Go Back to Blink!

Why is it that members of perfectly good bands feel the need to start crappy side projects? In the last 2 weeks, I have wasted $19.98 at iTunes because of former members of Blink 182 (I say 'former', because, since they're putting out a Greatest Hits album, I assume they are done for). Back in 2002, Tom and Travis did a CD called Boxcar Racer, which was pretty good. Same goes with Travis's stint in The Aquabats -- The Superheroes of Punk.

Unforturtunately, I cannot say the same for Tom's latest effort, Angels and Airwaves. What garbage. I actually called iTunes to see if they offered refunds. They don't. It sounds kinda like Blink 182...if they started taking estrogen pills. Tom's whiny voice over a bunch of wimpy insrumentals. Ugh.

Meanwhile, Mark and Tavis started +44, which, while not nearly as bad, is still pretty crappy.

But, they got my money, which is the whole point, right? Why try to write good music when people will buy your album regardless? Is it greed? Boredom? Complacency? Whatever it is, it should stop.

The only side project band I've really come to enjoy is A Perfect Circle, but that's to be expected, because everything Maynard touches is gold.

Sweet

New NIN album coming soon!

Back in the saddle

I slapped fenders on the Surly and went for a short ride in the snow/slush last night. I only rode for about 30 minutes on a snow-packed trail, but it was just nice to get out. Riding 'fixed' is definitely the way to go for snow and ice. I felt like I had a lot more control.
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In other news, I am a huge pussy. We rented the movie 'Click' on pay-per-view last night, and I damn near broke down in tears. For those who haven't seen it (spoiler alert!) it's about a guy who gets a remote that can control his universe. He can pause/rewind/fast-forward different events in his life. However, he inadvertantly skips years of his life in order to get to what he deems the "good part", and loses everything that really matters along the way. He misses his kids growing up, his father dying, his wife getting remarried, and several other big events in his life. He got everything he thought he wanted in his career, but lost his life.

Anyways, the moral of the story is to appreciate what you have, and not take anything for granted. I think that's a great message in a self-centered, fast-paced society where success is measured by the size of your bank account.

Creatine is not a steroid!

Bodacious P and I stopped at Vitamin World on our way home from work today to pick up some supplements. While we were there, a group of 4 teenagers came in. One of them was looking at Creatine, and one of his friends informed him that he "shouldn't take that shit because steroids make your balls shrivel up". Are you kidding me?

Creatine is a combination of 3 amino acids. Nothing more. It is not considered "doping" by and type of athletic groups, including the Olympics Committee. And it won't make your balls shrivel up.

The Surly gets Fixed

I finally got around to converting the Cross-Check to a fixed-gear. I gotta say, it turned out awesome. I love the ride. It should (hopefully) make winter riding a little more tolerable. I'm rocking a 45x17 gear, which seemed a little small on my maiden voyage, but I'm going to give it another week or so and decide if I want to change.

I would venture to guess that this is one of the only steel fixies around with carbon cranks. What can I say? They just happened to be sitting in my garage...

It's nice to have a fixie other than my track bike, cuz who wants to ride a pure-bred velodrome machine in the snow?

Also, I went to GCCS today and checked out Grandstay's new bikes...pretty damn sweet! Big Jim's 61cm came in at 15 lbs.

Very tempting, but I'm thinking about blowing my bike fund on a new set of wheels. Decisions, decisions....

It's official...

I'm now part of the cool crowd, because I got a RAZR for Christmas. I also got:

• Magic Bullet - The ultimate protein shake maker
  
• Blongo Ball
  
• Gift Certificate to a Bed & Breakfast
  
• Stocking cap with a bill
• Sweatpants
  
• 'Patch Adams' DVD - WTF?
  
• Track Chain
  

Of course, the kids got more presents than we know what to do with. Addison now has a veritable Noah's Ark worth of stuffed animals, and Max could start his own small country with the trains, planes, and automobiles he has.

An open letter to my fantasy football team:

I lost the fantasy Super Bowl this weekend, so I feel the need to address some players individually.

Dear LT,
You are the only reason I made it into the postseason to begin with. Just like you do for the Chargers, you made my crappy fantasy team a winner. Thank you. You complete me.

