The end of the road...or...singletrack...

It's hard to believe another year has rolled by...it didn't feel like it!! As I look back, there were highs and lows, but for the most part I rode right down the middle.

DING!! Coffee is done!!! I planned on racing in the woods this year, which I did, but between Mutha Nature and my Truth breaking, the amount of racing was reduced GREATLY!! BAH!!!

The highlights...The Bone Bender 3/6 hour race is probably the race that stands out the most. That was the biggest field of racers I have ever lined up in, bar none!! There was 128 in my class, and 300ish overall. I pulled down a 10th in class and 12th overall. A great ride!!

The Swope CX was a great race for me for a few reasons...It was the first time I lined up in a masters race since learning masters races are generally the really fast guys using those races to warm up for their main event...That race is also put on by a bunch of old school MTB'ers from waaaaay back, who put emphasis on bike handling skills into their courses, which is good for me!!

I too am an old school MTB'er from waaaay back, and you KNOW I gots me some MAD NINJA bike handling skills!!!

Anyway...I pulled down a 4th in a race where I had no idea what place I was in, I just kept the hammer down, and was rewarded with a good result!!

So there you go...the top 2 races for me this year. As I write this I'm looking forward to 2011. I have again decided to focus on slugging it out in the woods, with 2 "A" races for 2011.

Hopefully I can hone my focus to a fine point this year to have the those elusive peaks come around at the right time. At this point I'm a little excited about 2011 and looking forward to the next few months...sort of...I have a game plan that I think will work, so bring on the dark times...January and February...

There you go...my take, albeit a short one, on 2010.

E

Urban assualt...

So yesterday, Sunday, I was supposed to ride gravel with this dirt lovin biker chic I know...that didn't happen, mostly because she had just gotten home from vacation the night before...

So what do we do...we go on a recon mission into downtown K.C. to find the best route for her to start commuting to work on her CX bike. Since we had planned on a gravel ride and I don't have a CX bike I was on my MTB.

We take off on the road from her house, after a wheelie or two I settle down and we spin down the road. About a mile later I'm getting bored and we are rolling through this industrial area that has a sidewalk and tons of stuff to ride on, over and catch air off of.

So what do I do...Start riding the sidewalks, swerving in and out of parking lots at speed and catching air off the curbs...it was a BLAST!!

On this day I got a huge dose of why I ride...I ride because it makes me feel like a kid everytime. Well this time, I was damn near giddy I was having so much fun, and totally felt like a kid again!!!

IT WAS THE BEST 10 MILE RIDE I'VE DONE IN A LONG TIME!!! It also didn't hurt that company was good too!!

We found a good route to work, rode across the Heart of America bridge over the mighty MO, and just had a kickass time riding!!!

I love riding!!!

E

Swope CX...The Sequel

Has it really been a year since the great wheelie incident?! How time flies...

So this past weekend was the KC Cup CX and MTB event held at Swope Park. This is the event where in '09 my mad bike handling skills outweighed my better judgement to the tune of a wheelie and 2nd place is better than a win...Is it? No...but it still makes me laugh when I think about it!!

Moving on...This year I decide to race in the masters category for a few reasons. I'm 40 now so why not, the cat 3 race was at 2pm and the masters race was at 11am...oh yeah, there was a mtb race the next day at Swope that I was planning on doing, weather permitting...so early race means more time to recover...

I wake up on Saturday morning and start the race day ritual...Start with a French press to get whacked out on the goofballs!! Next, when I finally feel coherent enough to function...CRANK THE METAL and watch the neighbors yard die, get my stuff loaded and head out. Which for some strange reason, this time, I left right on time...woohoooooo!!!

I get to the venue, and with the lessons I learned last year planted firmly in the front row of my thoughts, I grab my bike and ride the never ending road that I ran last year to sign up...Look at the big brain on me!!

I'm signed up, number is pinned, it's time to warm up with...a wheelie!!! Most people don't care about that stuff, but when I ride a good one, deep down inside they're sayin...god I hope he doesn't beat me!!! HA!!! MAD MUTHA EFF'N SKILLS.

Anyway...I rode the course the day before for about 30 minutes and then headed to the woods to inspect the MTB race course...which by the way would've been really fast and fun...but that whore, Mutha Nature, decided that a dry race 2 days in a row was waaaaaaaaaay too much to ask for...so it HURRICANED, and I didn't race...bitch!!

