Jimmy Road Rash luvs Bjet

Working on Stats

2012-02-23T20:11:00.000-08:00

Since December I've been working on a fun annual report style look at my racing career. But work and training has kind of gotten in the way. I can't wait to find some time to sit down and finish it — it will be full of statistical goodness and charts (all for my homeboy Layne).

I also need to buckle down and work out my training plan, at least leading up to Mohican.

Some of the work I have been doing is freelance — I'm trying to save up money to get a new rig to race with the big boys in 2012! I'm hoping to get a sweet Independent Fabrications steel cyclocross bike. I can't wait to get a new bike. All my bikes have 3-4 years on them right now and all the components are falling apart.

Till Blogposts Do Us Part

2012-02-21T19:51:00.001-08:00

I'd like to announce that Bjet, my lovely wife and the person who inspired me to get off my tuchus and start exercising, will be joining me on the blog. She started her blog years ago and I started mine out of mimicking her.

Bjet has been racing on and off since she was 18 years old. She was a scrawny lil vegeterian girl with piercings and dyed hair riding her mountain bike to her job at Penn Station Subs. On the weekends she would go on trips with the BioWheels team to crazy 24 hours races like Big Bear.

In 2002 we both bought mountain bikes (hers being a race worthy machine), and that next year she came back to racing and has been hitting it pretty hard ever since. Last year was "an off year" where she didn't train as hard — but she still did the Mohican 100k, a fair amount of mountain bike races and a great cross season where she finished 2nd in the OVCX.

I'm excited to infuse her opinions and experiences as a female racer into the blog. Bjet also has a lot of valuable knowledge in nutrition, she is currently the nutrition buyer for the Fleet Feet running store in Blue Ash. I've imported her old blog into mine, and you can find her old posts here: Bjet posts.

Good Form Running

2012-02-17T07:59:00.000-08:00

I've been modifying my form this year. I have been following the message in this video to improve my form. I have been feeling pretty healthy and quite a bit faster. Despite going faster I typically get a bit less tired because I am being more efficient.

I would say my main issue in experimenting with this new form is being a bit too robotic. So I have been working to loosen up.

These efficiencies really helped me last weekend in my first trail running race, which I will write about soon.

More information can be found at:
goodformrunning.com/

CommuteVille Rendez-Vous

2012-02-16T06:42:00.000-08:00

I like my commute. I ride from Madisonville on the East Side to Downtown Cincinnati. It's 10-12 miles depending upon my route. I can find some gravel, hills, scenic overlooks or just do a very flat time trail depending upon my mood.

So last night I really wanted to get some miles in, and to put myself through the grinder. So I hit every hill I could think of between my office and home. First I rode up Liberty Hill and Boal Street, then Mount Adams Hills, then hills like Kemper and Collins making my way over to the Alms area, up the 16% wall of Alpine and up to Delta and Ault Park hills.

Man, I fell rough. I was pretty slow but I am still kind of in my post World Championship base period. It was nice to stretch the ride to 30 miles and I rode 4,000 feet of elevation. Not bad for a Wednesday night! I think this is the most elevation I have ridden in a long time!

I was worn out so I went home and ate some Vegan black beans and quinoa, and sweet potato hummus. I kind of looked like the character in the Triplets of Belleville. Then I fell asleep...

Hit the Ground...Running

2012-01-26T10:01:00.001-08:00

So I've dusted myself off from the Masters Worlds. My "rut rash" and stake wounds have nearly healed. It's time to start anew and dream about a new year with new goals.

So I got sick of people knowing that I run, then asking me if I was running the Pig. I always say that I use the Heart Mini for early season fitness, then I just go out and ride a bike because that's fun. But after seeing the Pig last year and watching the Boston, New York, London, and Stockholm marathons on TV I got all siked to try one out.

So I've been running for the past month, taking the typical 5k's I run during Cross season and slowly ramping them up. I've been doing a lot of trail running because I feel it makes your legs stronger due to muscle confusion, and the impact on trails is softer on your joints.

I have big goals, let's see if I can achieve them!

2012-01-20T13:27:00.001-08:00

I went to the dentist today. They said my blood pressure was 130/73 (with a pulse of 54)... I'm a bit worried about that. It's a tad high.

This week I took off to recover, but I've been working too much, not sleeping and drinking a lot. These are major causes of the high blood pressure.

I'm planning some changes for the new year with my diet. Last year I realized I was typically not eating enough calories to build muscle. So I began to eat more, and eat more protein.

But I got into the bad habit of cramming a bunch of food down my throat. Sometimes it was salty or fatty food, and I started to eat quickly again without thinking of what I was eating.

So I want to cut back on salt, eat more veggies and I plan to try some radical new diets. Stay tuned in!

Stop! Jump!

2012-01-13T17:04:00.001-08:00

I tried to alter my JumpStop chain catcher so it won't let my chain bounce off the top. I flipped it upside down, and bent the former bottom so it's over the chain. But I also had to flatten/bend the former top so it wouldn't drop the chain into the frame, like it did 7 times during my race (not an exaggeration)...

Race #115: For Pride and Nation

2012-01-11T18:10:00.000-08:00

Photo by Joe Becerra

I just finished my first Nationals cyclocross race. It's been a great year, I got a win in my age group for Ohio Masters age 35-39. I got 3rd in the Midwest Regionals. So now I'm representing Ohio in Nationals, and representing the U.S. of A. in the (Masters) Worlds.

I remember being a Cat 4 in 2008 and being intimidated by the big races. And I should be, the fields are large and loaded with talent. But over time I embraced these races, they're kind of like the playoffs and you have to get amped up for the big game. Unfortunately I haven't had much luck in these races. Maybe I get overwhelmed, maybe even awestruck by the amount of talent and fanfare these events attract. But at the end of the day you feel 1% Pro, you had to travel, live out of a suitcase and only worry about racing your bike for an entire weekend.

After the OVCX (Ohio Valley Cyclocross Series) ended I chose just to go out and ride my bike and have fun. I feel like I've had some killer training but not racing since early December may have taken an edge off my game. I still didn't let this bother me. I know at Nats and the big races there are a ton of variables you cannot control so I just wanted to go out and do my best for 45 minutes. My wife, Bjet the killer cross racer, stopped racing at the end of the season and is a little upset with me that I'm still going, blowing money on races. And she was a little peeved about having to drive to Madison, Wisconsin in January. But, she was 100% supportive. She got my bike fixed up, letting me swap out my broken parts for nice ones from her road bike. And she let me use her sweet CX bike as my pit bike, and she pitted for me! I love her so much, I know she didn't want to be there but she didn't let me down!

I got to drive up and stay with my Sis in Chicago on Friday night. I went out for a late nite warmup spin on the Lakefront Trail and saw the skyline and moon shining over the lake. Next morning, a hectic 3 hour commute to the race with a couple small detours that cost me some warmup gear adjustment time.

Warm up was fun. The Pro Women were out on the course and I got some pointers from Sue Butler. Then I cleaned off my bike and warmed up. But I did make 2 mistakes: 1, I didn't get to double-check or lower my tire pressure; 2, I didn't get to watch the race before me and see how they attacked the technical sections of the course. But I felt like I did a pretty good trainer warmup, really focused on hitting my different zones and ramping it up.

So I got to the start of the Masters age 35-39 race with just enough time to get cold again, and BANG! The start. I actually started well! I was holding my midpack position around the first bend, with riders 5-8 rows wide going around the turn. I heard my friends Ben, Andrew, Zach and Enzo shouting at me. I was churning through the ruts, still in the pack, when my bikes just started accelerating and veering off course. Evidently there was a bit of icy frozen tundra at the bottom of the rut. I ended up slamming into a big wooden stake holding the caution tape.

I took a second to make sure the chain was on and the caution was not in my cassette and took off again. But I was in last! So I started racing my ass off. The only problem is sometimes you get a bit too aggressive and take a lame line that winds up slowing you down. I was chewing myself out inside my head, and I was embarrassed to drag Bjet along and to perform so badly.

The Nationals course in Madison is sweet. It's this big prairie with a hill in the middle. You ride up it, with the last bit being a steep wall. Then you descend, come back around and run up a bunch of stairs. Then you descend. Then you run up barriers. Then you climb some more. Then you come back down and go through some mud and sand. It was a blast!

I think I got about 3 laps in. On my third I was chuggin up the big hill and I just completely blew up! I made a mistake on the climb and ended up running a bunch of it and that pushed my heart rate over the edge and I seriously nearly threw up! I ended up dropping a couple spots trying to recover. Damn! That rarely ever happens, I guess I just asked for too much on a challenging course.

I rolled in 45th, which means after my rough start I was able to claw back about 20 guys. I was pulled early and was down 2 laps on the leaders, I think they only let the top 30 finish. My friends Christian, Cooper and Ben all said I did a good job pulling people in and I stopped kicking myself.

Later I looked online at a race predictor and it ends up they predicted me to finish 45th? Weird. That was my whole season, there was the potential result, and then there was the actual result...

I was so happy to have my sister Julie come and watch, and her boyfriend Joe took some killer photos of me! We went back to the hotel and I watched the Bengals blow the big game and I could really identify with them. So we went out for dinner on the town. The next day Bjet and I woke up early and we did a bit of sightseeing. I ran 8 miles around Lake Manona training for the Pig while Bjet rode.

We went to lunch and then we went to watch the Pro get crowned National Champions. I think it's so cool that if you win you are the only one who gets to wear the National Champion's Red, White and Blue for a year. Wow. Watching the race was such a blast, and Bjet finally was happy she came. I'm going to edit some video to post later. Killer!

Hour, Power, Wower

2011-12-30T22:18:00.001-08:00

I don't own a PowerTap. But years ago I bought one for my wife Bjet after I scheduled our wedding and the another second family reception during the two most important UCI CX weekends. So here and there I borrow it and collect targeted data.

After the OVCX season ended I really wanted to keep racing to keep my fitness and skills sharp for Masters Nationals and Masters Worlds. I don't typically do these races but they are so close this year. Well, I was burned out back in November. Bjet was done racing and preferred that I not go off and disappear all day and waste money on races and gas. So I decided to stay close to home and put myself in the hurt locker. I've been having a blast going out and getting miles in, I'm pushing myself to ride more than I did during CX season, but I'm having fun doing it.

The nerdy data chart above shows the tests I have done this year, and highlights from past tests. I'm very excited to see the results get better and better. I was a little scared when they declined after Thanksgiving but my test today was the best average yet! Now it's time to rest and recover and get ready for the big races!

So to get some speed endurance fitness I like to go out and hammer for as long as I can. What I don't do enough is test myself against the hour. I've only done this a few times. I've been using the bike path because it is relatively flat and there are not many people on it during weekdays or in the winter. The only trouble is the slight change in gradients and the intersections...

So today I went up to try another and I borrow Bjet's full bike, not just her powertap wheel... Well, a chain link broke apart and got caught in the derailleur, ripping it off. It's a beautiful gold Seven Resolute road bike, and the chain scratched the seat stay. Now I am in the dog house! I feel horrible. It didn't even happen during the Hour attempt, maybe it was a good thing I was pedaling easy because I could have gotten hurt or damaged the bike even more.

I have annihilated every personal power record this year. Except for the 5sec, which I set when I sprinted against my homie Bill Meek up a hill. Maybe we have to do that again next year! I need to get that 5sec power up to 1200w soon, I know if will help my racing.

Local Parks become Battlegrounds

2011-12-27T17:27:00.000-08:00

One of my favorite things about cyclocross is that you can turn any space into a race course. Cyclocross is kind of the "Parkour" of cycling and any steps, logs, hills, fields become fair game.

Since I started racing cross I turned the park down the street into a practice course for myself. Each race where I fail at some technical aspect, I just throw it into the course design and try to make myself better at it here in my Bramble Park Cyclocross Laboratory. Lately I've been trying to get some fast laps in before work, trying to ready myself for Natz and Worldz.

This year I have had the fortune of riding with some of the Lionhearts Juniors at Armleter. It is so fun to see them progress, and I am amazed at how focused and experience they already are. I have had a blast battling with some of them, they are really quite fast and I can never let my guard down! Alex, Nathan, Zachary and Enzo are a group of really smart kids, and I am glad that we can share an activity and learn from each other. It turns out that a few of them live in my neighborhood so they came over to Bramble park for some fun laps the other day. Quite fun!

Merry Cross-mas

2011-12-24T09:36:00.000-08:00

A group of us met up at Kings, but there wasn't a large of a crowd as we imagined plus the ground was extremely wet. We originally planned to race, but we rode around for an hour and a half chasing each other and having fun. Wow, my legs aren't used to slogging through mud. They're getting soft not racing the past few weeks.

Dude, I saw Rogue's Jason Cox ramp/bunny hop over a tree that was over a foot and half tall. He was on a mountain bike but still, I am too chicken to try. Do you think he could teach me skills? I hope Santa brings me rad skills...

Merry Christmas! May you all get all the sweetest carbon fibers thingies your hearts desire.

The day before I used some of my time off work to go for a fun hill ride around the East Side. My riding time was cut short due to a flat — but I was able to revisit a lot of my favorite climbs that I haven't ridden much since training for Mohican.

I was a bit of a naughty boy and I grabbed a slice of chocolate cake and blueberry cobbler from Milford's Main Cup, I used them as a gourmand's version of a power bar during the ride.

The Road to Worlds is Paved with Suffering!

2011-12-15T19:55:00.000-08:00

Since Old Man Worlds is just down the road I decided to keep training and also go to Nats and check out all the insanity. Originally I was planning to take a month off and rest up, but these big races are just too close not to jump into to.

We are fortunate enough to have plenty of races to keep us fit leading into these Championships:
12/11 CapCity Finale: I had to miss it, the Missus is sick of driving everywhere. I really wanted to attend, CapCity is my second home!
12/17-18: Indy Cup Series: In Indy, not too far away.
12/31-1/1: Chicago Cup OR
12/31 New Year's Eve King's Race? There was one last year.
1/1 Devou: I'm planning to put on a fun race to benefit the Devou Cyclocross Park. It will make for great training for Worlds!
1/7 NATIONALS!
1/13-15: WORLDS!

I think I'm going to keep my marriage intact and not tick off Bjet too much and skip the Indy Cup races too. I am going to Nats, it will be great to check out the pageantry and watch the Elite Women and Men battle for the crown. Worlds will be fun, seeing all my friends for one last race. Plus Madison and Louisville are super cool cities with plenty of fun things to do.

Instead of racing I'm planning to keep it local, and race against myself doing time trials and power tests. This will allow for more riding time, less travel. I'm going to keep it chill and not race for once!

Pump up the Volume!

2011-12-13T19:01:00.000-08:00

NOTE TO READER: This post is a whine-fest. I wanted to throw it out there as incentive not to let this happen in the future!

I have a confession to make. I haven't been keeping my nose to the grindstone. I could have worked harder this year. After mountain bike season I stopped minding my training schedule and I purely raced off that MTB fitness through the first half of cross season. My CX bike was in need of repairs, so unlike last year, I did not start practicing skills in June. In fact I barely practiced my skills. I think the 6-8 hours of training I was getting in early November did not help the end of my cross season.

Oops, my "coach" forgot to fill out the training schedule after August:

I'm sure if I would have kept on my strength training, intervals and skill workouts I would have had a better year. But I learned. We're only human. I had to work to keep the money coming in. I typically trained about 12 hours a week, and I know that is a luxury. Plus, I really did have a good year. I just now it could have been slightly better. And that nags me.

In some ways I trained so diligently in the first 5 months that after Mohican I felt a bit burned out and just rode my bike. So I focused on racing every race I could to continue the intensity. But sometimes driving to a weeknight MTB or CX time trial you spend more time in the car than you do on the bike!

Also, I got a bit scared when I read an article about London commuters being affected by pollution. I got scared off the bike and commuted less than normal. Commuting is my bread and butter, I save money and get to train all at once! That's why I've been so strong in the past. Fortunately The Bike Show Podcast put some of my concerns to rest, I could simply take quieter streets on my everyday commute to cut back some of this exposure to pollution. Plus, the health benefits from cycling hopefully will out weight the effects of pollution. Plus Cincinnati is not London!

How to figure out what type of Cyclist you are:

2011-12-13T08:39:00.000-08:00

My co-worker sent this to me. It holds up pretty well.

No budg for grunge

2011-12-10T08:51:00.001-08:00

I was going to swing by BioWheels for fresh cables. But once I cleaned my bike I realized I need a new bottom bracket, chain (and bike) too!

