Two Cow Garage.

Mount Evans.

Simpleirintruth

http://blog.simpleirontruth.com/
Check out the Billy story I wrote. Its on the Nov 11th page.
Thanks to Rob for giving me a place to share this outside my small circle.
writing it was a bit cathartic in a cleansing kinda way. Plus it is all ways good to tell stories about people you love. To remember why you care and what is actually important in life.
Never Forget.

Just a Reminder!

Red Mountain Pass.

Some pics from today's ride. Laura and I road from Ouray to Silverton and back. It was probably our last ride in the mountains this year. We bucked the wind on our way to Silverton which made the ride a little more interesting. But a great fall day!

What bike racing should look like!

Old Friends New Friend and just Fun.

There is a first for about everything. I think this is my first post with out being just a rant. This weekend was busy as hell but also fun as hell!
Friday, Laura and I both blew out of work early and went up north so to see Social Distortion play, I have been seeing them play since 1988. I was pretty psyched to go to Friday's show more for the opening bands Frank Turner and Lucero. I am totally into both bands and I probably would not have gone otherwise. We got to the show a couple of minutes late and Frank Turner was already playing but we caught 85% of his set. AMAZING! We talked to him after his set and he told us he was playing an acoustic set at Illegal Peats Saturday afternoon, we said we would try to make it but question if we could time it right.
Lucero played a great set. Social D was good but I think I might have seen them to much over the years. Friday night was just fun night.
Saturday we got up earlier than expected because I am retarded and don't know how to use a cell phone properly. We drove up to Ft Collins and had an amazing breakfast with our old friend Kurt, who we don't spent nearly enough time with.(sorry I am a shitty friend!) After over eating a 50 mile bike ride was en order. We rode Rist Cayon and around the back side of Horsetooth reservoir. It might be my favorite ride in Colorado and it always reminds me this is why I love Road Riding. We finished out ride by time trialing back to the truck. We hauled ass back to Denver dropped off our bikes and made downtown in time to catch Frank Turner. So much fun was had in a small Burrito shop: 1 Guy, 1 Guitar, and 50 people singing along. Talked to him again after the show (mostly about Straight Edge, bizarre!) We finished off our night having Pizza at Udi's (Laura's friend Etai owns but wasn't there) but a great meal.
This morning we caught up with our friend Jammie and road Deer Creek area great riding and good conversations about fitness, diet and racing. Fun ride also a good reason to own a road bike. As we were leaving Laura pointed out a guy in a Hampsten Jersey and she said yes when I asked her if it was Kern. So we hoped in the truck and caught up to them and sure enough it was Kern and Gretchen who we had road with in France this summer. We talked to them for a minute and let them get on their way to finish their ride.
It was cool to see some old friend and make a new one.
Cheers!

Hero Worship!

More music from my childhood!

