Local Cross

Gods Country Duathalon

2010-05-03T21:32:00.004-05:00

I think it's working. I've had fun running this spring and had a couple great running experiences. First the Gods Country duathalon in Lawrence KS. Started out strong on the 2mile run, my heart was racing up near 200bpm to entire run.

Transitioned into the bike leg in about 5th place I think. Went back and forth with some guys during the bike leg. I even dropped my chain. It cost me a couple places but I soon got them back. I'll admit I was an aggressive rider during the bike leg, speeding up and taking a tight line so not to allow the guy behind me to pass. I think I was 4th or 5th coming to the transition.

Jumping off the bike and putting on the running shoes again was tough. The legs and lungs liked the bike pace better. I soon settled into a breathing rhythm but the legs felt tired the entire 2 mile run. Thankfully I was neck and neck with this other guy during the last mile or so. I wasn't about to let him pull away after fighting with him on the bike (no not literally) but doing all I could to stay in front of him.

The last mile was down the flat chat of the levee. I hung with the guy the whole length and thank goodness he was there. I would have slowed down if he wasn't right next to me. Towards the finish the course turned off the levee and the last 100 yards was over uneven and very soft soil with thick uncut grass. It was do or die. I kicked in all I had and pulled away from the other guy. Finished seconds in front of him.

Turns out he was in my age group so I was so glad I worked so hard to beat him. I ended up fifth overall and second in my age group. The guy I beat was from western or central KS. Good to see this duathalon attracting the attention of regional athletes. I'm ready for next year. Ready to stay on the heals of Tige Lamb. :)

Running...

2010-02-04T20:25:00.004-06:00

What does it take to get you motivated? The thrill of the run, beating your PB, the feeling of accomplishment, or maybe just the health and fitness benefits? What ever your motivation may be, there's nothing like a new pair of shoes to increase one's motivation.

I'm interested in running 5K's this year and doing them in less than 20min. I started looking around the internet at ways to accomplish this. Train here, jog there, run 30+ miles per week.... all that's good and will help me physically, but there's still something missing? The mental factor!

During my internet searching on how to become a faster 5K runner, I came across a lot of info on what shoes to wear and if lightweight racing flats make a difference. Finding site after site, blogs and forums about people's opinions on the best way to run faster, racing flats seemed to be the thing for me. The most universal, conclusive way most people would do to become a faster runner...was to lose weight. Well, I don't have much to lose, so that's out of the question. Gotta' get me a pair of those racing flats.

Went down to Garry Gribbles to ask questions and see what these racing flats were really like. I was impressed, there's actually plenty of cushion in most. I did try on one pair of Nike's that felt like I was running with cardboard strapped to my feet. They weren't much lighter, so went with the cushy Nike LunaRacers! These things are insane, only 5.9oz each (on sale by the way). Even if they don't shave minutes off my time, I'll sure feel faster and hopefully less fatigued overall. But we all know, it's not really about how you finish, but how good you look getting there. :)

Accomplishments? When and what next?

2010-01-22T21:45:00.006-06:00

I've got this idea to train myself to run a sub 20min 5K. Okay, I stole the idea from one of my MTB friends who's training to run one as well. I thought if he can do it so can I.

I began looking up HOW to accomplish this task and found some good training guide lines that looked feasible. I even set them up into three blocks of three week training sessions. Making the first three weeks a little easier and the last three weeks a little tougher. The third week of each block will be a recovery week. So two weeks training, one week easy no structured running or biking. If you are interested in seeing this "training schedule" I'd be glad to send it to you and get your feed back. I will caution you though, I use the words "training schedule" VERY loosely. It's there, but I may skip or improvise things along the way. Yes, deep down inside I'm not as motivated as I'd like to think I can be.

The problem that I've JUST realized is that I don't have a deadline for myself. The only time line I have is my nine week "training schedule". It never occurred to me before my friend Andrea said "you can do it", that I might need to have some culmination of my efforts. A point at which I can say my goal has been achieved. When would that be??? When should I 'peak'? I have no idea! Maybe at the end of my nine weeks? What if I reach my goal before that? What then? You people with training experience will have to offer incite into this one because I have no idea at all. I think I was just planning on running willy-nilly till I reach my goal.

Ok, I'm really not that freaked out about when I'll reach my goal. Knowing me (procrastinator) I'll let it drag out all summer and finally start working hard around August for all the fall 5k's. So that nine week will probably more like 12 weeks. Yes, it's true I'm less committed than a lot of you. And if I reach my goal, I'll probably be like Forest Gump and just stop all of a sudden. So maybe best to NOT reach my goal? Perpetual training? So if you've read this far you're vested in my plight. Give me your favorite 5k run in KC that's at least 10 weeks from Feb 1st. Maybe then I'll have a deadline to shoot for. I am running the Ground Hog run Jan 31st to get an idea of how much I need to improve.

Now, that I'm thinking about this whole process. I've never set a starting date either. Hmmm, kind of tough to achieve something that never gets started. Let me see, when would be a good time to start this whole running thing....

Where am I going?

2010-01-20T23:04:00.003-06:00

I intended to keep this blog bike related and not get too personal. Well...there's not any bike related activities going on right now so I guess I have no choice.

First of all, I guess I would like to throw out there that I'm entertaining the idea of running a sub 20min 5K this year. I think it's achievable. I ran a 22min last year, and I never "trained" for such a thing. Just ran here and there when I felt like it. I found a few training plans and suggestions on line and have formulated my own schedule based on these. Yes, it's probably doomed to fail all by fault of my own. I'm horrible at following through with things and goals lasting longer than a few weeks (that's just about everything). But, sitting here in the cold of winter, I'd be glad to have 60 degree's and sun on my face while running my legs off.

Secondly, I kind of gave up on Cyclocross this season around thanksgiving. There's always that long holiday stretch with no races and of course my fitness fails me during those weeks due to lack of discipline. The last race I participated in was New Years eve day. I had zero expectations and that's the place I finished, DFL. BUT! I had fun!

Hopefully this new year I'll be able to set some goals and follow through with them. I'll keep you posted on how things are going. You keep true to yourself and follow through with the promises you've made for this year and the future.

Jingle Cross

2009-12-02T08:27:00.000-06:00

If you missed out like I did, then you really missed out. At least we can read about it on Chris-Go's page...

Chicks in bikini's.

Training

2009-11-27T19:50:00.005-06:00

Okay so T-Day is done, next Christmas and New Years. I've pretty much lost motivation to "train" in any form for the rest of the winter. I know, it's just started, but I'm already looking forward to spring. So I think I'll be the guy on the bike when the weather is nice, sledding when there's snow, going out with friends when it's too miserable to stay home, visiting friends in far off cities (hopefully a few warm spots), watching movies when there's nothing else to do and running if I get totally bored of all that stuff.

If you're planning on a "training" schedule this winter, best of luck to ya. I'd be glad to accompany you during your activities if you need the company. Aside from those rare occasions, I'll be concentrating on having fun, traveling and causing general hoop-la and mayhem. Hey, I think I just found my New Years resolution...

Cupcakes are good

2009-11-14T02:47:00.001-06:00

Forgot about the cupcakes. Thanks for makeing the cupcakes and hosting the party!!

Full bottle of wine

2009-11-14T02:43:00.001-06:00

Yep that's right. Thursday night was just a warm up. I actually had more than an full bottle because I had a couple glass' at home before a left for my Friday night. And yes, I was safe and rode my bike there and home. Don't worry it was only about a mile away and all but 50 yards of the ride was sidewalk or neighborhoods.

Now back to work on Saturday, then off Sunday, work Monday and off again on Tuesday. Hmmm, maybe I should wait till I sober up before posting to my blog....?

