Hillside & Fueling

Hillside has been a blast. Took the shock off after Hayward area. Love'n rigid. Been to Hillside two times in three days. Some rocks, roots, loose sand, abuse from plants and bugs too. 90-100 degrees. Shade. Good times.

My favorite fueling post local ride is now my cooler full of frozen water bottles, a coke and a pb twix bar. The cold peanut crunch when it's almost 100 degrees is so tasty. Chair umbrella sweat dirt bugs 98% deet rule. All together a deliciously great taste!

Below are some fun things we really don't have around here, reasons for shock maybe.

Cranky Cranks Don't Crank??

This year my training and bike tweaking has lacked.
I have a few other priorities ya know.
I'm finally starting to turn screws now.

Turns out the cranks don't turn well. 7.5lbs+ no spin.
All year i ignored and applied quick lube (temp solution).
I knew it would go. Oh well, training. 

A little rust. Ha. Both bearings seized post Cheq dryout.
I mean seized, period. Yeah I've been real real bike lazy.

Breaks wear out too!

Cat says she could do a better job on my bikes (she's not impressed)

My job is going well enough though.
My project was approved hence a new iPad.
I'll be Six Sigma Lean/Black Belt certified (iPads part of the deal!)

Many ask where's D-Man.
Special glasses for glare, head gear, arms handlebar length.
I tell him not to drink that stuff! Clean your room! Nag nag nag. 

Duncan asked if he could cook up his own Epic meal time again.
He went to store with fiends. We come home to bacon cheese sandwiches a making.
See leftover cheese on plate. Oh the cheese in bowl is velveta and cheese puffs.
Yeah after the texas toast bacon uber cheese sandy's we're cooked.......
The chef's poured the whole bowl over 4 stacked high sandwiches.

Other frontal lobe activities include six dudes running crazy.
They go on trampoline, play drums and guitar, sing, more eating etc.
Duncan showed up with a free chair in the back of the pick-up Saturday.
Yeah that ugly thing he's sitting on.........at least it don't stink!!
All good, some things are better than others, and he's having good fun.
D-man claims he'll race the next two with me.
later

Cheq100 Belt Drive Went Out

What can I say, i don't even deserve to eat food today. Here's the story what I saw and did, heard, and know. Got to Cable 1:00PM Friday set up pop-up camper, rode Namekogen and Rock Lake & R.L. road with Eddie. Got back did dinner at Lakewoods, saw the typical scene. Low key, good peoples.

At the start line I knew Marko, Owen, Jon, Todd Mc, Charlie T, Ryan H, Tim Ek we're all capable. Besides Marko, i knew Owen and Jon had the fastest short race legs but not sure about distance. Down the gravel road I stayed up front to avoid gravel road crashes..so i thought. Owen, Jon, Marko and I led for a while. Cool at least 3 single speeds are controlling the pace to start. I knew it wouldn't last.

After first climb I could tell my day was not setting up strong. A few pulls by various geared bikers picked up the pace. Then Larry flew by, ha! Owen said what I was thinking, "thanks Larry." We knew it would happen. Go go SS hamster wheels go. Long story short, I yo yo'ed off the lead pack of 25 not feeling the best. Then a crash happened in that pack as I was yo'ed back. I spotted a path around on the other side of the hill. Immediately after uphill crash the woods entry could then be seen. I counted about 12 riders ahead of me.

My plan was to ride comfy on single track. I can do that even with limited endurance training. i worked up and eventually could see the leaders at times on namekagen. The race wasn't settled yet. I made it to 5th place trading with Charlie (1st place last year). I eventually let him go in rock lake hilde area. I was in 7th on rock lake road and it stayed like that for a long time. Yet, I was feeling more pain and cramps in my thighs coming. Felt like duathelon soreness, that dang second run of the year.

I had lots of room as no one was coming in sight. Long story short by mile 40 was in 10th. My legs felt like mile eighty. Larry and Dave went by as I stood at mile 40. I decided to go on to Fish Hatchery. I shouldn't have, but had to see if things would come around. Nope. Guess I can't do a 100 miles on just my good looks. I have the motor but leg belts should have been changed (hello like more distance training).

Marko won it. Owen and Jon killed it on their SS's 2nd and 3rd (Owen declined my interview request), then Ryan 4th. Tim got lost reading his garmin upside down. Larry ended near top 10. Jeremy finished his 1st real race. I saw Charlie Tri going the wrong direction before mile 40 (going home). Todd McFadden got many flats. Former leadville winner Bryson Perry won the 99'er by the way. Georgia Gould almost won a world cup this weekend.

My friend who's eyes went out can see again. Whew. That was scary. Eddie reported that a different bud cut his leg good and needed stiches. Lil Dave's heart was spasn out. I heard a guy was looking for his tooth on the trail (now pointy tooth). I got phone report from another bud that separated his shoulder at the 99'er. What is this world coming too!! I think I made the right decision as I'll be stronger than if I kept going.

Oh, the race was awesome and it was a few days of great riding. The organizers are awesome and put on a great event. My garmin didn't help, again. I learned again in trees g-mans don't work. First off Garmin can't get location well and give up on route following. Also the garmin will pick up location in pulses, not constant, that's why garmins always come up short on distance. Example an arcing turn ends up being a stop sign shape from the garminn's point of view. Garmins cut corners.