The Battle of 45227

2011-12-06T18:42:00.000-08:00

I wanted to congratulate my friend and zip code nemesis Jason Karew on thoroughly whoopin my booty this year. Jason bested me in many contests this year, and when I did beat him I did a little victory dance! In the end Jason got the better of me and really finished the season on a high note. He's the Ali to my Frazier, the Nadal to my Federer.

It's always nice to have someone to hold after a muddy race. Can't wait til next year!

Chasing Perfection while Wheel-sucking Mediocrity

2011-12-05T06:34:00.000-08:00

I've been so busy this year with work that I haven't bored my dear readers with long winded race reports. So here is my recap of the 2011 Ohio Valley Cyclocross (OVCX) season — a year marked with progress, success, failure, and great times with friends and family. I love racing with my friends every weekend, our lives are so crazy. We get to go out and reenact little battles, where we exhibit the best and the worst of human qualities, using camaraderie and the spirit of competition to bring out the best in ourselves. And on top of it we get to see the other cool cities around the Midwest, have a nice meal with our friends. You guys (assuming your my racing friends) really bring so much happiness to my life. Thank you! And thank you for reading this.

Before we proceed I must mention that the top 20 riders get paid in the Elite OVCX races, and if you're not on the podium, or top 10, being top 20 is a decent target. Just so you know I ain't no gold digger!

Race # 96: Fishsticks!
Back row start due to late registration switch (forced out of Elite race due to my Cat 3 status, didn't relize I could race Elite Masters as a 3), I got a back row start. Aside from dropping a chain and the above pictured crash on lap 2, I wove my way through 53 riders to nab 23rd. I felt good, hey maybe I'll be getting some money this year in the top 20?!

Race #98: Brookside with an entree of humility
Lots of chaos at the start, the USA cycling ref didn't give us a warning and the gun went off with both my feet on the ground! I got caught behind someone else's crash too, and I came through last on the first lap. But once again I turned on the jets and wove my way through. At one point I caught 4 Papa Johns rider in their own little chase group. I gobbled them up like a large pepperoni leaving only John Mandrola on my wheel (you want me to finish an entire pizza by myself?). We caught my homie Jason Karew and had a little battle. What a blast! With one-lap-to-go I made a joke to John because he wouldn't take a pull, Jason attacked! Since he's my homie I let him gain some ground, then attacked John. Woo hoo! I got 18th and I was in the money! Sweet, sweet money.

Race #99: Saint Mary save me from the Mud!
I spent the night with teamates Jaden and Bridget in their RV. What a blast! They're vegan so I brought my own vegan grub, and it was a learning experience I will blog about later (since then I stopped buying lunchmeat with a face and now I eat the Tofurkey, same protein with less sodium and guilt!). It freaking rained all night!

So the race was a disaster for me, but at least I made some money, i.e,. dollar hand ups! I fought with the bike all day, I would try to ride fast only to fly through the tape and lose spots and time. Ugh, 27th!

Race #101: un-Geared fest
After success at Brookside I was hoping to be in the money again. But as luck would have it it was not to be. On the first lap I noticed my front skewer was loose, it was a non-Shimano brand and evidently it was worn out and decided to come loose. So I pulled off to the side and fixed it. Then the next lap I tried to bunny-hop a log and came down and bent my chain guard! Every pedal stroke sounded like it was going to saw my chain off! So once again I pulled over and fixed it. I burned a ton of matches trying to ride out of last place twice to just end up 26th...

Photo by the speedy champion, Julie Lewis-Sroka

Race #102: A Glimmer of Hope
My stomach was full of anger! I was fed up with having less than perfect races. Got off to a great start! Check. I was in a group battling for 11th! Wow! Eventually the group shattered me and I was fighting with homie Will Sherman for 16th. On the last lap we were riding so hard I started to see stars on a long grinding hill! But wow, finally a respectable race from gun to line.

Photo by the awesome Jen and Mark Farmer

Race #104: Shot to pieces at Gun Club
My shifter broke just before the start of the race. Okay, it was Tiagra... I was trying to save money for a new bike!

Bjet let me borrow her gorgeous Seven Mudhoney. I missed my callup and started on the backline. Bjet is taller than me and all legs, and even with the saddle adjustment it was like riding a penny farthing for the first fees laps.

But then I locked up with the bike and started riding my way up through The pack. I got into 21st and I hunted down 20th position. I actually had the sprint! But suddenly the chain whipped off! Maybe too much motion? Had to settle for missing the money but I felt the peformance was respectable. Without the mechanical and missed callup perhaps I would have placed on the 35+ Masters podium...

Race #105: Bloomin' Bullocks
I was having a decent race here too, until my front tubie went flat. I guess a branch with some thorns punctured it! I pitted, grabbed my other wheel. Started riding again only to realize my wheel was loose, I should have done things right the first time when I pitted. Dang it. 28th. I grabbed a chocolate chip cookie handup though...

Race #109: Stormin' the Greens
Ever have one of those days where you are all groggy and can't wake up. That's what happened here. I had a horrible start, went completely backwards. But once I woke up I had a great race. I loved riding with my friend/zip code nemesis Jason Karew. We were pretty equally matched, Jason being a bit stronger than me, but we did a great job trading pulls. I somehow got away from him and finished 21st. Darn it! So close. If I was fresh minded from the gun perhaps I would have had some cash, and a 3rd place in the 35+ Masters... Dig the retro kit? It was Halloween!

Race #112: Demoted at Promotion Cross
Tough race. Totally muddy. But I had a great time with my teammates. There were 5 of us in a train, all in a row, in the first two laps. My teammate Mike Schulze was riding sooooo smooth and just rode away from me. I then had to battle with my bestfriend and teammate Nate for the last money spot. I did it again! Finally! But there was a snag. Somehow my timing chip stopped registering and I was placed DFL! I felt pretty angry and jipped at first. I even had a temper tantrum. But in the end I know no one did it intentionally, and bad calls happen. No sport is fallible. Remember the Cubs getting denied the Series because of the foul ball? Bad shit happens. Oh well, there will be plenty of more races and hopefully Lady Luck will swing my way again.

Photo by Drew Bogner

Race #114: A Jester amongst Kings
Well, somehow I started the race "off the front," but it went all pear-shaped and I ended up 3 laps down. Perhaps it was the fact I stopped for 2-3 beer handups every lap...

Well, I raced every OVCX race this year. Perfect attendance! Perhaps if I pay more attention to race preparation, make it less of a social event, I could really get some results next year. But then, perhaps it would be much less fun! I still have a lot to learn, I am proud of my better performances and hopefully with a bit more work I can make them more frequent.

Race #113: Slipping and Sliding into Bronze

2011-12-03T18:43:00.001-08:00

Today was the sloppy Midwest Regional Masters and Juniors Championships at Kings. It wasn't muddy all over, just bogs and puddles that would suck down your wheels.

Actually I had a really good start, I was super happy. But I didn't get to pre-ride the entire course or watch the previous race. I should have rolled around and observed the most efficient ways to tackle the course. So it cost, after my great start I tried to ride a muddy section and got stuck in the mud! My zip code nemesis and buddy Jason flew by me running.

Fortunately my teammates Joe and Jaden pitted for me. I brought my 28 lb mountain bike. It was soooooo heavy! But I would only ride it at half lap intervals while they cleaned up the ole Redline. I never pitted before, and my first pit I caught my crotch on my mtb seat! Very embarrassing! I hope everyone got a laugh!

So my teammate Gersy was having a killer ride. I kept sliding and falling like an idiot, he was breathing down my neck. In the end I barely beat him, I wish we both could have made the podium. He was truly stronger today but the bike changes did help.

Very happy my parents got to see me get on the podium. Unfortunately my Dad started smoking again and there was a very Belgian moment where he was smoking next to the barriers... Geez! Very gross!

My CX Race Routine

2011-11-21T20:12:00.000-08:00

I thought I would share a few notes, hopefully it could help others and this will serve as a good reminder for next year:

Before the Race:
1. Have your directions ready!
2. Pre-Reg if possible, hopefully this is cheaper and is less of a hassle on race day
3. Pack kit bag the night/day before (I always forget something in the morning!)
4. Have that bike nice and clean the day before too!

Morning Nutrition:
I make sure I eat a good breakfast. Perhaps it's oatmeal, fruit and juice. Maybe if I want some real protein I go overboard with a turkey bacon and egg sandwich. I take 1-2 pieces of fruit for snacking on the car ride. I also take something hearty like a sandwich or small meal to consume 3 hours before my race. I drink 32 oz of water on the trip, along with a warm-up bottle, maybe a race bottle, and a recovery drink. Just before my race I take a gel, I've been preferring ones with caffeine for heightened awareness.

Pre-Race
I like to arrive 2 hours before the first race, but this is actually 3 hours before my race. So here's how I fill that time:
1. Get my number
2. Get it on the kit!
3. Put bike together, do it right the first time. I think one race this year I forgot to double check my skewer and brakes before taking it out of the car... It can cost you time in the race if something is off.
4. Course preview, start to warm up by getting out on the course and ride it at a relaxed pace.
5. More warm up, or walk the dog, watch how some riders approach technical sections of the course, whatever.
6. During the next open block of time I do hot laps of the course, getting to know what lines to take at speed.
7. During the last race before mine I will watch the start noticing if there are places you could get pinched or wrecks could happen. If I didn't get to before, scout the technical features and how the faster riders are approaching them (Is it better to should vs. suitcase, bunnyhop, or fall-over clumsily?).
8. I like to get on the trainer for half an hour. Warm up slow, and slowly get faster watching your heart rate. By the end hopefully you are up to 85% of your race heart rate, maintaining this at a high cadence for a minute or two. Jump off!
9. Get stuff in the pit!
10. Some short sprints if I have time.
11. Get to the start 5-10 before, stretch, double-check equipment.

Race!
1. Wheelsuck
2. Pass
3. Punch spectators who insult you in Flemish
4. Take all the hand-offs if you have time to spare (trick statement, you never have time to spare)
5. Win (I typically forget this step/other dudes with more skillz remember to do this)

Afterwards:
1. I like to cool down by riding some more. Perhaps ride over the the p[it and get your things.
2. Ride around or jump on the trainer for awhile to cool down.
3. Check results once they are posted (I just got burned NOT doing this!)
4. Pack up and don't forget anything!
5. Go eat with your friends, check out a cool local place and have a good time!

Belgian Convict

2011-11-15T16:50:00.001-08:00

Euro mullet + faux-hawk + cross beard = trouble.

Race #110: Fan Love

2011-11-11T13:29:00.001-08:00

It was the UCI Cincy3 weekend and all the big guns were in town. Thursday night I went to the Jpow and Chris Mayhew clinic. It was a nice refresher, I really need to work on my technique. So at one point we were practicing starts (my weakness) and I ended up having 1 good one -- I look over and I just a bike length behind Jpow. That was sweeeet, but it didn't last long.

So Saturday I was setting up and a couple started pre-riding the course. We started talking and exchanged names, she was Teresa and when I mentioned my name was James she asked if I were Jimmy Roadrash. I had to laugh, I started this nerdy blog as on online diary of my cycling adventures, something to print out and pull out to bore my children some day. I am always honored when people say they read it, I hope they are entertained. So I got to make a cycling friend and I got to root for her the next day.

The next day Matt's son Lucas asked for an autograph. I told him I wasn't a pro and I actually live just down the street. I was honored he still wanted my autograph, it was the first time someone wanted it! I got to sign Jimmy Roadrash next to all my heroes

I was so tired, I thought my race would go poorly. A few nights of sleep deprivation, tons of work stress, and a bunch of physical labor meant I was pretty tapped out! I had a killer headache and I just wanted to take a nap. I decided to race, but to miss the call-up and jump in the back row. I was dead last coming through in the start. But after a half lap I finally felt good again and started riding well. The course was really fun, very muddy and the grass was like a wet carpet. It was awesome to see a pro like Georgia Gould cheering for us! I felt pretty good, took killer lines and ended up 17th. I am very happy with that compared to last year.

Katie Compton the thrasher

2011-11-11T06:32:00.000-08:00

This workout is pretty badass! Can be pretty tough, I would suggest to ease yourself into it!

Upgrade me please!

2011-11-07T19:11:00.000-08:00

I'm praying to Saint Christopher, La Madonna del Ghisallo, Eddie Merckx, Lance Armstrong, Superman and anyone who will listen to have USA cycling please approve my upgrade to a Cat 2. Third time is a charm?

I would like to upgrade my cyclocross license to a Category 2, a conversion based upon my Category 1 XC Mountain Bike license.

http://www.usacycling.org/news/user/story.php?id=2627

I have been racing Elite Cyclocross for the past 2 years with consistent finishes beating many other category 2 riders:
Ohio State Cyclocross Championship Day 1 MEN 35-39 10/22/2011 1 347.49
Lionheart CX Men A 9/10/2011 3 348.87
Ohio State Cyclocross Championship Day 2 Men 1/2/3 10/23/2011 10 317.01
John Bryan Cyclocross Classic Cat 1/2 10/2/2011 16 253.65
Cincy3 Harbin Park Cat 2/3 11/6/2011 17 271.00

I am one of the top ranked Cat 3's in Ohio and I would love to continue my career as a Cat 2.

Thank You,
James

I hope this works. I know some of the wording sounds "douchy" but I'm trying to sell myself. If I get this, I plan to get my UCI license, race in the Masters CX World Championships and train my little bottom off to race against the Pros in the USGPs and the UCI weekend. If I don't get this, I'll ask for a downgrade to Cat 4 and just sandbag until I win enough socks that I can retire.

Giving back

2011-11-07T09:45:00.001-08:00

As a racer there are so many days I show up, throw down, hold out my hand for a prize then go home. Some racers make it a pretty selfish existence.

I love contributing for the greater good, giving back to a culture that I dearly love. Sometimes it's through free or discounted design work, sometimes it hands on labor at races.

A couple weeks ago Matt Bell and I hosted a fun cross race at Devou. It was so fun to sit back and watch others throw down, and to see the race money donated back into a permanent cyclocross course that will continue to make Cincy a cross powerhouse.

Last weekend I had a blast helping set up the Cincy3 Harbin Park race course. It's incredible to be part of a big C1 UCI event, and to see the international pros compete. I'm proud of Mitch and the BioWheels team for putting on such a top-notch event.

I would strongly urge everyone to volunteer whenever they can. I'm sure your local promoters would love any help they can get. It also makes me appreciate what goes into putting on a race. Plus, Bjet and I have been lucky enough to save $500 in race entries this year!

Holy Shit! I love my dog.

2011-10-28T08:48:00.000-07:00

Man, I really love my dog Kona. She is a trip, and it's great to have a dog that can share in my love of the outdoors and keep up while we run, hike and ride.

This is my leg-opener ride for last weekend's races. Took out the MTB on some local trails to enjoy the Autumn weather. It had rained a few days before so I took Patrick the Paragon (my mountain bike) so my Rita the Redline (cyclocross bike) would be nice and fresh for the race. I'm glad I did that, I rolled through some very stinky feces perhaps from a horse of someone else's dog. Thus the "Holy Shit!"

Yeah, it's great to share recovery rides and take time to smell the roses with my little four-legged companion. We're lucky she is very good off-leash, and it gets her the exercise she needs.

It's Gold Baby!

2011-10-22T19:35:00.001-07:00

Sweet! I'm the Ohio State Cyclocross Champion, of dudes aged 35-39. Champagne and hookers all night! Okay, maybe not. But I DO have Tom Boonen's haircut.

Top of the World, if just for a Day

2011-10-18T19:06:00.000-07:00

It looks like I won the perfect attendance award. Twice.

I've raced just about every cyclocross race I can find, searching for results I can be happy with, but most races leave me feeling like I could have done better. Since I'm out there everyweekend I've tallied up enough points to earn top rankings in old dudes in Ohio as well as the OVCX.

I'm still searching for my luck, my fitness and my technique to come together for the perfect race. Only 3 more left in the OVCX, I have a feeling there are many racers lurking in the shadows and I hope to maintain a podium in the overall, but will be just as happy with a top 5.

Race #105, Caught by the short and curlies

2011-10-16T19:55:00.001-07:00

A beautiful day in Bloomington! I was just starting to find my groove in the race when my front tubie went flat! I may have caught a thorn during the race or perhaps even before the race.