2010 Racing Recap

It's over. I finished racing for the year and it's time to refocus and rebuild. I still want to race and that is probably the best way to finish the year. I was planning on just posting a list of results and let the reader draw his or her own conclusions. But... I think that is boring and what if anyone is really that curious how I did in a particular race you know where to find the results.
My plan going into this year was to work on my weaknesses, I wanted to become a better bike racer no just a good climber. My disposition dictates I like climbing races, there is no strategies or tactics in a hill climb race. Just open your mouth and peddle hard. No though, just pain and discontent. So with that said, I entered most every race I could. Flat windy time trials, crits with only four turns and flat/rolling road races, if I could get away from work I raced. Except for one race in my town I have to drive a minimum of an hour to get to my next closest race.
The season started off looking like it was going to be a very long year. Guys the size of NFL linebackers were passing me in TTs, I was getting spit out the back of crits. I questioned my sanity for picking this path. I asked my self more than once "why are you doing this? Just enter races you are good at and fuck this other shit!" Thank god, I have good enouph friends to call me on my bullshit and help me maintain my resolve.
The road race at Air Force academy in the spring is when shit started to come together. The course is almost exactly the same as the 1986 World Championship course just much shorter. The climbs are just long enough to be decisive and I went in with the attitude of just making the group suffer on them. The plan kinda worked and I finished in 6th. Tactics not fitness were the limiting factor, which became the story of this year.
After AFA and a terrible start in Deer trail I realized I can't hide in the pack and just sit in. I need to be on/near the front so I feel like I racing, not just sitting in the middle of a big group ride hoping no one wrecks and knowing if someone attacks there is shit I can do cause I fifty assholes around me are trying to avoid work. This unwillingness to work became my pet peeve, I couldn't understand why one would enter a bike race and just hide hoping for a group finish or some kind of PR. I realize most are just trying to survive, but I still think it is chicken shit!
Small tactical error in Rist Canyon and on Mt Evans were the difference between my Top 5 and truly contesting the win!
Two races are big disappointments for me the first being Iron Horse classic Road Race and the Tour de Park City. It funny tacticaly they played out the same I got into a break away, shelled off the pretenders and then did something stupid to cost contending for the victory. I finished fifth in both races so I guess I shouldn't complain but the legs felt great in both and the tank was plenty deep enough. I ended both races feeling like I wasted good legs.
I like the idea of ending the racing season with a big/brutal event. This year I got into LOTOJA, I felt like I won the lottery when I got in. I was psyched and nervous I had never 150 miles(until TdPC) more or less 205, but was totally up for it. What a disappointment! The course is cool but the events bring out some really crappy behavior in people and some real horse shit tactics like attacking in feed zones.
I ended the season wanting some kind of redemption from LOTOJA, but I decided to pull the plug and rebuild. I hope the fire in my belly after LOTOJA keeps me warm on the long cold winter training rides. I always ride better pissed off anyways.

Not everyone's cup of Tea.

LOTOJA Report

My race started at 6:46a.m. it was below 40 degrees F. I was cold as shit! I didn’t want to overdress so I went with a light base layer and arm and knee warmers. I knew the temp. would fluctuate greatly on the 205 mile course. Knowing that to be the case didn’t stop my feet and hands from going numb within the first fifteen minutes. After the neutralized start out of Logan a guy from the Spider Bait team rolled up on me and asked if we were still neutral I said no and he and his team dropped the bomb on our group. We started flying, the five guys from Spider Bait were just crushing it, I was one of the very few who would take turns pulling. The rest of the group was quite satisfied to let seven or eight of us to do 95% of the donkey’s work. I am learning to accept that most racers just suck! I don’t get the attitude of not wanting to work. For fucks sake what could really happen? You could blow up and bonk, how bad could it be? Hell, it might make for a really good story someday. With all that said if I'm not at or near the front I never feel engaged with the race, I get the feeling of being a spectator instead of a competitor.
We caught the group that started before us before we got to the first feed zone, theoretically that group was the same ability as us. I am glad I didn’t plan on stopping at the first feed because the spider bait guys didn’t ease up. We gust kept flying right through the feed zone. I was very aware that I needed to follow the S.B. boys but couldn’t tell which one of them they were riding for, they all worked. I have to admit I am impressed with their motivation. At the start of the first climb other teams started cuing up so not being sure who was real players and who were the pretenders I covered every move.(NOT SMART!) We flew through the second feed zone once again hardly easing off the pace. On the KOM climb I went with a few guys early on a hard little attack and was caught very quickly by the S.B. boys who were now down to three. I tried to hold on but they dropped me and another one of there own guys. I tried to recover and went back on the offensive again. I could see them as they went over the top at the KOM sign, and I felt like I was with in striking distance (less than a min.) if I could get some help from the guys behind me. So I took it easy on the descent and let a couple of my group join me. Our small group gained a few more players from the other groups (complete bullshit in my mind but everyone assured me this is common place, but I still didn't like it). We worked well together for a while but on any small rise or any time the wind picked up our organization went to shit! My support team missed me at Afton and I was quickly running out of water, so I struck a deal on the road and a guy from another group gave me a water bottle, THANK YOU! After Afton our group organization waxed and waned, this action continued pretty much for the rest of the race. With about ten miles to go my motivation was in the can, I was frustrated by people’s unwillingness to work together. I just wanted the day to be over with. Some where around the 5 mile mark I see a familiar face and my disposition improved and I decided to give it one more go. So at 5k I buried my head down and gave it a go but 4 vs 1 always wins! After getting caught with about 2-3k to go I decided to take my chance in the sprint which played out like I thought it would. I finished in 10th place, in 9 hrs 21 min.
I still don’t know how I feel about this race, parts are ran pretty shitty and it really sucks for your support crew. The course is cool but it is logistical nightmare. The volunteers were great but it seems like a lot of the race seems set up to sell LOTOJA gear. The event is set up more for a fun ride/ citizen ride and less of a race. The tactics employed by a lot of the participants I find distasteful at best. I'm not trying to be the moral compass for bike racing, I just don't agree with a lot of the practices. I had many of the same feelings when I was climbing/bouldering a lot and even when I was playing in bands. My opinion is people want to fly a flag before they know what it really stands for. They want a label or title before earning it or paying dues.
The whole event just left me feeling let down. I think there are other events I would rather do in the future than LOTOJA. I'll wait and see.