Half a bottle of wine

2009-11-12T22:54:00.002-06:00

Takes longer than I thought to drink half a bottle of wine. I had no idea that this glass (thank you Kari) would hold so much. And I had no idea that the wine aerator would be so much fun to use. So those things combined, i ended up with over half a bottle of wine in my glass tonight. Opps. Good thins I'm not going to work till noon tomorrow. Uh, but maybe Ill get up and go for a run with the dogs. Ha, doubt it!

Going to the cold sprints on Sat with a friends wife. Well, I guess she's my friend too. Just I knew her husband first. So that'll be fun! Uh but not too much fun Paul...I promise.

Time to run

2009-11-03T20:18:00.004-06:00

Ladies, if you see one of your single guy friends while running...Please, by all means...Don't do something silly like give him a BIG GOOFY HUG!! ; )

Now, time to get out there and run. Seems like I've done more runs than bike races lately. A nice 10k a couple weeks ago and then an 8k this last Sunday morning with my friend Paul. Which by the way, I met a girl at the 10k.

Here's my little rant about that:

The girl and I were chatting back and forth during the run then at the end I asked for her number and she gave it to me. So, what do I do but call her a couple days later right? Yeah, that was last week. Has she called back? NO, not even to say "no thanks". Why do girls give out their phone number if they have no intentions of seriously returning the call? Lame. I think I'm going to start a list of girls numbers on every mens room wall across the city if they give out their number under false pretenses. Yes, this has happened to me multiple times. Trust me, you won't hurt the guys feelings by being up front and telling him you're not interested. Or even lie and tell the guy you are dating someone. Case closed each goes about their way. And guys, if you're interested in these deadbeat girls number let me know. : )

Okay so enough of the ranting...

Last Sunday morning was the 5k/8k Cliff Drive run. It was a benefit for the Gladstone Elementary School, there were over 900 runners and walkers of all ages. The weather was more than perfect for an early November 1st morning. After the run I headed to Lawrence for the cross race. Daylight savings time threw off my internal clock because I got there WAY too early. I didn't race till 2:45 so I sat around for 3+ hours.

Not very many people attended the race, I guess they all raced Saturday and stayed out late for Halloween the night before. The Cat 3's only had 11 starters. It was a great race, I love that course. Fast and technical. Not a lot of silly twisty 180's, just one deep sand pit immediately following a zig zag that nearly brought the bike to a dead stop. So dismounting at a complete stand still then running through the sand was sucky. Oh, and this was only 20 yards or so from the fast 50 yard road sprint finish. The finish that I botched and lost my 4th place finish during the last few yards. Just....couldn't...crank...enough.... ; (

Next CX race is this next Sat in Topeka. NIGHT RACE, under the big lights at the dirt track. YEAH. Bring it on!! See you all there.

Oh and next run...I think it's Nov 22nd. Gobbler Grind or something like that. See you there also!

Girls running

2009-10-22T19:34:00.002-05:00

I went running the other night, as I've done several times before on the Trolly Trail from Brookside to the Plaza and back. There were several other runners and walkers out. The weather was great. Consistent with every other run on the Trolly Trail I've done, despite the time of year, I've noticed that the girls rarely if ever make eye contact with guys. They look down or glance off to the side. Why is this?

When I run I'm in a great mood and very friendly. I often acknowledge the on coming person (regardless of age or gender) through eye contact and maybe a head nod. If it's a cute girl she'll probably also get a smile. A smile that goes without notice because the girls don't even glance up at the other persons face for a second. It's eye straight ahead or down on the ground.

Why do girls do this? Is it just a girl thing? Is it intimidating for girls to acknowledge a guy while running? If you're a girl runner, please let me know what is going on here.

Now, I have passed a few girls who do make eye contact and smile back. There's at least those 2 girls who don't feel the same way as all the others. Just wondering what the others are thinking.

Boulvard Cup

2009-10-19T21:58:00.002-05:00

Oh what a better race this was. Beautiful weather, great course and fantastic fans. Thanks guys for staying through the Cat 3 race, (the last race of the day) and cheering us on. I and the others appreciate it very much.

If you missed out on this race, you missed out on a lot. I'm not just talking about the racing, there was food and beer galore!

The race was nice, the course was a good one with lots of off cambers, hairpins, barriers, run-ups and grassy climbs with "sprints" to the next section.

I'm looking forward to the Smithville race this coming weekend, I'll be looking for the "money tree" again this year.

Racing Chris Cross...or just riding the course?

2009-10-11T18:32:00.005-05:00

My race today was miserable, I really shouldn't call it a race. More like me just riding my bike on the course with other people. I wasn't excited about it and I wasn't in very good shape. Not riding for a couple weeks really kills the peddling ability. That and the cold temps this weekend, where'd they come from???

Hopefully next week I will race better, or at least be excited about racing, have a lot of fun and won't care how I finish. I promise, I'm going to TRY to get out and ride/run more this week and every week here after. Okay, now who's going to hold me to that?

Aside from all that the course design, (thanks Rich) was fantastic! Nice little ups and twisty downs, okay I enjoyed the downs more than the ups. Hey, smooth out those bumps next time. : ) And off camber barrier, wow you guys are getting creative.I could have swore I saw a coyote by the pond. I looked the next lap and I did! But, it was in the same exact pose...not moving. I guess it's a fake one to keep the geese away?? Was a little freaked out at first that there was a coyote not 50 feet from the course.

I ended up getting pulled on the fourth lap. Fine with me, my rear tire was going low and I rolled it popping the bead though one of the corners. I felt every brick as I peddled up that road.

No racing

2009-10-04T13:49:00.002-05:00

A weekend of participating in a wedding that's not even mine is very tiring. I can' imagine how the bride and groom feel. Okay, so the 7 mile run at 6:3o Sat morning after just going to bed at 1am did get me an early start to the day. However I think it was the main reason my legs are sore Sunday. Couldn't have been from all the ridiculous dancing I did at the reception. :) There are photo's somewhere out there, keep your eyes peeled.

So I missed out on the kick off to Boss cross this weekend. Hey, friends only get married once, had to be there for this one. I hope the races went well, the weather was perfect. Sad to have not been there, these guys always put the pain on the racers with their tremendous course designs. I've got one more busy week and weekend of personal activities then back to the bike and racing. Hopefully I'll see you all Sunday in Leavenworth.

Diamond Blackfan

2009-09-27T22:00:00.003-05:00

Wow what a hot race! I mean the temp, not just the action on the course. This is the second year for this venue and as last year it kicked my butt. Constantly on the gas, no time to "recover" or spin and get in any groove. My avg HR was 197 and I maxed out at 211bpm. No wonder I was mentally fatigued the entire race.

The winning theme of the day was turn them cranks and turn them hard. Running a higher gear helped keep the wheels under you through the corners, but then you hand to have some major gonads to pull out of every corner over geared for the entire race. I did cheat a few, downshifting and breaking to make the corner, okay I didn't make two of the corners safely. There were some corners that would be nice to take fast, but not without consequences. I went down twice, once losing 5 spots while I tried to get up and going again.

The most fun part about this race for me was the tight up and overs through the pine trees. Don't get stuck in traffic, you'll lose your momentum and have to downshift, working harder than you need to just to get out of there. The sand of course sucks as it always does in any race. Nice NEW Cowtown barriers BTW Chris! As I leaped over them, I could still smell the paint fumes, (as if I wasn't deprived of oxygen enough already!)

Over all a tough course and a warm day for racing. Great job to those who had a hand in setting this race up, working the stations, fixing food, officiating and cheering.

First race of the season...DONE!

2009-09-20T19:19:00.002-05:00

Yes, it's a little warm for cross races here in the mid-west but we're all too excited to get the season underway. The cold, mud and snow will be here soon enough.

