NatCXChampsD4121420084176LRR Photos

NatCXChampsD4121420084176LRR Photos
Originally uploaded by LanterneRougeici

Thanks to Ms Julie Popper who founds this, and Lantern Rouge for taking it

Changes for 2009

Nothing huge to report from Nationals, other than I predicted the winner of the SS race. none other than James Lalonde.

The big news, for me at least, is that everything that i knew to be cycling will be changing. So lets start at the beginning.

Food

Now: i eat what i want, without a care. i have been on the seefood diet, see food, eat food.

Reason for Change: I need to monitor what i eat so it will support and promote muscle and bone growth. food is the energy that makes my body move, give it bad energy and it will preform badly. Also i need to lose about 20-30 pounds, this should help. Also, no more soda, that is right, i am giving up my beloved mountain dew.

Soon: first i will never go meatless! but i will start drinking my fruits and vegetables, beans, and other things i normally would pass on now. I will do so because its help me mentally and physically on the bike.

Work

Now: i work 40ish hours of week, at a job i hate.

Reason for Change: i hate my job, i was recently given a change go back to school. IF i get accepted, ill be able to better my position in life.

Soon: ill be back at school full time (if i get accepted). while this will allow me more training time, it will probably kill a few weekends, that will require me to do homework instead of racing.

Bicycling

Now: i dont really have an official discipline i work on, i just ride what is fun. I never rest, or work on one thing.

Reason for Change: If i wanna be good at cycling, i need to choose one kind of discipline, weather it be road and track, or mountain and cross. For this reason, and for others, i am choosing, for the time being to give up my beloved track cycling for mountain biking and cross. Another big reason is with school i will need my tuesday and thursday nights in the fall and spring free to do homework. Also with giving up my job, ill be buying my own insurance, and when accidents happen on the track, they arent cheap. So in the interest of my future, i must, with a VERY heavy heart, put up my track back, and work off road for the year.


There will be more things to come, and this is by no means set in stone. it will take a lot of hard work, but i think it will pay off in the end.

1802

I am unofficially number 1802 for Cyclocross Nationals next Sunday. I will be official when i pick up for number friday sometime.

Speedo Picture.

http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_uU3MP1qS_K4/STNaTOw3xOI/AAAAAAAAApw/nxg4d1mAxPQ/s1600-h/JingleCross+2008+009.jpg

if i knew the photographer i would give credit.

Brief Update JIngle Cross 1

went speedo, wasnt to cold, got 14th, one behind MCNEAL! free swag was not worth the price of the speedo, will speedo again tomorrow, pictures to come soon, only if i am unlucky, warm shower = good, lunch = better, time to watch ben race, picture of him for sure, end brief report that is really one long run-on sentence, real update later.

PS i hate the grinch

Jingle Cross Pre-race day

this is the view from my hotel room for Jingle Cross, and let me say this room is DOPE!!! i am paying less for this room than i did for my room in louisville. its so nice that feel like i should go downstairs and offer to pay more. this is just not fair, but i am loving it!!!!

Be Kind, Rewind

Photo Credit: Amy Okay, the rewind part is a little much, but you should be kind when you ride your bike. And I don't only mean on normal every day rides.

With my recent upgrade in cyclocross, from 4 to 3, I get passed a lot. I am not saying that I am slow, but I could, I am saying that the cat 3 start a little infront of the women's 1/2/3 and the master's 50+. In my few races as a cat 3, of which my finishes are not so great, i have been passed by some women and some old men. old men are not always that nice, but the women are always nice. The two nicest ones so far have been; Rebecca Much of xXx Racing, and Holly Klug of Killjoy. Why they both always seem pass me, they are both cat 1/2 races after all, they are always very nice to me.

For example, when Miss Rebecca Much (who is super cute, i have no fear in saying that because only maybe 7 people might ever read this) passed me at Northbrook on Sunday, she wished me a nice race and good luck. When Holly Klug wanted to pass me she told me not to worry, she would find a way past. Come on, how many people, when winning there race would wish you well as they pass you?? I know the old men don't! 2 of the old men forced their way by me on the inside of a wet, slippery corner. I had fully planned on letting them by after the corner. but no, they had to ram there handlebars into my butt. I kinda wished i would have fallen and made them crash (kinda but not really because that would have been a bad day for all). There is no need to force your way by. Just ask and you would be amazed at what can happen.

On a more positive note, the new cyclocross tires recommended to me by the famous Ben Popper, the Michelin Mud 2s, worked amazingly! I can't believe they worked so well in such sloppy conditions. Also, a MUST for all races of any type, that do not race with computers, Trek's Time Watch, is an amazing piece of equipment. It's only a clock, with hands, but its a life saver. Think about it, how many times have you been warming up for a race and had to ask someone what time it was so you could find out how much time you have left. With this little doohickey you keep track of your time, and still save it by taking it off the bike as you line up.

