Thursday, March 27, 2008

An Update

It has been sugeested to me that I get up out of the basement and do an update. Here goes.

I've just been really, really busy. Not just with the basment, but with team stuff. Amatuer hour in the basement is drawing to a close, and now it is time to bring in the pros, so hopefully that time suck will slow down a little.

If you are on the MOB, you know that I've been busy there also. The new MOB kits came in, and they rock! I hope we'll be seeing a lot of them this race season.

I've also started riding my bike to work whenever I can. Any day that I do, I get about two hours of riding in. Cool. I didn't ride today though. It looks like a frickin' winter wonderland out there right now.

Got to go. Later.

Friday, March 14, 2008

Remodeling Fun

We've been remodeling the basement, and decided to have a little fun.


http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=P4TbCt72Ij4

Sunday, March 09, 2008

Riding With Kids

It has sort of become my place to play the role of the seasoned adult on many of the group rides I participate in. I don't mind. Most of the reason for that is because I am an old man living in a college town. The kids come, and the kids go. It's always a little sad when they leave, but there always seems to be a new crop on their heels. When I can keep up, riding with the kids is great fun, and it is a great way to build up my fitness.

Today was another one of those days. Today's cast was (from front to back) Bryan Moritz, Matthew Hoffman, and Becca Finley.

This was to be my view for as long as I could hang with them.

It didn't look good from the start. Do you ever have one of those days where it feels like you are going to get dropped before getting out of town? That was me today. These kids are all strong riders, and I wasn't feeling it. That's a bad combination. After a bit I settled in, but anytime even the slightest hill appeared, I was off the back. I hung with them for an hour or so, but knowing the bigger hills were just up the road, I turned for home. It was fun while it lasted.

I cruised home with the wind for a while. Then, when I was close to the end, did some 30 sec sprint intervals to make sure that I was totally trashed by the time I got back to town.

It was good day, and I'm still smiling.

Saturday, March 08, 2008

WIll Winter Ever End?

I'm starting to get the awful feeling that this really is the beginning of the next Ice Age. I keep looking nervously to the north expecting see glaciers looming on the horizon. Even with all that OP and I went out for a ride today.

He showed up at my place at 9:00 sharp on his Ibex.


It was a little brisk (10 degrees) but it was great to get out and just ride!



The plan was to do a couple of hours on gravel before the sun worked its magic and turned our wonderful gravel tundra into gravel soup.

As you can see, there's still a bunch of snow out here in the country. That snow will all turn into broth for the gravel soup one day soon.


Paul got a little bonky towards the end. I could tell because he couldn't hold my wheel anymore. And that never happens. I prolly shouldn't be smiling about it.


We stopped any my place where he got a gel and some water, got unbonked, and then was was on his way home.

Up for tomorrow I think I'm up for an ass whoopin'. I'm getting out the road bike for the first time since some time back is August (I guess I've been a little too focused on the dirt/cross/gravel/ice lately). Its going to be an ass whoopin' cause Moritz, Hansen, and Hoffman are going. It should be fun, if I survive. Note to self, take a cell phone.

Thursday, March 06, 2008

Weekend Plans

OK. Here's the deal. On Saturday it will be cold (5 degrees) in the morning. That means that the gravel will be blissfully slop-free for a few hours. I'm going to go out at about 9:00 for two hours. I'll probably head east on 170th. You are welcome to join me if you wish. You can ride out here, and we'll leave from here, you can ride with me in spirit, or you can just give me a call when I'm out riding. It's all up to you. If you wanna ride for more than two hours, you better start earlier, or mount fenders, cause its gonna get sloppy after 11:00 AM, and I want nothing to do with that right now.

For Sunday, I'm riding on pavement (GASP - I warned you) with Bryan and Matthew Hoffman (no, not that Mat Hoffman - I asked). We're leaving from the The Cafe at 10:00 AM. All are welcome. We plan to do about three hours, the direction will depend on the wind, and Bryan wants to go easy cause he's having some weird alien biopsies and probing done the following Tuesday. Going easy for him means balls to the wall for me, so it will be a great weekend!

If you want to join in the fun, leave a comment or give me a call at 515-290-7789.

Monday, March 03, 2008

Redemptive Suffering

Last week I said " . . . next week I'm back on the bike, regardless of the conditions".

Well here we are at next week. It's March, the first mountain bike race is in 6 weeks, and its time for me to add some intensity, regardless of the conditions outside.

So tonight I dusted off one of my trusty trainers. I'm proud of the fact that I have stayed of that implement of torture so far this winter. I did so hoping to avoid the burnout that comes from too much indoor riding. I've been riding outside when the opportunity presented itself, and have also been hiking, skiing, XC skiing, playing volleyball, etc., to keep myself from getting too soft. Another piece of good news is that I stepped in the scale this morning and my weight what the same (199 lbs) as when the season ended last year. Also, according to my scale, my muscle mass has also held steady. Now if I could just lose about 20 lbs of fat . . .

So anyway, enough messing around. My season began in earnest today with some real intensity. I did a blackout interval workout. That workout has become a real favorite on the trainer. It takes about two hours, but because you are mixing it up, the time goes pretty fast.

