following weekend in KC. I am opting for State race over Tulsa Tough as I am kind of in a mtb groove right now and liking it.

Graduation: Came and Gone In a Flash

2011-05-17T13:24:00.000-07:00

Several things to get to, but in the past couple weeks (still lazy on my posts) the biggest was Jake's high school graduation. You always hear parents say time flies and I am one to agree as it's hard to believe Jake is already done with HS and heading off to college in the fall; wow, that went fast.

I didn't realize there were so many different 'activities' taking someone thru graduation, but there are bunches:

1) Baccalaureate - kind of like pre-game; gets you in the mood for 'tassel day'

2) Making sure everyone* gets a mailed invitation. * means those who have impacted Jake's life and not just sending out to any/everyone (not a fan of that) just because

3) Awards/Scholarship Program - during the day and it goes kid by kid and details academic achievements from HS and what/to where scholarships they get. Jake was recognized on the Preparatory College Achievement, the A+ Program, National Honor Society, Magna Cum-Laude GPA (3.85-3.99), and received two scholarships (1 academic and 1 I'm not sure about) from SBU worth around $9,500 a year (nice for my wallet).

4) Senior Church Recognition Night (Saturday) where in 18 different kids had displays and tons of church folks came out

5) Senior Recognition in Sunday morning church where in he also provided a very inspirational testimony to the congregation (so proud).

and finally

6) Graduation (with after-party for family and friends)!

Jake's a level headed kid so he never got real 'amped' up for any of these, but took in all in while wearing a solid smile. It was great seeing my Grandma Smith along with my Uncle Ed and Aunt Linda at the graduation (along with the regular crew - Gma and Gpa Jones, Gma and Gpa Appleby, Mandee, Jim and Cheri and girls, and Ira - who might as well be family). After the ceremony we all headed to our office (more on that later) for some chow and cake. Speaking of the cake, Mandee works in a cake boutique in STL and they made a custom graduation cap cake for Jake which not only looked incredible, but tasted even better. She had ruined us for all other cake...

So HS is a thing of the past for Jake and while he never really got any kind of 'senior-itus' this year he is more than ready to move on to the next phase of school and life. As I type he and a buddy are out on a 'road trip' for the next 4 to 6 days with no real destination planned. I do know they were heading toward STL when they left, would like to make a pass thru Memphis for some ribs, and possibly do some hiking and goofing around in the Ponca, Arkansas area, but how long they are gone and where they go is unknown - how freaking fun is that.

On a side note: Jake got a new (to him) car for graduation and didn't even shed a tear parting with the Rodeo (imagine that).

So, on to other topics...

It took all of three days after receiving our foster license for us to get THE CALL. Turns out a young man (9yrs old) needed a temporary place to hang out until a long-term placement could be made so we are helping out for a bit with this. So far so good as he is a good kid and we are having a good time together. He loves to ride bikes so we make it a priority most days after school (lucky me). The night before graduation the little guy and I got to spend a quality night as he got a stomach bug and it was non-stop hurling 'til early morning. A super friend of Deb's was kind enough to keep an eye on him during graduation; he turned out being fine by mid-day (rough night). Although not shocked, it is interesting how so many things covered in our training are true to real life fostering. God has blessed us and we're just trying to pass that along.

Ian is got picked up on a 5th/6th grade basketball team and so far he is fitting in really well with them; even if he is only up to their armpits. Last weekend his team got 2nd in a tourney losing the championship game by 1 point with 2 seconds left - arg!!! Last night he went for 14 points and 9 points in a double-header (hitting a couple 3 pointers). He is having a blast!

Training/Racing: No racing since Waffle #1 as I skipped Waffle #2 since I wanted to spend some time riding with our new visitor. Training/riding has been super good lately with a nice mix of road and mtb'ing and the increase of intensity in prep for a solid month of June racing. Saturday during a ride with Dale and Nate Dale took the below photo of us closing in and eventually drafting off a horse and buggy (common sight northwest of Bolivar).

Weather, like in all of Missouri, has been nutty as of late and Saturday's ride I was layered up and still chilly. Glad I skipped on Tour De Grove as I heard it was miserable.

This weekend Ira and I are teaming up at the ICC 3/6hr mtb race in STL and we're doing the 6hr duo. We have no idea as to the course, but we're sticking with SS's and it should be fun.

Many more pictures and clips to come, but for now

Waffles, Its What's for Training

2011-05-04T12:01:00.001-07:00

Last night was the Toasty Waffle training race put on by the St. John's team (and probably A&B since they were there with support) on the Fellow's Lake loop (11miles with lumps). I did both of these last year and it's a great time to get in some fast group training with a hint of racing going on, but mostly just a getting in a good solid effort with a good group of guys.

I didn't decide to go until the last minute as I was torn between the Waffle and catching one of Ian's baseball games; he was fine with me racing so off to Fellow's Lake it was. Hooked up with David Evans (local mtb'er) and we went down together. This was his first road race (EVER) so we chatted about some basic issues on the drive down; he was way more calm than I would have been at my first one. I was trying to remember back to my first race and I think it was a mtb race in Germany, but I am not sure (many moons ago); I do know I sucked and made a vow to figure out how to get faster quickly.

Pulled up and the usual suspects were in attendance. Don't know for sure how many in the 'A' race, but guessing 20-25 (not to shabby for a Tuesday night). Ride started casual and maybe 1/3 way in the first lap (3 laps = 33 miles) it got some flow to it and it remained that way for the rest of the evening. Got in a couple breaks (going nowhere fast), made my share of pulls, and generally enjoyed the fast pedaling and how smooth the group worked together. I guess about half way thru several folks dropped and I am guessing but going into the final lap there might have been 10 or so us left. Everyone seemed to share the work in between Huff's 150 rpm sessions. Group reached the final climb up the dam hill (writing on the wall for me of course) and the 'fast kids' took off and the rest of us scrapped for what was left; I finished 6th and felt really good all night without ever being under much pressure (minus the last climb). Only one mishap as a couple guys went down after a wheel rub; both were fine, but the bikes didn't look so good...

Quick drive back with David, who enjoyed his first go of it with the 'B' group and he is looking forward to doing it again.

Waffle #2 is next Tuesday and I'll have to see if I make it as I don't want to miss too many of Ian's games.

So let's back up a couple days... Monday night Ian was back on the hardwood (basketball) as he is now 'playing up' in a local league with a combined 5th/6th grade team. It funny to watch as he is sooo much shorter than the rest, but it bothers him none and he is the primary ball handler when he's in. Ended up playing way more than sitting during the double header games without a bit of intimidation; love watching him play (and not have to coach).

Also on Monday Deb and I received our Foster Parent licensing (1 more week until we finish our Adoptive certification) so now it's sitting back and waiting for THE phone call. It's really odd in that it's like telling us Deb is pregnant without a due date (and not knowing the size of the child). We don't worry or stress over it as God has his hand over this and is in control.

Tour De Tick

2011-05-02T09:00:00.001-07:00

Yesterday (Sunday) was the Midwest Fat Tire series Tour De Tick race in Neosho, MO. I raced this as a sport rider two years ago in a downpour of rain with made the course a bit of a swamp and with the forecast all week calling for rain on Sunday I figured it would be the same for '11.

Ira and I loaded up the SS's and drove the 1:45hr (close for us) to the event and sure enough it was raining on the way and the temps never got out of the lower 50's (chilly dampness). The turnout was a bit low which is interesting as why do mtb'ers skip on nasty weather, it's a mountain bike after all and isn't it supposed to get nasty and dirty!?!?!? Must be the 'cross part of me speaking out here. Anyways, the course was a 6.8 mile loop with a mix of rocky, rooty, flowy, climbing, fire roads, and slippery corners (about everything you expect). SS class did three laps and on this wet and chilly day that was just about enough.

Race got going and Ira and I set off on a solid pace (thanks for letting me slot into the single track first) and gaped everyone else. Somewhere early on he decided to endo his bike without letting me know first so when I turned around 1/2 way through the opener lap he was gone. I set out then to see how many experts (Cat 1's) I could pull in over the next couple laps. That didn't end up being too long as I caught and passed the Cat 1 leaders 1/2 thru the second lap (please note the fast kids were either doing the marathon event or didn't show up so so this wasn't a monumental task). The rain kept coming down making the course a mudfest so I shut down the last lap a bit and made sure to keep upright with no mistakes. Mission accomplished and ended up snagging my third SS win of the year with Ira taking a solid 2nd.

Another great venue for the 29'er SS as mud and bad conditions are not an issue when you aren't shifting. Talked with teammate GLove's wife after the race and we both decided it was a great 'cross muddy course training.

Legs and fitness are solid right now even though I haven't started a serious regime of intensity; that is starting this month as June and July has a nice set of crits for which I want to prime (Tusla Tough, Tour of KC, and Tour of Lawrence).

Not sure how much racing I'll do this month as the gas prices and lack of driving partners is making me a bit more selective (notice a race 1:45 hrs is considered a 'local' close one).

The Beast Is Dead

2011-04-27T07:11:00.000-07:00

For those faithful readers you know I have had an ongoing battle with a mole in my backyard for the past two summers. Two and a half years ago I caught (killed) one in a trap and his replacement would not fall for the traps and thus eluded and taunted 'til I was going crazy trying every product/sprinkle/device with no result.