Dear Willie Parker,
Goodbye. It's not you, it's me. No, wait...it's you. I just can't trust you anymore. 40 points one week, 2 the next. WTF? This week was the Super Bowl - the Big Game, and you got completely shut down. I need a running back I can count on. While you'll always have a special place in my heart, you'll no longer have a place in my lineup.

Dear Jake Plummer,
Nice mustache, loser. You suck.

Dear Matt Lienart,
In a different world, in a different time, with a different coach, we could have had something special. You're great, but Denny is an f-ing idiot. I don't need that kind of baggage.

To everyone else,
You were neither great nor horrible. Better luck next year.

Sincerely,
Tenacious-T

Merry Christmas!

Bodacious P Goes Big

What a day!

So, today I had to be at the Surgical Center at 6:30am to get snipped for the second time. I'm thinking of making it a holiday tradition. "Christmas Vasectomy." It has a nice ring to it!

In other news, I have made it to the, um, Super Bowl (?) in fantasy football, which is odd, because I knew next to nothing about football before this season. Bodacious P helped me draft my team, and even quizzed me on the way to work. Thanks, man...I'll buy you a hoagie.

I am also the current overall leader in my "NFL Pro Pick 'Em" league at work. WTF?

I can't ride my bike or lift for at least 5 days. Maybe I'll find more time to blog.

First Time Fantasy

I just want to congratulate Taylor for succsefully making it into the second round of the playoffs with the team that I drafted for him. I hope that he thinks of me when he is standing on the podeum; while I am sitting at home waiting for next year. I think its really cute though how he takes credit for it almost like he knows something about football. I admit that the strategy wasn't exactly ground breaking (Draft LT) but still it got him where he is today. At least I can live vicariously though him knowing that I am his silent partner and if that doesn't work then I will just chaulk up his season to begginers luck.

People are wierd...accept it

I had a huge epiphany in my interpersonal relationship skills last week when I came to the realization that the majority of people in this world are very wierd and, in general, have major personality flaws which are generally objectionable to modern society. The number of self-centered, spazzy, and unreasonable people in this world is staggering. Now, I'm not talking about people who are simply eccentric. I'm all for individuality. I'm talking about people who can't handle themselves in everyday life.

I think when you're growing up, you are under the assumption that most adults are "normal", and there are a few odd ones. As I've grown older and entered the adult world myself, I've slowly learned the the opposite is true.

What this has changed is my perception of these people. I used to become aggitated and annoyed that grown men and women could not handle themselves in an appropriate manner...at work, at the mall, out to dinner. I now feel sorry for these people, who, for the most part, cannot see themselves for what they are.

Now, I know I should "worry about the log in your own eye before you concern yourself with the sliver in someone else's". Fine, here are my shortcomings: I'm obsessive, sarcastic, slightly immature, and mildly conceited. I do, however, know when it's time to chill out and act like a normal human being for a while.

Your wife called...

She wants one of these bad boys for Christmas:

The ultimate in iPod accessories.

Tenatious-T's first day at the gym

Have you ever gone to a public place with someone and shortly after arriving wished you had instead gone by yourself. This is pretty much how every outing with Taylor is but yesterday really took the cake for embarrassing.
I Taylor at the gym ready to get a serious workout going. I change into my workout stuff and spend about ten minutes flexing in the mirror waiting for T to finally show up. Then when he gets there he makes the announcement that he has forgotten his gym shorts. We both have a good laugh as to how he is now going to be the weird guy that works out in Jeans and a T-shirt this alone was embarrassing enough, but it gets worse.
SO were out doing our first lifts (Incline Bench) and 2 sets in and Taylor starts to complain that his jeans are restricting him to much. I instantly close my eyes assuming that he is going to drop trough not realizing that when my eyes open up again I was going to wish that he had. I look over at T and he has now rolled his jeans not just once or twice but up to the top of his calf. Now lets think about this were doing a chest and arm exercise and Taylor decides that his calves are too constricted hmm?? Then he feels the need to release them to the world in the worst possible way. At this point I am trying to nonchalantly wonder away so no connection between us can be visually made. So what does he do yell my name and starts dancing like a monkey in the middle of the gym while we are surrounded by people. It was all I could do to not hide under one of the weight racks.
I would do anything for T but sometimes it's like hanging with my 3 year old daughter.