Go but the new Terror Record!

LOTOJA Pics

slapshot - watch me bleed (eastpak resistance tour)

Deer Trail part 2

The following is a race update I sent to a friend who won his cat. in sanpete in southern UT(i think). I think it captures how I felt after this mornings fun, plus I'm lazy and can't think of to much original to say about a 2 hour bike race. Except for I need to learn to SPRINT!

I raced Deer Trail again today. It was a different course than spring time because of road construction, but same general idea, a couple of out and backs ,45 miles over rolling/flat terrain in the wind. My plan was to stay out of the wind and hide, and try to go in a late break away. I didn't follow my plan! I didn't go in an early break because I figured it would just get ran down, but after 20 miles the early escape artists were still away. None of the teams would go to the front, so being pissed off I went to the front and buried myself, not smart, not part of my plan but I didn't give a fuck! I drug the group with in striking distance to 3 of the 4 escapees, when some others started to work. Still after catching them we wouldn't/couldn't organize to chase down the last survivor. Everyone seemed happy and content to race for 2nd place and we did. After the last turn around our group was still had 25 players and no one was going to get away, I tried to no avail. With a little more than 1 K to go things got a little "Argy-Bargy" and I let a gap open and my day was done! Another skinny climber and I sprinted (insert joke about climbers sprinting here) for 18th. So I finished in 18th today, and it became painfully clear what I need to work on. Once again the mind being primary was driven home until I can learn to be comfortable in the build up and in a field sprint I will continue to be shot out the back with in the last mile of these flatter road races.

I want to be a Rouleur not just a Grimpeur. I hope this all made some kind of sense, I'm still in a bit of a haze.

side note: if you have 6+ man team why not send some to the front to chase down a break. You should have enough bodies to impose you will on the race and not settle for 2nd. Three of the top five were from one team, but no winners. I don't understand the tactics.

This sounds a little negative, maybe I've been listening to too much "SLAPSHOT". just kidding that is impossible.

The Rare update

Just thought I'd post a note on today's race. I did the Colorado Senior Road Race Championship at the Air Force Academy. It was 3 laps on a 9 mile course with about 600' E.G. each lap. Today's race had a bonus feature of a block head wind on the finishing straight. I lived at the front today I set a lot of tempo on the flats and every time we climbed the hill I was on the front trying to asphyxiate the field or start a break away. Each lap I shelled more and more folks off the back until on the last lap we were a group of 5. I was thinking we were going to stay away but it became very obvious only two of us had any plans of working. With less than 2 miles left in the race a group of 8 bridged up to us. I was fucking demoralized, I couldn't believe we couldn't make the break stick. I made one last attempt to get away but attacking into a head wind on a slight downhill is just plain stupid. With about 1/2 mile to go things started to get real twitchy for the sprint and I pulled the plug not even contesting the sprint (like I can sprint). I finished in 13th place and few seconds behind.

