2009 CRY Standings

Close, very close

Red Barn Oct 31

Finished 2nd to Paul. Now every race is for 2nd in CRY.

Green Acres Oct 25th

The Sunday races are getting a bit easier. Again I was late due to bad directions, rushed to get ready and jump into a pre-ride lap. It looked like it was going to be a technical race with one long climb to separate the field. I had a good start with a clean line on the hill and fell into about 5th place, by the end of the first lap I was in 6th but after that I just kept moving forward until I was on Paul K’s wheel which seemed rather surprising as I could hardly see him on the horizon the day before. We went into the bell lap together but I was able to gap him on the hill and keep it to the finish for my second 2nd place finish this season.

Jackson Meadow Oct 24

I really need to work on my directions to these races, almost every weekend I’m late after following the wrong directions from the linked maps or not having enough directions to find the place. Luckily Chris has an iPhone and is sometimes at the race before me.
Saturdays race was in the scenic location of the hip housing community of Jackson Meadow. For most of the race I was strung out by myself, Paul and Gregory just over the hill and a few chases yo-yoing behind me.
The last lap I just coasted in. It was an uneventful race, only having to stop once on my third lap after I noticed that that clunking sound I was hearing was my front wheel not on tight at all. I am so glad it didn’t come off. Finished 3rd

Grifo Challenger 34

Thanks to Hollywood Cycle with a quick turn around on my wheels. I dropped them off with Jay in the afternoon and was able to pick them up the next day.

Tire Issue Weekend.

Last week I noticed that my ‘Trebon’ used Dugast tires were showing some wear. They had tuffs of material tasseled out the sides and rubbing on my brake pads. I sent out for some advice. It seemed I could just deflate them, cut off the extra bits sticking out the side and then re-seal the edges.
I let them sit over night with high pressure.

Saturday: Baker Orchard. The ground was firm but I feared my tires failing on me so I kept the pressure high. I got a good start and tucked behind Hollywood on a SS for the first lap which pretty much cooked my engine. My tires were much too hard and it was like riding a washboard. My forearms and lower pack were killing me. I managed to for 2nd place.

Sunday. Hudson. Not wanting to suffer again, I let the pressure down to my normal cross psi. Everything was looking peachy and a first place was at hand thanks to Paul K also rolling his tire (twice) until the start of the bell lap when my rear Dugast just gave up the race and rolled off and fell apart. I now had to run a football field through the double back sections, towards my pit bike, then past my pit-bike (how cruel is that) back halfway down the field again, over the barriers and back to the pit. I was toast. During that run the chasing group gleefully past me. I finished 6th.

Dugast!

How do these look?

DNS / HTFU / 3rd

Saturday: Corcoran Mud pit. I was really looking forward to racing Saturday. Got all ready, didn’t get a call up (just the winners of the last few races) and started in the front row anyway as it was an open muddy field anyway. Left foot clipped in, mashed down and right foot slipped out of the eggbeater (shin peeler).

I managed to take off a peel of shin skin about 4 inches long and hit my shin hard enough to make it go numb (for a moment). I though it better to stop, clean up and try again on Sunday. I drove home using the cruse, shooting pains up my leg. Scrubbed it clean and iced packs for an hour.

Sunday: Wirth. I was thinking this would be a good race for a sore leg as it wouldn’t have any run ups, didn’t last year! Not this year…. I managed to collide with two other races on a remount at the top of the stair run and fell onto my left eggbeater…. Finished in 3rd place.

Hudson on Saturday / Orono on Sunday

I tucked into the back of the group of riders waiting for the start at Hudson, I felt like I was just going to be in the way during the race. A few hours sleep the night before, family has cold etc etc. Anyway – what the heck, I got a call up. Damn, now I have to race.


I had a blast, I love the technical stuff and was glad there was no run-ups. Finished 3rd in my age group.

Sunday morning hurt but I got myself motivated to show up again and again I get a call up (only just). I was going good until I ran out of lungs on the second lap. My lap splits were all within 4 seconds of each! Finished 4th in my group.

Pork Chop Challenges

First Cross race of the season. Started off well, little rushed to get to the race and get ready. Did one loop before the start and lined up in the second row. Pretty fast first lap and I moved up a few spots. Going into the midpoint on the second lap I was in 4th place but then took a down hill corner way to fast and went skidding out of the course and thought the tape, I managed to swing it back into the course just before the double barriers but I was in the completely the wrong gear to get back on (I tired and came to a dead stop).