Sorry...bit of a rant there...onward!! So the rules for CX have changed, and I'm not sure about the barriers, but the barriers that were on this course were 2 x 10's...I think. There were 3 of them space far enough apart that if your skills were up to it you could ride over them as opposed to running them. Riding was faster. Also this particular course had a ton of singletrack incorporated into it which I thought was SWEEEEET!!!

Sufficiently warmed up, this HOT girl asks me to pin her number on...I say HELL YEAH, it's about 20 minutes til the start, no worries!! All done there, I decide to ride a little more, and as I take off I check the time and it's 10 til...damn, better head to the start.

Of course everybody and their mommas are already lined up, I'm thinkin great!! Starting D.F.L.!!! This ought ta be fun...as I walk by I'm asking where's the 40+?? No answer, oh well I can pass these chumps in the turns, no worries!! The official comes down and says "I need the 30+ followed by the 40+" and so on...WOOHOOOO!!! Not starting D.F.L.!!!

The age groups are sent off in waves with 30 second intervals between. 40+ is the second group. GO!! Me and the Truth are in a fight with a bunch of CX bike riding Nancys!! I'm thinkin I'm gonna get my ass handed to me, as my experience with masters races has been brutal!! It usually consists of the really fast guys using this race as a warm-up for their respective main event.

We drag race for an eternity up a paved hill which flattens out for about 100 yards leading into the first turn. At this point I'm sitting about 12th, no worries I'm on the Truth and I start taking tight inside lines that the CX bikes with super stubby knob tires can't get enough grip to rail these lines and ride a wide arc through the turns.

I start passing riders with ease...I made some sweeeeet passes, inside lines, outside lines...I sliced right up the middle of a group of 4 riders through a chicane and every pass was clean!!! It' makes me giddy...teeheee!!!!!

At this point I'm headed onto the paved section of this track which I thought for sure I was going to go straight back to where I started...fortunately when I built the Truth I spec'd it with a 46 tooth big ring!! I jam it into the big ring and drill it, no one passes me. I looked at the speed and I was rollin 22mph...gotta love the big ring!!

Fast forward to the middle of this race. I'm on the long paved section and I'm dying big time!! I look down and I'm going 18mph, I take a look back and a racer is coming to me and there's nothing I can do about it right now. He makes the pass and I jump on his wheel just as we roll onto the grass again. He's twisting the screws on me but I have recovered!!

We come to the hairpin turn that leads to the 3 barriers that I can ride. I'm thinkin, if he runs these I'm gonna pass him and put it on kill...sure enough, that's what happened!! I ride by him as he runs over the last barrier, I grab a gear or 2 and punch it!! I create a good gap going into the next section, which was 5 or 6 switchbacks that emptied into the woods on the singletrack. I go as hard as I can through the trees, the gap gets bigger.

I roll through the start finish into the first turn again and the gap was at least 75 yards...where'd who go?!?!

2 laps to go...The gap I created is about 100 yards now...I have punched through the pain and I'm just killing it...back up to 21-22mph on the road again, and definitely making time in the turns on the grass.

Near the end this lap, a rider crashes in front of me and lands on his side on some rocks at the end of the singletrack where there was no way around...I yell at him get up, get up, get up!!!! This seemed to make him move slower...I slow down , and say MOOOOOOOVE!!!! He finally drags himself out of my way, he says something to me as I go by...I think he was mad at me for telling him to move...Whatev...I say thanks and punch it again...

Now on the last lap, the nice cushion I had created for myself was now about half...THANKS MR. NO SKILLS!!! There's a group of about 5 riders being lead by one who, by the looks of his face and riding style is on a mission to run me down...

Fortunately I'm having a great day on the bike, realize this go absolutely as hard as I can on the last lap. Through the 1st grass section the gap stays the same...onto the pavement...time to die...I wind it up to 22mph, I gain a bit, back on the grass again headed to the barriers, the gap is about the same...I think to myself, hit the marks through the next set of 5 switchbacks and kill in the woods and it will be over...I nailed my lines, hit the woods and drilled it to the end...