The Bodacious P Quote of the Day:

"Not at that weight you won't, that's for damn sure."
(Responding to Ted's "I'm not going to get injured" after moving the pin on the leg curl machine from 225 to 150)

Overall it was a good day, with PR's all around. I squatted 405x6, Ted did 405x10, and Bodacious P did 365x11 and almost passed out.

Guess who's back?

1st Lt. Erik Wilson, one of my best friends, is back from Iraq for two weeks. It's been over a year since I saw him last, and it was great to see him again. Only 3 more months until he's home (hopefully) for good.

When I asked him what exactly he does, his response was, "I'm the poor SOB that goes out looking for bombs." Damn!

He has some crazy stories about Iraq, which he refers to as "a funny little country". Apparently, women are only used for breeding purposes, and men and boys are used for sexual pleasure. Erik said that a lot of times they'd be patroling in the desert, and there would be a truck parked on the side of the road, and two Iraqi men would be standing outside smoking hash and having butt-sex. It's actually a pretty common occurrence over there.

There are lots of other strange stories, too. Basically, it's a funny little country.

Take care buddy, and hurry home.

Where the hell is Canby?

Apparently, it's about 35 minutes away from Granite Falls, and it's loaded with pheasants!

We left at 6:30 so we could arrive just before hunting hours, to ensure a bountiful harvest. I was concerned about bringing Bandit, since it was really cold and he had been sick lately, but he snuck into the truck, so I really didn't have a choice.

We hunted 5 different pieces of land, some private and some public, and I saw almost as many birds as I saw in South Dakota last fall. It was insane! Late-season hunts are always hard, because the birds are quite wily. Bandit did great, but we let him down when it came to marksmanship. Most of the birds were getting up way out in front of us and didn't offer very good shots. We came home with 2 birds, but could have easily limited out given the number of shots we had.

On the way home I started to get a gut-ache, and I ended up getting the stomach flu.

My wheel is done!

And it f-in' rules! I'm a loser who just happens to have a postal scale at home, and I found that the new wheel with cog and lockring saves me 350 grams over my old wheel with cassette. Add to that the fact that I removed the derailleurs and cables, I figure I took almost 2 pounds off my bike. Not that weight matters...(right Ted?).

Plus, this wheel is one stiff SOB:


Now, if I hadn't ordered the a chainring for the wrong BCD, I could ride my damn bike.

Props to Chris at Granite City Cycles for building me a hell of a wheel.

Super News!

I just found out that I get to have ANOTHER "no more kids" surgery. After a full year of bi-monthly testing, my mighty swimmers have prevailed over their surgically-altered vas deferens. I always new I was manly, and now I have proof.

Just what I always dreamed my life would be: 2 vasectomies in 2 years.

Thanksgiving Delight

Welcome to the wonderful world of Bodacious-P!! All kinds of exciting things happen to me so you are in for some good times!

Speaking of good times my Thanksgiving was great I ate until I couldn't stand up and then spent the next two days pissing out my ass everything I had eaten in the last year. I am pretty sure my mother tried to off me by putting poisoned ingredients in her Corn Pudding the problem is that she forgot about it and let her new husband (Ron) eat some as well. So after days of fighting over the bathroom and the sand paper butt wipe I began to fell a little better and was able to grow the skin back on my bottom side. Ron was not so lucky however!!

Picture this your sitting at your desk at work after now 4 days of constant personal time in the bathroom and you realize your about to have to make another visit. This time though you have your boss sitting in your office talking to you and blocking the door. Finally the long winded bag shuts up and you run down the hallway your ass cheeks squeezed together with enough pressure to make a diamond. You see the mens bathroom sign but, just as your about to grab the door knob all of you muscles fail and you create the dirty Niagara Falls in your pants. Now you have to go to the other side of the building to your long winded bosses office which is only accessible by walking through every ones cube and explain to him why your day needs to end after only an hour and a half.

This was Ron's day at work yesterday. Can there be anything more embarrassing.

Introducing....BODACIOUS P

Since I have been running low on blog content, and Pete is tired of my constant barage of insults, he is now an official contributor to my blog.

Needless to say, everyone who reads this blog will now leave with a few less brain cells than when they came (as opposed to the high-brow content I've previously provided :-)

Please join me in welcoming Bodacious P!

Ted's big day

Story adapted from events occurring last night.