I'm psyched that I can be competitive in a race that might not suit me the best but still I'm bummed I couldn't stay away. I wished I had one more lap.

Update? It's true!

I am actually updating this thing! Since Deer Trail I've actually been racing a lot. On April 19 I won the Wednesday night TT up Gold Camp road in the "b group", brad gave me shit that I was racing with the "b"s but there is no way in hell I can even be competitive with him. The Wednesday night TT series has been a lot of fun, and I am I little bummed not to be able to do them all. Not much really interesting about them, just ride as hard as you can for about 20 minutes, no strategies no tactics just embrace the pain.
My next race was the Pueblo crit the course was down town and part of it even ran right in front of my house. The day's racing was fun and I had one of my better crits to date. I finished in 7th place, but I was most happy about the way I rode I lived at the front collected a prime, andd just raced well. On the finial lap I went on a flyer (i figured I can't beet a guy like Rodney in a sprint) and was swept up with half a lap to go. The other cool thing about the race was it was the first time my mom has ever seen me race.
Next on my agenda was the Iron Horse Bicycle Classic. I signed up for the omnium with is like a stage race but instead on cumulative time it works on a weird point system.
The first day was the road race from Durango to Silverton, About 47 miles with 5500' of climbing. Our group was nervous and a little twitchy from the starting gun, we hauled ass across the false flat catching the pro women group surprisingly fast. I went to the front on the start of the first climb to Purgatory ski resort I guess my tempo was hard enough because a small break away group formed around me and we worked pretty well together and we shelled off all but one on the "passengers" by the time we reached the base of Coal Bank Pass. On the way up Coal Bank we dropped everyone else until it was just five of us remaining. I was caught a little off guard on the descent before Molas pass and was dropped. I fought my way back into 4 th place on the climb but the 3 leaders remained just out of my grasp. On the final descent the guy who hadn't done any work attacked and went on to win, I was passed again on the descent to finish in 5th place. My best finish so far in a road race.
Day 2 Downtown Crit. the race started bad when I missed clipped and racked my self on the top tube and thing just kinda continued down that path. I got dropped on the third lap by being stupid and following the wrong wheel, the guy let a gap open and I was chasing the rest of the race. I tried to help Kieth at one point but to no avail. It was educational! Finished in 21st place, a rough day in the saddle.
Day 3. Time Trial my nemesis. This had to be the coolest TT course I have ever ridden. Rolling, twisty, scenic and would be a great place for just a fun road ride. What can one say about any TT you just go out hard and hope it's good enough. Icaught a few guys on course and didn't get caught by anyone so for me that is always a good thing. I finished 10th or 11th which put me mid pack in the TT.
We started with a 125 guys lined up for the road race and 20+ at the end of the TT. I understand you don't have to do all the events to do well in an omnium, but I thought more people would do all 3 events but a lot of folks kind of picked and chose what events they wanted to do. But after some weird ass math I think I ended up 7th overall. If it would have been on time I would have been in the top 5 maybe top 3, but those are the rules and I should have understood them better going into this thing. Not like it would have changed anything.
Last weekend I raced the Rist Canyon Hill Climb race. The race is not you normal hill climb race, were it is on hill/mountain and it's mostly up hill. This race starts in Masonville and loops about Horsetooth Lake and then finishes on top of Rist Canyon. So the race is more like a spring classic with the prerequisite short/steep power climbs and then ending with a mountain top finish. I like this course a lot, it is just a fun ride and the backside back to Masonville is one of the best rides in the state. For the first half of the race I just stayed near the front and tried not to lose too much time on the descents so I wouldn't have to chase back on, a lesson I learned the hard way last year. On the start of the final climb the lead group was about 20(we had all ready dropped over half the riders), I went to the front about a mile into it figuring I would rather dictate the race than have it dictated to me, I also thought if I set a hard tempo it would discourage any attacks. My hypothesis held until I let up just a fraction to let someone else do the donkey's work and the eventual winner attacked. I thought some of the other contenders would cover the move but no one responded right away so I started chasing again and a few other guys started to pitch in but it was to little to late so about 2 miles out I attacked on a steep part and a dude from blue sky went with me, he counter moved me with about 3/4 of a mile to go and I was slow to respond, I was reeling him in but just ran out of road. I finished in 3rd, 45 sec behind the winner 10 sec from 2nd. I just suffered the last 3 miles of the race, with 1/2 mile to go I questioned if I could finish. Pain and Discontent!
On a totally different note I really like the new Against Me! record and the new Off with their Heads record. Both bands put a lot of hard work in these albums.

