Not The Late Night We Hoped For...

Dale, Ira, and I met mid-afternoon yesterday and knocked out our Wednesday intervals. We headed to the YMCA ball fields this round as there is a long stretch of open gravel parking lot/road we through in the mix in anticipation of whats being referred to as a 'UCI styled' course at Chris Cross this Sunday. Apparently that mean pretty wide open with less technical tight turns and more simply 'on the gas' type riding; not my forte, but who knows. Dale showed up on his new Colnago with the white mag TRPs (simply pimp) and was loving it. Ira was feeling the 'new bike' envy...

Deb headed out with Marla on a good ride after work while Ian and I played a bunch of football in the yard. Randy W. stopped by on the Orbea and new clipless shoes for a quick chat; he's loving the ride.

The early evening was filled with a little bike maintenance for a couple local ladies before their Bass Pro ride. The rest of the evening was dedicated to watching the Cards lose their opener and to top off the night Jake wandered in our bedroom around 12:30am and promptly began chucking up his guts until around 5am. Deb was up with him most of the night and she is sleeping in this morning. Needless to say there is no Buffalo XC meet for him today. We are hoping this passes quick and he regains his strength as the Conference Meet is on Tuesday (at Nixa) and he is likely in the top 5.

New Hat - Race Promoter

So here is my first-time shot as a race promoter. Jake's BHS (Bolivar High School) Cross Country team is growing in numbers by leaps and bounds and historically has been (like the majority of XC programs in small school America) a step-child to the high-n-mighty Football and Basketball programs. Coach Bandy is challenging this mentality by running an incredible program which is 100% positive reinforcement and open to every ability of athlete; no one is 'not good enough', doesn't make tryouts, and most importantly doesn't sit the bench - everyone runs every meet.

In support of this program we (a handful of active minded parents of harriers) have put together a support base to ensure Coach doesn't have to deal with issues such as fund raising and pre-race meals & snack coordination. Earlier this year we solicited sponsorship for the Bolivar Invitational and ended up clearing over $1,500 for the program; needless to say we overshot our goal! These funds help buy tents/canopies for shelter at meets, offset some of the new uniform costs, and provide 'scholarships' for summer running camps for those who might not be able to afford it. The kids currently do not have team warm-up clothing and hopefully they will get them next year through our efforts. We have another fund raising opportunity next at the end of this month with the sale of t-shirts at the district XC meet here in Bolivar.

From the onset of getting to know Coach Bandy we have kicked around the idea of hosting/promoting trail running in the SWMO area as we are both huge fans and recognize the lack of off-road events in our specific area. We applied for permission to use Sac River Trails (a long and tedious process with the SPR/Greene County Park Board) as it is easily accessible and the established trails give a ton of course options. The main focus on this event is the high school runner who is looking for an event between MO State XC and The Footlocker's Regional Qualifier (in Wisconsin - Jake and crew went last year and are going back) and in doing this we are keeping the entry fees to $10 for 18yrs and below or older with an active college ID; $20 for adults. We also added in a free 1mile fun trail run. We looked at various dates and none seemed to fit our schedules until we finally said enough is enough and we have to get one on the calendar. I contacted Eric Johnson (long time fitness guru and manager of The Starting Block - an SPR running store) and together came up with the Liberator Trail Race (see below). We wanted something longer than a 5k, but short enough Joe-Runner could show up and complete. We have no idea what to expect in way of attendance, but you have to start somewhere and this is our start.

So, if you are a runner and tired of the asphalt every weekend then come out and support BHS XC.



If you are a 'crosser then you noticed there are no races on the 14th, but will make the following day's event in KC - strategic planning.

Routine Monday

Hopped out at lunch and got in a couple middle-range efforts (30min then a 40min) with the first on a section of the Frisco looping back into town on a roller dirt road then finished the latter one on a circuit at the Bolivar City Park. There is a short, but decent loop of twisty up and down single track trails that skirt the outer limits of the park. If you go gate to gate is takes roughly 6:30mins so I made continuous horseshoe shaped loops for 40 minutes. Good bike handling and short power bursts get a workout there. Today is just a low-effort steady hour on the SBU ball fields 'cross course with 4 dismounts per loop just to keep the turn skills going along with the dismount/remount.

Deb and I shut down the office a little early and watched some of Jake's XC practice. They were on the track (first time this year) for a 1 mile blast followed with 20 minutes light run and then 6 (for Jake, the rest did 5) 800 meter repeats at just above race pace. Jake was turning his 800s in the high 2:20s and looked pretty smooth and consistent.

Ian and I jumped over to my intramural game where... drum roll please... we won again (but this time we were scored on).

We got home just in time to sit down to a great meal (Chicken Alfredo Linguine) and one of the most fun dinner conversations in some time. Everyone was in a great mood and the boys were being goofy as every.

E-ball and I watched Favre take it to the Packers (until it was his bedtime) and then Jake, Deb, and I caught up on out favorite Monday evening shows. Jake has a little cough in his throat so 9:30pm he was out.

