Gearing Up...

Had to get some needed gear this winter, although I did NOT get the Cateye Triple shot Pro that I wanted, (been waiting for 3 months now) I ended up getting a Nite Rider light. For those of you old enough, The Night Rider was the "Toe Cutter's" right hand man in MAD MAX, not to be confused with David Hasselhoff as Michael Night and "Kitt". If I have to associate that name with anything I'd prefer "mid-NIGHT Rider" from the Allman brothers. Names aside its the same light that I borrowed earlier this fall from Tater and it kicks ass! More than I wanted to spend but its awesome when cars actually wait before turning directly in front of you, and its almost overkill in the woods . Mr. 24 also recommended a bar map holder for TRANS IOWA, jeesh its only 8 bucks so I got one of those as well. Now all I have to do to win T.I.V3 is pay someone jacked on testosterone to impersonate me during the race and all is well. Needless to say I'll be outside instead of inside, sweating on the trainer. Might have to talk the Mrs. into a gravel road ride for 1/1/07. HAPPY NEW YEAR ALL!!

I'd rather be riding...

...But I'm at work STILL, this whole "work thing" is starting to effect my riding.

320 to 330 miles...

TRANS IOWA V.3 Oh boy here we go. I didn't wait in front of the tube staurday for the roster to be posted. I figured me an the Milkman were in so I decided to put the rubber on the gravel. Two things became apparent during that ride, 1. Its gonna be a LONG way, even though I only did 50 miles of gravel, I was going TOO fast, yeah I know I'm talkin about Me but keeping a 14 mph average heading back to town on the "bottoms" nearly killed me as the south wind was gusting to 25. I finally completed a route to Oakville that is gravel all the way there and back. Also found out that the climb up stony hollow road is indeed an honest two miles, into the wind its too easy to sweat it up then freeze the rest of the way, lesson learned? PACE is going to be critical. Got done saturday, went out ot eat (the generals chicken estas caliente) watched football, slept, ate breakfast in my jammies, suited up and hit the road again. Only to realize that if I were actually riding in the race, I would have been out there ALL THAT TIME. uh-oh. Mrs. Brakeville and I did the first part of the same route at a 10 mph average and that is going to be KEY in finishing this thing. 2. WEATHER, it was a nice 50 degrees on saturday but windy as hell, sunday a little cooler but almost dead calm, come april it could be 70 or it could be 20 outside, snow, rain, windy, sunny, warm, dry. The weather will be the deciding factor in this. Gotta figure out what works for the conditions and follow the boy scout motto...I also found myself mooing at the cows alot, i wonder if they know their fate and are even now laying plans to attack the hapless riders in the wee hours of the morning. eat beef today- pork tomorrow!!

Oh CRAP I'm "it"...

I got "tagged" so I must disclose six interesting things about me, then tag six more blog authors with the same task. Its kinda tuff to find 6 INTERESTING things about me but here go's; 1. I know what all 3 major bones in my right leg look like (painful but true) 2. I want to go sailing (preferably in a boat) 3. In my spare time I study quantum theory, and the theory of everything (no shit. why?) 4. I can request a cigarette and lighter in Italian 5. I got scolded by the guards in the Sistine Chapel. (sorry Jesus) 6. I'm learning how to play the guitar I'll tag http://bassoblog.blogspot.com/ http://mikehoward.blogspot.com/ http://midz76.blogspot.com/ http://sweetjaneesq.blogspot.com/ http://cyclinglyfestyle.blogspot.com/ http://theorphanageandyou.blogspot.com/