Yesterday evening I did what every cyclist in SWMO did with finally no rain and decently clear skies, I did yard work and since it was a planned rest day didn't even look at the bike. I was starting to regret my non-biking decision and if I had ridden I wouldn't have had the following 'adventure':

About a month ago I applied my usual grub killer to the lawn and immediately noticed new mole runs in my flower/shrub beds. Yesterday afternoon Ian and I planted a new Dogwood near the garden and afterwards (10 minutes) I went back to replace the decorative rock and lo and behold I saw the earth pulsating about 2 feet from where I planted the tree. Shovel, rake, and hatchet (Ian's tool of choice) was laying right there so I picked up the hatchet and unleashed two years of wrath on little mound of moving soil!!!!! Those things move so fast and I figured I missed him, but when the dust and smoke cleared (ok, there was no dust or smoke, but it sounds better) there lay that 'thorn in my side' dead. VICTORY!!!!!

I took my prey and proudly displayed him to my neighbors anticipating a great feast with celebration, but all I got was a "nice, let's hope the next one doesn't do more damage...". Whatever! In my mind I was king of my domain that evening and no one had any idea of the mental celebration I had.

Bone Bender, Stitches (Round 2), and Prom

2011-04-21T08:40:00.000-07:00

Ok, I have slacked a ton on the blog lately and I need to shake myself and get back into the groove of it. It's not that I've been SO busy or lost interests it's just I simply haven't gotten to it.

Here we go...

Riding/training in general is going pretty well and I've retreated back to the rollers/trainer instead of trying to fight all this rain as of late. I have gotten some nice intensity indoors and look to take it to the trails soon.

Last week Dale and I tackled a strong SE wind during an afternoon ride and was passed by a large manure spreader (that's right, a tractor pulled poop wagon) to which Dale looked over at me and asked "is it worth it?" to which I replied "on a day like this, absolutely!" It was a stinky 2+ mile tow, but it was worth it.

Foster/Adoption Process

- Foster course is done and waiting our licensing (within a couple weeks)

- 1/2 way done with adoption course with only two weeks to go

- The whole crew is anxiously nervous for a child placement. God is leading this so I know it will work out

Ian's baseball is going pretty good, but he is super itchy to get back on the basketball court. This weekend we've got a three game tourney in SGF on the hardwood so he is stoked. Still going to the gym working on his jumper and handles on a regular basis. I was hoping to get the summer off, but coach Ian has a strict workout policy and no 'vacations' are allowed (sigh).

Not really going in chronological order so up next is Jake's senior prom at The Chatue in Branson. Deb and I chaperoned along with several other parents and it turned out a great fun evening for everyone. Jake looked dashing in his tux and Andie beautiful in her gown. After the prom we took 30 some odd kids to a handful of condo's in Branson where we all crashed for the night. The next day everyone planned to go to Silver Dollar City, but most opted out as it was raining all day. Deb and I killed some time in the morning shopping and spend the afternoon at SDC while Ian was with Deb's mom and dad. Great weekend, but Deb and I are still dragging from staying up past 3am and up starting breakfast at 8:30am.

Sunday we spent at my folks for Easter; good day.

Two weekend's ago was the Bone Bender 3/6hr race in Lawrence, KS and I ended up winning the 3 hour Single Speed. I never felt crazy fast, but I knew I was riding consistent lap times and figured it would pay off in the long run (and it did). I ended up riding 55, 55, 56, and 56 minute laps getting me a gap of 6 or so minutes to 2nd place. I continue to love the 29'er and that course was great for the SS. It had a good mix of some flowy sections along with technical (you better be able to handle a bike) sections. Chris Locke and crew did a great job as usual.

So last post I showed some stitches in my eye; that healed up really nicely and Jake ended up cutting them out Tuesday night. Wednesday I was out on the road and my pedal broke causing a sharp piece of metal to rip a gash in my lower right leg. Deb came out, picked me up, dropped my off at our doc's office and ended up with more stitches. What a freaking weird series of events lately; nothing of my stupidity, just odd incidents. Leg is fine and that evening I knocked out some intervals to finish up the day's workouts.

It's been raining like crazy for the past four or so days, but this weekend is the Tour De Tick in Neosho, MO and they like to run it 'rain or shine' (two years ago I won the Sport in a huge downpour and swamp). Well, that's why I originally bought the SS so I hope to have some fun in the mud on a great course this Sunday in either the SS or Marathon division.

Bubble Wrap Body Suit?

2011-04-14T13:53:00.001-07:00

Not much out of the routine happening at the Jones casa. To summarize:

- Deb and I finished our foster training and have four more sessions to have our adoption certification

- Deb and I painted our master bedroom (while I watched the masters)

- Ian has started baseball on a competitive team in Springfield and is 1-1

- Been riding consistently with quality time on the mtb mostly at Sac

- Ian and I hit the tandem last night with Deb on her Trek

- Bonebender 3hr race this weekend at Clinton Lake, Lawrance, KS. Feeling fit and ready for the challenge

Oh yes, then there's the ongoing physical punishment I've been handing myself:

1) Wore quarter sized blister in palm of hand doing yard work (right where I grab the mtb bar

2) Cut off the end of my pinkie cutting tomatoes and couldn't get it to stop bleeding for two days

3) Goose-egg on forehead from ramming into corner of dresser

and the winner

4) 4 stitches in eye after taking an elbow during basketball

Deb is debating on letting me ride this weekend without covered in bubble wrap

Rolling Around in the Warsaw Woods

2011-04-04T13:42:00.000-07:00

What a great weekend for anything outdoors related; hope everyone got out and enjoyed it. I think my hacking is a thing of the past and now to hopefully regain some fitness...

Friday afternoon Dale, Nate and I kicked it down the Frisco a couple hours (I was on the SS with a 32/16 mix). Got back home and spent some time getting the shop straightened up and making sure the tiller, mower, and scooter were all prepped and ready for some warm weather. Good to say all is up and going.

Saturday morning (all day in fact) was dedicated to the yard, but first was a Men's Prayer breakfast at church. A buddy picked me up 5:50am and by 6am we were cooking for the group coming in at 7am. It was a fun morning and a solid way to start the day.

Got home and made the rounds buying mulch, a cherry tree, grub killer... all the stuff to keep us busy. It was a busy day with Ian's baseball practice, but by afternoon's end the yard and garden is looking like a million bucks. Deb got some starters going in the garden and hopefully soon we'll eat up.

Saturday night Ian and I was spent with my bro and some friends watching the Final Four games; good stuff. Got home late and packed for the mtb race in Warsaw the next day.

Sunday started off with RVV (Flanders) on the web (and a huge bowl of Lucky Charms - race day food) and it was one of the best I've seen. FC and Chavenel were by far the strongest, but NN played it right.

Quick hour drive up to Warsaw for a 11:30 start. Got up early and took a steady pace warm up loop of the course (6.2 miles), which proved a good choice and glad I changed back to the 32/18 SS. The course was pretty much all single track with it's fair share of rocks and roughness along with a decent amount of climbing, but I really like the way the 29'er smoothed most of it out and was able to climb well. The temps were in the 80's and while it was not super hot it was a bit of a shock to the system after riding in 40's and 50's, but I pounded water and Nuun's which worked out great. About 20 or so lined up for the Open class and being a 'small/local' race the field was pretty light in way of normal fast kids. Mark Gullet who won the 1st race (its a three race series) was at the OC and I didn't recognize much anyone else.

The race was only two loops (13 or so miles) so I figured I would go pretty hard right from the start and see how it went. Jumped on it at and was first one to the single track. Have no idea what happened behind as after 1/2 mile I neither saw nor heard anyone else. I set off and rode a solid first lap and kicked it back a notch for the second making sure I kept steady and not make any mistakes (and continue to drink tons). Ended up winning (which will probably not happen again this year) and was around 8 or 9 minutes up on 2nd. Fun place to ride and looking forward to the state SS champs there later this summer.

Back home and finished up some yard and garden work. Deb and Ian spent the day in SGF and when they got home we played a ton of baseball in the backyard. Nice day.

Routine week lined up with Ian's ball games now on Tuesdays and only 5 weeks of foster/adoptive classes to go on Thursdays. Hoping to get to Lawrence on Saturday for the UFofD (West) mtb race on the River Trails.

Weekend in the Big D and Still Hacking

2011-03-22T14:11:00.000-07:00

My crew (my family) always has a great time when we travel from place to place and this weekend was no exception. Using Ian's birthday as an excuse to have a family road trip Deb and I worked up a quick trip to Dallas for a little bit of urbanism and most of all to take Ian to his first NBA game. A friend was able to wrangle complimentary tickets for the Mavs versing the San Antonio Spurs (far and away E's favorite team from birth). Everyone (including Jake) was looking forward to the trip so off we went.

Loaded up the car Thursday night (after week 6 of foster/adoptive class) and at 8am Friday we were on the road. The boys had no problem missing the last day of school prior to spring break; imagine that... Deb quickly pulled out 'The Hobbit' and started reading. This is a pretty routine setting for road trips and it makes the time fly and this was no exception.

Similar to downtown Bodunklivar

Around 4:15pm we pulled into downtown Dallas to our hotel. Freshened up a bit and caught the hotel shuttle to the American Airlines Center way before the tip off in hopes of getting some autographs during warmups. Oh, I forgot to mention the temp was high 80's and we were in shock of the heat (ha!). Heading into the arena I reminded Ian that the odds of any signatures were not good, but we would still give it a try. Down to the floor we went just as several of the Spurs were coming thru; short version is my little man got a mini ball signed by the following: T Duncan, M Ginobelli, T Parker, R Jefferson, G Neal, and the list goes on and on. We were all having a good time and excited watching Ian in pure heaven meeting his basketball hero's; so fun watching Jake encourage and congratulate his little bro with every signature obtained.

Off to our seats (and food) for a great game where in the Spurs beat on Dallas. Quick taxi back to the hotel and the rest of the night was reliving Ian's blow by blow of the action. This evening ranked pretty close to the week we took Jake to Disney when he was 8 or so years old - awesome!