Deer Trail

I raced the Deer Trail RR yesterday. I went to the start line very mentally distracted. My grandmother is in the Intensive Care Unit in the hospital trying to recover from a stroke and complications from said stroke. I thought about not racing but my family insisted that I lined up. I started half way back of the 80 man field, I felt that I wasn't attentive, and I was not holding wheels. I fell further and further back into the group. When the main contenders lifted the pace I was no where near the front nor could have I moved up because of the field congestion. I was dropped! I wedged my head out of my ass and finally started to race. It sucks be brought back into the moment in about 70th place. So I chased and I fought. I tried to organize a small group of guys and well actually worked together for a while. After the second turn around guys started sitting in and not working, this just pisses me off. Why enter a bike race and refuse to work? I just don't get it. So I raise the pace on a small climb, and spit off the hangers on, my chase group is now down to 4, but guys are taking shorter and shorter pulls and soon 2 of the 3 fall off. Mean while we are catching remnants of the main field and just blow by them. At the 1 KM left to go sign we catch a guy that looks like a football player and he jumps the other guys wheel (who at this point isn't working at all), I attack again dropping my chase partner but "football dude" nips me on the line. I finished 34th, about 4 minutes behind the winners.

The mind being primary lesson was hammered home again. A bike race with a large field size, narrow roads and crazy wind is not were one should be if you are not fully present in the moment. If I was in the moment from the start whose to say what might have been, it just sucks to learn some of the say lessons over and over again.
Thanx Ross for the pics.

Weekly Hill climb Series Pics

These are pics from the weekly Hill Climb series in Colorado Springs (some from this week some from last week). The pictures are from Pikespeaksports.us. Thanx! Last nights race didn't go as well as I would have liked it to, we were running late so I got next to no warm up in. That is a shitty lesson to be reminded of! My time was less than 30 sec off my PR, but still disappointing. I was still psyched on the race, it was like riding in one of those cool Ralpha ads, overcast with light snow falling. Not much else to say about a 4.5 mile and a 3.1 mile Hill Climb. It is a style of racing that doesn't have much tactics, Just open your mouth and pedal Hard!

Lookout Mountain Pics

Some Pics from Saturday's Lookout Mountain Hill Climb Race. I finished in 12 place in a very full field of 100 riders. The race went well except for the start, too many people crammed into a very small place. I could see the leaders the entire race and the gap between them and I did not change after the first 3/4 of a mile. There was so much field fodder at the start that when gaps between the main players were established not much changed.

Laura had a very good ride she finished 17th out of 50. She also beat her PR on the course by three and a half minutes.

Also this weekend we road with our dear friend Steve up Lee's hill and down Left Hand Canyon. The ride was a little epic but everyone had fun. It rained, snowed and we even got some every small but very painful hail! It was worth the price of admission.

Cancelled again!

First things first. The Deer Trail Road Race was cancelled/Postponed today because of weather. Sounds familiar doesn't it. This year the weather has not been cooperating. I think this is my fourth race this season that has been cancelled because of weather. Hopefully the race will just be postpone until May but I'm not holding my breath.

My plan is not going as planned!

Here are some photos from last weeks' Air Force Academy Road Race.