That's all I got. My goal is to start amping up the training. It will be tough because work is demanding 4 5-day weeks out of town soon! Next Summer I get revenge. For now just fun. :)

Surf Method Point &........

Red Wing, Mud In Your Eye

Grandpa raced with Leo in the AM. Leo got attacked by the varmit!!! They changed the course after that action. Tacky some slick for citizen I hear. As expected by Expert/Comp race conditions we're primo, then even better (MUDDY!!!). Off the start and around feild I was third behind Brendan and another. Into woods in great position about 6th. Hung on to Nicollet guy Paul or Justin. Good but couldn't get a feel for legs. Frickin nates in eye, in windpipe, in ears made it a worthy lap. I fell to 8th knowing I wanted to settle (what is that? old age?). Anyway rain came. It got hella greasy fun.

They called the race short then realized Brendan went by.......so it was still four laps. Many quit at three. Cluster. I did four and it was awesome pushing mud tires dragging on stanchen and chain stays. I carried bike on back for a while. oh yeah awesome! Some spots like DuLac that one year. Anyway, results are TBD.

Duncan rocked it on the single speed in comp class. He said when it got greasy he went turbo. I knew when the rain came he would shine. He can ride the crap. That's my boy. Happy fathers day.

Hillside Duathlon

Du shoes from Target or Wal-mart

Yeah, it hurt. But it hurts now more. Hillside Duathelon, 3mile run in MTB trail, 9.5 mile MTB on hardest trail sections, twice, then same run again. Temps we're 75-80 at start and 85+ at finish. Whew!

Might be cutting it close but heavy cross training before Cheq100 painfully ok for me. It's all about fun anyway. And running and biking the Hillside Du is fun. Even if my only other run was with Amy at Theo a lap on Mem day. I used either my Target or Wal-Mart specials.....not sure which is which.

Long story short my running sucks but my ss biking was good enough. I didn't cramp at all which was key. It was fun to bike a few laps with Barry. Showed him my favorite lines through the trail. Good showing at the race. Amy and Duncan even raced it duo! Duncan is getting faster again. Mom didn't even get sore. I can't walk!

Results: http://www.live-timing.com/report.php?r=42562&rp=875186 upper right to change categories

A few tips:

• Freeze water bottles or camelbak half full, then put water in about and hour before need. Leave outside in heat to ensure ice melts just in time.
• Endurolytes
• Wal-Mart or Target shoes
• Quick shoe change efforts, quick transition, eat on run as desired!
• Yet do fuel up at transition (gel?) drink more than you think on hot daze...
• Go as slow as you can if you don't run
• If your running and not cramping, don't stop!
• Be ready to endure, it hurts
• Pre-race meal of MacNdogs rules (dogs in mac, thanks Mom!)
• Pretend it don't hurt as you walk up and down stairs all week
• Fall asleep in front of fire night before the race

100% beef dogs go in the mac

I'm pretty fricking cranky today, and it's not cause it's Monday! 

Kato Classic Habits

Rhubarb and Strawberry Pie in Process!

Pretty sure I've raced Kato 7 times in 8 years. Always a good time. Funny a few weeks ago I raced long sleeve at Afton. But Kato was cooler than normal. Felt hot but it wasn't that hot for Kato.

So Grey Squirrel (Grandpa aka Rocky :) and Flying Squirrel (Leo) hit first showdown race in the AM. Grey got 2nd. Flying finished another after day before hiking many miles with scouts pack.

Sqrl Jr. and Sqrl of the Red hit the 1:00PM+ races. Jr. (D-Man) with 2 bucks and a Kato finished another race SS. No really he's been on the bike all year just those three times!!

My race went well. I was 3 minutes faster than last year. Brendan only 2 minutes faster than last year. But the field was stacked. So I was 12 not 11th like last year. Just 10 minutes off the lead isn't bad. It sure was nice to race the rigid carbon niner instead of the shocked up aluminum frame. Extra large Schwable Ralphs to Furious Freds tires lightened the tool. The Bike was a rocket.

Off the start I hit first corner in good spot. Owen and a few took an inside inside line. Up the climb I went as slow as possible fading back to 15th?  I heard it was chaos but my climb was good/reasonable pace. At the top I passed a few every lap sometimes getting caught quickly around frog pond with my easy SS gearing. It was a fun race because I saw/raced Barry, Charlie, Jake, Sam, Kevin, Owen, etc also Devin and Micheal McB not too far ahead. Laps 2 and start of 3 I burnt some matches flying past a few instead of pacing on by. I also created gaps only to be closed spinning the single. But the climbing gear/bike was grand. Did i mention my bike was 16.5lbs rigid instead of 23.5lbs used at prior Buck race (that's 7lbs lighter!).

Anyway I settled the pace during 3rd lap and rode comfy hard the rest of the race. I could see Owen and Kevin then Devin and Michael ahead but decided, let it be. I played it safe because I liked my chances of finishing strong. No one was coming so the race was very enjoyable. Oh Sam O and I rode together for a while. That was fun. He did a big run or tri race the day before and even not biking as much this year was having fun.

Recovery Ever Ready

Considering the mellow training regime I'm liking my fitness progress. The schedule we keep running the three kids around through life is crazy. Yet...I find just enough time, just recovered from some big efforts and will have another push this weekend before rolling it downhill to the Cheq100 race. Wahoo!

P.S. Series pictures found here Todd Bauer's.    Results: Race results