Busy Days Ahead and Races in the Ville

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

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!!

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???

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!!

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!!

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

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.