This race was the first of it's kind here in KC and at a new venue actually in the city!! Even the "too cool to race kids in Capri pants" came out to watch this one. We even had some out of town friends come by to watch as well. Nice seeing you Marcus!

The course had a couple fast road sections, the rest was tight twisty grass or single track in the woods. Very cool popping in and out of the trees, getting heckled by friends and then back into the trees for more dirt. Oh and was it ever dirty. Just a little bit dusty if you were unfortunate to not be leading the pack. Great motivation to peddle faster before the single track sections.

Great fun and a great race. Look out Chris Hershey, I'll catch you one of these days!

Round the corner

2009-09-01T19:27:00.002-05:00

Get those cross bikes out, the first day of September is here! I'm not counting down the days but the first cross race will be here before you know it! Pretty soon we'll be taking hairpin turns and jumping off a perfectly good bike at speed.

Cross clinics start tomorrow, if you've ever been interested in cross come to the clinics. Cross bike or not, you'll get the idea. If not, hopefully we'll at least see you at the races. Beer in one hand, cow bell in the other.

Ahhhh summer

2009-06-05T00:09:00.002-05:00

There's tons of stuff going on these days. Not much time for blogging. Get out and ride. Yes even road if you must.

Looking for a new MTB, maybe Salsa Mamasita. Any one have other suggestions?

The end of winter

2009-03-01T18:39:00.002-06:00

Okay, maybe not officially, but I think we're close. I'm pretty sure we've had our last snow for the year this past Saturday and it looks to be in the 70's later this week. Time to get out and ride.

But, if you can't get outside there's always roller racing.

After a hard day sledding down suicide hill Saturday, I watched my first ever roller race at Harlings in Westport. All I can say is SUPER COOL! There's prizes to be won and ego's to break. This is a short FAST intense form of racing. Umm, but you don't go anywhere, you're on a stationary bike mounted to rollers. It's just like a drag race, count down lights and all!! Because you race for such a short amount of time, you don't need any special attire or equipment. You can wear whatever makes you feel fast. Like Jones in his tri-geek singlet, or that guy with the clown wig.

This is something everyone needs to try, I'm definitely going to give it a shot next time! Great fun Jones, Zeke and all involved!

Went riding yesterday!

2009-01-19T21:00:00.002-06:00

It was great! 50+ degree's in January, can't pass that up. Paul, Chris, Mark and I rode across town to check out a cool place for underground cross races. Yeah, it's in KS, just by a few hundred yards, but it'll do. The location is a mix of parking lot, chat trails and grass. Oh, there's also some soft sandy soil that demands a dismount. Yikes! I know, I hate sand, but this is different. The course is about 1.5 miles long. Races will probably only be 30min, hey, it's the off season and we're planning on having fun with this so there's no need to make it too difficult!

The temps for KC on Thursday should be in the 50's again. Get out and ride.

Oh, and of course check out this blog frequently as well have more info every week about the upcoming cross venues!

All said and done

2009-01-11T20:16:00.003-06:00

Oh what a season. The Grote Prijs has always been a great race and I love the course. It was way fast today with a couple slimy corners and a treacherous run up. I got out in front and stayed there nearly the entire first lap. Wasn't till the start/finish like that Joe Fox came up fast behind me, oh and everyone else for that matter. Just like that they all were taking off up the parking lot leaving me to wonder if I slowed down or they got faster. I tried to catch up and battled with a single speeder, who wasn't in my class but was hoping he would pull me up to the others. We finally pick up one other guy and I held his wheel for a lap or two. On the last lap he crept away and I wouldn't be able to chase him down during the final fast 100 yards or so to the finish. Oh, and the single speeder was up there somewhere also.

The weather has been great the last couple years for this race. Nothing like having a few beers, tossin around handshakes, getting photo's of new friends aquired over the season, on a 40+ degree day in January.

Now it's time to relax for a few weeks, plan a couple MTB races and maybe even try out road racing this spring.

There's also talk of underground urban cross races coming in March. Watch this blog for more info.

Oh, and of course don't forget about the first MTB race of the year, the Bone Bender 2009.

Last race

2009-01-08T22:15:00.002-06:00

Yup. Just a few days away from the last race of the season. Or, second race of 2009 I guess is a better way to look at it. Either way, there won't be any cross races for quite a few months. I'm sure I can keep myself occupied with other bike adventures.

Hopefully I'll be riding a few MTB races and doing a little helping out behind the scenes. Keep your eyes peeled for some cool KC MTB races this year.

Bike Whisperer

2009-01-03T21:33:00.005-06:00

Mud Cross

2008-12-28T21:02:00.002-06:00

Wow those Boss Cross guys sure do know how to plan a fantastically difficult course. I think the tide came in during my race, turning the course into a swamp. The conditions for the first 3 races of the day were great. Fast and ride able because all that moisture was still fast asleep under the turf.

The race was a unique race, consisting of mostly runners either pushing or porting their bikes more than 3/4 the course. The weather turned out to be great, highs in the low forties, little to no wind and lots of MUD! This race was one for the record books. I of course, forgot the camera, so no photo's from me. I'm sure there be plenty out there in a few days.

new race, Wednesday. Yep, New Years eve, baby! After that we have our last two races for this season, one Sunday Jan 4th and the last one Jan 11th. Time to purchase next years license.

Home stretch

2008-12-27T22:20:00.002-06:00

Race one of the last four will be tomorrow. With the nearly 70 degree weather Friday and the rain and snow today, it'll be a very wet race. I'm not sure if there'll even be any mud. Might just be brown water puddles because of all the moisture in the ground. Oh, and did I mention the race is next to the Missouri River??

I'll post comments, I've borrowed a friends camera so maybe even some photo's sometime next week. I've got Wednesday AND Thursday off!! Wednesday of course is the Cross out the old, cross race. Officially, this race should be held at 11:30 and continue into the new year to make it a real cross out the old race. I'm guessing most who would participate have plans that don't include bikes or cross racing.

Bone Bender

2008-12-19T21:35:00.003-06:00

Okay, this doesn't have anything to do with cross, but it's bike related all the same.

Mark your calendars for March 14th. There's a new race in town. The event will be like none other you've ever seen.

It's called the Bone Bender, details are here:

http://bonebender.blogspot.com/

See you all there!!

New tires and new snow.

2008-12-16T22:57:00.004-06:00

Pict of the new truck tires. And...the snow I had fun driving in today!!

Wow, what a weekend

2008-12-15T19:15:00.005-06:00

Cross Nat's is all over. Not a moment too soon. The cold air moved in around 10:30 Sunday morning and just kept coming. Sunday night around 7 the snow started blowing as the temps fell below zero.

We of course need to profusely thank those who set all this up. Thanks Joe, Chris, Jeremy and all the others who made this weekend happen. The countless volunteers, officials and of course participants. Thanks to all for coming to KC yet another year, I'm glad we had better weather this time around and I hope you all enjoyed the course.

I was so jealous of those who raced Sat and Sunday. The course was perfect!! I was one of the lucky few who broke in the course on Thursday, with all the mud from the melting snow that came the Tuesday before.

I've also got to say, Egg Beaters are the best. I wouldn't have been able to finish this race if I still had my SPD's. After the Boss Cross race last year at English Landing park, I swore I would find a better peddle. Well, I didn't and I raced this entire year with SPD's and didn't have any problems until, yet again, one of our favorite Boss Cross races in Platte City two weeks ago. The combination of freezing mud, grass and the insanely steep muddy hills rendered my SPD's useless. I would have been better off in warmer shoes and flat peddles because I couldn't clip in after the first run up. Anticipating the same conditions for Nats this year I was serious about switching. The SPD's came off and Egg Beaters went on the Monday before Nats. Not much time to get accustomed to my new cleats, I began that night by riding laps around my neighborhood clipping in and out every 10 feet or so.