Weekends We Like

Its been awhile since I've had as busy a weekend as this. If you are interested in "indoor" racing at all you need to go HERE. 8 Up racing on a computer controlled trainer, your own bike, the big screen in front of you displays your position, speed, average speed, distance from the lead, and power in watts. What a blast! The computer even has "drafting" programmed in that you can feel at the pedals, it does NOT however, let you coast on the downhills. SAWEET! Donnie has an excellent place set-up, and roller racing here will be THE best spot on the calender. Clean changing rooms and a hot shower after. I may never race outside again! I will say that I have NEVER pushed myself that hard on a trainer before, I've always had a high heart rate but DAMN, during this race it never dropped below 195 bpm's. WOW! After I got back from the Quads, I drove the Family BACK to Andulusia for a evening of Snowboarding and Skiing. I don't quite have my 360 down yet and my right shoulder is still hurting this morning. I did find out that 8 days in Alaska Heli-skiing with the CHUGACH POWDER GUIDES only costs $6,500!!!! I'll be taking donations for that trip, Why do I watch WARREN MILLER movies????? Cause I like EM! Now its gonna get warm and sloppy, rode in the woods sunday and I think that was even tougher than saturdays racing, We need MORE cold so they can make MORE fake snow!!!

about normal

gettin whupped

Down with the sickness...

Usually that refers to something that is especially exciting and enthusiastic that you plan to be involved in, however, dropping 8 lbs in an evening from violent gastric outbursts I was literally down with it. What was meant to be a cyclocross weekend bash turned to bust after the first Jinglecross race on saturday, The course was a blast and I did turn in a good finish, even popped my last four recover-ease pills for Sundays race. Using a mountain bike in a CX race is kinda tuff but I was able to ride the sand trap and mud pits a little easier on the fat tires. (if that was ALL the course threw at me) but riding on grass sucks the marrow from your bones. Funny that as fast as the creeping crud hit me Saturday night, by Sunday night I was pretty much OK, I guess my entry fee (donation) went to a good cause, but I'd rather have raced, LETS HEAR IT FOR NYQUIL AND LYSOL, and a timely visit from my old friends Ernest and Julio Gallo. Much needed antioxidants and pain medication in an easy to administer liquid!! I was also quite surprised to discover just how VIOLENT and DANGEROUS Tiawanese soccer has become, the last I knew it was kinda like a Polo match without the horses or the mallets. I'm guessing the rampant steroid abuse in Asian FUTBAL has finally ruined the gentle game that was. Right now my road bike sits silently in the trainer "on my six" (that means behind me, right MIDZ?) but after I get done with this I'm gonna send in my entrys to TRANS IOWA V3, mostly because I'm a moron, but partly because the MILKMAN has thrown down the guantlet. ignorance really IS bliss (speaking for myself of course), I better start training soon.

Cyclo-Cross???

Yes Cyclocross, enjoyed only by the Euro-yuppie? Road geeks with lil' knobbies?? Actually RUNNING while the bike is riding YOU?? WTF??? Yeah its actually pretty fun. Didn't fare too bad in my first race, just stayed out of the way, but its a new twist for me, (now I need a new bike kinda thing), I signed up for the Jingle cross this weekend and looking forward to it. I'm sure I've broken some kind of unwritten CX law, but I was wearing shoe covers too! Uncool?? en vogue?? not "in" this season, like wearing white after labor day? why don't somebody tell me these things?? In reality, I just think the NIKE emblem on em' goes with my tights, ha ha tights, thats kinda funny as well.

Plans, Pains, and Practice

I'm waiting for my Cateye to get here, I have found myself AVOIDING the dreaded trainer lately and just riding at night with my red blinkie, which works really well if your behind, but without a headlight I'm playing with fire. Not only that but I'd rather be riding the trails anyway. Planning on doin a CX race this weekend, that will be a lesson in humility for sure but it looks fun, as my first attempt , this is the last race in this series, maybe no one will notice me floundering. Also believe I'll be doing trans-Iowa version 3, the only regret I have is this race is a loop and not "border to border" as versions 1 and 2 were. Put a call in AGAIN to the parks dept. to see about the status (or lack thereof) of our little trail system at Dehn's, I'm thinkin it could be included in a "sno-bike" series if the proper permissions were granted. If your lost, always follow the reflectors. unless your riding backwards, then your screwed!! So far no call back STILL, what I'm really lookin for is an OK to finally make Dehn's four wheeler forbidden, with strategic placement of SIGNS and posts to deter ridin em down there. Also expect a rock garden soon in the new-new section of singletrack, don't worry, i'll have an alternate route around these but there will be a TIME penalty for avoiding the rocks. YEAH!!!