This is a little story about a boy named Ted. One day Ted was going to the gym. He knew he would be late, so he sent an e-mail to tell his friends that he would arrive 15 minutes after the pre-arranged start time. He then proceeded to show up 40 minutes late.

After his friends (showing great poise and understanding) unracked all the weights so Ted could do his warm-up, he repped 315 lbs for 24 reps, besting his previous PR of 275x24. After a quick stop at 365, he put 4 plates on each side (405 lbs) for 1 rep.

Needless to say, Ted lifted happily ever after...well, at least for like 30 minutes more until it was time to go home.

There, you got your props.

Busy Busy

I've been swamped lately, so here's a brief update:

I went riding for a couple hours on dirt roads with Jim and Ted on Thanksgiving. It was great to get out and ride in 50 degree weather. I was way overdressed, but it was great nonetheless.
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I'm currently waiting on a new rear wheel to be build for the Cross-Check. Surly fixed/free hub, DT Swiss Competition Spokes, and DT Swiss RR 2.2 rims. I'm also having the spokes tied and soldered, so this wheel should be completely bulletproof.
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I haven't been back on the rollers since I hit 80kph. I was gone for the 4-day weekend, and I went to the gym yesterday. Hopefully I can get some spinning in this afternoon.
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The heater fan in the Explorer stopped working, so I'll be dropping it off to get fixed this morning. I was going to bring my bike and ride back to work, but it's raining and I didn't have time to put my fenders on last night. They frown upon showing up to work wet.
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Bandit has a swollen face, so he's going to the vet tomorrow morning.
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We signed the paperwork for our house and lot yesterday, so I officially own an acre of St. Cloud real estate! We made a last-minute decision to change the lot we are building on. We ended up with one that's shorter and wider than our original lot. Lotsa woods and a great view.

Out of my slump

I broke my slump on the rollers last night, hitting 80kph in 49x16, for a cadence of ~203. Tonight is squat night, so that should slow me down for several days.

A rafter of Turkeys?

Who the hell makes up the words that describe groups or different kinds of birds?

For instance, a group of turkeys is called a rafter. A group of crows is called a murder, and a group or ravens is called an unkindness.

Some others:
An exaltation of larks
A kettle of hawks
A party of jays
A company of parrots
A colony of penguins
A cover of coots
A dissimulation of birds
A pitying of turtledoves
A siege of herons
A charm of finches
A tidings of magpies
A deceit of lapwings
An ostentation of peacocks
A bouquet of pheasants
A congregation of plovers
A descent of woodpeckers
A mustering of storks
A murmuration of starlings
A parliament of owls

A "paddling of ducks"? No one except a would-be landed gentry person would speak like this.

Why do I bring this up? No clue...I'm just wondering what ever happened to Flock of Seaguls.

Random thoughts...

I haven't posted in a while because I was worn out from my trip to Boston, and I've been swamped at work, so here's what I've been up to:
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On Tuesday, I squatted 315x21 reps, then 365x10 reps. Then on Wednesday, I dealifted 275 for 2 sets of 10 reps. It's now Friday and I'm so sore I can hardly walk.
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Ted tweaked his calf, so he's on damage control and lifting light (225) for the time being. Pete thinks he's hardcore, but he's only on form once every two weeks, so whatever...
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I lost the cable that connects my camera to my Mac, so I can't get any of my Boston pictures off the camera. I'm going to have to buy a card reader.
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The St. Cloud clan of Loon State has teamed up with a local shop, Granite City Cycles, and said shop has subsequently added a former national-level track racer to their staff. Sweet! I think this will really help us grow the team in the St. Cloud area.
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Kristin and I are in the final stages of planning for our new house. We've got the plans drawn up (awaiting a few small revisions), and we're going to make a decision this weeked on which lot to build on. I'm very excited to build a new house, as the four of us have outgrown our current abode.
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I'm stuck at 77kph on the rollers. I think all this weightlifting is limiting my max cadence...which is fine. I'm still well over 180 rpm, so I should be OK. It's just frustrating to see halted progress.
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I'm helping out on a demo for a big potential client today, to be immediately followed by my yearly review (crosses fingers).
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I think I might convert the Cross-Check to a fixie. Can't decide though. Might be fun.
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I'm thinking about a new MTB, too, even though I never ride the one I have.
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That's about it...I'll update if I think of more.

And I'm Here!