So after making an inept wheel change I got back out there but I couldn't resist grabbing some dollars from Shamrock Cycle's guru Tim and a chocolate chip cookie from some little girls in the sandpit. I took a bite and stuffed the rest with the money down the front of my skinsuit. It made an interesting photo once I unzipped after the race.

Nice fall weather! And the BioWheels dudes hit Bloomington's Uphill Brewery for some beer and a bite. Bjet and I got to carpool with BioWheels newest Cat 3 Dan, who tore up the Cat 4s. It was nice to have a new friend on a very long car trip.

Although I had another bad day, it was wonderful to see Bjet return to form as she took 3rd place overall and 2nd in the Elite Women's Open.

2011-10-11T15:12:00.001-07:00

Commute home along the mighty Ohio.

2011-10-10T15:18:00.001-07:00

Bjet and I took the day off to celebrate our 4 year Wedding anniversary. A hike with Kona and a leisurely ride on some local trails with a stop for some chocolates!

Preseason (again, what is this, the third time this year?)

2011-09-30T13:40:00.000-07:00

I'm getting a bit behind in my tales... It's been fun seeing a lot of you again!

Race #94: Lionhearts CX
Bridget and I missed the 6 Hours of Versailles. I ended up getting busy with work and the last minute registration seemed a bit high to me. I was hoping to go out there and get a podium this year, to top my 4th place finish behind teammates Charlie Miller and Nate last year. Well, it turns out it was a real drag race and my hopes may have been dashed anyway.

So we stayed close to home and kept it cheap. The Lionhearts CX wouldn't take all day and the money went to a good cause.

Best Barriers Ever

2011-09-26T07:16:00.000-07:00

Here's a video from yesterday's OVCX race. Man those barriers were tough once my bike got heavy with mud. Jason Karew's barrier/money-grabbing form was incredible! Nate made $25, more than my payout for placing 18th the day before!

Cross Obsession, let it begin!

2011-09-12T09:04:00.000-07:00

Cyclocross Tour of Cincy

2011-09-11T15:14:00.001-07:00

Bjet's bike is back from the shop so we got to race yesterday and today we went out for a nice ride. We rode the trails through local parks. We just climbed the Devou Lewisburg trail when lightning was starting to flash.

So we sought shelter in Covington's MainStraße Oktoberfest. It rained on our parade for a bit, so we had to cut out ride a bit short but we had fun. We got to ride along the river, climb some hills and look out upon the city and the river.

I could rock some tweed on this

2011-09-06T18:32:00.000-07:00

I think I love Shamrock Cycles. They make some sweet bikes.

A lovely day

2011-09-05T14:38:00.001-07:00

I woke up and there was a chill in the air. The sky was gloomy but in a good way. It's one of those days you sit inside and eat comfort food, watch great movies and listen to jazz. It also felt like great cyclocross weather.

Went to BioWheels to have all my mountain bikes and cross bike ready to race. Brought Kona with me, chilled with Mitch B.S.'in about race stories.

Then I grabbed a quick lunch from Coffee Please in Madiera. Took Kona down to these trails next to the Little Miami river. She ran next to the cross bike and I had a little picnic on the shore while we played fetch with a stick in the water. She swam for about 45 minutes then we hit the trails for another half hour. I was so content. It's days like this I am happy to be alive. Thank God and Grover Cleveland for Labor Day!

Later lil' Bjet and I went for a recovery ride on the mountain bikes on some local hiking trails. I had a bit of fun throwing on my leaders jersey from the day before for a change of pace!

Race #92: A New Classic

2011-09-04T21:14:00.000-07:00

Let us step back in time. Europe, steel frames, handlebar mustaches, goggles, dirt roads with muddy ruts from horse-drawn carts. Throw in some sadomasochistic race promoters and voila, one-day classics are born. Paris-Roubaix, Ronde Vlaanderen, Milan-San Remo. I'll never get to race these races. But Andy, Mason and Kyle from Columbus's CapCity have created something treacherous right here in Ohio — a short race compared to the Classics but not short on difficulty. It's called the Frankenbike 50.

The race takes place in Scioto Trails State Park between Chillicothe and Portsmouth. 4,500 feet of the best climbs in Ohio — an abundant crop of Appalachian foothills rise up from the modest Ohio farmland — on gravel forest roads which comprise about half of the race course. Connecting the climbs are some scenic paved roads through valley farms and homesteads. And another twenty percent of the course is what they call "singletrack" but are really horse trails — not the image of beautiful, flowy, groomed mountain bike singletrack that one would love to ride. But what goes up must come down. At the end of each gravel climb there is a section of horse trails that quickly drop back down. Steep, ungroomed trails with loads of humps that prevent erosion. After an extremely harsh winter and wet spring, these trails were covered in down limbs, large rocks from washed out gullies and patches of hoof-pocked mud pits from horseback riders. The race is about 45ish miles long, but Frankenbike 50 sounds better (and when you are done you will be glad there wasn't another 5 miles).

So which bike to ride? Thus the name Frankenbike. A road bike got in the top-10 last year, but the descents were more treacherous this year. A cross bike does well on the gravel and trail, but those downhills almost call for a mountain bike. Cross bikes with disc brakes? Single-speed fully-rigid 29er mountain bike with skinny tire. Almost every iteration you could think of was represented in the top 10 this year.

When I first read the race course description a year ago I knew I had a chance to do well. I felt the combination of climbs and trails might favor my riding style, I do well by maintaining a middle-range of power for long periods of time. Long climbs will dislodge the guys with better bike-handling skills, road sections will wear out the mountain bikers. So I wanted to win. But it's a "Gran FUNdo," one category for all the riders with just one "winner" and the overall goal was just to have fun. So am I a jerk if I wanted to win? Yes, but someone has to right?

This year started with a neutralized roll out to create a community amongst the racers. We could warm up together, keep us safe on public roads and share a few jokes before the first gravel climb separates the pack. In both years of this race, the first climb quickly makes a selection. It's a steady 2 mile climb and once you reach the top there are a bunch of little kicking rollers that make you want to cry. Both years I have made sure to make this selection. This year a large pack stayed together halfway up the climb and I was surprised to see an equal representation of crossers and mountain bikers. And both years one rider has put in a tremendous effort to tear this selection apart and stew us in lactic acid — Trek Store Columbus's Tony Viton is a monster. Last year he was one the front of a group of four (of which I was tailgunning), this year I was in second struggling to keep him within 15 seconds.

We reached the top and began the first technical descent together with a small group of mountain bikers about a minute back. The descent was very treacherous on cross bikes, I was glad I ponied up for the TRP brakes this year. At one point I was going sideways with a leg out and somehow I saved it! That could have been bad. You would be trying to not endo over the water-bars when you would be forced to bunny-hop a tree branch. Meanwhile thorn bushes lined both side to the trail to remind you to stay on course.

Tony's riding was very smooth and once we reached the bottom we looked back to see only one of the mountain bikers made it down but had gained time on us. So we worked together taking pulls although I admit Tony's strong form kept him out in the wind a bit more. And I began to notice a slight lack of pressure in my rear tire. I think that descent had taken a toll on my bike.

Another climb and a descent and the mountain biker had caught up. It was Ben from the Ohio State Cycling Team, and he was clearly a force to be reckoned with. A bond quickly formed and we worked together, chatting between pulls and making sure everyone was okay when the occasional spill happened on the trails. My tire was getting low and I was forced to pull over. I was guessing it was a slow leak so I hit it with some CO2, but it was up to 60 psi. Tony and Ben kept a steady pace up the climb and I chased to catch back up. They even waited about 20 seconds for me at the check point on top of the hill. And alas another white-knuckling technical descent. This time I was surfing down on 60 psi and it felt a bit more like a pogo stick. I lost a little bit of time again and had to work hard to catch back up.

Some of the horse trails featured steep hike-a-bikes. I know they were over 20%, but I have heard GPS computers recording 40%. It's weird to be shouldering your bike walking, and still be out of breath. Ben started to gain an advantage on his mountain bike. And Tony began to feel the effects of the hoof-marks. The trail was so bumpy, where muddy trails had been ridden and now dry resemble something much more akin to the pavé of Paris-Roubaix. Fortunately I have been mountain biking all summer, but I recall riding the trails on my cross bike last spring and feeling the burn in my arms. That along with a death-grip on your cantilever brakes would give anyone a quick case of carpal tunnel. Tony, one of the strongest riders, was worn down by the course.

I passed Tony and was keeping Ben in my sights. After checkpoint 2 Ben had easily gained over a minute. We hit a road section and I thought I could pull him back but I was unable to. My 1x9 was inadequately geared for the steep rollers on the trails, the hike-a-bikes had taken their toll too. I would try to stretch my hamstring and my quad would cramp and vice-versa. All race long I felt like I didn't have a chance. Riding behind strong riders with a leaky back tire. I felt more than ever my chance was slipping away. I refueled hoping to prevent the onslaught of day-ending cramps. As the road eventually tilted upward again I was able to regain contact. Ben and I continued to ride together and this time I made a point to stay on his wheel on the trails.

We hit checkpoint 3 together and Mason was dressed up like a ghoul listening to Misfits and Slayer! Mason said we had a solid lead but warned us of a group of riders charging from behind. Ben and I set out on another long grinding hill together. After about a mile and a half Ben began to slow. I told him I would see him at the bottom, expecting that his sweet 29er would shred the gravel downhills and upcoming trails.

So this is where the sang-froid of racing took over. I knew that my little 1x9 cross bike was no match in a sprint or the final technical down hill. Eventually I lost visual contact with Ben and I put the hammer down. I wanted to win right? Grab the bull by the horns! In my mind I resembled one of my heros of the Classics. Nose to stem, high cadence, crushing every roller. And one last technical descent. I gave it everything I had and in the process flatted the front tire too. I had to ride the last section of singletrack on a flabby tire, every corner feeling like I was in a mud pit. All the while I was assuming Ben was just behind me. I hit the final bit of road and nearly bit it, the flat handled worse on asphalt. Fortunately it was only a few hundred meters to the finish. I did it! I got the win and shaved about 20 minutes off of last year's winning time, but I wouldn't have done this without the strong riding by Tony and Ben.

Now that I race Elite and Expert races, a first place seldom happens and this year I relish each podium. I'm happy to have won such a crazy event. I immediately put on the CapCity jersey that Kyle gave me and watched in amazement as riders came in just behind me. I was surprised not to have seen Ben but another mountain biker come in second. Ben got a flat on that last climb. Mason was right, a group of riders were coming from behind and I was lucky to have held them off. Every rider had a crazy story and many other riders came in with broken spokes and flats. Some riders rarely crashed while other had terrible crashes into the thorn bushes.

It's the second year for the Frankenbike 50. The course was extremely well marked and the neutralized rollout was a wise choice. It was amazing how just 3 volunteers were able to run a 45 mile race!

Driving to Weeknight Races

2011-08-31T05:36:00.000-07:00

I either bike commute or take the bus, mainly just to be a snob! So I am not used to rush hour traffic. Whenever I find myself in bumper-to-bumper running late to a time trial outside the I-275 loop I really start to question myself. I saw this online and I try not to think of it while I am sitting there.

Riding with Homies to the Center of the Universe

2011-08-28T08:47:00.000-07:00

Had a lovely weekend of long rides with no racing. The cross-country mountain bike races kept me busy all summer, but I really wasn't able to get out for some fun rides. Saturday I would "open legs" for the race, Sunday ride a pre-lap then race. I might ride 5 hours in a weekend, where I would prefer to do two 5-hour rides.

With Frankenbike and Versailles on the Horizon I wanted to get some quality base miles back in my legs. Saturday was a long ride with teammates and minor celebrities. The Best Bike Blog Ever, Cincinnati John from the Two Johns Cycling Podcast, the Pilot... It was hard to get a ride in because we were signing so many autographs. Kidding.

Sunday Bridget and I trained on the course for the 6 Hours of Versailles. It is so lovely out there. We had a nice picnic lakeside after the ride.

Bad night!

2011-08-24T17:25:00.000-07:00

All I wanted to do was practice cyclocross... Last summer I made sure come July I would practice every couple of weeks. I lost track this year so I was ready to start rehearsing the dance moves.

You see, I am naturally clumsy. Without cross practice I tend to trip over my own feet. And that's what happened last night.

First I was going to head to Kings to practice. Then I felt guilty about my poor puppy so I decided to run her around on the bike then do my neighborhood practice. Kona and I were riding some trails but I was totally clumsy and nearly fell off a small cliff and I endo'd over a small, bunny-hoppable branch. Then I crashed on asphalt scraping myself up and scuffing my brand new white bartape...

Then it happened. I was riding through a field and a stick went up in my derailleur and tore it off. I seriously felt like crying. I was miles from home without a chain tool. Ugh, a beautiful evening ride with my pooch was ruined. I hope my bad luck will end soon.

Oh well, she kind of cheered me up by playing with a cicada. What a character!

Bad at Math?

2011-08-21T19:29:00.000-07:00

I was doing some rough math, I may have won the Cincinnati Off-Road Alliance MTB Race series in the Expert division... I dunno, we'll see. Too early to pop open the fine champagne.

I wonder if Tower gets rescheduled I will have to dust off the Paragon again and defend some points. But from now on I'm focusing on cross and the 6 Hours of Versailles.

Race #89: I got the bonk!

2011-08-21T08:18:00.000-07:00

I love England-Idlewild. It is one of my favorite local race courses, along with east Fork and Versailles. I typically do well here and I was looking forward to the race. Could I hold onto my lead over Marty in the CORA series? Could I beat my friend and teammate Matt Fox?

Well the race got off to a vicious start. It was fast and people were jockeying for position. I felt pretty good and I was holding the wheel ahead. There were a few crashes and I gained some spots. At some point there was a miscommunication between Marty and I. He thought I wanted to pass so he got over, I thought he wanted me to pass so I tried. Well, my handlebars hit a tree and I went down. Damn! I lost a handful of spots. Then there were more crashes and I gained the spots back, but only after redlining my little engine.

So I got back up to a pretty good position, maybe even a podium. Foxy was on my wheel and we had a couple riders behind in a pretty tight chase group. The first two laps I could "gas it" and create a separation but I noticed something. All the sections where I typically lay down the law and completely own it, I found myself feeling a bit whooped and not 100%. I kept feeling like I was saving myself for the next lap.

Well, Foxy and the others eventually caught up and held my wheel for half a lap. Then it happened. I missed an opportunity to take a drink and a few minutes later I started riding poorly. I was getting tired. I lost one spot. A few minutes later the wheels fell completely off the wagon and Foxy passed and I went backward. I decided to guzzle water no matter how slow I rode and tried to recover. I was to defend my position and I ended up getting fifth.

It was just a bit frustrating to ride a less than stellar race on this course, but unlike past years where I came on strong riding from the back of the field, this year I was feeling the pressure in the front of the race.

I think I have to make sure my nutrition is worked out a bit better in future cross-country races. I changed my nutrition mid-season and I could feel the effects in the last two races.

Race #88: Deja Vu all over again...

2011-08-17T20:03:00.000-07:00

Photos from Brent and Amanda, Podium pic from Dion at VeloVivid.com

The epic spring rain that hit the Midwest had wreaked havoc upon Caesar Creek. So the race was cancelled and moved back to Hueston Woods. The race was also on a Saturday, the same weekend as KyMBA, OMBC and DINO races — attendance was down. It was only Brent and I in Expert Men. So Philip merged the Expert and Sport class. It really spiced things up! I was happy to have more people to throw down against.

I was still a bit tired from John Bryan so I felt like I wasn't killing it. But I guess that John Bryan really gave me some fitness because even though I wasn't going 100%, my first 3 lap times were pretty comparable. After lap 1 I was 5th place overall, and 2nd in Expert (obviously since there was only 2 of us). I tried to keep it consistent and I reeled in 4th as he had a mechanical, and eventually I passed Darrin to be 3rd overall.

Actually my 3rd lap was the best, I cleaned most of the technical stuff. Earlier in the race the fatigue from John Bryan made me dismount everything and I had to do cyclocross practice. The sport guys finished and about that time I fell apart. I noticed I lost 3-4 pounds the day before and I didn't realize that I was dehydrated the morning of the race. I think I ended up bonking and barely made it in the 4th lap! I was lucky no one was there to woop me!

After the race I got to hang out with Dion and Jeni in Downtown Oxford. It was nice to make a day of it. The weather has cooled and it's made for some lovely rides and hanging out outside.

Races #81, 83 and 87: Plagued by Mechanicals

2011-08-12T17:19:00.000-07:00

I love the Harbin Time Trials. They are great training races for cyclocross, the course offers a lot of short punchy climbs and corners to power out of. Typically you race in brutal heat and it really tests your fitness.

