Off to Colorado tomorrow! Big days of altitude training- long Saturday ride planned, a good tune up ride Sunday, and the Firecracker 50 in Breckenridge on Monday the 4th of July!
Looking forward to this race as I've read about for years and finally have the opportunity to do it. My energy and fitness feels like its finally coming back with some much needed long nights of sleep and routine training again setup by TJ. This is all in good timing when I just received the email today that I'm off the waiting list and in the race!
Should be a great fitness test to set the stage for whats to come in the next six weeks of training for and eventually racing the Leadville 100. Plus another reason to visit CO...like I needed one ;)
Thursday, June 30, 2011
Race Report: MNMBS #4 - Red Wing
Last weekend was the fourth stop of the MN series at Red Wing. The events leading up to this race greatly distracted any good race prep, so once again I went into this race...more or less just ride, have fun, and see what happens. I've raced here only twice before with the last time being in 2008 and have to say I was glad to be back!
Once again, I had no power but at least a little more endurance-like efforts to have a fun ride. The 'Stairway to Heaven' climb is a great one- steep, loose, rocky stuff that provides GREAT training. I really liked the course and need to make the drive down to ride there more often.
I didn't finish the greatest, but a solid race to build on overall- all things considered. Some unfortunate race news from the event was cheating (some caught and some rumored to have cut the course in Citizen and Comp classes) and also a bad crash by one of the Sport women- get well soon Sam!
Once again, I had no power but at least a little more endurance-like efforts to have a fun ride. The 'Stairway to Heaven' climb is a great one- steep, loose, rocky stuff that provides GREAT training. I really liked the course and need to make the drive down to ride there more often.
I didn't finish the greatest, but a solid race to build on overall- all things considered. Some unfortunate race news from the event was cheating (some caught and some rumored to have cut the course in Citizen and Comp classes) and also a bad crash by one of the Sport women- get well soon Sam!
Wednesday, June 29, 2011
Puppy Problems...
So after the move...last week I was doing what I could (albeit unsuccessfully) to try and get recovered and well rested and loose. Firday morning brought another major distraction. My 6 1/2 month old puppy Italian Greyhound, Ajax, (very fast runner and is just as clumsy as fast) is running one direction- looking in another- and clips his front leg on a chair.
The vet showed me xrays and how badly he broke his leg. Luckily he's still a puppy, and with the help and extreme generosity of Jenny at Lifeline Italian Greyhound Rescuehe was able to get the surgery he needed on Monday from the best in the region at Inver Grove Animal Hospital on Monday.
My little buddy is confined to a kennel for much of the time because of his ambitions to take flight off anything at anytime...apparently even with a broken leg- although he is a little more hesitant at least. Luckily the pain meds keep him well relaxed and drousy enough to handle it for now. The surgeons expect full recovery since he is so young and they were able to realign everything nicely.
Needless to say though there were some long nights this last weekend with him before his surgery...if he couldn't sleep well...he wasn't gonna let anyone else sleep well! Luckily he wil be okay though...he's on the road to recovery.
My little buddy is confined to a kennel for much of the time because of his ambitions to take flight off anything at anytime...apparently even with a broken leg- although he is a little more hesitant at least. Luckily the pain meds keep him well relaxed and drousy enough to handle it for now. The surgeons expect full recovery since he is so young and they were able to realign everything nicely.
Needless to say though there were some long nights this last weekend with him before his surgery...if he couldn't sleep well...he wasn't gonna let anyone else sleep well! Luckily he wil be okay though...he's on the road to recovery.
Thursday, June 23, 2011
Race Report: MNMBS #3 - Afton
I definitley stretched my limits of sanity last week. When I found out I was moving back to MN, I tried to scramble and get all arrangements in order so I could keep up some training and still keep the double header weekend planned of the Nebraska series on Saturday and MNMBS Afton on Sunday.
Well...as most know this stuff just doesn't always go to plan and they cracked...I tried to remain optimistic damn it but it didn't help!! Almost no training and loooooong days of moving stuff to a storage unit in 90 degree and high humid conditions killed any chance of racing Saturday...just too much...and that didn't include any spinning.