The flight was great. The plane wasn't full, so I got a full row to myself. Granted, it was the very last row, but it was mine. I didn't even know planes went back that far! I could smell the exhaust and hear the flight attendents complain about how much they hate their jobs. If that's not classy, I don't know what it.

I only worked for about 4 hours today, but it went much better than expected. The people are great, and Boston is always fun. If only it was warmer.

The 'Nine-Zero' is by far the nicest hotel I've ever stayed at. I have a 'King Premier with a View' room, which means lots of windows. Oddly, it also means I have a giant window in the bathroom. Hmmmmm.....I want to yell at people on the street "Guess what I'm doing ??!?!?!"

And I'm Off!

I leave for Boston (business trip) tomorrow morning at 7:15. This will be my third trip to BeanTown. I'll update when I get there.

Another Bad Ass Pumpkin

'Nuff said

Motorpacing

Being a nice day out, I brought my Track bike out to the in-laws'. Ted had the idea that I should try some motorpacing, so I put on the biggest gear I had, 50x15. The goal was to try to get over 70kph behind Ted's Navigator. As it turns out, giant SUV's throw up a pretty damn good draft, because I was able to hit 76kph!

One Bad Ass Pumpkin

'Nuff said

Are those Pimps?

Nope, just Pete's annual Halloween Party. This years theme: Gangsters and Flappers.

Lots of booze + Lots of people = Good Times

MN Pheasants

Bandit and I took the day off on Friday to go pheasant hunting with Pete and Jersey. Even though neither of us could shoot straight, we still came up only one bird short of our limit. The dogs did well....Bandit picked up where he left off last year, and Jersey finally figured out the reason for her existence.

Yes, I hunt pheasants with a Jack Russell Terrier. He's really got the "Killer Instinct" on cripples, and he's got more heart than any other dog I've hunted with. Plus, he has fun, so why not, right?

315x10

Damn straight. Not bad for our 4th week of squats. Of couse, Ted had to do 12. I would have done 13 if I would have known.

Oops...

So I'm riding my track bike on the rollers, right? I decided, since no one else was home, that I should do my workout upstairs for a change of scenery. It's time to do my max cadence interval, so I start pedalling furiously. I hit a max speed of 77kph, then promply bounce off the side of the rollers, leaving massive black burn marks in our carpet. Shit.


I tried Resolve, Tide, and anything else I could find, but nothing worked. Kristin thought it was really funny. She also thinks it's funny that I have to spend next weekend replacing our carpet with laminate flooring.

Why I lost at Pick 'em this week:

• After a complete ass-whooping last week, Kansas city decides to show up and play football. Plus, Philip Rivers obviously sucks if the Chargers have LT passing twice in a single game. He's a running back, folks.
  
• I did not have nearly enough faith in Miami's suckiness.
  
  
• Michael Vick learned how to pass the ball...against one of the best defenses in the NFL. WTF?
  
• Tampa's kicker, who is 0-3 from over 40 yards this year, nails a 62-yarder. WTF?
  
• Houston beats Jacksonville. WTF? Need I say more?
  
• Oakland finally won a friggin' game...against a team that almost beat the Bears last week. Evidently, the Arizona Cardinals are not who we thought they were. (Get it?)

Madden Sucks!

This is some seriously funny stuff right here. The guy who has the lowest player rating in the 'Madden '07' video game decided he was pissed off about it and sent Madden an obscenity-filled hate letter. It really doesn't get much better than this.

Fubaw

I played football at Apollo yesterday with Pete, Brian, and Pete's family. I'm starting to think that my body is not what it used to be, because every tendon in my body feels like it's about to snap.

We had a hella good time. I must have blown every single defensive assignment I had, but I also caught 5 or 6 touchdown passes, so I'd say it evens out.

I can hardly walk today, and I have a big-ass blister on my heel from my new cleats, but it was worth it. I'm sure all the old guys are worse off than I am.

My sister got her tongue stuck in a beer bottle....seriously!!!

I wish I was joking about this, but my sister literally got her tongue stuck in a beer bottle. For some reason she was sticking her tongue into the bottle, and her tongue-ring got wedged inside.

Luckily it was an aluminum bottle (courtesy of Gluek Brewing), so I was able to cut the bottle off with a tin snips.

I love skinniski.com!