Moral of the story in case you skipped to the end.

Bravo to cycle city crew et all, for a great course and 2009 national race weekend , and go by egg beater peddles. They'll keep you riding your best even in mud.

Happy crossing, oh and I overhead a few people this weekend say that Nat's is the end of the season for them. How sad for you. We still have 4 races planned here in KC!!

Wow! What a first day at Nationals.

2008-12-11T22:36:00.002-06:00

The weather was great and the course muddy. It's anyone's guess as to what the next three days will bring weather wise. After all this is the midwest. It's raining/sleeting right now, but that should pass.

We had a perfect sunny day today, the snow and ice turned into perfect mud. Not too sloppy, not very energy sucking, just nice and slick. Enough to slow down those fast roadies and make everyone take caution through the corners. I was disgusted with the up hill climbs a little bit. The ground was too soft to stand and crank so I was forced to sit and spin, not my strong point, so that wore me out just a little bit more than I would have liked.

I was dreading this course and debated finding a 40 tooth for up front instead of the 42 I normally run. I'm glad I didn't bother, the 42 was just fine. I was dreading the climbs but I think the temps were just warm enough and I had enough of a warm up to get through it all. I liked the slippery corners and was glad the course was not a fast flat and strong man hill climb. I would have gotten killed it it was. My advantage was in the bike handling and hill running, which there was a fair amount of because of the mud.

We had some great races today, many first time locals participating in this years race. Good to see the sport growing. Also some of the kids I saw today were better than I could hope to be. Perfect form and technique. Dang, why couldn't I get into cross when I was 9 years old?

I've got to send out special thanks to Kat for the extra effort on the sidelines during my race. BIG THANKS!! You make a difference. And for all you who gentle ring that bell or modestly cheer, please by all means use your outside voices and ring that bell like your house is on fire!!

I'll be back out there on Sunday to spectate and rind those cowbells. One race is all I can handle in one weekend, plus it's so much more fun to drink warn beverages and cheer on others!

Good luck to all who still have yet to race. Day one 2008 Nationals is in the bag.

Cross is coming!! It's time for Nationals in KC again!

2008-12-07T18:45:00.003-06:00

It's time for the big race. I hope you've all made your flight reservations and found babysitters for the kids.

We rode the course today, even as the stakes were going in the ground and barriers nailed down. It was a sunny, breezy, near perfect 45 degree day. The course has two up hill dismounts, quite a few grassy climbs, 100yd pavement sprint and fun downhills with a couple off camber turns. Grab those grippy tires, pass on the semi slicks.

The weather is also proving to be everything you'd expect for Nationals in the Midwest. Chance of precipitation all 4 days. The heaviest stuff to come Sunday and Monday in the form of snow.

I'm racing Thursday and I'll be back Sunday to ring that cowbell!! Don't forget your license, see you all this weekend.

Out of the wood work

2008-11-26T23:19:00.002-06:00

There's a side to mtb races in KC that no one nows about. It's a behind the scenes culture that seems you have to know someone in order to be invited in. It's mystery to me how someone is to become a race volunteer other than to work at a bike shop.

I started racing mtb in 2003. I can't recall ever declining the request of a race promoter or feeling guilty that I should do more to help out. I can't seem to remember seeing a sign up list of volunteers for the next race or even a method of how to learn about volunteering for an upcoming race.

Wouldn't hurt to put the call out there, get people signed up to volunteer. Over the years, I never even considered that the mtb series in KC was anything but a well oiled machine. Before this discussion I never would have guessed that there was a need for additional support. Everything always seemed to run so smoothly. (there are your compliments)

Some individuals, like myself, would much rather do it themselves than bother asking for help. I don't blame them, you'll get it done the way you want that way. I can totally relate, but I've also learned that it's not always the most efficient use of my time.

Now that the race promoters are coming out of the proverbial woodwork maybe those interested in assisting and volunteering at a race will have a point of contact. Even if it's just a name to say, hey Jim, I'd like to volunteer, what can I do to help? The general mtb racer doesn't know the race promoters by name or even by face. A good starting point for stimulating volunteers interest would be a list of promoters, name, number or email.

If there's a need for additional assistance maybe it's time to look for new volunteers and let the usual crew train the newbies before burn out occurs. Expand your circle to include the entire mtb community and even beyond.

Here's what I feel would be beneficial. Listing all the races in this area and contact info for those race promoter. I'll even post the list here if anyone can compile it for me. We've all learned that race promotion takes a lot of time. Here's promoters chance to invite others to join in their circle and for mtber's to help out where they might otherwise have never considered assistance was needed. Through working together we can build trails, hold great races and overall grow the sport for many years to come.

CROSS on over to the other side

2008-11-20T22:46:00.004-06:00

It looks as though Cyclorcross will need to continue into the spring here in Kansas City. The 2009 mountain bike race schedule is pathetic. All in the name of building more trails they say. Yeah, try to get back those mtb race enthusiasts 5 years from now.

We used to have a good race schedule, throughout both the Missouri and Kansas sides. I guess the race promoters have to also be in charge of building their own trails so they can have proper races. Why isn't there anyone to help? Or are they not accepting support and just using the "trail building" as a crutch to take a few years off promoting races.

I'm not saying promoting events like mtb races would be an easy thing to do. I'm sure it's stressful and time consuming. But pick your battles, delegate your work out to others and lets have a decent mtb race series. The Heartland series has dwindled little by little over the last 3 years. We even lost the Granny Gear 24hr races due to lack of local support and interest.

Who's driving this thing anyway? Sponsors? Promoters? Parks and land owners? MTB Racers? Maybe there's just a huge lack of communication with all those involved with mtb races around the Kansas City area. What's it take to have a race? I have no idea. Seems fairly simple. Pick a day and location, get sanctioned, insurance, collect entry fees, announce winners.

How does building trails get in the way of races? Trails are built in the off season. Races are to be in the spring and summer. Well, should be anyway. The last few years our mtb races end around May and usually all get rained out. What a mtb season huh? Pretty lame if you ask me. The mtb season should go for as long as road season does. If think you're man (or woman) enough to double up and race road and mtb, then go get em' tiger. Otherwise don't cry about not being able to race one because the other is in the way.

What's the point? The point seems to be that we are getting screwed out of decent mtb races because there's no one to put on and promote, sponsor, attend, volunteer at any mtb races this year. I see this trend continuing. Only options are to race the Heartland crappy series or drive miles and miles to race a few of the Fat Tire series. Did I mention that the Heartland series "dirt lovin good times" contains only 4 races. Woo Hoo, what a fantastic series. I hope I have the most points so I get a cheesy medal for first place.

Bottom line is there's no dirt lovin good times to be had this year, and I'm definitely not spreading the dirt. I'll keep the cross bike out well into the spring.

Here's what others are doing out west.

http://cultcross2008.blogspot.com/

An eventful day

2008-11-16T18:29:00.002-06:00

Initially I was going to reflect on the days race. Commenting on the highlights and spectacular weather. Oh, don't forget about the course designer who's man enough to race this course on a single speed. Instead I'll just link to what I've written on the KC Cross page.

http://cowbell.cxmagazine.com/group/kansascitycross/forum/topics/de-stad-cross-cup-course

I've been given some news that's caused my mind to shift gears. Pondering the changes in life and how they'll affect others including myself.

My best (female) friend got engaged this weekend. She stopped by this evening to personally deliver the news. She was grinning and couldn't contain herself. Not being the typical girly girl but one to scoff at flowers and never considering herself one for marriage, seeing her this way was very strange.

