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!!!