Next up, Whitewater (yes after last year going back, it gets one more chance) and than maybe lansing. It depends if i can find a place to stay so i don't have to drive from Wisconsin to the Illinois Indiana boarder.

Carpentersville

So Ben said that this coming weekend is the midpoint of the cross season, this is kinda scary, but its kinda good too. Before, i go there i should start with this past weekend. this past weekend, was the chicross cup race in carpentersville. If you read 2 entries ago you already know i didnt go to any other races this weekend. so this one race, was my only cycling focus this weekend.

With my single speed races coming up (jingle cross and nationals), i have been trying my darnest to race single speed, when i can. (this coming weekend isn't one of those weekends) so single speed it was. After recounting, my front ring, i realized my front ring is smaller than i thought. so all my gearing calculations have been off buy about 3-4 inches. that is HUGE!!! basically i have been running a gear too small, and not understanding why i couldn't put power down. well i fixed that problem, and finally started running a better gear. the gear of choice this weekend was about a 61, instead of the 57 i have been running. (that is inches the tire will travel per full revolution of the pedals.)

the race itself wasn't to bad, a crash at the beginning. i was not involved, just caught behind it, sometimes that could can be worse. I didn't pass many people, but i did get a few. The single speed was a good idea, it made me push myself more than i probably would have before. the only place the single speed was a bad idea was the sandpit. I wasn't not able to down shift, so it was harder to than it would have been to get thought. out of the 4 laps we did, i was able to ride it the second lap, but it took too much out of me.

the sand pit is always where something weird happened. for the first time, all year, i got past while off the bike. on the last lap, while running thought the sand pit, i got past by someone who was also running it. I was shocked, and almost let him get away i was SOO shocked. But i hung on his wheeling, wanting revenge. I wanted to take my revenge on the run up after the barriers. As we approached the barriers i saw him look back, so i acted like i was going outside, but upon my dismount i took the inside line. I dismounted 3 steps behind him, but was half a step behind at the top of the run up. At the last second he noticed and cut me off and took the line i wanted. It was his line, he was technically ahead of me. With a straightaway, turn, and the finishing straightaway, i didn't have much time left. With no room on the first straightaway, i wanted until after the turn to start a sprint. I, on my single speed, still had enough to pass him and win the sprint for 43.

it was a fun race, and after the 40 minute race i did last weekened, a 30 minute race was nice. I can't image doing 1 hour races, maybe in 2 or 3 years. THAT bring me to this coming weekend. with plans for next year looking the way they are, i might not be able to travel a lot. so this weekend i am going louisville to race the CAT 4 GP of louisville. it should be fun.

everyone trips

7am-alarm goes off
me- damn i dont want to go to work today
me-hits snooze
me-why o why do i have to go to work today
cell phone alarms goes off
me- wait, its not friday its... SATURDAY!!!
me-hits snooze on cell phone alarm
me-wait if its the weekend than i need to get go to my cross race, which means i can't sleep in
(long pause)
me-screw this, AM sleeping in

so no race for me, first time since the cross season has started. all it means is i have no saved 2 tanks worth of gas, and 20 bucks for entry fee.

maybe now i can afford louisville... the debate goes on.

Heroes and Friends

So I have been really slacking on blog entry’s, 7 cross races into the season and this is maybe the second entry. This season so far I have proven I am not in cross shape. This is several different types of shape, and I am not referring to square or round. The shapes I am referring to is shapes like, mountain, track, road, crit, and cross. Each discipline requires different types of fitness, and abilities. Cross requires a 30-60 minute all out effort. You can not slow, you can not be weak, you must be near or at your redline for the either race. Do not forget that at the end of the time, you must be able to push yourself beyond your redline and sprint all out until you either finish or blow up and lick your wounds as you cross the finish line.

While I have licked my wounds, I have also finished with some strength left; this post is not about that. This post is about some changes in my thinking.

Some heroes come and go from your life, but if you’re lucky enough you can call some heroes your friends. Recently I was able to travel away to a 3 day race out of state. On this trip I realized my heroes have changed the older I am getting. I have been around cycling enough to run into several pros. Most pros will say hi when you talk to them, but few are willing to hold a conversation with you. Cyclocross is the one exception to this rule. This year I have been able to talk to many pros, not limited to, Tim Johnson, Todd and Troy Well, Jeremy Powers, and Katie Compton.

This past Sunday, while sitting on the hill watching the Men’s UCI race, I looked and saw Katie Compton, the 2007 US Women’s Cyclocross National Champion. She was sitting there watching the race, just like everyone else. If you didn’t know any better you wouldn’t know she just raced and won by over a minute. As she sat there, she interacted with everyone on the hill like a normal person. I also saw Jeremy Powers when he arrived take a picture, with his iphone, of his cone. This was not just any cone, but a cone that reserved his parking place at the race. It was very cool, and he was amazing to talk to.