I guess for all of us who's future is hanging out in La La Land, seeing others engaged makes us uncomfortable and a little jealous. I can see where it would be nice to have a large portion of one's future figured out.

This is going to be a little awkward. There's so many ways that something like this causes change in others lives because of the ripple effect. Things will no longer be hers but "theirs". I would always be welcome to freely borrowing anything of hers, now I'll feel I need to ask permission and knock or call before I go over there. I feel like I'll end up being the uncouth, random friend who they'll talk about to each other while watching the news or cleaning up the house.

Anyone with similar experiences please feel free to chime in.

Vet's Cross

2008-11-09T19:10:00.002-06:00

Almost a perfect day of cross racing today. Temps in the low 40's, very little wind and plenty of sunshine. Well, that sounds just about perfect you might think. Okay, weather wise it was nice. But, c'mon, this is cross. We've not yet had any throw down drag out, crappy weather, mud covered slop races for quit some time. I'm not complaining, just saying. Whats cross without those natural elements that test our sanity and will to survive?

The off cambers were much appreciated by some, hated by most today. They caused gapes to be formed and the desire to quite even stronger. I would say it was a good course for strong riders with it's fast flats, short climbs and smooth flow. Not too much to throw any one off their game, well, besides the mandatory barrier at the bottom of a grueling double hill. I think it made me appreciate the Smithville hill even more.

I love racing in Leavenworth because we get to use the indoor facilities. Yep, that means not fighting the wind to registering with winter gloves and pens that won't write. Plus, indoor showers and food. Wait, something is still missing. Oh, yeah the beer. I guess we can't have it all. : )

Big Boy Races

2008-11-01T19:21:00.002-05:00

Today was my first 123 race, or I believe some of you call it the "A" race. Registering for this race was not intentional and I would not recommend it to anyone not prepared to race 60min.

First of all, yes I got lapped, but not until 3 to go. Originally I was planning on racing Sunday not today and so I set my work schedule around that race date. Well the Sunday race was canceled Friday. So I'm quickly trying to find a way out of work on Saturday to be able to make it way up north in time for my race (which I thought was at 2pm). I finally got away from work at 12:30, the drive (including stopping for gas and cash was 45min). All registered and getting dressed, I noticed the racers riding the course. Hmmm, they look a lot like the guys I usually race with. Yep, that was the 3/4 race that I should have been in which started at 1pm. I had just registered for the 123 race at 2pm, the last race of the day (yes I'm Cat 3, just by two weeks). Ooops.

Okay, so how hard can it be, really? I line up third row, only 23 starters, and I'd had about 10min of warm up. Fortunately it was about 73 degrees today.

We take off, everyone rolls out in front and I try to hang with the single speed kid for as long as my legs would let me. I decide to pace myself a little, this was a 60min not a 45min race. By lap 3 the pack was definitely out in front. I was at the back, but there were a couple guys behind me. One of the regular 123 racers, Bill Marshal, had a flat in the first lap or so and he was working to catch me. I was trying to hold him off as long as possible and did until the last lap.

I ended up 17th out of 23, three of those were DNF's. This course is the preview to the Nat's course. It's killer. Fantastic if you're quads are bigger than your head. Up or down with some tricky off camber turns and "moguls" on both the up and down of one part of the course. Course length was about 1.5 miles, long flat pavement start, gently into the grass, then the roller coaster begins. I wish I had a Garmin to calculate the total elevation gain during this race. The course looks like the best sled hill ever. We used the entire thing, thank goodness they didn't have us crank all the way up all at once. If you're not familiar with the midwest this is not a smooth course. It's typical mowed down field grass, even during the last race of the day I was getting bumped around quite a bit.

It'll be interesting to see how this course is affected by the elements, what ever may come, during Nationals. Remember, in the mid west, if you don't like the weather, come back the next day, it'll be different. So expect, snow, ice, 70+ temps and rain. If it's slick, be careful in the downhill off camber corners.

Smithville day 2

2008-10-26T19:30:00.003-05:00

I'm glad that this weekend is over with. Between the racing, the wind and the sun, I'm spent! Yes I said wind. As in 30mph give me wind burn conditions. I found out shammy butter works just as good on wind burnt cheeks as it does the other set of cheeks.

The course changed a little for day two. A couple up hill grassy areas I had trouble maintaining speed on were split into a nice switchback utalizing some pavement with a tailwind. Great spot to recoup for a couple seconds and prepare for the rest of the grassy up hill switchbacks. I finished a little better today despite a grim outlook on the race and starting back row. Ended up 17th out of 28.

I felt better racing today. The only change I made was replacing 4mm of headset stack that I took out a couple weeks ago. Man, I can't believe what a difference 4mm will make. Unlike the race following the 4mm removal and the race yesterday, today my lower back didn't get tired and sore till the last lap and I felt more at home on the bike. It's completely crazy and I wouldn't have thought 4mm would make a difference, but it does.

Overall a great course and a great weekend of racing fun! I even pulled a total of $3 off the money tree for the weekend. Bob and Chris from Jeff City, it was totally cool meeting you guys this weekend! Keep riding and maybe I'll see you at more KC races.

Hope you all had a great cross racing weekend as well. As for me, it's 7:30 I've unloaded all my gear and eaten dinner, so now I'm hitting the showers and turning in for the night.

Smithville cross festivial, oh how I despise your return

2008-10-25T22:47:00.003-05:00

I think the entire course is uphill! How'd you do that Chris??

Seriously there are some great twists and turns, dips, a killer hill and dollar bills? Yes, dollar bills. The money tree was the best part of the race. Not only for me but watching others try to grab the dough...sometimes spelled DOH! by those who missed out or even fell trying to grab the moola.

I actually loved the killer hill or as I renamed it during my race, the "I hate you Chris" hill. It added a nice element we don't always see in a cross race. A wall of dirt, that would be better off traversed with rope and safety lines. It was cool to see who would run it and who could ride it and which was faster.

I did very poorly today thanks to my lack of activity during the last couple weeks besides working and racing cross. It pays to do something through the week, at least 30 min of running or biking. So I raced like crap today. Looking forward to day two at Smithville and getting the crap beat out of me on this course again. I'll be prepared this time with cold beverages to make it all worth the pain and suffering of finishing very near the back of the pack.

Sunday at the races

2008-10-19T20:30:00.002-05:00

We are having a very nice long fall here. Highs lately have been around 70, it was a bit windy today which made the wide open grassy course not very fast at all. Oh and the three sets of barriers didn't help either. One positive, NO SAND!!

This is my first year Cat 3/4 racing. It's going well, so far I have an 11th, 8th and a pitiful 16th place from today. There are tons of excuses about why. I honestly think I ate too much for breakfast and didn't ride or run enough last week. And, I forgot my jersey so I had to borrow a teammates long sleeve jersey that they weren't going to need. Duh, because it was getting warm out. That alone didn't start things off well for me. Also forgot the heart rate monitor, so I had no idea how hard I was going.

The race began as a fast road sprint sweeping left onto the grass, it was wide enough to keep speed and even gain some. I was fourth when we hit the grass and ready to motor. The guys in front then just sat up and starting spinning like they were ready to settle in to their pace already. I think the three upcoming turns made everyone a little cautious. We took the corners just fine and as we are re mounting after the first barrier, (less than a few hundred yards into the race) I start to drop back, or others start to catch me. Either way I was not able to increase my cadence after that oddly slow beginning. There weren't any big hills, just lots of gradual climbs up to barriers and a couple tight switch back climbs that required down shifting and standing just to get around.

