A little chill in the Air!

So the alarm went off this morning and I stumble to the kitchen......check the temp.....wow 34.7! What to do? I debated and then decided....I always love riding in the cooler fall mornings......and this actually surpassed that definition.....just a little! The picture of the TV screen was from after the ride....32 in Green Bay......winter...Iceman training?

I did think about this after seeing a few FB posts of people hitting the trainer.....but I hate that damn thing so I decided to throw on the winter clothes and be a tough guy! It was cold, not super cold but for sure cold! Rolling out I was thinking, is this dedication or stupidity? I'm going with dedication.

It was a good ride and felt strong on the bike.....just in time for the Iceman coming up!

As we head into the weekend

Got out for a nice RIDE this morning, not a training ride but just a nice little hour spin on the bike......kind of nice to take it easy for a morning! Awesome sunrise to watch as well, back to that "watching the world wake up!"

We are canceling the trail work this weekend due to the possibility of overnight rains and the fact that we work with a clay based dirt,, we would end up messing the trails up more than helping.....looks like an early morning road ride before the team party at 1330 Wraps!

Sunday.....not much planned other than a ride and Kennedy has Phenom basketball camp, watch a little of the Packer game maybe or do the ride out at UWGB while she is playing hoops? Would have liked to go down to the Cyclocross racing on the Sunny Prairie but after traveling to the Fat one last weekend......good time to stay home and work around the house and hang with the girlies.

Other than that.....have a great weekend all.

Short and Fast

So with no pictures yet.....here is the report. Got to Cable Friday afternoon, checked in and then mounted up for a short pre-ride of the last 4-5 miles of the course. I went solo on the short course while Giesen, Bill, Warren, and Sikora hit the 40 finish. All set, new tires rolling super fast and feeling like.....why the hell did I not ride these sooner!

Pasta feed time.............should have skipped that one, felt like crap (stomach issues) after dinner and all the way thru the morning.....and after the race and during the ride home........and into Sunday night? All good now.

Saturday morning and as I roll to the start to check out the preferred start area....wow....pretty damn full already? The one thing that sucks is that the men, women and tandems all get mixed together......tough to weed thru and lesson learned.....should I decide to run the short again next year I will get the bike in way early and be up front.

So off we go and the lead out was pretty controlled with the exception of the jackasses that thought they were going to win the whole thing in the first mile.........not. One thing though, and like I was telling my team mate Curt, you have to be in the moto group on the long hill at mile 2 or so...you just have to catch that group and be ready for the acceleration! The 4-wheeler punched it and so did the field.....up the long gravel climb and the race is on......hammerfest for the next say.......14 miles!

Through the race I felt decent, took one gel and within 5 minutes a fairly sizable puke-burp came zinging up the esophagus......in a group of 10-12 at the time so no time to do anything but keep on the gas I took care of business......gotta love racing!!!

After jostling with some a-hole who refused to let me pass.....took him on a nice steep climb they call Bertha......never saw him again! We roll into the Telemark area and to be honest I was just happy to finish a race on the bike and still in some form of contention.....no matter what the race....just good to have a complete race for once this season!

Print out read that I was 37th overall (865 total), and 4th in the 40-44 age class out of 88......not bad and I will take it.

Dinner at Coops pizza, (no sign of "The CooOOooop"), awards to see the local and former team guys take home 2nd and 5th in the 40, then the bonfire with friends and beers.....game over for the night. Sunday was a little milling around the Fun Day events and then hitting the road with a stop for burgers in Phillips and then on to GB.

Had a great weekend and a decent race, but glad to see my 3 ladies when I got home. Thanks to the girls, my team, and sponsors (Trek......the bike was awesome and the tires rolled fast!) for a good weekend of racing a 2 wheeler thru the woods of northern Wisconsin!

Treadfest.....and getting there?

So after getting to the race and jumping in line at registration......I decided to jump on the scale knowing that I am still a full fledged Clyde.....yep.....214 lbs. of pure power! So I grab a sweet day of tag and am officially throwing down with the fellas again, after the season I have had to date.....knowing that I was going to race with "the fellas" put a huge smile on my face.

After a season of injuries (knee and pinched nerve), crashes (Wausau with the nerve and then the hard fall at Eau Claire), one would have to figure it would be time for the final chapter of ways to not finish a race........the mechanical. Yep.....late lap two, knowing where the two in front of me were and feeling pretty decent for the most part on the bike, not pushing to hard but certainly not slacking......I was just thinking that I felt really good and was ready to drill it and reel the guys back in.......PSSSSSSSSSSSSSSS.......dammit!!!!!!

Cut the tire just before the loose rocky uphill, right as Warren caught me I felt the squishy sensation and thought.....please no! So I pull over and have a really slow change, the inflator did not get me a full inflate and when I came thru the lap area it was getting softer......to big of a cut to finish out the race......day over.