Saturday morning I hopped up and snagged a couple hour ride with Rod Lake (a friend from when we lived in SA), who now lived in Allen, TX. Fun easy cruise while we caught up. Got back to the hotel just in time to walk over to What A Burger for lunch; just what the boys had wanted as they pointed them out every time we passed one on the drive down. From there it was to the Dallas World Aquarium (highly recommend) for a great afternoon of fun viewing.

This little guy (sloth) was by far our favorite as he was completely open to the public with no cages or wall; odd creature
.

Next was a jog (figuratively) over to the JFK area, then through the West End, then back to the hotel. Freshened up a bit before hitting a local joint (always the best) for an authentic Mexican (not Tex Mex) dinner at Avila. Holy cow we all ate way too much, but we just couldn't stop. Enchiladas with Tomotilla sauce, fresh made tortillas, and the list goes on... (No freaking way will I be able to go back to El Rodeo for at least a couple months). Everyone was stuffed and kind of beat so the rest of the evening was spent watching some March Madness.

Sunday morning everyone slept in late, chowed on breakfast, then headed north. A good stop in Allen at a huge outlet mall was fun as Deb went one way while Ian, Jake, and I went another. After loading up the new 'luggage' from shopping, it was time to finish The Hobbit on the drive home and that's what was done.

All in all a great weekend trip as we all agreed several times since.

Back to reality...

Monday I was able to snag a couple hours on the road mid-afternoon and was still snorting and hacking. It's getting better, but not near clear as my energy level is still a struggle.

Tuesday early AM I got in 1:30hrs on the road during in awesome conditions; spring is just around the corner (so we thought...). Played a solid 1:20hrs of basketball at noon for an 'interval' session. Still coughing every 20 seconds.

Wednesday was Jake's 18th birthday and it made for a great rest day. Lunch at Master Wangs, basketball practice (for the last time this season), Deb's casadillia for supper, a huge bday cookie, finished up with Deb and I taking Jake to see a 9:50pm showing of Red Riding Hood (on the top 10 worst movie list).

It's great watching Jake grow in so many different ways and it's always nice to have a kid his age and the biggest worry is if he put on deodorant (ha); quality through and through.

It seems someone forgot to pay mother nature's power bill as the heats been cut off. Temps back in the 40s this week, which meant my lunch ride today was on the rollers (1:15hrs) since the windchill was 25*. ARGGGGGG

I'm Glad This is a Hobby...

2011-03-14T09:18:00.000-07:00

...because if it were more I would be one frustrated dude! All was going well training/fitness wise for the Spa City 6hr season opener this past weekend until Sunday's long training session ended with a little twinge in my throat; knowing Jake had been sick with a massive cold I was hoping for the best. Monday started with my head and body feeling like crud and now it's day 9 of 'the sickness' and I'm starting to feel like I am coming out of it.

Needless to say I pulled the plug on the Spa City event and watched my entry fee slide away (I hate that), but it's better than feeling 'obligated', racing it at less than half effort, and having the potential for long term illness to grab hold. I was bummed, but to keep it in perspective it is just a hobby and not life changing.

So besides hacking and snorting last week was pretty routine for us. Ian has a couple weeks off before his next basketball game (2 to go at The Courts), but he started baseball practice. Jake is finally coming out of his sickness. Week 5 down in the adoption/foster sessions with 9 to go (27hrs).

Friday evening was Ian's birthday party at the SBU pool which included 10 high strung boys. It was a great time, but the funniest part of the night was when I herded all the boys out of the pool to the locker room to change up and they started talking about PE that day and how they had to watch the 'Puberty' movie. Several made statements that there was no way they were going to do that 'puberty thing' and no more videos at school, but one kid (actually a 40yr old in a kid's body) tried to rationalize with the rest that it was just 'part of life' and they needed to understand and deal with it. I pretty much had to ensure that young man made it out of the locker room alive. Hilarious!

Saturday morning I had enough of laying around so Dale and Nate towed me around on the bike for three hours of easy (I mean super easy) riding. I felt OK as long as the effort level stayed low even though I hacked and coughed most of the time. Good to get outside.

Sad evening for Ian as he had to watch his UNC boys get whipped by the Blue Devils (which put them as a #1 seed in the West). Luckily I was playing some cards with friends and he didn't have to listen to me rub it in...

Sunday Jake had his cross country awards banquet after church and his coach did a great job of describing my boy's dedication and leadership. Coach summed it up by saying not only is he losing on of his best athletes and leaders, but also his best friend (touching). Jake walked away with the 'Iron Liberator' award along with a couple recognitions.

Immediately after the awards Jake and a couple teammates headed off to LofO for the DECA state competition (held Monday and Tuesday). Hoping he has fun and does great.

Ira and I jumped out on the trails (Sac) for the first time in 2011 and for first trail rides on new 29'ers. I should sub-title this entry as HOLY COW I LOVE MY 29er!!!!! That thing is super fun and rides over stuff so easy compared to the 26". I was worried the hardtail would be pretty rough, but not an issue at all and it's so much faster overall then my old Trek. I rode it in 1x9 setup, but decided to keep it SS (like my 32/18 setup) and Sac was super fun and manageable that way. I am looking forward to mtb racing this year and am re-evaluating some of my spring summer racing to include more mtb'ing. It had been some time since Ira and I rode and it was great having fun just cruising around with him (I like to follow as I learn a ton from his 'line' choices).

Monday it SNOWED! The below picture doesn't do it justice as nothing really was sticking, but at one point it produced the largest flakes I had seen in years. Supposed to quickly warm up for the rest of the week which I know we are all anxiously awaiting. I did play an hour of basketball at noon and tried to blow out the pipes'. It worked a little, but still am suffering.

Tuesday I still felt bad so took another day off.

Wednesday I started feeling human again and got out for 2.5hrs on the road bike and actually had a solid ride (good for my mental state); now to get the legs back up to speed.

Today Ira and I skipped down to Sac at lunch and got in a good ride. It was a little muddy, but nothing too bad. Ran the Rig as a SS this time and the 32x18 was perfect. Fun fun fun.

This week hopefully I'll get more time back on the bike without too much hacking. We are taking the boys for a quick weekend trip to catch a Spurs vs Mavs game, hit some of the cultural stuff in the big D, and returning Sunday afternoon/evening. Getting to ride with Rod (The Rocket) Lake who lives in the Allen, TX area (really looking forward to this).

Return of the Friday Morning Mistress

2011-03-07T08:48:00.000-08:00

After a quick check of the weather forecast (rain Friday afternoon) on Thursday night I knew a rendezvous for Friday morning was in order with the 'mistress'. We have spent quite a bit of time together since January 1, but there is always something special about our time together in the early AM at the end of a week/start of a weekend. If I get a solid ride Friday morning then it alleviates some of the pressure to ride on Saturday. Saturday's of late has included a big chunk of family activities (which is great) and leaves a tight schedule to try to get in anything of quantity and this weekend was no different so back to Friday morning.

With temps brisk in the lower 40's I headed out later than usual (7am) and opted for the 29'er SS on backroads down and around Morrisville and Stockton Lake. This weekend I signed up for the 6hr Spa City mtb event and needed to spend time churning on the Rig. By ride's end (3:15hrs later) it was in the middle 50's and felt incredible outside. I chose a route with tons of climbing (nothing super long like Branson, but short and sharp - 10 to 20% is the norm).

Jake came down with a nasty head/chest cold that is beating the crud out of him. That kid is having it rough regarding respiratory issues.

Friday evening we had a late 8:50pm game at The Courts and I stopped off at A&B Cycles before the game to pick up some 'transformation' parts. Skip, Jim, and Cale were there hooking of a bike to a blender in preparation for A&B's big party on Saturday night. Pretty funny watching them go at it and from what I understand 1:30mins at 300 watts creates the optimum margarita. On to the game where the kids took a tough loss (now 15-13 on the season). Rained the entire evening. We ended up getting to bed way to late but that was ok as the cold temps and rain continued on Saturday morning so everyone slept in late. After a huge breakfast that Deb whipped up I spent most of the morning in my shop working on nickle and dime projects that I had put off for too long: change out cleats on shoes, lubed a ton of stuff, cleaned and organized shelves, but most of all fiddled with the Rig and got is set up for gear'ed action (1x9). It is amazing how simple and quick (less than 5 minutes) it can swap from SS to 1x9 and that's exactly why I bought it in the first place. I picked up a Stan's ZTR with a tubeless Specialized Capt tire a month back to having the extra increases the ease.

Made my way to SBU's gym in the afternoon for a killer strength session and intended to ride an hour on the rollers when I got home, but got busy with some other stuff when I walked in and skipped riding for the day (see, it works out great when Friday rides take place).

The evening had us parked in front of the tube for the Duke vs UNC game. Ian was happy his boys put it to my Dukies, but that makes the season a 1-1 draw and hopefully they will meet at the ACC tourney for the DECIDER.

Finished up the night with SNL and really liked their 'Winning' bit of C Sheen; I like the group they have now (Haider and Sudeikis are great).

Sunday morning I hopped on the rollers early AM and knocked out a couple more episodes of season 5's 24. Ended up with 2hrs which included a nice mix of intervals; my truly first ones of '11. Legs felt pretty heavy and thick from the day's prior session.

Sunday school and church with some Mr. Wings afterwards made for a great morning/lunch time.

Knowing some extra mileage with next week's 6hr race coming up I met Dale at 2pm for some more spinning on the backroads (dirt and gravel). It was the maiden voyage of the 'geared' Rig while Dale was riding his 'cross bike. It was all I could do to keep up with him on the flats and climbing and after 3hrs I was cooked! We hit the same loop as Friday morning which ended up being 41miles with close to 3k of climbing; like I said earlier, nothing long, but tons of short steep stuff.

