Synergy TT Recap

Photos courtesy of Skinnyski.com

I love the Synergy Time Trial, not only because the course seems to suit me well, but also because it is a top notch event. Same goes for this year. Well run, and hanging out at Sal's after the race it the best.

Jordan continues to amaze me, riding an average speed of 23.9mph over the 22K Synergy TT course. He won the younger juniors, and tied for 4th place overall with older junior Alex Meyer. His time of 34:25 was exactly 7min30seconds faster than his time at the same event last year (41:55). His recent performances have Carla and I re-evaluating our decision to skip junior nationals this summer.

I had a good day myself, riding to 6th place overall, and winning the Masters 35+ Open category, just edging out James Parker and Charlie Jacobs. I rode a 58:47 for an average speed of 26.2mph. My time was 26 seconds slower than last year, which I feel comfortable blaming on the strongish SSE wind making for incrementally tougher conditions. The finish line was moved up a bit, shortening the course just slightly.

Congrats to Grandstay for sweeping the podium with Stanford, Casper, and Koeneman. Well one to Synergy with Hareland and Timmer rounding out the top 5.

20K Results (actual distance = 13.68mi = 22.01K)
40K Results (actual distance = 25.66mi = 41.28K)

I have a daughter too, you know.

Maren doubled up tonight at a home track meet in Hudson. First she ran the mile. She ran a personal best 6:28, passing 2 runners in the final stretch to finish 5th. Nice kick girl! She finished off the night as leg 2 of the winning 4x400m relay team from Hudson.

This past Saturday, she did a rare steeple chase, but had an asthma attack heading into one of the jumps, and stumbled into the barrier. The crowd let out a gasp when she went down. She was unable to continue. She learned her lesson the hard way about using her inhaler prior to racing.

7 inches, 20lbs = 1minute, 10 seconds

Photo compliments of Sone

We were checking Jordan's height and weight from May 2007, and found he has grown from 4'10" to 5'5", and from 90lbs to 110lbs. Quite the growth spurt, and it has payed big dividends for him in cycling. Jordan's time at the first Black Dog last year was 19:44.

As usual, I started 30 seconds behind Jordan. I anticipated he would show improvement, but I had no idea. Last year, I'd usually catch him about 2/3 of the way to the power plant. Last night, I didn't catch him until about half way between the power plant and the turnaround. Last year, when I'd finish, I would turn around at the tracks and wait for him to come in so I could check his time. Last night, I didn't even make it back to the finish line before he crossed. He stormed to a 16:36, for an average speed of 24.5mph. That's 1min, 10 secs faster than his fastest time from the final Black Dog last year. His time was the fastest of the night for all the juniors, both younger and older. Very well done Jordo!

One constructive comment though. Dude needs a haircut.

Photo compliments of Ray.

"That was a lot harder than I thought it would be."

Photo compliments of Ray

So says Carla. She said giving birth was harder, but that's about it. Last night's Black Dog was Carla's first bike race ever. Congratulations, you've been initiated. We rode the Tandem, with her as stoker. We rode the Tandem a couple times together last fall, and she decided to give it a whirl this season. She spent many days on the trainer this winter, and it payed off. We rode a 16:20, for an average speed of 25.0mph. She paced herself very well, and I have to say I was rather sluggish on the way out, due to my earlier solo effort. Tandem partners Charlie and Sherry started a 1:30 behind us, and were able to pull back almost a minute. They rode a 15:38. Nice job guys.

Jordan was a little jealous to learn Mom is a Cat 4 (no Cat 5 category exists for women), and he is still a lowly Cat 5.

The Dog is Back

Last year, at the first Black Dog, I rode a disappointing 15:29. It was my slowest time in many years, and left me with a very empty feeling.

This year, I was pleased to ride a much more respectable 15:07 (initial results showed me at 15:16, but they are being corrected thanks to the diligence of the officials and promoter). I recently mounted my cadence sensor for my Garmin, and that's what I focused on during the effort, which worked very well. Last year, I focused on average speed, and I found that to be self-defeating. My HR ave was right on par for Black Dog at 172bpm.

My time placed me 2nd in the Masters 35+ group behind an impressive 14:59 by newlywed Charlie Jacobs, and just in front of strong man James Parker.

Casper and Hareland rocked the evening, and tied for 1st in 14:34. Nice benchmark guys. Teresa put down a 16:08 to win the womens. Youngster John Shishilla threw down a 16:11 on his brand new Trek TT bike to win the Masters 50+.

Back to Back at Marty

Photo courtesy of Split Second Services.

Jordan and I both won our races at Marty in 2007. 2008 was just as rewarding, with both of us winning again.

In Jordan's race, all the juniors started together (9 older, 6 younger) including Tony Olson, who just finished the Cat 1/2's race. The crosswinds were tough on the kids, and by the time they turned into the headwind, all the younger juniors were dropped, and only 6 older juniors and Jordan remained.

