TrainSaVainia Gravel Wind Somewhere Scary

So I still need base miles right? Can't all be about dirt single track fun. Compromise, MTB SS 44x16 29'er 32 CX'ers into the wind, on gravel or soft-ish surface. Dracula would be proud. Stuck a huge pheasant feather in my camelback today (literally). What is this all about? Today I biked into the wind accross open farm lands, on surfaces that kicked my wind in the face SS ass. Put 60 miles on today........the hard way.

First Dirt First Carbon Shirtless

Did a few hot laps at Hillside today on my new ANGRY CATFISH race frick'n machine. Oh yeah. Felt like home on a carbon based planet carbon based bike carbon based human powered. Had lots of fun today. Found myself hammering into a heavy breathing fit. Loco-motive was I - almost went cross-eyed, or did I?

http://www.dschoppe.smugmug.com/

D-Man has no shirt again. Not sure what color he'll be blowing in the wind this Summer. He's psyched to tear it up, and he will. I can tell you he's biking to work, at the Green shop. The Bars still wants him behind their kilt. Call me an old bias pappa but the Fish don't know no kin. D-man is 16 in days, changing for the stronger by the minute. I found myself having to work a little to keep up with the brianiac on climbs. Uh oh! Not yet! I think he wants to stay the same colors.....we'll see. It's his game. I'll simply official.

Rubber Side??

Psycho Rubber.........need to borrow or try a 29'er tire?

Crow - Raven - Captians - Ralph - F. Fred - Karma - Race King - Crossmark - Albert - R. Ron - Exiwolf - Aspen - 8-Block

Ragnarok: The Things We Do

Ragnarok = thing of beauty, beast, a worthy pain bomb of spring medicine

The race was fantastick. Weather great, people awesome, course best yet. Well run. However...my dose this year contained a bit more PAIN than ussual.

I was able to hammer a few climbs for top 5 KOM. Hill Valley was quite rewarding. As we climbed I settled behind a pack of 15 or more with a few starting to separate ahead. Ridgeline visible in the distance...felt ok...It was time. I stood up like on single speed again, gas'ed it hard weaving through the pack and into KOM attack group ending a long hard hammer for 3rd. That hurt so good I felt it all day long. Spring hasn't been painful enough.

I started getting twinges of on-coming cramps at mile 17!! Spring medicine sprung at Rag! That's What I get for enjoying spring snow pugging picnic tables etc. Regardless of drafting, easing and slowing (yep even walking) I cramped so bad I almost quit. Only halfway in. Never before have I had more than a "single" muscle cramp while riding. This time both legs, felt like thighs and hammy's. I tried to walk it off, it got worse. I couldn't bend my knees, either, at all. A first for me.

This week has been a doosy hospital visit inclusive. This uber dual leg cramp was perhaps a sign of something really wrong with me, or not? Anyway I was in the statue of pain mode when I said, "I think its bad to go on, to race more can't be good for the season, give me a ride?" My bike was seconds from being loaded, then legs flushed and I could walk. I got on the bike and FINISHED. I hear stories from people that go through this, I had to try and finish, what I wimp I'd be to quit. So it wasn't pretty buy I finished. All four Ragnarok's now under my belt. I think there's only five that have completed all four.......??

Did you like that last MINIMUM MAINTANANCE ROAD? I fould that while biking around the area last October. Jake blog commented asking where it was. I shared but the boys wouldn't tell me if it was in the race. I found out at mile 84 when Isaac handed me the queue sheet. Straight away I looked and saw the right roads, then "the" road, then my name on the sheet "Heath's Hill." Thanks guys! From what I can tell people hated to love or loved to hate the road??? Good times.

Isaac, Larry, Jake you all rock! Thanks

Race Results, KOM Results Page

http://ragnarok.redwingsoftware.com/2011/RaceInfo.aspx

The Ragnarok Blog

http://ragnarok105.blogspot.com/

Happy by Night Anxious by Day

Funny how the brain twitches at night. Over the weekend I had interesting mental projections.

-ONE NIGHT I dreamed I was riding my new SS through parks and tough places kicking butt on CX bikers struggling, dabbing and cursing. I can only assume this is my excitement to ride my new bike, and the weather change means bike choices. It very well could be second guessing the CX bike choice for Ragnarok111 (I'm not changing). I need those tires!!
-THE NEXT NIGHT I dreamt the forecast was snow on Monday (it was), I got on the pug and like many days this Winter snow piled up and the commute home was absolutely fab. I re-lived my Winter fun thinking dreaming it was still Winter. I guess I'm having a hard time letting go of Winter fun.

I'm ready for Ragnarok it's a great ride to pound in needed bike time. If I end top 10 I'll be surprised.

Red Rubber Balls

Yesterday on the way to work, through woods the pug tires made a sound just like a dodge ball. You know the sound when you slap or smash the dodge ball...pong pung poog - pong pong pung. As the pug sunk into 3+ inches of granular ice balls over slop the pug tubes sung to me, loudly, through the quiet morning hours. It reminded me of summer time 29'er rigid with 2.3's on (makes the fwappita sound). How will it sound full carbon?

After the hard 1.5 hour push through ice ball morning woods o' commute the work day went fast. Post work 5 of us met for pug foolery. Near 3 hours more including pedaling through glenwood/bassett creek area in a river like stream that was over a foot deep (angle high). Two of us did that. Surprised feet stayed dry. Many hill climb competitions (repeats until mucho taxed). We we're all trying the pug up onto picnic bench. I amped it up and started doing onto the table top. Jack and I made it multiple times. He actually beat me at my game getting onto the two tables lined up into a row. 1, then off and immeadiatley back onto another. I bent my big ring. He owed me the point from the Levis trip.

After biking to Afton and back last Thursday, Saturday ride, gym work, running and yesterday snowy double day I be hammered. A day of rest, sweet!

Half Enjoyed

Afton Alps