Perpetual Motion

Merry Heckmas

2009-12-24T19:16:00.000-08:00

xmas: "1. Death - White Lies
2. Ambling Alp - Yeasayer
3. Velvet - The Big Pink
4. Alligator - Tegan and Sara
5. Sleep Alone - Bat For Lashes
6. Young Hearts Spark Fire - Japandroids
7. Furr - Blitzen Trapper
8. Switched On - Islands
9. Animal - Miike Snow
10. All The King's Men - Wild Beasts
11. My Step - Little Dragon
12. Psychic City (Voodoo City) - YACHT
13. Welfare Bread - King Khan & The Shrines
14. Actor Out Of Work - St. Vincent
15. Auditorium featuring The Ruler - Mos Def
16. Introducing Palace Players - Mew
17. Fire - Kasabian
18. Dangerous Animals - Arctic Monkeys
19. Might Like You Better - Amanda Blank"

Fake Tilt Shift Photos

2009-10-29T08:43:00.000-07:00

I have been working on some fake tilt shift photos. The goal is to get the images to look like models. Not quite there, but getting closer.

Three Days in the Pain Cave

2009-10-13T14:46:00.000-07:00

I spent a couple of days acting like a fake pro cyclist. Three days of racing in a row was tough, on top of all the driving. The races in Cincy were great, with some tough courses and even tougher conditions.

Cincinnati Cyclocross Festival-Day 1

Cincinnati Cyclocross Festival-Day 2

Chicago Cross Cup #3

Photo Credits:

http://jjakucyk.exposuremanager.com/g/cincinnati_uci-3_cyclocross_classic

http://www.flickr.com/photos/chicagomichael/

http://www.flickr.com/photos/ewwhite/

Wisconsin Roadtripping

2009-09-11T06:28:00.000-07:00

Palos Meltdown

2009-08-31T16:34:00.000-07:00

Photos Courtesy of Rusty

Pain

2009-08-04T17:03:00.001-07:00

Photo: Velogrrl

2009-07-13T09:50:00.000-07:00

505 - Arctic Monkeys @ Glastonbury 2007

2009-07-08T18:31:00.001-07:00

Feel the Heat

2009-06-22T18:17:00.000-07:00

“Some like it hot and some sweat when the heat is on
Some feel the heat and decide that they cant go on
Some like it hot, but you cant tell how hot til you try
Some like it hot, so lets turn up the heat til we fry”

The above lyrics are from the song ‘Some Like it Hot” by the 80’s group, The Power Station. I’ve had this song in my head since this weekends WORS Subaru Cup mountain bike race, so much so the Kelly had been getting really annoyed with me singing it around the house. In my version I decided to add the following lyric to the chorus “Some like it hot, I do not”. Probably not long enough to be added to the chorus, but it is straight to the point on how I feel about racing the heat. I have never been one that performs well in the heat, and this race was no different. My race went off at 2:00 and the temps were in the mid to upper 80’s and high humidity. Before the event I tried to stay as hydrated as possible and out of the sun, while watching teammate Andrew Truemper suffer in the heat during the Expert race. By the look on his face I knew my race would be tough.

I was racing the Comp category and we were scheduled for 4 laps. The gun went off and I had an OK start, but was quickly feeling the conditions, and within a half mile I was doing my best imitation of Frank Schleck with my jersey completely unzipped to deal with the heat. As the first of four laps progressed I found myself making stupid mistakes, one that was really embaressing. Coming out of a wooded section I thought it was going to be a flat doubletrack trail for awhile. I reached for my bottle with my right hand, and started to drink and quickly realized there was a short downhill section, so I grabbed the front brake and completely lost control, almost flipping over the bars. I ran off the trail into the grass, almost going over the bars a couple more times as I let on and off the front brake. Under normal conditions I would probably have let go of the bottle to get two hands on the bar, however the heat had me doing really stupid things. After that near miss there was a tough secion of tight uphill switchbacks. With the crowd of riders on the first lap I ran the last couple of switchbacks and once out of the woods pulled off to the side of the trail and sat down. I was hurting and thought if I continued I was going to end up hurting myself. So I sat there for a couple of minutes and decided to finish up the lap. As I got near the start/finish I told myself to give it one more lap, considering I had drove 4 hours and spent money to race I owed it to myself to give it another shot.

Lap 2 went OK, and I decided to finish the race after a stop at the neutral water area where I drenched my head in cold water and filled up the water bottles. As I started lap 3 I came up with the goal of passing 5 riders in the next two laps. I was feeling much better, not sure why, and I slowly picked off a few struggling competitors. In the end I passed 11 guys and finished up hard to hold off a couple of them. So not a great race, but I was happy the way I finished, and really happy that I decided not to pull the plug after lap 1. The course the WORS crew had set up was awesome with lots of climbing, some tough rock gardens and tones of great singletrack. I can’t say enough about how well these events are organized. The WORS crew does an amazing job !!

With

2009-06-19T06:23:00.000-07:00

I don't remember much of my high school french classes, but I do remember that "Je me sens comme le poulet ce soir" translates to " I feel like chicken tonight". I also remember that Avec means with in French. After years of failed attempts of making it to the restaurant Avec in Chicago Kelly and I finally made it there a month ago. In the past we had shown up at 6:30 or 7 and would be greeted with a two hour wait. Well we finally figured it out and after a trip to the Art Institute we arrived really early, 3:30 in the afternoon early, and had no problem getting a seat. As you can see by the photo the restaurant is small and because of the size and communal seating they don't take reservations. So our first visit was amazing, probably one of the best dining experiences for the both of us. Everything we had was top notch and wanted to go back to see if we got lucky picking out dishes or if everything was just as good.

Last night for our anniversary we decided to venture back to Avec. This time we showed up around 5:00 and had no problem getting a seat. According to our waiter it seems 6:00 is the cutoff for having no problem getting a table. This trip we were not disappointed. We had a special made up of pork liver sausage pickled onions and horseradish sauce, a flank steak rolled up stuffed with sausage and egg, a boudin sausage made with braised pork and rice served with fava beans, and a focaccia made with taleggio cheese and truffle oil. We did go whole hog for pork with our meal, however everything was amazing. The best part about Avec is that the price seems reasonable for the quality of food and the serving sizes. If you can get over having to go early or having a wait the place is well worth it. After two visits I can say this may be my favorite restaurant in Chicago, or anywhere for that matter.

My Yearly Reminder

2009-06-16T16:27:00.000-07:00

Each year I do the same thing, I race one or two crits, and each year I tell myself I am done with crit racing. I think it comes down to me feeling that when racing mtb. or cross and I do something stupid causing myself to crash I have no one to blame but me, but if another racing does a risky move in a crit and takes me out it really makes me feel like it is not worth the chance of getting hurt. As like past years I was hearing from teammates about all the tough racing and good results they were having this spring and I get psyched up to race around in circles for 45 minutes. Well this year I made it all the way to mid June before giving in. My team was hosting our annual criterium at Sherman Park in Chicago, so I decided to suit up for some Nascar style fun, as well as many hours of volunteering. The weather was looking iffy and up to the start of my race things were dry, unfortunately on the warm up lap the rain started, and by the time the gun went off it was a constant downpour. Luckily Sherman Park is a one mile oval (ie not technical) and the rain really only meant asphalt in the teeth and a dirty bike and uniform to clean. So the race progressed and attacks went and came. I covered some breaks and put in a couple of attacks that lasted about a half lap each, one with 3 or 4 laps to go that might have gone somewhere, but I missed calling out to my teammate that I was bridging and ended up dropping him. By the time he was back on and we got organized we both were hurting and the attempt fizzled. At that point there we 2 laps to go, and I settled back in the pack. I really wasn't planning to contest the sprint so with lap and a half to go I dropped off the pace and my race was done. Not exactly an exciting race report, but what happened next reconfirmed my thoughts on crits. Fifty yards ahead of me I see a couple of guys go down on the left and then the carnage went across the field like a tidal wave. I rolled up to the accident and there were people screaming, riders laying in the street, and bikes tangled together. In the end there was plenty of roadrash, a broken collarbone and several busted up bikes. Pure carnage.

This guys Cannondale ended up in three pieces. http://www.velopaint.com/ His wife rushed over and crying and after she realized that he was more or less OK, she handed me his business card, half joking saying that if I buy a painting he could afford a new bike. The paintings really are pretty cool, so take a look, and help him buy a new bike.

clown torture, 1987

2009-06-03T08:20:00.001-07:00

This is an installation in the new Modern Wing of the Art Institute. Not sure if I consider this art, but it is definitely creepy.

Be an Olympic Guinea Pig

2009-05-27T12:26:00.000-07:00

The promoters of the Tour of Americas Dairyland just announced that on June 18th a new road race has been added to the week long event. The race is will use the proposed course for the 2016 Olympics if Chicago gets the bid. The course is not in Illinois but near Madison on some really hilly roads. I am personally glad to see this event moved to a location that would challenge the racers, and this defiitely fits the bill. The race has all categories and should be super tough.

From Bad to Better

2009-05-18T16:49:00.000-07:00

Sunday was the first stop of the Wisconsin Off-road Series (WORS) held in Iola, WI. I have always wanted to make it to Iola for this race, but since it is a bit of a haul to get up there I have always found a reason to stay home. This year, however, with a couple of teammates racing and a place to stay the night before it was time put the excuses away and hit some early season dirt.

The other great thing about making the trip was getting to see friends that don't get a chance to see during the winter months. We were like bears coming out of hibernation, greeting the other bears and woodland creatures.

After arriving at the course, we had enough time to check out the trails before the sport race went off, and found near perfect conditions with nice grippy singletrack, tough climbs, and some fast downhills. The first half of the course consisted of tough steep climbs and fire roads while the second half was flowing singletrack and some technical downhills.

All warmed up it was now time to sit at the startline for 15 minutes before the comp race went off. Then 10 seconds and the WORS countdown to "GOOOOoooo!!!" and we are off. Up the starting climb people were battling for position, dust in the face and elbows to the gut. The race started with a couple of up/down sections into a fast downhill past the start/finish area, and into the ski jump bowl where most of the crowd had gathered to cheer. Past the fans and into the woods. At this poin I made an effort to get by as many riders before the tight singletrack in the second half of the lap. I have to say this was a shock to the system, and most of the first lap really hurt, but at some point I recovered and settled into my race pace. Unfortunately I didn't feel like I was going going that great, and while I was passing riders from the earlier waves, I was also getting caught by the leaders of the later waves. I would try and hold their wheels, but after a half mile or so they would open up a gap and that would be the last time I would see them. This would be the pattern for the rest of the race as I rolled into the finish after 20 hard miles with a really sore back.

The first race was done, and I was cooked. I really had no clue how I did, and upon seeing the results I found myself really disappointed. I was way down in the Comp class, and fourteen minutes behind the leader, however with my first race issues, the WORS crew was also working out the kinks. The results were revised and I was moved up to 8th in my age group and top half of the overall rankings. Looking back I was pretty happy considering this year I am making the jump for Sport to Comp. I know there is a ton of room for improvement and I will be looking to get some great results as the racing continues. I can't wait!!

A Fun 48 hours

2009-05-06T17:35:00.000-07:00

This past weekend Kellly and I headed down to Louisville with a couple of our friends. The reason for the trip was to attend the "Greatest two minutes in Sports", the Kentucky Derby. While we were in Louisville I think we tried to pack as many activities and fun into the trip as possible.

-Hiked at Iroquois Park

-Visited Grandparents

-Ate at Wild Eggs

-Visited a Goat Cheese Farm called Capriole.

-Searched for hours for parkas for the anticipated rain at the Derby. Of course Derby day was dry.

-Had dinner at a great pizza and beer spot, the New Albanian Brewing Company, and met some -locals at the bar in the comunist themed room

-Spent all day at Churchill Downs betting on the ponies and looking for stars (didn't see any). Cashed a few tickets and had an awesome time hanging with my cousins.

-Visited some local watering holes after the Derby.

-Saw a car rolling on what appeared to be 30+" rims

-Had a late night burrito

-Visited other grandmother

-Chased Bernie around the neighborhood after he got loose.

-Drove home

Goat Cheese in the Making

Hanging with the locals

Pre-Derby

At the Derby

Winning horse"Mine the Bird" crossing the finish line

30" rims?

Portland

2009-04-21T09:58:00.000-07:00

Just finished watching this documentary about Portland, OR on WTTW. As an urban planner, Portland is always pointed at as the model city, however things are not perfect. Great to see the good and the bad get airtime in this documentary. Even with the bad, watching it really made me want to pack up the house and move out there ASAP.

http://www.makingsenseofplacefilms.com/portland.html

I'll be back

2009-04-10T13:09:00.001-07:00

but for now this video of Bernie form a couple of years ago can keep you entertained

http://www.flickr.com/photos/23423017@N07/2984813009/in/set-72157603837446758/

This ain't Chicago

2009-02-13T14:10:00.000-08:00

Thank You Universal Sports

2009-01-26T08:28:00.000-08:00

The Universal Sports network, home of what most consider fringe sports (Downhill skiing, XC Skiing, running) all of which I love, actually aired the Crossvegas race on Sunday evening. The station also mentioned in a commercial that they will be airing the World Cyclocross Championships. So if you get a chance drop them a thank you email so we can hopefully get more of cross racing on the television in the future.

http://www.universalsports.com/CreateTicket.dbml?DB_OEM_ID=23000

La Bocca della Verità (The Mouth of Truth)

2009-01-21T13:57:00.000-08:00

This is pretty fun. Someone created a group on Flickr for people that had their picture take at the Mouth of Truth in Rome. It took Kelly and I a couple of days of searching, but we finally found it. http://www.flickr.com/groups/la_bocca_della_verit_/pool/

Belgian Frites!!

2009-01-21T13:14:00.000-08:00

Kelly spent all afternoon cutting potatoes into 1 cm x 1 cm sticks for these Belgian Frites, and it took us about 3 minutes to eat them all!!

French Bread

2009-01-16T13:59:00.000-08:00

Made some french bread this week. I used this recipe Still need to tweak the taste a bit, but they came out nice a crunchy. Still not as holey as you find in a bakery, but from what I read this is more due to limitations of baking in a residential kitchen than me following directions. At least that is what I am telling myself.

Annual Video of Bernie in the Snow

2009-01-13T10:52:00.000-08:00

Snow Running

2009-01-10T17:15:00.000-08:00

Went out for a run today in the snow. Not as nimble as this snow leapord, but trying to act like one. I think if I had the big tail like it does I might have a shot. My route took me through Riverside and with all the snow on the ground and the trees it made for a really beautuful backdrop. Running through some of the deep snow really is a full body workout, as you are always correcting to stay upright. I really enjoy the snow when I am using it for recreational pursuits, but trying to get anywhere becomes a big hassle.