Still breathing hard, I did manage to hold on to top ten for 3 or 4 laps. Then little things started to get to me and I even slid out in one corner, dropping my chain, costing me 3 or 4 places. That was dumb, I should of change my tires for this race because of the grassy corners. I just couldn't get going the entire time. Had that feeling of being heavy and unable to move quickly. I even tried to just push a bigger gear to make up for it. That worked for a couple laps, only on the flat parts though. Still had to down shift for the gradual climbs, standing hurt for some reason.

This coming weekend is a two day race at the same venue each day. Day two I've heard will be in the opposite direction. I'm debating on camping out, lows around 47 highs expected to reach 58 or so. Still dry no mud races yet this year. It has rained here, about every couple weeks which keeps the ground soft for races, but thankfully the rain has been early on in the week.

With all this great weather we've had, I know we're going to pay for it come winter. I'm guessing ice storms and freezing rain. Oh, and we had a thunderstorm Wednesday morning with a little hail just for fun. That's the midwest weather for ya.

Is it Sunday yet...

2008-10-16T21:18:00.003-05:00

Dang this week is going by horribly slow. I've lost track of what day it is. They are all running together. So a few beers while typing are in order tonight. It's of course a nice Belgian beer, Hoegaarden is the name. You'll like it better than Blue Moon. JB, you'll be glad to know that I'm drinking it out of a Boulevard glass.

These beers are a celebration (we fired one of the worst employee's ever) and stress reliever from working long hours this week. Here's to all you who worked long hours this week, tomorrows Friday. Let's quit our jobs and open a bike shop. Okay, a Cyclocross shop, sand pit and all. Until then dodge the boss by hiding under your desk, or better off call in sick and enjoy these fine fall days while we got em'.

Get your honey do's and errands done on Saturday, get ready for a great race this Sunday!

Cross night at the race track

2008-10-13T21:27:00.004-05:00

Oh what fun it is to ride...wait where was I going with this?? Oh, yeah. What fun it was to ride a cross race, at night, on a dirt race track. The sounds of road cars racing in the background, it was enough to rev up any racer or spectator. This course at the Heartland Park in Topeka was absolutely fantastic. Lots of fun, very fast short course. The best part was NO SAND!! Oh, and the steps over the wall and ramp down the other side.

Unfortunately there's not a very good collections of photo's out there to document the race, so I guess it's one of those "you had to be there" events. Take my word for it, you've got to go to this race if they have it again next year. Make sure you take enough "gas" with you, you'll need it for this fast course. I will however add that this course would be a mess to ride wet. So much dirt, it would all turn to mud. I would guess with enough rain the infield would be a pond and the off camber turns would take a delicate touch to manage.

If anyone has decent photo's of this race, please by all means point me in the right direction. Overall a great trip to Topeka, lots of fun, great environment for racing (duh a race track) and they even had the concessions open, yum pomme frites! Oh, but be sure to hydrate, cramping sucks. I guess 8th out of 26 is a pretty good finish for starting back row.

Double up this weekend

2008-10-10T21:40:00.002-05:00

Who's doing both races this weekend? There's a great night race Saturday out in Topeka, and a traditional race Sunday in Lawrence.

Given the events of the week, I'll be working Sunday. So,...looks like I'll be racing Saturday night. I would like to try two races in one weekend, but I guess that'll have to wait till the end of October.

It's Friday night and it already feels like tomorrow is Monday morning. There's just so much stuff going on this weekend. Too much in fact to accomplish and participate in. Aside from the cross races, this weekend is the Irish fest at O'Malley's in Weston Missouri. It's a great time, even better if you can get signed up on their volunteer list. VIP passes are included for all volunteer's witch means free food and drinks all day. Not to mention the best Irish music in the country. Check it out sometime. Best advice I can give is book your room now for next year, you'll be glad you did.

www.westonirish.com/IRISHFEST.html

Back to work!

2008-10-06T23:31:00.002-05:00

I'm just settling in from my first day back to work after a four day trip to Chicago. This trip was for business so I didn't get to see much of the city and I was suffering from a mild head cold. Probably from the weather change and flight out there. I did get to enjoy a fantastic dinner at Nonna Silvia's, somewhere around 1400 N. Canfield. Check it out if you're in the area. I would recommend the lasagna and a bottle of Cianti.

The first day back from a trip is never good. Nothing ever gets done because the day goes by way too fast. Plus I'm at a new location, trying to get things rolling and the employees motivated is always a hassle. I'm off on a rocky start so far, being thrown into a bag of ciaos, picking up the pieces left from lack of management and inability of others. Oh where to begin?!

Tuesday should be my day off but instead I'm attending a lunch meeting to recap the recent trip to Chicago and inform the owners about what new products we found.

It's also time to get back into running and biking after being out of town for four days. With a race coming up this weekend, I should have started running this morning but felt way too tired so I slept in and went to work around 11am. I'll try to run tomorrow morning, but weather forecast says rain so it might be time to break out the rollers. I've got to do something, maybe not a morning and evening workout but something. Then again, time off is supposed to help physical fitness while training right...?

First race

2008-09-28T20:20:00.002-05:00

Today was the first race of the season and my first race in a faster group. All the better, the Cat 4 group is getting HUGE! They had 69 starters today. I moved up to the Cat 3/4's and did pretty well finishing 11th out of 45 guys.

Today was also the first year at a new venue. I'm hoping the new venues continue to pop up as cross becomes a more well know sport in this area.

My race was at 10:30, we still had a little dew on the ground. It made the corners a little slow but it was nice to not be racing in the 83 degrees we had for the later races.

Hope everyone else had a great race day, no injuries and is ready to do it all again next weekend.

What makes the difference?

2008-09-21T21:49:00.002-05:00

What makes the difference are those sacrifices. Those little decisions that we make in order to achieve our goals. But at what price? What price are we willing to pay to be what we intend? Is there a way to justify or rationalize the sacrifices? Who's to say it's not worth it? No one but yourself. You're the only one who you need to answer to. No one else can decide for you.

The decisions we make not only affect us but the other people around us. Same holds true to the sacrifices we make. They too affect the people around us. Maybe in more ways than we could ever imagine and definitely more than we intended. The decision to sacrifice and become better puts another at a loss. It puts others in your life aside. In order to concentrate and achieve your goal, others must suffer too. You must give your time and attention to that which you are trying to achieve, ignoring others. Sacrificing relations and concentrating your actions in order to be better, faster, stronger.

There's a point to all our lives. Some of us don't know how to get there. Others don't yet know what the point is. Either way life requires sacrifices. Each decision results in a sacrifice. Possibly a decision to better yourself, can possibly be at the expense of another. The people in our lives usually become the sacrifice. Not only do we pay the price and make sacrifices but others in our life do as well. That's what makes them friends. They are willing to be that sacrifice for the betterment of others.

When it's all said and done. Make those sacrifices in order to achieve your goals. But remember who you sacrificed in order to get there. Be proud when it's your turn to be the sacrifice for others.

First race of the year

2008-09-21T18:48:00.003-05:00

The first race of the year is next Sunday.

About 7 guys rode the course tonight. It's nice and fast with a grass start/finish and a lot of those tight 180's and a few steep climbs. It's about a 1.8 mile course. After riding for about an hour we did about an 8min hot lap today. Those will dwindle through out the race I'm sure.

This will be my first year in the 3/4's. I've started front of the pack in the 4's. I think I'll hold off and start out on the second row. Maybe that'll help me pace myself. The races are 40min this year, gotta find an extra 10min somewhere.

Tubeless clinchers

2008-09-21T11:39:00.003-05:00

I bought a pair of used Tufo's the other day. They're great so far. I rode them once yesterday at the river trails. I hit a root that would have ended any tubed tire ride. Pinch flats be gone!