The front group stayed together until they turned towards the long climb. Jordan took the front at the base of the hill, and rode a hard enough tempo, that the rest of the juniors just let him go, knowing they had to do 2 laps, to Jordan's 1. Jordan soloed into the finish all by himself. Carla was marshaling at Corner 3 when Jordan came through solo, and was shocked, wondering where the rest of the juniors were. Well done Jordo.

The field size of the Masters 35+ 1/2's was dramatically reduced due to all of the elder GrandStay and GP riders opting for the Cat1/2's, in order to help their team with the 1st race of the Nature Valley Grand Prix qualifing series.

That left us with a whopping total of 12 racers at the start. The first lap was relatively subdued, until the hill, where we managed to pop 5 riders off the back. 7 of us started the 2nd lap, with Alpasa dropping the next time up the hill, leaving us with 6. Maxwell, Binkowski, Muyres, Christenson, Goblirsh, and myself (2 GSCAs, 2 Silvers, and 2 Loons). We shared the work equally for 2 more laps. Maxwell was dropped on the penultimate climb, leaving 5 of us to battle for the last lap. Binkowski tried sitting out the rotations at first, but with Maxwell gone for good, he soon rejoined.

We came into the final sprint with Christenson leading, followed by Goblirsh, Muyres, myself, and Binkowski last. Christenson jumped at around 350m to go, and we all reacted. Goblirsh cramped up a bit, and Christenson pulled several bike lengths away. Muyres looked back at me to go, since he is on Christenson's team, but I waited for him move first. We launched at around 200m to go. I got around Muyres, and knew it was going to take everything I had to bridge the gap for the win. I had just enough room, and threw my bike, just to make sure. Christenson finished an impressive 2nd, followed by Muyres, Binkowski, and Goblirsh.

Hollywood and a couple others, kept going even after getting dropped on the first lap, and finished all 5 laps. Tenacious indeed. Party on.

Wednesday Night Interval Training

I missed Tuesday Night Worlds, but thanks to Stamm, I was able to get my interval workout in on Wednesday instead. We rode in the hills of Afton, and I shot my HR north of 160bpm a total of 11 times.

Maren Can't Catch a Break

So far 3 of Maren's outdoor meets have been cancelled due to weather this spring. She did 2 indoor meets, but has only been able to compete in 1 outdoor meet. Jordan and I skipped Tuesday Night Worlds this week in favor of watching Maren run. She recently switched from the 400m to the 1600m, and it would have been her first attempt at the new event.

Unfortunately, she got sick yesterday, and was unable to run. We felt so bad for her. Hang in there Maren. You have our support.

3hrs50mins@160bpm Ave

That's what I got in this weekend between Ken Woods and the Excelsior Crit, in spite of the weather. I love bike racing!

A Snowy Criterium in Excelsior

My plan was to do the Masters 35+ first, and then the Cat 1/2's, which were consecutive, giving me a full 1hr40mins of racing.

Only 16 lined up for the Masters 35+, including newly snipped Hollywood. Hollywood attacked from the start, and held a gap for a couple laps until he gave up the ghost. The rough course did a number on him, so he eventually pulled out. A few laps in, it started snowing. The pace was fast, with a few attacks that didn't stick, but then Sedgewick and Binkowski got away on a prime lap, with no one to give chase. I didn't feel like racing for 3rd, so I went to the front, and pulled for as long as I could. Thankfully, Chris Johnston gave me a little breather for a lap or so. I was able to get the group close enough at the bell for them to close the last few meters winding up the sprint. As I expected, Pete Hannah won the race. I actually was disqualified for bad language. Guilty as charged. In the heat of the moment, I brashly asked for some help up front, and an official heard me. There is zero tolerance for it, so keep it clean.

There were 25 or so lined up for the Cat 1/2's. It was a good mix of riders, with no dominant team. My plan was to just sit in, and enjoy the snowy race. Then a few laps in, the entire field relaxed, and I took the opportunity to jump around the left side. At the same time, Hanna was jumping around the right side, and we were off. We worked well together, and established a healthy gap for a few laps. However, it was not to be, and they brought us back just after a prime lap. I mostly sat in the back for the rest of the race. I jumped around the field to give chase of riders off the front a couple times, but that was all I had. We actually stayed together to the finish, with Doig, Dan Swanson, and Muenchow pulling away on the final lap for the top 3 spots. I rolled in at 10th.

I ended up getting 3 primes during the 2 races, for gift cards to the 318 Cafe and Excel Cycles. Thanks to Verve racing and Excel Cycles for putting on a great criterium, despite the weather.

Dad, can I please race the Cat 5's too?