Ian and I hit the gym for a quick shoot around before coming back home for a restful evening. Both he and I started feeling a little twinge in our throats along with a sniffle in the nose and dreaded the morning.

.
Monday woke up to Ian's 10 year birthday and both of us feeling like crap. I took him to school, but about an hour later Deb grabbed him and he's been hanging out in my office all morning. We are heading home at lunch for some heavy snoozing and recovery and I don't figure to return the rest of the day. ***Ian sporting his new CP3 (Chris Paul) jersey in my office this morning***

So as I mentioned the Spa City (Hot Springs, AR) 6hr is this weekend and I am heading down with some SGF guys (Peter Krause and Mark Gullet). I have the grand plan to go pretty hard for the first two hours (to simulate a shorter mtb race) then cruise the rest and hopefully get in 5 laps (50 miles). I don't have the legs or mileage to try to 'compete' so it's a full on training day for fun. Oh, by the way it will be the first time for me on single track in '11, which is not good for me as I prescribe to the 'bull in a china shop' riding style instead of flow.

Got home yesterday and found our MWI Mad Alchemy in the mail; our own mix made up by the embro guru's. Looking forward to giving it a slathering and reporting back.

Blog Slacker

2011-02-23T14:33:00.000-08:00

I just realized my last post was February 18th!?!?!?! Slacker on the blog must mean busy doing other (more productive) things and that is definitely true. Super quick catch up...

Ian/Basketball: played tons of games and we are on a huge run (for us) and are 7 and 1 in our last two weeks bringing our season's record to 15-12. The boys are starting to function in their rolls really good and with 3 games left at The Courts and 5 at Rock Solid we could have a nice little closure to a rough start. We got 2nd in a recent tourney in Logan Rogersville a couple weeks ago which got the boys a little *bling*.

Jake: Still trying to get his 'running' legs under him after being off so long and he is struggling with it. He is seriously thinking of skipping track this year as it's never been a favorite of his (necessary evil) and is trying to find a trail marathon in late May or early June to run. He and I have had many heart to heart talks about his track season and it's pretty easy listening to him and his rationalizations as he is a sharp kid with a golden heart; the only thing keeping him in there is him being a captain and he doesn't want to let down any of the under classman and none of it is centered around his wants.

School is going pretty well for him and doesn't seem to be in too big of a hurry to graduate. He and a teammate are heading to DECA state competition next weekend.

DEB: We keep knocking out our foster/adoptive classes and we are really enjoying the information and find it quite interesting. Thursday evenings (6pm to 9pm) are not a drag at all and I actually look forward to it (never thought that would be the case). We are sneaking in some racquetball here and there and Deb is making leaps and bounds with how well she is playing; lots of fun.

Spent last weekend in Branson with our Sunday School group at a marriage retreat and we had a great time. The group's agenda is not an 'intensive' set of instruction, but more a solid topic of sessions with the emphasis on community and having tons of fun (which we always do). This year Deb and I shared in front of the group how attitude impacts our relationship/marriage and we had a fun time doing it (even though Deb was a little nervous prior).

Riding/Training: While I am not getting in monster long rides I am riding consistently and equally spending time on the core and in the gym. Feeling pretty fit, but you never know until you toe a line against others.

Last weekend after the retreat I hooked up with some Branson guys (Dathan, Kendal, Ty, and Chad) and they took me on a freaking roller coaster ride - straight up and straight down! Twice he hit over 55mph (way fun) and by rides end I was short a little bit of 50 miles, but got in over 5k+ of climbing. It was awesome as I felt good strength and was able to sustain good output without putting myself in the 'red' - encouraging to say the least. If these guys ever ask if you want to ride out to the airport just know it's going to hurt! Yesterday I found out a car hit Kendal while he was riding on Monday; bike it trashed, but thankfully Kendal walked away with just being 'roughed up'.

Not sure what my 'season opener' will be just yet, but trying to work out a race in Hot Springs on the 12th of March; a 6hr mtb event. Heaven knows I don't have 6hrs of racing in my legs, but I would like to go cruise a cool trail for as long as I can...

MWI event was cancelled due to lack of interest by other teams; bummer. I was not going to be able to make this event as I screwed up my calendar and forgot that was when we are taking the boys to Dallas for a quick spring break trip (a good buddy hooked us up with Spurs vs Mavs tickets and Ian is on cloud nine).

Looks like I'll hit Tour of Hermann (always like to support Jeff Y and crew) and Joe Martin in Arkansas. Funny I pick these as I am not a climber at all, but yet that is a big focus on each of these, oh well. I also have a handful of mtb events I hope to knock out like the Bone Bender, a race in Dallas (while we are there) and who knows what else.

Jake, Ride, Upcoming Races

2011-02-18T13:27:00.000-08:00

Jake got a little press in the local paper today for being selected as the Rotary Student of the Month (February). It is cool to share it with Hanna as they have been really good friends from the moment he moved to Bolivar (and she is an exceptional kid). As I have said many times before Jake has so many God given talents and he continues to use each in various ways as a quality kid. Deb and I are glad he is going to SBU (living on campus) as it's a perfect fit for him and not too far away from us. I am having a hard time already with the thought of not seeing him on a daily basis in 6 months.

Deb and I knocked out another 3hr Foster/Adoption session last night and it really is an interesting course that has enlightened my perception of 'the system'. I actually look forward to my Thursday evenings with this group. With each class we are more and more convinced God is pointing us in the right direction and has a special kid out there for our family.

Too nice out there today not to hop on the road so 2:20hrs later I returned from a solid tempo ride NE to Goodson, down to Van, and then back home. I am loving this weather! BTW - Yokozuna Reaction system is super slick and smooth; highly recommend it (especially for the price).

If you get the chance here are a couple races of special interest: Frozen Waffle on March 13th in the SGF (sadly the same day and time as Jake's XC Banquet so I won't race) and the MWI Gentleman's non-Race Race on March 19th in the KC area.

Busy weekend for us as Ian plays in SGF tonight, two games in Log-Rog tomorrow, and 1 game in Log-Rog on Sunday. He also is back to 'ball boy'ing' for the SBU men's basketball games (which he loves). Jake has an all-day academic competition (of sorts) at SBU tomorrow with the winner walking away with a full-ride (high stakes). The process includes writing an essay and then an oral board/interview in the afternoon. Other scholarships are given depending on outcomes and for being selected to compete he gets a decent chunk right off the bat (nice for my wallet).

Where's the Snow?!?!?!

2011-02-17T12:47:00.000-08:00

Crazy how this past weekend it was snow everywhere (deep snow) and by Wednesday you can barely see traces of it... guess that's what temps in the 70's will do.

Tuesday was a great day out so I skipped out of the office a little early and hit the 29'er on the Frisco... not the best choice. With all streets and roads clear and dry I decided to jump on the still snow-packed (over a foot in most places) FT. It was absolutely challenging staying upright as it was pretty slippery goings. After 30 minutes I couldn't take anymore so I moved over to some dirt back roads for light mud conditions (an improvement). 1:40hrs of fun challenging riding in great weather.

The little man had ball practice in the evening and when we got home found out Jake placed 2nd in a DECA Financial Management competition and qualified for State. Proud of 'the boy' and all his abilities; this is his second year in a row! The rest of the evening was pretty kicked back.

Wednesday was beautiful outside, but I knew it was going to be a busy afternoon so I hoped on the rollers for 2hrs in the AM and caught some more 24. Jake turned up sick overnight and stayed the day home while Deb took Ian to see a sports medicine group as a 'preventative' due to his foot structure similar to Jake's (jacked up). Sure enough they are fitting him with an orthopedic insole next week to help relieve some potential knee issues. Specialist was funny after looking at E's feet and said he had never seen such a youngster with such callused feet - "You must be one active kid"... he has no idea!

I spent the evening moving the Blue from 'cross mode to roadie. First time using the Yokozuna Reaction system and I have to say the setup is way easier than the sealed Gore I used last year. Brake cables are a tad stiff if you have to make some tight corners, but it was a non-issue for my setup.

Thursday AM was a big gym session and then at noon I grabbed a couple hours on the Rig putting in a sustained temp for 2hrs on the Frisco. The FT is perfect for days like today with 30mph winds as you are pretty much concealed. The surface was strange today as I expected it pretty mushy with all the snow just melting off of it (two days ago still packed), but to my pleasant surprise it was 90% bone dry (from all the winds). From time to time I hit a 'swamp' and it was tough going, but all in all a great workout; legs and body are feeling fit.

Deb and I knock out another Foster/Adoptive class tonight (only 12 sessions/36hrs more to go).

Two Weekend Update

2011-02-08T12:43:00.000-08:00

I have slacked on keeping his updated so here is a couple of weekends and last week in a nutshell...

Saturday morning Deb and I were up earlier than wanted dropping Ian off at a math competition at SBU. He is in an accelerated math program and was looking forward to what turns out to be a hugely attended event. Deb took him in to meet up with his school's contacts and when she came out she was laughing pretty hard... apparently when they walked into the main lobby area Ian said (out loud) "Hey, why is everyone Chinese?" Valid question and one our country's education system should address. Deb said over 70% of the competitors were either Asian or Indian.

Deb and I then grabbed our Saturday routine of breakfast at Brenda's before I dropped her back off at the competition and I hit the trainer. The roads were starting to clear up some, but still mostly snow/ice packed in and outside of Bolivar. After 1.5hrs of trainer time I said screw it and hopped on the 29er for a 'core' session outside. I referenced 'core' due to the massive body movements required to stay upright on such slick surfaces. The temps weren't too bad and I decided Sunday was fully dedicated to outside riding.

