Laid back weekend... For me anyway...

While everyone else was out racing either MTB at BTE or CX at Epic/Shawnee Radcross, I took the weekend off...

When heading out for a ride on Saturday, originally I was going to head out to the cross course and do some training but decided to just ride for fun instead... Wow, what a concept!

I get so determined to get faster to be competitive that I sometimes forget why I first started this whole thing anyway... I still remember riding Corby North (pretty flat trail) and having to stop to catch my breath multiple times... Little did I know at the time that getting the dirt in your blood changes your life!

Took off and decided to ride some of the trails... Still on my cross bike though, because its new and I just have to ride it..

Its kind of fun to hit some of the trails that you originally cut your teeth on... Its nice to ride some of the sections you remember having a tough time with on your first mountain bike and now riding the same trail on your cross bike and doing it easily...

Scenery is definitely better than riding around in a field!!!

Accidently ran over this big dudes tail...  They say that snakes are more afraid of us than we are of them. Well if that is the case this dude should have died from shock! I hate snakes....

So, battery charged, might do some more of this in the future, but I need to get back to racing... I love the focus, the competition....

Race Reports from Last Weekend:

Berryman Epic


G Wiz (The Kid)

SS Pirate (Burnsey)

Jesse (Manamal)

Tilford

Schottler

Radcross:

SC (Congrats dude!)


Might be some more CX reports but I have to go back to work.... See you cross fools on Sunday!

Joules Cross, Day 2...

Saturday I took a beating, was chewed up and spit out for my worst performance in years... I haven't been over top 10 in 2 years... Just as well, only logical thing is to come out and suffer some more against dudes with fresh legs...Awesome!

I would not say the legs were sore, but I could tell that I had done something the day before... Lined up in the front row next to SC and like 35 other Colavita dudes... Whistle blew, like usual take off in front and instantly knew today was not going to be my day. Legs are dead from the day before. But, I love racing so who really gives a crap, lets go....

The course was completely different than the day before, less hills, less technical (I thought anyway).. Had some twists and turns, some rough spots (only time I felt at home) and a climb to finish your lap up...

Group stayed together pretty well for the first lap, I did get to witness a nice wreck again. And again I was just slow enough to stay out of it myself. I did get to see a nice endo over the handlebars on this one. Don't think I have seen that at a CX race before.....

After a lap the leaders were getting away, I had settled in behind mid-pac ish. Got to pick off a few dudes and chased down another... I caught him pretty quick, 1/2 lap or so and he stuck to my wheel for the next two laps...

Down to two laps to go and my genius plan was to attack on the last climb leading into the final lap, gap him, keep on the gas so he would get out of my draft and push it to the end... So here we come up to the climb to Finnish the lap, I dropped down to a big boy gear, got out of the saddle and gave it hell....

In your head envision Cancellera at Flanders....... Got that imagery in your mind now?

Yah, Uhhh,  it was nothing like that... I attacked, hammered up the hill, pushed over the top and kept pushing until I cleared the top of the hill and then some..... Out of breath, legs burning, I look back......

SOB!!!! I pulled him right on up with me! Hell, he is closer now than at the bottom of the hill!!!

And there he went, leaving me to recover from my effort..... I tried to catch his weel, but had to settle for keeping him close for the final lap. I wanted to give another good push up the same spot, but I was out of gas, out of time, game over...Man that was fun though!!

Ended up 10th... Better than the day before, but not to my satisfaction... Anther day, another climb awaits!

RESULTS DAY 2

Joules Cross 1

Well, I was so excited to do my first double day Cross Racing... I have never been able to find the time to hit up both Saturday and Sunday races... Come to find out, it was apparent that I have not ever done that kind of quantity of racing before. I wish I could say quality, I would say only one of the three fell under that category.

Made it down to Lawrence on Saturday and doubled up the singlespeed race and the 3/4's. I knew this was going to be pretty tough after pre riding the course and it was pretty opposite of my strengths (man I love Manions)... I need hilly and technical, this was straight up power course... Thought to myself, "dude, the roadies are going to be tough to beat out here"... And you know what, I was right.....