The 3 man breakaway in the Cat 5 race

The wind was almost negligible compared to Saturday at the Excel Cycles Crit. We arrived 20min before the start of the Cat 5 race, and I decided last minute to let Jordan race it. The juniors race was right after the Cat 5's, and I wanted him to focus on that race, but he really loves to double up.

Only 8 racers took the start of the Cat 5's. Jordan strung it out from the start, and ended up dragging 1 rider away from the splintered group after a couple laps. One more bridged up, and the 3 of them rode away from everyone else. They ended up lapping everyone, except a couple riders that just beat them to the bell before the 3finished. Jordan finished 3rd. Carla was even there to witness his impressive ride. We were 2 proud parents.

Immediately following the Cat 5's was the Juniors race. All juniors age 10-18 were combined, so I knew it was going to be a tough race for Jordan. There were 14 racers total, including Cat 2 Junior phenom Tony Olson was racing, so I knew it was going to be fast.

They mostly stayed together for the first half of the race, and Jordan looked like he was riding well, and holding a good position. Then with a few laps to go, Tony launched his attack. Barrett and Meyer were able to respond, and Jordan tried, but didn't quite make it. He ended up on the front, pulling what was left of the older juniors around for the last few laps. He dropped all but a couple of the juniors by the last lap, and sprinted in for 5th, with Cody Scott just nipping him at the line.

Carla and I were thrilled to see him ride so well, and have a great time too. He spent the rest of the afternoon hanging out with the MNJRC juniors. What a great bunch of kids.

Jordan leading the chase after Olson, Barrett, and Meyer

What remains a couple laps later, just before the bell.

Jordan's 100th Race and 2nd Win of 2008

Photo courtesy of SkinnySki.com

Ken Woods was officially Jordan's 100th race ever. The Juniors were originally scheduled to start at 9AM, but ice on the road delayed their start until 11:30AM.

The juniors started with the Cat 4/Masters 40+ women. A breakaway of 3 older juniors formed just after turn 1, a common theme for the day. Jordan stayed in the wheels through the crosswind section, and bridged up to the leading 3 just before the headwind section.

The 4 of them (Jordan, Barrett, Meyer, and Ruud) shared the work. They stayed together until Barrett opened the sprint early, winning easily, followed by Meyer, Ruud, and Jordan. They finished 6 1/2 minutes ahead of the remaining juniors. Jordan was the only junior under 15 in the front group, so he scored his 2nd win of the season in his 100th race ever. Well done.

Kent Throlson Saves Me at Ken Woods

Photo courtesy of SkinnySki.com

Here is a blow-by-blow my experience in the Masters 35+ Ken Woods Road Race:

Conditions: Mid 30's, light snow, winds WNW 20-35mph!
We (Masters 35+ open combined with Masters 35+ 3/4's) start 5 mins behind the combined Cat 1/2/3's.
I got in a 2-man break with Gordy Paulson right after the first turn.
Gordy rode strong, I mostly followed, and helped when he needed rest(very little).
We had a 1min16sec lead after 1 lap over a chase group of 7.
Just after turn 1, my rear tubular goes flat (compliments of a small sharp rock).
Gordy bridges the last few meters up to a small chase group in front of us from the Cat 1/2/3 race.
Gordy asks if anyone can give me a rear wheel.
My incredibly selfless and generous teammate, Kent Throlson, immediately pulls over and gives me his wheel.
I can't catch back up to Gordy.
A chase group of 4 catches me (Hanna, Goblirsh, Coyle, and Parker).
We share the work equally and make almost no progress on Gordy.
Parker attacks approaching the finish hill, but is brought back.
Coyle attacks at the base of the finish hill and gets a gap.
Goblirsh and Parker chase with Hanna and me in tow.
I pop just over the top of the hill.
Hanna pops a little later.
Coyle holds off Goblirsh and Parker, who finish 2,3,4.
Hanna gives up the ghost, and waves me by for 5th.
Gordy won with a comfortable 43 seconds on Coyle.

Getting a flat is such a bummer, but thank God for Kent letting me salvage my race. Its been a long time since I've ridden in a 2-man break, and the wind made it even tougher. My HR was 20bpm's higher following Gordy, as opposed to our later 5 man rotation.

Congrats to Gordy on an impressive win in the hardest manner possible, on probably the windiest race I've ever done. Kudos to Ray Coyle for his successful attack to finish 2nd. Finally, a shout out to my uber strong teammate Goblirsh who finished a strong 3rd.

Weather Forecast for Ken Woods

9AM: 37deg, 20mph W wind, 30% chance of rain/snow
11:30AM: 38deg, 21mph W wind, 30% chance of rain/snow

Don't forget a dry change of clothes.