I popped out of the woods onto the start/finish straight, I look behind me, there's no one behind me, it's time for a finish line wheelie!! I ride a sweet one, good enough to actually coast on the back wheel across the line in 4th place out of 27!! The official says don't do that again...THAT MADE ME LAUGH!!

There you go now you know...It's not win, but I'm stoked with how I rode!! I rode well enough to pass the eventual 30+ winner with a lap and a half to go...CX on the Truth...Gotta love it!!!

E

2 in 1

Alright peeps...I'm back!! So it's been a while and I have a good reason...I haven't been racing as much as I would like. This year was supposed to be the season of dirt...you know, back to where the EveredE started.

I fully planned on doing battle in the woods on a regular basis this season, then Mother Nature decided to RAIN on my parade...literally...bitch!! Also the dirt gods stopped smiling upon me...the Truth broke...sadness.

So I get in touch with the local Ellsworth rep to try and remedy this problem. He comes back to me with "it's too old, they don't make that design anymore and they aren't going to warranty your frame"...I kinda thought that might happen...I hoped it wouldn't but WTF!! That frame was $2000.00...so I welded it. It just needs to get me to winter.

A side note...SPECIALIZED BICYCLES stand behind their bikes. I had a 97 model MTB that failed, they didn't produce that model anymore and still warrantied it with a current model no questions. SUCK IT ELLSWORTH!!!

The dirt season started out promising...I managed to get some good racing under my wheels before the skies opened on what seemed like a daily basis...so much for that idea. I have said it before and I'll say it again...MTB racing in the mud is not racing.

Moving on...R.I.M. As I said earlier I welded my MTB frame. I did this a week or so before the Rapture in Misery so I could ride it and make sure it was going to hold. The 1st ride back was at Shawnee Mission park, a great place to test my weld. It's rocks with a little dirt thrown in to keep the ants happy...very technical riding and pretty demanding on equipment...the Truth survives so it's game on for R.I.M. I do 2 more rides on it before the race with no worries.

The night before R.I.M. it hurricanes...imagine that...rain the night before an MTB race...Thanks Mother Nature...HOOKER!!! Anyway, I'm set to do the 1st lap and I decide to line up on the front of the LeMans start...never done this, thought I would try it.

Go!!! I start running and quickly realize that the rest of the racers are SPRINTING...I threw out a couple of good obscenities and finally get to my bike...As I look back on that I laugh...I totally didn't expect to have to do my best Carl Lewis impersonation to get to my bike. My legs were shot for a week from that 75 yard sprint.

I roll out of the start area in about 13th, proceed to slide my way around the 9 mile loop fairly fast with no diggers and came into the transition inside the top 10 overall and 4th in class. It would've been faster had I listened to my gut and put my FREAKIN MUD TIRES ON!!! I did the first loop on hard pack tires...not mud friendly at all.

I hand off to Leadfoot, and he comes back right at an hour later. No worries it's a long race and it's hell hot...we'll be fine. I now have a mud tire on the front as I head out on lap number 2 and I'm on a mission. I'm now railing through the muddy turns I skated through on the 1st lap and I'm flying...about 3.5 miles into my lap, I hear a loud SNAP!! I stop thinking my rear hub just exploded, but no...the Truth had once again broke...but this time not a crack, the seat tube was now 2 pieces...GAME OVER.

The next day I looked at the weld I had put on it and I didn't put enough heat into it...as of now it's welded...again...but this time I put the heat to it and it has a solid weld on it. I went into it thinking it's broke and not rideable what's the worst that can happen...I fuck it up more!! OOOoooooo...so it has a solid no fear of screwing it up weld on it now...

Next!!

I did the Bicycle Shack TT today. It was pretty much fun, they had a Merckx division, which means NO AREO EQUIPMENT. Of the 12 riders in the group, I think I was the only one with 32 spoke wheels...Shoulda protested!! ;)

Anyway, my previous best time for a 10 mile TT on standard stuff was 26:31. Today I turned a 26:25, this made me happy. As I look back on this ride, I'm happy with how I rode today!! I was on the limit and focused the whole way...no complaints...well...there is the wheel thing, but it's no big deal...really!! Next time tho!!!

E

The tale of a 3...

It finally happened...I have officially lined up as a 3. I have to be honest, I was a bit nervous the week leading up to this race, after all it was a new group of racers that are faster, and my training for various reasons is not at the level it was last year...