Without pictures like this, how would I ever know how awkwark I look jumping over barriers? Ted looks cool...why not me?

So....sore.....can't....move.....

We did squats for the 2nd time this year on Tuesday, and I can hardly walk today. 275x10 should not hurt this bad! It only gets worse once Ted joins us at the gym.

A different kind of riding

I stayed home from work on Monday for my birthday (the big 2-6), and spent the morning riding horseback with my father-in-law. I haven't ridden a horse in about 10 years, but I didn't have much trouble finding my rhythm again. We rode for about 2 hours at Lake Mariah State Park. It was great...the leaves were in full color, and it was incredibly relaxing. Of course, I forgot my camera, so this picture will have to do.

Then I went home, played with the kids all afternoon, and went to Mexican Village for my FREE birthday dinner.

Same times, different day

I went to the track yesterday to enjoy what may be our last warm day of 2006. I knew I wasn't in prime condition for a good 200m time (having raced on Sunday and done heavy deadlifts Monday), but I figured I'd try anyway.

My first attempt was kind of sloppy. I left the rail too early and couldn't hold my line...result? 12.9

My next attempt was much more techinically proficient (still can't hold the damn black line though), but only a tenth faster at 12.8

Then we got to draft the motor. What a rush! Basically the idea is that you get free speed drafting behind the motor, and then he pulls off and you're on your own for a flying 200. Obviously, my time was much faster at 12.1, with a max speed of 62kph. Now if only I could do that myself...

My first 'cross race

I must race better when I don't have any expectations. I showed up at Riverside Park yesterday just planning to do the race and have some fun, and I ended up in 4th place.

Since I had no clue about race tactics, I was planning to just hang back and watch what everyone else was doing. Well, you know what they say about the best-laid plans. I came out of the first turn in 2nd place, and held it for the first 3 laps. When I came through the the Start/Finish and saw 2 laps to go, I kind of lost my motivation (everyone told me it would end up being 4 laps total). My 4th lap was pretty slow because I was totally gassed, and a couple guys caught and passed me. I kicked it down for the bell lap. It's really hard to jump over 18" barriers when you can't feel your legs! The guy in 3rd fumbled his dismount before the final barriers, and I almost caught him. He decided to mount his bike and ride up the final hill, and I tried to run up. We were neck-and-neck at the top of the hill, but I still had to mount my bike and I lost too much time too close to the finish line and came across in 4th place. Fellow Loony Charlie finished 5th on his mountain bike, and Ted got 7th.

When I finished, I found out that my front brake was dragging BAD. I couldn't even get the front wheel to do a complete revolution! I guess that's what I get for using cheapo e-bay wheels for cyclocross.

My main focus will still be on track racing, but 'cross is definitely a lot of fun! Especially the beer and pork chops.

Stupid Tubulars

I hate tubular tires. Sure they ride great and are super-light and fast, but they sure are a pain in the ass!

I spent the last 3 days tediously applying glue to my rim and tire, only to screw up mounting the tire! So, I wasted 3 days and ruined an $80 tire, and I STILL have to pay a shop to install my tires!

I'm supposed to go to the track tomorrow and my rear wheel won't be ready, so I'm going to try to install a Surly Fixxer on my Easton Circuits...let's see how bad I can screw this up!

Thursday Night Racing Finale

Well, last Thursday was the season finale at the track (tear :-), but it went waaaay better than I expected, as I finished 2nd overall in the omnium.

The first race of the night was a 10-lap scratch race. I decided just to sit back and hang out to see what was going to happen, but with 18 riders it was getting pretty squirrelly at the back of the pack, so I started moving up with about 5 laps to go. There were a couple failed breaks, and I somehow contained myself and didn't chase. With 2 laps to go, Adam Mitchell and a Flanders guy took off. I knew it was too early for me to go, so I sat in for 1 more lap, then sprinted out of turn 2. I passed about 6 people on the back-straight, and narrowly pipped Adam at the line for 1st.

Next up was the Chariot (2-lap standing start). I was feeling pretty confident going into the prelims (3 heats of 6, with the top 2 advancing to the finals). I got a good start, and was by myself at the front to win by 20 meters or so.