But the one major thing I noticed is how my personal heroes have changed, and I never noticed. I can now call someone I know, someone who I spend the weekend with, someone whose house I have been in, someone whose phone number I have in my cell phone, one of my heroes. This person is super friendly, honest, and someone I believe I can truly call a friend. At times I think he is rather hard on himself. But to me he is pure pro. He does not act like one, he has no attitude, and he is not a pre-madonna. He is a normal guy, trying to live the dream. But he isn’t a normal guy, he is a pro. He is unbelievable strong, and smart. I wish I had the power he had, the loving wife who supports him and helps him out as much as she can. He is my hero, he is a pro, and most importantly I call him my friend.

First 2008 Cross Race.

Pain was the name of the game, not as bad as last year but still OUCH!!. let me rewind a minute and start with the weekend. Saturday started with a 10am breakfast with an old friend i hadn't seen in over 10 years. than back home to pack and head to Audrey's house for the weekend. The reason i was at her house saturday night, other than her being the coolest single girl i know, she happens to be a teammate, and offered her house as a place to stay before the Jackson Park Cross Race. After getting there, i decided to treat her to dinner as a way to say thanks for a place to stay that was with in 15 minutes of the race, instead of having to drive 2+ house thought evil bear traffic. I don't remember the name of the place, but it was foreign, it was good. I always got a food rub from the person next to me, and offered some hienny. Back to her place to rest and relax.
The next morning brought some computer and loading up an ipod. After packing up a backpack, Audrey, Amanda (another teammate) and i heading to Jackson Park. After watching some races, and doing a handful of practice laps, i got ready to race. I, once again, got a first row starting position. Riding a Single Speed, a fast start isn't in my favor. But being a single speed did allow me to find a flow rather quickly. my flow helped in the technical part of the course, but during the wide open sections, i lost a lot of ground that i gained. That is the way of the single speed versus the geared folks.
The race was fun, but i cant wait until the weather cools down. this race was hot and humid. I unzipped my skin suit during lap one, and sweated a ton on sunday. Post race i rode back to Audrey's place, showered, and headed out to eat at some sweet Chinese place. It was good and very fast. After my drive home i slept liked a little kid. 6 more days until Madcross, and maybe a cat 3 upgrade after that race?

Holly KillJoy Style Update

- Downers Grove was fun, but next i dont want to be hurt going into it.
- Palo Meltdown was fun, but i want to race sport next year.
- Track Season is over, i am sad, very very very sad
- Time to start preparing for next track season, ie time to get a new stiff as hell track bike.
- Cross Season is upon me
- this past weekend was my last planned free weekend until after cross season, ie the weekend before Christmas
- I am signed up for Madcross, and Jingle Cross
- I am currently waiting to sign up for Single Speed Nationals.
- My currently cross bike is setup to be a 1x10 or a single speed with the rear derailleur acting as a chain tensionor.
- I cant spell and i know it, plus my grammar sucks.
- My toe isn't healing, after 7 weeks you can still see the break plain as day
- My toe will be broken probably until after cross season, but i will not let it be an excuse.
- My goal is to not freeze my fingers at nationals this coming year.
- I send my best wishes to Ben and Julie as they start there cross season this coming weekend
- Ben is the riding and Julie is the mechanic.
- They happen to be married, which is awesome that they share the love for cycling
- When i get married one day, i hope my marriage can be filled with as much love as i see in theirs.
- i am soo tired right now that i am getting dizzy
- i cant go to sleep until i register.
- does anyone else agree this wait sucks donkey balls?
- My best wishes to Tristan, and his quick recovery.
- I am excited to see 2 brothers i watched in the WORS series race cross this year.
- Registration is minutes away so here ends another crap entry.

I AM BACK!!

I can now officially say I am back on the bike. I say officially because i kinda "raced" the Glencoe Grand Prix. I finished 27th of 30th i think, not bad for breaking my toe 3 weeks to the day earlier.

Okay, I'll start this blog with the race. Having not been on a bike in 3 weeks, and being told i should wait 4 weeks before i even try, i decided to see if a cycling shoe fit and to see how i could ride. O, did i forget to say i signed up for the race on Friday night, and didn't try riding till Saturday with the race being Sunday, oops. Well the good news is my shoe fit, and i could pedal. The bad news, my legs felt tired and slow, but after 3 weeks off the bike they felt good. Saturday night i packed the car and attempted to go to bed early.

The alarm rang at 5am, so i could be on the road by 5:30. I left late, but some how (looks around) made it to the race around 7am, like planned. After signing in and getting dressed, i took a few warm up laps in a failed attempt to shake some more rush from the legs. I got a front row starting position, like i always seem to get.