7/14 Bastille Day Chain Suck
Lap 1: 24:08
Lap 2: 26:06
0:50:14, 4 out of 9
I was still rocking the same bent up chain since Mohican, so I finally got to change it that day. Well, I didn't realize that my chain rings were toast. I spent most of the race on the side of the trail putting my chain back on (I was getting major chain suck). My legs felt great and I really think I could have easily had first or second. Oh well, at least the mechanical in the training race gave me time to fix it before the next race.

7/21 Psyched Out and Baked
Lap 1: 24:05
Lap 2: 24:42
0:48:47, 2 out of 12
I didn't see any of the usual favorites so I got pretty psyched I could win. I went out the gate like a banshee — riding a bit too rabid and ending up putting my wheel wrong a few times. At one point I ran right into a tree! I was burning myself up, the heat index was near 110F, and I was drained by the time I hit the rollers at the end of the first lap. I decided to ride smarter on the second lap and put in effort on the power sections.

I went pretty fast compared to previous weeks but it was no use. I wasn't as fast as my best time last year, and there was one rider who rode even faster...

8/11 Oops
DNS (Did not start)
My pedal fell off during my warmup. It was 3 years old and had seen a ton of muddy races. I have some replacements at home, and I was really just thankful that it didn't happen during a race where I was doing well. It was nice just to watch my friends, continue to recover from my John Bryan effort. I got to soak up some beautiful weather and even hit the trails low and slow after the race with my dog Kona. She is a blast to ride with, she made the trip worth my while and I felt so happy and content with the day.

2011-08-11T07:28:00.000-07:00

The weather has cooled and it feels a bit like Autumn. Clear and sunny, I took a quick break to enjoy the view on my way into work.

Athletic Supporters

2011-08-10T17:08:00.000-07:00

Photo by Jeffrey Jakucyk

I was still recovering from John Bryan, so when Bridget mentioned we could ride to Big Dave's MainStraße Crits I jumped at the offer. We also got to check out the Women and the Top Men back in June at the Madiera Crit. Crits are so fun, I automatically pretend I am in Europe/Belgium and search out some beer and just watch the action. The other night I was so geeked to be there that we went to a German food place on MainStraße. In Germany it can be a hearty meal that feels like Mom made it from fresh ingredients. In the States German food is reduced to slop. Ugh. I miss you Deutschland!

Holga pic I shot in the first corner of the 3/4 Men's Crit. Tried to get Butch in frame too but I shot a bit early!

Race #86: Like Nascar in the Woods, but with Cramps

2011-08-08T06:19:00.001-07:00

Photo by Kimberly Sink on Flickr

I was really happy to have made the podium at last year's 6 Hours of John Bryan "Race for Relief." But in the past year the competitive landscape has changed and now some new faces have come on the scene looking super fast and becoming new friends. Stephen Huddle just raced the Continental Divide and I am sure has the legs of the energizer rabbit, and Brent Mayer rides like a MotoCross racer with his legs as the engine. And Marty, as always, is a badass. Marty and I both have been dealing with reduced training from life in general and a busier than usual cross-country MTB racing season. I knew this year was going to be tough and it took the edge off my nerves going into this race pretty much knowing I would be lucky to get fourth. This was to be my third John Bryan race and each year I use lesson from the previous year to race more efficiently.

Lap 1: 0:53:41
I had a hell of a run in the Le Mans start this year. I guess the 90 degree runs up the stairs to Mount Adams have paid off. That was, until I got to the bikes. I placed my bike 3 rows in from the right, only to find some last minute hosers had thrown in some extra rows and my bike disappeared. Once found, I made up ground on the gravel road leading into the trail. Marty flew by looking great. A paceline formed of me, Joe and a bunch of homies from Rogue. We were really flying that lap. Stephen was on the front for a while and I think he overheated his motor, Damn. Sam Dombrozsi was killing it on his cross bike, doing jumps off all the obstacles.

Lap 2: 0:54:09
Tried to mellow out a bit and find my own pace. But Bjet yellow that I was only 30 seconds down on the next place so I started going at it again. Around the end of the lap I caught up to them and it was Marty. I was feeling a bit fresh so I jumped in front and we rode the rest of the lap together. When we came in Dan mentioned we were 2 minutes down on the leader. I was like "Geez, who is this robot." Marty had to stop to mix bottles. I had my secret weapon, I was wearing a CamelBack that was allowing me not to pit for the first 3 laps. Thus saving me time in the pit like Nascar or Formula 1.

Lap 3: 0:55:34
Out there alone trying to keep a decent pace. Rode with Darin and some kid from RedZone. It was nice to keep a fast pace and do less work by sitting in behind and getting some benefits of drafting. By the end of the lap I was starting to feel the effects of the race. Compared to last year I was flying, every lap faster than my fastest lap the previous year. Maybe first place would blow-up and I would win?! I had been going at it like a cross-country race, like the finish line was at mile 30. Add to that my reduced training and I was starting to fade. I started to cramp. I came into the finish line and saw Marty just behind me, and Brent was with him. I thought to myself, "oh well, you're getting fourth today."

Pit: 0:00:30
I had a second CamelBack all filled and ready to go. Plus I kept all my gels in my back pocket so little time was lost refueling.

Lap 4: 0:55:43
I can't remember too much of this lap. I think Brent passed me. I think I spent most of the lap about 10 seconds behind him until my leg cramps got the better of me when we hit the little, tiny hills! Ugh.

Lap 5: 1:00:28
I passed Brent when he pitted but he caught up to me on the twisty section. I was tired. I was just trying to do a recovery lap hoping that I could finish the race. My stomach was starting to sour for the first time in my riding career — I think I was over-fueling with Roctanes and EFS and I felt dehydrated, cottonmouthed and like I had a brick in my belly. This awesome spectator in the woods was ringing a cowbell and handed me a water bottle on 2 laps (THANK YOU) — I needed all the water I could get. My body was screaming. Hands hurting, back sore. I lost the core strength and endurance I had at Mohican. Brent caught me and we made a gentlemens' agreement just to recover, just to get some miles out of the way. A few minutes later this guy passed and said he was first place in Solo. Brent and I were like "Dammit, we both had our wheel in front for a few minutes and didn't know it!" After a while Brent got away again. I was wooped but still in third trying to give Marty a run for his money.

Pit: 0:00:54
Tossed off my last CamelBack and grabbed some bottles. Noticed my shifting was getting funky so I lubed the chain. I tried to start stretching because my quads, hammies and groin were spasming and cramping. But then Marty rolled up and I decided I better bail. I gave him a good luck pat on the his butt and took off.

Lap 6: 0:58:21
I tried to up the pace again. But I was feeling pretty bad still. Then Marty passed me looking pretty fresh on one of the access roads. Part of me wanted to surrender but part of me wanted to fight it out. With two laps to go who knows what could happen. I began to ride with a higher cadence to keep my momentum up while not putting too much strain on my aching muscles. It worked. Somehow I passed Brent. I spent the rest of the lap with the same focus: speed without too much exertion. Smoother lines, smarter pedaling. Plus I was smoother without that CamelBack weighing on me, those things can be hot and clumsy.

Pit: 0:00:20
Grabbed one last bottle from Bjet and took off trying to hold onto Third Place.

Lap 7: 0:56:43
I rode it like I stole it. At first I was delirious but finally I woke up and really started hauling ass like last year. I tried to crush every uphill with my high-cadence spin, a mix of power and maintaining momentum. I kept hearing something behind me, was it Brent? Little did I know that it was my spare chain link jingling in my pocket. I felt really good and I think I was pedaling smarter and smoother on this lap. I came across the line and saw Marty all torn up. He said he got first and killed himself to hold his lead. Somewhere I had passed the former leader of the race and didn't realize it. I got second place! Whoa!

Finale: 6:36:25
Man it was a blast to ride at the sharp end of the race, constantly battling for position. The top 4 riders really went at it today. That was the most competitive endurance race I have ridden, and I think the fastest. Thank you to the organizers and volunteers of Race for Relief, as always it was a very fun event. The trails were great, well-marked and thanks for the food! Too bad a thunderstorm rolled in and I couldn't enjoy a beer with my teammates in my new trophy pint glass.

P.S.
Next year I have to double-check my caloric intake per hour, maybe I went too far:
1 50oz Hydration Pack with 4 scoops of First Endurance EFS
1 56oz Camelback with 4.5 scoops of First Endurance EFS
3 Podium Bottles of EFS
3 12oz Water Bottles
7 Roctaines

Well, I got the 6 Hours of DINO coming up!

Races #84 & 85: Cat 1 Upgrade with Cat 6 Skills

2011-08-06T09:12:00.001-07:00

Cool news, someone at USA Cycling likes me and upgraded my XC license to a Cat 1 Expert. Sweet.

Race #78: Ver-Sales, Is that how you say it?
I love Versailles. We have ridden there more than any other trail this year, it was much drier than East Fork so it was our second home court this year.

But I could not wake up that morning! I think I had some kind of groggy allergy attack, and we barely made it to the race on time. So no warm up and I am now one of the most crowded starting lines in my short XC career. DINO does a great job of promoting a great series with a pretty large turnout, and a very competitive Pro and Elite field.

My start was pretty decent. The only problem was that I still wasn't awake for 3/4 of the first lap. I couldn't corner the bike or react to anything quickly. So I went backwards! Finally I woke up and teammate Karwash let me ride his wheel for awhile. He pretty much taught me how to ride a bike again.

So I just tried to start picking off riders on the second and third laps. My fitness was pretty decent and I wasn't overheating too bad. I was better than last year and half the sport racers DID NOT pass me. Awesome! Actually I was still waaaaay faster than last year, I knocked 13 minutes off my time! That feels good. I like progress — I'm still not a perfect bike-handler but I am getting much better. Teammates Foxy came in just ahead of me and Karwash just behind,

Race #79: Battle on Mount Mother
Whoa, another race from yesteryear! I haven't seen a XC race at Harbin Park since the early 2000s. Brings back memories of being a tubby lad cheering on my girlfriend as she disappeared into the woods for awhile.

This was a smaller "local" race and I was really hoping for a podium. Sometimes success is an angry monkey that won't get off your back until it sucks all the fun out of everything. Now I just can't be happy to finish a race without going home in an ambulance — I have to podium?! Ugh. Well I did my best. The race got off to a pretty fast start. Stephen Huddle was revvin his engine, all full of piss and vinegar after finishing his time trial from Canada to Mexico. Marty was just behind and I got third into the woods. Suddenly Stephen had a mechanical and pulled off and I was second, with Brent and teammate Matt Fox on my wheel. I was trying really hard to keep Marty in sight but I must have blown up a little and crashed when my brain ran out of oxygen.

So I got back up and chased. I caught Brent and Foxy at the end of the first lap and attacked to get back into second place. I went to reach down for my bottles and guess what? They're gone — I guess they were too scared to hitch a ride with me after the crash.

So on lap 2 I stopped where I crashed and looked for my bottles. Brent attacked and Foxy passed. Back in fourth place again. I could only find one bottle and it was hot out. Luckily Bridget threw a cooler next to the start/finish line. So at the beginning of lap 3 I stopped to fill my bottle. Curses! I was losing time.

So I saw Foxy in the woods ahead of me. I counted from where he passed until I got there... 70 seconds. That's a lot to make up. So I buckled down and told myself that I do the Time Trials here all the time — I gotta do a TT lap. So I did. I gunned it, my riding was smooth. I knew where to exert myself and where to recover. I caught Foxy near the end of the lap. I felt awesome.

He mentioned Brent was ahead and I should go get him. I could do 2 things here: 1) Ride like a Hero and See if I can Epicly Pull in Second Place or 2) Ride conservative and try to poach Foxy at the line for my precious podium. I always go for option 1. The sky is the limit right?

So I kept gunning it. And Foxy stayed with me. Unfortunately I think I "burned too many matches" earlier in the race and I was running out of steam. So just before Mt Mother I pulled aside and let Matt pass because I knew he had it and I was a pedaling pile of dookie. I could have been a jerk and held my spot, but I was done and I feared a strong rider coming from behind and knocking BioWheels completely off the podium. Good thing I let him pass, I barely made it up the hill and I felt a touch of a cramp coming on.

So the epic finish. I had to claw back another deficit. And I did. I caught Foxy on that long technical climb at the end of the lap. But Foxy showed his class and years of skill as a rider and gained about 10 seconds on a descent. The end of the race was a like a Classic Roubaix or a Cyclocross race. We were sprinting the last third of a mile. It was bad-ass! I couldn't pull him in and he got third, but the crowd got some excitement! Mountain bike races are rarely that close. After feeling a smidge burned out on riding that week, it felt great to have adrenaline coursing through my veins and to be part of an epic duel.

It was nice to see Foxy up there and Marty was back on the top step! Sweet.

Another Cool Blog about Cycling

2011-08-06T09:09:00.000-07:00

Just found this via someone's Facebook post: 18 Mile Per Hour

Lovely art and nice observations.

Cyclocross Commute

2011-07-26T20:13:00.000-07:00

I picked up Bjet after work and we hit some of our favorite cyclocross spots a couple of weeks ago. This spot in particular has this lovely field where you can watch the sunset of the ridges of Indian Hill. We did some loose training just to get the feel back, get our body used to some of the "dance moves" (I always feel CX is 1/10 ballet).

2011-07-24T13:02:00.001-07:00

Watching stage 3 of the Midwest Regional Championship and having a Bourbon Barrel Stout from Great Crescent Brewery. They are working on starting up a brew pub.

Weird Sensations in my Legs

2011-07-22T19:17:00.000-07:00

The weirdest thing has been happening lately (kind of since I got back from Oregon). I've been feeling pretty slow but somehow my efforts have been fooling the clock and I have been putting in decent times in time trials, races, etc. I rode a 7:18 at the EITT.

Last week I did a quick power test — just one climb up Kuglar. My average watts were higher and my quick accelerations were stronger (I need to double check all the numbers though).

I've been hitting the Devou trail for some fun "hill repeats" the past couple of weeks. Mott Sauce and I did one climb at effort, and I put in a 12:22 time. Last year during Irey's Super D-light I had an 11:38 in the uphill TT. My time wasn't so bad today despite a sloppy crash when I was throwing my bike around trying to climb like a rabid dog.

I better keep an eye on the calendar, CX season is just around the corner. Maybe some fun weeknight CX training here and there. I wouldn't mind another attempt at my personal hour record again soon, I'm gunning to beat the Henri Degrange record of 21.94 miles in one hour.

Tour de Trails

2011-07-20T03:56:00.000-07:00

Some baseballs fans try to visit every baseball park in their lifetime. I thought it might be fun to see all the local trails this year.

KY:
Tower Park, Haven't ridden since the race in 2009!
General Butler, Check!
England-Idlewild, Check! I like this park I usually hit these trails a lot.
Devou Trails, I hit'em last night. Great hill repeats and fun downhills!

OH:
Paint Creek, Never been there!
Mount Mitchell, Never been there!
Keehner Park, Never been there!
Huffman MetroPark, Never been there!
Hueston Woods, Raced there last weekend, didn't hit all the trails.
Landon-Deerfield, Haven't been there since December of 2009.
Caesar Creek, Not yet this year but racing there soon.
John Bryan, Not yet this year but racing there soon.
East Fork, My home court.

IN:
Versailles, Check! This was often dry when Cincy trails were wet this spring. Great Trails!
Brown County, Not yet this year. Hopefully Bloomington CX weekend...

Race #82: Hot hot hot!

2011-07-17T16:32:00.000-07:00

It was really cool racing at Hueston Woods. Like General Butler, this is another classic race course that I am getting to race for the first time. Similar to Butler, it is an older style of trail building that is very roller coaster: killer climbs and fast descents.

This week has been chaotic with Patrick the Paragon (my Gary Fisher mountain bike). First, two chain rings needed to be replaced (I spent most of the Harbin time trial off the trail fiddling with my chain suckage) then a crank arm bolt stripped and my crank arm fell off when I went for a ride! Mitch and the Crew at BioWheels saved the day and replaced my crankset at the last minute! They really saved my keester and my CORA race series points.

Geez it was hot today! I think my fitness is still a little off and I really suffered out there. Not to mention that I couldn't handle a bike worth a darn. The race started out semi fast, not like East Fork. I jumped on the front for a second but my legs didn't feel that great and I let Marty and Brent have the hole shot (I wig out if someone is sitting on my wheel sometimes).