I was feeling really good going into the finals, but the first races must have take more out of me than I thought. I got a terrible start, and came out of the first turn in 4th. Adam was on the front pushing the pace, and I just couldn't get any speed up. I went WAY wide in the final turn, and couldn't pass anyone. Adam held on to win, Ted moved up for 2nd, and I finished in 4th (the official results said 5th, but whatever). I'm still not sure what happened, but the whole race just seemed strange.

The final race of the night was a 40-lap scratch race. I was pretty worn out, and my calves were cramping up from my new position, so my goal was just to stay in the pack and hope for a sprint finish. About 15 laps in, 3 guys broke off the front, and the whole field shattered. Ted pulled me back up to the chase group 3 or 4 different times (thanks, man!) and then flamed out. There were 5 of us chasing kind of half-heartedly. I was trying to stay off the front because I was cramping up, and we ended up getting lapped by the leading 3 with about 6 laps to go. I hopped onto their paceline as they rode by, and ended up in 5th. This was the surprise of the night, because I generally get worse as the events get longer.

Overall, it was a great way to end the season, and a good confidence-booster for only my 2nd night of racing.

Sub-13 for the first time!

I met Chris Ferris at the track yesterday afternoon to get fitted on my bike and do some sprint work. After an extremely thorough fitting session (which I highly recommend) we did some work on pedalling technique. It turns out I had no clue what I was doing! After 15 minutes of work, I felt much stronger and more efficient on the bike.

Then, it was time for the moment of truth...the flying 200. My previous best time was 13.2 (I've only done 2 of them, so give me a break), and my goal for the year was to go under 13. With Chris on my wheel, I came across the line in 12.83! Damn, I was excited. I know I still have a LONG way to go, but it's really nice to see progress. I definitely need to work on staying down on the measurement line. I was all over the place in the turns.

My second flying 200 was 12.92, but I felt a lot smoother and more efficient. I need to learn to combine the raw power of my first run with the efficiency of the second. I'll keep you posted....

My first race at the 'drome

Last night was my first night of racing at the track. The schedule called for three races: A 10-lap scratch race, and miss-and-out, and a 40-lap points race.

I got to the track early and started warming up, and almost immediately heard the all-too-familiar psst-psst-psst of a flat tire. What the hell does one do with a flat tubular?! Nothing. One does nothing with a flat tubular. Luckily Bob let me use a front wheel from one of the rental bikes and I was back in business.

I knew exactly what was going to happen in the 10-lapper: Adam Mitchell was going to try to lead out Timmer for the win. I was in a bad position the whole race (right on the apron) and I couldn't get out until it was too late. I saw Adam (and a Flanders guy) break off the front, and I knew Timmer was coming soon. Half a lap later, there he went. I finally got out of the group and tried to bridge up, with Ted on my wheel. With one lap left, I flamed out big-time. Ted was able to come around me for 5th, and I held on for 8th with my legs screaming at me. Lesson learned: don't get boxed in!

On the miss-and-out, I really lacked the "eye of the tiger". I really just couldn't get myself motivated. I obviously have a lot to learn, because I kept getting pushed to the outside, so I was breaking wind most of the race. Once half the group (of 18 riders) had been pulled, I conceded that I'd been riding stupid and wouldn't be able to make much of a difference in the race, so I decided to save myself for the points race by dropping back and getting pulled.

What I didn't realize was that we had almost 2 hours before we were scheduled to race again. Knowing that we both had to get up early for work and kids, Ted and I decided to skip the points race and head out early. Well, not THAT early...it was still 9:30 by the time we left.

Overall, I thought it went pretty well. With more experience I think I'll be able to position myself better and make a difference in some of the races.

Hittin' the trail

Last night I went mountain biking in Milaca with Jim, Jeff, Jon, and Charlie...and got my ass handed to me. Maybe I should just leave my mountain bike hanging in the garage where it can look pretty and not be emberassed by me!

It was a lot of fun to get back out on the trails, but it's obvious that my technical ability leaves something to be desired. Oh well, I had a blast...that's what we do this for, right?

Look what I bought!

I've fallen head-over-heels in love with riding the velodrome, so I bought myself a little present:



I got a great deal on it, so it's almost justifyable! This is my first experience with tubulars, so we'll see how it goes.

Monday was our last day of track classes, and we actually got to do some races. I felt strong and did well in the sprints, but the experienced road racers kept putting me into a bad position in the points race. Damn dirty roadies! Seriously though, it's pretty cool to be riding with some of the big-name Cat 1/2 guys that I've looked up to (and have kicked my ass) over the years.