Got out at lunch today and rode a steady pace for 1 hr on SBU ball field 'cross course, which includes 4 dismounts/remounts and 2 sharp hill climbs. Pretty slick and a little muddy out there, but great for practice in those conditions. Didn't let the HR rise up too much as big effort day is tomorrow. Word on the web is that Chris Cross is a hammer course with lots of open straights. I was pretty sad in those sections at Hermann, but thought I actually gained some ground on others in those sections (little as they were) at Diamond so it will be interesting to see how I go. I much prefer the tighter twisty courses, but hey, you got to race on what is provided. I'm looking to cruise the masters race and get a feel of it and hit the 3's hard and make up some series points.

Some awesome news is that Ernesto 'Clause' came thru Bodunklivar yesterday and brought Dale his Colnago 'cross bike. I am heading over this evening to witness the build.

Funny thing I ran across on YouTube.com - Evolution of Dance; click HERE

The Way Family Weekends Are Supposed to Be

So I skipped a couple cross races in KC this weekend and figured it would really start bothering me by Sunday afternoon, but you know what... it didn't. Guess that's why it's a hobby that comes behind family and not much more. As posted below, Jake won his first XC race and obviously the rest of the day he was on cloud nine, Deb and I spent some quality time together, and more balls were tossed and hit with Ian than a person could count. I got in a light ride on Saturday and a light run on Sunday (it's Monday morning and I feel rejuvenated and ready to hit it hard early this week.

Speaking of Sunday: Randy came by with the Orbea and we got him dialed in. He is having a ball on his new rig and I suckered another one into the fold of riding. Deb and Ian hit Sunday school while I skipped and hit up Jake for a light 4 mile run. He was still dead asleep when I asked if he wanted to go;; it was around 9:30am. I expected to hear a growl and end up going alone, but to my dismay as I was heading out the door there he was ready to go. He knows these times mean the world to me and that I would trade most anything anytime for those few minutes of striding, huffing and puffing, laughing, and catching up on guy stuff together. He likes to keep the pace just above my comfort level and stick it to me from time to time and then apologize like he just wasn't paying attention -I know he knows what he's doing; I used to do it to him. What do they say about paybacks...

He and I cleaned up and made it to 10:45 service where I linked up with Deb and Ian. After services the Jones' crew ate in the Fellowship Hall as our Youth Minister laid out this year's plan and schedule. Have I ever mentioned how much I like T&S Jones... some of my favorite folks with whom I initially would have never figured would tolerate my goofiness (it's a given everyone likes Deb so I am usually the 'deal breaker'). I always look to share a table or sit close by them at church stuff for the shear entertainment value.

Got home just in time to do a whole lot of nothing before heading off to E-ball's basketball practice. The kids love when we use SBU's main court. I am liking me crew for this season as they are some scrappers and battlers. Ian had one of his buddies over for COLOSSAL NACHO night. The rest of the evening was pretty low key and just the way we like it.

Oh, I did replace the passenger side window electronic motor (and supporting hardware) so after only 8 months it is back to regular. By the way, that is quite the accomplishment seeing how I am not a 'fix it' kind of guy.

Right before fading off to sleep Deb and I both commented on what a quality family weekend we had. It honestly seems like he have quite a few more than not so good. It's easy when you have quality kids and a hot wife... I mean a wonderful, caring, nurturing, who am I kidding I meant hot!

I thought little about 'cross this weekend, but am itching to hit Chris Cross next weekend in KC. I caught some of the Glouster and World Cup coverage and am wondering if Sven has finally hit the wall and if Albert is the new Nys as he looks it early on.

My Boy

So I woke up around 5am and could hardly get back to sleep knowing Jake had a shot at winning his first cross country meet at Halfway. It was like Christmas morning and I couldn't wait for him to open his 'present'. Coach has loaded the workouts for the last two weeks and this was a perfect weekend for a small local low-key meet to get in some race pace and good finishes for team.

The pic to the right is Jake and some crew at Friday evening's pre-race meal (this time at the Tweedy's home).

We (Deb, Ian, and I) hoped over early to watch the JV race and right off the bat the theme for the day was WINDY. The course was pretty routine with some decent light but lengthy rollers and generally a solid course. Jake's race was after the JV and Varsity girls. He took the lead from the gun, ran solid, and finished a good minute ahead the 2nd place. His team easily took the overall. I asked how it went during the race and Jake said he is so used to running after/down those ahead and relatively running off their pace that he felt unprepared on keeping his own tempo; he preferred running with others to push him harder, but liked the result of being alone - HA! He was beaming (and so was a certain female member of the team). There was quite a turnout from Bolivar and Jake was soaking it in (so was his folks and brother).

So asked why I didn't race 'cross today I just chuckled inside and thought I would trade all 'cross races to not have missed Jake winning his win. Could go tomorrow for Boss Cross #2, but no one else is going so a weekend off is good considering this is about the only one until the middle of December; next weekend is Chris Cross in KC.