On to the race...My race day ritual, like most racers, is timing based. You know...leave on time to give yourself plenty of time to get ready, eat at a certain time before the race so you don't chuck, and so you're not starving when you line up. This day was no different.

So I get to the venue with the first race going off as I sign up, meaning I have about 45 minutes to get ready. No worries...then I find out that the start of the 3's race will be delayed due to some poor fool throwing his manhood into the meat grinder of marriage!! There's a church on the course that was being used for this man card termination!!

Anyway...it's a good thing this was happening, because with 3 laps to go on the 1st race, I was just getting on my bike to warm up...not good!!! I jump on the course just as the last few 4's are finishing. I roll past the start line to find out the race will indeed be delayed...WOOOOHOOOOOOoooooo!!! I now have time for a warm up!!

The race was supposed to start at 6:40...it started at 7:30. After riding around the course for what felt like an eternity I see riders starting to line up, so I head to the start line. I'm sitting there for about a minute and another rider asked me "did they call us to the line"? I say no we're just greedy!!

As of late I have had issues with hitting my pedal on the first try...about a minute before the race rolls out I say to myself, relax, you know how to do it, you'll hit on the first try. It worked!! The wedding finally rolls out and they say GO!!

I get a great start, I'm sitting about 7th heading into the first turn. We roll through this turn and the screws are immediately turned...no worries I'm feeling good. On lap 2 a rider goes on a flier with about a half lap to go, at this point we are rolling through the lower parking lot, the field slows a bit and I maintain my speed and attempt to jump across the gap. I get separation from the field and make it across...woohoooo...that was painful!!

That attack was short lived...it lasted about a lap. The field was still fresh...As I have said to some people in the past...If you never try, you never win!!!

About 2 laps later we diving down into turn 1 (which is a technical, 1 lane 90 degree, downhill left with square curbs at the apex and outside exit) and I'm sitting 7th. A rider 3 spots ahead pushes the front and down he goes!! The 2 riders immediately behind him rail inside of this knucklehead, at this point, I can see his carcass will be where I'm headed...OH SH*T!!! So I grab fists full of stoppers, the guy slides across my intended line into the curb, and I crank my bike hard to the right and managed to avoid him and the curb...a hollow victory...as this happened the front 4 riders drill it and create a gap.

At this point I'm pissed...Jackass gets up and starts to ride in the direction of the race...I'm ranting aloud at this point and say F**K THIS...I'M TAKING A FREE LAP!!! Captain Road rash hears me and says "we can do that"?!?! I responded with a HELL YEAH and proceed to ride to the officials. Road rash and I get there about the same time, and I tell the official I was caught behind him and had to avoid him or meet certain pain!! They grant us a free lap...

As we sit there, the official asks us if we were with the leaders, I say hell yeah, the field was still solid when he hit the pavement!! He says ok, I'll put you back with the 4 man break when it comes by...SWEEEEET!!!

The break is about to come by and the announcer says "put them in with the field"...So much for a repeat victory...The gap was not very big and had I not been sitting there for an eternity I think I could've jumped across to join the front. As it was, my legs immediately loaded up and I suffered greatly for a lap and a half!!

Back under control, my job at this point was to manage the field because I had a teammate in the break...There was 4 of us flying the Shack colors left in the field and once we were on the same page, we shut down pretty much everything that tried to go from then on!!

The last lap...Due to our efforts at controlling the field, everyone, I felt, was rested...This is gonna be interesting...A little less than half way through the last lap the pace goes straight to the redline!! Up the hill, left, down a short straight, right into a parking lot going at least 30mph at this point...at the end of this parking lot, there's a chicane that sets up into an uphill right.

I'm sitting about 15th going into this turn. I set up for a wide line on the outside...I'm carrying a ton of speed, the riders in front of me grab brakes and dive for the inside line...I think about the stoppers but that's about it...I rail around the outside and my line is going to take me to the curb...I realize this and put total faith in my tires and my bike handling skills and lean a little more...I missed the square curb by couple of inches at the most!! I say out loud...OH YEAH!!! I CAN'T BELIEVE I DIDN'T HIT THE CURB!!! I would have bet money I was gonna wad it up and find myself on the ground in the grass, that's how close it was!! At this point I had moved into the top 10...A great move!!!