Jordan Scores at Tuesday Night Worlds

Jordan wanted another shot at Tuesday Night Worlds, now that he knows how the points race works. He sat out the first 2 sprints, and then broke away just after the bell for the 3rd. One guy caught him, but he held the rest off for 2nd (3 points). He stayed up near the front for the final 3 laps, and finished 3rd in the final sprint (2 points). He ended up 5th overall with 5 points. Lunatic Biker, Hollywood, and Linda were all there to witness it. Congrats on your first points ever at Tuesday Night Worlds Jordan.

With a much milder wind out of the NW, the pace of the Cat 1/2/3's race was much faster. We averaged 26.8mph vs. 25.1mph a week ago. We've definitely gone faster, but not bad for April 22.

LSC fielded Painman, Clark, Skibby, Red Lantern, Kullman, Atherton, Frye, and myself. Painman made an impressive bridge across a gap to a breakaway to contest the first sprint. My efforts were very similar to last week. I got in a similar breakaway to last week with some of the same guys. Hanna had a small gap heading into the pinch point, so I bridged up. Mean Dawg and Joe Dubay joined us first, then Zim. Hanna dropped back, but we held it for a couple laps to get the bell. However, it was not to be, the front of the field caught our group just as the sprint opened up.

I did make my way into good position for one of the sprints, right on the wheels of Doug Swanson and Doig. All I can say is I have even more respect for their sprinting ability than I already did.

Jordan's First Win of the Season

Jordan and I wanted to check out the racing scene down in the Madison area, so we did the WCA Great Dane Velo Criterium on Sunday. Jordan lined up with 11 Under 15 juniors. Jordan and 3 others got away on the first lap and never looked back. They worked together, with each taking turns on the front. They stayed together until the last lap, when Jordan attacked, and was able to get a gap to come in just ahead of the other 3. Congrats to Jordan on his first win of the season!

The Under 15 Junior Field

The Breakaway Group of 4

Next up Jordan did the Cat 5's. He sat in most of the race, and hit the front at the bell in order to chase a solo breakaway. He brought the rider back, but several riders were able to take advantage of his effort, and get around him coming into the finish. He finished a strong 12th place. What a successful weekend.

Start of the Cat 5's

Hitting the front with 1 to go

I myself did the Masters 1/2/3 Crit. I was active in the front of the race, and got in several moves, but none that stuck. I was recovering from an effort when the winning move went. I tried to bridge solo, but didn't make it. I tried another solo attack with 4 to go, but was reeled back in by the bell, and rolled in at the back of the field. I was very happy with the my effort and fitness, even if I missed the winning move. The average speed was a Tuesday Night Worlds worthy 26.1mph.

Gordy and Diane = World's Greatest Hosts

Gordy and Diane not only took us into their home Saturday night, but they let us sleep in their bed. They've got the coolest place with a media room most guys would kill for, a bathroom most women dream of, and a bike shop that every rider should have. They made us feel right at home, including feeding us breakfast in the morning before heading to our race in Madison. Many, many thanks Gordy and Diane.

Jordan counted no less than 8 national championship jerseys between Gordy and Diane. Wow!

Would you let me and Jordan stay in your bed?

Durand Road Race

Felt good to get in the first road race of the season. Jordan raced the Cat5's and I did the Masters 35+. The rain held off, temp in the high 40's, and a light NE wind.

Jordan's race was 2 laps, or 27 miles. He said the first lap was a slowish 18mph average. He said he led the group for most of the last lap. Unfortunately, the women's field caught them a few miles from the finish on the first big hill. Teresa politely asked the Cat5's who should finish first, and one of the guys told them to go ahead. They got a good gap, but then one of the riders attacked the group solo, and Jordan gave chase with the field in tow. They caught him, but as Jordan led into the final corner, he could see the women were right in front of them. Another rider attacked, and led a few Cat5's around the women. Jordan got caught behind at first, but then made his way through, and chased after the others. He was able to get around all but one of them to finish an impressive 2nd place. Very well done Jordan!

The Masters 35+ race was 4 laps for 54 miles. With Painman on baby watch, I had teammates Goblirsh and Rennert to work with. Bagley was back racing for Grandstay, but they were short handed with Cragle out with his shoulder, and Charlie Jacobs getting ready to tie the knot later that day. So it was just Bagley, Coyle, and Bell. GSCA had a ton of guys, and Hollywood had a solid showing too.

With numbers in their favor, GSCA launched Mark Dykes off the front on the first lap, and he stayed away for about a lap. On lap 2, GSCA launched Dave Peterson, and he stayed away for about a lap. It was all back together halfway through the 3rd lap, when the Masters 45+ group came through us. They were finishing, and we had another lap, so we intended to let them go, but they ended up coming back after the 2nd big hill. Thankfully, we didn't affect the outcome of their race, as there was a break of 3 ahead of them, who stayed away to the finish.