The race itself was a pretty slow race, compared to what i am used to. The race didn't really reach the 30mph i am used too. With that said I did get filtered out the back after a few laps. HEY, i was off the bike for 3 weeks, so i had a good excuse. I did stay in the race for the full time, I got lapped the 2nd time at the VERY end. I could have tried to sprint and not get lapped again, but why should i take away the glory of the people who could keep the pace and wanted to win.

After the race i took my camera out and took pictures for the rest of the races. Click for some of them. I had fun, took a lot of pictures.

Now to the important part, the doctor's appointment from today, the 11th. I left work early so i could go to my doctors appointment. After getting X-rays and taking to a gentlemen, who should have been dead from a motorcycle crash with no helmet, who happened to be a police officer, i met the doctor. The doctor remembered me because i attempted to talk him into letting me ride my bike the day after i broke my toe. Any ways, the X-rays showed that my bone isn't healing, or at least its not showing any bone growth on the X-ray. The doctor explained that it could just be bone growth delay, basically the bone is growing, the X-ray just isn't showing it. Either way he wants to see me in another 4 weeks (7 weeks +1 day of the break). Next is the fun part. The doctor wasn't quite believing me when is said i felt very little pain, so he squeezed the toe. And i don't mean nicely. He squeezed my toe like he was juicing an orange while looking me in the eye. After that, he started to believe me that it didn't hurt and I was fine.

I then explained to him my cycling shoes don't flex due to the carbon fiber soles, and my foot wouldn't bend at all. He finally agreed that i could "try" cycling, to which i told be about the above race, but called it a "fun ride". He than agreed i could ride my bike again, as long as i didn't push it. (like i listened to him the first time) He also agreed i could wear a normal shoe, and not my boot.

So expect to see me around the cycling scene again, but I don't promise to be near the front. Downers Grove any one????

I am out

i broke a toe on my right foot. It sucks, the story sucks, i suck. i am out off the bike for about 4 weeks. i see the doctor in 3 and am going to try to talk my way back to riding. until then, nothing to report.

am going to try and make some races with my camera. if i get any okay pictures ill upload them here.

2 weeks in review: plus monday and and a Cat 3

2 Tuesdays ago: I won my first official races ever. I won a cat 4 Scratch Race, and a Tempo race. I also placed 5th on the consolation race. All the races were track races at Kenosha. I ended up winning 24 dollars that night.

Last Sunday: WORS race number 6 (i think). not preriding ended up costing me first place. I ended up sitting and recovering when i should have been pushing harded. I have sense added a odometer to my mountain bike so that doesnt happen again

Last Tuesday: I won the cat 4 unknown distance, and was WAY! over geared for my next 2 races, and ended up 10th and 7th.


Latest Track related news: i have brought a nice set of used tubular track wheels. I also have new gears so i'll not be way over geared next week when i race the Cat 3s in kenosha. Its not an official USAC cat 3 upgrade, but its getting closer.

ok i am done, not its time to nap at 7pm on saturday. tomorrow, sunday the 29th, i am supposed to be heading to Kettle for some trail riding, lets hope the weather holds.

DSC04946

DSC04946
Originally uploaded by velocorapture

67 and 2

Saturday was a HARD day of riding with Pro riding Ben Popper. I emailed Ben to see if he wanted to ride something other than the Lake Shore Path, and he joyfully agreed. Seeing how Ben is a master at creating routes, and he needed the training, and I just wanted to ride. Ben created a nice 67 mile route starting at my house. The only problem with the route was the first 30 miles was into into a 20+ mph wind. The second half of the route was very fast. I must now note that Ben's route followed a bike route, nearly perfectly. I must also note that Ben, with only a small front ring, kicked my butt the whole ride.

Sunday, was the Big Ring Classic, aka WORS 3. I took off WAY too fast trying to be the first to the single track, not knowing that there was about 3 miles before the single track started. So I burned out a little earlier than i wanted. I did manager to recover and and finish only 40 seconds behind the leader, the same guy who beat me by over 7 minutes in the previous race. It was a successful race over all.

This week has been a week of rest of me. As of Saturday evening, I have only been on a bike once, and that was on a mountain bike Thursday.

Until next time....

Good Week

This week has been a good week. I won my first fixed gear track race. It was a 3 lap scratch race and i won by a few meters, or at least that is what the guy in second place told me. the rest of the night was ok, nothing special.

the second part is a lot better. i just received this email

Dear Racer,

Congratulations! You have qualified for the 2008 USA Cycling Mountain Bike National Championships scheduled for July 16-20, 2008 at Mount Snow Resort in West Dover, VT.

in only 2 race in my life i qualified for nationals. i am debating on going. and i know its nothing special to qualify, thousands of people do it yearly, but racing in VT, sounds like sooo much fun.

anyways this week i am racing WORS 3 in Wausau. anyone else wanna go? I am heading up saturday and camping up there until the race on sunday. normally i would drive, but i dont want to drive that much on sunday, and a preride would be wonderful!.

