Day after urban ride :)

Having a beer on the Bridge with Blackford. Got a good 20 miler in to cure cabin fever

20 miles of urban ride with Rick and my legs have returned to jello. [Homer voice] Mmmmm jello......Good times :)

First Race 2010 heres how I choose to remember it

Starting lineup

A very Muddy Bike

It started out with some wonderful breakfast (thanks Cumming Tap) then a 10am start. It was a balmy 15 degrees outside with bright sunshine, unfortunately it would get up over 30 later. Started off in the main group for about the first 45 minutes or so, and since my cycling computer (pieces of junk) wasn't working I was using the que-card for pace and distance up to the 34 mile check point. The first hour I had fallen OTB with Scott Sumpter and a few other guys. Not bad I thought since there was a large group of people behind up that I couldn't even see anymore we have around 16 miles in the first hour. The second hour I was at around 29 miles so averaging 14.5 mph the goal was 12.5 to finish in 5 hours. We made the checkpoint (35 miles or so) at 2:40 so the pace had dropped down a little I stopped for about 15 minutes at the checkpoint then headed out alone. I was alone for the rest of the race. I started to see people ahead of me and slowly overtake them one at a time. I passed a rider on the cemetery hill (worst climb of the ride) at 4 mph. I passed about 10 people in the last 28 miles from the checkpoint. I was feeling strong and getting in some sprints on the flats to catch people who were recovering. I started bonking around 45-50 miles and was struggling to hold pace so not to give up any progress I made in the past hour and a half. The last 12 miles were horrible stomach cramping my lungs were filling with junk my throat hurt and I was starving. I kept pushing the pace. I could see 3 riders ahead of me at the 30ave turn (3 miles to go) they had missed the turn and had to come back to it I thought I'll catch them. My mind said go go go and the rest of my body, like a 3 year old didn't do what I told it too. I got in at 5:25 I would like to think if I had eaten enough, and it would have stayed in the 20's all day I could have hit 5 hours but I guess I won't know until the next time I go out and ride that crazy course. Someone said it was 7800 ft of climbing not sure if thats true, but it was a climbers course for sure I don't believe there was a single mile of flat ground in that course.

So thanks to everyone who makes these races possible it was great and a lot of fun (the way I choose to remember it) After a couple days of recovering from this cold again I should be ready to ride.

CIRREM 62 miles in 5:25. :)

CIRREM 2010

mud fest!

Ready for Cirrem

Momentum

I attended the Momentum magazine release party last night. This is going to be a very cool monthly magazine, and it is free! It is great to read a magazine that is not just about cycling or one kind of cycling but endurance sports. I guess there are other sports after all. The after party at El-baitshop was a lot of fun also, had a couple beers and got to hang out with the usual suspects. Followed up with a pretty good ride, even though it was only 16 miles still good. Finally able to test out my tubeless mounts on the cross bike. I have to say I keep looking back at the rear tire it feels flat but thats the fun of 30psi in 32c cross tires.

Breakfast of champions!

-3 actual temp -20 windchill, sunshine in the morning awesome!

APEX

This is the new Apex group all I can say is about time, it appears to be a cheap mtn/rd group perfect for Cyclocross some of the parts are a little on the cheap side but the important part is the rear derailier that handles 32 tooth and the cassette with 11-32 in ten speed. Fortunately for me I already have enough bikes.

Never Looked back.

Well this is the 3rd Anniversary Smoke-free (Feb 23) but since I'm on night shift this week I am a day ahead of everyone else. So a little background is in order I guess for people that bore easily just tune out now.

For some stupid reason I started smoking in Highschool. I then continued this till I was 27 and 100lbs overweight. In 2006 it was late July I had some car troubles and was working 100+ hours that week. It was a 3 hour break in a 16 hour shifts and the oil pump went out of my Jeep. I thought about it and decided I only live 3 miles from work or so I'll go to my parents and get my old mountain bike and ride to work. So I got a ride over there and air up the tires (5 years or more since I rode) and took off home. I took 8th street too work. I really had a great time doing 12 mph and not able to breathe. Upon arrival at work I sat down in the smokers room and lit up my prework smoke. 5 different people asked if I needed medical attention I was pale white and couldn't breathe. After 45 minutes I recovered enough to work the night. After the next 2 weeks of riding it was getting alot easier and I felt a bit better. I had decided to keep riding since my Wife had done the weight watchers thing and I was feeling the push there, I thought if I keep riding I can skip the diet. Some time around February I decided to trade off smoking for a new bike (trek road bike). I lost 85 pounds haven't smoked in 3 years and went from a new road bike to ride to work to 10 bikes, racing, joining a race team.