While I was yelling this, we were climbing, headed to the last turn and the sprint finish. We all start sprinting and in the end my spectacular move and adrenaline fueled comments ran me out of gas about 30 meters short of the line...after all, if you're talking, you're not breathing...so a potential top 10 turned into 13th...

There you go now you know...No one knows how a race will play out and crashes happen!! All you can do is stay at or near the front and be attentive. Sometimes this is not enough but that's racing...

Overall I felt better than I thought I would, this is encouraging!! The Tour of Lawrence is up next and after this ride I'm pretty sure I will be lining up!!

Racing Mother Nature...

The pic was taken about 45 minutes after this ride ended!!

Hmmm...If you are an avid cyclist this dilemma has probably presented itself to you at least once...probably more!! I'm talking about looking at the radar, seeing rain headed your way, and thinking to yourself...That's about an hour away, I can get a quick 20 miler in.

I have taken this dare from Mother Nature numerous times, and for quite a while I had a winning percentage. She can talk trash with the best of 'em and get you out on your bike in the smallest of weather windows...BEEHATCH!!!

Saturday was one of these days. The storms were more than an hour away, so I saddle up for the Saturday ritual which usually nets me 50-60 miles...or roughly 3 hours-ish of ride time.

Fast forward 2 hours...As the group I'm riding with rides north, Mother Nature shows her hand...Aces and 8's...the dead mans hand!! The sky was BLACK!! So we roll into the college where the group ride ends with thunder and lightning all around. I sit there for a few minutes and ponder what to do while I wait on Leadfoot. He rolls in a couple of minutes later and offers me a ride home, but we have to ride to his house...I say HELL YEAH!!!

At this point Mother Nature is poised to deliver THE sucker punch of the season so far!! The wind had been out of the south all morning, now it's out of the northwest and freakin howling!! Fortunately Leadfoot lives east of the college about 5 or 6 miles...so the wind was helping!!

We had just finished the hammer portion of the Saturday ride only to follow it up with a race with Mother Nature!!! Yay...so we take off and start killing it again. We get about a mile up the road I turn and look back and the Mother Nature is right on our wheels...I think she was drafting!! Anyhoo...we proceed to kill it all the way back Leadfoot's house and about a mile out it starts sprinkling, so Leadfoot kicks it up a notch and we get to his house about 5 minutes before she pulled the plug!!

WE WIN THIS TIME!!!

A new level...

I have said this before and now I'm saying it again...Missouri is one of the most unfriendly states for cycling EVER!!! This was reaffirmed for me just this morning.

My usual Saturday revolves around "The Saturday Ride" that leaves and finishes at LVCC. Today was no different, it was a nice morning and for the most part a nice day...with one exception.

A teammate and I were on the last section of road before the end of this ride rolling along at least 20mph, more or less riding on the stripe on a road that passes a golf course. In the past, impatient golfers have buzzed me, sped up to get by me only to have to jam on the brakes to make the turn into this goat ranch, and today a new level!!!

My teammate and I were at the most 50 yards away from the goat ranch entrance, rolling at least 20mph. All of the sudden to my right ON THE SHOULDER OF THIS ROAD, an EFFING B***H GOLFER is passing us...That's right...on the shoulder!!! While she's passing us, she's looking at us like we are in the wrong!!! It was so surreal, I actually took a double take...I couldn't believe my eyes!!!

This more or less infuriated me, so I started mother effing and showing her she's number one. I see her turn into the goat ranch a whole 40 or 50 feet ahead of us...and I follow. I'll give the clean version here...I asked her what her problem was and she said we need to ride on the shoulder...I said you passed us on the shoulder and that she should use her brakes and wait a few seconds...it went on a few seconds more...you get the point.

The thing that got me the most was the pass on the shoulder only to turn in to this place 3 seconds ahead of us...would it have been so bad to wait 10 seconds at the very most and not risk running down 2 cyclists to get to a tee time?!?! I think so but what do I know...I'm a cyclist.

I guess patience is a lost art...and to me, riding around here is only getting more and more dangerous...THAT SUCKS!!! Just thought I would share this one...it was a new level of ridiculous!!!

AHHHHhhhhh.....deep breath....I feel better....Watch out for the stupid people, because they're NOT gonna watch out for you...

The ToM and shtuff...