Long time, no post

2009-01-05T11:04:00.000-08:00

I can't believe it has been a month since my last post. With the Holiday season it feels like yesterday that I was writing thawing out from Montrose writing my race report. So this is what I have been doing since then, in no particular order:

Thankfully had an uneventful drive down to Louisville for Christmas (no snow or deer)
Spent Christmas with my family in Louisville and learned I am not very good at Texas Hold em
Kelly and I had our annual Holiday Thursday in the City and ate at Frontera Grill. May is that place good.
Went to a couple of Christmas Parties with the in laws and Kelly's family
Went to the Map Room a couple of times. Their beer menu is amazing!!
Added peanut butter and cranberries to my banana bread recipe which I think are nice additions to the recipe
Had a really fun New Years Eve, actually too much fun and was regretting it the next day
I have been running 3-4 times a week, and signed up to run the Shamrock Shuffle in March
Signed up to take the AICP exam to become a certified urban planner. Fortunately or Unfortunately depending on how you look at it I have the time to devote to studying for the exam right now.
Made a bread with Semolina Flour
Pickled Jalapenos (super hot) and Sweet and Spicy Pickles, and do have to say they are really good
Tried to make fudge twice but couldn't get it to firm up correctly. I guess I just don't have my dad's touch for making fudge.
And I also still have this going through me head. I think I may tape a copy of this photo to my handlebars to keep me motivated for next year. It is perfect that Nevada Dave can be seen in the foreground.

Photo by: Venicen

Even with my unemployment Kelly and I had a great 2008; spending a lot of time with family and friends, meeting some great new friends, visiting some really cool places, seeing some really great concerts, and I hope that 2009 brings more of the same, and of course a job for me :)

Bad Taste in the Mouth

2008-12-09T09:38:00.000-08:00

I have to start off by saying thanks to my wife Kelly. She has been great about me doing a ton of training and racing this year, especially this fall, with most weekends including a cross race. She has been really supportive and I couldn't do it without her.

After a couple years of mediocre performances at the State Championships I decided this year that I wouldn't focus so much on having a great performance at this one race, rather focus on having a good end of the year, over several weeks of racing. During November I had several excellent results for me, including 3-podium placings, as well as securing a top Series placing. After this weekends performance I am really glad I decided to reevaluate my approach to the season, as once again I had another mediocre performance at Montrose. This is not to say that the week leading up to the race I wasn't imagining pulling on the State Championship jersey, but I was in just a slightly different state of mind come race day.

The Race

Course was a great layout with plenty of technical sections, great portions along the beach, and a tough climb on cricket hill. So the race starts and there is a ton of bumping heading into the first 180 degree turn. Brakes are squealing, metal is grinding, frames are breaking (seriously!!) people are crashing. As the bottleneck started I was off the bike and running. Back on the bike, and I find myself in about 7th place. Not great, but OK. The first lap was really crazy with lots of bumping, especially in some of the deep snow sections and run-ups. As the lap progressed Dave Norton, Tim Yuska and a VQ rider had a slight gap on the chase group. I was sitting on teammate Brian Parkers wheel as we exited the sand, and on the next offcamber section Brian washes out and I take up the chase. On the next section while riding on top of the concrete retaining wall near the beach, heading to the next downhill offcamber section, there was a bump at the transition. To make it over only a slight lifting of the wheel was needed. I had no problems with this in warmups, but I guess at race pace, and pushing the pace to close the gap to the leaders I misjudged the bump, and the next thing I know I am over the bars, and my right knee is throbbing and in some serious pain. The pain that kicks in, leads to that nauseous feeling in the gut. I got up and tried to walk it off, but it was no go. I sat down for a couple of minutes trying to recover, but thought my race was over. Walking back towards the start/finish teammate Jeff Holland walked up, asked me how I felt and encouraged me to get back on the bike and give it a go. I took his advice, and after a few minutes on the bike the pain was subsiding, and I was feeling OK. Thanks to Jeff's encouragement I was able to finish up the race, and is really appreciated. At this point I was in last place, and was just going to try and catch as many riders as possible, so it ended up being somewhat of a fun ride. In the end I rolled in for 22nd.

After the race I was really happy to hear the Brian Parker was able to move his way through the field and roll in for a well earned silver medal. That was a really great performance, wish I could have been riding with him to see it.

So the season is over, and I am sad that I won't be racing cross for another 9 months , but definitely ready for a break from the week in and week out process of packing up and heading to races. I will also miss all the fun of hanging with friends, heckling other racers, and eating brats. Only 9 month until Jackson Park!!!!

I Won...

2008-11-24T11:36:00.000-08:00

...a bike at the Woodstock Cyclocross Race!! A sweet 26" Roadmaster full suspension mountain bike!! I will admit the bike doesn't meet the needs of my bike snobbery, but I am happy to know that the purchase of the raffle tickets went to the Leukemia Society, and teammate Mike Seguin will be donating the bike to the toy drive put together at his fire house. Oh yeah, and I finished 2nd in the race which was my best result ever in a cross race, and was oh so painfully close to a win.

The Course
The course was in a beautiful park with tons of rolling terrain, and was definitely the longest course of the year. Jason Meshberg and his crew put together a course that had some great ups and downs, offcamber sections, and some leg burning climbs. This was all on top of a course that was really bumpy, and portions of the course had me holding on for dear life, praying that my hands didn't slip off the bars.

The Race
Race started off fast. Jeff Wat of Vitamin Water-Trek went out fast stringing out the group as we headed to the fast wooded downhill. Up the climb and a separation was already made of 7 or 8 riders. Jason Knauff of Vitamin Water-Trek was now putting on the pressure at the front opening a slight gap. As the lap progressed I moved up into 2nd position behind Jason, with Scott Arrigoni moving up to third. Over the next couple of laps a second separation occurred. This time whittling the group down to 4. Devon Haskell came out of nowhere to join our group. Based on the photos I saw she really closed ground to make her way up to our group. I have to say she is looking really strong heading into Nationals. Over the next lap or so we cruised along in our small group, increasing our lead over the chasers. At some point we lost Devon, and the group was down to 3 heading into the last 3 laps. I was yo yoing a bit at this time, but dug deep to catch Jason and Scott on the first climb of the lap. As we headed into the wooded downhill Scott was able to scoot around a lapped rider, with Jason picking the wrong side for the pass. Jason had to slow and I was able to take the inside line, but not before Scott had a slight gap. This proved to be the decisive moment in the race, as Jason appeared to be the strongest rider in the group, and I was sure he would come back to me, eventually leadng me back up to Scott. Unfortunately what I didn't know was that Jason had a flat and would not be coming up to save the day. So for the next 2.5 laps I tried to chase down Scott. His gap was really never more than 20 yards, but I just couldn't close it. I would get closer on the straightaways, and he would open it up in the technical sections. I knew I had to catch Scott before the section that traversed the sled hill, but never made contact, eventually rolling in for a hard earned 2nd place.

Once again I have to give props to my coach Brian Conant. He has taken me from a midpack Cat. 3 to a rider competing for wins. So if you are looking for a coach to help you with any cycling discipline he is a great option and can be reached at bconant at msn dot com

Paine de Provence

2008-11-18T16:48:00.001-08:00

I think most people are either bakers or cooks. Baking being a much more regimented process, but still providing enough room for creativity to keep things interesting. Personally, I was born with the baking gene that I am pretty sure was passed down from my dad. We always baked growing up, and lately I have been getting back into trying different recipes. I have been making a lot of banana bread, but finally got into some bread recipes that require fermentation and yeast. I had no idea how time consuming the process of baking bread was, as it is really a two day process with lots of time required for kneading and rising. Anyway I tried this recipe last week. I was really surprised at how well it turned out. I used herbs de provence along with fennel seeds to flavor the bread.

http://www.thefreshloaf.com/recipes/paindeprovence

The week that I baked this bread we had a pork tenderloin for dinner. At Kelly's recommendation, I shredded the leftover pork, mixed it with a spicy barbecue sauce. I then put it on the bread with some white cheddar and sweet and spicy pickles, followed by a few minutes in the oven to toast the sandwich. It was really gooood!!!

The Yin and Yang of Cross

2008-11-17T15:33:00.000-08:00

This weekend was a double race weekend for me. Saturday's race took place in Whitewater, WI, with Sunday being a close to home race in Lansing, IL.

One of the great things about bike racing is that the field of play changes for every event, and this could be no more apparent than this weekend. The Whitewater course was a slow moving roller coaster with a couple of really tough climbs, steep run-ups, twisting downhills and off camber sections. It even had a sandpit (beach) with the best line being through the water. This gave the opportunity for a Steve Tilford moment. Luckily it didn't happen to me, but it made for a cool course element. The Lansing event was part of the Chicago Cross Cup last year, and is a pancake flat park with one tough sandpit. They did a great job of improving the course from last year, but it will always be a crit on grass.

Whitewater

On top of the course being hilly, it was a really short loop, probably in the 3-4 minute range. This meant the hills would play an even bigger part in the race. I think we ended up doing 11 or 12 laps. Top 10 got call-ups with me falling in behind in the 2nd row. Start whistle and a couple of guys immediately crash. I get around the mayhem and find myself sitting about 10th wheel. Up the first climb, and I am able to move up to 6th. The next couple of laps are spent trying to get up to the group of 2nd-5th. After a lap or two I bridge up to the 4th place rider and was able to gap him. Over the next couple of laps I set my sights on catching the 2nd and 3rd place riders. As I was getting close to the two riders, the 2nd place rider put in a big attack, getting a nice gap, and I was never able to get near him again. So for a couple of laps I battled it out with the the rider in 3rd. I was finally able to gap him on the first climb. After the first couple of laps, this climb became a run-up for me. It was super steep, and with a 1x10 drivetrain with a 42 tooth chainring, it was much faster for me to run.

Pushing the Pace on the run-up

So for several laps I was by myself trying to set a good pace, when I noticed another rider coming from behind. He was getting close, but with two laps to go I thought I had enough to hold him off.

Up the Climb

Unfortunately, on the last time through the offcamber chicanes I went down. Just enough for the rider to close the gap. I never let him get in front of me, and led him through the sand for the last time. Up the final climb we start our sprint, he tries to come around on the left, but I hold him off with a bike throw, finishing up in 3rd place. This was probably the slowest average speed I have ever done in a cross race, but at the same time some of the toughest racing I have ever done. With the course being so short the climbs kept coming at you in such short intervals that there was hardly anytime to recover.

Lansing

Lansing was sure to be high speed from the gun and it didn't disappoint. Whistle blows and I find myself sitting about 8th place. As the lap progressed gaps were opening, and I put in a hard effort to move up, now sitting about 5th. First time through the sand and I ride it cleanly, moving up to 2nd place. For the next several laps I sit on the wheel of Jason Knauff of Burnham Racing. Since he has already won a couple of races I figured it was his reward to set the pace while I wheelsucked.

Through the sand with Jason and Scott, Parker in close pursuit

As the race progressed the group eventually whittled down to 3 riders; myself, Jason, and Scott Arrigoni of Verdigris. We had a good gap, with the most treacherous part of the race having to deal with lapped traffic. It was really difficult to ride fast, and safe, while trying to pass riders with all the turns and obstacles. Luckily lap traffic never played into the outcome of the race. With 4-5 laps to go, Jason went down in the sand and Scott and I were able to get a gap. Scott was setting a nice pace, but Jason was able to bridge back up to us after a couple of laps, and was obviously the strongest of the trio.

Following Scott through the Chicane

Coming into the bell lap I was sitting 3rd wheel, and had a couple of gaps open dealing with lap traffic. I was able to close these down, and we all came to the last barrier and sandtrap together. Jason put in an awesome run through the sand and opened up a nice gap, holding it to the finish. I also decided to run the last time, after I had a bit of trouble getting clipped in after he barrier. Even if I did try to ride it I don't think I could have made it though, as I was beat by that point, and running seemed like the safer option. I think Scott ran too, getting a bit of a gap on me. I tried to close it down, but there wasn't enough real estate, as I rolled in for another 3rd place.

This was definitely my best weekend of racing on two completely different types courses. Hopefully this is a good sign going into the last two races of the season. Can't wait!!
Photos courtesy of
djonnymac

velogrrl

nicCyp

Step by Step

2008-11-11T11:39:00.000-08:00

We finally had some cross weather here in Chicago, with a couple of days of rain followed by cold temps on race day. The drastic change in conditions was a real shock to the system, and had me digging into my bag to pull out the Craft winter gloves.

To start off I have to say that the guys/gals of Northbrook Cycling and Flatlandia put together an awesome course with tons of great offcamber sections, fast pavement, and two leg burning stair runups. I didn't get there in time to ride the course before the start of the 30+ event, but cruised aoround checking out as many of the technical sections as possible. After a bit more warmup and the end of the 30+ race I jumped on the course for a lap before my race. The two trickiest sections were both found after the two runups. Both were offcamber; one with tight 180 degree turns, and the other being a fast hold on for dear life downhill. On my warmup lap I went down pretty hard on the downhill offcamber section, flipping a couple of times before coming too a stop. Not exactly what I wanted to do before my race, and definitely didn't help my pre-race confidence. I did quickly come to the conclusion that the reason I went down was because I was on the brakes way too much trying to control my speed, and I really needed to feather the brakes, or just let it roll and worry about scrubbing speed at the bottom. During the race I rode the section everytime with no more falls. Unfortunately, the other offcamber section after the first run-up proved to be my downfall during the race.

Photo taken after my tumble on the downhill. I was hoping no one saw me.

So, after the call-ups and talk by the official, we were off. Not a great start, as I struggled to get clipped in. I found myself about 8th place going into the first tight sections, and was sitting on teammate Mike Seguin's wheel as we made our way to the first time up the stairs. I made the decision to run the first itme through the chicanes, hopefully avoiding going down or being taken down by somene else. It ended up being a good decision as one of the riders in front went down, and I was able to scoot through on the inside. The rest of the lap I worked with Mike to catch the couple of riders in front of us. Mike did a great job of getting me to within contact of the group of 3-6, which contained teammate Brian Parker.

Parker on my heels sporting the neon Guy of the Month Jersey

As the race went on I moved up to 3rd place, and was getting closer to Nevada Dave in 2nd place. This was short lived as Scott Arrigoni of Verdigris bridged up to our group. He was riding really strong, and went past us in short order never to be seen again.

Next time through the offcamber chicanes we were getting into lapped traffic, and was making this section even tougher to negotiate. I was forced to take a bad line to get around a rider and went down coming out of the turn. This unfortunately gave David Thomas of Team Magnus a chance to gap us. With a lap and a half to go, Brian and I were in chase mode. Unfortunately it really wsan't a course where trading pulls was helpful. With all the turns it seemed that we were better off setting our own pace. Last time through the chicanes and I am sitting in 5th place. I had another poor choice in lines, and went down, this time dropping my chain. After what seemed like an eternity, I got the chain back on the bike and was off. During this time Tim Yuska of Get a Grip was able to sneak by. I really tried to bury myself the last lap to catch him. Through the last tight section of chicanes I was getting close, and the next thing I know he is off the bike with a mechanical. Not the way I wanted to catch him, but I guess that is part of cross racing. In the end I roll in for 6th place, just out of the money, and just outside the Cat. 2 upgrade points.