They were going pretty fast. I think I let about 10 seconds open up and I tried to close the gap drilling an uphill when my front tire slid out. Perhaps I was riding sloppy because I overheated. So I cooled down and tried to protect my third place and rode efficiently in the hopes of poaching a spot but those guys were more than a minute ahead now.

I felt like I was in no man's land until about lap 3. A rider was coming within striking distance of me. Like last week I kept gunning it whenever I could but I started overheating and riding sloppy again. There were quite a few technical uphills and I kept coming off the bike and having to cyclocross sprint up them! Somehow I caught Marty (I think he overheated too, it was 92F) and I tried to keep this other rider at bay. I worried I might blow and cramp and crop to 4th.

That other rider caught me at the end of lap 3 and I was lucky it was a rider in another race. But I still had to protect my spot. I took my last gulp of water at the beginning of my last lap and had to hope that I wouldn't cramp and have Marty catch me. I swear he was just behind me. I think I got a second wind, tried to ride as smooth as possible and somehow I pulled off my second place! I nearly melted from the heat and the pressure and my brain kept daydreaming about water and it kept telling me to quit.

Many huge thanks to BioWheels, this is the third time they have come to my rescue and fixed my bike last minute for a race, each time I have gotten on the podium! My career would be nothing without them!

Tour Fever

2011-07-11T20:32:00.000-07:00

I love when the people really get into showing the world why they should come visit France, these farmers would make great synchronized swimmers. What a display. I guess there is a contest that they are trying to win.

Race #80: No Place like Home

2011-07-11T05:51:00.001-07:00

Photos by Cindy Gay

East Fork was my introduction to Expert Cross Country mountain bike racing last year and what an experience it was. I had turned myself inside out, putting in one of my fastest rides ever — only to come in last place. This is the trail I ride most all year long (when we are not being drenched by weeks of monsoons) so I know every pebble and twig. And on such a fast trail this is a huge advantage for me.

I wasn't feeling that great after my return from vacation and was really worried about how bad it could go for me. But looking at last year's result I couldn't do worse!

East Fork always starts with a road section featuring a long climb, it does a great job of selecting the best riders for the hole shot. This year it was really fast and to my surprise I was hanging in there. The field split but I grabbed Marty's wheel to get up to the front group. We caught the group and Marty kept riding up the side of the train, he was really flying. I was happy to be tailgunner. I did get gapped up a set of little rising rollers but teammate Joe was there to help pace me back up.

I followed Joe into the trail. I figured it would be wise to follow his wheel due to his expert handling and experience. Joe set a great pace on the first lap and I was happy to sit in and pace myself because I knew it would be a long day. It was really hot and going too hard too early may lead to an epic blow-up or extreme cramps. Karwash caught us and we caught up on life —longest conversation I have ever had in a race...

I went harder on the second lap trying pull in riders who might be suffering. The second lap was pretty uneventful but the third was glorious! On the third lap I felt complacent and in no-man's land. I think I started riding a bit slow on the singletrack. The sound of disc brakes woke me back up and reignited my effort. I always let another stronger rider pass and this rider behind me got within 10 seconds and I was about ready to pull over and let him pass.

But part of me wanted to be hard to catch so I got really aggressive and started gunning it again. I think I was riding faster than on the first lap. I went into time trial mode, wisely selecting parts of the course where I could excel and being cautious on sections where I was likely to crash. The rider behind me was really solid and would usually come back within 15 seconds on technical sections. Each power section I gunned it, each hill was crushed. There would be silence from behind for a few moments and eventually squeal of breaks would return.

There was one last long hill on the trail. I gave it everything I had at the bottom, you would think I was trying to win the Tour de France. But by the top I was wasted. I was feeling a cramp coming. I burned the last match with a quarter lap to go. Was it enough?

Nothing but silence from behind. I rode up the final hill to the finish line checking over my shoulder every 5 seconds.

Wow, that was exhilarating! I managed to come in 8th, I am very happy with that race. Not a bad start to the 2011 Cincinnati Off-Road Alliance Race Series. Bjet did one better, she won!

Races #77-79, Races of Good Dirt and Truth

2011-07-08T07:48:00.000-07:00

Mark Rodgers created a new event this year, a fun little lap highlighting the new trails at England-Idlewild. A short little race but a great burst of effort to get us ready for the racing season.

6/9 Post-Mohican Legs
Lap 1: 7:51
Lap 2: 7:54
Lap 3: 7:50
0:23:35, 10 out of 22

Little Bjet was my Domestique. She set a really good pace and I gapped her at the end of the race, but we ended up finishing with the same time, both of us tied for 10th place!

6/16 Legs Well-Rested
Lap 1 7:30
Lap 2: 7:37
Lap 3: 7:36
0:22:43, 4 out of 20

It rained a few days before, I was worried it would be cancelled. But the sun was shining, I was riding on the flowy dirt with the sun shining through the trees, we had Kona the dog hanging with us. Good trails, friends and dogs. What a day! I did my best to really gun it and I came in 4th. The fast guys like Brent, Marty and Darrin were really flying — my heroes!

I have some old BioWheels jerseys and I like to pull them out from time to time, kind of like football teams play 1 game a season with a retro kit.

7/7 Vacation Legs
Lap 1 7:18
Lap 2: 7:42
Lap 3: 7:39
0:22:39, 7 out of 22

I don't know if it was the cooler weather in Oregon, or if I drank too much beer and didn't ride enough, but I felt like molasses on 2 wheels all week long. Surprisingly enough, my 1st lap was way faster than before. I thought it would be funny to wear a skinsuit, maybe it really helped! Unfortunately this one rider would not get off the trail on my second lap and I had to come to a halt and ride real slow for about 20 seconds at least. Oh well, it's a training race!

Overall I really improved week to week. In all honesty I am not the best bike handler and even found this course challenging at speed. The course really helped me work on some of these skills and I want to thank Mark for setting up a really cool event!

Bend it like Roadrash

2011-07-02T09:05:00.000-07:00

Saturday we went to Bend to ride some killer trails. We rented some sweet bikes from Sunnyside Sports — Bjet rode a Top Fuel and I rode a Gary Fisher Rumblefish. They are a top notch shop and the bikes were tuned to perfection, it was a blast to ride a bike that is better than my own and 1000 times better than the clunkers we rented in the McKenzie River Valley.

We left the shop and rode out to the Phil's Trail Complex, a great trail system that can probably be ridden nearly year round. Lots of flow, lots of climbing!

Bend is on the east side of the mountains, and more arid than the typical Pacific Northwest environment. It felt a bit more like Denver than Portland. But trails like "the Helipad" would feature volcanic rock (in this pic we took a break on a little volcano).

We started out around an elevation of 3600', rode up to the trail head at about 3900', then up to this awesome shelter at about 4750'. The shelter is a great safety feature for Winter Warriors, I could imagine hiker, cross country skiers and even maybe some crazy snow-mountain bikers and huddling around the fire having a wee "Après. or after party.

I wish I had a better camera, but here is a view of Mount Bachelor from the shelter area. Stunning! The valley leading to the mountain was lined with rocky Buttes, I wish I could have ridden out there for days!

After the shelter we rocked a fun downhill called "Whoops," full of table tops and up-and-down rollers. We climbed Phil's trail up to the "HeliPad" (and very small clearing with rocks arranged in an H symbol, I don't know if this is actually used to evacuate injured cyclists) at about 5000'.

We then went down a fun descent called "The Storm King,' then onto a more technical trail called "C.O.D" (Cause of Death? yikes!). Unfortunately we ran out of food and water at about 4 hours of riding so we were forced to head back and stop by a time-share resort for calories.

It was fun to ride back and forth from the trail — it's great to have trails you can easily commute to (i.e, Hurray for Devou in Cincy!). There is a possibility that we could move to Bend someday, and it was great to use the commute as a way to see the town and get a sense of what a typical training ride would be like if we lived there. Even along the road there was a multitude of off-road options, Bend is a town that's great for outdoor enthusiasts.

Riding like a King

2011-06-30T19:17:00.000-07:00

It's not everyday that a boy from Ohio gets to ride up the side of a mountain and touch the clouds. The King's-Castle trail was also nearby to our vacation home. It's a 7 mile trail where you meander up the side of the mountain, check out the view from the top and fly back down all within a beautiful old-growth forest!

Checking out the view just of another mountain. Little did we know we were just below the cloud line ourselves. I wish we rode on a clear day — I read there are views of the 3 Sisters (mountains) from the top.

Bjet taking a Senior Picture style portrait on our way up. She had a tough day, she forgot her mountain bike shoes and was stuck with the platform pedals on the rental Nishiki. I was lucky and had a blast climbing up the mountain. I was daydreaming that if I lived there I would timetrial to the top and down all the time!

Unfortunately we had to wake up early and ride before we returned the bikes. We did not get up early enough and were forced to turn around on a fire road before the summit. I hate not reaching the summit, but the early birds get the worm and get to munch it down on top a mountain like a beaked version of Julie Andrews... Follow?

Soul Riding along the McKenzie River

2011-06-29T19:19:00.000-07:00

Between Eugene and Bend there is a paradise land called the McKenzie River. It is in the Willamette National Forest. It is pure and vast. And it is home to a 26 mile off-road trail that features long, flowy sections guiding you to Oregon's Wonders — waterfalls, lava fields, 100 ft tall pine trees and a vast rolling river flowing with pure water from the tips of the Cascade mountains. Whomever designed this trail was a genius.

Unfortunately our appreciation of the trail was limited to the junker bikes we rented nearby. I had a Nishiki and Bjet had a Mongoose, but they were probably entry level bikes with a spring rear suspension and components made from lead. The Nishiki looked like it went through a war, fortunately I could get clipless pedals on the Mongoose for Bjet.

The trail was super fast and flowy through a beautiful forest next to the rolling rapids of the river. It was great to ride for an hour, then have a quick Clifbar picnic next to the river.

The one downside is that the trail features many bridges. The upside is they make you stop and appreciate the views, but they really aren't ridable unless you are one of those downhiller supermen with no fear. Most of them only have a railing on one side and steps lead up into most of the bridges making it difficult to ride onto the bridge (probably so people don't try to ride and fall off into the water). I kind of wished half of them were easier to ride, because sometimes you had to dismount 3-4 times within a mile.

Overlooking the TrailBridge Reservoir. Unfortunately my foot slipped off the crappy platform pedal while climbing, and I nearly lost my balance and slid down a 100 foot dirt hill! I preferred the view from the trail... We had to turn around just past the reservoir to head back and be with the family. I was surprised at how slow we were, we had to stop and keep checking out the spectacular views and we didn't even get to see the best parts!

I hope to get back there again someday, I found myself wanting to just get lost out there for an entire day riding the whole trail back and forth.

Going to Oregon!

2011-06-20T10:47:00.000-07:00

I love Oregon!

Anyplace where I could be gainfully employed bike-delivering handmade local vegan organic gluten-free food from food trucks must be a place I want to be — but actually Pho Lang Thang in Cincy does have a bike messenger so we are catching up).

Our day in Portland:
Saying at the Ace Hotel which will hopefully offer free bikes to get around on
Go to Awesome Cone at 32nd and Division
http://www.foodcartsportland.com/
http://www.urbanspoon.com/t/24/21/Portland/Street-Food-restaurants
Unfortunately no bike sharing at the moment, but maybe a pedicab:
http://portlandpedals.com/ ((503) 329-2575)

Guides/Pages to Mountain Biking
http://www.ormtb.com/
http://www.ormtb.com/Central_Oregon/CO_Trails/Phils.htm
http://cotamtb.com/trails/
http://mckenzierivertrail.com/
http://mckenzierivertrail.com/more-area-bike-trails/king-castle-trail

Bike Rentals:
It's best to go to Bend to rent bikes, Eugene has no mountain bike rentals
Hutch's seems to rent a variety of bikes, including mountain bikes:
www.hutchsbicycles.com
http://www.cogwild.com/bikerentals/
http://bicycleway.com/bikes/rental

Bike Tours:
http://www.cogwild.com/default.aspx
http://www.cogwild.com/One-Day-Tours/Bachelor-To-Bend/default.aspx

2011-06-19T18:15:00.001-07:00

Another day in Chicago. Only had time for a quick 2 hour ride along the shore. There was still a bit of fog and haze but the harbor looked lovely.

I found a cool installation of Shephard Fairey murals under an overpass, they were in the style of album covers. I really liked the simplicity of the circular device within a repeating square — it was interesting to see diverse messaging and imagery treated in a uniform fashion.

I also noticed some new school rental bikes at a docking station, cool! They are
part of a bike share program called Chicago B Cycle — which is expanding bike share programs across the country.

Once I got back up north i noticed a cool fence in my sister's neighborhood — it was made of bike frames!

2011-06-18T09:40:00.000-07:00

Seeing my sister in Chicago. It was a nice riding along the lake shore. My legs felt great, I was really flying but I had to slow often because there were several running events happening along the Lake Front Trail. This girl was about the same speed as me, so we rode together for awhile. I love that about cycling, I can travel along and meet a complete stranger and pass the time having a chat. She was pretty fast — she was keeping up with me despite flat pedals and a vintage steel frame with wide tires. We rode down to Soldier Field when my rear tire exploded, I think I rolled over some glass.

Then I rode back up through the city, Dearborn to Clark. I was motorpacing in traffic and having a great time hauling ass getting some race fitness when I hit a mean pothole and flatted a second time. Conveniently it was close to a Swedish bakery where I refueled and met some other cyclists who directed me to Johnny Sprockets. The other cyclists were really nice guys and offered a ton of route suggestions.

2011-06-16T21:12:00.001-07:00

Retro jersey day! What a perfect night for a trail ride - it's sunny, cool and the trails are in great shape. We have our dog Kona with us, and we're hanging with our friends.

Recovery makes you stronger!

2011-06-15T04:34:00.000-07:00

Sometimes I get so caught up in my training, sometimes I'm just having loads of fun, but I can really wear myself down. This happened for the second straight year just before Mohican.

I guess May arrived, the sun came out, it was Bike Month and I started bike commuting like crazy. I was having fun. I felt good. Until I didn't. I made sure I was eating a ton and sleeping but sometimes too much is just too much!

I feel the need for speed so I have to start working on some intervals getting ready for the cross country mountain bike races. I'm going to keep up the cross training with some running, weights and core but I will make sure I fully rest 1-2 days a week. I'll have a little ADD because some of the cross training is for Cyclocross, and I will also have to keep an eye on my miles with the late summer Endurance races in mind.

2011-06-14T09:27:00.001-07:00

Couldn't resist taking the Tin Lizzy for a spin and a lunch picnic on the river.

I bought my "Tin Lizzy" Huffy Sportsmen 3-Speed for $10 at a garage sale. I just wanted something to kick around on, maybe leave at work or use for chill commutes to dinner dates.

Well it turns out that it was a 2-for-1 sale. My Tin Lizzy is also an Ant Farm. Evidently ants have made a colony inside the handlebars, crawling through the little holes in the grips! I'm riding to the bus stop this morning and look down to see over 20 ants crawling all over my hand! Some carrying their eggs. I was pretty uncool about it and waved my hand like crazy. I least I didn't smash them, and I was cool enough NOT to scream.

Mohican Post Game Analysis

2011-06-12T22:25:00.000-07:00

This year I felt 1000 times better than last year's race in the mud. But there were a few things I felt could have made me a smidge better:

1. Running Hills: Calves got a bit sore even though I've been running. So I would walk flat-footed up the hills to stretch the calf muscles. Next year perhaps do more hill sprints or extended hikes up steep grades.

2. Practice pits: Took a bit long (sometimes socializing) at the aid stations. Next year I could practice my routine: 1. filling bottles (then topping off with a squirt of the Infinit concentrate), 2. pop some Enduralites, 3. lube chain, 4. quick stretch.

3. THE SECRET WEAPON BOTTLE! I borrowed an idea from my teammate Brian. He creates a bottle of thick Infinit "gel". I did it this year but here's how I could execute this idea better: after measuring the quantity of servings I need in the bottle, use a marker and some math to make tick marks on the side of the CLEAR bottle so I can see how much I am squirting out.

4. Even more core work. I felt strong this year, but I think I could have used even more all-around strength.

5. Recover more! Too much rising going into the event tapped me out.

How I fared physically:
Core & Back: My back did not get sore until about the 8th hour, the Pilates and weight I did helped. Although I feel I could have done more, I felt a smidge hunched over and would prefer to keep less weight off the hands.