First, I would like to say how much of a JACKASS the gov. of MO (Jay Nixon) is!!! To be the cause of the downfall of one the greatest events in MO is FREAKIN REDICULOUS!!! As I have read the facts being posted FB, the 1 million dollar investment last year netted the state 38 million...Where's the "good reason" to let the ToM die...THERE ISN'T ANY!!!

I have always said that MO is one of the least cycle friendly states EVER!!! This just reaffirms that belief from the top down!!! Jay Nixon is a JACKASS!!!

Moving on...as of late my cycling ritual has been feeling a bit stale. So I decide to change it up a bit by rolling over to the Tuesday night crit. This was a good move on a few levels!! First, it wasn't the same ol same ol...Second, it rained like we needed to build an ark on the route where my usual Tuesday ride rolls...and third...hmmm...I had FUN!!!

I've done the crit a handful of times, and it's been years since the last time. Since the last time, the promoters have made a few changes to make it safer for all racers involved.

Way back when it was one group of all abilities. Now it's 2 seperate races, the A race...cat 1,2,3's and the B race 4,5's. Apparently the fields were getting to big and slower riders were crashing and taking out the big dogs...not good!!!

So knowing this, I head over and line up anyway. The race started at 6:30 and was 45 minutes in length. The first time check was 20 minutes to go. At this point I'm thinking that's a long time and I'm kinda dying right now...I punch the little voice inside my head right in the eye, suck it up, and keep on riding!!

For the most part I sat in and rode pretty conservatively, mostly because this was the first time this year doing anything like that on the road machine. Also it was my way of making sure that I had a little gas left in the tank if the really fast guys turned the screws...which they did...a few times...

All in all it was a good experience and I'll probably do it a few more times this year. I don't think it's worth 10 bucks...but for a change of scenery, I'll pay!!

Oh yeah...The first Thursday after this holiday, the Thursday night short track xc racing starts...weather permitting. Big ringin on the Truth!!! WOOOOHOOOOOooooo...can't wait!!! Another change in scenery!!

I have dirt in my blood...mostly from the diggers in the woods over the years...but anyway.

E

The thorn of Krugg....

I had a race recap posted a few days ago, but the more I thought about the race and the DNF I scored, the more it made me mad!! So to magnetic heaven it went!!

Hind sight is 20/20, and I should have hardened the F**K up and finished...As I have always said, the only lessons you remember are the ones learned the hard way...Lesson learned.

Where'd who go....

How to motivate one's self...Mr, Miyagi says...oh weedhooper, you racka disiprin!! I don't lack discipline...I lack motivation.

Let's back up a week...Saturday night before the 3 hour race, my sinuses started draining shortly before I went to bed. Needless to say, I woke up with a GINORMOUS headache. So now only hours before a race that I wanted to do, I'm generally not feeling it...As I get ready to head to leadfoots house, I keep saying to myself listen to your gut...repeatedly.

You all know I did the race, and the whole time I was blasting through the woods I'm thinking I'm gonna be sick on Monday, yet I keep it on kill. Monday rolls around and I feel about half crappy...Half beat up from racing and half crappy from the freakin head cold I now have...Once again I should've listened to the gut...

Now it's Friday and I have only ridden once this week, and that was a recovery ride on Tuesday. Why you ask...I say to you...I left my motivation in Smithville...

Does anyone else find it difficult to get out and ride/train when you feel crappy or is it just me? I'm thinking that my motivation will show up tomorrow, and I will be back on track for the goals I have set for this season. But for now, one more day of being a waste of space is what I'm feeling.

Hello couch!!

3 hours

So this day started out with me having to do very little to get out the door...Of course you know that got screwed up!!! I had all day Saturday to get shtuff ready and I did just that!! Sunday morning I was 90% ready to go...Time to go...out the door I went. I told Leadfoot I would be at his house by 7:30am. I'm about to get on the highway, OH S**T!!! I forgot my cooler, back to the house. Ok...now I'm ready.

I get to Leadfoots' house about 7:45, load up the war wagon and head to Smithville for 3 hours of blasting around on sweeeeeet single track!!! About 15 minutes down the road I realize I forgot my gel flasks...F*****************k!!! Fortunately I know myself fairly well and bought a handful of individual gel packs for just such an emergency!! Look at the big brain on me!!! ;)

Fast forward an hour...We are now at the venue, and as we try to find a place to park we realize that this is gonna be a huge field!! We head to registration and the line there is a mile long, luckily Leadfoot has connections and we pre-registered...tons of time saved there!!!

