Full Week

I student teach every day all day long this week. Busy busy I am.

A slim racing weekend it was for EXPO. Brandon and Jordan were the only folk to make it to Sunday's WORS race. Jordan snagged a fourth, at the same time he put himself in a major contention for a WORS Series Overall Podium. His job? Train train train.

Brandon made the not-so-good choice to try a fellow racer's (geared) steed for the first time - On race day. Derailleur issues forced his DNF. His series overall was at a let's-hope-for-a-miracle sate. Now, first of, no one wants to have to rely on other's results. You shouldn't let it get to that point. With that said. A DNF was put in Brandon's lap the same day he DNF'd. Rats. Wasn't meant to be. At least there is one more left in the looong WORS season for some redemption.

Aris "I'm Faster Than You" Peters, once again, steals the EXPO show. He decided to forego WORS Sunday for a Double Dip of CX action, UCI Style. He took Saturday and Sunday's Junior Race (15-18) and had twice top 5 in the Cat 3's! 5th on Sat and 4th on Sun. One of these days I'll get a pic of his RAD CX bike new for this year. Nice build it is(although it's missing a Trek frameset)...Swag was twice $$ and a pair of Oakleys to boot for him. Nice.

This week. School becomes rest until my favorite 10hrs of "I wish it was 12" John Muir this Saturday. Then, cheer the Bro at CX Sunday. I can't wait for this one cause I was forced away from racing last weekend.

Looks like a No for Thunderdown

My guilty conscious is chasing me down. I want to skip a class that meets only 6 times this semester so I can ride my bike for twelve hours. Friday will be the day to stew. Today is the day to be busy. I am still optimistic.



Riding has been reduced a bit this week. Partly because of Blue Mound and fractionally because of my addition of Field Work/Student Teaching. Try to settle and set the alarm 2 hours early.

This rad pic of Aris showed up on the Chequamegon site. 27in it was if my memory serves me right. It does look right if you match the tire to it. The current goal here is to find the original... The search is on.

12hrs of Blue Mound

They say they pulled rocks off the course, but I couldn't tell.

My race didn't go as well as I hoped. This is the first race I have EVER had a pounding head ache. This is the first race I have EVER sliced a side wall open. Those two combinations of firsts created a gap (again) that I just didn't feel like gambling on. A first place is really the only result that would have helped(in reguards to series). I pulled the plug while I was a lap up on third. Props to Al Brunner who pushed the hard gear to take over my second. We will see what the rest of WEMS holds for me.

We were out of there by 5pm which gave us plenty of fun time to properly celebrate the Wife's Birthday. Good food with good times.

Congratulations to Brandon and Jordan. They just locked in the WEMS 6hr Duo Series Championship with a second place in the Blue Mound 6hr!

If you see Trixie tomorrow...

Wish her a HAPPY BIRTHDAY

Tuesday is it till Blue Mounds

Tuesday's ride will be it for me until the 12hrs of Blue Mound. I just did some commuting yesterday and will again today. Friday has to be a few bike shop stops for some assos and some drinking powder.

Blue Mounds is something I'd like to take back from last year. After I dropped back about 5minutes from race leader, I pinched the rear tire...By the time it was fixed, I was too far back cause the leader never slowed down. Can't wait to see how this year goes...Should be fun.

Cheqfattire Pic Dump

Frings Pre-40

Aris and Hirsch

Pops and Moms

1 - Jake Richards, 2 - Faster Than You, 3 - Luke Baker

Nice AM

Got in a nice AM ride totaling a solid 51miles. One of those Headwind-Tailwind kind of rides.

Aris crossing the Short and Fat finish. A dumping of his bike in the early miles had him chasing the entire race. Photo Cred. Sam Foos!

Aris is Short AND Fat

Great Job Aris!

Chequamegon Short and Fat - 2nd Overall

Chequamegon Short Track - 6th Overall

Chequamegon Bike Limbo - 1st

Chequamergon Bunny Hop - 1st, Cleared 27in with his RIG!

Photo - Jon Hirsch

Gnat Jacket Anyone?

I have dealt with road rash. I have handled the out-of-place feeling at the start of a WORS race. I don't hit up the local masseuse and 24hours of dust and mud build up has become a non-issue. Until today, I have never felt the desire to shave my legs.