By the time I got my act together again at the top of the hill I was now at the back of the race. It took me about four laps to move back up again.
Each lap I kept moving up but ran out of laps and more importantly, energy. The lead group was just out of reach. I finished 5th.
Pictures: Skinnyski.com

Godspeed

Thinking Cross

Afton Cyclocross Race Oct 25th from Ladric on Vimeo.

Buck Hill Birch Bump MNSCS #7

I had a grudge with this course. Last time I raced it (local Thursday night race) I trashed my front wheel.

I had company, brother Chris came out to cut his teeth for the first time. He borrowed by K2 Full suspension, dropped the seat down about a foot, road around the parking lot then pretty much pulled into the starting line for the race.
There are two places to pass on this trail, the first dirt single track climb if you ride the ruff and then the short dirt road before the tight single track switch backs. The last place is the short open area as you open back up onto the main face of the ski hill.

Revenge is best severed from the podium.

Singletrack Attack Race MNSCS #6

http://www.mnscs.com/ has all the details.
You have all been to races like this – the place you line up is the order you finish unless you
A) sprint the ‘prologue’ gravel road and the one 20 yard stretch of double track to move up.
B) riders are kind enough to pull off the trail to let you pass.
I did both and moved from middle pack to 3rd place entering the single track. I emerged on the other end after an hour and a bit in second place in the 2nd wave that I started with and 13th overall.
I have no idea how the chap who got first in my age group managed to get first overall – how did he pass all those riders in the single track?

Memorial Classic

Fun day, FSA wheels finished the race 1st in my age group, 8th overall.

Goodbye A6, Hello S40

Orange

Green Machine

Afton Alps Race #2

Rather than race the Comp race and complete 3 laps at 1.15 in the afternoon when it would probably be 85 and sunny, I went with the option of the morning Sport class with fellow Crossniacs Mike and Erik.
We all lined up at the back, Mike and Erik on single speeds and me being in the 45 + group. As expected, Mike sprinted down the side of the field and as I can not help myself, I chased after him. Some where in the first 50 yards I must have passed Mike, he reappeared just before the Bridge Loop on the second lap. We completed the last lap together until the last descent were youth got a gap and managed to move up a spot as Mike past a rider in the last 3 feet!
I finished 1st in my age group and 17th overall. Mike was in Second in his age group and 15th. Erik took it easy for his first race on a new collar done.

Not this year.

Greetings, it said. You were not among the 2500 selected for this year’s Fat Tire Festival. It’s only the second time since 1979 that I did not get in. I even chipped in an extra bit for trail upkeep. Guess I should just think of it as saving cash that I can use for going up to Duluth for those first two Cross races.

Ride to Work

It was a little sketchy both directions, going to work and coming home. The paved sections were good – just a few spots with snow and ice.
In the morning the gravel was nice and firm still frozen but on the way home it was like riding in porridge.
Felt good to move my legs and the novelty of it was exhilarating.
Lets hope the weather holds and I can park my car until fall (and perhaps have the oil leaks /brakes/etc fixed)

Winter Modifications

Back to the drop noodle bars with interrupter cross brakes.

And flat (rise) bars for Natasha's road bike.

Cyclocross Results 2008

8) State CX 10th for those with gears - 14 overall. To cold.
7) Lake Rebecca Nov 9th - 3rd
6) NSC Velodrome Nov 8th - 4th
5) Afton Bikery Oct 25th - 4th
4) Hudson YMCA Oct 19th - 1st
3) Wirth Oct 12th - 3rd
2) Corcoran Oct 4th - 3rd
1) Porkchop Sep 21st - 4th

Lake Rebecca

It’s was so cold. I had the same kit on as Saturday (washed) when it was 30 but on Sunday it was 20.


I had a good start and was in the front pack along with teammate Erik on the new C-Dale.
Finishing the first lap I was frozen to the core. I could not feel my hands let alone my fingers. I could not feel my face and my chest was cold – not good. I just could not find the power to hang on and faded back. It was not until the last lap that I had got my temp up to were I could push.
In the end I finished 3rd in my age group.

NSC Velodrome

Finished 4th.
30 and windy.

Red Barn C Race and Single Speed

I was being 'good' this weekend and did not race so I will not be sick all of next week.


Red Barn C and Single Speed Race from Ladric on Vimeo.