Back to the war wagon to get ready. Everything ready...find a place for the cooler...off to the meeting...meeting done...park bike at the end of the run...line up for the Le Mans start. Which was about 200ish yards.

GO!!! We're off and running...somewhere in the middle of 200+ crazy MTBer's...it was NUTS!!! As I approach the bikes I turn to look for my trusty steed, I see it and run right to it!! Leadfoot on the other hand, runs right by his bike and can't find it right away...this to me was FREAKIN HILARIOUS!!! I found this out after the race. The best part of that was he put his bike next to mine...so that waste of time put him more or less DFL going into the woods.

I'm on my Truth now, rolling down a paved path dodging people and trying to go fast at the same time. Finally out of the madhouse, I jam it into the big ring and start hammering. My best guess would be about 80th on the bike and about 25th when I hit the single track!! WOOOHOOOOOooooo for good starts!!! Those who were slow or couldn't find their bikes, came to a standstill at the entrance to the single track...HA HA!!!

In the woods now, most racers ahead of me are rolling along pretty fast and I'm content for now!! About 4 miles in to an 11 mile loop, I end up behind a single speed and a hard tail with a racer behind me. The 4 of us are flying along no worries...but I'm getting itchy and want to pass. About that time the course spit us out into a field, so I make my move...I blow by the single speed, roll up to the hard tail about the time the trail makes an off camber downhill right hand sweeper. Hard tail rolls wide into the tall grass and I go railing by on the inside...WOOOHOOOoooo clear sailing ahead, PUNCH IT!!

About a 1/4 mile later we roll into one of the technical sections...I pick a line and go for it. I was being a Nancy and didn't have enough speed to do what I wanted to do and wadded myself up in front of the 2 guys I had just passed...I clanked my elbow on a rock, and jam my 3rd finger hard enough that I thought it was broken...I get out of the way, I can still move my finger...game on keep going!! I say My bad guys...I let them go by and away we went again...

A mile or so later, I'm looking up the trail at the guy driving our little train and slug a tree with my left shoulder...That really hurt...at this point I'm getting pissed. I think to myself, if this doesn't get better soon I'm pulling out after a lap and finding some beer!!! Luckily no more incidents from that point on!!

A little while later in the same lap I pass Leadfoot walking his bike. I was like dude what's up?? He held up his chain...game over for Leadfoot...

Our train rolls on through the woods and we complete the first lap in under an hour...I think sweet...if I can do that again I should be able to get 4 laps in.

Lap 2 rolls by uneventful. I roll through the transition in under an hour again!! Out of the transition I roll, time for a pit-stop. On my way into the transition I told Leadfoot to grab my other camel-back and get a bottle out of the cooler. I roll up to him get off my bike, old camel-back on the ground, new one on the back, fresh bottle on the bike and away I go. As I rode away, I thought to myself...wow that was the best pit-stop EVER!!! Smooth like butter!!!

Lap 3...I rolling along feeling good until I get to a climb...I manage to get up the hill not to slowly but certainly not as fast as the first 2 laps. I think nothing of it...I'm still rolling along pretty good!! Another climb...I fully suffer on this one!! At the top...on I go...I get to the technical section, which was about a mile long and blast right through it like it was smooth!!

I get to a short power climb,I punch it at the bottom, carrying good speed, I hit a rock and get pin balled off the line and had to stop...The first hill I walked all day!! Oh well...at this point I was looking closely at the ride time on my computer...it was gonna be close.

I get to the last paved section that led to the transition and I'm going as hard as I can, which at this point isn't very fast. I get to the dismount and the official say thats 3 hours...I missed another lap by 1 minute and 8 seconds...stupid hills!!!

Another enduro in the books...35 miles at 11.5 mph average. This was good for 10th out of 54 in my class, and 12th out of 129 overall. I had no expectations going in to this race, so I'm totally happy with what I did!!

As A parting shot...same day of the race...I'm home now, I get a call from Leadfoot. He says "I raced in the woods for 5 miles today...didn't hit a tree and I thought I was riding really well for those 5 miles and after all of that...I fall down my stairs, clank my elbow on the wall and put a couple of bruises on it...what the F**K"?!?!