While I was out riding Deb returned with Ian (he got 5th in concepts and 9th in problem solving) and started working on a snow fort. Turns out Deb did most of the work while Ian (self designated designer) oversaw operations.

Sunday morning started with catching some Euro 'cross before heading to church. After church and a bite to eat I met up with Dale and we knocked out 2:45hrs of mtb'ing on the backroads of Polk County south around Morrisville. The warmth started melting the snowpack which made climbing and descending quite a chore with some funny slip'n'slide moments. Pulled up to the house to find Jake shovel'ed out his truck (monumental task as it was buried) and Deb and Ian were adding more to the snow fort.

After cleaning up my Deb, Ian, and I headed to some friends casa for the Super Bowl. Jake opted to watch with his friends at a different location. Good friends, football game, and most importantly FOOD!

Hit the gym early Monday for a strength workout and followed it up with some basketball at noon.

Ian's b-ball team (the one I coach) started a new 10 game session at a local sports facility (Rock Solid) and they won by 20 some odd points (even after I told them to quite scoring so much). This league is not as competitive as The Courts so we are using it as a 'practice' session.

Monday around midnight I woke up with some type of flu bug and ended up sleeping on the coach as to not expose Deb too much. This morning I still felt like crap, but I decided to come into the office this afternoon and I feel much better. Need to shed anything that might keep me from killing it this weekend in the forecasted 50* temps.

Tuesday I hung out at the house until noon when my stomach started feeling 1/2 way 'normal'. I felt much better as the day went along, so that evening Deb, Ian, and I went to an SBU basketball game wherein E-ball got to be a ball boy; he loved it!

It was lightly snowing when we went into the ball game and snowing a ton when we came out. Here we go again...

Wednesday morning around 4" of snow accumulated on top of the bunch still left from last week's dumping. Along with new snow was a significant plunge in the temps. School was out for the boys so Ian and I hit SBU for 1 1/2hrs of basketball. Later that night I jumped on the trainer and caught the Duke .vs. UNC game with Ian while Deb and Jake worked out at the gym.

Speaking of Jake, answer to many prayers has him back to running (lightly) with no pain in his chest. He says he feels back to normal and is looking to kill it on the track this spring. It is so good to see him healthy

Thursday I spent some time on the rollers at lunch and that evening Deb and I knocked out another 3 hour session of foster/adoption training. Good material made for a quick night.

Friday was an 'off' day and not much happened until 9:30pm when Ian's crew played at The Courts. It was the best our team had played (as a team) and lost to the only undefeated team on a shot with no time left... ARGGGG; second week in a row. So happy with how the boys are playing.

Saturday morning I caught the last of the Super Prestige races then the whole crew got up for breakfast at Benda's. Jake was particularly entertaining explaining his life goal of becoming a space craft captain (not to be confused as he pointed out being a star ship captain - entirely two different things).

Back to the casa and out on the road for a ride in balmy temps (mid-40's). Roads were all pretty clear except for going thru Morrisville (from the south) where the roads were still snow packed. I know you're a small town, but come on M'ville! Ended up with 3:15hrs on some hilly roads. Rolled up to the house to see Deb and Ian trying to salvage what was left of the 'fort' and also working on a new snowman...

Got cleaned up and we were off to an afternoon SBU ball game and watched the Bearcats get beat on. Deb and I got in some racquetball that evening before calling it quits for the day.

Sunday morning was church followed up with lunch at Bolivar's new 'wing' eatery (Mister Wings) then off for another ride. Headed off to Stockton Lake, Bona, Dadeville, Morrisville, over to 'old' Hwy 13, then home. Probably my last ride with 'cross gearing (42 single ring up front) as the climb up Bona and a handful of others were killing me and a lighter gearing was needed so on with the road rings this week. Ended up with 3:20hrs for the day in some mid-50* temps - finally!

***View from top of Bona Hill, which is a 20%+ climb, sample of 'flat roads' in Polk County***

The above picture (doesn't do it justice) is one of the coolest trees and I stop and check it out every time ride by it (between Dadeville and Eudora); about 90% of the base is 'open air'/unsupported above a creek, but it keeps growing.

Practice with Ian's ball team and then back home for a relaxing evening.

Lots of riding planned this week taking advantage of the forecasted temps in the 60*'s!!!!

Sledding on the Big Hill

2011-02-04T08:37:00.000-08:00

Ira and I took our boys out to the 'Nut, Rock, and Fruit Farm' hills yesterday for an afternoon of sledding. This area is one of our favs for gravel riding as it's super remote (a 15 minute drive outside of Bolivar) with little to no traffic; one hill is long and steep and you go crazy fast, the second is longer, but not as steep and is fun cruising. The grader came through and packed down the 'runs' and left 'bumpers' on the sides so no one could hit the ditches (perfect). Everyone shoots off and I follow behind in the Durango (at a hugely safe distance), pick everyone up at the bottom, drive 'em to the top, and do it again. Maximized the fun and time. Couldn't talk Jake into coming as he and snow/cold are not good friends.

Played some basketball at noon and then after sledding I jumped on the trainer for an elevated HR 1 hour.

Watched SBU beat on PSU last night and Ian got to play with the 5th grade team at half time against a 6th grade Bolivar team. It is so funny to see him (the smallest by far) guarding and blocking out guys way over a foot taller; the kid doesn't back down and mixes it up like he owns 'the paint'. He felt pretty good playing in front of a crowd.

***E-ball is the small kid playing defense on the top of the screen***

If the temps get above 20* I'll probably head out on the 29'er for a couple hours this afternoon on the backroads, but we'll have to see...

Teaser of Spring Then WHAMMO!!!

2011-01-31T13:31:00.000-08:00

What a teaser of warm weather this past weekend. Knowing Deb was heading out of town and my riding would be limited I got on the forefront of it and got in a solid 2hr ride on Thursday and then a great 3:15hr road (for the most part) cruise Friday afternoon. Legs are still heavy and snap is not there, but getting better ride by ride.

Saturday Deb headed off for a weekend with her sister at the Lake of the Ozarks and left us boys to fend for ourselves (not really it just sounds better for me that way). Jake, Ian, and I ref'ed several basketball games (Ian watched while Jake and I did it) at SBU for the Special Olympics groups. We do this every year and I love watching everyone of all abilities competing - AWESOME. Afterwards Ian and I knocked out some more trail cutting while Jake and Andee had an afternoon in SGF. E and I finished off our work with some Mr. Wings; a new wings place in Bolivar.

When we got back Ian wanted to clean out Jake's Rodeo as it was a junk pile so I said why not. Below is a 'before' picture AFTER his bike was removed (six PAIR of shoes were found...)

The rest of the evening was just kicked back and relaxing. E and I did end up watching Sponge Bob until 11pm which is entirely too much of SB!

Sunday got an early start with the men's 'cross world championships in Germany. I have no problem with Stybar winning although Nys was my sentimental favorite. Sven is a cycling stud, but between Pauwels, Stybar, and Albert it is time of a new era.

Church was quality with a message that hit me straight between the eyes. Afterwards we had a great 'soup' lunch with some families from our Sunday School group. E-ball had practice with the 5th graders (later he joined me) while I knocked some more trail cutting.

Deb got home mid-evening and the rest of the night was spent goofing around.

Monday AM got in a great core/lower strength workout at SBU, lunch had me playing an hour of basketball, then after a great homemade chicken & noodle I hopped on the rollers for an hour. The buzz of the day and evening was the anticipation of 'the big 2011 snow storm'; weather folks were going to look pretty stupid if they didn't get this one right...

Long and short of it - they got it right. Woke up several times Monday night to the sound of ice pellets against the windows and by morning the snow accumulation had begun. School for the boys was cancelled, but Deb and I headed on into the office. We shoveled the walk several times and the next it looked like it had never been done. The snow and wind where high all day and by night's end we had over 18" on the ground with huge drifts everywhere. The 4x4 Durango had no problem busting through the road to our house, but a little bit more and I'm not sure we could drive around.

Jumped on the rollers for 45min then shifted to a trainer for another 45min (two 24 episodes, which I finished up season 3). Walked into house and smelled yummy sweetness as Deb pulled some banana bread from the oven (how did I get so lucky to marry her????). Lots of laziness ensued for the rest of the evening.

Wednesday the boys had another day at home while Deb and I headed off to work (she and I work together if you didn't know). The plows came through over night and the roads in town are drive-able, but there is quite a bit of snow pack and ice still covering them; imagine the boys will be out of school for the rest of the week. The sun is out and it would be a great day to 'snow bike' or sled, but the temp is nasty at around 12* with a wind chill near 0* - not going out in this. Looks like a couple hours on the rollers tonight.

Weekend Basketball Action

2011-01-24T07:33:00.000-08:00

I saw this sign in a restroom recently and the wording struck me funny as my first thoughts were wondering if it was a subliminal propaganda message to "buy American"...

Friday afternoon Dale and I jumped out on the Frisco as the temps were a bit chilly and we wanted to stay out of the wind. With a couple inches of snow the ground was still pretty froze so we were able to cruise along pretty easy with just an occasional slipping and sliding. Solid 2hrs on the SS which was just enough as the temps were dropping as the sun did likewise.

Got back home just in time to change up clothes and head to SGF for Ian's basketball game at The Courts. Frustrating game as Ian hit a shot with 4 seconds left to put us up 17-15 before one of our players let a kid catch a long pass at the free throw line and he made it to go into OT. The 'frustrating' part was not the play, but the clear fact that the buzzer went off as the kid caught it (buzzer was off as he released the shot) and they still counted it. When I asked the ref for an explanation he said it was too good of a shot to take away from the kid so they were going to count it. We lost 20-17 in OT.