I am definitely getting frustrated with my mid race performance the last several weeks. I have really been losing focus and in turn losing places in the middle of the race. I know this is a mental thing, and I won't be able to put together a really good race if I don't correct it. This weekend I am heading north of the cheddar curtain for the Whitewater race on Saturday as well as the Lansing race on Sunday. Since I am not really competing for an overall series placing in the Wisconsin series I want to go into the race with the attitude to go as hard as possible from the gun and hopefully make it to the finish line in one piece.

Photo Credits:

Timeforcrickets

NicCyp

Never Drown Out

Cinnamon Challenge

2008-11-08T19:09:00.000-08:00

After a year I have finally obtained a copy of my brush with death. The challenge only had one requirement: eat a tablespoon of cinnamon. Needless to say it didn't work out.

Halloween 2008

2008-11-04T15:36:00.001-08:00

Kelly and I went as Hall and Oates for Halloween. We were supposed to be Hall and Oates Vampires, but the vampire teeth we bought had us looking like Hillbillies and not Vampires.

This guy had the best cotume EVER!!! He ended up winning te costume contest, by a landslide. The first time we spotted him was from above while we were in the balcony area. He was walking around the dancefloor aimlessly with the perfect Weekend at Bernies 2 walk. Kelly had to get a phot with him, as Weekend at Bernies is one of here favorite movies, and the reason that our dog is named Bernie.

Nada Surf - "Whose Authority"

2008-10-30T20:36:00.001-07:00

I really feel these guys are an underrated band, making some of the best power pop you can find these days. The simplicity of the messenger going about his daily routine makes for a nice video.

Fun and Frustration

2008-10-27T13:20:00.000-07:00

Due to my unemployed status Kelly and I were able to take off for Louisville on Thursday evening. This meant plenty of time to see the grandparents and other family as part of the weekend festivities. I knew things were going too well, when we got to Indiana with minimal Chicago traffic, and were making nice pace to Kentucky. Unfortunately, a deer decided to play chicken with our car, and slowed our pace. The car won and the deer is probably jerky by now. About an hour outside of Chicago, as it was just getting dark, a deer darted out into the middle of I-65. We were going 65+ mph, and had no time to react. The deer went flying and our front end got jacked up pretty bad. After the impact a pick-up truck made a U turn heading back towards the deer. We figured he was going to pick up the fresh kill. After assessing the damage, and determining the car was drivable, we moved on. Kelly and were both freaked out, but figured that the chances of hitting two deer in the same trip, must be similar odds to winning the lottery.

Kelly, Bernie and the Deerkiller

Friday morning we got to spend some quality time with my grandparents, along with me eating a ton of french toast. Tee rest of the day was spent thrift shopping, along with searching for Halloween costumes (Kelly and I are going as Hall and Oates Vampires) , and having a great dinner at Seviche with my Aunt Paula and grandmother. For much of the day it rained so I was mentally preparing myself for some real cross weather on Saturday.

DAY 1-Category 2/3 Race

After a good nights sleep, I woke to partly sunny and cool conditions. We loaded up the deerkiller and made out was to Champions Park for the festivities. After checking out the course I found really nice course conditions, not the muddy mess I was hoping for and expecting. The muddy sections were nice and tacky, and the only iffy sections were the transitions from mud to asphalt. The course was similar to last years, with a couple of sections run in reverse. The longest and deepest sandpit was much more doable this year, since it was run in reverse, eliminating the steep drop into the pit, instead requiring power to get up over the ridge exiting the sandpit.

The course started out on a long drag of pavement. After a 90 degree left turn, the course tightened down and headed into some tight offcamber sections, followed by some other twisty sections heading into the barriers. The barriers were right by the exhibition area, and meant there would be plenty of spectators waiting for some carnage. The course had a ton of turns, and you really had to stay on your game. Missing the correct line coming into a turn could mean several slow turns in a row and definite loss of momentum.

Through the Sandpit

Exiting the Sandpit

Leading a Chase Group

After the first lap I settled into a good pace. Riders I was working with came and went, and had no idea what place I was in. With about a lap and a half to go I heard I was in18th place. I was a bit surprised that I was this far up, but kept on the pressure. The group containing 13-18 was about 50 yards ahead and it seemed that I was gaining on the group. At the same time there was a group of 5 or 6 guys right behind me gaining on me. All I could do was ride as hard as possible and hopefully catch the group in front, and not lose my placing to the riders behind. Unfortunately , right before the last time up the green monster I was swamped on all sides by the chase group, and couldn't respond. I rolled up to the finish line alone in 25th place out of the 71 racers that started. I was a bit disappointed, at what might have been, but that's racing. My goal coming into the race was a top 30 placing, and would have been really excited with with a Top 20. It is easy for me to say now when my heart isn't about to jump out of my chest, but a top 15 was a real possibility if I had followed a couple of wheels midrace, instead of riding my own pace. Again, I have no one to blame but myself, and I can't be too disappointed competing against a lot of Category 2 racers who normally enter the elite race in whatever local series they compete in around the country.

Finishing Solo

After the race we stuck around to watch the women and men pro races. Trebon killed it, but now without Anthony putting up a fight. It was also great to see so many riders from Illinois and Wisconsin racing at the elite level. Everyone, including Ben did us proud. That night we went to this place for dinner. We ate some really good pizza, and had a couple of tasty Belgium brews to finish off a great day.

DAY 2

Course was very similar to Saturday's layout, with only a few variations. Conditions were also faster, with hardly any slick sections left. I didn't get as great of a start as Saturday, and got knocked around or was caught behind wrecks for the first lap. I had lots of near misses with other riders. One time through the barriers two guys went down right next to me. Not sure what happened, but I got knocked in the leg by a wheel, but was able to stay upright. The other two were not so lucky. So after the first lap I was somewhere in the high 30's. The rest of the race was spent chasing down riders, mostly in a solo fashion with very little group riding. I ended up making my way up to 29th by the finish (out of 70 racers). Not a great day, but still much better than my results from last year. Comparing my results to last year I am happy. Both days last year I finished in the 40's. I have definitely improved, and still feel like there is another level of improvement to be found. I also have to thank Kelly and my Aunt for cheering for me on both days. Hearing my name while deep in the paincave is always a good thing.

Trying to Follow Ted Ramos early in the Race

Chasing Hard

Up the Railroad Ties

Movin' on Up

2008-10-13T14:25:00.000-07:00

I would like to start off by thanking Lou of the Pony Shop for getting my rear wheel back in service so quickly after the DeKalb Cyclocross race. What was feeling like a potential great race for me at DeKalb turned sour after I rolled my rear tire and took a tumble. Lou got it reglued and delivered it to me at the race on Sunday. Now that is real personal serivce.

Fast forward one week to Hawthorne Woods Psychocross race. I had been hearing all week about a gigantic sled hill that was to be utilized twice per lap, and was nervous as we rolled up to the venue. Run-ups have never been my forte for whatever reason, and was worried that this might be kryptonite keeping me away from a good result. The sled hill did not disappoint, and not only was it used twice per lap, but the sections were back to back. We would ride up the hill, 180 at the top to a downhill, 180 and over a barrier into either a run-up or ride up (In the 3's I would say 95% of the riders ran up the hill) into another 180 followed by a screaming fast downhill followed by a righthand offcamber bumpy turn. The rest of the course was straightforward with lots of power sections (grass and asphalt) and one small section of mud that made for some fun, as well as decisive moments.

Being Top 10 in the series I received a front row call up for the race. The start was about a 100 yards of asphalt followed by an offcamber righthand turn straight into the climb. There was no relaxation at this start, I would maxing out the heartrate right from the gun. I was in good position as the climb started, sitting about 5th wheel. After exiting the sledhill we had already formed a small gap to the rest of the field. As the lap progressed, I latched onto teammate Stiggity's wheel, as he dragged me up to the start/finish line. I could tell this wasn't his day, and made a move to catch the 3 lead riders. (Looking back at this first lap I realize I need to be more agressive. I can't always count on others to make the move and for me to tag along. I should have put in a harder effort early to be with the 3 lead riders instead of being in chase mode the entire race). As the next couple of laps went by one of the 3 leaders dropped off the pace. As I caught him we began to work together, sharing the work evenly. He was riding a singlespeed, so I was definitely faster on the flats, but he was a strong climber and runner, and was setting the pace in those sections. We were never able to close the gap to the leaders, but at the same time it seemed that the gap never really increased that much either. (This is why I am frustrated about how I started the race. I can ride with these guys, but need to be with them from the start, lesson learned)

As the race progressed I tried a couple of times to lose Mr. Singlespeed. I was able to open up gaps on the flats, but he would close them on the run-up and downhill. I was definitely tenative on the downhill, due to an issue that started on the 2nd lap. The 2nd time exiting the sledhill my rear brake started going soft. Not sure exactly what happened, but I think I was pulling cable or the pads were moving, and I lost about 80% of the stopping power. The rest of the race I would have to rely heavily on my front brake, unfortunately about 3/4 through the race my front brake started going soft. So now all I had were two brakes with minimal stopping power. The turns and the downhills were touch and go, but I was able to get to the finish in one piece. Heading into the last two laps we were still together, trying to hold off a hard charging Tim Yuska of Team Get a Grip, as well catching lapped traffic. As we got to the muddy section there was a female rider in between me and Mr. Singlespeed. The female rider went down in the mud, making me put a foot down and almost bringing me to a standstill. Luckily I was able to get her to not move by yelling "Don't Move" and went right in between her and her bike. If she had grabbed for her bike, who knows what would have happened. I dug deep to close the gap to Mr. Singlespeed, but on the last time up the run-up I popped and he was able to get a nice gap on the downhill. I tried in vain to close the gap, but ended up rolling in 4th. This was by far my best result in a 3's race, so my next goal is to be on the podium. I had it in me this race, but cross is not always kind and until it actually happens I will be pushing hard.

After the race, Stiggity and I devoured burgers at Culvers, and got to watch the Bears implode in the last 20 seconds of the game.

That night Kelly and I went out to dinner with our friends Brian and Sarah at The Bristol, followed by seeing the Fleetfoxes show at the Metro. OK show, the band talked way too much between songs. The Bristol was really good with a great beer menu. I had a Belgium 40 of La Chouffe with dinner. Mmmm Good!!

We still haven't had any cross weather in Chicago. The 3's missed out on the rain last week at DeKalb, so hopefully Carpentersville can bring some fun conditions. If not, at least they will have a beer tent.

Beck - Beercan

2008-10-03T08:33:00.001-07:00

Beck tonite at the Aragon. Always a good time!!

TV On The Radio | Wolf Like Me

2008-10-02T09:57:00.001-07:00

I had to break out the big guns to get through my 5th interval today. This song just gets me going. I was foaming at the mouth just like a wolf by the end.

Burritos, Beer, Badgers, and Barriers

2008-09-29T09:43:00.000-07:00

This weeknd was the inagugural Madcross Presents Jonathan Page's Planet Bike Cup (Wow, that is a long name for a race) event held in Sun Prairie, WI, just outside Madtown. I rolled up north of the cheddar curtain with Mr. and Mrs. Popper, along with Amanda of Half Acre. After a crazy detour on I-90 we finally arrived at the hotel

DAY 1

Saturday's race started way back on August 10th when I was up early on Sunday morning to pre-register. Start position was to be determined by order of registration, and being first to register meant a front row starting position and in return hopefully plenty of open dirt for the start of the race. Prior to the race I got a couple of practice laps in and found a course that was really technical and hilly. There were some nasty switchback sections, a couple of uphill grinders, and several offcamber turns. After the longest pre-race talk by the officials we were finally off. The start line was on the midget car race track and allowed about 200 yards of dirt before hitting the main section of the course. Got a pretty good start and was sitting about tenth wheel through the first set of up/down turns. I settled in and was able to pass a couple of overly ambitious riders to around 7th through the barriers. Over the barriers and was now sitting on the wheel of a Vanilla Bicycles rider riding a sweet singlespeed Speedvagen. No time to sit and admire the work of Sacha, and as he started to fade I made a move up to sixth, and eventually fifth. I was now in no mans land. Mike Hemme and Aspen Gory were about 30 yards ahead and I wasn't closing the gap. After a couple of laps I was joined by the eventual 3rd place finisher. Sitting on his wheel we began to reel in Hemme and Gory. At some point I bobbled a remount and he was gone. Next to bridge up to me was Aris Peters, a strong junior racer who I battled with the week before at Jackson Park. We were working nicely together and looked to be battling it out for 5th and 6th with a couple of laps to go. That's when things that seem easy with your heartrate at 120 become really difficult with my heartrate at 180. Around a 180 degree turn from grass to asphalt I went a bit wide hitting a stake and going down on the asphalt. I was up quick, but my bike was covered in yellow caution tape. I had to make a quick decision; stop and pull off all the tape, or start riding and pull off as much as possible and hope the remaining tape doesn't get jammed in my cassette or brakes. I went for option 2. For the next lap I tried to ride hard while pulling off sections of tape. During this process I was caught by a couple more riders. Frustrating, but I needed to remain calm, sit on these guys wheels and recoup. Heading into the last lap I was in about 11th place. The last time through the downhill switchbacks everyone was pushing it and trying to hold their position. A couple of guys went down, I was able to get around the outside, put in a hard effort trying to hold off the guys that went down. I had an 8th place finish in my sight, but up the last uphill grinder, I was caught by two riders and rolled in for 10th. They literally passed me like I was standing still. Frustrating, but still in the money. This was my best finish at a cross race in Wisco, and was really happy with the result. A top 5 was a possibility, but a Top 10 didn't have me disappointed.

After the race we enjoyed burritos as big as your head then headed to the post race festivities. What more could you ask for than High Life on tap, live Country Western tunes, a fire pit, and fireworks.

Day 2

Course was pretty similar to the day before. The promoters made some sections tighter, others faster. Instead of the downhill switchbacks, a gnarly 180 degree offcamber turn was thrown in. It was nasty, but definitely rideable. The barriers were also moved to the bottom of a hill to make a short runup. Overall the course was a bit faster than the day before. Today I had a 2nd row call-up. Gun goes off and found myself sitting Top 20. Not as good as Saturday, but still in the mix. Spent most of the race moving up to 9th place. Started to fade at about 30 minutes in, and was caught by a couple of Pegasus riders. After sitting on for a lap and seeing two laps to go, I put in an attack to hopefully drop the duo.