Air Force academy Road Race

Yesterday I was supposed to the the AFA TT, and Crit but bother were cancelled because of weather, i.e. Fog Rain and Wind. The college kids got to race the crit because many of them need points for nationals. However, It looked fucking miserable! All the USAC races were cancelled.

Today's race went well for me I stayed on or near the front and out of trouble. On the second lap there was a horrific crash splitting the field and sending at lease two guys to the hospital. After that it we sat up for a few to recover mentally from what we just witnessed and see if anyone else would catch on a few did and the fun started again. On the third and final lap I went to the front again to set the pace on the climb and to try to break down the more powerful guys. I was successful and caused a split of six guys. I set tempo a little to long and when a couple of guys attacked again I could respond. I did panic because there was a guy behind me and I thought he would work with me. Wrong! when I asked he stated he had a team mate ahead. I understand the tactics so I went again and all I accomplished was dragging him back to the group. So I just kinda road up the the last power climb content with my sixth place.

This was my best race tactically. My biggest mistake was I probably did to much work at the front early on, but my thinking was to try to break people down for the last lap( and I don't want to be the guy who just sits in and never puts his nose in the wind). I would rather climb at my pace than someone else's. So I still need to work on my ability to recover between hard efforts. I still have a lot to learn.

Photos coming soon.

The new leatherface record is badass!

Colorado College Hill Climb

Today Laura, Keith, and I lined up for the Cheyenne Canyon Hill Climb i-TT. It might be in the running for hardest 3 miles in America. OK that is probably a bit of a over statement, but it is definitely not pleasant. 3.2 miles and about 1250' of elevation gain, 8 % average grade with a few sections topping out of 18%. FUN! If your idea of fun is a puke fest.

So the start of my race was a little ominous and reminiscent of yesterdays clipping incident. I clipped in just fine but on my second or third pedal stroke a pulled my cleat out of the pedal.(I need to buy new cleats!!!), So I sat down re-clipped and took off again. The first mile and a half were uneventful, but I could see the guy that started 30 seconds before me and I was closing the gap when the grade kick up I caught the another guy that I didn't even know we were close to, shortly there after I caught my 30 sec guy. I ended up catching 1 more guy with 400 meters to go. I finished in Fourth place today and only a few seconds out of top 3.

Keith had a very good ride today and finished in ninth place, not bad for a guy who doesn't consider himself a climber. Laura had a great ride today and ended up finishing in second place, beating her PR by 3 min. BRAVO!!!

Not much else to say about a race that takes less than 20 min.

Colorado College Classic Ctiterium

"Sometimes your the hammer and other times you are the nail." I don't know who said it first but today I was THE NAIL! Its no big secret that I get nervous in crits, especially when I have to race with the young guys. Today was no exception to that rule and I was a bit of a mess before and during the race.

It is a cool course as far as crits are concerned. It starts with a straight going north on cascade and after a few hundred yards does a 180 degree hairpin turn and head back south on cascade for a few blocks until it makes a right turn down a hill and a cross a short flat section before a steep little climb followed by a left back onto cascade.

As with any day I race this year it was windy no crazy windy just enough to make gaps very difficult to bridge. So at the start I was more than a little anxious and when the starters gun went off I miss clipped and fought with my left pedal all the way through the hairpin turn. By the time I was clipped in I was DFL(dead fucking Last!) I started chasing and catching but the main group all ready had a big gap on the rest of us field fodder. I would occasionally catch stragglers off the back of the main field but they were to tired to help chase, so the race ended up being the Individual Time Trial. I knew going into this race and the wind out of the south east I needed to stay near the front from the word go, but I managed to screw that up.

It also made me realize I need to work on some of my explosiveness i.e. 30 sec power to close gaps. I still have to except this is only my third crit, I totally avoided them last year and if I am going to live by the bullshit I preach I have to start working on my weaknesses. So for now a am content with my base fitness and I realize that if not for a few mental errors I could have been there with the contenders. I just have a lot to learn.