Saturday morning it was back to SGF for the a couple b-ball games in SGF as Ian was asked to play up in a 5th grade tournament (Ian is 4th grade). We, and he, totally expected for him to play a couple minutes here and there, but mostly ride the pine; to our surprise he ended up playing way more than sitting and ran point quite a bit. He wasn't outstanding in any of the games, but wasn't bad; he made no turnovers, passed the ball to open teammates, box'ed out well, and took a couple of shots (missed 'em, but were good attempts). E-ball was by far the smallest kid out there as there is a huge difference between his age (9) and the 11yr olds he played against. His team won both games so they played for the championship on Sunday. Deb, Jake, and I (and obviously the coach) thought he played well. Afterwards it was Chipotle then home.

***In fairness to Ian his layup was blocked - he doesn't shoot that bad EVER***

Saturday evening I played some cards with a group of friends and came out with a little 'fatter wallet' then when I walked in. I like playing poker from time to time, but nothing I would consider 'high stakes'. Typically our crew plays $5 or $10 buy in and we typically have around 10 playing. For us it by far more about hanging out and laughing than it is about the cards.

Sunday morning I caught the 'cross World Cup race while knocking out an hour of core work then Ian headed back to SGF while Deb and Jake took in church and Jake's Academic Awards Banquet. I hated to miss Jake's event as we try to emphasise grades as much as sports, but since that is mostly Deb's expertise and mine is... well let's sum it up as I went to SGF.

I am super proud of Jake's academic accomplishment as he really struggled with several aspects of reading/comprehension early in school and if you would have told me and Deb that he would have a 3.85 GPA after taking numerous honors/college credit classed I would have called you a liar. His determination (along with Deb's 'motivational' talks) to do well does not go unnoticed.

Championship game against Lamar didn't go so well as our team got spanked. Ian played way more than he sat (like the day prior) and went 1 for 2 from the field and played solid. Lamar had some quick guards and it was a bit intimidating as E did a bunch of the ball handling. Overall it was a great experience and helped Ian see how ball handling at his age is key to getting playing time. I would like to see him play 'up' a couple more tournaments this year and after his solid performance I imagine he'll be asked without a question.

***Easy to see how small E-ball is in this team picture. Always nice to leave with some bling***

I was graced (much sarcasm) with the following on the way home...

I got out for a couple hours in the afternoon and worked on a 'special project' (location undisclosed) cutting in some trails not too far from the house. It is unused land in a heavily tree'd area (not private property). In the end I expect to have nearly 2 miles or twisty single track perfect for 'cross bike handling work since the ground 100% dirt with little to no rocks (flowing smoothness). The nice thing about this is absolutely no cutting down anything, but simple trimming and clearing of some lower limbs and mostly removal of scrub growth. I figure a couple hours here and there and by before summer I'll have it done.

Sunday night was spent on the trainer (first time for '11) instead of the rollers while watching the Steelers .vs. Jets game. January has worked out well for me as I've been on the bike quite a bit simply rolling out some prep to get ready for a more focused 'training regiment' in February.

Snow Day Lunch Sledding

2011-01-20T12:42:00.000-08:00

With the boys out of school and the temps in the teens (-2* wind chill) I opted from the rollers during Thursday's lunch for a chance to do some sledding with Ian at SBU. We ran into Ira and his crew (wife and four boys) and it was on like donkey kong in attempting to obtain the 'longest run' record (for the day).

I love riding the mtb in the snow, but it was too chilly today; tomorrow looks to hit near high 20's so I imagine 2hrs on the Frisco is in order at noon.

*** The cause of the sudden yelp on the 2nd video was us finding a snow covered curb and it's inplanting in my... backside***

Weekly Check-In

2011-01-10T13:06:00.000-08:00

Quick check in...

Riding is pretty laid back, but going well (read more on down)...

Jake: Took 'the boy' to a sports medicine specialist regarding his breathing issues and he is cleared to start back up with some light exercise and building little by little. Use of a different medication for his asthma is the focus with a couple 'side' things to assist. Pretty cool that he was also able to be seen by another specialist about his recurring leg injuries while running on the track during the same visit. Seems his feet structure/design is pretty jacked up with regards to handling the load/force of running turns, but XC is fine. He has a follow up visit next week for a treadmill evaluation and then fitted for a custom insole. Their advice is to alternate directions if efforts must be done on the track, but to do most all running (efforts or not) off the track and save it only for race day. This was pretty much the same approach his coach took last year and it worked great (until the pleurisy).

Jake got a letter/package from SBU's cross country coach this week providing encouragement with his health issues and his hopes Jake would run for them next year. Jake had a funny little grin on his face with reading the letter and going thru the material; it was good to see as of late he hasn't had too much to smile about regarding running. He later told me that he will run for SBU next year, which was good to hear.

Other than that he banged out another straight A semester and the GPA continues to hold strong. He (part of a team) competed in an SBU sponsored marketing competition this week and was disappointed to not win.

Ian: Deb, Jake, and I attended his academic awards on Friday where in he too completed another semester of A's. He is half way thru Intermediate school with all A's and if he can hold it for three more semesters the principal gives out special awards (and a huge chocolate bar - no wonder our country is FAT). He is doing quite a bit of reading this year and has found some really good series he enjoys (even some non-sports oriented).

Basketball is cruising along and E-ball's play continues to develop, but from a team aspect we are struggling a bit with our record 5-8 so far. He played in a local tournament this past weekend and they went 1-2.

Deb and I enjoyed MLK,J day with a Brenda's breakfast and then being lazy around the house all morning. With the new Ipad the Scrabble has increased and it's always close. Speaking of the Ipad - that thing is awesome; Deb is reading non-stop on it and it works great watching Netflix while on the trainer.

Deb and I (and the boys) are taking on interesting new adventure in our lives as we started the process (and our first class) in becoming foster/adoptive parents. We both (separately) felt this is God's will for sharing the blessing provided to us. We are going through locals services and interested in a child 5-9yrs old. The course/certification takes around 4 months to complete (1 3hr session per week) and then who knows where things will go. The boys are fully supportive and understand it's important to share with those in need.

Riding is going pretty good for mid-January as the focus is simply riding this month and in February I'll start a 'program' for the spring mtb races. Getting in around 5 rides per week with the off-days spent playing some basketball. Seems I am spending quite a bit of time on the rollers and when I do get out it the Frisco Trail on the Rig (single speed) dodging the winds (I am good with cold, but not windy cold). Still on top of the strength training and feeling the effects. Got in a 3:15hr ride on Sunday which is just about as long as I care to ride in cold conditions.

Fun watching the C-dale boys at the world cup this past weekend; JPowers taking the start out was great. That looked more like a dirt crit than the recent events in Belgium and it is incredible the speed of the leaders. Nys isn't looking for sharp as of late and I am taking Stybar in Germany.

2011... Same Thing Different Digits

2011-01-05T13:22:00.000-08:00

I am starting to let some big gaps grow between posts... probably because not a lot is going on at the Jones Ranch.

Ian played a super game in a defeat at The Courts and our crew is gearing up for the second session (lasting into March). On the b-ball front Ian has expressed interest in playing basketball year round and while I don't mind it being his focus we feel he is too young to drop other sports unless he really doesn't want to play them. Such is the case for baseball where in he is a super good fielder and a decent batter, but at the last of the season he was hit by hard pitches several times and he is absolutely dead set on not playing (don't blame him as he got DRILLED!). He is going to play soccer (which is another sport he excelled) late spring until basketball starts in late summer.

We recently had Ian attend a 4th grade practice with the Program Select (basketball) in SGF and the coach wanted him to play for them starting right away, but since he was already committed to our Defenders we felt it was simply too much at age 9 (almost 10) to practice three nights a week and play one to two (let the kid be a kid is our policy). Deb and I figure next year we'll skip a Bolivar team and have him hook up with one of the competitive ones in Springfield as it will help develop his abilities. I goes without saying E-ball was disappointed not playing with Program Select now, but he understands our position.

New Year's eve was spent with good friends at the Evans' casa where 7 Up 7 Down was the game of choice along with discussions of a long time dead person recently signing his autobiography at a local auto dealer (funny only if you were there).

Back up and going on the bike(s) and speaking of such I recently bought a Trek (Gary Fisher) 29er Rig from the good folks at A&B Cycles in SPR. The reason I went the Rig route mainly focused on the fact it's a single speed that easily can run geared (cable stops already mounted). Spring mtb riding/racing around here is nasty mud and I got tired of breaking stuff so for the crap events I'll go SS and for dry I'll go 1 x 9. While I have yet hit the trails on the new steed I have played around at the city park on the single track and it took a little getting used to as I kept 'fingering' out for a shift. The fit is so much better than the small Trek I've been using and the 29'er wheels roll over stuff much smoother - I'm a fan.

So back to riding; the temps have been all over the place the last week with Friday being 60* and then Saturday and Sunday in the 20's. I rode each of these with the weekend cruises on the SS out on the Frisco. Yesterday I got our for a couple hours on the road and it was in the 40's. My plan for January is to ride consistent three days during the week for 1 to 1 1/2 hrs each and then try to get a 3hr road and a 2hr mtb (usually Sac, but also Honey Run) on the weekends. In February I'll start to ride with a bit of purpose, but not too serious until then.

My focus for 2011 is pretty much like the last two years (except no broken arms this year) with mtb racing from March to May, move to crit racing until August, then stop playing and focus on the real stuff - 'cross. I think I will try to knock out more mtb races than in the past. It's been years since I road raced (I don't consider crits road racing) and I don't plan to do any this year as it's working good for home-life to focus on events 1 1/2hrs or less. This means my 'long rides' are three hours and the rest is trying to develop strength and speed for 1hr efforts.