Photo Sheri Farrel

8th place was also in sight and he was fading. I really felt like I turned myself inside out trying to catch the 8th place rider, and it felt great. It is something that I am rarely am able to do at the end of a cross race, as I usually feel like I am fading, rather than getting stronger. The last time up the run-up, I got to within 10 yards of 8th, but a bobble on the 180 turn had me rolling in solo for 9th place. Today was really rewarding. I put in a hard effort to move up through the field, and was able to turn on the gas when needed. I feel like I owe a lot of this to my coach, Brian Conant. The intervals I've been doing the last couple of months are really paying off. After my races I got to sit back and watch the PROS race. With everyone there and no major mechanicals like the day before it was an awesome race. Page and Todd Wells battled it out to the end with JP coming out on top.

DeKalb is next, and I can't wait.

JP-A long day on and off the saddle

2008-09-23T08:48:00.000-07:00

Like last year the day started early with a group of hearty souls showing up at Jackson Park at 6 in the morning for the yearly event of devising a course that would test a riders lungs and bike handling skills. This year we had these sweet new stakes that made course setup a breeze. Anyone out there thinking about hosting a cross race these stakes are well worth the investment. As the first race of the day neared streams of riders enterd the parking lot. Excitement was in the air for the first cross race of the season, and it was great to see all the hard work was going to be worth it.

Photo: Jeff Kao

After watching the start of the Masters races it was time for me to get ready. By ready, I mean getting my skinsuit on and making sure the tires had the right air pressure. A real warmup was out of the question for me. I still wanted to make sure registration was running smoothly and answer as many questions as possible before my race. So after about a 5 minute warm up and almost missing the start of the 3's it was go time. I did play the sympathy card and was able to get a front row spot for the start. Thanks everyone!! Last year was about the same thing in terms of warmup, and attempting to ride with the leaders had me popped early and moving backwards throughout the race. This year I decided to have a more conservative start. Not what you normally want to do in a cross race, but in this situation I thought it was for the best. Heading into the first technical section I was probably around 18th out of the 36 riders. After the first chaotic sections of the course I was able to get into a groove, jumped on a train with Adam Clark (Cuttin Crew), Jeff Holland (XXX) a couple of other guys. We started moving up through the pack, and after a couple of laps I found myself riding by myself around 13th place. I was then joined by Tim Yuska of Get a Grip Offroad. I am not embarressed to admit that I wheelsucked him for awhile as we caught a couple of more riders.

As we came through with one lap to go we had one more rider in our sights, and we worked really hard trying to catch him. I knew we had to catch him before the last asphalt section, but it was not to be. Coming into the finish Tim was leading, I tried to jump around him on the left, but missed catching him by the difference between a semislick and a knobby cross tire (phrase stolen from Stiggity) In the end I rolled in tenth, with a really good possibility of that being 8th. Considering a week before Jackson Park I could barely walk, after jacking up my back I am really happy with with this result. I know with a better start I have a Top 5 in me. The legs are there and I can't wait for Madison UCI this weekend.

Foals // Balloons (Music Video)

2008-09-15T17:56:00.001-07:00

My Favorite band of Late. The Foals have such a unique sound ranging from brit rock to jazz and electronica.

Get Your Cross Cup T-Shirt!!

2008-09-12T15:42:00.000-07:00

Get your limited edition Chicago Cross Cup T-shirt, designed by Jesse Lalonde. Check out the design here: http://www.chicrosscup.com/XcupT.pdf

T-shirt will be screen printed on a Light Blue American Apparel T-shirt. Both mens and womens fits are available. If you would like to preorder, please shoot me an email at greg@xxxracing.org. T-shirts are $15, with a portion of the proceeds being donated to World Bicycle Relief.

Sometime you gamble....

2008-09-05T07:36:00.000-07:00

...and sometimes you throw snake eyes. Unfortunately this is what happened with my most recent job. As of about 4 weeks ago I am unemployed and looking for a job. I was hoping I could ride out the bad times, but it was not to be. So for the 5 readers of my blog if you know anyone involved in any of the following fields please let me know:

Land Development
Development Consulting
Urban Planning
Land Planning
Urban Design
Landscape Architecture

I have setup a secondary blog with portions of my design and planning portfolio for anyone interested in checking it out.

http://gregheckdesign.blogspot.com/

Thanks

Lobster is Delicious

2008-08-09T10:19:00.000-07:00

Just go my new ride put together. Still needs a couple of tweaks, but should get my first ride in tomorrow. The Curtlo has been sent to its new home in the mountains of Vermont. It was a great ride, and will be missed. Here are the specs

Frame: Custom Rock Lobster Aluminum powdercoated Chicago Porch Grey aka Joe Doyle Grey
Fork: Alpha Q CX20
Shifters: Sram Rival
Brakeset: TRP Eurox with Koolstop pads
RD: Sram Rival
Cassette: Sram Rival (12-26)
Headset: Chris King
Stem: Alpha Q Aluminum
Bar: Ritchey BioMax
Seatpost: Race Face Cadence
Seat: Fizik Gobi
Crankset: Sram S900 Crankset w Spot 42t chainring and BBG Chainring guard and N Gear Jump Stop
Pedals: Crank Brothers Egg Beaters Clincher
Wheelset: DT Swiss 240 hubs and R1.1 rims w/ Michelin Jets
Tubular Wheelset (shown): Chris King Hubs and Niobium Rims w/ FMB SSC tubies

I think that is everything. Don't know the exact weight, but I can tell you it sure ain't heavy. Can't wait to get it dirty!!!

Lollapalooza Phlog

2008-08-05T17:22:00.000-07:00

Grimes Mill

2008-07-29T17:34:00.000-07:00

The last couple of weeks I have been in the Lexington, KY area for work. For those of you who don't know I went to school at the University of Kentucky and spent 6 years in Lexington. Yes, 6 years.!! To my defense my degree was a 5 year program. Anyway, while at UK I was on the cycling team and fell in love with the roads surrounding Lexington. Roads consisted of beautiful rolling terrain that connected and weaved between the horse farms. On the south side of Lexington the roads near the Kentucky River provided the option of riding some tough climbs a couple of miles in length. My plan had been to rent a road bike, but unfortunately I couldn't find a shop with rentals. SO today, I had some time to spare and decided to drive out and check out one of my favorite roads. The road is called Grimes Mill http://www.gmap-pedometer.com/?r=2124878 and is a beautifully narrow and tough stretch of asphalt. The road is only about 4.5 miles in length, but has everything a cyclist wants in a route.

Grimes Mills starts off as flat section of road, lined with dry laid stone fences, and beautiful farms.

After crossing McCalls Mill (another great road) the pavement dives down towards Boone Creek. The road is winding, and a the bottom is one of the steepest sections of pavement I have ever ridden.

Once at the bottom, you are in a steep walled valley, formed by Boone Creek. This portion of the route is very dark, and cool due to the minimum sunlight. After crossing the creek on a very old bridge, you approach the climbing section of the road.

The climb starts as you make a right turn on a super steep switchback. The climbs is stair stepper type about 1.5 miles in length. The first section of the climb is very steep, followed by less steep drag leading into a downhill. The downhill then goes directly into a steep kicker climb. I remember always blowing up on this section. I always wanted to ride the entire climb with some of the good climbers on my team, and this section would always do me in. After the steep section the climbs drags on for another half mile.

At the top the road is rolling with a fast downhill section that opens onto a beautiful clearing. At this point Grimes Mill roller coaster is almost over. On a normal training ride back in the day this would just be the start; Grimes Mill intersects with another road, Athens Boonesboro, that hase some tough climbs and connects to even more beautiful riding options. Man, do I miss these roads!!

Sir Yes Sir!!

2008-07-21T16:38:00.000-07:00

So I haven't had a coach since I was senior in high school running cross country and track. My entire cycling career has been self coached, taking what I knew from running and tryijng to translate it to cycling. This was all done with mediocre results at best. Fast forward 15 years to June 2008, and I finally decided to have a real training plan set up for the remainder of the season. To help with the coaching I have enlisted Brian Conant, a top local cross racer, and a very energetic guy and cross race promoter. He has coached several local racers to some great results, including a collegiate national title.

My reasoning for enlisting Brian was that the last couple of years I really felt like I had no real way of telling if my training was helping. Yeah, I could look at my power #'s and see changes, but the minuitia in the training was something I didn't have the time or desire to understand. For instance, this week I was scheduled to do LT intervals. After the workout I sent the info to Brian, and he quickly pointed out that my wattage was all over the place, and not consistent. This casued my last two intervals to be lower in power than it should have been. This is something I never would have picked up on my own, but on Sunday the same workout was done at a much more consistent pace, and I was able to complete the workout within the correct power ranges, getting the full benefit of the ride

Another benefit is that with all the traveling I have been doing the last month it has been great to have a coach to help set up my training around my schedule. It makes it much easier to stay in shape when I don't have to worry about coming up with workouts, but just doing the work on the bike. So over the next several months I will be providing updates on my training and hopefully the improvements in my performance.

On the Road Again...

2008-06-30T18:55:00.001-07:00

I've been travelling a lot for work that last month. travel really beats you down, but it pays the bills.

Don't Quit Your Day Job

2008-06-15T16:17:00.001-07:00

Pack Finish + 2-primes won Viatcheslav Ekimov Style = $20 (thanks Chicagobikeracing.com), a Mission Bay Water Bottle, and a CO2 Inflator

Music in the Mix

2008-06-09T17:22:00.000-07:00

I have to thank Joe Doyle for turning my on to WOXY.com. My company recently moved offices and for the time being I am able to stream music at work. WOXY plays are really nice mix of old and new alt rock. Stuff I've had been listening to recently:

-The Black Keys "I got Mine" and "Psychotic Girl" (These guys are unbelievable)
-Foals "Olympic Airways"
-MGMT "Electric Feel" and "Time to Pretend"
-The Ting Tings "That's not my Name"
-White Rabbits "The Plot" (after seeing these guys open up for Spoon I was an instant fan)
-Yeasayers "Sunrise" (don't know much about the band, but the song is catchy)
-M83 (whole album is pretty amzing. It's like they took every 80's teen movie and every 80's new wave hit, put it in a blender, and this was the result)
-South "Wasted" (such and underrated band)

My Morning Jacket

2008-05-29T05:56:00.001-07:00

I cant wait for the new album. Kelly and I have our tickets to seem them in October. They are definitely one of the best live acts performing today. I wonder if Jim James and the crew ran across the video below when writing this song.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1llNSdf9cl4

The Important Things in Life

2008-05-27T17:39:00.000-07:00

Kelly and I once again ventured down I-65 to Louisville over the weekend. I can't even fathom how many times I have done this drive over my life, but this was by far the most expensive, with $4.00 gas, even in the middle of Indiana. Our main reason for the trip was to see my family, on both my Mom and Dad's sides. If was great to see family and spend some quality time with the grandparents. On top of catching up with family, the weather was beautiful, and allowed us to get to a couple of the Louisville parks for some outdoor fun. For those of you who have never been to Louisville, they have one of the better city park systems in the country. The original park system was designed by Frederick Law Olmstead, Sr. and provides a ton of opportunities for outdoor fun. http://www.olmstedparks.org/our_parks/

Saturday we went to Iroquois Park, which is in walking distance of my Aunt Paula's house. We walked to the top of the overlook. At the top I split off to go for a run on the trails. It was great running in the woods on some hilly terrain.

On Sunday we headed over to Cherokee Park. Kelly and Paula took the pooch for a hike, while I went for a ride. This park is in the middle of popular residential area, and has miles and miles of singletrack. On top of the dirt trails, there is a main hilly loop road that has one lane dedicated to running and riding. It is really a beautful park, and the vibe I got would be if you took the Palos trails and placed it right on the Chicago lakefront. I rode for a couple of hours on some really nice and pretty challenging singletrack.

On top of the park system, the City is in the process of constructing a 100 mile loop bike path around the City. They are really working on becoming a bike friendly city. http://www.louisvilleky.gov/BikeLouisville/bikefriendly.htm On a quick trip to downton Louisville we saw lots of people on bikes and stopped by the Yojimbos-esque bike shop, The Bike Depot., with lots of fixies and urban hipsters hanging around.

As for food we checked out a couple of local joints.

On Satruday morning we went to Wild Eggs for breakfast The food was very good, probably some of the best breakfast food I have ever tasted.

That evening we went to Maido. Maido is a Japanese small plate/sushi bar. The food was excellent with fresh fish. My favorite cooked plate was the ginger pork. On top of the food they had an awesome beer menu with Piraat, La Chouffe, and Bells. Belgium beer and asian food is surprisingly a good combo.

My Four Seconds of Fame

2008-05-20T17:56:00.001-07:00

Thanks to the Bonebell Crew for all the support at Treadfest. All the encouragement kept me going throughout the race. Good times were had by all!!

On the Backroads of Life...

2008-05-11T16:52:00.000-07:00

...and off the information super highway. Well sort of, we did have TV on our trip, but no email or internet. Pretty nice for a couple of weeks. Hawaii (Maui and Kauai) are amazing places with so much natural beauty. I could try to describe it, but hopefully our photos will do it more justice.

http://www.flickr.com/photos/23423017@N07/sets/72157604977074179/

Feels Like the First Time

2008-04-21T09:59:00.000-07:00

This Sunday marked the 1st singletrack riding I have done in 6 months, as well as the 1st mountain bike race of the year. At first glance you would think this combination would be disastrous. My thinking was that this was mostly likely the case for everyone due to our bad winter and wet spring, and we would be in the same boat. The race, the Do the Rock” mountain bike race was held at the beautiful Rock Cut State Park in Rockford, IL. This race is the local kick-off to the race season, and is a fairly low key race, but attracts some fast racers wanting to test their form before the upcoming big races.

On Friday I got a call from Jason Meshberg of Flatlandina, wanting to know if I was interested in sharing a ride. Since he lives down the road in Lyons, it made perfect sense. I met him at his house around 7:30, we loaded up his car, stopped for some coffee and were on the highway heading west. On the way to the park we saw a caravan of Triple Xr’s on a mission for the first racing and dirt riding of the year. This event was an awesome turn out for the dirtbags, and hopefully a sign of things to come.

I really had no expectations for this race, I was happy just to get out on the dirt on a beautiful day, but as the race start got closer I could feel the butterflies creeping in. There were 90+ riders lined up for the 2 lap sport race that came out to 20 or so miles. We were all to start at the same time, which was going to make for an interesting first few miles. At the start I had teammates Francois, Keith, Alex, and Josh. Hopefully I am not forgetting anyone. We were all lining up towards the rear of the pack, hoping to avoid some of the early carnage, but as the gun went off, race mode kicked in and I was off, weaving through the field trying to make up some spots. Why I didn’t line up towards the front I don’t know. I need to be more aggressive in mountain bike races. I still have this mentality that as soon as the singletrack starts I will just be getting in everyone’s way.