I'm going out today to preview a new course and really give them a try in a race "situation". Really, I'm interested to see how they hang on in the corners. Any guesses? Better than the tubed clinchers or just the same? They are about 100gm heavier each which doesn't bother me that much, as long as they perform well.

The next step of course would be full tubeless rims and tires. I'm thinking, Plant X rims! Umm, but that's another budgeting nightmare.

I'm in!

2008-09-21T11:36:00.002-05:00

This is a little late but I called Dirk at SBO on Friday. He waved his magic wand and just like that, viola! I'm in. All set up ready to race Nats, registered where I should have been come Monday morning at 12:02:46am.

Just call me Debbie

2008-09-15T21:39:00.003-05:00

Because this thread is going to be a downer.

Aggravated. That's about the only way to describe the feeling last night (or early this morning around 12:01 am). I'm not the only one. I guess there was an issue registering all those who had a MTB/Cross license.

So, future reference. Don't buy a MTB license if you're planning on racing cross. The Nat's database won't recognize it as official.

I guess they are fixing the problem and getting back to those who called to complain. If they had some idea about the time they tried to register they where being placed in an appropriate order.

I've decided to not race. Too much trouble and hassle. Yes, I'm in KC but this race is just beyond the trouble that registering required. There are many others who set alarms and stayed up late or even had power outages, and still could not register. kudos to you all for your persistence. I'm taking a pass on this one and will spend that weekend dreaming of beer and cowbells each night instead of a 60th place finish.

Rain rain go away

2008-09-12T21:41:00.002-05:00

Lots of rain here in the midwest. All those hurricanes from the gulf are dumping on us. It's nice to have cool weather already, but I think it's going to make for a muddy cross season.

So due to all the rain, my training schedule has not gotten off to a good start. Yeah, I'm using the wet weather as an excuse, I do have rollers I could spin on for an hour, but who wants to hear about that?

I've declared tonight Friday Wine Night. Red wine to be exact. The training schedule says, one hour easy or rest. Sounds good to me after a slow day of work and getting bitten by a dog (yes at work).

Now only to make it through Saturday, then off to the benefit bachelor auction Sat night. Hey, free food and drinks. Who could say no to that, plus it's for a good cause.

I'll be out playing in the mud next week, maybe as early as Sunday evening if this rain ever ends. So take it from me. Don't be a slacker. Ride your bike, be glad it's not been raining for the last 9 out of ten days straight.

Upgrade Cat 4 to 3/4?

2008-09-11T23:04:00.002-05:00

I've races 4's the last two years. I've done pretty well. Never had a podium finish but could have a couple times if we didn't have a sandbagger in our class. All the same I'm thinking I'll be a little more experienced this year and in better physical shape so I'm anticipating moving up to the 3/4 races. I'd hate to drop back down to the 4's if it doesn't work out, but I guess that's always an option.

I guess I'd rather be challenged by the 3/4 race rather than coming in top 3 or even 5 every time. There's plenty of new guys this year for the 4's that I don't need to be taking up one of those spots.

The first race is coming up the end of Sept. I'm planning on sitting back second row, watching what everyone does and going as hard as I can for 45 min. We'll see what happens.

First cross clinic

2008-09-11T21:21:00.004-05:00

Rain, rain rain here in the midwest. Cyclocross was in full swing at the first clinic Wednesday night. Cool weather and light drizzle. Perfect for challenging your tires to hang on through the corners. I'll had to wear a watch because I have no idea how long I rode practice lap after lap. It seemed like for ever but I'm sure I only rode for $20 minutes.

I need more riding, practicing getting on an off. I was so sloppy mounting it felt like my first time.

The clinic had over 20 females this year. Great turn out, around 60 total people, and it was even a little wet and drizzling. I hope most of those stick with it and race the entire season. There were also some people returning for their second year. Good to see those guys out there, not for the glory, but just to endure the pain as any of us would.

If there's a local clinic in your area, I strongly suggest attending. Not only is it a nice skill refresher, but a good chance to size up the new talent.

Thanks Blanco Suave

2008-09-06T22:46:00.003-05:00

This blog site is great.

http://blanco-suave.blogspot.com/

Check it out for great cross commentary and modification ideas.

Here's one improvement I've made to my bike this year.

Thanks Blanco!

Cool in Kansas City

2008-09-04T20:55:00.003-05:00

Go figure, it's perfect cross weather and I'm stuck at work for the last two days.

Thanks to hurricane Gordon, it's cool and rainy here in KC. Perfect cross weather but unfortunately the cross clinic Wednesday was rained out. The rained cleared out finally today, next week looks like a go for cross clinics. Might have to get out this weekend and do a little ridding through the park just for kicks!

Cross clinics

2008-09-02T20:51:00.002-05:00

The cross clinics for Kansas City start Wednesday. I think I over did my Monday and Tuesday! Monday was 90 minutes of hot laps on some nearby river trails. One last ride on the monster cross. Man those tires on the cross bike hook up great in the sandy corners. Today I rode the usual 5 miles to work for a short meeting then did a decent 90 min road ride with a friend before heading back home.

Time to put back the regular tires, wrap up the new bar tape and adjust the seat just a little. I hope I'm not too tired for my first cross workout of the season. I better get to be early.

I've counted 15 cross races for this season in or around Kansas City. There's more if I travel about an hour. In fact there's a whole other series out in the middle of the state called Bubba Cross, umm but I think I'll be skipping that entire thing including the Missouri State champs. I'm much closer to Kansas.

Okay, all you crossers. Happy cow bell dreams.

Monster cross

2008-09-02T20:44:00.005-05:00

Now that the regular cross season is beginning I've finally got photos of my Redline Conquest Pro with 45's.

Here's the rear tire clearance. Not a good bike to ride in the mud!

Cross training

2008-09-01T01:01:00.002-05:00

So who's ready for cross?

Do you have your training schedule all laid out? It's time to practice those techniques and prepare for 60 minutes of heart pounding, eye balls rolling in the back of your head racing.

But seriously, clinics are just starting, the weather is still warm, who's ready t give up those 3+ hour road rides? I am! Enough with the sustained effort. I'm ready for the 60 minute sprint. The hole shot at the start, running the barriers, cooler weather and suffering through till the end.

It looks like I'll need to invest in some new running shoes and some cool weather running gear. I'm sticking to the training schedule to see if it helps this year. Looks like I'll be running well into January.

Hey Crossers!

2008-08-25T21:08:00.002-05:00

How many days is it now? Can't wait, get out there and burn up those legs before the season starts. I'm still commuting to work 3-5 days a week and participating in a few group rides. It's time to shift gears and get back into the zone 6 for an hour at a time. Recovering after the runs are still a mystery to me. I very much dislike the sand, so I guess those are my two areas to work on this season. I'm hoping that the road riding this summer has given me a good base for low torque power and running a few days a week helps peak and sustain my heart rate for 30+ minutes.

Time to add in mounts/dismounts and hill runs to the weekly workout. Yes, I said weekly not daily. I'm tempted to practice jumping barriers in the yard, I'm a little worried about pinch flatting, so maybe practicing at home to see what it takes to pinch flat a cross tire would be beneficial. : ) Oh, that and acquiring the actual skill of getting up and over the barriers. :( Anyone have any tips? I can do it on a mtb.

Clinics start first Wednesday in September. One day of cross a week will NOT be enough. I'll need supplimental cross rides through the park to take care of business each week. I'm still rolling the Monster Cross 45's, I'm hesitant to take them off. I guess I should just take photo's and be done with them for the year. I can always put them back on next spring right?! But they are soo fun to roll. Maybe I'll wait till after the first cross clinic and then take them off.

Get on your bikes and ride. Make it hurt, you'll be glad you did.