Neck: Sore, was it from the wreck? Looking up?

Arms: Triceps got a little tired late in the race, need to beef up the guns!

Feet: New shoes really helped, worked on my pedal stroke (I could have worked a bit more on it) to keep me from mashing.

Hands: I should have bought some gloves, although my hands felt way better than last year. A sore started to develop on top of my palms. Using Ritchie grips, I've tried Ergons and either my hands go numb or they don't—it doesn't matter what kind of grip. Weird huh?

Nutrition:
1 bottle of Infinit (custom mix) per hour, 1 gel every 2 hours (GU Chocolate Mint and Blueberry Pomegranate Roctanes), Hammer Anti-Fatigue caps and extra water at Aid Stations. The Secret Weapon Bottle had 5 servings of Infinit in it, I could put even more in next year.

Aid Station 1: Refilled my 2 bottles with the gel bottle, Gu shot, Anti-Fatigue caps, stretched and lubed...

Aid Station 2: Spent way too much time trying to find a bandage, but I got a lot of water and made sure I topped off my nutrition.

Aid Station 3: Refilled all three bottles, the gel bottle had just enough to serve as a third bottle for the 28 miles between the Aid Stations. Really socialized waaaay too long.

• We got some extra Gatoraid at the top of a climb in the woods

Aid Station 4: 3 baggies of Infinit and a couple more gels were waiting for me. Mixed up the last of my bottles. I was sure this would last me the rest of my race and it did!

Aid Station 5: Filled 1 bottle with water for insurance, but it wasn't needed...

Aid Station 6: Skipped it!

2011-06-11T11:36:00.001-07:00

Post-Mohican recovery break... A little golf with the family. I am terrible! Actually I was getting a little peeved I was so bad — I was passable as a golfer in high school. Well, no practice makes you pretty bad!

Between the golf and walking the dog, I've still got a lot of active time under the sun.

2011-06-09T17:19:00.001-07:00

The hubby-wife mtb train came back tonight at the E-I mtb tt. I think we got the same time! Did someone say new sunglasses?

Race #76: Stubbornness is a Virtue

2011-06-06T10:30:00.000-07:00

Photos by Jen Farmer

An epic tale of my first 100 mile mountain bike race in the scenic Mohican 100, where I endured the longest ride of my life (so far).

PRERIDE
Thursday night I went to Norwood Chiropractic, where Dr. Yost worked out a huge knot in my right quad! Overall my legs were fried from my muddy race win the weekend before. This is the second time they have rescued my from the disable list and got me back to the start line.

On Friday, Bridget, Joe and I reconned the first 8 miles. It's critical to know what's coming at you, and how to react as you weave your way through the early traffic of a mountain bike race. I went for a second warmup ride later with Mark, I wanted to keep the blood running through my legs, repairing the damage.

Teammate Kris "Karwash," the 100 miler veteran, gave me a great pep talk where he told me to keep my chin up and never give up. He said I would want to quit 5 times, but not to listen to that voice because coming over the finish line is so rewarding. He also said to stay within yourself and only start really racing at the end — something I was glad to hear because I was worried all week my legs wouldn't make it to the end.

AND THEY’RE OFF!
We had to wake up at 5:30 for the 7am start! I ate some rolled oats and flax, drank a sip of coffee and downed a gel — threw the leg over the saddle and headed to the startline. My legs were still feeling a bit stiff but it takes a while to warm up the engine some days. It was a 10 minute ride to the start and I added a few sprints at the end to get ready for the start.

I modeled some sexy poses at the startline and tried to relax, this may be the toughest day of my life (on a bike). The gun went off, but I kept it conservative waiting for my legs to come around. The beginning of these races is always a mess with tons of traffic as hundreds of riders find themselves gridlocked on what most would call a single-track hiking trail.

I stayed relaxed and eventually found myself with some good riders with similar abilities and matching speed. My legs were warmed up and the trail was so fun. Actually, my legs felt really great! The massage from Dr. Yost worked miracles!

If you like to mountain bike and haven't been there, the Mohican State Forest offers some lovely riding with beautiful scenery and some fun roller coaster trails that allow you to go really fast on a bike (thus not allowing you to enjoy the scenery). My average speed with all the hills was 10.7 mph. I couldn't wait to hit the road sections and really beat my target time of 10 hours. I was on the back of the group of riders and feeling really great when it happened...

DISASTER 1
My chain snapped! I was going around a corner with a steep uphill when suddenly my feet were spinning without resistance. At first I thought it just dropped. But upon further inspection I realized that was the key component of my drive train dragging behind my bike!

That was when I remembered I did not have and extra chain pin or a Sram Quick Link... That was a bit stupid of me! Was my day over? I had two options: 1. act like a total baby and throw my bike down a hill and have a complete meltdown or 2. put on my big boy panties and behave like an adult and calmly solve the problem. I must admit that many times I have chosen option 1, but for some reason I was really calm. Kris's pep talk was working!

Somehow I fixed it (I am a horrible mechanic). I kept channeling a calm energy and patiently went about removing a couple links and re-smashing a pin back into place. I watched as the end of my race passed, then the leaders of the 100 kilometer race began to pass. I think I lost 10 minutes or so.

AID STATION 1
I rolled out of the aid station about 15 minutes off my targeted time. That was when I saw teammate Karwash crushing it. Dude was weaving through people like a pro so I jumped on his wheel for a moment. He got past a few people and I got stuck behind a guy who took 10 years to get over a log (it's called cyclocross buddy, look it up). I refilled my bottle with Infinit, lubed my chain to prevent more chain suck/breakage and did a security stretch of my legs.

I sped up again hoping to catch my teammate and get back on track with my target time. I was flying down a downhill when suddenly I became aware that my hand was no longer on my handbars and...

DISASTER 2
I had a high speed Endo (end-over or when you go flying headfirst over the handlebars). It was so fast. When my hand came loose (I have no clue if I relaxed it for a second or some liquid — possibly pee — on my grip made it slippery).

My head hit the ground, my neck twisted and my knee felt like it was on fire. I started screaming curses and bloody murder! I thought I broke my neck, then I realized I could move it. I was seeing millions on little green, blue, yellow and purple dots. "I must have a concussion." Then I looked at my knee. My chain ring, that thing that looks like a saw blade, ripped a hole on the inside of my right knee. The would was already sticking out a few inches and white. "How long have I been on the ground? Did I black out?" Looking at it I started screaming bloody murder even more. "Did I just tear my ACL? Do I need knee surgery?" Someone could hear the crash and the screams and yelled if I was okay. I yelled yes... I don't know why.

My day must be over. It was only 1 mile back to Aid Station 1, I could just turn around and DNF. My teammate Joe passed me and asked if I was okay. I said yes again. I then gently lifted myself back on my bike and pointed it towards Aid Station 2. I could pedal this off right? Kris's pep talk now became my mantra.

I caught up with Joe and we rolled together for awhile. It was nice to have his wheel on the downhills, otherwise I would have been prone to feel scared and lay on the brakes.

AID STATION 2
I rolled in and a couple volunteers at the Buckhaven Hunting Lodge were really helpful as we washed out and applied a bandage to my knee. I was joking about duct tape, but we actually used camo duct tape to keep the bandage on! All my teammates came past and checked in on me. I took forever to get back on the bike, but I didn't want to rush out of there too quickly and cause another disaster.

Well, I was back at it and feeling pretty good. I was riding with some really cool people (one was a father-to-be from Cleveland who rode for ChamoisButter, another 100 miler veteran) and making up some time on the roads. I was still riding pretty conservative, using the granny gear on all the uphills. I just crested a hill and was on a flat when...

DISASTER 3
Chain break number 2! I was an idiot and was trying to go fast — forgetting that I was still in the granny and I was cross-chaining! Oops!

At this point some of the zen I was feeling disappeared. I was a little pissed, I didn't want to go back home and face people telling them I did not complete what I had set out to do. I knew how to fix it so I did it again. The only question, how many more times was it going to break? How many hours would it take me to complete the race? Did I have enough food?

I was kind of thinking how lucky the Pros in the Tour de France are, with a car full of brand new bikes that follow them and they instantly get service when their bike breaks. That kind of reminded me of Eugène Christophe and how he lost the 1913 Tour de France spending hours repairing bis bike, acting as a blacksmith repairing his own steel fork because it was illegal in those days to ask for assistance. How lucky the current guys are! And wow, we are kind of like these men of yesteryear.

AID STATION 3
I caught Joe again going into the Aid Station. He was flying before but now he looked like steam was coming out of his radiator. My heart was breaking for him, he looked incredible going into this race and I was really hoping he was going to set a personal record for himself. He ended up not finishing because he had pushed himself too hard for too long.

I took waaaaay too long at this aid station. But seeing my friends, other racers as well as their wives who were helping at the aid station, was really therapeutic. It was nice to share a laugh for a second. I saw Bridget as she came in, and I told her about my terrible day and for her not to worry — that this may take awhile!

AID STATION 4
It was 26 miles between Aid Stations 3 and 4. Anything could go wrong and I could run out of food, water and energy. But I was lucky. The miles flew by. And so did the bandage on my knee. It came off and the would was left exposed to mud and dirt, blood covering my top tube. A volunteer at the Aid Station provided me with iodine and a clean bandage. I was so happy to have it cleaned out.

SMOOTH SAILING
The rest of the day was so easy. My nutrition was perfectly planned and my hydration was spot on with the help of all the volunteers. My legs felt great due to training, diligent nutrition leading up to the event and Dr. Yost's miracle massage. I was thankful for the 100 mile time trials I did, and the stubborn 6:30 hilly ride I forced myself to complete in the pouring rain. I was training my capacity to endure pain.

I settled in and enjoyed the scenery. It was so hilly and scenic. I passed farms, oil wells, horses playing with donkeys (funny), Amish kids playing while watching the race. At one point a raced an Amish buggy and won. I went through the campground at Mohican Wilderness and this kid asked me if I was winning. I said no. I should have said yes because he was really hoping I was the winner!

FINISH
My head still felt a bit sore from the impact, and my knee almost stopped bleeding. I felt great, still really fresh, until I hit the final single track. My back finally started to get sore, my arm muscles fatigued too. I think I stopped drinking my fuel to hurry to the end and I came across the line a little out of steam.

I was really far behind my target time at Aid Station 3. But I really rallied in the final 54 miles and I ended up finishing in 10 hours and 35 minutes. Only 35 minutes past my target time. I wonder how I would have done without the disasters? I could have also pushed myself too hard and blown up. Having the disasters allowed me to relax.

It was so great to see all my friends again! I grabbed some grub and water. I even ate a second meal, then I had a Great Lakes beer with my friends before crashing in bed. Kris was right, it was all worth it. I am so glad I finished.

I want to say thank you to all the volunteers: the police officers that ensure our safe crossing of busy roads, the volunteers that save us at aid stations — and Ryan the race promoter, he might be a bit of a sadist but he reveals our full potential with an incredible course!

My first Mohican 100 miler: Finish line photo

2011-06-04T16:23:00.001-07:00

Photo by Joe Bellante

Done! 2 broken chains and a major crash — my knee has a chain ring incision in it! But not too bad, I rode a 10:35.

Super Saturday Preview

2011-06-02T06:44:00.000-07:00

In some ways Saturday's 100 mile Mohican Mountain Bike race is like my Super Bowl (maybe it's this race, then I get a second Super Bowl with the final double-points CX race). A month ago I was having mini panic attacks just thinking about it. Memories of last year's muddy epic where I physically and mentally fell apart still haunt me. This will be my third NUE event. But I still feel like pretty new and not like I have everything figured out.

So something snapped a month ago and I realized I just have to chill. Go out and have a fun time and just pedal the bike. I was feeling better. I got my nutrition worked out with Infinit — I was totally dialed in!

But Murphy's Law happened. I pulled a muscle in my right quad at last week's race. And my bike has been chain-sucking like crazy. And I might be running low on Infinit because I forgot to reorder. It will probably all be fine — life is never perfect. That's why we race, because a life without obstacles is not worth living.

If you are reading this there is a good possibility that you are my homie and I will see you up there. I hope everything going great and I can't wait to see you at the finish!

Goal Times:

Grade A+++
9:00, 11.11 mph avg (This would be if Mohican was as "easy" as Cohutta)

Grade A
9:30, 10.53 mph avg

Grade A - (This is my target time)
10:00, 10 mph avg

Grade B
10:30; 9.5 avg
11:00, 9mph avg (just a tad faster than last week's muddy Butler MTB race)
11:40, 8.57 mph avg (same as last year's pace)
12:00 There's a very real possibility that I could be out there that long!

Grade D
DNF: Hopefully the quad heals and my bike stays in one piece!

Aid Station Times for Target Time of 10 Hours:

Aid Station 1 (20mi): 2:00:00
Aid Station 2 (34mi): 3:24:00
Aid Station 3 (46mi): 4:36:00 (better load up here with an extra bottle)
Aid Station 4 (72mi): 7:12:00
Aid Station 3 again (80mi): 8:00:00
Aid Station 5 (92mi): 9:10:00 (hopefully a top off of water if needed)

I'm planning to stretch my legs, maybe lube the chain and mix up 2 bottles Infinit at each aid station (hopefully this won't take too long). Since it will probably be hot I might have an extra water/heed bottle in my back pocket). I'm hoping to have some security Gels, about 1 per hour if needed (12-ish).

The good news is, according to a GPS file the race is only 95 miles with 8,500 feet of climbing. I thought it was 100 miles with 10,000 feet of climbing. That makes it waaaaaay easier!

Memories

2011-06-01T08:36:00.000-07:00

Last weekend's race at General Butler park brought back a lot of old memories. I followed Bridget around in 2003, watching all the races and trail running a bit to get better pictures in the woods.

Actually I pulled out Rilo Kiley's "Take Offs and Landings" album a couple weeks ago and it also brought back memories of driving to Tower Park in 2002, where my fat ass would endo downhill on all the switchbacks!

I love how cycling can connect us to our friends, and to nature and sometimes to society. I'm so thankful for all the wonderful things I've seen from a bike seat.

Race #75: Whistling Dixie

2011-05-29T08:29:00.000-07:00

I caught a ride with Matthew Stierwalt down to General Butler State Park in Corrolton, Kentucky. This park brings back fond memories of Bridget getting back into the sport that she loves, back in 2003 when it felt like we were just kids fresh out of college. She had raced there in the late 90s, when mountain biking was epic. Here is a BioWheels race report about Bike Butler back in the day. Matthew raced there as well back in the day, on a Bianci Forté with Look clipless pedals better served for the road and a suspension fork that would have made a better pogo stick.

Prelap:
I lined up and realized this was my first real race of the year. There wasn't much bumping shoulders on single track in the Death March. I was glad to shake some of the racing cobwebs off a week before Mohican. Butch, Marty, Matt and I went for a warm up lap, it was only 5 miles but there was a fair amount of mud and areas where conditions would deteriorate over the course of the race. It was funny, I found that the granny gear was the best choice for all the muddy climbing.

Lap 1:
The race started fairly fast. I was about 5th or 6th into the trail with Marty and Matt just behind. I kept gunning it and was holding Rusty's wheel so I wouldn't create a gap. I was very happy to be within 2 bike lengths of Rusty and another guy from Backwoods Racing within the first quarter lap — those guys from Louisville are freakin' fast. What I didn't realize was that I was slowly going anaerobic — with all the oxygen going to my muscles and evacuating the ole bird brain. About that time I hit a sloppy, muddy downhill going really fast. Well I ate it really hard with my head hitting the ground and my handlebars twisted backward. It took me a few seconds to pull the bars off — leaving a huge scratch on my top tube! I jumped back on and wouldn't you know it — my chain had dropped too! Marty and Matt passed me as I was getting the chain back on. I caught up to them and we formed a Cincinnati chase group. Matt was setting a steady pace as I tried to catch my breath. I was still so full of adrenaline I wanted to ride 20 mph, but I knew unless I settled down I would crash again. So we hung together in a little paceline for about half a lap. At one point I passed Marty where my poor handling must have drove him crazy! We hit an open marshy section and I decided to raise the pace and try to hunt down any Louisville rider I could. I created a gap and I wanted to see if I could beat Marty for once in my life, I thought I would take advantage of an opportunity while I had it. But Marty wasn't feeling his best that day.