The course started out with a ¼ mile asphalt section the quickly narrowed into a doubletrack section. Reports from the one lap racers were that the course had some big mud holes to negotiate. They were littered along the entire course; some short, and some long that required dismounts and a good bit of running. For the most part the course was in really good shape with a mix of fast doubletrack, tight singletrack and some good climbs.

By the end of the asphalt I was able to move up to mid pack, as we headed onto the dirt. Through the double track I picked off a few more riders before heading into the first section of singletrack. At this point it was a game of follow the leader. I did get a aggressive at one point before a log crossing. I dismounted and used my cross skills to run over the logs, passing several riders with the effort. Next up were the worst sections of mud. These were deep bogs that were trying to rip your shoes off while running. With the running I have been doing this winter I felt pretty strong on my feet as I maxed out the heart rate in the effort. The rest of the lap I found myself riding with a Get a Grip rider. We worked well together catching up to, and passing several riders. The one good thing about starting at the back is there is always another carrot in front of you to chase down. On the last hilly section of lap one I passed three or four additional riders. Everyone seemed to be really suffering, while I was feeling really good on the climb. As lap one finished up, I did a quick water bottle change and was off. Last year I really struggled on the 2nd lap, and was nervous that same back and leg pains would start to creep in. After each mile passed by and there was no major pain I was feeling more confident. Through the 2nd lap I was able to catch 4 or 5 riders, feeling smooth (for me) on the singletrack, and riding aggressively on the climbs. I was running a rigid fork, so I lost a bit of speed on the down hills, however I really feel like I made up for it with efficiency on the climbs and added control on the tight sections.

As I rolled into the finishing shoot I was greeted by Mr. Meshberg, who told I finished about 45 seconds behind him, probably in the Top 10. I couldn’t believe that was the case. I knew I had passed a good share of riders, but I didn’t think that many. Well, Jason was right. I finished 9th overall, and 2nd in my age group. Not a bad result for a poor starting position, and no miles on the dirt this year until the race. For my efforts I walked away with an engraved pint glass, which will get put to good use drinking one of the many tasty Goose Island brews.

My post race assessment was that I actually “raced”. In the past couple of years mountain bike races consisted of me hanging on for dear life, while not trying to take out other riders out, and hopefully finishing the event. The singletrack at Rock Cut isn’t the most technical, but compared to last years race I felt much more comfortable on the technical sections, and raced aggressive at points during the event. Also, if I had started at the front of the pack, maybe I would have been competing for a Top 5 position, who knows.

Also, big props to Paolo, Stiggity and the others that did the 3 lap race. Too much for me to handle this early in the year, but they did a great job, and will be stronger because of their efforts. And thanks to the promoters; the line for registration was long, but the race was run really well, and the door prizes were also a nice touch (I now have enough Gel for the season).

Fairweather Commuter

2008-04-15T17:51:00.000-07:00

I will be the first to admit that I am a fairweather commuter. I would love to have the opportunity to ride everyday, but the 20+ mile commute, and not wanting to ride with lights, risking my life, I limit my bike commuting to mid Spring to mid fall. Today, I finally started turning the pedals to get to work. My commute in the morning is a simple route. I mostly follow the Burlington Northern train line, crossing back and forth to my final destination in Lisle. Most of the roads are lightly traveled, and allows me to get to work sans coffee.

In the evenings I try to do a longer ride, but my problem has always been finding a good route from Lisle to some of the nicer roads south of I-55. Last year one promising route was Clarendon Hills Road, unfortunately it was under construction and made for some tight riding in traffic. Today I found that as part of the construction they added a sweet 4' wide bike lane, with new, smooth asphalt. Needless to say I was super pumped. I can now ride south on Clarendon Hills Road to some of the nicer roads south of I-55. Today I rode Clarendon Hills all the way to 91st Street. From there I have a couple of choices for routes, today I decided to jump on the Waterfall Glen Trail for a couple of miles. The trails is a crushed limetone base and winds around Argonne National laboratory. On my cross/cummuter bike I ride these tires. The Select Invert is really are a great tire for this type of situatation. The tires roll nice on the roads, and the width is perfect for the crushed limestone. It was also really great getting out in the woods, hearing the frogs in the ponds, and carving some fast turns. From there I could jump back on some other roads on my way back to Berwyn. The ride ended up being right around two hours. A good ride for sure.

A Good Weekend

2008-04-07T14:46:00.000-07:00

These are the weekends that make it worth suffering through the long cold Chicago winters. This weekend was beautiful with temps in the mid 60’s and plenty of sunshine. Enough sunshine to give me my first funky knee warmer tan of the year.

Friday night Kelly and I went to the Vic to see the White Rabbits, The Walkmen and Spoon (more to follow on this show). Saturday Kelly and I went for a ride though LaGrange and Western Springs. There were tons of people out doing yard work, running, and biking, and the smell of barbecue was in the air. Kelly’s wrist felt good on the bike, which is a good sign. She was worried that it might bother her while riding down the volcano in Hawaii.

Sunday I was joined by Soupy and Paolo for a ride from my house. The plan was to ride to the Prairie Path, cruise out to the Fox River Trail in South Elgin, looping back through Wheaton, finally returning back to Berwyn. The ride ended up being a bit longer than anticipated, but with plenty of sunshine, none of us were really complaining. Total trip, close to 80 miles, consisting of roads, dirt trails, and crushed limestone trails. Paolo completed the loop on his Gary Fisher Ferrous, with some serious meaty tires. He is one tough hombre.

That night I tried my hand at homemade pizza dough and sauce. I topped the pizza with some fresh basil and cheese. It turned out pretty good, and was followed by some homemade chocolate chip ice cream. Needless to say after 5.5 hours of riding I was really hungry!!

http://www.gmap-pedometer.com/?r=1767386

Spoon - The Underdog

2008-03-31T17:19:00.001-07:00

Saul Williams - List of Demands

2008-03-26T23:45:00.001-07:00

If you were like me last week, I was watching a ton of basketball, and got to see a ton of Nike commercials. One of the commercials had this really intersting song as the soundtrack. My initial guess was a new Gnarls Barkley or TV on the Radio song. Whenever I hear a song in a commerical that I don't know I end up at adtunes.com. In most cases someone has already posted the answer to the forum, and a simple search is all that is required to find the answer. Well, I was wrong with my guesses. The song is actually by a guy named Saul Williams. He is a poet from NYC. From what I have read it seems that Trent Reznor of NIN is responsible for the awesome beats.

Ready For The Floor

2008-03-26T23:22:00.001-07:00

Q: What do you get when you mix the geek factor of Devo and the dance sensibilities of Beck?

A: Hot Chip

Can't wait to see them in a couple of weeks.

Kelly and I are also going to see Spoon next week. We have never had a chance to see Spoon in Chicago. It always seemed like we were out of town or had other commitments, not this time!!

Back in the Saddle

2008-03-17T17:57:00.000-07:00

After a trip to Park City to ski that was ruined by the flu, and a long recovery (still coughing a bunch) I am back in the saddle. I hope to finally get in some consistent training over the next several weeks. It finally looks like the weather is changing (knock on wood) and with the time change outdoor rides in the evening are an option.

Think Spring!!

The Architecture of a Ride

2008-02-27T19:39:00.000-08:00

I have never been a person to remember routes by road names, my brain doesn't function that way. I have always been able to find my way from point "A" to Point "B" and back by visual and climate queues, whether those be natural or man made. Man made can be a building, change in road conditions, changes in fence styles, or one of many other things. Natural queues might be a change in topography, vegetation, or micro climates on a section of roads. there was this section of road outside of Lexington, KY that dove steeply into a valley, and followed a creek before climbing out the other side. The air was always moist, and the temps cooler. In Chicago, the architectural features of a ride definitely dominate a route. These photos were taken last week when out riding one of my normal loops.

This is an old church rectory that was turned into a single family home in Riverside. Kelly and I always say this our dream home. It is quite amazing with the stained glass wall along the southern end of the structure.

The old water tower in Riverside. I make a sharp right heading towards Brookfield at this intersection.

Roundabout in Brookfield. Not a lot of these in the States, but they do work pretty nicely.

This a pretty interesting home in LaGrange Park. I am a big fan of mid century modern architecture. The Chicago area doesn't have a lot of it, but this definitely has the aesthetic of that time.. Not sure how old the home actually is.

Super sized McMansions in Burr Ridge. I have said for awhile, thank god for rich people in Chicago with their low density communities, otherwise there would be no decent roads for riding.

This house has been in transition over the last year. The owners completely gutted it, and have done a really nice job with the restoration. The owners must be big fans of Napoleon Dynamite, since they put a tetherball game in the front yard.

I have always thought this was an interesting home in LaGrange. I really like the color palette and the weathered look. The owners have also done a nice job with the landscaping.

This is the Metra stop in Brookfield, and the place to get off the train when going to Brookfield Zoo. It always reminds me of the Flintstones.

Frank Lloyd Wright home in Riverside. As of last year, the owner was an older women who couldn't afford the upkeep of the house, which led to the roof being in really bad shape. Because of the construction techniques utilized by Wright, a new roof was estimated at over $100,000.

Rehabbed building on Harlem Avenue. The units are now being sold as condos. The owner of the building did a really nice job with the rehab.

Finally, back to our Chicago bungalow in Berwyn. Always a welcomed site after a long ride.

You Sure Don't See these in the States

2008-02-20T10:02:00.001-08:00

I finally added a photo to my blog header. The photo was taken at a rest stop in southwest France. It was surprising to run across a Tour de France sculpture/memorial at a rest stop, not surprising was the rude French guy working at the gas station. I attempted to buy gas at the rest stop, but ended up walking out with a Twix bar, some French cheetos and a bottle of water. I guess my frustration was partly my fault due to my minimal French speaking ability. What made it worse was Kelly standing behind me laughing (thanks Kelly) while I tried to communicate that I wanted to purchase 20 liters of gas. After a few minutes of us trying to communicate with by typing numbers on a calculator and the guy telling it would cost $85 euros I gave up for good.

One thing I do know how to say in French is “I would like two pieces of goat cheese pizza” (inside joke).

Sick as a Dog

2008-02-18T18:07:00.001-08:00

Kelly and I have been struggling with big colds all week. Mine first hit me last Sunday, and I still don't feel right. On top of the sickness I am really getting tired of the the cold weather and snow. I need some sun and warmth ASAP. Remind me again why I live in Chi-town?

I can't wait until the backyard stops looking like this:

And starts looking like this:

From "No Go" to PRO

2008-02-10T07:43:00.001-08:00

I switched my bar tape to white a few months ago and finally made the transition to a PRO white saddle. Glad I did make the switch, after taking off the black saddle I noticed a big crack in the plastic shell.

No Go

PRO

Skinny Ski Fun

2008-02-06T17:25:00.000-08:00

Kelly and I finally gave cross country skiing a shot. I have been wanting to give the skinny skis a try for awhile, but for whatever reason it never happened. With all the snow we have been getting there was no excuse, sowe headed out to Camp Sagawau in Lemont to rent skis. The park is part of the Cook County Forest Preserve and there are a several miles of groomed trails to ski. I consider myself a pretty good downhill skier, but even the smallest incline had me pushing my limits. At first we could barely get moving forward, but after a couple of laps on the beginner lap we both were picking up some speed. and a little fluidity.

Kelly showing me how it is done.

Fake Action Shot

Once agian I had to bring out the old school Briko sunglasses for the day. It seems that the only group of athletes other than cyclist that wear Brikos are nordic skiers. It also seems that nordic skiers may be the only other group of athletes that rival cyclist in their love of blood doping.

The next day our legs were beat. Definitely a great workout, I would love to live somewhere with more consistent snow so I could ski alll winter. I'm heading out again this Saturday with a teammate that knows what he is doing on skis so hopefully I can pick up some pointers.

Worst Building in the History of Mankind??

2008-02-01T07:06:00.001-08:00

I ran across this article on Yahoo about this completely vacant hotel built in North Korea. The building is supposedly the 22nd largest skyscraper in the world, but has never been finished and been under construction for over 20 years. It really is amazing what N. Korea will do to make themselves appear to be a world power.

The original article can be found here: http://www.esquire.com/the-side/DESIGN/worst-hotel-ever-012808?kw=ist

The coolest part of the article is the above video that was linked.

Another interesting video on North Korea can be found on Current:
http://current.com/items/76375442_three_days_in_north_korea

Posted by Greg Heck at 6:54 AM 0 Hit Me

The Cinnamon Challenge

2008-01-30T18:05:00.001-08:00

A couple of weeks ago we were at a dinner party discussing dares that are almost impossible to complete, like drinking a gallon of milk in an hour with out vomitting. Stupid dares like that. One the guys brought up the Cinnamon Challenge. None of us had heard of this dare before. Essentially the goal is to eat one tablespoon of cinnamon. I wish I had seen this video before getting egged on by Kelly and everyone else to give it a shot. Needless to say I failed the challenge.

Fun in the Snow

2008-01-27T15:34:00.000-08:00

Kelly and I headed out to Palos Forest Preserve on Saturday, along with Bernie for some hiking in the snow. The weather was comfortable, upper 20's with 3-4" of the white stuff on the trails. We hiked a lot of the trails I ride during the Summer, and it was amazing how a trail seems completely different, and it was grat not running into a bunch of people. The whole hike we saw two mountain bikers and one cross country skier. We decided if Bernie were a sled dog, he would have to be the lead dog. He can't stand it if he is not the one blazing the trail. We hiked for about two hours and were beat by the end. Hiking in snow really works the legs, especially the calves.

Bernie on the track of some creature.

The winter landscape of Illinois

Bernie leading us on the trail.

Bernie sporting some sweet leg warmers.

Moroccan Braised Beef and Orzo with Roasted Vegetables

2008-01-15T18:02:00.000-08:00

Kelly and I made these dishes on Sunday. Originally they weren't meant to go together, but ended up working nicely together. The orzo is on of our favorites. The recipe can be found here. The recipe calls for a lot of dressing and this time we cut it in half and it was still really good. The orzo is a great thing to make at the beginning of the week and can be munched on for several days. This was my first time making the Moroccan beef, and it turned out really good. The preparation is really easy, with the main wait being that beef needs an hour and a half of slow cooking to be tender. Prep time for the beef was only about 20 minutes. The recipe can be found here. It is pretty spicy, so if you don't like hot stuff cut back on the paprika and Cayenne pepper. I also think this would be a great recipe to make with lamb.