The 4th lap was fairly subdued with Pete Maxwell taking a healthy turn on the front. Then Bell punched it over the top of the hill on the South stretch, and took Goblirsh and Binkowski with him. They worked together to grow the gap, and with only Silver Cycling chasing, it was pretty clear they were gone. Greg Tischler and Dave Pramann tried to bridge but didn't make it. Pramann ended up coming back to us, while Tishler was stuck in no mans land.

Snide pulled us the rest of the way in like a horse, but no one else would help. Up in the leading 3, Goblirsh was able to take the win, with Bell 2nd, and Binkowski 3rd. Tischler rolled in for 4th. Pramann won the field sprint for 5th.

A most excellent race, and a ton of fun. Good job to everyone. Congratulations to teammate Goblirsh on a well earned and deserved win. See everyone next week a Ken Woods.

I swear, I didn't plan it this way.

Maren had a track meet Thursday down in Red Wing, so I immediately came up with the idea of Jordan and I riding the 40mi down to watch. Then we would catch a ride back with Carla. It wasn't raining at the start, but we knew we were going to get wet. We could see the dark clouds to the south. Anyone who knows me, knows my adage of "I'll train in the rain, as long as it's not raining at the start."

The ride was fast, with primarily a tailwind from the NE. It didn't start raining until we were about halfway down, and it was pretty light. As we flew down my favorite road (Cty O), it just kept coming down harder and harder, and kept getting colder and colder. We both just had 2 long sleeve layers on top, full finger gloves, bib shorts w/bare legs, and no booties. Our legs were the first to go numb to the cold. Leg warmers wouldn't have mattered, because eventually, with the temperature dropping into the low 40's, and us soaked to the bone, everything started to get cold.

We had our tail lights ablaze, but we still had to cross into Red Wing from Hagar City on the minimum shoulder road. Jordan led the way, and I ate his spray into MN. Thankfully, very little traffic headed into MN made it uneventful. We then headed up the hill to Red Wing High, only to see Carla driving the other way. Turns out hail forced them to cancel the track meet after the first couple events. What a bummer. I was so looking forward to seeing Maren run outdoors. They've cancelled 3 of the last 4 outdoor meets due to weather.

We jumped in the truck, changed into dry clothes, and went to "The Bluffs" bar and grill in Hagar City for dinner. Jordan and I sat there and shivered while Carla just kept laughing at how stupid we (mainly me) were. At least we got in our ride tonight.

Redemption at Tuesday Night Worlds

I got 4th!

Last year was Jordan's first experience at Opus. He got caught behind a crash on the downhill, and went down. He continued to race, but had to ride solo from that point on.

Tonight, Jordan stayed in the middle of the pack the entire race, and finished 4th in the final sprint, putting him 7th overall. He was very pleased with his performance. He wished I would have explained the points format of the race, because he thought they were just racing for the finish. He figured the bell laps were just for primes or something.

Tuesday Night Worlds - Worth Every Penny

It is next to impossible to duplicate this kind of workout in a training ride. You couldn't ask for better weather (ignoring the wind, of course).

Cat 1/2/3 Points Race:
Distance: 18 Laps (6 sprints) - 16.06 miles
Average Speed: 25.1mph (amazing considering the strong winds)

I managed to reach my anaerobic threshold (180bpm) no less that 6 times. I made a couple moves off the front, and chased a couple moves down. GrandStay and GP were unstoppable. Flanders were strong too, but were a small group compared to GS and GP.

Doug Swanson and Patty Cakes got a gap after the second sprint, with Zim stuck in the middle. I bridged up to Zim with BK on my wheel, but with BK sitting in, and Zim and I on the Rivet, we couldn't get to the leading 2. We came back together, and I figured Doug and Pat were gone, but nope. They came back before the final sprint.

It is extremely difficult to breakaway on that course, especially with all the horsepower in the group, but Doug and Pat sure made us all look mortal.

Sprinting - Jimmer versus Jordan

Slow motion for your enjoyment. Jordan and I definitely are the bookends for size in the Minnesota cycling community.

Ready to Race

The weather came just in time for me to get some much needed rest and recovery from the bike. I'm doing my best to hold true to my commitment to less volume, more intensity, now that racing starts this week.

It's really hard to break from my normal routine of packing in the miles. So this week, I took an uncharacteristic 3 days off, and spent the other days doing shorter, interval workouts. I used the rest time to clean-up and prepare the bikes for racing. It took forever, but they are all in race ready condition now.

Today, Jordan and I joined the east side LSC crew at Dunn Bros. in Stillwater, and did a nice tempo ride. I'm definitely looking forward to racing this week.

Racing Plans this week:
Tuesday: Opus
Saturday: Durand
Sunday: Great Dane Crit #2

Training Camp Man Cave

This is how the Cullen boys roll.