I was literally sore on Saturday night all over from the 4 days of moving. I knew Afton was going to be a bust, but a good jump start into good training again...when I say I knew Afton would be a bust though, I didn't think it would be as bad as it was- literally comical.
I rode really well- great lines through the tougher technical sections and pretty smooth and fast there. However, after about 2/3 through the first lap I was out of any usable max power completely. I could motor along in a high cadence endurance like efforts, but overall I was cooked. Laps 2 and 3 were simply just riding along in endurance mode just out for a cruise as any slightly sustained hard effort made the legs twist and scream, sometimes nearly lock up...my legs were pissed at what I was trying to put them through.
Apparently more than 3,700ft of climbing in less than 17 miles is what someone clocked for the Comp race...that combined with the heat- whew! it was tough out there! I like riding Afton because of the challenge- so the real bummer is that I just couldn't ride it like I normally can but oh well.
Hopefully soon I'll get another strong finish though! I'm thinking that the ProXCT stop in Mt. Morris this weekend is probably out for in lieu of some extra recovery, a nice long training ride (without travel time), and time to get things better organized here. So probably Buck Hill tonight and then for sure Red Wing on Sunday...with hopefully a nice long ride on Saturday somewhere on the dirt?? If the rain stays away??
Well...as most know this stuff just doesn't always go to plan and they cracked...I tried to remain optimistic damn it but it didn't help!! Almost no training and loooooong days of moving stuff to a storage unit in 90 degree and high humid conditions killed any chance of racing Saturday...just too much...and that didn't include any spinning.
I was literally sore on Saturday night all over from the 4 days of moving. I knew Afton was going to be a bust, but a good jump start into good training again...when I say I knew Afton would be a bust though, I didn't think it would be as bad as it was- literally comical.
I rode really well- great lines through the tougher technical sections and pretty smooth and fast there. However, after about 2/3 through the first lap I was out of any usable max power completely. I could motor along in a high cadence endurance like efforts, but overall I was cooked. Laps 2 and 3 were simply just riding along in endurance mode just out for a cruise as any slightly sustained hard effort made the legs twist and scream, sometimes nearly lock up...my legs were pissed at what I was trying to put them through.
Apparently more than 3,700ft of climbing in less than 17 miles is what someone clocked for the Comp race...that combined with the heat- whew! it was tough out there! I like riding Afton because of the challenge- so the real bummer is that I just couldn't ride it like I normally can but oh well.
Hopefully soon I'll get another strong finish though! I'm thinking that the ProXCT stop in Mt. Morris this weekend is probably out for in lieu of some extra recovery, a nice long training ride (without travel time), and time to get things better organized here. So probably Buck Hill tonight and then for sure Red Wing on Sunday...with hopefully a nice long ride on Saturday somewhere on the dirt?? If the rain stays away??
Wednesday, June 22, 2011
Moving back to Minnesota!
Yep! I'm back in MN- working for the same company and in the same position but was able to work in a transfer to our Centennial Lake - Edina office. I still have my house in Coon Rapids and lots of family and friends here so its great to be back!
The move happened very fast- from getting the finalzied email to getting everything packed into a storage unit for now, to driving up with clothes bike stuff and dogs in 6 days!
I'll most likely now be racing almost all of the MNMBS races and some others around the area as well. I'll be changing my race schedule on the site here soon now as well.
The move happened very fast- from getting the finalzied email to getting everything packed into a storage unit for now, to driving up with clothes bike stuff and dogs in 6 days!
I'll most likely now be racing almost all of the MNMBS races and some others around the area as well. I'll be changing my race schedule on the site here soon now as well.
Monday, June 13, 2011
Race Report: MNMBS #2 - Mankato
Pretty happy with pre-race prep for once this year! Good warm-up and felt great at the start. Used only GU and lots of water- hot and humid day- but pretty nice!