The POT

Who are you to wave your finger? Ya' must have been out your hair. Eye hole deep in muddy waters. You practically raised the dead. Rob the grave to snow the cradle. Then burn the evidence down. Soapbox, house of cards,and glass, so don't go tossin your stones around. You must have been high. Foot in mouth, and head up asshole. Whatcha talkin' bout? Difficult to dance 'round this one till you pull it out, Boy. You must have been, so high. Steal, borrow, refer, save your shady inference. Kangaroo done hung the juror with the innocent. Now your weeping shades of chosen indigo got lemon juice in your eye. When you pissed all over my black kettle you must have been high...high. Who are you to wave your finger? So full of it. Eyeballs deep in muddy waters Fuckin hypocrit. Liar, lawyer, mirror show me whats the difference? Kangaroo done the hung the guilty with the innocent. Now you'll weep or, change the chosen into gold. Got lemon juice up in your high eye. when you pissed all over my black kettle you musta been! So who are you to wave your finger? who are you to wave your fatty finger at me? you must have been out your mind. Refer chased off indigo trapped without a reason refer chased off indigo. Liar lawyer mirror for ya, whats the difference? Kangaroo be stoned. he's guilty as the government. Now will you weep or, change the chosen into gold. Got lemon juice up in your EYE. Now when you pissed all over my black kettle. You musta been HIGH. Eyeballs deep in muddy waters. your're eyeballs deep in muddy waters. Ganja police, you must have been, out your mind.

Darkness falls...

I hate going back to "regular" time, when it gets dark at 4:30pm I get lazy. Can't wait for my light to show up. I was thinking about stringing 5 miles of extension cord thru Dehn's to light up the trail till then. I don't suppose the "Y" would notice if I tee'd off where they park the school buses???? Went all URBAN last night, think I scared the seasoned citizens coming off the gambling boat. The new library has a 25 to 30 foot rock wall behind it, hmmm, I bet a person could get a lil climbing in after hours if they were so inclined, I think it would rate a 5.6 to 5.7 easy, but i was wearing cleats so foot holds were sketchy at best, could run some water down it during january and have an ice climbing festival. Crampons are cool, if i owned a set I'd wear em to work just for the fun of it. nice days ahead, wednesday is no work and all play day...

Listen up!!

After having watched one too many Warren Miller films lately, I've been thinking about the sound of things. Noise that is music to the ears. I know this is a bike type blog but for me the biking thing is a relatively new interest in a long list of activities in my four plus decades. Don't get me wrong, I LOVE the sound of a Chris King hub in the quiet woods, even the buzz of my Conti's on hard pack. YEARS ago it was the sound of a 10 gauge Remington autoloader as you jacked in a fresh round right before shootin hours. Earlier still it was the roar of a tightly wound V8 with 325 degrees of duration and all the N20 it could inhale. But back to Warren Miller, if you are even remotely interested in snowboarding or winter sports Warren makes a film every year (since 1946) that chronicles the highs and lows and the most EXTREME examples of fun in the snow that went on while us Midwesterners were shoveling the stuff. He even pays homage to those crazy "Red-Bull rampage" downhillers once in awhile. Actually its a good thing I don't live near Aspen or Breckenridge (yet) because I would be into POWDER snow deeper than any Carbon Fiber dream bike could ever hope to equal, except maybe an Eddie Merkx AXM.YEAH but I'll tell you what the BEST sound in the world is right now, and even though these trips have become few and far between, due in large part to my "new" addiction to cycling,is the sound of a full rack of climbing gear jangling off my shoulder. I'm talkin about Black diamond cams, Petzel Grigri's, biners, chocks, repelling devices, and all manner of quick draws that STILL generate adrenaline in the system without even having to tie in. Sometimes I'll just sling that rack around to remind myself of why in need to go to work in the morning. I dunno, its cliche to say if I have to explain it you wouldn't understand. Just ONE peak in Iowa, is that too much to ask?? I hope global warming doesn't melt all the snow before I get out there...