I am back to solid strength training with all of my upper stuff done at the house; high reps of push ups, dips, and chins (pull ups) three times a week do the trick for me without adding un-needed bulk. This year I added some plyometric movements after gym sessions for my lower and this is done twice a week. Core work is daily.

On the home front both the boys knocked out another semester of straight A's at school and hope for continue it this semester. Jake's anatomy class is cutting up cats and I don't think we've ever seen him so excited to get to school in the mornings. He said he'll start taking pics so I can post them here in the future (just a warning).

Jake goes to a specialist next week to have his lungs checked out in detail to see if he will be able to run in the upcoming months (spring track). He will be devastated if this pleurisy hasn't cleared out by March.

Deb is wonderful Deb as always (lucky for me). We have played a ton of Scrabble now that we have the Ipad and thus stayed up way tooo late way tooo many nights.

Christmas, Birthday, and Still Not on the Bike

2010-12-27T13:19:00.000-08:00

Kind of let some time slip by since my last entry so here's a Reader's Digest catch up:

Lots of time away from the bike, although I have ridden with Dale a couple times short and easy. Not a real strong desire to get back in a serious mode, so I am holding off until I feel the need (especially since it is all play until August).

Christmas with the Appleby side of the family was 'different' this year as Jake got sick the night before we were to get together so we ended up having our gift exchange at the SGF Holiday Inn. It actually was pretty fun and everything worked out great.

Office party at the Metropolitan Grill was great and followed up at Green Leaf for a topper. Jim surprised us with an IPad, which was awesome (and a bummer all at the same time). A couple days earlier I purchased a 'tablet/e-reader' for Deb and now there was no need for it as the IPad does the same thing (except on steroids over the one I purchased). No big deal as I returned my gift and Jake and I did some last minute shopping and ended up getting Deb some great stuff anyway.

Jones Christmas went pretty smooth with a couple days spent at mom and pop's house with Jim's (my bro) crew. Temps got pretty darn chilly, but the 'potential' snow and ice never developed.

Christmas eve is always a fun one at our house even with the boys getting older. The usual 'sugar cookie' baking for Santa was done and everyone pitched in. This was the last year Ian will believe in Santa, although he was pretty much wise to us but didn't want to admit it just in case...

So Deb and I get to sleep super late after getting things ready and I was looking forward to a good night's sleep when at 3AM the lights come on and there is Ian (amped to the 100th degree) ready to rip open some presents. We convinced him it was to early, he crawled in bed with us, and then Jake appears (woken from Ian's outburst) and says "we might as well do it since we're all up" so after a short deliberation we are all up and to the Christmas tree to see what was delivered. After the reading of Luke (the true Christmas story) everyone ripped in. Around 4AM Deb and I staggered to bed; Jake did likewise while Ian cranked up the Madden '11 and got to business.

Woke up around 9:30am and Ian was still going strong, but now with NBA Live '11. Deb's Monkey Bread was top notch this year and got me through the morning. The rest of the day was perfect with lots of lounging in PJ's until late afternoon, watching some Christmas classics on the tube, playing tons of games, and eating lots of great food. On the downside the boys got me Modern Warfare Black Ops so I can kiss any hopes of sleep goodbye for at least two weeks (I love these series of games), but on an up note feel comfy and cozy in your beds knowing I am defending this nation from those digital images who test our resolve...

Sunday after church we (Deb, Jake, Ian, and Andie) met Jim and Linda for a movie afternoon. The adults took in True Grit (great remake and JBridges is incredible) while the kids caught Narnia. Afterwords I pounded some crab legs for an early b-day feast at 'the lobster'.

Now it's Monday, Dec 27th and I turned 43 today. I don't feel 43 (at least what I envisioned 43 being when I was younger) so that's a good thing. Birthdays get to me a little, but not near as bad as it was a couple years ago. I had a super 'cross season and physically I feel as good as when I was in my 20's (just takes a little bit longer to recover...).

Starting to get itchy to be back on the bike, which that was what I was waiting for. The temps are supposed to be nice toward the end of the week, but rain in forecasted so we'll see if I hold off til January 1 or jump back this week. I don't have anything really significant race wise in late winter/early spring outside of routine mtb races so I am in no hurry to drill it on the trainer/rollers, but will start soon enough.

Killing Time (and starting to freak out)

2010-12-09T08:28:00.000-08:00

It's Friday, six days since I last straddled the Blue, and I'm already bouncing off the walls to do something cycling related; yes I still work my core and play basketball but not the same. I say this because every year after the last 'cross race I break down all my bikes for maintenance and don't re-build until Jan 1. I do this to to give myself a mental and physical break and avoid burnout by March... It's worked great in the past, but for some reason I don't feel tired or ready for down time so I'm going to keep the mtb together and get in some fun trail time for the remainder of December. Deb already asking if there isn't some place I can go and ride/race, which means I'm getting irritable (sorry sweetheart).

Speaking of Deb, I want to thank her so much for letting me disappear weekend after weekend for the last three months while I played 'racer'. You are awesomely patient and I can't imagine too many other wives letting a husband do what you let me do - THANKS!!!! ***I should just copy this section and keep it to 'paste' throughout 2011***

The Year in Review is pretty uneventful for the most part, but here's the highlight:

- Ran SwampStomper 25k with Jake in Memphis (3rd year) in January
- Hung up the running shoes and hopped on the bike
- Handful of mountain bike races coming up
- Broke arm riding with Ira in Arkansas and riding is done for six weeks
- Bored out of my mind, but started riding one-armed on the trainer
- Finally raced (in May) at local Waffle event
- Played catch up and got my butt handed to me at The Breakthrough races
- Still building speed/strength but suffered at Tour of Lawrence
- Got to know SRAM warranty dept (a couple of times)
- Local road (Waffle - St John's boys) and mtb short track series (A&B crew) was a blast and got me moving with some fire in the belly
- 'Cross starts great but mechanical @ Hermann left me frustrated (and camperless)
- Traveled to KC area most weekends and once to STL
- Raced better than have in years so I did a lot of Open/A and 2/3 events.
- Tulsa was a blast, but dusty and tons of flats
- STL is... STL (lame courses compared to west coast, but fast dudes)
- Jingle Cross is incredible (a staple from now on) and first REAL course/conditions requiring bike handling, which worked out well for me
- Disappointing flat legs at State and finished well off the leaders
- Had my share of 'mechanicals' this year with some user error and others fluke stuff

THE MOST FUN I'VE HAD IN YEARS RACING MY BIKE and also got to know some new quality fellow racers!!!!!!

Upcoming 2011 looks to follow the path of the last couple years with mtb'ing late winter/spring, shifting to crit racing late spring/summer killing time until the FOCUS ('cross). Trying to figure out some finances to allow purchase of a 29er single speed for mtb'ing, but that is a far reach.

MWI has some exciting news coming out in the following weeks and I look forward to another year as part of the Jackalope Herd (don't know if 10 is a herd, but you get the idea).

Down When It Counts...

2010-12-05T06:19:00.000-08:00

Yesterday was the MO State Cyclocross Championships in KC (specifically E.H. Young Park - same location as Boss Cross #1). I had hoped for a more 'technical' course or one with tougher conditions (i.e. Rain, snow, or mud) as I do not excel on dry fast courses and as it turns out precipitation all week was 0% and sure enough it was lightening fast.

The Cat 3 field was pretty loaded with the likes of A Wiens, P. Kraus, J. Schilling, K. Ricke and a handful of others from STL whom I didn't know and the win could come from any of us. My money was on A Wiens as he had been killing it all season, but he was a KS resident which left the MO Champ still open. For this I figured P. Kraus and J. Schilling would be at the front end of it along with myself (at least I had hoped).

MO State was a focus for my season, as one would expect, and all week I did the right things to recover from three days racing in Iowa (Jingle Cross) the weekend prior and keeping some snap in the legs with lite efforts. Monday was rest, Tuesday was a lite 1 hr spin on the trainer, Wednesday a lite basketball session to get the HR up some followed with a lite 45 spin on the trainer, Thursday was spent on the SBU 'cross course for 1:30hrs with a handful of efforts, and Friday was a lite ride with some quality openers. I had done all the right things with food and sleep and frankly I felt really good going into Saturday; even prepped the bike with new cables (much needed after Iowa) and she was shining and spinning great.

Friday evening was a late game at The Courts for Ian's b-ball crew which didn't turn out so great as we got beat again (2-4 so far). Ian played solid as always, but a couple of our quality kids from last year don't seem very into it this year and that's where we are getting beat. Not too big of a deal as they are 9 yrs old with many years to go... 9 years old, I can't even remember what I was doing then, but I assure you it wasn't competitive sports at Ian's level.

Since I didn't race until 2pm Saturday morning Deb and I snuck in a Brenda's breakfast before picking up Dale and his daughter Mary for the cruise to KC. Dale (Cat 4 - 40+) and Ira (single speed) raced at 1pm. When we arrived and opened the car doors we found it pretty chilly out (car showed 35*), but what made it brutal was the freaking freezing wind blowing!

Got in a good warm up while Dale defended his Boss Cross lead (the orange jersey staying in SWMO) and nabbed the state champ jersey in his category. Ira raced the single speed in proper 'SWMO attire' for the first time and he finished well.