On a happier note Keith had a very good ride and finished in the main group. YEAH!

3/21 Practice Crit

Practice Crit? It felt like a regular crit to me. Except we had a little more diversity it the group, but most of them were dropped after the first couple of laps. The tempo was fast but not insane but there are some sketchy riders in the group. I sat in the first part of the race because my legs were very sore from the squat fest a couple of days prior. About 2/3 of the race I started feeling a little better and went to thee front of the group and did some work. One can only suck so many wheels in a day. With about 3 laps to go I dropped back into the group to recover for a lap before the real fun started. I heard the sound of metal, carbon fiber and bodies colliding, the guy in front of me locked up his breaks so hard he smoked the back tire and it exploded! I saw three guys laying on the ground and one bike still tumbling end over end. This caused a break in the field and I was on the wrong end of it. I chased a little but when I saw the 2 laps togo sign I just sat up and cruised. The poor dudes who were in the wreck looked rough one looked as if the end of his nose had been abraded off! OUCH!!! All in all not a bad day of racing for me, I felt bad but road pretty well. Still need to work on some of my power issues but it is coming around.

Tour Del Sol

First stage race of the year!

The first day up was supposed to be a Time Trial in the morning and an afternoon Crit, but mother nature had other plans. The morning Time Trial went off with out a hitch the course was all right I guess. I am not the fore most expert on TT courses. It was an "L" shaped out and back with a small climb. I still bled time to the fastest guys in our class but felt like I raced better than the previous week.

The Crit ended up being cancelled do to weather. Wind with gusts up to 58 mph with rain, hail, and snow are not considered good conditions for bike racing!

Day 2 the road race. With the cold weather, driving winds, short steep climbs and chip sealed roads gave the race a very spring classic feel! On the line I was thinking the group would easy into it and take the first few miles as a warmup of sorts. I was wrong! The pace jumped through the roof as soon as the neutralized start ended. Guys attacked to every little climb the group was like an ameba at best and a mosh pit at worst. I put in an attack at the base of a short very steep hill when i noticed a big group went with me I eased up. Big Mistake! That turned out to be the decisive break. I tried to chase and get back on, but with the wind and other peoples unwillingness to help it turned out to be an individual Time Trial. It still baffles me that people will enter a race and not try, they won't work with someone if they think that person might be able to beat them later, so they just sit in and become a spectator in their own race. I road pretty much by myself for the better part of 20 miles until I caught a guy on the short little climbs leading up to the finish. I think he was spit off the leading group, he looked kinda rough, he has the Salvador Dali snot mustache mixed with the dead elvis grin. When I passed him he made no effort to stay on my wheel.

My base fitness is where I think it should be for this time of year and I realize I don't have my top end form yet which I all ready knew. The race made it painfully clear I need to work on my 5 min power. So all in all a good weekend of racing and it let me know where I stand and what I need to Work on.

Frostbite Time Trial

I suck at Time Trialing! I knew this going into the race but for some reason it did not sink in to me what a complete suck fest this race would be! The wind! Holy shit the wind! It was howling out of the north east, making the way out to the turnaround point crazy fast (32+mph) and then the turn around a low grade climb back to the finish life got real interesting. Guys the size of football players started passing me. My new lower handlebar position that seemed to work well on shorter distances seemed to screw me when trying to produce power bucking a 30+ mph wind. So I guess it is back to the drawing board for bike position, I think I'm going to raise the aero bars a little and see if a more open hip position might help. That said I know I need to eventually stop messing with position and just open my mouth and pedal hard.

Thanx Ross for the photo, for going and listening to me bitch!

Yeah Racing!!!

Did I wake up in Belgium?

Cold, overcast, and windy! Yeah! Just did a short tempo ride today. After an A.M. gym session I was not in the mood to ride the trainer so I put on my Belgium knee warmers and did what other roadie worth his or her salt would do. RIDE! I am getting used to riding in the wind as it is always windy here but grey and overcast with hints of rain WTF.