Lap 2:
Still riding like a newbie. Slowing down. Fearing my comrads coming from behind. Marty's stem broke and he had to DNF. He was shouting out that I was 3rd or something. I didn't believe him, and i didn't want to get my hopes up — but then I remembered there was both a Pro AND an Expert class. Hmm... I started to get siked and dreamt of podiums and champaign.

Lap 3:
Smooth sailing! Cleaned everything! Settled down and rode like a real mountain biker, riding a tight-rope up the edges of the trail on the muddy uphills. I was so proud. The marshes were getting nasty, and I swear I could smell stagnant horse poop in the water AND IT WAS SPLASHING ON MY BOTTLES!

Lap 4:
Chain suck! I had to switch it into the middle ring and muscle it out. I passed a BikeClicks guy cramping on the ground (from all the mud) and I felt like a cramp coming on. The second half of the lap I was trying to gun it as much as I could — thinking teammate Karwash or another rider would come from behind and steal my potential podium.

Finale:
So the South won this battle. Backwoods and other Louisville riders took the first four spots, I came in 5th. But I think I might have been third in the Expert class, but what I didn't know was that I was FIRST in the 30-39 age group. It feels a bit cheap but I got paid some sweet money and this is my first win since November of 2009, 44 races ago. But in all reality, getting fifth in this field and third in Expert is a major result for me.

The South also won in another way. I got the shits — I think from that nasty marsh water on my water bottles. Would this be known as General Butler's revenge?

2011-05-26T19:18:00.000-07:00

Read The Best Bike Blog Ever's article about Death March at XXC Magazine online. That was my last race, I really need to get back out there. I feel like Marty Sheen drunk in the hotel room in Apololyspe Now!

Bike 2 Work Week

2011-05-25T19:24:00.000-07:00

At a commuter station at Coffee Emporium, meeting Element Cycles and signing up for Queen City Bike's email list (10,000 names gets them a lot of sway in City Hall).

Last week was Bike to Work week. I hit the road hard, commuting just about everyday to work and sometimes with little commutes during the day. I avoided 19 car trips and commuted about 114 miles, on top of another 235 miles of training (totaling about 26 training hours). I have to admit, I am spent. So this week is a rest week.

I led the Blue team in the 2 Mile Challenge for about a day! Some days I had 4-6 bike commutes in a day.

This week I am cutting back on commuting, using the bus to get to work. I am still commuting here and there, but mainly using the bike for workouts so I don't wear down my batteries. This week was the inaugural launch of the LPK Velo Club, a wellness program to get coworkers into cycling. My friend Stephanie and I rode around Lunken Airport from Downtown. And my other friend John and I rode to Ollie's Trolley for lunch. Cycling and eating ribs!

Check out my new "Tin Lizzy!" I bought a Huffy Sportsman 3-speed for $10 at a garage sale. Reminds me of the one my friend Stefan let me borrow in Frankfurt.

Some Epic Rides

2011-05-24T08:13:00.000-07:00

Ride to Chilo
I love this time of year. In seeking good form you throw a leg over the saddle and just ride off with very little limits on where you can go. You have a whole day to train, just take it.

In early April Bjet and I went for a long sunny ride East. We rode through Batavia to Felicity and down to the river. We hit the river around Chilo and turned home along the river where the wind became epic. I think we rode 40 miles into a strong headwind. We stopped in Point Pleasant, Birthplace of Ulysses S. Grant, for a Coke and some jerkey. It was nice to visit New Richmond too, it looks like there is a cute coffee house and bookstore there. Like a little arts district. There riverfront main street could take you back in time (in your imagination of course, no DeLorean spotted).

Feel free to look fruity while sitting on a fence post.

Kentucky Therapy

Unfortunately in mid-April our adopted dog of 6 years died suddenly (but she was 13, so we should have saw it coming). Bjet and I couldn't bear to be at home, too much reminded us of our dog Button. So I made Bridget get on our bikes to try to forget about our loss.

Day 1 of our canine mourning was a drizzly ride to Lebanon. Gross. Day 2 was a beautifully sunny ride out past Covington up some scenic climbs, then crossing East to hit the epic StoneHouse road near Camp Spring (a village of all stone structures) out to Schabobole and then Mentor. We came back along Washington Trace, where some of the side roads were submerged in water from all the rain we have been getting.

To the Center of the Universe

This one wasn't so epic, but I finally got back down to Rabbit Hash, Kentucky. That whole KY-20 area around Petersbug is pretty nice. It reminds me a scale-model size version of South Park, Colorado.

Every time I pass a country graveyard now I can't help but feel nostalgic for the Sub-9 Death March.

Enjoy some barbecue and play fetch with the 4-legged Mayor. Rabbit Hash is starting to gain even more popularity. Now they have a B&B, a wine cantina and a new barbecue place. When I was there a "Raise the Band Stand" music festival was going on, so there were even more booths of food and people. It was so cool I wish I didn't have to ride home.

Xenia Station, Choo Choo Two

Last weekend I did one more long ride to get "speed endurance" training for Mohican. I tried to hold an 85% effort to Xenia Station and back. I got to ride with teammate Scott for a bit. Old friend Teri the MTB/CX Goddess showed up and we rode for a bit, then I went on and on and on the Little Miami Scenic path forever and alone. Actually the iPod loaded with Mashups kept me company and I ended up riding a flat 122.6 miles in 7 hours. I drank only Infinit and took a couple gels, I was testing the race nutrition and it seems to work phenomenally, I felt way better than I usually do!

2011-05-20T14:30:00.001-07:00

Marty and a full bike coral at OTR's Park and Vine, all the local kids were lining up for thekombucha keg party from Fabulous Ferments.

2011-05-20T05:29:00.000-07:00

I love bikes. It's going to be a busy day but I took a second to slow down and bought bread and a blueberry danish from Shadeau and had an impromptu picnic in the park. Plus it's sunny for the first time this week!

Obey Trek!

2011-05-16T07:40:00.000-07:00

I'm kind of over Trek, Lance, Shephard Fairey, Carbon Fiber, etc.

But as a multifaceted person (designer turned racer) I love that the worlds of art and sport are merging. Teams like Leopard-Trek and Sky (and Garmin and Rock Racing) have embraced design and marketing to cut through the clutter and appeal to a younger audience — which turns that audience onto their sponsors.

Trek is also doing a great job of using their success to come up with all sorts of cool design, from revolutionary industrial design and engineering to just sweet looking bikes. I liked Levi's Tour of Cali bike from a couple years ago, the bear of Cali was perfectly cropped into the headtube area. Plus did you see Lance's sick ass haute couture Tour de France bikes? Here is a link...

2011-05-15T08:04:00.001-07:00

Off to a late start training today, watching the Giro and sleeping in. Man, this is a fun race to watch! 2 climbs up an active volcano today.

I used to be a Bert "fan." I guess I used to feel bad for him that some guy (Lord Lance-a-Strong) came out of retirement, and started tweeting slams on Bert. Then you have all these American "cycling fans" calling Bert a jerk because he didn't "help" Lance win the Tour. Guilty or not, his climbing and attacks have always been "unbelievable." So I had mixed feelings today when Ole Spanish Beef went flying up the volcano. I was blown away that Stefano Garzelli blew up, he flicked an elbow and threw up in his mouth and started crying! I like that guy just because he's an aggressive rider, very classic looking, like he should be racing Merckx.

I heard Andy Hampsten is the current leader of the Tour of California. Him and Bob Roll came out of retirement and rode through 3 feet of snow in Tahoe. After the loss of Wouter Weylandt rider safety will be a huge concern, these guys have to turn themselves inside out for us — it would have been great to see these guys race in horrible conditions but I would hate to see someone get hurt. They should have shortened the stage to a cyclocross race around Lake Tahoe!

Bike Month!

2011-05-13T10:58:00.000-07:00

On the Right Track from Mayor Sam Adams on Vimeo.

This is a cool video about some bike lane experiments in Portland. I'm excited about Cincinnati adding over 100 miles of bike lanes, but when I have a bead experience with a car I wish the 2015 deadline for these lanes were sooner.

Queen City Bike is putting on a lot of great events for Bike to Work Day (and Week), it's fun to see people get excited about cycling and with the gas at over $4 a gallon this might be the perfect time to recruit new commuters. My friend Tim is creating a cool challenge for himself, commuting only by bike for 3 weeks.

I've been commuting a lot more this month, I typically ride 4-6 commutes per week. I'm excited about bike month!

Bike Month Week 1:
8 commutes for a total of 60 miles, I think I saved about $25 in gas and $14 versus the Metro Bus.

Bike Month Week 2:
11 commutes for a total of 84 miles.

Hill Battle of the Networked Blogs III

2011-05-10T19:07:00.000-07:00

Everyone was flying tonight! The weather was nice, we were feeling great, and a psychological yolk has been lifted off of us before the "big dance" at Mohican.

Since last week I rested up, been stretching and massaging my sore muscles with the Stick and a Triggerpoint foam roller. And most of all, I've been trying to get more sleep and making sure I am on top of my caloric intake. I think I was training and working so much I forgot to track my calories and I fell into a deficit for days, which ran my batteries down!

Tonight I was a bit naughty and grabbed a leftover donut from a meeting and downed it before our ride. You can see where the energy spiked and then dropped off!

6:59
6:23 (Whoa, the explosive power of the donut!)
6:37 (Still feeling donut high)
7:06 (Hurts, donut?)
6:45
6:50
3:45 (flatted),
7:22
8:10
9:50
5:19 (from flat point)

3,510ish feet of climbing on a school night, sweeeet. Just when I thought I was badass I heard Marty Sanders rode 30x up Sycamore today, proving he is a monster. I think that's like 7,000 feet of a hill that is 3x the gradient. Chapeau!

New Best Time!:
6:23, avg 15.7 mph.

I can average over 16 mph on Kuglar, I wonder if I am slower on Devou because it's harder or if it is because the road is so rough... Well, maybe the top and bottom of Devou is harder.

Date Night with the Bikes

2011-05-06T18:38:00.001-07:00

Bjet and I had a stellar evening. Guest chefs at Fork Heart Knife made some killer comfort food, which we savored with some Yeti beer. Then a serene soul ride home. Ahhhh.

How do you train for a 100 mile mountain bike race?

2011-05-06T10:54:00.000-07:00

I thought I new what I was doing, but I am starting to doubt myself.

Basically I have been slowly building up miles, capping off my training with an epic ride (maybe 7-8 hours, and 120 miles-ish) this weekend and maybe one next weekend. Then taking a couple weeks to recover and focus on shorter, intense rides.

I think I got this notion from training for half-marathons. Should I have been building a bigger base earlier? Or am I stressing for no reason at all?

Don't you like how I asking less than a month before the event?

2011-05-05T04:57:00.000-07:00

Foggy commute into work. I love riding through Eden Park in the morning, it's a moment of serenity before a busy work day.

Build Up!

2011-05-05T04:47:00.000-07:00

And anti-climax... Just kidding, I hope not.

For the past year I've used the MapMyRide membership features to track my training hours. I tried to train more by hours and less by miles. And this year I focused on using Joe Friel's Training Bible to coach myself. You can pretty clearly see my faithful progression of building 4 weeks then resting (minus one week where I think a heavy workload got the best of me).

So this is my fourth year of racing. In 2008 I caught the CX fever just as the season began, so I wasn't stewing myself in lactic acid all year. I think in 2008 I was an avid cyclist, but I wasn't psycho yet. In 2009 I felt so lucky I was asked to race for the Trek Store Cincinnati team, and the previous CX season inspired me to punish myself through the winter like never before. In 2010, I felt even luckier to race for BioWheels (aside from being my friends, they always seemed like the Yankees of the Cincy off-road teams) and with the 65 mile MTB races on my schedule I really punished myself. There is something about having a logo on my chest that made me not want to let the team down, I felt accountable to kick as much ass as I can. But last year's Mohican really whooped me, and I have a real chip on my shoulder going into this year's 100 miler.

Below you can see how I've slowly progressed over the past four years, adding about an extra 1,000 miles of riding into the first 5 months. I doubt it will be 1,000 more this month, but we'll see!

So this is my tentative training plan for May. A couple more weeks of killing myself, then I'm going to dial the volume way back and amp up some intensity. Plus some time for rest just before the big race (and a 2 week recovery break after).

Hill Battle of the Networked Blogs II

2011-05-03T19:41:00.000-07:00

Once again Tuesday night is a battle of the local blogs. Joe Biker from The Best Bike Blog Ever invited me for a whoopin on the hill up to Devou park in Covington. This time he dominated me, I had to quit after 7 repeats while Joe continued onto 10. I got about 2,400 feet of climbing in...

Score BBBE: 1, JRR DNF

Devou Hill Repeat Times (5/03/2011)
7:01 (Most of these Joe dominated a pulled 85% of the time)
6:52
7:08
7:02
6:54 (I took a few pulls on this one,)
8:16 (Legs got cold during a pee break and I blew up)
7:42 (better go home and recover)

Best time:
6:37 at about 15.1 avg mph (4/12/2011)

Devou is about 1.67 miles long with about 351 feet of elevation gain, mainly about 3% gradient with some 6% kickers. It's a really cool climb because you get wonderful views of downtown Cincinnati and Covington.

Another workout since my illness where I have fallen apart. I better make sure I rest, recover, get my antioxidents, get out The Stick and my foam roller,

Miles and Smiles

2011-05-02T16:51:00.001-07:00

From 2009 Cycling Yearbook

I was sick all last week. I got an Easter bug and it had me wiped out, plus the constant rain here (it rained almost everyday, no kidding) forced me to take a real recovery week.

So Saturday I decided to go out like an idiot and whoop myself. I rode Route 8W and took all the side hills. It was crazy, there has been so much rain that the roads were closed because landslides were tearing away parts of the road. I rode down Amsterdam and it was like that, KY-20 was closed too. I saw Rod Vesper at a UDF (this message brought to you by...) on the top of Tanner. I forgot to buy a coke (foreshadowing?). I went down to Route 8 and was about to ride home when I saw Tony F and Pat K. I had to turn around! Plus the other direction was a tailwind!

We had a blast talking, sprinting up the rollers. But then I cracked. My climbing muscles were fatigued and I got dropped on every climb. I would have to TT on all the flat to catch back up. And then I bonked on top of the fatigue! Pat and Tony are in great shape, it was so fun to ride with them again. They were nice enough to nurse me back to the bridge. I think they gave each other a high-five and shouted "Kentucky!" when I left. Score one for Dixie.

Sunday I asked for second helpings. After watching the leaders of the Flying Pig marathon, Bjet and I met up with Joe and Rachel for another ride on Route 8W. I nearly turned around for home because I was feeling like garbage. But after a few hours of spinning and great conversation I was feeling 70% better. I was a total wanker on a climb up to Finke's Goetta and attacked. But Joe grabbed my wheel. I tried again and Joe laughed as he spanked me. Sweeeeeeet. Too bad there were no Goetta sandwhiches ready.

On the way home Bjet and I were still looking for more Mohican miles so we were going to hit the bike path. We bumped into Mike S. and he was looking fresh. Just the kickstart I needed! I love Mike (he's a new addition to BioWheels hurray!) and some more great conversation was had. We turned up Kuglar and I think I started crying once we hit the upper steep sections! I was on the ropes again and dropped. We rode Spooky Hollow and Blome too, it was great to have the challenge because I am going to have to get used to climbing with tired legs during the Mohican 100.

The photo above is an actual Holga, I was on the back of a paceline a couple years ago and couldn't resist snapping a pic...

Choo Choo

2011-04-23T20:51:00.000-07:00

The Little Miami Scenic Path is one of the longest bike paths in the country — just two miles from my front door. Without the path I may have been too scared to ride in traffic and I probably wouldn't be who I am today — I may have stayed overweight. Or I might have gotten used to traffic quicker without the path and I would be a faster racer now... I dunno.

Anyway, the path is nice for those days where you want to turn off the mind. Just chill and observe, or if it isn't too busy it's a great place for intervals, just flat rolling tarmac. Or if the weather is bad and you don't feel like dealing with traffic.

With storms on the horizon I scrapped my first ride idea of riding to Augusta, Kentucky taking a ferry and riding back on the Ohio side. North seemed safer, more out-of-reach from the storms. I was wrong, but I got a couple dry hours in.

I like to fly along on the old, paved rail line; churning my legs like I'm a crazy locomotive just trying to maintain the fastest pace I can. I felt okay today, a little fatigue robbed me of some of my top end. I was averaging over 19.2 in the first half but a little bonk slowed me down for a bit. I was still over 19 mph average when the final hill to my house kicked me in the teeth!