Got home after a quick lunch and Jim and I headed out for a little over an hour on the bikes. It was windy and a little chill in the air. The rest of the day was super low-key with a little basketball, football, and golf (whiffle ball style) in the backyard with Ian. Jake cruised down to SPR with some friends to finish off a great day.

Proud Dad & Mom

Just found out Jake was selected to the National Honor Society. That kid is blessed with so many gifts and talents. It is fun watching his growth into adulthood as he has so much to offer.

Ira and I hit our weekly interval workout at SBU yesterday and the winds played havoc having me at snail's pace a couple times with a 180 HR - brutal.

Intramural football game last night ended with an inadvertent stiff-arm blow to my nose (hard to miss that) that buckled my legs. I haven't been hit that hard in a long time (Deb has thought about it several times, but shows great restraint - HA). We won pretty easily and are still undefeated for the season - old guys rule!

Friday Night Lights in store for this evening as it's always a good time. Ian's got tons of buddies that go and we usually don't see him until after the game. Tomorrow's XC meet is pretty small and looks like J might pick up with first 'W' Coach loaded them up this week so we'll have to see how it goes.

Scott and I rolled the blog title this morning and my initial word for the ride was - COLD. It was in the low low 40's this AM and it still felt it on departure. As the ride progressed it warmed up some and finished it off with only arm warmers as extras. Nice low effort pace for 47(ish) miles in 3hr ride time. Gave him the 'south' dirt road tour and threw in an abandoned bridge and 'no trail' climb (which he cleared on first attempt, while I dabbed once). Good ride and conversation.

Bummer about Chicago passed over for the Olympic bid; maybe should have sent ex-Govenor Blagojevich instead of Oprah since he understands the 'bid process' IOC style. It would have been awesome to have it so close.

DIAMOND BLACKFAN VIDEO here.

Switch-er-oooo

No, not THIS one; I'm talking about heeding Scotty D's instruction (sort of) and getting the front derailleur back on (for now). After the chain drop twice on last weekend's race I put in an order for a Pauls keeper early Monday morning. By Wednesday I had not received notification it was shipped so I contacted the online shop and was told it was on back order (even though I was told it was 'in stock') with no ETA on delivery. I checked 20 shops and none had it, but a group out of Sacramento, CA called me back late last night (yes, that's right - 9:30pm) to let me know he found one and it will go out this Friday - sweet. Until then I'm using my front d as a guard (without shifter cable); moved the 42t to the outer ring and after some test rides/alterations it is set up. Rode 30min this morning (in light rain) and got it pretty much dialed in, but will get the real test at lunch today as Ira and I hit SBU for weekly intervals (missed it yesterday as work piled up and still felt big gear effort from Tuesday).

Tuesday after work I dropped by Jake's XC practice and watched the pain - 7 x 1 mile repeats. The allergens were super high and Jake was struggling with his asthma, but was keeping his repeats to 5:30-5:50 range (first on at 5:20) with minimal recovery between. Frustrating to watch him far ahead of the rest with no one to push him; he is doing everything pretty much on his own. Tuesday evenings b-ball practice went really good and E-ball skill level continues to increase. I think having our 3rd graders practice/workout with a 4th grade team is really bringing out his best. He is stoked as his first pair of 'Jordans' are supposed to arrive today.

Wednesday had me busy at work so no riding. Picked Ian up after work and we drove over to some east Bolivar country roads to provide a little moral support for Jake Wednesdays are his long runs. We ran into him (not literally) as he was a couple miles out from finishing a 14 miler; once again he was alone as the others went around 10. That made for a 18 mile day (4miles in the AM) and his rear end was dragging by the time he got home. Deb was out on a ride with Marla so I whipped some dinner together (OK, so Deb had it all ready and I just had to combine and heat it) as Jake grabbed some 'to go' since he was already late for Focus (church youth worship). Got all my yard work done and the rest of the evening was low key (little football catch with Ian, folding some laundry, slapping the derailleur on the rig...

Early AM ride in light rain to dial in the new setup. The day started off great.

Just a couple observations:

#1 Is it a good thing to have less than 40% completion rate in Adventure Races? Sure, the ones that finish feel a sense of accomplishment, but as a promoter it seems like the 'I'm going to conqueror it next year' .vs. 'screw that' with such a high entry fee is weighted toward a decline in attendance. Seriously, put on an event with an over 80% completion rate and I swear they will keep coming back (and even bring more). The day of 36hr 'local' racing is a dying breed and events like Castlewood (5-8hrs) is the cash cow (for everyone)... and I don't want to hear about 'staying true to the true AR'ing'.

#2 What in heck is wrong with Whoopie G. and her band of Hollywood nut balls?!?!?!?! What is 'not rape rape' when a guy drugs up a 13yr old and forces her to have sex?!?!?! As much of a whack job Michael Jackson was, he was donned as a 'pedophile freak' even though he was never charged or convicted of wrong doing, but 'take it easy on Roman' is the cry of the west coast elite for a convicted/self admitting juvenile rapist (who fled the country).