Monday, November 24, 2008

Getting going


I took this picture of Mr.Anderson

Is that better?

I had my first speedskating race this weekend. No pack race on saturday only the 1000m on sunday. I had a slow time of 1.39.55. I wasn't trying anyway since I have only been doing slow laps and I have only been on the ice 3 or so times, plus i had a sore throat. I just set a nice smooth rhythm and held it the whole way. I forgot I was chewing gum and Floyd noticed It when I was racing. I proved I can chew gum and skate at the same time.

Sunday, November 16, 2008

Busy Weekend

This weekend was non stop. I kicked it off racing the B class at State Cross Championships. Hardest cross course I've ever ridden. Not a mtb friendly course at all. It was wide open in a lot of sections and groups stayed together. It was a long course also. I heard 2 miles per lap. I wouldn't be surprised if it was longer than that. I got the hole shot to stay out of trouble then stayed with the lead group for a couple laps. The legs felt big and swollen after that and the acid was too great resulting in leg lock (cold might have played a factor in that too). I did the best my legs could handle which wasn't much and came in 17th or so. I was expecting more out of myself but some days the body doesn't cooperate. What made it all worth while were the fans. On the stair run up it was like a European race. Fans lined both sides all the way up shoulder to shoulder and really loud. The sand pit was a first for me. When your legs are already at the brink and then you have to power through 6 inches of sand across a volleyball court then run 3 barriers up a hill, it really hurts. John Thompson did very well finishing with Sam in the A race and he is turning 50 this month.

Sat night we went to the MNSCS awards party at Quality: Where was everybody? Sam Brendan and I were the only ones to show from the top 5. Jan and Heath finished out the top 10 that showed. One expert woman came. We won the expert team trophy too with the help of Jay Richards. I have to put in a congratulations to Jake Richards for making the national development team. Great racing this year.

I finished up the weekend with my first day on the ice today. When I first started out I thought it was going to be a sad day, but I got way better by the time we finished. I was even able to make it to the end of an 8 laper with Ebben and Mike. Mike was the only one from our team to do a Time Trial today. Next week I might start and I know Ebben is going to start just to lay down some base times and see where were at. Floyd was pumped to have pretty much the whole team out there running laps together. He is so proud of his athletes. We finished our session at Mavericks for some roast beef sandwiches and fries.


Suffering near the end

Sam in the volleyball court

Stairway of pain

Top 3 in the MNSCS

Colton Barret in the warm up lane

Friday, November 14, 2008

State Cross




I built some new wheels for cross. I put some Ardennes on my old WTB disc hubs. It was a 32 hole hub and a 24 hole rim so I had to do the rare crows foot pattern and skip a hole every fourth. It looks neat. I almost had to tear down the front and do it over because the spokes stacked up on top of each other left no clearance for the disc caliper. I ended up shimming the rotor towards the fork and maxing the float in the caliper. I have about 1mm clearance between the red pad adjustment knob on the caliper and the spokes. I cornered hard with it and tried to make it rub but it turns out to be OK. Total weight for the wheelset w/o skewers is 1570 grams. If the conditions are right I hope to race these tomorrow otherwise I go with the 26" wheels.

Sunday, November 09, 2008

It happens every year. Whenever I get back from up north I see a big buck up close and personal. We did get 2 deer this weekend. My dad sat down in the stand and 30 seconds later 2 deer come walking in range. He got both, one a small male fawn and the other a fork horn with a nice sized body. I didn't see anything...that is until I got home. So I went for a run this evening when the sun was going down through Snail Lake park. I was running along an 8 foot wide gravel path when around a corner a big 6 pointer is walking towards me. He stops for a couple seconds to look at me and I wait for him to put up his flag and run away with a snort like all other deer. Not this one. He was too busy chasing skirts. He just continues straight towards me and I'm the one backing up. I couldn't believe it, here I am on one side of the path and a big buck is 8ft away from me on the other side and doesn't even care about me. He went up into a field with his nose to the ground searching for a hot doe. Those bucks get pretty stupid during the rut. I had a good time in the woods though. Its so relaxing to take a weekend and do that. Now I have to get back to the routine. The Oval opened up today. Tuesday will be my first day on the ice for evening practice. Time to break out the skates and sharpen them up.

Thursday, November 06, 2008

Its that time of year again



I'm going up nort tomorrow after school. The weather looks crappy for opener day. I don't know how much the deer will be moving around with all the wind. Its just for one weekend for me. Last year I had mine bagged, tagged and on the road back home by noon. I sat in the stand for an 1:45 before it came by. That's the way to do it.

Tuesday, November 04, 2008

I did my 3rd cross race Saturday. I took the hole shot and had 50 meters on the field. Ross Fraboni bridged with a few others. By lap 2 it was me and Ross. Ross held back a few times for me but he was feeling spry the whole race and pulled away. We both rode solo the rest of the race he was 44 sec ahead of me and I was 38 seconds ahead of everyone else. It was my favorite course so far this year with lots of sharp corners. The course was narrower too making it more mtb friendly. Good times.
On Sunday I went to Lebanon and tagged along with Rebbecca (The one putting on lipstick a couple posts back) and her husband. We split up at the expert loop and when I got to the new section of trail she was on the side being interviewed by channel 4. I might have made it in the background during the interview and riding a berm when we left. Side note: Floyd wants your number Rebbecca. You can drop him an email FCB69HL@aol.com
My speedskating season preview is up on skinnyski Janet took the aerial photo of the oval while Floyd was piloting the plane.I wont be there for opening ice because I will be shooting large mammals. The week after that is state cross. Then the Turkey Day Ride will be close.


It got a bit slick last year. The year before highs in the 40's, and the year before that -8 degree windchill.