Red Wing Recap

Hmmmmmmm.....Let's see, how do I sum up Red Wing? Well it sucked basically. Weird though because I felt the best I ever have before a Mtn bike race, and I had the best start I ever have had in a Mtn bike race. I sat right near the back of the group and by the time we hit the singletrack I was about 6th or 7th wheel. Over the next 4-5 miles I was able to pass those 5-6 riders and catch the leader. The leader and I yo-yo-ed back and forth for the next lap and then I felt sprinkles. No problem I thought, I will just take it slow and ride to finish. I knew with the rain that I was not going to catch the leader and pass at this point. Boy did I take it slow. The rain did evil things to the course on the last lap and I walked allot of it. It was ridiculously muddy and greasy. It got the best of me, all of me in fact. But I hate quitting more than I dislike pushing my bike uphill and skiing downhill on my shoes because I cannot walk (forget riding). As I did that on the last lap, I watched about 30 some riders go past me. Some riding, some walking too. Not sure what I placed yet though cause the results did not even have me as entering the race. Have to get that cleared up, it is valuable team points.

Wish I was doing Cheq 100 this weekend, but work calls and I need more miles in the legs anyway. Next year fo sure! That's all right tho, after work on Sat I'll take the road bike out for about oh 4 hrs and thrash myself. Here's to f#%@!ng mud!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

porco cane

Found the motivation to blog again! Found the motivation to get moving on the bike more too after putting in ten hours on it over the course of last week. Sometimes when the motivation to do something is lost, you just have to do more of it, and more of it, and more...It is summer now and that means, well it will fly by! I'm out for the Cheq 100, this year because I should put in a full weekend at the guard to get ready for the trip to Africa. Next year though, ill be sure to fit it in to the schedule.
The Sandwich 50 came and went, 6th place. Almanzo 100 came and went, 7hrs and 25 min. both races placed further back than I wanted too, but conditions for both events were not as ideal. Still finished both with decency though.
Red Wing is up this weekend for the MN Series, my favorite course and the defending Comp champ, if that means anything. It does to me though! Say posted for a recap

porco cane

What is it with you and F*$%@&^! Sandwiches?

Its almost Sandwich time! Not talking about lunch or a snack here. It the MN State Endurance Championships (unofficially). But only a select few are brave enough to tackle 7 laps at Eastwood. Five days remain until the race kicks off, same day as the Giro d'Italia too. Got some good riding in, just need a couple of rides with some intensity and boom, ready to take Eastwood by storm.
Had a good time following Trans Iowa V8 this last weekend. Maybe someday I will be man enough to enter that. Back to playing with my mafia hitman now,

Porco Cane

Railed

Railed, that's how things have been lately. It is fitting though because of all the time spent at this pub the last three weeks I've been in Savannah Ga. The world was calling for me to save it again, and that I did. Hung out with some cool Dutch and Canadian Air Force guys, and took care of Air Force business in Ga. The hardest part was understanding those southern folks when they spoke. Railed is the term the last three weeks though. Work hard, work harder, Party hard, party harder, Travel hard, travel harder. The wife gets sick, I'm not there. Child gets head lice, I'm not there. Am I useless? lets hope not. Nico and his mafia (See above post) pretty much ran things while I was gone, so that made things even more difficult. But I was at the rail, getting railed by Guinness. As for the bike, well lets just say I'll get to blow the dust off it soon maybe.
I better blow the dust off of it soon though. The Sandwich Enduro, which happens to be one of my favorite races because I can wake up in my own bed and ride right to the course from the house, is fast approaching, I'm on the list for Almanzo and the Cheq 100 in June. Eric better get some fitness soon so I'm ready for these. I'm about to "Save Big Time" by quitting that morning stock job to so the wife and I will get some fitness because we are going to tear up the Y. So the fitness will come, but in the meantime, lets try not to get railed anymore, unless its in .......well you know, check urban dictionary for the real meaning of "railed" and lets hope that's the only railing going on here from now on.

porco cane.

Un Caffe

Most training rides these days tend to be planned out around having the mid ride cafe. Nothing fuels and feels better than to pull up to the local cafe on a bike, walk in to the cafe bar in some cool looking spandex (getting all kinds of looks by other fellow coffee drinkers) and order up a shot of espresso (un cafe). Down the hatch it goes and out the door to spin the wheels some more. The un cafe stop also serves as a bathroom break for some mid ride weight loss and a water bottle refill point. I have been known to stop for un cafe on the really hot days and the really cold days, it tastes oh so good no matter what the weather is like. Since I have done this quite often, there is a deserving cafe in my mind that deserves some recognition. Better Brew in Pine Island has probably the best espresso in southeast MN. Other places either don't make it right, serve it in a paper cup (Caribou, WTF?????) or their coffe is horrible. Dunn bros is Ok but usually serve their cafe too hot. If I can't make a point to hit Better Brew on a ride, I make one with my mint Cafe Roma machine a casa mia! With the best coffee and perfect brewing method using their super cool La Cimbali cafe machine, and the best roads around to train on, Better Brew is the heat!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Stop and get yours today, its only $1.41. Signing off to go make un cafe!

Porco Cane!

Fo' Shizzle

Fo' Shizzle this has been a crazy year! Em and I ushered in a new hit man for our Applen Mafia. His name is Nico and he takes no S&%*! He has recently adopted the call of the Howler monkey to express is anger. On top of that traveled to Galena, Ill. for some vacationing, spent two weeks on Honduras with the Air Guard giving medical aid to 6500 Hondurans and whooping up on them in soccer every night. Completed 30 crazy credits at WSU, and got some W's on the new mtn bike!!! Worst of all though, watched my dad widdle away as he battles throat cancer. He is rebounding though and will be riding his bike in the spring. Hopefully 2012 I can get double the amount of wins on the mtn bike with more endurance events planned and spend more family time and less time with my head in the books for school. 'Tis the season to crush gravel and It's time to send in my postcards for some events. Porco Cane!