On the line I saw the usual suspects... Kent, Mark and Joe Fox putting his hat in the SS ring... Roger who is always tough on his mtb... Whistle blew and I got my usual good start and took up behind Kents wheel. Plan was to get on his wheel and hang on for dear life... Turns out that is not a very long time... Here comes Joe by me, then Mark, then Roger... 2nd to 5th in 1/2 a lap... Roger and I held the leaders close for a couple of laps till about lap 4 or so when I finally noticed Mark pulling away from us.. Damn, there goes the elusive top 3 I can't seem to get... Played cat and mouse with Roger for a couple more laps till he started to pull away from me, so basically I sat up from that point. Only went fast enough not to get caught for the last lap or two... 5th place... Owe well... Time to get ready for the 3/4's...

So on to the course, Saturday had some twists and turns, a nice little dip-to-hill thingy by the pond.. Yes, that is the technical term for it.. Not very much climbing, and a long straight to hammer out some watts in a headwind...

As the race got closer I noticed my Quad wanting to seize up on me a little... What the hell? This aint a MTB race... I guess we put in a bigger effort in the SS race than I thought...

Got my new rig out and headed to the start.... Running disks and gears...First time ever to run gears in a CX Race... Should get interesting...

Started the 3/4's and immediately lost ground after the starting whistle. Legs are spent and the race just started...Right off the bat on a kinda tricky corner a dudes front wheel got away from him and he hit the deck pretty hard... Took out the two guys behind him. Not me though, the combination of my awesome disk breaks and going slow as hell allowed me to avoid the carnage... Hung out behind the mid pack dudes for a while till they gaped the rest of us remaining.. After about a couple laps I did find the strength to pass a couple of dudes including my bud Roger. Started to feel okay around lap 3 and tried to catch back up to the mid pack group... Was doing well for a lap and was making ground until I hit a wall... Legs were done.... I put it in cruse control for a couple of laps until Roger came by me... Just had to make it interesting, didn't ya!!
Well, it came down to the both of us to sprint to the finish to take a whopping 14th and 15th!!! Yah... Worst finish I have ever had since started racing cross... And the SOB out sprinted me on a effing SS MTB!!!

That stung a little bit... This race was a disaster from the start... Owe well, its too early in the season to take  them all seriously... Right? Well, crap...

Will post about Day 2 later, I have to try and be productive today....

RESULTS HERE(DAY 1)

ROGERS PICTURES HERE

Say hello to my little Svein...

Why is his name Svein you ask? Well my friend; you should be asking yourself why you ask such stupid questions.....

Hello Jerks, I'm Svein and ready to rocks and rolls!

Boss X 2 Results

Field was a little deeper than I thought... Kent and Britton with Colavita are fast dudes man...

Cat1/2/3/4 Male SS WOERMANN Kent Team Colavita/ Parisi Coffee 1
Cat1/2/3/4 Male SS KUSIAK Britton Team Colavita/ Parisi Coffee 2
Cat1/2/3/4 Male SS GROSS Jesse Ethos Racing 3
Cat1/2/3/4 Male SS DOUGLAS Jason Ethos Racing 4
Cat1/2/3/4 Male SS OLDEHOEFT Dan Team Colavita/ Parisi Coffee 5
Cat1/2/3/4 Male SS WILLIAMS Roger Unattached 6
Cat1/2/3/4 Male SS LYLES Andrew Team Colavita/ Parisi Coffee 7
Cat1/2/3/4 Male SS ELLIS Michael Team Colavita/ Parisi Coffee 8
Cat1/2/3/4 Male SS MICHAEL Tim Epic Cycling Team 9
Cat1/2/3/4 Male SS SOTO Hector Renaissance Cycling 10
Cat1/2/3/4 Male SS HAMMONTREE Joel 360 Racing 11
Cat1/2/3/4 Male SS ROMISCH David GP Velotek 12
Cat1/2/3/4 Male SS ANDERSON William 360 Racing 13
Cat1/2/3/4 Male SS SHEPERD Zeke Evil 14
Cat1/2/3/4 Male SS LEHMAN Kay Ethos Racing 15
Cat1/2/3/4 Male SS PECK Jonathan Team Colavita/ Parisi Coffee 16
Cat1/2/3/4 Male SS THOMAS Christopher Black Sheep Cycles 17
Cat1/2/3/4 Male SS JACKSON Karl My Wife Inc. 999
Cat1/2/3/4 Male SS SHOFFNER Brett Unattached 999
Cat1/2/3/4 Male SS MARTIN Randy Big D Cycling 99