Afton C Race

Untitled from Ladric on Vimeo.

Afton 45 plus race

Afton Cyclocross Race Oct 25th from Ladric on Vimeo.

Oct 19 45+

Hudon YMCA Oct 19th

It was nice to have the B race split into age groups. There where 13 riders and I was able to get a front row at the start. The start was a little odd. The woman went first then two minutes after that the official just blew the whistle (no ready, set or even a count down). I found myself in 3rd place going into the second half of the first lap. Moved into 2nd at the first barrier and then into first exiting the first set of chicane. Paul McKinney was a favorite to win the race but luckily for me he had chosen to ride his single speed with to small a gear and was spinning out. I passed him about 50 yards before the pit area where he then stopped to switch bikes to something with gears. At the point I just sprinted to get a gap and rode like a mad man to keep the gap until the finish.
It was great to win a race again but this time with beautiful girls at the finish.

Wirth Oct 12

Update - Oct 20th. They finaly posted the results. Looks like I placed 11th in the Mens B race and 3rd in my age group.

Just as we where loading up the car to go to the race, Chris called "Bring the mountain bike". I quickly pulled off the stroller hitch and a few other casually items and loaded it up.
As with the Boom Island race – things were a bit disorganized. No sign-in sheets and it took some asking about to even find the race back in the woods.
I did not have a good starting position, probably around 5 rows back. The course had one open stretch that allowed riders to pass, and one place just before the finish that had a open space.
I did what I could to push myself forward, I will have to wait a few more days to find out how I placed when they post the results.

Corcoran Cross Oct 4th.

Great race. Finished 3rd.

Here is some video of the 4th race. Cheers.

First Cross Race this season

Started in 3rd place.


Finished in 6th and 4th in my age.

Porkchop Cross - St Cloud

The first Cross race if the season. Tough age group. Finished 4th and 3rd in my age group (45+).

Chequamegon Fat 40

Chequamegon Fat 40
Year __Time____Place ___Pace
2008 __2:37.19.05___205_____15.5 mph (38th out of 294 in age group)
2007 __Did not get in this year.
2006 __2:47:24.10 __324 ____14.66 mph
2005 __2:34:14.08 __188 ____15.9 mph
2004 __2:57:45.13 __316
2003 __2:44:56.97 __245 ____14.9 mph
2002 __2:50:29.11 __173 ____14.5 mph
2001 __2:40:37.22 __157
2000 missed
1999 __2:45:38.88 __145 ____15 mph
1998 __2:41:18.82 __167 ____15.29 mph
1997 __2:43:26.89 __182 ____14.69 mph

Chequemegan this Saturday

Getting close. As fate would have it - I now have a cold...
News:
Looks like we will have some Cross Riders this year:
American Jonathan Page of Oudenaarde, Belgium, a silver medalist in the 2006 World Cyclocross Championships.

All better

It took about 3 weeks before my ribs stopped annoying me. Back to putting some miles in.

Costochondral Separation

As a post race note – turns out I had separated my rib from my sternum on Saturday (wrenching on a bottom bracket). The race on Sunday must have aggravated it as I was suffering. It hurt to even breathe. Looks like I am off the bike for a few weeks until my rib stays put. Until then I have to not breathe hard and wear a chest compression strap.

What are the symptoms?
A rib injury causes pain and tenderness over the place of injury. You may have pain when you breathe, move, laugh, or cough.

How is it diagnosed?
Your health care provider will review your symptoms, examine your rib cage, and listen to your lungs. He or she may order a chest x-ray to look for rib damage, lung damage, or bleeding around the lungs.

How is it treated?
To help your injury heal, your provider may recommend that you:

Rest.
Put an ice pack over the injured rib for 20 to 30 minutes every 3 to 4 hours for 2 to 3 days or until the pain goes away.
Take an anti-inflammatory or other pain medicine.
Wear a rib belt, which your health care provider may suggest for very painful injuries. The belt works as a girdle for your chest and helps support your ribs. It limits movement of your ribs when you cough, breathe, or move your body in other ways. This helps decrease pain. If you wear a rib belt, your provider will give you breathing exercises to help you avoid lung complications.

Pictures from the Tour

Some nice pictures form Le Tour

Memorial Classic - Red Wing

It all started with Mike punching the start line.

I found myself doing well.

Then we all hit the hard stuff.


I was able to keep the rubber side down.

It all ended well - what a surprise.