Albino out -

New gear

2008-08-13T22:52:00.002-05:00

There's nothing like new gear to get you excited about the sport. I picked up a new pair of Specialized Pro MTB shoes at EPIC bike & sport, the team discount was much appreciated.

Of course I can't go out to the first race or even the cross clinics with shiny new shoes, I had to get out the cross bike and head to the local park and practice a few dismounts in the soggiest ground I could find. The shoes performed fantastically, I can't wait to put in the toe spikes. Now just to work on the 190+ BPM's or figure out how to race with my eyes rolled back into my head. : )

I'm still ridding the monster cross bike. I've decided it's good practice to roll around with 45c tires on, more rolling resistance can only help make those 32's feel fast! Plus it just looks soooo cool. Cross bike with big fatties on it. I'll have to get some photo's posted for all to see.

Don't forget to start your runs. It's time to wake up those muscle strands and get them functioning normally when the legs are about to give out. Oh, and by the way, that's a bad thing, especially when running through barriers. Yep, I knee planted after the second barrier in a race last year. Both knees gave out and hit the ground when trying to jump back on, I skidded to a stop in fantastic ahh. You guessed it, grass stains and red knees. No cuts or scrapes, a little swelling and soreness for days of course. So don't skip the running. It's important!! I'll continue my running on through December this year.

Hot, hot, hot!

2008-08-02T19:12:00.003-05:00

Wow, too hot to even mow the yard.

I should go meet up with the other bike hooligans for an evening of biking from bar to bar. So hot, it's difficult to get motivated. Should I stay or should I go?

I'll call around to see who else might be going.

Ciao!

Short Track Dirt Crit Series in KC

2008-08-01T21:47:00.004-05:00

That's right, just in time to get on the cross bike. A local shop is sponsoring a four week dirt crit series called Boss Cross.

Here's the link for more info.

http://www.kansascitycross.com/go/

The weekly mountain biking and road rides continue. However, I'm beginning to view mountain biking in general as a social activity and the road riding as more of a training activity. There's running a few days a week in the training schedule as well.

It's been a long summer so far and I feel it's only begun. Work has consumed most my time and I don't think I've taken the time to relish this time of the year. I know I'll miss it when it's gone.

Less than 100 days till cross

2008-06-24T13:16:00.004-05:00

That's right boys and girls. Less than 100 days till the cross season begins here in middle America. How you all have been practicing your run-ups and dismounts.

It's actually been a good spring and summer so far for me. I've been going on longer rides, including a tough weekly hill ride. Longest ride this year has been 50 miles. Don't know how many more of those I'm going to do. : )

I competed in my first MTB race of the year this past Sunday and finished 5th in the Sport mens 30-39 group. The rain has really limited the MTB riding this spring.

Viva la cross!

Monster Cross

2008-02-25T23:47:00.003-06:00

Have you ever wanted more from your cross bike? I love riding trails on my Redline and have wanted more trail capability out of it. So, I purchased myself a pair of the Panaracer 45cm cross tires and mounted them up. Okay, so I had to trim the side knobs a little bit, but it's so worth it.

I can't wait to get out on the trail with this thing. Just riding around the neighbors yards (in the snow btw) is so much fun that I can't imagine how fun the trails will be.

So, here's to warmer weather and dry trails. MONSTER CROSS!!

I'll be traveling to Texas in a few weeks. Won't be taking the cross bike. Something tells me that I'll be better off with a regular MTB. I'll be sure to give an update when I get back, maybe post a few photo's as well.

January's gone February sucks.

2008-02-03T10:30:00.000-06:00

We're one month closer to warmer weather. Slowly digging out of this winter hole. It's now the third day of February and what's happening? Thunderstorms, freezing rain and maybe snow. Make up your mind! Dang, where else in the country can you get all this in one day. It's winter, it's not supposed to be raining. It's supposed to be nice frozen snow so we can go sledding and ride the trails in the snow.

If you don't live in the mid west be glad you live where you do. This up and down weather crap is annoying. Winter = snow, spring = rain, summer = hot humid days. What happened to that routine? Global warming? Oh, that's another post all in itself.

If the weather is nice where you are, take advantage of it. Go ride, don't be lazy. Think of those people like me that can't ride today because of the weather.

Friends needing cross bikes

2008-01-29T14:32:00.000-06:00

Okay seriously, I'm sure someone out there has decided to give up cross racing or has an extra cross bike or two sitting around the garage. You know who I'm talking to, you're the on who bought a cross bike back in 04' the one that was going to get you in shape, this was going to be your sport, but it ended up being too difficult, too cold or you just sucked at it. Yeah, you. You're the one, don't you want to sell that old cross bike? You've got better things to put in it's place, like a nice plasma tv and a bag of chips.

One friend of mine needs a 52-54 and the other needs a 56-58. Not looking for a $2000 ride, just a basic cross bike. Well unless it is a $2000 bike and you want to sell it cheap to someone who'd really give the bike a good workout every week like it was built to do.

Cult Cross Shirts!

2008-01-26T19:22:00.000-06:00

I got my cult cross shirts yesterday. I highly recommend these, plus you're supporting a new cyclocross movement. See the Cult Cross link for shirt photo and more info.

Sunday here in KC should be a fantastic day for riding, unless you're planning on riding the trails. Mid 50's and melting snow. A great reason to ride cross and get sloppy on the road and in the parks.

If the weather is great make the best of it!

Cioa

Cross in the spring?

2008-01-25T18:51:00.000-06:00

Would you do it or would it get in the way of other races?

What about cyclocross fun rides? Every other discipline has group rides, why not cross. I'll tell you why. You think the courses are only there during a race. Ah, not true. They are still there, there's just not any tape or barriers.

There are plenty of places to group ride cross. It's a great workout and a good alternative when the MTB trails are too wet. If available in your area would you participate in cross rides or even a spring "race" every now and then?

We need to change our thinking. Everyone agrees that cross is a good compliment to road and MTB, but why can't road and MTB be good compliments to cross? Most MTB riders I know ride trails all year round, when the trails are dry. Frozen does count as dry by the way. The same for most road riders. They typically ride road all year round, when the weather is warm enough and streets are dry.

Why not cross, why don't riders ride cross year round? It's a good work out and it only takes an hour. Why ride 30-60 miles when you could benefit yourself as much in 30-60 minutes? Is it too hard? Would more riders be willing to do an easy ride through a park, around trees and runing up stairs?

Go ahead and try it this spring. Make up your own course, visualize the tape and barriers. Get your friends to go to the local parks and watch everyone stair at you like you forgot to put on your pants. Don't forget to be curtious to the other park users and when the cops come, I promise you'll ride harder than you thought possible. Try getting motivation like that on your weekly road ride.

Here's an inspirational website to visit:
http://cultcross2008.blogspot.com/

End of Cross

2008-01-20T20:28:00.000-06:00

There's lots of talk out there about what people are doing now that cross season is over. It's simple to see that most in the colder regions of the country are doing a little hibernating and couch training.

I spent the day today in the easy chair watching movies. Mainly because my truck is broke and I have no way to go any where. I did get a little restless around 5pm and had to get out for a run. Yes, it's all of 20 degrees today, but I had to get out of the house. I felt so much better when I got home. I did a little stretching and took a nice hot shower.

After cleaning myself up, I did a load of laundry and fixed myself a nice fish dinner with an okay glass of white wine. Now it's time to settle in for the evening with a little NPR and the internet.

So, what are you doing during these horable winter weeks with no cyclocross to speak of? Will you mountain bike, run, or get back to the road bike and hope there's no ice on the street? I'm eventually going to get the road bike out and hit the rollers a few times a week. I need to buy a few new movies first. I don't think I can watch Monsters Inc. for the fifth time on rollers.

Ciao,