There's a pause...I bust out laughing hysterically and say to him...that's going in the blog and laugh some more!!! Had to share that!!

DIRT!!!

River trail rumble...

So finally I'M BACK!!! It's about freakin time!!! This past weekend was my first race of the season, I know I talked about racing the spring fling...but between the weather and my motivation telling me I'm number one (the middle finger)and hiding out for a month, the spring fling rolled by without me...no worries!!

Moving on...Over the winter a new promoter of MTB races popped up, so I look at what they have to offer only to find out to race expert I have to carry a FREAKIN LICENSE!!! LAME!!! So I sat and ponderer for a moment...DING...I'll go to the USA cycling website and check it out. As I look around the site, it says I have to have a race resume to upgrade...imagine that...I also find out the last time I carried a license for the woods was 2000.

So I decide to ask the race promoter of the river trail race what I should do. I tell him I've been racing expert since 2001, and didn't have to carry a license due to the race promoters no requiring them. He forwards my dilema to the midwest USA cycling MTB rep. He and I email back and forth a few times and voila...I'm a licensed expert MTBer...At this point I'm thinkin the caliber of racers will be higher due to the license factor...wooo...

On to the race...I ride to the race with a teammate, who has a LEAD FOOT!! Anyway we get there with plenty of time to do everything. We sign up and find out the expert race is 23.5 miles in length, sport is 18.8.

Back to speed racers war wagon to get the bikes ready...bikes ready, we have an hour to sit and get motivated. No worries, I pick the appropriate tunes to get the blood flowing!! I like me some METAL!!!

With about 45 minutes before the gun, we set off for a warm up, which was about 5 miles long and one really good effort on the way back. At this point I'm feeling good, back to the wagon for the final prep.

We head to the start line, listen to the officials for a few minutes, then they start sending the age groups off at whatever interval they decide. My group is called to the line...TWEEEEET!!! Off we go, a flat out drag race to the first turn into the single track...I was 3rd.

At this point I'm content with 3rd, and I ride the 2nd place wheel for 2 1/2 laps. The whole time making mental notes where I'm faster. As I follow this guy I finally realize that he hasn't had a drink of water for 2 laps...so I think to myself, if I can pass him when goes for his bottle it's on!!!

A mile or so later he reaches for his bottle and I call left side, make the pass, and put it on kill for the next 2 1/2 laps. At this point every section I came to that I knew I carried more speed, I had it pinned and was railing through the woods!!

As I look back, my bike was dialed in perfectly!! Every turn I leaned in on, I could feel the Truth settle down in the travel and claw it's way around the turns at warp speed...like a cat on carpet!!!

At the finish I put 1 minute 40 seconds on 3rd, on the other hand, I waited long enough to make the pass into 2nd that 1st handed me my ass by 7 minutes...oh well, I didn't have any expectations going in so it didn't bother me so much!! All in all it was a good day...I don't think I would have done anything different.

I covered the 23.5 mile distance in 1:33:00, this is good for a 15.2 mph average, with a max of 24.6 mph. The seven minute margin to 1st equates to a 16.1 mph average...BUM!!! The Lead Foot finished 4th in sport by the way.

Up next...Bone Bender...3 hours of solo fun!!!

It draws near...

It's February 1st...I'm about sick of riding my trainer!!! If the weather would cooperate just a little more, I would be rolling down the road after work!!! At this point I would rather be a little cold out on the road, then melting down on the trainer wishing I would have used the big fan!!!

Ahhh....done with the rant!!!

The Spring Fling starts at the end of this month, and I'm racing in the 3's...I'm not sure if I'm stoked about that or not, I guess I'll find out in a few weeks. I'm in better shape going into this year than I have been in...oh...for ever!!!! This should make it a little easier...little being the key word!!

Oh well, gotta stay focused!!! BRING THE PAIN!!!

And away we go...

The new year...Here's to everybody reaching the goals they have set for themselves!!! The real training starts tomorrow!!

The CX race was fun, but a DNF was scored next to my name, due to my pedals turning into blocks of ice!!! Oh well...I wanted to race in the snow and now I can check that one off of the want to do list...Up next...The Spring Fling...Cat 3.