Banjo out of Tune

2008-01-14T17:57:00.000-08:00

The last four or five months I've had some pain in my right knee, mostly when running, but it recently started bothering me on the bike. Essentially my knee would tighten up after a few minutes of running or after a bit longer on the bike. I finally came to the conclusion it wasn't getting any better and made an appointment to see a Orthopedist. The Doctor took some X-Rays and found no structural damage, good news! Upon his physical exam he found the my IT band was super tight and most likely the cause of the pain. He described my IT band as "Banjo stringing" and the "Tightest he had ever seen". Not good, but he does think with a month of physical therapy and home excersises it should be back to normal. I am glad to hopefully have figured out the cause of the pain. I was hesitant to see a doctor during cross season, as I really wanted to keep racing, and was worried I was going to be told to stop exercising. I guess I am lucky it wasn't a major issue, and I really hope this next month will get it back to normal. Hopefully it also explains why I was so slow running up Cricket Hill at the State Championships.

East Coast Flava

2008-01-09T18:06:00.000-08:00

So I don't know this guy personally but I do know that he builds some of the sweetest lug crossers you can find. Frames so nice that I inquired about one only find out he was moving and taking a year off from building. Now I find out that he is moving north of the cheddar curtain just in time for next years cross season. I look forward to toeing the line with him and getting a personal glimpse of his personal rig. I am sure he will bring some east coast tricks for us midwesterners.

Bernie Got His Hair Did

2008-01-08T17:59:00.000-08:00

BEFORE

AFTER

Bernie had a Hangover

2008-01-02T18:37:00.000-08:00

I think Bernie had too much fun harassing his arch nemesis, Sophie. over the holiday and had a hangover on New Years Day. He was beat and did a lot of sleeping on New Years Day.

Bernie antagonizing Sophie

Sophie giving him the evil eye

Here is Bernie on New Years Day

2007-12-17T17:13:00.001-08:00

Bernie loves the snow. Here is some low quality video of the nut this last weekend.

Illinois State Championships

2007-12-12T15:39:00.000-08:00

I am still beat from Sunday. The result wasn't what I was hoping for, but I feel like I raced really hard, and that is all I can ask for. As you can see the conditions were really tough, but along with a nicely designed course it made for great racing. It was great to get to race with teammate Brian Parker for most of the race. We really fed off of each other and used a bit a team tactics to catch and drop a couple of guys. I am always sad after cross season ends, but it's only 9 more months until the next cross race!!

Photos Courtesy of Ed White and Ansgar Graw.

Wisco State Championships and Special Days in the Saddle

2007-12-03T17:07:00.000-08:00

It was late winter in Lexington, KY circa 1997 when I headed out with teammate John Koury for an interval workout on the beautiful country roads that meandered through the horse farms of the Bluegrass. Temps were in the mid 30’s and the skies overcast. As we completed several tough repeats it began to snow. Not just snow, but huge flakes that made it difficult to see and covered the road. We continued on with our work out, completing the intervals as planned. We headed home freezing cold, knowing we did something that most people would have quit early and headed home to the warmth of their house.

It may have been that same year as above, when John, our other friend Mark and I headed to Blacksburg, VA for a Spring Break of road riding in the mountains of Virginia and North Carolina. Each day we were there it was overcast and rained at some point during the ride. One particular day we were driving to the start point of the ride and it began to rain. It wouldn’t stop for the entire ride that day, which included some climbs used during the Tour DuPont. After a couple of missed turns and several steep climbs we found our way to the road that lead back to the car. We had 20 miles to a small town followed by one last mile long climb. The rain was still coming down, the temperature dropped as the miles ticked by slowly. Each 5 miles there was a sign showing how many miles to the town. We were all hungry and cold, as tempers flared at the smallest accelerations in paceline. The last five miles to the town were down a winding road, and I was being followed by a semi-trailer. My brakes barely worked, I couldn’t feel my fingers and all I could do was hope to stay upright. Finally reaching the town we had one last climb back to the warm car.

Fast forward to the Wisconsin State Cyclocross Championships in Hales Corners, WI on December 2, 2007. The night before 3-4 inches of thick slushy snow came down on southeast Wisconsin. On the drive to the race venue it was raining and sleeting and the temps were in the mid 40’s. I was super excited. After getting signed up, setting up the bike, and getting changed it began to sleet harder. These were some serious cross conditions. By the start of the 3’s race there was a steady sleet coming down. Race starts and I am going nowhere. I picked the wrong starting location and was bogged down in the ruts. I was in last place after 100 meters. Through the sandpit and I pass one guy. Great, now I am 2nd to last.

Through a couple of off-camber turns to the first set of barriers into a winding run-up. Onto some asphalt back onto the snow and mud. Past the wheel pit heading to the backside of the course. I passed one or two more guys on this straightway. Over a footbridge to some tight chicanes into a long uphill section. At this point on the 1st lap I am stuck behind a slower rider. Pass him on the climb, but getting out of the main line is tough when riding into the deep rutted snow. 180 degree turn back down the hill into an off camber turn into another 180 degree turn followed by a triple set of barriers into another run up. Through some more chicanes and twists, back over a bridge to the start/finish line. This was really a great course. After the fist lap, the course was getting rutted and smoother lines were more perceivable. Mud flying everywhere, tripod around the corners when needed, and lots of shouldering of the bike (my shoulder is really sore today). As the race went on the corners got muddier and slicker, while the straights became smoother and faster. We ended up doing 4 laps in 45 minutes, and I rolled in 12th. I couldn’t feel my toes and was so happy to find out the park district building had hot showers. This was the ticket to warming up post race. I felt like the pros after Paris Roubaix taking the showers at the velodrome. My start really blew it for me. I was stupid to line up to the outside and not in the center where the course was more worn in. I know this cost me a few spots in the end. Oh well.

Like the stories above, this day will go down as one of the classic hard man days of my life. I will always remember the mud, snow, sleet, the cheering teammates, the guy with the horn, and all the cowbells. These are the days, good or bad, that make up my cycling memory; not the perfect sunny 70 degree days in the middle of June, where everything goes smoothly. These are the days that make you feel closer to your heroes, like Hampsten on the Gavia or Jonathan Page riding to a 2nd place at the Worlds only a few months after injuring his shoulder. Suffering is universal throughout the sport of cycling, and is the thread that connects the weekend warrior to the Pro, and its a big reason for this sport being so great.

Photos courtesy of madcross.org

Pit of Despair

2007-11-19T16:47:00.000-08:00

Sand more than any obstacle on a cross course changes from lap to lap. Right when you think you have the perfect line to smoothly negotiate a sandpit, it changes, resulting in the bike coming to a stop and possibly the rider being thrown to the ground. You then pop up with a mouth full of sand, pick up the bike and start running before you know what happened, only to do it again a few minutes later, hopefully with better results.

The fifth stop on the Chicago Cross Cup tour headed south to Lansing, IL and was a new race for the series. Upon reaching the course I was greeted by teammate, Brian Boyle the Good. He had already raced the 30+ event and said the course was flat and fast, with no real technical sections besides a long sandpit. Brian was spot on with his assessment. There were a couple of 180 degree turns, but also a lot of swooping high speed turns, a super fast single barrier and triple set of barriers.

My main goal for this race was to get a good start and see how long I can hang with the 5 or so guys that have been dominating the 3’s this year. twenty-two riders lined up for the 3’s, and I was able to get a front row starting position. The first section was really tight, with only about 20 meters before it narrowed between some trees and a baseball backstop.

Race started, had a slight bobble with the pedal, but got moving quickly. Jumped in behind Jason Knauff of Team Clif Bar, and we were off. I was sitting in 6th place as we headed into the fast single barrier. Over the barrier and we had already opened a gap on the other racers. This is right where I wanted to be. The pace was really fast, and sitting on the back I was definitely getting a bit of a draft. I went through the triple barriers smoothly and was back on the gas. The course had a couple of really cool roundabouts on the asphalt that we were really cruising through. Now we were heading to the sandpit. Everyone was saying, stay left and get up on the grass halfway through. Into the sand, and I bogged down. Quick remount after the sand, and back on the group, snaked through the final sections to the start/finish line. One more time through the course and back to the sandpit. To the left once again and I bogged down once again. Off the bike and running but a gap had opened. For the next half lap I buried myself to get back on with the lead group of five. I was able to make contact before the single barrier, and was back on the train for the time being. Next time through the triple barriers and I pop. I was done and a gap was opening, I had blown and I was in no mans land. I was quickly joined and quickly passed by teammate Adam Clark. I was pedaling squares.

It took another lap until the next guy caught me. I was able to recover a bit while he set the pace. I then sat on his wheel for a half a lap until I was feeling like I could contribute to the pace. By this time we were joined by another rider from Bandit cycling. For the rest of the race the three of us would stay together. I could tell the rider from Bandit was the strongest. When he would go to the front he definitely was making us hurt. By this time I was following the Mob rider through the sandpit on the right hand side. On this side it was sand the whole way, but not as deep, and rideable. It definitely took muscling to get through the last 5 feet or so. Heading into the last lap the three of us were together. As we headed into the single barrier, the rider from Bandit didn’t unclip and went into the barrier really hard, flipping into the air, landing on the ground on his back. As I rode by I asked if he was OK, and then took off. It was apparent that he wasn’t going to chase back on, but while slowing down to miss him the rider from Mob, had latched onto one of the Cat 1 riders and was gone. I chased hard, but couldn’t close the gap. My last hope was he would bobble through the sand, but it didn’t happen. In the end I rolled in for 10th place.

While I would have like to finish a few places higher, I was happy that I could ride the pace of the top guys, and was able to chase back on after a couple of laps. I don’t think I could have kept their pace the entire race, but if I could have stayed with them for a couple of more laps it would have meant the difference between 6th or 7th place and 10th place. I also learned that sometimes you need to ignore your ego. After the 1st lap bobble in the sand I should have been running the sand to keep contact with the leaders instead of wanting (not needing) to ride the sand. Lessoned learned.

FYI: I was also sporting the old school Briko Sunglasses at the race. They really are some cool shades.

Photos courtesy of Ed White

Thanks Kelly!!

2007-11-14T18:45:00.001-08:00

Kelly ordered a bunch of Belgian beers for my Birthday present. A big box arrived yesterday direct from Belgium. She also picked up some sweet glasses from Piraat, Duvel, and La Chouffe. Can't wait to try them out.

Belgian beers have some really intersting labels. They seem to really like to use elves and other mythical creatures on their labels.

Weekend in Louisville

2007-10-28T17:03:00.000-07:00

Wow, what a long and great weekend. Between the racing and getting to see family it was a ton of fun.

The weekend started early on Friday. We were up and on the road by 7:00, and after a quick stop at Dunkin Donuts we hit the open road evenutually hitting I-65 south. I have done this drive more times than I can count and it really is a boring stretch or road. Our plan of attack was to hit Hubers on the way down to pick up apples, gourds, and some pumpkin ice cream. After that we would head over to Champions Park to check out the course for the weekend USGP events. We hoped to take more photos at Hubers, but the batteries died on our camera. Here is Kelly as Dracula.

When we were leaving Hubers there was a slight sprinkle and the sky were completely overcast. After making our way down from the knobs we crossed the Ohio River and eventually pulled into the parking lot at the park. After getting the bike and helmet out I headed out for a lap of the course. I was greeted by some fast grass sections, plenty of off-camber slick ups and downs, 6 sandpits, and the infamous Green Monster. The deepest sandpit made the Carpenters Park sandpit look like nothing. There was a big drop off into the sand, and it was really loose and deep. I decided I would probably run this section, and not risk getting bogged down. As I was running I looked to my right to see Ryan Trebon and Barry Wicks come flying by, making it look effortless. As my short pre-ride ended the rain was coming down harder, and by the time I got the bike on the rack it was really pouring. It appeared that the next day was going to be a mudfest. That night we hung out with my Aunt Paula, had a good Pasta dinner with meatballs and pasta Sauce from Bertos in Downers Grove, and finally watched “Knocked Up”.

The next morning I had some toast with PB&J, coffee, and a couple of bananas. We then loaded up the car and headed back to the park. After arriving I picked up my race packet and walked a bit of the course to see how things were looking. Racers on the course were looking dirty, but not super muddy. The muddy sections were definitely really slick, but it wasn’t deep mud or super slop. After a good warmup it was time to stage for the Cat 2/3 race. This was the first race I have done with call-ups. Call-ups were based on race #, and I didn’t hit the jackpot with this one. I had a 7th row call-up (8 riders in each row). For today’s race there was a total of 67 riders. 67 riders on a really narrow course (no wider than 10’ on any part of the course) meant there would be some wild stuff on the first lap. After the 3 minute countdown, the official shot the gun and we were off. The guy in front of me was really slow getting going and I lost some places immediately. After a 50 yard asphalt section there was a 90 degree left hand turn onto the grass followed by a looping 180 degree turn to a 90 degree right hand turn onto a narrow sidewalk. After about 50 yards there was a right into a tight chicane on the grass. This was the location of the first crash. Bikes caught in the tape, people riding over bikes, people yelling, total chaos. I got caught behind the crash, but didn’t get knocked down. Back on the pedals, forward into a straight section into two 180 degree turns before the double barriers. More carnage, bikes knocking together, people falling. Over the double barriers, back on the bike to a really narrow part of the course, which was awesome with all the people lining the route cheering. Onto the asphalt to an off-camber right hand turn to a mudpit to a looping 180 degree turn to another 180 degree turn to a drop-off into a sandpit. Through the sand, more people going down. Out of the sand to a sharp uphill into a 180 degree turn. Back on the grass straight to an off-camber left hand turn and onto the asphalt. Hammer the asphalt, 180 degree right hand turn to a fast straight past the wheel pit. On the brakes through two tight muddy corners. Straight section to the big sandpit. Off the bike and run. Back on the bike right hand turn to another sandpit. Not deep sand, but real loose and squirrelly. Through a couple more tight corners into some fast straight-aways and a stair run-up. 180 degree turn back through a muddy section onto the asphalt. More people going down on the transition between the mud and asphalt. From the asphalt into a really off-camber uphill into another down hill back into an uphill. I rode the first uphill dismounted at the top and ran the down /up. Back on the bike through a really slick rooty, right hand turn. Back on the asphalt into another off-camber uphill into a downhill and a 180 degree left hand turn on to the grass followed by two more sandpits. Back on the grass into a sharp down hill into a 180 degree turn followed by a stair run up.

I would dismount before the downhill, run the turn and up the stairs. Remount at the top and back onto the grass. Cross over some asphalt and back into the crowds. Under the flyover and over a steep ledge, and quickly into a 180 degree left hand turn. Quick right/left and now the stairs up the flyover. Up the super steep stairs to the top. These steps were almost vertical.

Remount and down the ramp and quickly into a left hand turn. Back on the gas through a couple of fast turn into a straight away.