I'm just trying to get some speed endurance for Mohican. That race has me shaking in my boots. In the past I have used a similar workout to build some base fitness and speed endurance:

04/23/2011 Rainy Century TT, started from home
101.00 mi.
05:20:30
18.91 avg mi/hr

03/20/2010 Dropping off Posters to Phil in Xenia
94.16 mi.
05:28:00
17.22 avg mi/hr

09/04/2009 My first century ride
100.20 mi.
05:28:52
18.28 avg mi/hr
129 avg Heart Rate
153 (watts) (avg) 645 (watts) (max)
Notes 30 min interval = 216 watts 1 hour wattage = 189 Did another 30 minute interval on return.

06/15/2008 71 Miles on the Little Miami Scenic Trail
71.50 mi.
04:11:00
17.09 avg mi/hr
160 lbs/ 3,562
149 avg Heart Rate

09/03/2007 Newtown to Lebanon (back when I was just getting into cycling, this ride killed me!)
52.63 mi.
03:13:00
16.36 avg mi/hr
149 avg Heart Rate

Prima Vera!

2011-04-15T18:26:00.000-07:00

Spring is almost fully here, and last weekend it felt like summer. The leg warmers are off and it's time to work on the tan. I also shaved off the last of my winter hibernation fur.

I've had some fun rides with the team this week. Last Sunday was the BioWheels Lobster Bake where the team rode the Sunflower Revolution route and ended up dehydrating and wilting, a melted pile of red flesh on the side of the road. Bjet and I headed out for more miles after the group ride and we did some hills around Downtown.

Tuesday night was the battle of the local blogs. Joe Biker from The Best Bike Blog Ever invited me for a whoopin on the hill up to Devou park in Covington. It's long(ish — by Cincinnati standards) with a gradient that allows you to go pretty fast with a few kick ups at the end to try to make you vomit. It's pretty similar to Kuglar Mill.

Devou Hill Repeat Times (4/12/2011)
6:49 (Penis battle)
6:37 (I was trying to spin up that bastard at 100 rpms)
6:53 (Ugh 1)
6:43 (Joe took over and tried to power hammer up it)
6:47 (Not too shabby, another shared effort on the front)
7:01 (Ugh, I don't care, can we go home now)

Riding like French Kings!

2011-04-14T21:22:00.000-07:00

Last year I barely had any mountain biking time in the saddle before Cohutta. This year I've been pretty luck with the snowy TTs, a little bit of time in Austin and our new affinity for some of the Hoosier trails. Especially Versailles, it's just over an hour away! And it's longer and hiller than Cincinnati's East Fork.

It seems like they've been getting less rain, or the trails are hillier therefore they drain better. But Bridget and I have been hitting Versailles in late March and early April. It was so nice to show up and before you knew it a couple of friends were there to join you too!

The first weekend we rode with Chris and Steven, then after a lap or so we found Karwash and his friend Mike. The next weekend we headed out there and the weather was so warm the trails were so crowded! We rode with Jeni, Darrin, super brewer Chris, Stephen, and Bryan. We even saw Matt Fox, and like a sasquatch BioWheels Tony F appeared! Tony put a real whoopin' on me! He so smooth on downhills and technical stuff. I wish I were taking notes!

Pretty/Painful

2011-04-13T16:52:00.000-07:00

My Patron Giants

2011-04-11T22:33:00.000-07:00

I look like such a little guy compared to ole "Mott Sauce" in the Le Mans style start to last year's race. Between him, Karwisch and Gers I always have a few Giants around.

Waffles and Dead People, Cobbles and Krauts

2011-04-10T04:01:00.000-07:00

I've been reading "Bicycle Diaries" by David Byrne (of Talking Heads fame). The book is comprised of his observations of the world, culture, art, civilization, etc. from the seat of a bicycle. Any cyclist who reads this book will get it in a second, but I guess it is written for his legion of fans, art nerds who are cooped up in their New York studios stroking cats. A cyclist moves fast enough to see a lot yet slow enough to really absorb their surroundings — the legs are working but the mind is free to roam.

I'm a big fan of history, and as a lifelong resident of Cincinnati, I'm into Cincinnati history and my often rides are glimpses into the past of a booming Cincinnati of the late-1800s. And frequently I do rides around the city and allow myself to explore and seek serendipity. I have also always dug riding through cemeteries. Cemeteries are these beautiful, peaceful parks typically with some rolling hills, sometimes with gravel and I love the old ones with stone monoliths sprouting skyward. Something lovely happens when the late afternoon sun hits limestone — it reminds me of Paris perhaps (snob!). And looking at the names of people on the headstones I start to see the people who formed our city — the founding fathers and mothers of neighborhoods, farmers sometimes, or heads of industry. Now the names are applied to streets, to memorialize these great people, and we have no idea to Peebles, Ferris, Pogue, McGregor, Settle or even Ezzard Charles are.

Waffles and Dead People
So the day before the Heart Mini I went out for a long recovery ride. I was about to ride up the Loveland bike path when I realized I have never been to Spring Grove Cemetery. So I rode the scenic way through Cincinnati's lovely Eden Park, down through the city to Findlay Market. Findley is the only old market left downtown, the one on Court Street was dismantled or burned and the one around Fountain Square was destroyed in the night when the bankers and businessmen grew sick of the hems of their trousers being stained with pigs blood from the 5th street market butchers.

Now, like me, there is a bunch of localvore/organic/free-range foodies who flock here for authentic food, some cheap eats and gourmet treats. Taste of Belgium is one of the treats. I hope they return to the 3 day Cincinnati Weekend CX races. They use large granules of sugar in their yeast batter (a recipe inspired from the waffles of Liége) that melt onto the griddle and carmelize the outside of the waffle. (For winter rides I also suggest Dojo Gelato's Cup of Hot Melty Chocolate — it's like a liquid pudding!)

Having fueled myself I set off once again. I ride through West End and the industrial heart of Cincinnati. This is where Proctor and Gamble used pig fat to make soap and candles, using the river to ship their goods. I weave in and out of factory roads impressed by these dinosaurs of the industrial revolution, some still working and others abandoned.

I hit Northside and I am welcomed by a Raymond Thundersky mural on the outside of Visionaries and Voices. Raymond Thundersky was a Native American fellow, I am unsure if he was afflicted by a mild mental disorder — but he dressed as a construction worker/clown hybrid and would watch outside Cincinnati construction sites. On a side note, I spent part of my teen years tailing him around a grocery store where I worked as a stocker. My manager turned me into Mr. Thundersky's stalker, my manger being convinced this odd man was stealing!

After Northside I find the Mill Creek Valley Greenbelt bike path — I was delighted to get a little refuge from the traffic. I plan to speak a little more about the new Cincinnati bike paths in a future post. I finally got to Spring Grove Cemetery! It was very beautiful, this was one of the first warm and sunny days in awhile.

Spring Grove is incredible. There are some small hills, and valley streams and the asphalt is a bit gravely. It would make a killer crit course (no pun intended)! Once again I am impressed with the artistry of these memorials.

After a loop I headed back to Northside for a quick bite at the Sidewinder cafe. Then I headed for home with a route through Clifton, Avondale, Evanston, Norwood, Oakley and Madisonville. Some of these neighborhoods are so incredible. At some point they were extremely prosperous but grew out of fashion, or perhaps white flight turned them into "rough areas." Probably people with lesser income just moved in and couldn't afford the upkeep on these giant houses. At once I admire the architecture but I try not to see this neighborhood through a lens of future gentrification.

Cobbles and Hills
Well I was going to go to a trail day then ride my MTB afterwards. But a huge thunderstorm and inches of rain stopped me! So I pedaled back home in soaked jeans and I thought I would make the best of it. I warmed up climbing the backstreets of Ludlow and Covington, Kentucky. I started exploring and I found the street where a UFO house is located!

I ride over to the Cincinnati riverfront and I am excited about the Banks project. The riverfront was killed by the interstate that divided the city from the water. As train (and eventually trucking) commerce killed the riverboats the once seedy underbelly of Cincinnati withered away and became parking lots. I can't help but wonder if some ghosts of crazy riverboat captains who died (victim of a therapeutic bovine blood cocktail perhaps?) in the opium dens and brothels that once littered the docks are totally pissed that their crazy lifestyle got paved over by a boring parking lot. Here is an interesting article on old black neighborhoods along the riverfront.

Once again I found myself down in Over-the-Rhine, where my great-grandparents dried spaetzle on the radiators, built furniture and barber chairs with skills they learned around Hamburg and would take Summer picnic trips in a rowboat up the canal (or what they jokingly termed "The Rhine"). I love to ride around and try to imagine what it was like. Mainly I just see "Gangs of New York" in my head, except everyone is speaking German.

I love hitting the cobbles in front of Music Hall going 20 mph. I imagine the cobbles in Paris-Roubaix are much more severe, but these in Cincy have my hands stinging after only a block! One of these days I would love to "cobble" together all the old pavé and brick alleys for an Urban Alleycat CX race.

After OTR I climbed up through Liberty Hill, rode along some brick alleys and happened upon a little neighborhood called "Little Bethlehem." I never heard this area called that before, but there are some beautiful Italianate houses lining the hillside. Walker Street is especially quaint.

Every once in a while something completely crazy happens while you are on a bike. You are silent, exposed, yet still moving fast enough that you see a lot of stuff; and if it is weird you're not sitting there like a target. On another ride through the Brewery District a year ago, these EMTs emerged from an apartment building with a corpse on a stretcher while the churches of OTR rang their bells. Creepy. Sometimes you happen upon a drug deal or drug use. Friends of mine have seen people having sex on trails, etc,. Well on this ride I was in Filson park in Mount Auburn, I rode behind a car and noticed the passenger's head bobbing in the driver's lap. The driver nervously glanced over his shoulder, then lowered his seat back!

So I kept riding hills to keep warm in the rain. By now I am thoroughly soaked, but the slow steady efforts keep me warm. I ride through Eden Park and Mount Adams. Riding along Oregon Street you can still see the two rows of supports for the old inclines. Why did we ever get rid of those? And the street cars? I bet they got run down and cost too much to repair; nostalgia always making everything seem cooler. I make my way into Walnut Hills — and especially on Madison Road you can see where at one time the utmost wealthy of the city lived in enormous houses with pasture-like lawns. They could afford to leave the city, where the industrial revolution wreaked havoc upon air quality and the streets were filthy with carriage droppings and the pigs blood flowing from the market places. Anyway, enough pig blood staining my trouser bottoms! So I am climbing this short hill on a side street when I see the absolutely most adorable house in Cincinnati! The facade is so ornate, like it has been transported from the Black Forest, Bavaria or Switzerland!

So I ended my ride going up through Alms and Ault Parks. I love epic public works projects, these parks are real gems. I love attacking the hills and you are rewarded with great views from the top. One street is called Vineyard, and I am reminded of a story that at one time the Ohio River Valley was the center for wine-making in the U.S. I look up at these South facing hills and I can just imagine rows of grapes and I'm reminded of my friend Carolina who took me to the Rhein in Germany, of the Lorelai (this inland "mermaid" who tempted sailors to run aground), of the Reisling I bought for Bridget here:

RheinGau, die JohannisburgSchlossen, a photo by jbilliter_idesign on Flickr.

Geez, my mind really wanders during a ride! Anyway, ride a bike and see the world!

Giants and Nativity Shitters oh my!

2011-04-09T16:13:00.000-07:00

I remember watching my first Paris-Roubaix and seeing these enormous figures in the background. I was like, what the hell are these! Well it turns out that many cities in the North of Europe have patron Giants that look over an protect their region!

Some of said Giants. My family line is actually from Nord-pas-de-Calais, thus my affinity towards tall people.

I think I am in love with the Catalonians. They are crazy. Their Nativities feature a guy (El Caganer) taking a dump in the corner! Evidently when crazy holy ordeals are going down, they believe people are still keepin it real doin everyday stuff — like taking a dump.

The Catalonians also have a Christmas log that poops presents!

Germans have a book of fairy tales that scare children into submission! The book is called "Der Struwwelpeter". Don't suck your thumb, play with matches or be slovenly!

Psycho Roadie Manorexia!

2011-04-05T13:45:00.000-07:00

Sometimes bicycle racers are worse than supermodels. It makes sense that if I spend a lot on bikes, and going to races, and kill myself training all the time that I might as well watch what I eat and make sure that come race day I am the best I can be. This often equates to a sensible observance of what I consume, making sure that they are quality calories designed to replenish my body and help me recover and perform again.

Bjet bought the book Racing Weight Quick Start Guide. I swear this was written by the devil. It says that I am a fattie and I need to lose 10 lbs. or I will never win the Tour!

This book focuses on getting leaner in the off-season, and it is very unsafe to restrict calories while training, especially for Endurance events like Mohican. This year I am aiming for loftier racing goals which may include getting destroyed in the UCI Elite CX races.

But what I have noticed is that what I have been assuming is okay for me isn't always the best thing to eat. So I am planning to watch what I eat and try to lose any extra weight slowly and naturally. If I don't lose it all I don't care. But if I succeed I could see a near 10% gain in performance. No need to dope!

I have been using Livestrong.com to track my calories and I noticed some foods I have been eating have been a little too full of fat and lacking the protein I need to recover. Below are my calorie tables will really help me make sure that I am getting the proper amount of of major calorie resources to keep me lean and help me recover. I'll post some recipes in the future.

Power and Training

2011-03-30T20:26:00.000-07:00

I did my first power test last weekend. I borrowed Bjet's power tap and I hit my ole foe Kuglar Mill. I rode up about 4 times, the first time being a recon, 2 attempts at making myself vomit and a final half-hearted attempt.

It was really cold and windy but I am happy with the results. During the test I just focused on riding and tried not to glance at the numbers. Actually my second hard attempt I kept a really high cadence and my power numbers were better! Looking back I typically ride faster with a higher cadence. Perhaps I got a bit too into gear grinder mode over the winter.

Need to tweak my training a little more. Perhaps hills are better earlier in the week so I save my quads for the weekend.

I should research more intervals too. Right now I just do sprints (typically 15-30 seconds, sets of 5 with 1 minute recovery) or 10 minute intervals where I push a big gear trying to build muscle. Or hills.

Need to get my race starts stronger with some killer 10 minute intervals. I NEED TO FIGHT FOR THE ULTIMATE PRIZE! Some socks...

BioMetrics

2011-03-24T09:28:00.000-07:00

I had my blood tested at a Health Fair at work and it's good to know that what's under the hood is looking fairly healthy.

3/2/2011
Weight: 149
BMI: 24
BF%: 19.2 (estimated from home scale)

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Total Cholesterol: 233 mg/dl
HDL: >100 mg/dl (I guess my "good cholesterol" was too high to be measured by the little machine)
TC/HDL Ratio: NA (Measures risk of heart disease, too low and unable to be measured)
LDL: NA ("bad cholesterol" was too low to be measured)
Triglycerides: <45 mg/dl (also too low and unable to be measured, is that bad?

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Blood Glucose: 78 mg/dl (non-fasting!)

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Blood Pressure: 111 systolic / 78 diastolic mmHg
Pulse: 53 bpm

Back to Basics

2011-03-23T19:32:00.000-07:00

This is a picture of my niece. She's riding a bike that Bjet got her for Christmas about a year ago. I think she's just getting old enough to push that thing along (it's surprisingly heavy!).

Last week on the BioWheels ride I totally stunk it up in the double paceline. Maybe I had a bad day at work, but there was this MASH—MASH—COAST! tempo and it wasn't very smooth. I don't know if I got behind someone awkward in the paceline but my A.D.D. went into meltdown mode and I kept letting space open in front of me. Then I wasn't pulling off as soon as I should in the rotating paceline. I felt so embarrassed, I rode like a real newbie out there. I hate to suck it up so bad in front of my teammates and friends — people I respect and love to ride with.

On the way home I kept mulling over my failures in my head. Then I started kicking myself over the fact that I can't ride off-road on technical stuff. And I start to feel like a real mediocre rider and that on a crap-to-incredible scale I would end up somewhere that a lot of flies would be circling me! It kind of makes me want to quit.

Then we passed this farm field in Indian Hill. I remember seeing a sunset over this field when I first began riding and thinking to myself that I am so glad to be riding a bike. The sun was setting and I thought I have to let all my baggage go.

Hopefully I can be like my little niece and just have fun. But there's a lot that I have to learn — so I really have to work on some of my fundamentals if I want to get better.

Maybe someday it will be safe to take off my training wheels.