FULL RESULTS FOR DAY TWO HERE.....

Sunday Boss Cross....

Headed down with the family to boss cross on Sunday... Only one race (sinlglespeed) for the day for me because we had to go hit up the folks house for my little mans 1 year birthday...(pictured here helping pops replace his bottom bracket)

"Dad, is it the right or left bracket that's counterclockwise?"

Got there and found the usual suspects, Ethos Racing in full effect..

Ran into Jesse and did some quick laps to warm up... The course was pretty good, I did enjoy it... It was basically a really fast course that had a couple of sections to slow you down... There were two long sand runs which kind of sucks the life out of your legs..  And then a left turn that was kind of steep and nothing but roots and loose dirt. This little turn ended up getting the best of me that day...

On the last lap on the pre-ride I headed up this little rooted hill where I hear Psssssssssssssssttttttttt....

Owe, holy crap, pinch flat 10 min before the start... Run my bike back to the car (which I had moved into the parking lot at the race venue, thank god) to find it locked! I have no idea where my wife is and she has the keys.... Once I found her I ran back and fixed it as quick as I could with some CO2's, and headed to the start line where everyone was already lined up including the 20 or more 4's...

Thank goodness Kay was there to move over and kindly let me squeeze in... So I am sitting virtually dead last before the race even started... Had some work to do....

Its a good thing I know most folks start rather slow for whatever reason... Whistle blew and were off. Within a couple of seconds I find a hole and gun it before the leaders get even further away... The course was rather wide so passing was not a problem, got from 15th (or so) to 7th (or so) in the first 100 to 200 yards... 

Here is the spot! This might be the time I bobbled, does not look like I have a good line in the pic...

Kept up a pretty good pace for the first lap or two when people started spreading out a bit... After a couple laps I was able to pass Rodger and Dan-O (both of whom I know had some races already in there legs), which put me in 4th behind my homie Jesse... 

I knew before the race that this was a good opportunity for a podium since I had fresh legs and knew I was only racing once, so I could dig a little deeper than I normally would. So I had a hard time catching up to Jesse, it took me a couple laps to do it, but I finally made the gap and got on his wheel... We came to the little technical section where that little hill was that I flatted on earlier and I flippen blew it... The only time in the race where I messed up.... I had to get off the bike and run up the rest of the hill, with Jesse leaving me behind... Kind of demoralizing putting in so much work to have it all taken away in seconds... 

Owe well, now I have a whole different problem, I have Dan-O and Roger still behind me more than willing to take 4th place away from me... 

The last two laps were pretty uneventful.... Jesse was long gone and Dan-O and Roger had got their fill of pain for the day and faded a bit... Finished the race 4th....

Will post results when there up...

It was another great day for racing and it was awesome to be able to have the family out to watch...

I know some of my MTB peeps don't care much for Cross, but I love it... I only have to drive an hour to get to the races and the races are short... When your always pressed for time its a win/win....
***Disclaimer, this does not mean that I don't love MTB racing first! (still have to put that out there)

Owe yah, starting him early!

Well that is it for a little... Don't think I am going to make Cross out Cancer next weekend... But Joules Cross is the next weekend and I think I am going to make both days... That should be interesting....