weekend off

Sat morning ride
Sat we had a group of 10 people to go down and ride in and around the Afton area.It was Me,Sam,Chris,Brendon,all three Thompsons, Berry,and two other guys that I met recently.We left around 9 and started out very slow.The thing I don't like about group riding is when someone has a mechanical everyone has to wait. Or you have to wait up for someone.And we had our share.
We ended up only going around 70 miles.It was enough for everyone on an easy week anyway,except for Sam.He's peaking right now and no matter how much riding he does he feels awesome.He had to be first up every hill and made it look easy while everyone else is struggling to keep up.And the Thompsons,what can I say about them, they were on their mountian bikes keeping up and doing their turn at the front.Yah,it was an easy ride but we still avged over 19mph.I'm going to stay off the bike here a couple of days here and see if that will help me regain form.

I need a break

Man, was I tired yesterday and today.After going in the hot tub at the community center, I relaxed in the beach chairs and I was gone.Only to wake up when one of the lifeguards came to wake me up because they were closing.The place was deserted,all the noisy kids were gone.Today I still was a bit tired, maybe because the heat and humidity was making me drowsy.But man was it hot out there.No wind and and very high humidity.I felt the heat more today than at Wors Cup, I think.
At the start I was in the top ten going into the singletrack.That lap was the toughest for me.They added a bunch of stuff in the course.They put back in the "stairway to heaven climb" which is the steep rocky climb.They also added a new section after the gulley drop,which was pretty cool because you went under a bridge they built, and down into the rock gardens. Then circled around by going up a super steep hill that I had to granny gear up.When you got to the top you went over the bridge that you went under.Anyways yeh, I was suffering and really feeling the heat.I was passed by Caleb Bonnet and then by Sam and couldn't hold on.Then Jan Rybar passed me somewhere on the second lap and I couldn't concentrate that good in the singletrack.About mid lap a Nature Valley rider and Brady caught up and we rode together for pretty much the whole race.We passed Chris Fisher who had cracked bad.On the last lap everyone was slowing down because Jan,Caleb,and another guy were in the same section.But on that climb up to the bridge Brady made a little mistake going up the hill forcing me to get off the bike and run it the rest of the way.He had too big of a gap to bring back and I don't think I would be able to do a sprint anyways.I have to put in a word about Ben Portilla.I passed him on the first lap because he had a mechanical.He passed me back with a quarter lap to go and he made his way up to 8th.The thing is after he got his mechanical fixed he was in last place in the experts and the comp field was close behind which starts 2 min behind the expert field.He said he was so mad,he was running on rage the whole time.Dang he can pound the pedals.I ended up in 12th.Sam was ripping it up though and took 6th, 2 min behind Jesse Rients.
This was the end of our 9 week racing streak which included some thursday nights at Buck.I'm going to take a little mid season break and do some base miles.I need a break from racing.This weekend me and Sam are going to do a long ride of 5 hrs or so in the Afton and Marine on St Croix area.If anyone wants to join us, drop me an email. I would like to get a group to go.It will be no race.We usually avg 18mph on these things,and we start between 9-10:00am sat.
Oh, my invention was flawless.It worked perfectly.I put it at the top of a climb off to the side,so you just have to swerve over,throw an empty by the base,and grab a fresh one.Let me know if you want one made up.

Crazy Stuff

Today at work there where some guys landscaping with bobcats outside right away in the morning.As I was rounding up all my tools and getting ready to get started I opened up the exterior door and the dude hit the gas line at that moment and a huge whiff of natural gas came at me.He shut the bobcat off and I could hear that thing hissing like crazy.I ran the other way through the building yelling to my partner Jim that they hit the gas line.As we ran down the hall like a bat out of hell,he reminded me that the deadbolt was locked on the other door and we were missing the key,so he jumped on the window sill and tore the screen out faster than you can say supercalifrajilistexpialidotious.He was the first out, and when he went to push off with his left foot for a sprint he tore his calf muscle.Dude, we looked like two commando's running from a fire fight with a guy shot in the leg.I was laughing my head off thinking about it latter.Nothing blew up thank God, and we got an hour to sit around and watch the fire dept.
After work I got to try Sam's new road wheels.He scored a killer deal at Erik's on a pair of Zipp 303's.Those things are crazy fast.I thought my D-ace wheels were fast,but these are 500 grams lighter. They are serious works of art.I'll post a pic sometime.I also posted some new pics in the "race photo's" link check em out and don't forget to read Pauls blog about the Nationals.