As usual, in the last phase (cruise intervals) I ramped up the intensity of the last two intervals to way past zone 5a. In in the last interval, I did nearly the whole thing in 5c (177+), and put it all out there for the last few minutes. I held my HR above 190 for a couple of minutes. At one point I saw 193 bpm. That is a new personal best for me. Last year my old high was 185 bpm. Conventional wisdom says that your max heart rate decreases a beat with each year. With training, mine seems to be increasing? Also following conventional wisdom my max should be 200-48(my age) = 172 bpm. I feel like I could ride all day at at 172 bpm. Whatever, I'll take it. I don't want to get too hung up on max heart rate, but it is nice to have the additional head room in a race. It's also good to see that I can put it close to the max and hold it for a while.

It really felt good to work that hard. It was definitely redemptive suffering.

Sunday, March 02, 2008

80³

Eighty cubed. That's the way I would describe our way home from Colorado. Why eighty cubed? I-80 * 80 mph * 80 degrees fahrenheit. That makes for a good trip home.

Some parting shots.

The mountain:


The Half-Pipe



Time to go home, cause everyone else discovered this place:

Next year . . .

Friday, February 29, 2008

Another Day in Paradise

It was another perfect day in paradise. The sun was shining, the temps were mild, and the skiing was perfect!

I'll let the pictures speak for themselves:










Our last day of skiing is tomorrow. Good thing cause my legs are feeling a little toasted. Its been a good three days of cross training.

This week has been a nice break, but next week I'm back on the bike, regardless of the conditions.

Thursday, February 28, 2008

Its All Downhill

I'm on top of the world, literally.

Check out my new Oakley O Frames ski googles. They rock! They have a huge field of vision, and just the right amount of shading.

Today was our first day of skiing. We had a blast.


It sure would be nice if they would move Copper Mountain closer to Ames.


In the afternoon Dan and I hit some of the bowls.



Here I am in the afternoon, still on top of the world.

It got warm enough in the afternoon that I switched out googles for Oakley Half Jackets with polarized lenses. The also rock! The polarized lenses took all of the glare out, and the lenses worked great in both full sun and dark shade.

I took some video with a helmet cam. Maybe I'll post it later. But I didn't mount the cam on my helmet. I just held it, so the vidoe is a little shaky. If you get motion sickness, don't watch!

Wednesday, February 27, 2008

Almost Skiing

We spent the day driving across Nebraska. Suprisingly, the time went pretty fast. And with four of us sprawled out in a Suburban, it was pretty comfortable.



My bro, prolly checking his e-mail.


The boys watchin a flick. Just like they were home in the living room.


We took a count. It takes two lap tops, an air card, two smart phones, three other cell phones, two DVD players, three Ipods, about 75 DVDs, and about 75 charging devices to get across Nebraska. All that and we we still bore easily. Talk about ADD on wheels!


This is how we spend our nights. Pretty wild stuff, huh?


I hope to post pics with snow and skis tomorrow.

Tuesday, February 26, 2008

Gone Skiing

All work and no play makes Jack a very dull boy, and I guess I've never been accused of being dull, so its off for a little play time in the mountains for me. That's right - I'm going skiing for a few days!

I know that Gravèlo gets a little nervous any time I try a hobby other than cycling, but don't worry. This isn't a new obsession, I'm renewing a long time love.

My brother and I have been skiing since college, and as soon as our boys were able, we started taking them along. None of us is very good because we only get out a few days a year. But we have fun, and its a great way to break up the winter.

I'll post some pics if I get a chance.

Saturday, February 23, 2008

Ice Road

I was getting really tired of not riding my bike. This morning I decided I really didn't care how icy the road was, cause I was going to ride. So I hopped on the ice tank and went out for a gravel spin.

I saw lots of this:


and this
and this.
Regardless of the road conditions, it was a great day to be outside. It was sunny, about 15 degrees, and no wind. I really like winter when it's served up like today was.

The ice tank did great!. Not one slip, or even a bobble. But with as much ice as there is on the gravel, when that ice starts to melt, the bottom is gonna fall out. I might have to resort to riding pavement for a while (gasp!).

The ride was also great! I went did some pretty easy spinning going out, and then put it on the big ring coming back, and tried to blow out some of the cobwebs. That really helps.

Note to self - ride your bike more often.

Thursday, February 07, 2008

A Milestone

Although there has been lots of talk about the new team, last weekend was the first real team gathering. You never really know if it is going to happen until people actually show up. And what do you know? They did. You can read about it on the MOB Racing blog.

It is a milestone for me, because it means that I really am responsible for a bike racing team. Holy Crap! How did that happen? It was only two years ago that I e-mailed Thad about joining his team.

As is my lot in life, I seem to find myself in charge of things. I don't go looking for it, but things just seem to turn out that way.

Don't get me wrong. I love my life! I'm just amazed that such a group of talented cyclists would follow me into anything. Go figure.

Thursday, January 31, 2008

Snow Bike #1

Apparently my race season started last weekend (I know - another late post, but I've been busy. More about that later.)