I have to say it was a blast racing with the Clydes again, just a great bunch as always and it is fun mixing it up with them.....thanks for the good racing guys......I will likely be back at Sheboygan?

Getting there......as Kennedy and I are leaving GB, bam.....the check engine light goes on and my Jeep starts running like crap. After a call to a mechanic friend and 3 hours of replacing the spark plugs, the plug wires, the distributor, and the rotor......engine light still on and still running like crap-o-la! Switched to Kristin's Jeep and off we go. Monday comes and the boys at Downtown Auto give it the diagnosis........the Throttle Position Sensor went to shit or has been going for month or so......$200 bucks and we are ready to head to Chequamegon this weekend. No more issues with the Jeep.....enough for a while.

Getting a set of the Bonty XR1's for this weekend, look to be a good fast tire for what is sure to be a fast weekend of racing for all.....both races! I prefer the Short and Smart, just a personal choice as I have done many 40's and just don't care for the course.....the Short is just fine by me! Good luck and safe travels to all heading north, see you there......perhaps by the big bonfire with a few BEERSSSSS!

Thanks for bootlegged pic Gary.

Good customer service!

First off I know we are a Specialized sponsored team......but myself I am still aboard the Trek family and am OK with it.....no doubt! I just have to say that I am very pleased with the warranties and how well Trek stands by their products!

My case in point, last year at this very same time we were set to race in Rhinelander......that weekend I find a crack in my Top Fuel....damn. I call the shop who then calls Trek.....new Top Fuel on the way the very next day! I build it up and am racing in the Northwoods with out missing a beat.

Second thing, today I get an email from the local Trek Rep....my warranty wheels are in at W & S! Sweet because Gantz needs the set he has been loaning me back for his brother (thanks Jeff)......timing! I hustle down to Appleton after work and grab the wheels.....not a just repaired older wheel set......brand new! Very nice and very appreciated.

So tomorrow early AM I will roll out in the dark on a nice new set of Race Lite (sorry, just the rear as I had issues with both sets....but only the rears), very nice to see them take care of me in a fairly timely manner, thanks Snuddy!

Again not to take anything away from team sponsor Specialized....kick ass products from Morgan Hill as well.......very kick ass!!! Go see their 2010 line up......WOW!

Now let's hope the big GF takes care of Fast Mark and gets a steed under his bad o' self real soon! After the season we can try and get you a C-Dale FM.....might have a connection for you....or you could try something from the big S!

The other side of the state.

Took a little trip to Favre-polis this past weekend....Renaissance Fest in Shakopeeeee. Pretty cool stuff at the event, tops was the Joust match.....awesome and I would have been a season ticket holder back in the day.....maybe a participant, great event!

The picture is from the Dungeon on site....little tour thru all of the torture methods used back in the good ol' days! So you won't talk.....we will now put your dead in a cage and then drop a couple of rats in.....let's see how that works out for you! Rumor has it this is the new UCI and USADA "did you dope or not" chair, now that you have won the race......have a seat....mooo ahhh!

Back to La Crosse Saturday night for some swimming with the kids and then up the next morning for a ride....up! Left the hotel and rode the 5 miles to the base of Grandad's Bluff, a two mile climb that never levels out...awesome climb! The shot above is looking out at the city of La Crosse (crazy dense fog)....down below I could barely see the intersections as I rolled up to them, half way up the climb it opened up and I had to start shedding layer on the arms and then the knee warmers at the top.....awesome to have those hills and wow could you become a monster climber living over there!!!!! We also need a road race over there, call out to the riders in the Coulee Region.....you have the terrain....get a race going and showcase the elevation!

Once at the top it was another mile to the HPT trail system, awesome technical trails up there. I ended up putting about 5-7 miles in on the trails and then rode back to my relatives house for a shower and some burgers.....great morning on the bike!

After that it was a stop in Hillsboro to see my Mom and Frank, a little more energy and we could have hit up the demo derby at the Labor Day fest! Good to see Grandma and Frank before school gets underway....all in all.....a good busy weekend and fun times!

Then I had to work Labor Day......nuff said.

Early....Dark....Brrrr......

Back to the grind of training in the weeee hours of the morning, the first few days are the toughest and then it gets easier (hopefully)! Rolled out of bed and fought it for a few minutes, up and dressed, threw the lights on the bike and outside I go.......what the.....I can see my breath? Not ready for the cold mornings that are just around the corner....but it is Chequamy training time!

So the alarm is set to go a little earlier this year, Kristin is leaving around 615am which means the alarm is going off at 430am.....I best get my buttocks in bed a lot earlier from now on! It's all worth it....I think? Once I get the sleep adjusted it will be fine, just a few tired days for a while.

Fallen Timbers bike tour meeting tonight, then right to open gym for Kennedy and then finally home to pack for the weekend...then bed. Heading to the Brett-apolis area for the weekend to take in a Renaissance Fest of some type.....topic for the weekend at the Fest is Beer!

Time to hit the shower and get ready for another day in Paradise.