Felt great off the start and was in the top 10 by the top of the initial climb! Riding fast and pretty well through the rest of the lap until the very last technical section (~ half mile from the end of the lap when the rider in front of me stopped just going into Quick Release...NOT the place to stop...I went off course to avoid a messy wreck and EVERYBODY went by.
Going into lap 2 I pushed a little harder than I would have otherwise up the climb and passed a bunch of people back...then on a short rough decent into a left hairpin my chain came off "expletive, expletive, expletive"...the riders I passed on the climb re-passed me...wind out of the sails for the second time in less than two miles. Have to say I was less than dscouraged at this point but rode on...eventually got over my pity and although I felt like I was cranking hard, I probably wasn't actually going fast again until the end of the lap. Railed Quick Release hard which really boosted confidence again.
I felt like I was almost out of water in the Camelback starting lap 4 which didn't seem right, but, I ditched it since I had a friend, John Reinan, standing by with emergency water bottle up the climb. Got around a few more riders in the lap and finished feeling really strong...gained two spots in the last half mile!
My fitness definitely feels good! Three minutes would have got me a podium spot and top 13 or 14...and with some smarter racing I know I could have had all of that. I'm happy with salvaging a decent finish overall and that I didn't give up- I was pretty frustrated for a bit after the chain came off- was tougher than it needed to be to get my pace back. I've put a lot of focus on fitness- which is good and definitely shows, but I've let race focus slip a little I think- making stupid mistakes that are costing me good finishes. Feeling good and looking forward to more racing though!
Thanks to Dana Shoppe for taking the awesome photos!
Going into lap 2 I pushed a little harder than I would have otherwise up the climb and passed a bunch of people back...then on a short rough decent into a left hairpin my chain came off "expletive, expletive, expletive"...the riders I passed on the climb re-passed me...wind out of the sails for the second time in less than two miles. Have to say I was less than dscouraged at this point but rode on...eventually got over my pity and although I felt like I was cranking hard, I probably wasn't actually going fast again until the end of the lap. Railed Quick Release hard which really boosted confidence again.
My fitness definitely feels good! Three minutes would have got me a podium spot and top 13 or 14...and with some smarter racing I know I could have had all of that. I'm happy with salvaging a decent finish overall and that I didn't give up- I was pretty frustrated for a bit after the chain came off- was tougher than it needed to be to get my pace back. I've put a lot of focus on fitness- which is good and definitely shows, but I've let race focus slip a little I think- making stupid mistakes that are costing me good finishes. Feeling good and looking forward to more racing though!
Thanks to Dana Shoppe for taking the awesome photos!
Friday, June 3, 2011
No TEVA...Off to Mankato!
Reports say that the TEVA games mountain bike race this weekend will be plowed service roads...since much of Golden Peak on Vail mountain is still under 3-6 feet of snow!
Good luck to TJ and whoever else is racing there! Even with the snow filled racing its tough to not go to this...the festival itself is pretty awesome. Hopefully next year!
Mankato has always been one of my favorites in Minnesota so making the trip up there instead tomorrow...and much closer! Forecast calls for 0% chance of rain tomorrow and Sunday with partly cloudy skies at 80 degrees...awesome! I'm excited to race drier conditions in MN again!
Hydration has been a key focus this week while getting in the interval training that TJ has set up. Its been hot (~90 degrees), humid, and WINDY here!!
Mankato has always been one of my favorites in Minnesota so making the trip up there instead tomorrow...and much closer! Forecast calls for 0% chance of rain tomorrow and Sunday with partly cloudy skies at 80 degrees...awesome! I'm excited to race drier conditions in MN again!
Hydration has been a key focus this week while getting in the interval training that TJ has set up. Its been hot (~90 degrees), humid, and WINDY here!!
Wednesday, June 1, 2011
Leadville 100: I'm in!
I got the word yesterday from the Lifetime Fitness Racing Team that I will be wearing their jersey and competing at the Leadville 100 on August 13th! 100 miles above 10,000ft and five HUGE climbs...this is sure gonna change up the racing/training mindset this summer- spending more time in Colorado than I originally thought! I'm looking forward to this...huge huge challenge!!
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