Until next post.

PS this wasnt editted or reread

tim

tim
Originally uploaded by refusethestate

Tim 2nd cit. clyd

Tim 2nd cit. clyd
Originally uploaded by cardstock

Tim

Tim
Originally uploaded by cardstock

DNF + 2nd = Good weekend

Baraboo = DNF

I flatted 5 mins after i pulled myself from the hillest road race i have even been on. Hillsbouro was bad, but Baraboo was nasty. DNF official one, unofficial two. there isnt much else to say, it sucked

Iola (WORS) =2nd place in Citizen Clydesdale under 34

I decide to attempt a mountain bike, and i must say i had more fun in that one race than ANY road, or crit race i have even been in. I mean the pre and post races weren't all that different, i know a ton of people no matter where i do. but the race it self was something amazing. I personally thought my race was very bad, but i was only 10 mins behind the leader of my group.

I was so excited about the race i am went out and got of Gary Fisher X-caliber this past week. Next stop WORS stop 2 Treadfest in Lake Geneva. after doing a race i promised a teammate i would help him win, Monsters of the Midway.

Iowa Day two (crit)

UPDATE on day one: i heard the wind speed was a constant 30mph, which explains the near 50mph back stretch that helped me spin out my 53x11, and the need to pedal downhill to maintain the 13 mph i had just climbed a hill at. the lesson for day one, wind SUCKS!!! when its a head wind, but ROCKS!!! when its at your back.

before i get to day two, i need to explain more about the evening of day one, that turned out to be very useful. While at dinner Donny, the head of Punk Rock Cycling, advised, Ana, Maria, Kelli, Jen, Clara, Jessi (no E), and I (yeah i was spoiled this weekend by hangout with beautiful women all weekend), about how to successfully race the crit. He told us about the course, which most of us haven't seen before, he told us how we should climb the hill and the idea gear which we should be in (it was a big gear, high speed, power climb). He explained all the things that could help us know the course the best we can, without actually riding it.

Okay back to day two. I woke up, ate, and headed to the course. I parked in the parking garage, but took my race bag with me. I ended up putting in Maria's van, I HEART THE PRC girls. After riding 3 to 5 laps with them, i watched the first couple races, including the Cat 4 women, which the PRC chicks kicked ass in. I tried to spin around the parking lot, but with so much nervous energy i had a hard time cheer and warming up. As the race before mine ended i took a lap to double check the course.

My race was the Cat 5 and the Col D race mixed into one. I lined up about 3 rows back, and we were off. It was a VERY fast start, and with a short course that isnt always good. the laps were 1km long and the race was only 10 laps long. for the first 5ish laps i stayed with a couple people, but with hills ,being the enemy of big guys, i started to slow. I ended up getting pulled on the final lap because i got lapped. O well that is life.

After a shower at the hotel and I was back to watch the rest of the PRC girls race in the W 1/2/3 race. Sydney Brown (Team Revolution) lapped the WHOLE field, and about half the field twice. Back to the hotel so Jen, who i rode/drove down with could clean up and we could check out. I must now pause and give a shout out to the Baymount inn and suites in Coralville IA for the 2pm check out they granted us. After checking out we headed back the course to watch the men's 1/2 race. The pro men made the hill that made me suffer look like pie 40 times.

5 hours later i arrived at home, hating wind, yet wanting to go back to Iowa as soon as i can find a race and visit the PRC girls. Maybe Snake Alley? I can only hope. Until then i am looking forward to the track training day at the Northbrook Velodrome. ;)

Iowa Day one (road race)

So after driving 5 totals hours, with 2 stops with Jen Greenburg, to get to Iowa, I found myself at the Baymount Inn and Suites in Coralville, IA. One the trip here i realized i left both my water bottles at home, and niether Jen nor I knew how to get to the course the next morning. While the water bottles are easy to figure, the idea of of having no idea how to get to the race day seemed to be an issue. Once at the hotel it dawned on me that i had a laptop and could get the directions to the course from a website. (score one the laptop)

I semi good night sleep later, i awoke to my phone alarm and the sound of winds howling outside. I "dresses" and got some breakfast before heading out with jen to the course. Upon arriving at the course, I realized the wind was 10 times worse than i thought. O well, i drove this far, so why not race. Our start was delayed about 40 mins due to a crash in the Master race that required the the closing of the race and 2 ambulances. While once we got started it was off into a 20+mph head wind. On a 4 turn course, the wind at some point has to be at your back, when it was i spun out my 53x11 gear while going 47ish mph. with that kind tale wind, it meant the head wind SUCKED!!!! at 12mph it was a LONG front straight into the wind. 2 laps later i crossed the finish line in 18 place. not bad, but no in the lead pack that dropped this big guy while riding into the wind.

