Seasonal Disorder

What's with the seasonal disorder? Thoughts doing 180's all the time?? Mid-Summer it was ready to pug ride now! You know bored with Summer heat and racing MTB thoughts.... Then later in Summer reality hits and you want more Summer (enjoy the last days). I've gone from sick of racing MTB to Winter sounds good to CX is the answer to the ride at lunch today rocked! Yeah at 80 degrees today it was a 180 day. Too hot but once on the bike the legs melted away last nights CX pain. Now the legs feel it!! Summer breeze was that the last one in 2011 or not!?! Last night 11th in 35+ feels like I'm getting faster anyway....liking it more. Maybe put gears on the CX. Yes I said it. Liking the sore spots here and there too. Feels like Spring training again ha! Hillside at night with big tires. Yeah!! It's practically Fall fat tires in the woods for fun time too. Biking just rocks.....

This & That & Chatter

It's been a good run. All year and the last week. For the year 7th overall expert/pros. Not bad. Duncan with no training came into form mid season and kept getting faster. He's on the overall podium this year. He's easily a top sport guy, that was me in 2005. So maybe I have a few years before he catches me? So what if he's taller now! My Dad and Amy also had good MTB bike seasons. Chequamegon included. By the way Jack has a video up of Cheq40. My Dad just had knee surgery to remove floating peices, it will be interesting to see his recovery potential.

TUESDAY night cx races have been fun. Looking forward to more. The single speed effort and nature of CX is by far the most painful race style. Oh the 100 mile races hurt plenty too. But between deep muscle ache of endurance or lung searing non-stop pain, it's the latter cx that hurts more. CX is like the first buck hill of the year but non-stop effort. At my age it's use it or loose it. I'll suffer.

FRIDAY was the second Hillside night race. Not many showed up. It's a good time. Although I had a good gap and won by 5 minutes, It was a fun workout. I coulldn't help but keep a good pace. 1.5hrs for 6 sections (2.5 laps). Bonfire afterward had me leaving the lot close to midnight.

SATURDAY was the single speed state race. Last year I opted out of ss. I decided my recent efforts have been solid. One race is enough so it was the SS race. This year was my 4th year and 4th time on SS podium. Brendan showed and scored the "W" I was the first looser again a few minutes back. I led out the prolouge at moderate pace then amped it up until hurting (Hillside the night before lingering). Brendan as before just hung out on my wing until I say where are ya, then he rides away. I couldn't hang with his 44x16 26'er gear long, even with 36x17 29'er. This year the prolouge ended with a few surprise steep hill climbs!! The first climb I oped to jump off half way and run 50ft instead of tweak it up. It put me into third place but i was able to regain 2nd before the woods. Once in the woods we all relaxed and yammerred out words like whew, owe, yeah! The start hurt! Brendan was already gone going solo. Once recovered I separated from the next competitors and rode solo. I paced pretty hard through the twisty to ensure a good gap. The rest of the race was stress free and simply fun pace. I was 30 seconds then 1 minute then ended a few minutes back. 3rd place was about that behind me the whole race too. It's a fast course so each 1 minute back is like 2 minutes anywhere else. Good training starts again! Motivated.

I saw a bear - and I liked it

Chequamegon weekend. I supported Amy, D-Man and my Dad. Good times. Duncan was top 40 in the16. My Dad at 70+ not getting slower, even with bum knee. And Amy keeps finishing no matter what bike and gear set up.

I did an ojibiwe lap aftet the fam finished, I saw a little black bear. At first it was exhilirating sp. and fun, then it was like, where is momma? All good. Actually I was more scared on the Sat night solo ride for two hours. DARK!!

Sunday after the rest of the family headed back for Alta's soccer game D-man and I hit Makwa trail from OO. Good times. Sloppy, tacky, loved it. Me and my boy having a good time....on single track bliss. D-man loved it too.

Tonight was my 3rd cx race of the year. I still suck at barriers and much in general. I think I broke top 20 in 123 on ss 44x19...all good.

Check It !!!!!

TNCX Newbie

So far I've bagged maybe 6 CX races including the TNCX's. Last night Duncan and I hit TNCX again. Duncan did fine again. This time of year D-man starts focusing on school and basically does nothing all Winter,  I'mglad he got out. I have a feeling he'll back way off soon. The kid is all about school. I'm not complaining.      I raced this week. My race went fine. First CX of the year and maybe 4th time on road bike since Ragnarok! Interesting summer, surprised how long my fitness actually stayed this summer without mid-season steady state big ring. I did the 35+ race and it hurt. Once it was over I realized it was fun :). Last lap I actually wanted it. I think my gearing was a little stiff at 44x19 but I'll leave and see if I grow into it. From what I hear my bike is big. Yeah about an inch of seat post is showing. What ever, at my age cx is simply about use it or loose it...fun. I enjoyed watching the 123 race. B Moore showed up and battled with C. Fisher for 5th/6th. Catfish bud B Bellow is kicking it ending solid top 10 again. Go to MCF.net for other 123 deets. Maybe I'll do 123 next week and see if I can break top 20.

Two Really Different Tires

Not super exciting but worthy. Wanted 10 hours Sat and Sun, got 7. All i can say is my life ain't simple. Alta had two soccer games, mom was gone, car issues etc etc. Big thanks to my Dad for helping out! Solid effort of car wrestling for grey sqrl. The 4 runner has new parts and solid again.

Riding pugsley to Leb for a full lap and back home Saturday was a good beat down (4.5hrs ride time). Saw new Leb stuff 1st time on pug. Good day on pug. I miss the old winter pug races..... So missed 10 hours but a good weekend anyway. It's nice to switch bikes. Many theo and surronding trails on cx Sunday was sketchy fun. CX season will be interesting....

Awe Bummer Dude

There it goes......say goodbye to Summer. I'm actually, and have been, looking forward to seasonal changes! This weekend will be a good dose of hurt.......more soon.

Maplelag Where Everyone's a Kid Again

Duncan doing the lake jump!!!

Simply put, the weekend is a no brainer. I'd get in trouble if I said let's not go. Every single family member would hate me for not going. That makes a racing weekend easy!!! It was fun as heck.

Alta runs with the kid pack doing everything from swimming to talking smack with other kids her age. Friday night was a glow frisbeee game that only the kids knew the rules. Leo did the dirt jump track til his hands hurt, and kept going for more air. He did suicide hill three times in citizen course too. Mom talked it up with other moms, bikers and had fun like I. She grounded Leo for getting close to passing her in citizen race. She got a medal for her efforts.

Duncan killed it on the ss. 29'er 32x18 with maxis tt front and ralph 2.2 rear scored 6, 7 or 8th in all three events. He used our one front shock. I used our one cassette free wheel (I should fix that for cx season). Anyway the kid went from bottom 25% of sport to top 10 in one year!!! No he will never catch me!

I finally had some legs Sunday after deep painful Saturday events. I actually dropped out of the tt. I never do that, but that's what I get after an all in no prep duathlon....... All I know is the single track is what I like and Maplelag has it. 10 miles 9 of it single track. It made me look good as I was only a few minutes off my best season form. In other words for being out of shape and lazy of late, a good single track is all I need. Yeah I felt like a kid again jumping into the lake too! It was way easier that I thought it would be. Sure wish the drive train didn't freeze up, more air would have been better going into the lake. More pictures soon. Skinny ski has many, and I have more too. Later....

Duncan's Dad doing the lake jump. I must say the way D-Man killed the sport race and all three events on ss motivated me (pops).