First Stage Race

I had a blast this weekend regardless of the way I felt.I just wanted to break my streak of bad luck and finish some races,even though I am out of my cycle and not having the intensity that I need.I have to limit my briefing because there is too much too write about.To get things started we missed our turn off and got lost a bit,and ended up taking a ferry across Lake Wisconsin to get to the resort.Then that night Jeff & Mike didn't arrive untill 11:30,and they had to unpack so we hit the hay after 12:00...way passed our bed time.But Mike did some stuff out by the truck and snuck in at 3:00,took a bed sheet and slept in his truck.I swear that guy only gets a few hours of sleep and he still is hyper.It was super hot sat. and no breeze.Me and Sam rode the time trial course with Eric Thompson and as soon as Eric said "man they could use a little more rocks on this course" I hit one and down I went,smacking my frame on a rock and breaking my bar end.I'm ok.Nothing happened to me.
The TT course was the xc course without the first major climb.Everyone hung out in the shade waiting for their turn.Sam went in front of me so he was my miniute man.At the first open climb I saw Sam just as he crested and I thought I was gaining.But I took it causiously through the single track avoiding any mistakes.At the end Chris comes up and starts putting himself down, like he was doing all day."Man I was suffering out there...my legs are not feeling good today" ect.And he ends up getting first.Come on just admit that you feel like stomping the compitition .Sam got fourth and I was 10th a 1:18 back.Talking to Chris again before the short track he says "You guys have the endurance more than me and these other guys, I'm not feeling feeling it today".Yah,right with like 5 or 6 laps to go in the short track he puts in 2 efforts and ends up putting a 15 second gap on the field while me and Sam are shelled off the back.I can't hold my heart rate that high for that long especially in the heat.I didn't even look at the results I was at least 3 min behind Chris at the end of the day.The next day they shortened the xc course a lap because of the heat and it still was a 2:00 race.It was the same story from Chris "You guys are pacing me up the hill, you can climb better than me".From the gun I got on Chris's wheel and we made it through the bottle neck when we hit the single track, but Sam got a little held up behind me.At the top of the second major climb I passed Chris and he gave me a big push forward.But he stuck to my wheel and turned it on after we came out of the rock filled single track and onto the descent.The second time up the like 10-15 min climb he gapped me along with Caleb Bonnet.Sam caught back up to me at the top and we rode together for a while but I was just holding him up so he went.I yo-yoed back and forth with some guys passing them up the hills and they'd pass me in the singletrack.That single track was my demise.It became so rutted and washboarded with jagged rocks everywhere that my back was killing me.I wasn't very adjile through it either.Comming to the finish I passed 4 comp riders at the top of the downhill and they all had full suspentions.I heard a little comotion behind me like they where catching me.I let it all lose and bombed the hill.The finish is a little up hill to lose some speed,but it was a short shoot.Anyway,here it was Tod Mcfadden trying to get me at the finish.Bob Mcvean said we came in by far the fastest he's seen anyone finish.I ran out of gears.I honestly think I beat him on the line but it was hard to say since there were some comp riders crossing at the same time, and I had to power slide it to stop in time.
But Chris ended up beating me by like 6 min and took 6th place.Sam took 7th 2 min behind Chris and I took 15th.I have to hand it to Chris for putting it all together for this race and taking 3 first place finishes,though he will deny trying to peak for the race.He ended up taking home $280.Congradulations man, I'm glad we took it away from those Wisconsinites.Sam Got 3rd overall in the series.I don't know where I am,they don't have results posted yet.I look forward to next year already.