I stayed at watched Jen race in the Womens open, she placed 8 with her teammate Jane placing 6. (both are cuties, i will admit) After a drive to the hotel to change and shower finally, we and her teammates from PRC and 2 girls, Clara and Jessi, headed out to Atlas to get some dinner. After eating some good food, i, clara, and jessi headed back to the hotel to type race reports and head to bed. While jen and her teammates headed out to do there thing.

Am now i am going to play a game of chess and and go to sleep. Stay tuned tomorrow for for Day 2, a crit.

More updates coming

one of my many reason for the lack of updates is the face that i have to sit in front of my desktop computer and that isnt always possible. to after getting my tax refund i have been able to purchase something i have been looking at, researching, and lusting over for nearly 2 years, a laptop. so right now i am watching Law and Order in my living room, posting an update. I am home on a friday because i am heading to Iowa for the old capital crit and road race this weekend. And now that i have a laptop to take with, i can update the races when they are fresh in my head. Until later.

Shaved

My season has now officially started. I shaved my legs for the first time this year today. in celebration, i took the day off riding.

Long Over Due 2 or is it 3?

I have been going to races, but to say i raced would be a stretch. I have stayed in the pack for 75% of the time, but i always ended up getting dropped. i am starting to think its because i never warm up enough, i mean other than the givin reason of my legs exploding like a tire running over pieces of a old beer bottle. O well there is always next time.

speaking of next time, this weekend i am going to Iowa to race the http://www.oldcapcrit.com/. i was convinced/told that i was going, so i must go.

in other news, with my tax return i might finally be able to buy a mountain bike. I have my eye on a Gary Fisher 29er. yeah i talked about a Trek 69er, but after seeing the GF's in person, i am SOOOOOO sold on them. weather i get one or not will depend on my bank account.

that is all the news i have for now. ill TRY to up date more often.

PS This post is dedicated to Julie, without her, i might never up date. (see link to her blog on the said)

Its Been A While

Yes I have been riding
No I havent been writing somewhere else
Yes I have raced
No I didnt win
Yes I tried hard
No I am not in shape
Yes I was the first of my team to sport the new kit in a race
If you have any othr questions just shoot them my way.

Now important things. I just brought new cycling shoes. (sorry Julie) but they are Nike Lance Limited Edition. I got them at the Bike Expo in Milwaukee because they were on sale. For those who dont know Nike is getting out of cycling, they bank on being able to do bulk business and cycling isnt about bulk. So all of Nike's cycling stuff is 50% off.

Random Notes, here is a list of cycling videos i want to buy, if you can think of others, PLEASE let me know.

Quick Silver
American Flyer
Breaking Away
The Fling Scotsman
A Sunday in Hell

Other cycling news, my baby, the Madone 5.5 Pro is getting new bars, bar tape, and a very nice cleaning and lube. O and I have a secret, once it arrives i will share.

Sorry with I had more. maybe later this week.