Jordan: 346, Jimmer: 340

Excellent recovery ride Sunday morning to end our 2008 spring training camp. We just beat the rain. Jordan led us home after accomplishing the unbelievable feat of riding a new camp record 346 miles. The old record, set in 2007 by myself, was 340mi, which I matched, but did not exceed this year. Jordan definitely wins the "Cycling Addict" award.

In yesterday's post, I neglected to mention that 3 separate riders managed to get flats on a high speed descent, in a short gravel stretch. This included a dramatic blow out by Donimator, who somehow stayed upright and was able to roll to a stop. Goblirsh and Macy were the other 2 victims.

There was also a late bike weigh in by Rotach of 21.4lbs. That means Cowan lost the two heavyweight competitions in the same day, finishing 2nd in both. "Eternal Second" Frye consoled him with a hug.

2008 LSC Spring Training Camp Competition Summary:
Cycling Addict Award: Jordan, 356 miles, 20.5 hours ride time
Lightest Rider: Jordan - 117.8lbs.
Heaviest Rider: Donimator - 243lbs.
Lightest Bike (as ridden): Scott Olson - 15.25lbs.
Heaviest Bike (as ridden): John Rotach - 21.4lbs.
KOM winner: Alex Atherton
KOS winner: Easter Bunny

Props to everyone who pitched in with the cooking and subsequent clean-up. Thanks to everyone who drove sag, keeping us all safe. See you at the races.

LSC Training Camp Day 3

2008 Team Photo

Post Ride Peanut Gallery

27 riders on day 3. Warm and windy was the order of the day. We took in the climbs of Money Creek, Houston, 109, and 25 to give us another full century. The Houston sprint was very animated today, with a group jumping early. It was a headwind sprint, and came down to a 3 way drag race between Frye, Dave Meyer, and myself. It was a photo finish between Frye and Meyer, and they agreed to the draw.

Rotach and Dave Meyer showed Atherton some fresh legs on the climbs, but Alex was up to the challenge.

Donimator brought Skibby down for the ride today, and, as expected, Donimator walked away with the heaviest rider competition at a fit 243lbs. He sure didn't ride like a 243 pounder. Skibby weighed 141lbs.

Jordan accomplished his 3rd century in 3 days, but not without incident. During a rest stop, he was chatting with the guys with one foot unclipped, when a gust of wind came along an literally blew him over. He was unhurt, and it was pretty funny.

My Dad says I'm a cycling addict

A boy amongst men.

Hitting the hills.

Up we go.

Another day, another hundo. Sorry, no Garmin data, battery died. Unbelievable weather. 60 deg and sunny. The strong west wind definitely wore on people today, and we even had a few brief sprinkles.

We started with 21 today, with myself taking the first sag driving duties, meaning I was going to have to add a loop at the end of the day to get my fill of riding. We knocked out 52 before stopping for lunch at Subway. A few went home, but most opted for the 500ft. Money Creek climb. More headed home from Houston, but many kept going for the 550ft. Houston switchback climb. We fought the wind back to Rushford.

Heading straight home made the route a full century. However, I needed more since I drove. Goblirsh and I added on a loop, along with a couple climbs, and plenty of rollers and headwind. Jordan wanted to come, but I suggested 100mi 2 days in a row was plenty. Greg ended up with 119mi., and I had 107mi.

When I got back to camp, Jordan was beaming, and asked for my mileage. Upon hearing 107, he gave me his number. 113! He went back out with Scott Olson on the trail for what Casper likes to call the "gravy train". Unbelievable. 215 miles in 2 days. The apple doesn't fall far...

On the way back from Rushford, Jordan got a flat. His teammates helped him out, and got him going again. Macy's new quip is "What does a cyclist say when he gets a flat?" "Where's my dad?"

2 seconds faster

Maren improved her 400m time by 2 seconds to make the number 2 spot on varsity for the first outdoor meet. Congrats! All that hard work is paying off.

LSC Training Camp - Day 1 on the books

A nice sized group of 19 for Day 1. We took in the famed climbs of Money Creek and the Houston switchbacks. 6 riders opted for the 80 mile route, with the rest pounding out a century, including Jordan.

On the climbs, it was all about Goblirsh and Atherton, with Clark, Thorlson, and Olson on their heels. The big surprize was Jordan, who was right up near the front on every climb. He said his HR his 200 on the Houston switchbacks.

On the sprints, Jimmer had an edge in knowing where all the signs were. Even with a heads-up warning, Frye was only able to manage a single sprint, along with his standard fare of 2nd places.

Alex Atherton gets big props for serving up homemade Lasagna. Go big or go home. No Simeks this year.

The bike and body weigh off occured post dinner. Scott Olson edged out Macy with his superlight Time rig. Kermish's Cervelo R3 would be a contender, but he needs to swap out the powertap wheels for the Zipps to be in contention.