Shameless pug: Mad Alchemy Rules.

What amazes me is how that stuff keeps working even after you shower. I don't get it, it must be magic. Well I've spent enough time on the magic internet porn machine.

1-31-10

I thought I better get back in the habit of updating this thing. I't just a pain in the ass to come up with something witty or inspiring about a trainer ride or a gym workout. That said yesterday Keith, Laura and I road out to the test track and then Time Trial back. I just fucking suffered. My leg were shelled from the front squat/jump combo I did yesterday, and I don't like being in the time trial position anyway. I don't seem to generate much power from a closed hip position. I can't wait till the snow melts and I can start riding in the mountains again.

I am still waffling on my focus of the year do I want to try to become a better all around racer or still focus on races with just a ton of climbing. The easy way would be to just do what I am good at, but what is the fun of not evolving. Plus a we all know the path of least resistance is mined!

PLA

Jan 8, Training

2x (15 yrd Forward Lunge + 15 yrd Backwards Lunge)

4x 15 yrd 1 hand OH Lunge w/ 30# db

2x 30 yrd Farmer Carry w/ 12 10" hurdles w/ 2x70# dbs

Then: 6x3 "The Exercise" @95#

Then: 5x (1 Power clean + 2 each Lunge) @135#

Then: 5 Rounds of:

5x DL @ 255# + 10x Split Jumps

Today the playlist made it Possible I wasn't in the mood and the people in the gym were listen to top 40. (I'm not sure that is music, but I don't know what it is.) My playlist consisted mainly of Redemption 87 and A-18, For me nothing beets straight edge hard-core for the soundtrack of suffering.

Jan 7, Training

2x20 BWS

2x10 JS

2x5 TJ

3x5 KJ

Then: 6 way Barbell Complex 3 sets 65#, 75#, 95#

6x DL

6x Row

6x Hang Clean

6x FS

6x Push Press

6x BS

6x Push up

Then: Work up to heavy front Squat

Then: 5 Rounds of:

2x Fs@ 175# + 4x TJ

Then: 5x5 JS @ 65#

Later Ride the Trainer 1 hour 20 min w/ 30 min Zone 3.

Top Ten Records of 2009

Everyone does this so I guess I'll do a top ten list. Plus it's way to cold outside to ride right now!

This list has no real order just 10 records I listened to a lot and were released in 2009. So here it is:

1) Nothington- Roads, Bridges & Ruins (BYO Records)

2)NOFX- Coaster (Fat records)

3)Yesterday's Ring- Diamonds in the ditch (Suburban Home)

4) Frank Turner- Poetry of the Deed (Epitaph)

5) Psyched to Die- Year One (Dirtnap Records)

6) Future of the Left- Travels with Myself and Another

7) Hatebreed- s/t (E1)

8) Dear Landlord- Dream Homes (No Idea records)

9) Teenage Bottle Rocket- They Came from the Shadows (Fat Records)

10) Gallows- Grey Britain (Reprise Records)

Jan 4 training.

A.M. Strength:

Warm up: 2x20 BWS

4 Rounds of 15m Lunge +15m Bear Crawl

Then: 3x10 KBS 34#,53#,70#

Then: 6 Rounds of: 6(3 each) Step Up onto 18" box w/2x50# + 6 (3 each) Step Up and Hop on 10" box (lock out trailing leg so you don't use it)

Then: Clean 4x4 @ 95 # (work on low catch)

Then: Single leg box jump onto 10" box w/ 2x20# db

Then: Med ball toss and catch while standing on BOSU Ball.

Then: 4 Min of 30/30 Split jumps

Later: Road Ride @ test track

warm up than 10 mile Time trial for L.T. test.

then "cool down" with 19+ miles @zone 2.

Today I just wanted to test to see where i was w/ my base conditioning. I was almost exactly where I thought I would be. I question if this was just a self fulfilling prophesy or a valid test. I would never have someone test after a strength workout. When you are self coached you always have to be aware your coach just might be an idiot!