April
5	CRIT	Evergreen Park Criterium	Sheboygan, WI
13	CRIT	Great Dane #1	Madison, WI
19	CRIT	Brown Deer Criterium	Milwaukee, WI
20	CRIT	Great Dane #2	Madison, WI
26	CRIT	Whitnall Park Criterium	Hales Corners, WI
May
3	ROAD	Baraboo Road Race	Baraboo, WI
4	CRIT	Wheel & Sprocket Crit	Neenah, WI
4	MTN	Iola Bump & Jump	Iola, WI
10	CRIT	Muskego Park Criterium	Muskego, WI
17	GP	Leland Grand Prix	Leland, WI
18	CRIT (?)	Wheels on Willy	Madison, WI
18	MTN	Treadfest	Lake Geneva, WI
24	WEMS	12 Hours of GEARS	Kewaskum WI
31	STATE TT	State Championship Time Trial	Brighton, WI
June
1	CRIT	Sussex Criterium	Sussex, WI
1	MTN	Big Ring Classic	Wausau, WI
8	STATE ROAD	Spring Prairie Road Race State Road Championship	Spring Prairie , WI
14	STATE CRIT	State Criterium Championship	Elkhorn, WI
14	MTN	Subaru Cup	Nordic Mountain (?)
15	MTN	Subaru Cup	Nordic Mountain (?)
15	CRIT	Fond du Lac Criterium	Fond du Lac, WI
21	CRIT	Grafton Criterium	Grafton, WI
22	MTN	Reforestation Ramble	Suamico, WI
22	CRIT	Sheboygan Criterium	Sheboygan, WI
28	WEMS	Levis / Trow 100	Hatfield WI
July
5	ROAD	UWW Road Race	Whitewater, WI
6	CRIT	UWW Crit	Whitewater, WI
6	MTN	Chippewa Valley Firecracker	Eau Claire, WI
12	WEMS	12 Hours of Blue Mound	Blue Mounds WI
19	WEMS	Metro Challenge	Franklin WI
27	MTN	Alterra Coffee Bean Classic	Franklin, WI
28	CRIT	Elm Grove Criterium	Elm Grove, WI
August
2	US 24	USA Cycling 24-Hour Mountain Bike National Championships (24-9)	Wausau, Wis.
10	MTN	Sunburst Showdow	Kewaskum, WI
16	WEMS	Blufflands Epic Enduro Race	LaCrosse WI
23	CRIT	Chiropractic Criterium	Brookfield, WI
24	TT	Chiropractic Partners Time Trial	Dousman, WI
24	MTN	Border Battle	River Falls, WI
30	WEMS	Stump Farm 12	Green Bay WI
September
7	MTN	Smokin Spoke	Rhinelander, WI
27	WEMS	Thunderdown in the Underdown	Merrill WI
28	MTN	Wolf River Rendezvous	Shawano, WI
October
4	WEMS	12 Hours at John Muir	La Grange WI
12	MTN	Wigwam MTB Challenge	Sheboygan, WI
18	WEMS	RAIN DATE for WEMS	RAIN DATE
http://www.wors.org/news/
http://www.wicycling.org/index.htm
http://www.wemseries.com/

I hope that is easier to read.

WI CUP, WORS, and WEMS

Here is a compiling of WORS, WEMS and the WI Cup schedule. If you use it somewhere else, just let me know. If you find errors, i will correct them, if you tell me.

Cold Riding

The list of Clothes i wore today while riding in 7 degree with a wind chill of -25
Helmet (duh)
Black hood sock
Under Armour Hood
Oakley Goggles
Planet Bike winter gloves
Under Armour mock turtle neck
Twinkies cycling jersey
KR bike club vest
Nike Cycling jacket, windproof
Under Armour leggings
Team Discovery cycling bibs
Trek summer leggings
Twinkies socks, to match the jersey
Under Armour cold gear socks

(not pictured, Lake boots, and old Trek 1000)

I rode, I read

So i got up Saturday, rode in the very crazy unshoved roads around my house. I did about 10 miles, but it felt like 50 with all the snow on the ground. I should have used a mountain bike, it would have been safer. But i ended up getting a fever and sleeping most of the evening. too bad too, i really wanted to go see Rambo with my friend Ross. (only friend from high school) O well, it happens, i guess i will have to see it next weekend. It will at least give me something to do while i am watching the dogs for my parents. They are going to MN to visit my sister. I would love to go, but I promised my team, Half Acre Cycling, I would make all the team meetings, since i am currently the only nonflatlander on the team. (GO WISCONSIN) But i guess that means i can do whatever i want on Friday night, since everyone will be gone. (that should read, I will spend the night at home in front of the TV and/or the computer, seeing as i have no life.)

Speaking of no life, directly yet more indirectly related, I have found a new blog. I relate to this blog more than words can express. I want to share the link, but i also don't want too. It's one of those, do i accept that i so closely relate to this blog, or do i attempt to hide from this. I have been hiding for a while, and doing a fairly good job, if you ask me. I have even been debating weather i should email this blogger, and let them know they aren't the only person like this in the world. (pee break) Or maybe i will email this blogger a link to my page. That way when they read this they will understand, and anything else in the email would just be wrong. Yeah that is what i might do, be as indirect as humanly possible. I think i would get along with this person extremely well, but i but that will never happen. O will, i guess that is life, you lose some, and then you lose some more.

Peace out you extremely few readers, if there are any.

quick up date

so here is why i haven't been posting. the nights are dark, and i find myself mid evening dreaming (like day dreaming but in the mid evening) about stress free rides on a open road with no potholes, and a long hard hill i cant seem to top. during the day i work, well get a workoutish. I mean i deliver packages at work. they range from 1oz to a couple hundred pounds that require a forklift. But basically anything under 150 i carry. My average delivery amount for a day is about 70-90 packages/chemicals. Its a chemical company so they unbox the chemicals and log them before i can deliver them. I should note that my deliveries span 2 city blocks, and its all by foot and all in 4 1/2 hours or less. I am also trained on 3 of the 4 mail runs (so i know about 150ish mail stations by heart over a 4 box campus), the receiving dock (and all the deliveries they do(less than i do) but they get to drive the fun fork trucks, i don't :( ), and other basic mail room related things. I make crap for money, but i like the job because I NEVER have work to do at home. once 3ish hits i am GONE! in the summer its nice, but winter am indifferent. i walk an average of about 5-7 miles a day at work, and for a lot of it, i am either carrying something or dragging a overly loaded cart around. Yeah fun.