One last chicane and back on the asphalt to the start/finish. Now all I had to do was do 3 more laps. After the first lap it really spread out, but I was always was racing someone, which was really cool. I was able to chase down a couple of people and had a really good battle with a Texas Roadhouse rider on the last lap. I was able to get to the flyover in front of him on the last lap and held him off to the finish for 45th place. At first I was a little disappointed with my placing, but after looking at the results from the race compared to the Ohio Valley Series a lot of the guys in front of me race A’s and do well. I was definitely outclassed by some of these guys, but I felt really strong and hope it is good sign for the next couple of weeks. The best part of the race was having my Grandparents, Aunts and Uncles, and a couple of cousins there cheering me on and ringing cowbell.

After the race I cleaned up, and Kelly and I went to get some grub, before heading back to watch the Pro races. We picked up a beer, or two from Bluegrass Brewery during the Pro races. Katie Compton crushed the women’s field, and there was an awesome duel between Tim Johnson and Jeremy Powers in the Men’s race. Watching these guys through the technical sections was amazing. Horsepower matched with skills is a beautiful thing.

That night we headed out for a great dinner at Basa Vietnamese. Thanks Paula!!

The next morning we were greeted by sunny skies and cooler temps. I was expecting a faster course after a couple of days without rain. I headed over to the race by myself, and Kelly and Paula planned to show up before the race start. After getting to the race I realized I left my backpack with my helmet, gloves, and sunglasses at my Aunts. Pretty much everything I needed. Thank god, Louisville is easy to get around, and Kelly showed up with enough time for me to get geared up. The promoters changed the course slightly for the 2nd day. Some of the straight sections were now windy, the barriers were high speed, and they added three new sandpits, two of which had turns in the middle for an extra challenge. 72 riders lined up for today’s race. I got a better call up today, and would be starting 3rd row. The gun went off and with today’s course things were much smoother to the barriers.

I was trying to hold my ground, but was getting passed by some of the big guns on the straights. After the barriers people were bumping into each other and going down here and there. I managed to avoid the carnage and had a clean first lap. Today we ended up doing five laps. With a faster course we were really flying, even though several of the corners were still really slick. Several guys misjudged some of these corners and went down hard. Luckily none of them took me with them. I was much more confident on the remount at the top of the flyover along with the sandpits. I ended up in a small group of 4 or 5 riders for most of the race, which always makes cross racing more fun. Today I finished 40th out of 72. Slight improvement over yesterday.

I really hope they have this race next year. It was an amzing experience. I also hope that all the Chicagoans that missed it this year decide to make the boring drive down I-65. It was well worth it.

Are you Kidding me?? and Doubling Up is not for Me

2007-10-22T16:38:00.000-07:00

Are you kidding me?? And Doubling up is not from me

Check this out. Am I heading to Louisville of Belgium? Stair run-up to a remount followed by a steep ramp descent back to the dirt is going to be a ton of fun. On top of that the pass under will be awesome along with the 6 sandpits. I better put on my hardman helmet and get ready for some serious pain.

Photo from truesport.com

Raced at Carpenters Park in Carpentersville, IL on Sunday. This race was the 2nd stop in the Chicago Cross Cup Series. The guys at North Branch Cycling put on a great event and make the most of the small venue. The course had plenty of dismounts and twists and turns to keep things interesting, and the speakers pumping out the tunes was great addition. After getting registered and changed I headed out for a quick inspection of the course. Very similar to last year, with the exception of relocating the sandpit. Last year it was an easy entry into the sand that allowed for riding through each lap. This year the pit had a foot drop off from the grass, and after watching others warming up I decided to run the sandpit during the race. I don’t think I lost any time with this strategy early in the race, but towards the end it was taking a toll on my legs. The course was also soft and sapped the energy from the legs, definitely a power course. I lined up with 32 or so riders, with some big guns such as Brian Conant, Kevin Klug and Lou Kuhn. I knew these guys were on a different level, but I hoped I could make the most of my first Masters 30+ event. After introductions by Jeff from Main Street Bicycles we were off. Surprisingly I didn’t feel that the pace was unbelievably fast from the start, and I moved into a Top 10 position heading into the first set of barriers. A rider in front of me bobbled at the first barrier and left his bike on the ground while he continued forward. After a slight slow down I was back at it, trying to close the gap to the lead train. Through the up/down turns heading towards the bumpy downhill remount I was behind Kevin Heppner from Killjoy. Over the barriers, followed by a jump over the sandy creek bed (This seemed wider than last year and was difficult to completely clear). Back on the bike through the narrow chicane section. 180 degree turn onto the asphalt. Top guys are starting to create gaps. Off the asphalt at high speed and onto the grass, dismount over the barrier to the stone lined creek crossing jump. Back on the bike and pack on the power (For some reason this was the remount that was killing me. I bobbled several times, either getting my shorts stuck on my saddle or having a hard time getting clipped in. I was also not shifting to an easier gear before the dismount and it was taking too long to get back up to speed). Around the baseball field to the off camber 180 degree turn. Around the Hawthorne tree to the soft rideable creek crossing. As the laps progressed the crossing was getting deeper and deeper. Each time I told myself just point the wheel straight and everything will be a-ok. Through the creek, back on the gas around a sweeping righthand turn to the sandpit. Off the bike and run. The sandpit for the early laps was hardpacked on the right side, which made running easy, but later the pit was deep and rutted. Back on the bike, 180 degree turn to a bumpy section followed by a really short steep uphill dirtectly into a downhill. Power section back to the start/finish. Now I just had to do the same thing about 8 or 9 more times. Unfortunately I started moving back throughout the race. Stupid mistakes led to gaps opening which led to loss of places. In the end I finished 15th.

Two hours later I lined up for the 3’s. Small field of only 15 racers. The temp was much warmer than earlier and I was trying to down as much liquid as possible before the event. Race started and my legs were dead. I got a decent start, but was quickly moving back. After about 4 laps I was done and headed to the officials to let them know I was a DNF. It was good to experiment with the double, but I am definitely better off putting all my energy into one event. These next few week should be fun with lots of great races on the calendar. This is the part of the season where I am hoping for some good results.

Second Chances

2007-10-17T15:21:00.001-07:00

Sometimes when I first listen to a new album it just doesn’t grab me and I end up putting it one the shelf, only to listen to the album at a later date and realize it is a well crafted piece of music. This happened with the album “Boxer” by The National. The first time I heard the album was back in June while driving with Kelly from the Grand Canyon to Telluride. A good portion of the ride was flat, wide open expanses of land. It was a beautiful landscape, but became monotonous after awhile. The album is very similar in that the lead singer’s voice is droning and can become tiring. At the time I was definitely disappointed that I didn’t like it, as I had read many good reviews of the album, and it just didn’t seem to live up to the hype.

A couple of weeks ago Kelly and I were out and she threw the album into the CD player. I was really amazed at how much I was liking the album. Once accept the singers voice, the songs are really beautifully sculpted, with a mix of strings and electronics. Quite nice stuff, and now I highly recommend it.

Other albums that I am glad I gave a second chance:

Wilco “A Ghost is Born”
Interpol “Antics”
Ryan Adams “Cold Roses”
LCD Soundsystem “LCD Soundsystem”

21/32

2007-10-14T12:51:00.000-07:00

This years race at Cam Rock was much different than last year when Brian Parker and I were greeted by snow, mud and riders moving at 5 mph looking like there legs were about to explode. This year we had cool temps, and a super dry course. Kelly, Bernie and I made it to the park with plenty of time to spare. We had enough time to cheer on Jeff at the end of the 4's race. He was looking really strong and hopefully had a good finish.

After getting changed and warmed up, we were given enough time for one lap of the course. The course included a bunch of the same stuff from last year, with a few changes to keep it interesting. Upon examination the course was really fast with a bunch of off camber turns, roots and loose mulch . These aren't my favorite conditions, as I have a hard time judging how fast I can push it through the turns, but that is what makes cross great; each course is different and conditions always vary.

32 riders lined up for the start of the 3's race. The start consisted of an uphill asphalt section into a 180 degree turn down a rutted double track into a sharp left hand turn. My start has always been a week point for me, and this race was no different. I felt like I was engulfed by the entire field field, and found myself sitting about 15th after the first few minutes of the race. The course had a bunch of short steep sections, and at the top of one hill there was a guy playing a trombone, which was a cool addition that had to the Euro feel.

From this point I yo yo'd back and fourth anywhere between the mid teens and the low 20's. This course was all about holding speed through the turns and hammering the flats and hills I felt like I did a good job with the power sections, but really struggle with the loose off camber turns. Any gaps I would open on racers would be gone after a couple of turns. While I did struggle I did feel more comfortable towards the end of the race, so that is a good sign, but as they say too little, too late. In the end, I finished 21st.

My goal for the race was to hopefully finish in the top 1/2 of the field and possibly compete for a Top 10 finish. While this didn't happen, I still see a ton of room for improvement, and know these results are in my future.

Bernie was nuts as usual at the race, and Kelly has banned him from future cross races. He told us to give him one more chance, so we will see.

Next week I will definitely be racing the Chicago Cross Cup race in Carpentersville and am still debating racing the Whitewater cross race in Wisco. I've heard bad things about the Whitewater course and from photos I have seen from last year, if it rains the course becomes a mud bog.

Finally Fall??

2007-10-10T09:44:00.000-07:00

Last night I could feel the cool winds blowing in as I finished up my cross practice. On top of that, it was only 6:30 and the sun was almost set. It seems that the seasons are finally changing and Fall is on its way. Fall has always been my favorite season; growing up it meant cross country races, University of Louisville football games and trips to Hubers for apples. Now that I am older, cross country races have been replaced by cyclocross races, but there is still football, and a trip to Hubers for apples. Kelly and I will be making our annual trip to Hubers on our way down to the USGP races the end of this month.

I will be racing at Cam Rock this weekend near Madison, WI. It looks it will be nice and dry, which is a huge change from last years event; where we were dealing with snow and deep mud. Last year ended up with my rear derailleur in small pieces along the trail and a bent hanger, so hopefully things will be different this year. The last few weeks I’ve had some good training, and with Jackson Park behind me I am hoping for an improved performance.

Thrown into the Pain Cave Blind

2007-09-27T09:50:00.000-07:00

I have been helping out a teammate, Jonathan Dugas, with a performance testing project he is completing with some students. He really knows his stuff, as can be seen here. This stuff is way over my head, but I am a good at being a guinea pig. The testing is taking part at Benedictine University out in Lisle, IL. We started back in July with two different max power tests. These are done on a Velotron bike. This is a really cool piece of machinery. If I had an extra $10,000 lying around it would be a great home trainer. The fist max test consisted of staring a ride at 150 watts. The watts increased 20 watts per minute at a constant rate. The goal of the test was to ride as long as you could. I maxed out at 408 watts, so I rode for about 13 minutes. The next max power test consisted of riding for 3 minutes at a given wattage followed by 3 minutes rest. The test started at 150 watts, and increase by 25 watts for each hard effort. I made it through the 350 watt test, and halfway through the 375 watt test. The hardest part of the tests was breathing through the mask, and not being able to breathe through my nose. It becomes very claustrophobic and the nose portion of the mask feels up with snot.

These first two tests were to ensure I made the cutoff to continue in the program. The cutoff was a max wattage of 4 watts/KG, which I easily made. Jonathan was running into some roadblock with getting the testing protocol approved through the school, but after a few months we could now continue with the testing. The next portion of the testing consists of completing four-20 KM time trials. These tests will be done over several weeks. The first is a baseline test followed by 3 more TT’s. Jonathan says there is normally a learning process from the 1st TT to the next 3 efforts. Most riders improve by one to two minutes. The toughest part about these TT’s is that I have to do them “blind” and have no information to look at. All Jonathan provided is a that he lets me know when I have completed each 2 KM segment.

For these tests they switched to a mouth piece instead of the mask. It is a little bit better, but your nose is still clamped shut, and by the end I was covered in drool. After getting the bike setup and a good warm-up, I was off. My goal, go as hard as you can go, but don’t blow up. The first 2 km seemed like it took forever, and quickly realized this was going to be long and painful. I settled in trying to keep the pedals moving at a good rate. Not knowing my speed or watts, made it really difficult from a mental standpoint. I just kept pedaling, switch to a harder gear for a bit, then back, increase the cadence, keep ticking over the pedals. 4 km’s past, and I really thought I was going to have trouble completing the TT. I had the same sensation from Sunday at JP, where my legs just felt dead, there was no snap. I kept pedaling. I told myself to hold a stead rate up until 4 km’s to go, and then hopefully kick it up a gear for a strong finish. The km’s went by slooowly, finally reaching the 4km to go mark. Put it in a harder gear and go. I finished fairly strong, really sprinting to the finish. I have no idea how long it took me to finish, or my average watts. I will be provided this info after the testing is complete. Cycling is such a mental sport, and I realize now that I do much better when I have a carrot in front of me to keep me moving; whether it be a rider in front of me or a rider behind chasing me, or a wattage reading to follow, I really need something. Now I have to complete 3 more of these TT’s. Should be fun?!?!?

Moving in One Gear

2007-09-24T20:27:00.000-07:00

My day started with a 5:20 wakeup call. Threw on some clothes, loaded up the Curtlo and the Paragon and put some coffee in the travel mug. Next was a quick stop at Dunkin Donuts for some coffee and donuts for the volunteers. After a quick drive to Jackson Park it was time to get the course up and running before the first race at 10:00. We had a small, but very focused group of guys to help set up the course, and after a few minutes of discussion we set off in different directions to play connect the dots with survey flags and SRAM tape. Riders started showing up around 8:00 in the morning for registration. Big thanks have to go out to Cecile for getting registration up and running, and making sure it ran like a well oiled machine throughout the day. After a mad scramble at 9:30 the course was finalized and we were ready to go. We had over 90 riders line up for the first races (Masters and Women 1,2,3). It was awesome to see that all our hard work had paid off and people actually showed up to compete. During the first races I realized that one section had been laid out in a different design and was allowing some riders to bunnyhop a barrier. Brian Parker and I had to quickly run and get some zip ties to hopefully keep the barrier in place. Lap after lap the barrier was taking more a beating. By the end the rebar was bent, and we decided to make a change prior to the next race. After some quick decision making we scrambled to move stakes and tape to create a really fun snakey section around some shrub plantings.