Riding the Velodrome

8.8.06 - What a rush! Ted and I went down to the velodrome at the National Sports Center in Blaine for the introductory classes. Having never ridden a fixed-gear bike before, I was pretty intimidated...and that was before I even rode on the banked track! Luckily, confidence came quickly, and by the end of the 3-hour class (sorry Honey, I'll be home late!) we were flying around the curves. It's really cool to feel the G-Forces pushing you down into the 43-degree banking. It's like riding a rollercoaster...only a lot more work. 3 classes left and I can start racing!

I think racing on the track will suit me a lot better than road racing. I don't think I have a slow-twitch fiber in my body, so the short fast races should be great! Instead of fighting nature, I'll work with what I have for once. What a novel idea...

BWCA

7.26.06 - Last weekend, Kristin and I took Julie and Roman up to the Boundary waters. I selected a pretty ambitious trip, but all involved were up to the challenge. We started out at Sawbill Outfitters, and took four portages (80, 80, 110, and 180 rods respectively) to Cherokee Creek. Once there, we were to follow the creek to Cherokee Lake, where we would be staying. About halfway up the creek, we saw a huge moose in the water. What a cool experience! It's easy to underestimate how big they are until you're right next to one. The moose slowly made his way over to the woods, where he stood and watched us paddle away.


Once we selected a site, we set to work right away setting up camp. We had a great view with a long, sloping rock face overlooking the entire lake. It was at about this point that we realized the lake was crazy with black flies! They were absolutely insane, and there was no escaping them. We ended up hanging out in our tents for a couple hours until it got dark and the flies went away. We started to make dinner, and then came the mice. "Look," said Kristin, "a little mouse. Oh my God, there's mice everywhere!" It was like something out of an Alfred Hitchcock movie. Kinda freaky. Apparently, Julie had set their tent up over a mouse hole, so she had mice scratching and jumping into the side of their tent all night!



The next morning we decided to move to a different site, so we headed back to Sawbill Lake. We hung out for a while at a really cool island campsite, then decided that none of us felt like setting up all our crap again, so we began the journey home. Just as we started heading back, huge storm clouds came rolling in. We ended up getting hailed on for about the last 30 minutes of our paddle. It was a pretty wicked storm, with lightning and high winds. We just stayed close to the shoreline and paddled to beat hell!

It kind of sucked at the time, but in retrospect I think it was a great trip...lots of adventure and some good stories to share.

St. Cloud Crit - I suck!

7.25.06 - Damn! I'm glad I'm better at programming than I am at biking.

The race started out great. I was positioned well in the pack, coming through all the turns smoothly. About 5 or 6 laps in, there was a big crash in turn 1, and pretty much the whole Tonka team went down. I got held up for a few seconds, but was able to chase back on after about 2 laps. Almost as soon as I got back into the group there was another crash, in which someone went down in a turn and took out a couple Grandstay guys (Ben and Slick). Both went over there bars, and I heard a big POP! I got held up behind this crash for quite a while, and the race was all downhill from there.

Rudy, Jake, and I lost contact with the group, and we picked up Ben on the next lap when he was unable to tag on to the back of the lead group after taking his free lap. The four of us worked well together, but we were never able to make up any time on the lead group of about 15. We picked up a couple stragglers along the way, and a group of 6 of us came to the line together. I didn't want to risk crashing in the all-important race for not-quite-last place, so I just backed off and let the other guys duel it out.

I ended up DFL out of the riders that finished. I take some comfort knowing that 14 guys didn't finish at all, but I was still last. It's kind of demoralizing, especially considering how much I've been training. Oh well, I'll get 'em next time. I felt like I rode strong, I just made some tactical errors and had some bad luck being in the wrong place at the wrong time for the crashes (But not as bad as the riders who actually crashed. Luckily, no one was seriously hurt...lots of road rash though).

The masters 35+ race was cool to watch, with St. Cloud rider John Bagley decimating the field.

Overall, it was a fun day. The event was well-run, results were posted before I even got home, and a lot of people showed up for the festivities.

I have a blog. I rule!

I didn't like the url of my old blog, so I created this one. The dates of the first few posts will be screwed up, so deal with it.