As soon as the morning temp is around +5 i will be riding again. I cant justify riding in sub zero degrees because i have that much better of a chance to get sick and screw my spring training over. O i am also on a low cal(ish), no taste diet. It sucks, but its saving me money. I now make my lunch instead of buying an overly price greasy lunch at work.

so that is my life as it stands. I am going riding Saturday reguardless the weather. I also really wanna try the Tour of Chicago, but i can't (for certian unsaid reasons) skip church again. no i am not worried that my soul will burn forever if i miss church (i miss enough that if that was true i am ROYALLY SCREWED!!!!), its very different reasons. Maybe if all works out i can explain it to you very few who read this later.

Night all YOU few who read this, or is it good day. I guess it depends on when you read it.

WTB: Camera

So i am looking for a camera. Not just an ordinary camera, i have a digital rebel with tons of lense already. what i am looking for is a small camera that is durable. I want to be able to carry it in the back of my jersey while i ride. I want to be able to crash or drop it, and not worry that i just just lost a lot of money. i want it to be digital, i want it to be simple, and i want it to be cheap. any ideas?

After seeing the pictures that Jill puts up, i know i can't compete, but it would make this dull blog more interesting.

Long Over Due 1

I hope you are ready for another rambling post; because here it goes.

I made the first Half Acre Cycling team ride in Chicago. O yeah, drum roll please...... I AM ON HALF ACRE CYCLING!!! wooooooooooot I am finally officially on a team. WOOT WOOT!!!

ok back to the team ride, we had 4 total flats, i only had 1. It was a dirty, wet, flithy ride. Basically it was a what a typical January ride is ment to be, minus the snow. It was fun, annoying, and i can't wait until i can do it again. (thanks to kevin for a place to shower and chill after the ride)

next was a mountain bike ride with my friend chris at pets in Kenosha. it was raining the whole time, and since we had a tornado the day before, it was a very interesting ride. We were either riding on left over ice, mud, or though rivers that used to be trails. it was a kick ass ride with a friend i don't really get to see enough. and again i choose the WRONG GLOVE!!! GRRR that is twice in 1 months i have screwed up my glove choice.

the last ride of this post is a ben popper special. Its called, or i am calling it, the popper ride of pain. I believe he wanted to see how much pain he could inflect before we called uncle. it involved 13+ stories of climbing, and a lot of riding straight into a head wind. this was another ride in Chicago, but there was no flats (as in tires), WOOT! and for once, i choose the right gloves WOOT WOOT!!

anyways, i will soon be dieting or attempting, drinking better ie more water, and riding more. Most of my ride this time of year will be solo since all my group ride have been in chicago. the winter riding scene in WI isn't too big, so solo i will go.

that is it for now. I ride, i try (to get a date), and i survive.

Long Over Due

Since my attempt to stay off the bike for a few weeks failed, i guess i will post. For Christmas i received, and have been using (the reason for the failed attempt) a trainer. Not a personal trainer, like i am that lucky. But instead a trainer to ride my bike on, and i am. i am riding my bike often, yet still not often enough. can one ride it often enough? i don't think so. For Christmas i also received a new pair of Lake Boots. *for a link look in the last post, i am too lazy to repost a link, so sue me!* I, for the third year in a row, failed to make any of the New Years Rides i had planned. I did have a good New Years, but this isn't the place to talk about this. (get your mind out of the gutter, i too much of a gentleman for any thing a dirty mind can think of.)

So my current plan is, to stay off the bike for one more day, and get back on the 3rd. There is 4 reasons for this: 1) i need a new rear wheel for my old road bike. (the old one got was created into the rear wheel for the single speed cross bike.) 2) in my job (note to come later on my job) there should be A LOT!!!! to do, and i will be pretty tired. 3) i could use one more day off to relax, and eat junk food 4) because who is going to tell me differently?

Now the note on the job, i hate my job, i need a new job. Any job is better then the job i have now. I make crap for money, i work part-time, and its a crappy job. While i will work any job, i do have a few simple requirements. I must make decent money, work full time (with benefits) -first shift work- (i ride in the evenings), and only work weekdays (i race on weekends). I am qualified to do many different kinds of work, and i learn very quickly. If you noticed, the type of work doesn't matter if they requirements are met, the job does matter if the requirements can't be met.

But on a happy note, i am VERY excited to begin track, and road season. The Mountain bike season i am slightly worried about. with the job thing the way it is, my plans for bikes are in flux. there is several possibilities of how stuff could work, and we will see what arises.

Until next time kiddos, take care.