After watching a bit of the Juniors/Women 4’s race it was time to get ready for my race. I did a quick change into the XXX kit; and had enough time to eat a PB&J sandwich, down a couple of bottles of water, and head out on the course for a warm-up lap. The course was super fast, and I realized we were going to do a ton of laps in our 45 minute race. I lined up at the start with fellow XXX’rs: Nico Westlund, Brian Parker, Mike Stanley, Adam Clark, and Brian Boyle. The week before the race I told this guy that I fully expected him to win, and I was right. He was off like a madman never to be seen again. The race started, and I got an OK start. After rounding the baseball diamond, I was able to pass several guys heading into the first tech section with a fast move up the outside heading into the quick right, quick left section.. I nailed the barriers, and had a good run up. After the 180 degree turn, I had difficulty clipping in. I have new pair of shoes, and still haven’t been able to “stomp and go” the way I would like. After the 180 degree turn around the thorn bushes I still wasn’t clipped in, and lost several places. Finally back in the pedals and I was off. I jumped on the back of a train with Brian P. and Nico, and couple of other riders. I was hanging on the back, as we came into the newly designed snake section. I was trying to hang on for dear life, and knew being with this group was the difference between a top 10 placing and a Top 20 placing. As we came out of the snake I was gapped. I just didn’t have that next gear that I needed to hold on. It was one of those days, when your legs can’t keep up with your lungs. I never felt redlined, but I couldn’t get the legs to push a bigger gear. I rode the next couple of laps with a Turin rider. We battled back and forth, eventually being caught by Rich Delgado of Redline Racing. A few laps later Rich proceeded to dropped us, and I was left to battle it out with the Turin rider. With 3 to go, I could tell he was slowing. I put in an effort on the backside of the course and was able to open a gap. Unfortunately with one lap to go he was able to get back up to me. I really need a moral victory, so after the snakey section I put in one more effort to get in front of him, and was able to hold it to the finish, for 16th place.

After my race I had a short cooldown, and was back at it making sure the race was running smoothly. The Pro 1/2 race went off without a snag, and it was time for the best event of the day. The Men’s 4 race is really entertaining, with people of all different abilities out on the course. With 80 riders there is no doubt that there will be some entertaining moments. The looks on some of the rider’s faces are of pure terror, while others are smiling and having a great time. We had a couple of XXX’rs in the Top 10, which was great to see.

After the 4’s race it was clean up time. With a bunch of helpful people we were able to get everything torn down quickly. After a few minutes discussing the day’s events, I loaded up the car and was home by 5:30. The day really was one speed, and that was “Go, Go, Go”. My race was also done in one speed, and I know there is a ton of room for improvement. Not sure of my plans for this next weekend. I may do the Fall Color Festival race at Kettle Moraine or head to the Wisconsin Cross Race that has a strange TT format and two events on the Saturday schedule.

STAR-CROSSED cyclocross 2006

2007-09-19T20:21:00.001-07:00

Busy Days Ahead and Races in the Ville

2007-09-19T19:48:00.000-07:00

As excited as I am for the first cross race of the year, I am just as excited for the first cross race to be over. Planning the Jackson Park race can be a stressful situation, but I know once I start seeing racers show up on Sunday it will all be worth it. It is great to have events so close to home, and if dealing with a little extra stress means me not having to drive to Wisconsin every weekend, it is definitely worth it. Before of this can happen, I have to fly down to Louisville, KY for my cousins wedding. I fly out on Friday evening, attend the wedding and fly back on Saturday evening. The flight is short, less than an hour, so things shouldn't be too stressful. I then get home, load up the Mazda, and get ready for the early wake up call on Sunday. Then is is course setup, make sure registration is running smoothly, and a few minutes to get ready for my race at 12:30.

Yesterday I signed up for the USGP races in Louisville. The races take place the last weekend in October. I am really excited about getting the chance to race in front of friends and family. Everytime I try to explain cyclocross racing to my family they give me this really strange look, which I guess is pretty understandable. I am a little dissapointed to see that my race is a Cat 2/3 event. As an average Cat 3 racer, there is a big jump between my ability and that of a Cat. 2 racer. It will still be a ton of fun, and most likely a major beat down. The other great part about the USGP events will be getting the chance to see the Pros race. I will be there with cowbell in hand with the rest of the cross fanatics.

Life's Too Short

2007-09-13T10:18:00.000-07:00

This shouldn't happen ever, and it shouldn't happen to the same team twice in one year.

http://www.chicagobikeracing.com/blog/archives/2007/09/pieter_ombregt.html#comments

Fall is in the Air!!

2007-09-12T20:05:00.000-07:00

I went out for a run at lunch today. The weather was crisp and the skies blue. Really a perfect day in my mind. Fall is just around the corner. I headed over to a park in Lisle where I ran cross country races during high school. It brought back some painful memories, as I always suffered on this course, but I felt really good today tackling the hill in the middle of the park several times. Cyclocross season is just 10 days away!!!

Bad things Happen in threes???

2007-08-29T17:10:00.000-07:00

Well if the saying holds true I will be in a cast this time next week. After Kelly's broken wrist, Bernie must have been feeling ignored, and decided he wanted a cast for himself. This weekend Bernie was limping and bleeding on his left paw. We stopped the bleeding and he seemed to be walking better. Yesterday afternoon he was really limping and when I attempted to look at his paw he snapped at me. This in not normal for the loving Bernie so we knew something was wrong. It turns out that Bernie tore a nail very high on his paw and it led to an infection. He is now on doggie painkillers and antibiotics, along with the wrap he has to wear on his leg. Just like Kelly he can't get it wet, but is able to hop around on it.

Kelly Go Boom!!

2007-08-21T08:57:00.000-07:00

Saturday was not a good day for Kelly. We had just finished handing a new light fixture in our bedroom (this was a first for me, and went really smoothly). As we were trying to figure out where to point the lights, Kelly stood up on a chair to make an adjustment, and the chair went out from under her. The next thing I remember was Kelly on the ground and her wrist pointing in two different directions. Needless to say it was broken. After a visit to the emergency room, Kelly was placed in a temporary cast. We were thinking surgery, but after a trip to a orthopedic specialist, a large needle with novicane, and some painful adjustments, and a cast up to her entire arm, surgery will hopefully be avoided. She has to go back next week for more X rays to determine if the bones are setting correctly before they can make a final decision about surgery.

Nice Job!!

2007-08-19T12:10:00.000-07:00

My good friend Mike just finished his first Ironman distance triathlon at Ironman UK. He put in a very respectable time. I can't wait to hear a full report, but he must have gotten a 2nd or 3rd wind for the 2nd half of the marathon. check it out.

http://ironman.com//events/ironman/uk?show=tracker&y=2007&race=/events/ironman/uk&bib=374

Nice job, Mike!!

Knocking the Cobwebs Out

2007-08-13T19:04:00.000-07:00

Today was my first cyclocross specific workout of the year. I headed over to my local practice course to work on my cross skills. It seems each year I start out the season a little more comfortable than last. I felt really good on mounts/dismounts and much more comfortable on high speed corners. The first race of the Chicago Cross Cup Series is on September 23rd, so time is a ticking. Oh yeah, I am the head promoter, and already have some ideas running through my head for an awesome course at Jackson Park. I have one section that we will be calling the Spiral of Pain if we can get it to work out. I also been told that the Park District is installing a curb along the access drive that we normally cross twice, so I need to get out to Jackson Park and check it out. Hopefully it won't affect things too much. I probably shouldn't worry, since it is cross, and it might just be one more obstacle to deal with during the race.

Rock N Roll Lifestyle-Day 1

2007-08-06T17:01:00.000-07:00

This weekend was the annual Lollapalooza weekend for Kelly and I. This is our 3rd year attending the event in Chicago. The weekend started early for Kelly as she headed down to the festival at 11:00 on Friday. She wanted to check out The Fratellis who were playing an early set. Kelly gave them mixed reviews, but she did mention they were having technical difficulties. I got down later in the afternoon in time to hear The Rapture. This is our 4th time seeing them, and they always put on an awesome show. This year our friends Mike and Becky joined us for the festivities, and got to experience the freak show that is Lollapalooza. Mike mentioned that he was amazed there was this many hippies still left in the world. They made it down in time to hear Satelite Party, which is the new band of Lollapalooza founder Perry Farrel. The guy really is nuts, and it is amazing someone his age still has so much energy. Satellite Party was better than expected and played some Jane's Addiction and Porno for Pyros. The highlight of the weekend was the last two acts of the evening. It started off with LCD Soundsystem, and was followed up by Daft Punk. LCD as usual put on an amazing show. Mike wasn't that familiar with LCD before the show, but was an instant fan afterwards.

The night ended with Daft Punk. I wasn't sure what to expect from them, but a massive pyramid with two robots inside sealed the deal for me. Here is a link to the Daft Punk Set.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mIDSP_8TUzE

24 Hours of 9 mile = sore

2007-07-30T19:27:00.000-07:00

This weekend I was in Wausau, WI for the 24 Hour National Mountain Bike Championships. I was supposed to be competing on a four man team, but a last minute injury required us to race as a 3 man squad. This meant a couple additional hours of riding for me, and the rest of the team. Unlike last year the weather was perfect, and we were ready to roll. Adam Clark got the festivities going with a blazing first lap, and had us in a good placing to start the day. I was next to go, and my first lap would be my first lap on the course. A good portions was the same as last year, but with a couple of additional singletrack sections that made for some sweet riding, I was a little hesitant in some of the tech sections. A couple of the sections were really bumpy, and as the day wore on took a toll on everyones back and wrists. I took one fall on the first lap on a blind corner, banged my hip pretty hard, but was back up and riding fairly quickly. Right after falling, I was passed by this guy. He was flying and went on the a really impressive finish. After my lap I handed off to Adrian Redd and we were on our way to our first time through the rotation. Next time through we decided to double up and go out for two laps each of the 14 mile loop. This was seriously tough, but I think it worked for the best, as it gave us some extra rest inbetween race efforts. By my night laps I was definitely fresher than last year, probably due to the additional rest. Kelly was asking me, "what you do between laps?". I told her that you pretty much sit around, eat, stay hydrated, and relax. With the team format it is really hard to sleep, as the time between laps doesn't allow for much more than keeping the tank full. The night laps ended up being a ton of fun. Night riding is all about focusing on the perfect line, and the rocks that scared you during the day, disappear into the darkness. It is really an amazing experience. My last lap ended up finishing at 5:30 in the morning. At this point our team was worn out. Missing the fourth rider finally hit us. We took a couple hours off, and Adam went out for a final lap. Our placing wasn't great this year, but we rode hard, and along with the two other XXX Racing-AthletiCo teams, we represented the best that we could, and had fun doing it.

Day 6

2007-07-18T18:27:00.000-07:00

Today was the day we got in over our heads in the back country. The day started off nice enough with a Blueberry waffle, and some coffee. Our plan was to take the gondola to the mid mountain and start our hike. From the mid mountain we were to hike to 12,700' to the Wassatch Connection trail that went off the backside of the ski resort down to a valey, eventually leading back into town. On the way up we ran into 3 guys coming back down the trail. We mentioned we were heading to the Wassatch Connection, and they voiced concern about their being snow on some of the sections. We told them we thought we would be okay, and continued on. As we jumped onto the trail we ran into a few small snow crossings, that had pretty good footholes and weren't too scary.

As we continued on we ran into a snow crossing that was fairly steep with no footholes. We looked at the crossing, thought we could make, and started the crossing. I got about 3 steps and realized I had minimal traction, and sat down to figure out a plan. By this time Kelly had made here way out on the snow. I told her to try and head back off the snow. About this time I lost my footing, started sliding on my back, flipped over on my stomach, heading towards a large area of rocks. Right before I hit the rocks, I flipped over on my back again slid another 20 feet, and eventually slid off the snow onto some super loose rocks. After checking to make sure all my parts were still attached to my body, I looked at Kelly and told her not to move. At this point she was going nowhere, as she had her nails dug into the snow. After trying to figure out a plan, Kelly finally lost her grip and slid about 15-20 feet. Luckily she was in much more control, and didn't slide as far as myself. The slide also put her in a position to make it to the edge of the snow and onto the rock. At this point she had to make here way down another 20-25 feet on the really loose rock to an area where the snow was narrow, and she could make it to the side of the trail where I was. A half hour later she was able to cross to my side and our near death experience was almost over. We stil had to make it back to the trail, and the hike was barely starting, but we were off the snow. Looking back at the snow crossing, if I had slid another 10 feet, the snow passage opened into a 100 yard wide snow field. I would have slid 300 yards, instead of the 25 yards that I did. We were both really beat up after the event, with a ton of cuts and scratches.

That night, Kelly and I didn't sleep at all. The both of us kept playing the situation over and over in our heads, and how we could have been smarter, along with how it could have been much worse.

Tour de France sans Armstrong = Awesome!!

2007-07-16T10:24:00.000-07:00

After watching the Stage 8 yesterday I realized how much better the Tour is without the Armstrong led meat grinder setting the pace. The current peloton is still trying to figure out what to do without a dominant figure. Riders are scared, or unwilling to show their cards, and this allows unpredictable attacks to gain serious time in the mountains. At this point I have no idea who will win the race. There are 10+ guys that all think they have a shot to win, and in reality they probably all do have a legitimate argument that they will be the one standing on the top step of the podium in Paris. If yesterday’s stage is a sign of things to come, the next two weeks of the Tour should be amazing.

2007-07-10T19:12:00.000-07:00

Day 5

After getting settled in Telluride we decided to hike from Town Park to the top of Bridal Veil Falls. The hike started off fairly easy following the San Juan River, but As we got to the main trail the trail kicked up into a really steep road. The structure at the top of the falls was constructed to allow electric power to be produced by the falls. We found out later that the building was recently purchased and renovated into a summer home for a family. Even though the building is privately owned, it still produces electric power. I wasn't sure if I could get used to living right onthe edge of a shear cliff, but Kelly was pretty sure that the views were worth a little anxiety.

2007-07-10T18:48:00.000-07:00

Day 4

Day 4 started bright and early, as we had a long drive from the Grand Canyon to Mesa Verde National Park. The drive was mostly through open plains and really straight roads. At one point I saw a police car coming towards us and I thought they were going to pull Kelly over for speeding, but it was actually just a lead car for a super wide load (shown below).

After making our way to Mesa Verde National Park we signed up for the "Extreme" guided tour of the cliff dwellings. These days the only way to get into the actual dwellings is in a guided tour. It was really amazing to think that the dwellings were built 800-900 years ago, and the Park Service has only done minor renovations to good portions of them.

Above is a photo of our guide, John. He was a really nice guy, lives here during the summers, and is a science teacher the rest of the year in Alaska. He also drove a 1972 VW Beatle and is the original owner.

After Mesa Verde we made our way to Telluride, which was about a 2 hour drive. On the way I saw a bear runnig down the side of a mountain towards a river. We turned around to get a better look, but unfortunatley the bear was nowhere to be found.

2007-07-09T18:23:00.000-07:00

Day 3

We were now at the Grand Canyon and ready to check out the big hole in the ground. We were planning to do a good hike that day, and see how far we could make it down into the canyon, but with new boots, and blisters, we ended up limiting the hike to 3 miles down, followed by 3 miles back up. The Grand Canyon really is amazing, and every turn provide a new view. At night each minute changes the colors of the canyon and makes for beautiful photos. The Amish ladies in the photo below started their hike at 4:30 in the morning. That is way too early for kelly and I.

That afternoon we chilled out; had a few beers, and ate some nachos.