However, on this morning's ride, gnats made it into my mouth, my arms and my legs. Rather than get squashed on my skin, they would fortunately make a soft and safe landing into the Mediterranean forest canopy. There they would regain their composure just in time for me to give'm the flick. Early on during today's ride I found that the swipe would not only take the life of Mr. Gnat, but smear its body parts onto the forest floor. So, at about mile 5, I switched to the flick when ever possible.

With that said, today might only happen once or twice per year. I still do not think it would be worth it to succumb to the feminine pressures of shaving.

The fastest cyclists in the world would still be the fastest, and I would still be hairy. So forget it.

Great luck to all EXPO heading up to the Chequamegon Fat Tire Festival. I can't wait to hear the great stories of the good times!

50 So Far

A nice loop today. Headed against the wind West - Southwest - South. Then looped round East then North for the push home. I tried to stay hard with the help of some tunes. If I feel the legs tomorrow, then I went hard enough. We'll see.

Tonight is a get-ready-for-a-little-sprinkle-ride...

Get on one!

Riding

It seems with school hitting me pretty hard so far, I have been able to ride more now than I have been able to all summer. hmmm.

On Monday I get to rest up after the hard weekend. However I still am commuting which means spinning those legs. The ride to school holds a just-keep-spinning state of mind to try to not stink up the classroom too bad. The ride home is hammer time. No matter how sore the legs have been, I always jam to some MC Hammer Time all the way home. It just feels good.

Tuesdays and Thursdays are the looong days. I get up, eat a bowl of cereal and hit it in the AM. These rides have been ranging anywhere from 30-70miles. I could head out mid day, but I have been waiting for these cooler morning all summer. It is just too nice to be able to wear the long sleeve.

Wednesday serves as a commute only day. I just have too short of a turn-around from my Monday class(same class meets M and W) to ignore the readings. Monday and Wednesday school days also start at 12:30 and go till 7pm. Where as Tuesday and Thursday start at 4:30.

Oh, forget it. I just remembered I start student teaching in a few weeks which will end up turning my looong days into my off days, and will force my off/commute days into my even earlier AM new long days.

Anyways, How are your legs feeling?

I need bike for this winter (skinny tires).

Fun Fun Sunday

Hooked up with Jeff on Sunday who was fresh off a Florida vacation. We took it past 60miles and 3+Hours. We pushed the headwind hard and stayed steady on anything up hill. Great ride it was.

I got home. Immediately showered to get the salt off my face and headed over to the local tennis courts with Trixie. She worked me pretty good.

A great non-racing weekend with tons of bike time and tons of much needed wife time.

Um, Yes Please

Need Tunes

So I get up this morning with this sudden urge to download Jock Jams off iTunes before my big Saturday ride. You have got to be kidding me! No Jock Jams on iTunes! You don't believe me? Check for yourself.

So today I am on a mission. Find the 1995 Jock Jams Vol. 1 BEFORE I ride. I need to ride, but I need some "Get Ready 4 This" a little more...

Breakfast on the East side of Milwaukee should place me very close to a possible find. A little Tennis with Trixie should get my frustrations out while I go on strike.

Wish me luck.

Rain

Rain put me on the trainer this AM, cause I don't want to get wet twice. Commute this afternoon will test the Endura rain gear. Kinda excited.
3hrs of drip drying in class tonight...not too excited.

Stump Farm 2hr

With a slightly late start I was given a few extra minutes to stretch. This ride was going to be a little different due to the fact I was only going to be riding for a few hours(family reunion). They said GO, and I was off. I was off like a bat outa hell. Hoping to scare Lee Unwin, I put it on Hi for the whole first lap. My goal was to see how much I could gap him. I would ride very close to an XC pace versus Lee's enduro pace.

Half way into the first lap I couldn't see him. Every chance I had, I would look over my shoulder. No Lee. I had a slight smile on my face...

As I get closer to the end of lap 1, here comes Lee! So much for trying to go off the front. We stopped to get our scans in the timing tent before we were off for lap 2. This time Lee would set the pace(which was my XC). I was able to stay on his wheel for all of lap 2, which was good enough for me. I was done. Lee would win....(I have not seen results yet). I now know what I have to work towards - that pace for 10 more hours.

Family Reunions are nice. Ping-Pong, Bag Toss, Softball, Volleyball, Frolf, Segway, food and family. It was fun.

On the Bike this morning. In class tonight.