So I think even though cycling cost far far more than smoking (at the moment double) I do have some cool bike to show for it after 3 years and am in the best shape I've been in since freshman year in high school. All I had to show for the years of smoking was nothing. My original goal was to not gain anymore weight and be able to walk up 3 flights of stairs without resting at the top, and to save a couple hundred dollars a year in gas. I now have done a 200 mile ride (13.5 hours) Many 100 milers, 5 crit races, 2 mountain bike races, 1 cross race, A lot of rides, 2 running races, and many miles to go. My goals have changed a lot I'm starting mountain bike racing this year (jumped in head first) and still would like to hit 10k miles in a year.

If you think you can't then don't try, because success is for the positive. Stop talking about goals and just go win.

The Same Road

You spend some time riding in the winter and you find this 'same road' feeling. I know this road this is the same road I was on yesterday, however it is a different road. 4 inches of snow or 1 inch of rain or both or a large rut from a truck or drainage that has refroze into a 10 foot wide patch of ice. I have taken the same paths the same loops over and over and winter it is always a new adventure everytime. Today I got turned around because of snow, I road a 10 foot patch of glass ice (no studs) thinking wow I made it. So I always think I've been here a thousand times 'it's the same road' ignore the temps the ice the snow the mud and goo and press on. Spring next still the same road.

Snow storm (insert roman numeral)

Another 4-6 inches :)

Hot Fudge

makes the smashed finger feel better

nof said

Winter of your discontent

As I've heard everyone (including me) complain constantly about this winter; the worst winter in 30 years, is it ever going to stop snowing, etc. I realized while I was riding last night (outside) it isn't really that bad. I've only put in 6 hours on an indoor trainer and not because of laziness. I have rode almost a thousand miles since the first snow in December outside, gotten in 2 gravel metrics, almost a century, and rode outside almost everyday this year! I have missed 3 days commuting do to wussing out on the ice storms. Overall this winter has been great for riding even in the cold and the snow and the wind. So all I can say is stop complaining on facebook/blogger grab a friend or 2 or 10, a bike, some beers, maybe studded tires, and hit the road/trail system and see if you still can complain about the best winter in years. Soon enough it will be spring and you'll be able to join in the complaining about the rain and the heat.

Beautiful Night.

it's a nice night for a ride.

The Knife joins No-Tubes

enough time to test before cirreum I hope. 700x32c and it mounted pretty well

finished tubeless and test rode. :)

Daddy's princess

I can see the dirt from here and the grass is green

Under the 3 feet of snow I mean..

Fresh Powder again... ugh

I love to ride in the snow but, it is starting to get old and with this last couple of weeks teasing us with springish like conditions (its bad when only 2 inches of snow and 30 degrees is spring like). So I'll be out sliding around the white label this afternoon just for fun I guess.

BRR

Headed out early yesterday for BRR. Real riders ride from home so left Steve Fullers house around 7:15 to hit the gravel to Perry. It only took 2.5 hours to get to Perry do to the

"Blackford Pacing" all the way there (avg 14). A good ride over all not to cold in the morning the gravel roads were covered in ice and snow making it easy going all the way there. The actual ride wasn't to bad I did miss the bear tent in rippey but had a good baked potato bar at the church. The ride back to perry from rippey seemed long and kind of boring (everyone else had already road back) Got some time to set and chat with Steve for a couple hours at the bar in Perry. Steve and I decided to ride home even though everyone else took rides. The ride home was extra work since the roads had thawed out and turned to muddy mush. We actually aimed for the snow and ice spots. I made it home around 7pm the earliest ever from a "party" ride. I don't know about this more riding than drinking but I'll figure it out.

My wife has started a blog.

http://we5hiltons.blogspot.com

It's calling

The new fresh powder is calling..."come out and ride"

The taco ride : gravel style

Good time last night with Rick, Nick, Squirrel, and Maria (her first taco ride). Took the booneville loop through Orilla and back to gifs. It was my first real ride on the new 29r. I kept up with Rick and Squirrel till the second climb on booneville road, were Rick dropped the hammer and Squirrel used up his remaning energy. I chased squirrl all the way to the last climb before booneville, at that point he saw me and must have got a second wind and that was the last I saw of him. I fell back and road the rest of the ride with Nick and Maria. It did feel good to get out on the hills and really push it hard for a change.

Boring.

The winter is getting boring, is it spring yet. Yesterday I rode out to the middle of no where to check....

No still winter.

Good Snow times

I didn't make 400 miles for January like I have hoped but, I can't believe with the wonderful weather I got in over 300 and more group rides than ever in the winter almost every week. I also managed a gravel metric.

On the non-cycling side I was able to spend a great deal of time at home with the kids during the week days I've had off. Building and fixing things with Patrick reminds me of when I was young helping my dad around the house. I now understand working quickly while the kid goes to the bathroom. It is fun to watch a 3 yr old operate a cordless drill.