Congrates to the winners 

Polish Cannon

I forgot I put a little movie clip in Pauls photo gallery.If you haven't been there yet, click on my "race photo's" link and that will take you to Pauls photo gallery.Click on my album.The movie is in with all my other picture albums.I'm still learning how to get some bigger files in.
I had a revelation on why I crashed at Mt Kato.The day before I watched Leminy Snickets "A Series of Unfortunate Events".How could I jinx myself like that.This weekend I'm watching "The Incredibles".

It can only go up from here

Yep,crashed out again,but tis time I finished a lap.I was feeling pretty good too.After the prolouge start, where you go up the ski hill then down, then back up,I was sitting in 7th or 8th.At the top Ben portilla,and Brady Larson (I tink thats his name)passed but I held on and we had a group going with Sam on my wheel,Chris Fisher,Derek,Caleb Bonnet,and maybe a couple other riders.We all held our positions untill the "stairway Climb" Which is the last big climb before the end of the lap.Here we caught Doug Swanson, and Sam took the lead of the group while me and Doug brought up the rear.On a little steep climb the guy behind Sam made a mistake,making everyone have to dismount,but me and Doug took a different line allowing us to get buy everyone.I stuck behind Doug as he started to pull Sam back in.On the last downhill ("the Louge") I forgot how steep the drops were with super sharp turns at the bottom.I rode my front wheel down one of them and almost endoed again.I made it through a little shaken.I caught and passed Doug at the beginning of the first lap and told me to go catch my bro.I caught back up on the climb with Chris behind me.I thought we were set,we were all together and feeling good.Then it happened, going around the frog pond at the top of the hill I slid out on a corner.This can't be happening I said to myself.I slid out on my good side this time and banged my hip good.After I found my bar end I jumped on my bike but when I went to pedal the deraileur cage was up by my front deraileur.I'm done.After hauling my bike down the hill my hip was very painfull,to the point I could hardly walk.The medic scrubbed out some deep road rash below my knee.And I was glad I shave my legs.I have to say those Hollywood shorts are high quality because they made it through 2 crashes.What are they kevlar? My hip is feeling better already,its probably just bruised or something.Showering tonight is going to suck.It will feel like someone spraying me with alcohol.Sam did well again taking 7th and $50 home.He gets stronger every race.Jeff won today with about a 10min lead.Right now there is nobody in the midwest that can challenge him (if its a hilly course).
Next week is the important race,Wors Cup stage race.I'm taking 2 days off the bike and try ramping up at the end of the week,injuries permitting.Wish me luck

Another one bites the dust

well I was looking forward to this weekend to see how well I'd do with back to back races.But thats not going to happen.I think I got the nastiest crash of the day award.It happened right in the start too.For no reason this guy goes down in front of me and there was nothing I could do. It was one of those moments that plays over in your mind that you hope never happens.But he went down, I hit his bike,and otb I went,flying over him.It happened right in front of my mom and Aunt too,man were they freakin out.I got up and nothing hurt too bad,and my bike was amazingly unscaved,so I took off shook up a bit.I caught the back of the pack at the bottleneck which was the worst I've seen.It was a standstill for like 30 seconds and no one was in a hury,so I was running through the weeds for a while.After a couple miles my wrist was getting pretty painfull as the adrenalin was wearing off, and I could hardly shift or hold on to the bars.I knew I was done for so I just rode at a liesurely pace back to DNF.This is my first DNF ever which is a pretty good record for my 3rd year racing.I have some road rash on my right side but the worst is my wrist and thumb which is sprained pretty bad.Justin's dad might have caught the crash on video. Paul Hanson will post it in my "Race Photos" link if he got it.
After the med. team scrubbed my wounds and gave me some ice,I got the camcorder and took some video.Sam did very good taking 20th overall and 7th in age. He had to sprint it out with Tim Norrie and Doug Swanson at the end.
I don't know whats going to happen now. I'll be off the mtb for a while untill my wrist can take the constant impact.Northfield is out of the question now, and it will be hard to be sitting on the sidelines.

last one down the trail