Olson's Time Machine w/SRAM red and Ksyrium ES's - 15.25lbs as ridden
Macy's Specialized Tarmac w/DA and HED Ardennes - 15.78lbs as ridden

Cowan easily took the heaviest bike with his Redline cross bike. Thorlson was a close second with his Steel Croll beast.

Cowan's Redline - 20.41lbs as ridden
Thorlson's Croll - 19.97lbs as ridden

As expected, Jordan easily took the lightest rider on Day 1, with Atherton 2nd, and no one else even close.

Jordan - 117.8lbs
Atherton - 132.4lbs

We had 3 clydesdales in the group. Jimmer, Kaeferlein, and Cowan broke the 200lbs barrier. We'll leave it at that.

LSC Training Camp Sag Wagon Food

What keeps the LSC motors running?

• 15 cases of Gatorade Rain
• 5 cases of Cookies
• 4 cases of Salted Nut Rolls
• 2 cases of Pop Tarts
• 2 cases of Nutrigrain Bars
• 2 cases of Trail Mix

Sorry, no Cliff or Power Bars. If that's your energy food of choice, you'll have to supply your own.

Training Camp Prep Ride

We wanted to get a longer, hilly training ride in before heading for camp next week, and Sunday was the day. Thankfully, the rain an snow held off, and 7 of us rode to Hagar City and back. Jordan, Painman, Treb, Kullman, Dan and Dave Meyer, and Jimmer.

Painman was riding his brand new Specialized Tarmac SL2, weighing all of 15.7lbs., for the first time. Pretty sweet ride. Jordan was sporting his new "White" bar tape, which turned purple from his gloves over the course of the ride. I did warn him.

30 miles into the ride, my rear derailleur cable broke at the lever. This has happened to me no less than 3 times previously, and I change my cables every year. The sad thing is I thought about swapping out the cable Saturday night, but I figured I'd wait till after camp. Big mistake. Luckily, I have the greatest wife EVER, and she met us with a new cable, and we were able to continue with almost no delay. Your a life saver Carla, I owe you big time!

The Meyers broke for home as we continued south to Hagar City, and started hitting the hills. Our rest stop came just in time. We were starving. We took the highway all the way back to Prescott, and then rode Treb back home to Woodbury before heading back to Hudson. We kept the group together very well, and we were all flying the team colors too. I was most impressed with Jordan, who was still dropping the hammer on the hills, even after 90 miles. Thanks to everyone for joining us on the ride. See you at camp.

One final note. We got home, and Carla had dinner ready and waiting. Jordan and I are 2 of the luckiest guys in the world. We love you Carla.

West Side Training

Teammate Rennert has been leading training rides on the west side of town, making our way to a loop in Medina where we mix it up with hard efforts during the course of each lap. It was a ton of fun, and my first sustained intensity of the year. Rennert and I matched up really well, and Jordan was able to match up with others in the group. The down side is that once you get dropped, you're on your own to rejoin the group, or continue the efforts with whoever you're with. In other words, it really helps if you have someone to match up with. Thanks for the excellent training opportunity Paul. We'll be back.

Life is good

Seeing Casper busting out his new Addict road bike inspired me to finally break out the road bikes Thursday evening. It was Jordan's first ride on his new Giant. The ride was pure heaven. Our cross bikes have taken a beating this winter, and are in dire need of a tune-up. It was great to get on a bike that rolled smooth, and shifted effortlessly. Jordan was thrilled to be able to sprint out of the saddle without fear of the chain skipping. And to think snow was in the forecast today. Life is good.

Stout Track Meet

Maren ran her first varsity track meet at the indoor track at UW Stout on Tuesday night. Mom and Dad made the drive to watch here race and were very impressed. She finished second in her heat of the 400m. Way to go Maren.

Back from the Caribbean

What better way to celebrate Easter, after returning from a week long Caribbean cruise? Poor Treb suffered along with us on his MTB, while Jordan and I rode our cross bikes on the surprisingly dry roads of the Prescott Loop.

Newsflash: Maren makes Varsity

Maren had her 1st indoor high school track meet this past Thursday, and nearly won her heat in the 400m, taking a very close 2nd. This was after running in the 4x800m. Her time was good enough to qualify to run varsity at her next meet, and she's only a freshman. Congratulations Maren!

LSC Training Camp Competitions - Revised

New this year at camp will be several "tongue and cheek" competitions including:

KOM and KOS point competitions have been replaced with "Race Simulations" in the second half of the rides on Thursday, Friday, and Saturday.