Front row call up with the usual suspects (minus Peter) and off we go... Quickly slid into third or forth place for the first lap without much trouble and then to third wheel as A Wiens was riding away (he's a KS guy so it was no big deal). I hooked up with K Ricke, who had been riding well all season, but he was not pushing the pace like I hoped and before I knew it a long line of contenders were on us. The next couple of laps I lead some and set in some to see how things were going. For the first time of the 'cross season for some unknown reason I was not 'clean' through the dismounted sections which is usually my strength; I kept clipping wheels over the barriers and mishandled my bike several times during the runs (what the heck, this was not good). A Hub guy (MO resident) had rolled off the front and had a little gap on us, but nothing I thought that couldn't be brought back. After a lap or two (half way thru) it was two STL guys, Peter K, Cam Rex, and I chasing the Hub racer (turned out to be Rock Wamsley - a solid mtb'er) until I started losing power in my legs... uh oh! The group would gap me on the open power sections and I would rejoin on the tighter twistier stuff, but that didn't last long before they gaped me and I couldn't bring it back. With 3 to go I focused on one of the STL guys (Sam Moore) who had dropped of the group ahead and with with 1/2 lap to go I caught and passed him to finish 6th on the day and 4th in the MO standings. Rock took the state jersey (and second overall) while Peter was third on the day and second in MO; J Schilling finished 5th and 3rd in MO.

Frustrating to have only my second 'off' day of a 20 race season on the one that mattered the most and for the life of me couldn't figure out why my technical/dismounted stuff felt so out of place - weird! After a little 'pout' time I got to thinking about the season as a whole how it was hugely successful and all the fun over the past 2 1/2 months. It was a solid field and the best guys won/placed high - congrats to them.

Loaded up the crew, took out my disappointment at Gates (helped tons), then headed home - done for the season...

With another day of cold temps on tap for Topeka on Sunday I licked my wounds (oddly enough I have a major gash on my mid-thigh and a large contusion on my Achilles that I don't remember happening) and called it a season. I have no doubt A Wiens will take care of business and make it two to two (good luck, bro).

Later in the week I'll knock out a season recap and 2011 outlook.

Jingle Cross Weekend

2010-11-29T07:06:00.000-08:00

Holy Cow, where to start?!?!?!

Saturday morning bright and early I headed north and met Crusty in KC for our trip to Iowa City, IA for my first time to Jingle Cross Rock - three days of racing.

Arrived on site and the first and foremost issue was the freaking cold temps (mid 20's). First time meeting the Wisco side of MWI (and they are a great crew - fun and more fun). Mike and Jess has our tent area dialed in and so nice to have a warm/wind blocked place to prep. Took a quick tour of the course (on foot first) and it was all pretty straight forward except the descent of Mt. Krumpet; steep, turny, and slick. Kitted up and took a pre-ride and the only issue was finding a line down Krumpet, which I actually found a line to my liking and felt pretty confident in my ability to ride down (and not run like most).

Time to line up and this year they split the 2s and the 3s for results purposes and had us (Cat 3's) go 30 seconds after the 2s. Both Crusty and I were on the front row and we had a good start with me taking the initial hole shot and Crusty sliding to the lead after the first set of turns. I was sitting third wheel for a bit then put in an effort and took to the front again as someone clipped Crusty's wheel taking him out of the race (literally rolled his tubie and took a ground shot to his shoulder). From there on it was pretty much trying to hold on as crazy fast guys were blowing by me on the flat straights only for me to catch most on the descent as I rode it every time clean (except for one bobble when a guy crashed in front of me). With the race only 40 minutes (used to going an hour) I didn't make enough of an effort early on to stay close to the leaders and finished 9th (official results posted Friday night had me at 9th, but Saturday I looked again and I was 11th - not sure what changed).

Fun tough race climbing Krumpet and finally (with the exception of HPT) got to race on something other than dry grass.

During the Pro race I pitted for Andrew Coe who was taken down at the start. limped in for his pit bike, and then went about reeling folks in to finish in the 20's (great work for first UCI pro race). It is crazy impressive how fast the top riders fly!

***The following clip was during the Pro race and it doesn't show justice to how steep Krumpit actually is and the final pic is a huge sausage handup on the second day during the runup***

Back to the hotel where I shared a room with 'Chili' who is a super fun teammate and one heck of a racer. Diner at a local sports bar and lots of laughs with the whole crew. Ross and Mo were lots of fun. Hit the sack and try to reload for day 2.

After breakfast at Crusty's 'hippie-mart' we all headed over to a slightly warmer (low 30's) course and after a 'walk' around the course I had a little bit of a smile going. Saturday's course was loosening up more and even the slightest bit of climbing was super hard to find a line that didn't slip and slide all over the place, but after watching some of the masters I got a feel for what I thought would work (and it did later). Additionally, there was a super long, steep, and muddy run up to get to the top of Mt. Krumpet (with more climbing once back on the bike) with a super fun and fast descent. I like anytime off-the-bike running/climbing is in play.

Second row start and I didn't get off the line well at all and was way back quick. Taking my time and regulating my riding/running at MY tempo I started bring folks back pretty quickly and with two laps to go was well within the top 10 and probably more likely 7th or so when my Egg Beater pedal came off the axle - ARG!!!! Luckily a teammate (thanks Chili) had set his bike in the pit in case I needed it and boy did I. Between the flyover and the pit I lost count of how many passed me. Quick bike change and off chasing. Was able to overtake some who passed and finished 12th (I'll take it considering). I bring extra of everything so I was able to replace the pedal and have it ready for Sunday.

*** Me behind A. Wiens; a familiar sight all year for me ***

Had a ton of fun up on the mount watching the women and men's races as the chaos was brewing and pumping full on.

Chow in the evening with the team and then it was early to bed. Legs started to feel the two days.

Day 3 and the descent down Krumpit was ridiculous (steep and super slick) and decided to bag the good fortune I had so far and not race. Hung out watching other races and with 40 minutes to the start of the Cat 2/3 the officials made an announcement Mt. Krumpet was taken out of the course and a 'short course' would be used. Quick trip back to the team tent and it was go time. Kitted up, warmed up (some), and over to the line for the start...

My best start of the weekend and a good overall race ensued. Legs never really felt fatigued and my driving skills were spot on for the muddy and slippery course; finished 7th (and quite a ways up in the 2's).

After camp breakdown Crusty and I were on the road south and just a little before 10pm I was pulling into my driveway.

Great weekend of racing and hanging out with some fun teammates (and wives). Also got to catch up with some of the local (KC) guys and always enjoy racing/chatting with Andy W (Craig Hoppe - I looked for you and kept missing u). Already looking to make sure I get to Madison and Loouuuvul next year; oh, and Jingle is a permanent fixture on my schedule from here on out.

Lite week on the bike with a handful of buildups on Thursday before MO State Champs in KC this weekend. Hoping for rain and/or difficult conditions to take the advantage away from the 'grass crit' riders and make them actually have to drive a bike. Either way I am feeling fit and ready for what should be a fun and challenging race.

Keith Walberg makes awesome video's and below is his work from Jingle Cross

Jingle Cross Sunday-2010 from Keith Walberg on Vimeo.

Stick To the Plan

2010-11-22T12:28:00.000-08:00

For the past month I have stuck to my 'plan' leading up to Jingle Cross and MO State Champs and it seems like it's having positive results. So this past weekend was supposed to finish off a hard two week 'last push' big block of training with no racing on the agenda... but, that was before I found out we were heading to a family gathering in STL and Bubba #9 was on the way home (ok a bit out of the way, but none the less do-able). So finish out the solid week and now it's Friday night and I'm bustling around trying to get my race stuff together... wait a minute, this is not what was planned; shake yourself and stick to it. Long and short after that, dropped all my gear and Saturday morning loaded up the family with no riding paraphernalia. Stick to the plan!

After a solid run/ride on Monday I grabbed a 1:40hr tempo ride to Stockton Lake at noon on Tuesday and Wednesday played an hour of basketball and rode a bit after work.

Thursday AM was a solid hour interval session on the trainer before work and at noon I alternated hot/recovery laps on the SBU ball field course for 1:30hrs. Thursday evening Ian and I shot at the gym before enjoying a relaxing evening of vegg'ing in front of the tube.

Friday afternoon I jump out for a couple hour ride on the Frisco Trail. It was crazy windy and the FT provides a great sheltered path for recovery rides. Later that evening we were at The Courts for Ian's game in which we got slaughtered by the best 4th grade team I had ever seen. Our guys didn't play bad, but not really well either; good to have that done and over with. My mom and pop were in attendance and always good to see them there.

Saturday morning we all slept in before heading to STL. Deb's side of the family gathered for a (early) Thanksgiving meal, which Linda and Deb did a great job preparing (especially Linda's apple dumplings). After the evening meal everyone except Ian and I headed to watch Harry Potter at the theater. At age 9 we are still hesitant to take him to shows above his head or that might be a little 'much' for him. That was fine as he and I were on a quest to find a sports bar, er, eatery showing the Spurs game. We never found one, but settled for Indigo Joe's chowing on Nachos and watching the Arkansas .vs. Miss State game. Fun evening hanging out with my little man.

Sunday was pretty much all about Jake as Deb and I took him to the Bodies Exhibition. If you haven't seen this than you need to; it was incredible and absolutely educational. After that we did some shopping for my oldest and hit 5 Guys (hamburger and fries) for a late lunch. Back to Mandee's to snag Ian and hit the road home.

I stepped out of the car at 6:52 and by 7pm I was on the bike for a night ride with Ira and Nate. 30 miles (10 mile lighted loop) in absolutely great temps (bit windy) was a perfect way to finish off the weekend.

A couple of lite rides and efforts this week before heading to northern Iowa for Friday, Saturday, and Sunday racing at Jingle Cross. Temps are looking a bit coolish (ok, stinking cold!!!) and hopefully rain/mud will hold off. I am not expecting to win any of the Jingle races, but do hope to ride at my highest level this year and finish where I may; same with the MO State race as I'd like to be top 5.