Bypass X 2...

We got 5.03 miles of trail at DEHN's Brother! Can I get an AMEN? I wonder if that will get Burlington a blip on the singletrack radar now? Oh yeah, you have to include TATERS "goat hill" into that mileage as well. Speaking of, he really needs to post a photo of the gonzo rig he was riding sunday, that my riding friends, is a bike for all seasons...I bet the tires came off a Terra Gator fertilizer truck.

Bypass...

If your riding Dehn's in the near future be careful on the new bypass for the "executioner", ( I was Bored Wednesday ) its going to be a bit soft on the left side for a bit. I have not even tried it yet myself so let me know what you think. I went down just to smooth off the off camber sections a bit then got carried away. There may be one tree that has its days numbered as well but if I don't have to cut it I won't. Got some ideas on how to get around the quickly deteriorating trail down near the creek right before the hill back up to the "Y" too!

Winding Down...a bit

Raced at Peoria in the final event of the I-74 series, had a decent finish for a change, (4th)which for me is pretty good, plus I felt really good during the race as Farmdale reminds me alot of Sugarbottom but much smoother. Its kinda tuff to decide which series to go to sometimes as Burlington sits smack dab in between most of the places these races are held. Saturday went to the "Panther Creek Challenge" near Springfield Ill. Except this years race was 102 miles, and you could have a three person team or SOLO. I went the solo route, even though I have not even trained for something like that, you never know how bad it could be unless you try right? The course is about 50/50 single track and open field (read GRASS) and each lap was 17 miles. The Milkman (Howie) and I kinda led the solo's for the first two laps and we were keeping the pace almost as high as the Team lap times, near the end of the third lap I started gettin some nasty pain in both my feet, that was a new one on me, felt like I had marbles in my shoes and each turn of the pedals it got worse, I stopped for a bit after I finished 50 miles to try and loosen up my feet but they weren't cooperating so I called it quits. Next time I try something like this I'll be a bit better prepared, Howie has a GREAT system goin and his Mrs. was working his pit like a champ. I know I won't try to drive home again after a race like this either. I was doin the "three man weave" by myself. Could be a few more races I hit this year, I still want to try a CX race and "THE MILKMAN 100 is the 21st. Adio!

Nobody has this view in the races I enter, unless I'm being lapped

M-O-O-N, that spells moon. Where does that line come from? hint only a Steven King fan would know. Still no word from the parks dept. They must be too busy shoo-ing folks out of thier homes in the "manor". I looked at my bikes the other day, I think they miss me. I'm gonna try a 100 mile XC race Saturday, I want to make the 4:30pm cut-off time for the last lap (6 total at 17 miles per)thats the ONLY goal I have for this thing. I am also aware that it could be a very long day in the saddle...ouch.

Don't be afraid of the DARK

I know I'm late to the party alot, but I finally had the chance to ride Dehn's after sundown for the first time. Props to TATER for loaning me his nightrider headlight, which by the way is brighter than a barge spotlight, and we headed for the woods. I'm wearing an idiotic grin cause thats about as much fun I've had riding a bike. Better late than never HUH? If on the remote chance you've never experienced riding your local trail loop "under the lights" your missin out! I was thinking about ALL THOSE MILES ON A TRAINER in the winter, I love my trainer, but damn it gets old quick (like the end of January), I could have been rockin the woods, guess I'm gonna start saving for a nice headlight. I could kill two birds and wear a coon-huntin hard hat wheat lite combo???? SAWEET!

Almost Famous????

Heres the MAN, right outta VELONEWS!! Dennis in his flying recliner. I hate when he uses it on the group rides, its damn near impossible to draft off one of those things.