I got a comment from Bryan, wondering if I was going up to Matt's snowbike race, and could I give him a ride. He said Hansen was racing, and it would be a blast. I'd thought about going up for the race a little, but hadn't given it serious consideration. Afterall, lately my training has consisted of a 2-3 hour bike ride once a week, followed by celebratory beers afterwards. It turns out that was the perfect training for this race!

Bryan and Chris get ready for the race:


John Newell and Jim Logan were there .


The accomodations on the ride out were first class. We had a bus full of bikes:


And a bus full of riders. We kept pulling the "Please Stop now" rope, but it didn't help. Matt just kept driving into oblivion.


This is what oblivion looks like.

I hung with the main group for a while, then we split up into two groups, then it was just me.

I could see Hansen just ahead, spinning like mad man, but I couldn't catch him. BTW, Bryan was long gone, and WON THE RACE!

After the race, things got a little goofy.


Seems someone got a deal on fake mustaches.



The fun continued on the way home


What tastes best after a hard day in the cold? Homemade Chicago deep-dish pizza!


Oh, and my excuse for this post being so late? I finally got the MOB Racing kit order finalized. It Rocks! Check it out.

Saturday, January 26, 2008

Hike Around Seven Oaks

Last weekend several of us decided to take a hike around Seven Oaks in Boone (sorry for the late post on the hike - I got busy and it got away from me).

It was a lovely day for a hike:




Five of us didn't have enough sense to stay home on a day like today. Troy Kyle, Taylor, me, and Ron.


The opening climb isn't much easier on foot.

This is as close as I've ever been to Kyle on that climb.



After climbing a few hills, the slight twinges of cold that we had felt out in the open gave way to open jackets and sweat. Down in the valley it actually felt warm.

After a while we were all covered with frozen condensation.



After the hike, Troy convinced Joel to let us take a few runs on the tubing hill. What a blast!
We looked like a bunch of kinds out there.


Clothing note from the trip. Although I have quite a bit of experience riding is these type of conditions, I'm not as experienced hiking in them. I overdressed. For next time, A base layer and my ski jacket was plenty warm. Fleece tights and ski pants were also enough. Unfortunately I also had jeans and a sweatshirt. That was too much and it held too much moisture. I also wore my down mittens. I spent half of the time with them off, because they were too warm! Ski gloves would have been enough. It's amazing how little clothing you can get away with at nine below zero if you are staying active. I'll get this all figured out someday.

Saturday, January 19, 2008

No Sense

A few of us dim-witted folks are going to hike around the Boone MTB course tomorrow morning at 9:00 for the fun of it. Apparently we have no sense about these things. All are welcome. Let me know if you also have no sense.

Sunday, January 13, 2008

Leading from the Back

Today several of us went out on a gravel grinder. It was our little way of wishing Andrew Carney our best as he goes out to seek his fortune in the real world, in this case Colorado. As if that wasn't enough, it turned into a double farewell (I've got to stop losing friends to other states), but more about that later.

I'm not sure that I have any business leading a ride, seeing as how I'm usually the slowest guy on any ride I'm involved in. Some how I would figure it out. I had a route planned out that would end at my place, but I wasn't sure how I would lead the ride from the back.

Participants on the ride today:

Andrew -Reformed Triathlete and Endurance Freak. The guest of honor sporting a nice beard today. He's probably started it yesterday.




The next to appear was Alex. Alex is our resident engineer and bike geek (OK, we're all bike geeks). If you can imagine a bike part, he could make it.




Next was Greg - Bike Recycler Extraordinaire. He never met a bike that he didn't want to take home and give some TLC.




Bryan was next with a special guest. Byran is an up and coming road racer. He's also young enough to be my son (OK, most of these guys are).




Bryan was with Chris! WTF? I thought he had moved to Arizona or something. Chris is one of the fastest guys I have ever had the pleasure of riding with. He became the second guest of honor on this ride.



Shortly after that came OP, TransIowa and Dirty Kanza veteran. He is one of the more committed people that I know (or perhaps he should be committed).


The skies were clear, the winds were light, and the temps were tolerable. What am I doing at the front of this pack of talented cyclists? Tiz a puzzlement.


It wouldn't last.


Somewhere between these picture the second guest of honor (Chris), fell in an icy corner and took out the guest of honor (Andrew). Both got up laughing, as Andrew got knocked into the deep ditch snow, which doesn't hurt as much. I missed getting a picture - which is the difference between goodness and greatness.


The group broke up a couple of times, but then seemed to magically re-form every time they had to slow down and ask me for directions. Leading from the back, and controlling the pace. Hmm. It seemed to work.





Finally we got back to my place where there were there were the muched promised stories and beers.

Here Andrew tells us about riding across the country on his bike, or sleeping in a Jeep at -25 at Crested Butte, I can't remember which.


After a while we move inside, cause the stories got longer and the garage got colder.

It was a great day to hang out with great friends. Some friends I will probably see in the next week or two, and some that I won't see for a while. That is life as an old man in a college town.