Heaviest Rider:
Single layer of clothing, no shoes

Lightest Rider:
Single layer of clothing, no shoes

Heaviest Bike:
Must be ridden on at least 1 of the 2008 training camp rides (weighed as ridden)

Lightest Bike:
Must be ridden on at least 1 of the 2008 training camp rides (weighed as ridden)

There will also be a "Cycling Addict" award, given to each rider who completes the long routes (as designated by Jimmer) on each of the 4 days of camp.

2 Loop Weekend. Riding with a World Champion.

Saturday morning was way to cold, so we waited till the afternoon to ride. 20deg was good enough for us to do the Prescott Loop. The SSE wind is my wind of choice for the route, in favor of a good push home at the end. We saw fellow Hudsonite Roger Parenteau finishing his ride as we departed. Stops in Prescott and River Falls were spaced perfectly for warming back up. We finished up in the dark, our lights ablaze.


Sundays weather was much, much better. 30 deg and sunny, with a similar wind. As luck would have it, we came upon Roger Parenteau again, only this time he was just starting. He stayed with us for the first hour, and pressed Jordan in the climb up Trading Post in Afton. Roger has Masters Worlds Track Championships in the Kilo and Pursuit. He coming back from a couple years of battling illness, and is doing very well I must say. It was sure great catching up with him.

After Roger left us, we continued on our 2nd Prescott Loop of the weekend, and even added on a hill and some mileage. At our rest stops, I've been eating Apple Pies lately since I heard Gordy Paulson does the same. Jordan and I also drank a quart of chocolate milk in River Falls, and Jordan paid the price. He had a nasty stomach ache for the last 10 miles. Maybe a pint will be plenty next time?

Longer Days and Reasonable Temps

Hooray for more daylight, and temps around freezing. The last 2 weekends were all about riding outside with Jordan and others. We're even able to get out during the week, after work now. I'm a bit envious of those who made room in their lives for a cycling trip to a warmer climate, but it only fuels our motivation to ride outside in this fickle winter weather.

Last year at this time, Jordan and I were having the time of our lives, skiing out at Big Sky, MT. No ski trip this year, in favor of a spring break trip to the Caribbean. Definitely looking forward to the white sandy beaches, crystal blue water, and quality time with the family.

Fun with Dan and Linda

Jordan and I met up with Dan and Linda at the Birchwood Cafe at 9AM with plans for a 3-4 hour ride. Paula joined us as well, and Shana stopped by for breakfast.

We rolled over to St. Paul along the river, picking up Dave Gray, headed up Little Italy, and then down Summit. We bumped into Joe Johnson who said the LGR crew was headed to Afton, which we had considered for our plan too. We kept rolling west since Paula had to get back home by Noon. We saw Patty Cakes, Ellis, and a couple others who had just rolled out of GP headed east on Summit. We waived, and they spotted Jordan and gave him a cheer. He's almost famous.

We dropped Paula off, and headed back east to catch up with the LGR crew and head out towards Afton. Casper and Mark B. took the wind all the way to Afton. The tempo was moderate to hard, rather than the level 1 I expected, but Linda and Jordan were fine, so we just kept at it.

We separated from the LGR crew at Afton, and rode to Dave Gray's place to drop off Linda and Jordan who were pretty spent. They ended up with 4.5hours and 70 tough miles. Well done guys.

I mentioned to Casper that we should go for a Hundo, and we attempted to take a less direct route back, but it wasn't to be. We ended up with 5.5hours and 89 miles. We were all pretty happy to ride longer than anticipated, especially with the relatively nice weather. Thanks Dan and Linda for a great ride, and thanks to Dave for taking care of Linda and Jordan while we finished our ride.

Take Your Son to a Bar Night

We were in downtown Mpls already for the LSC get together at the Fixx, so a bunch of us headed over to the final coldsprints at Grumpy's Bar. This is after I had decided earlier in the week that it would not be an appropriate environment for Jordan. Then I thought, it couldn't be any worse than the environment at Donimator's LSC party.

The environment was not roudy at all. Not very many roadies, but we did see many of the LGR crew, along with Hollywood, Kristy, Timmer, and Hareland. Painman, Red Lantern, A-Train, Stamm, Skibby, Olga were there too. I asked Jordan if he wanted to do the qualifier, and his immediate response was no. A short time later, he changed his mind, and jumped on. That was enough to convince myself, Skibby, and A-train to give it a go too.

Jordan qualified 16th with a distance of 1226 feet.

I qualified 15th with a distance of 1228 feet.

The effort was very hard, and I was lucky not to hurt myself. The top 16 made the head to head 500m rounds. I drew the 7th seed, and actually beat him, mostly because he got mixed up and rode poorly. Jordan drew the 8th seed, and was narrowly beaten. Jordan had the last laugh at my expense as his 500m time was a full second faster than mine. Well done Jordo.

I matched up against A-train in the 2nd round, and he whooped my butt. He made it all the way to the finals, and finished his customary 2nd.