Our first born

Maren doesn't get much publicity compared to Jordan, but there is plenty of great things to share about her. First of all, she is one seriously smart and motivated person. She has an incredible circle of friends, and is very generous and open hearted.

She is also driving now, and has taken on the responsibility of a job at a local Hudson boutique.

Most of you know she enjoys running, but more recently, she has become an accomplished singer. She made the prestigious chamber choir at Hudson High School for next year, and also made the very select cast of the Beauty and the Beast School play.

I'm very proud of you Maren. Love, Dad.

Happy 19th

Today, Carla and I celebrate 19 years of marriage. I've got a sweet life with an incredible wife.

This is work?

Jordan's first real job ever is mowing lawns for his grandfather's real estate business. He appears to enjoy it.

Basic Training

Is Painman slouching?

Jordan and I have been racing so much since the middle of April, training has taken a back seat. All we had time for was races and recovery rides. Taking this weekend off from racing was a welcome relief. We got some great long rides in with teammates and friends. Perfect timing for the build-up to Junior Nationals at the end of July.

Just what the Doctor ordered

Took a vacation day Thursday in favor of a nice long ride in the hills of western Wisconsin with the Flanders crew. The sky opened up on us pretty good at the half way point, and soaked us to the bone (check out the dark sky behind us in the photo). Thankfully, it was warm, and it didn't last long.

Jordan treasured each climb, while I didn't. It's good medicine for me. I need to find my legs again.

Going through a bad patch

Like clock work, every year, June rolls around, and I have a bad patch. Black Dog #4 was a bust for me. 15:15, 25 secs slower than 2 weeks ago. The heat and humidity really got to me, plus a headwind on the return is always a killer. Time to regroup and rededicate for the 2nd half of the season.

Jordan rode a 15:25 on HED Demo wheels (Thanks Timmer and Dino), which he loved. HED Jet Disc rear and HED Jet 9 front. He said they accelerated quicker, and were very smooth compared to his usual setup. His slower time did not demonstrate their benefit, but he's convinced it was his legs, and not the wheels.

Mow Forrest, Mow

Jordan doesn't ride just bikes.

A chat with Dino

Bumped into Chris Edin, of HED Wheels, on our post Stillwater Crit ride. He filled us in on some of the new advancements and discoveries in aero wheel shapes. The guy really knows his stuff. No wonder Astana and Team Columbia rely on HED to go faster.

Double WI State Junior Criterium Champion

He's smiling sort of

Jordan wrapped up 2 more WI state championships. This time at the State Criterium in Ripon. He won the Juniors 10-14 solo, and then immediately followed it up with a strong 3rd place finish in the Juniors 15-18, 1st place WI Juniors 15-16. He now has 15 state championships between TT, Road, Crit, and CX.

The course featured 4 corners, with a small climb and descent on the back side, similar to Northfield. The younger juniors race was down to 4 riders after a couple laps, and Jordan was eventually able to get away solo for the win. Lionel Rocheleau finished 2nd, Pete Davis 3rd.

Jordan said the older juniors race was just as fast as the older juniors at the Quad Cities crits. There were a ton of IS-Corp racers, as well as a handful of Baraboo sharks. Darrell Kohli was there from MI too. Jordan has raced with most of these guys before, and knows who to watch. Jordan was always vigilant in the group, went hard at the right times, and ultimately made the final selection of 3. Sam Stone, Darrell Kohli, and Jordan had the last 3 laps to sort it out. Stone opened up the sprint on the back side as they came upon lapped traffic, and Kohli made it though, but not Jordan. Stone held on for the win, Kohli 2nd, and Jordan 3rd. Well done guys.

Sporting his spanking new Giro Havik Sunglasses. His Oakley Radars have been demoted.

Start of the Juniors 15-18

Massacre #2 - 27.2mph ave

Photo courtesy of Frye

A great turnout for the 2nd edition of the State Fair Massacre. We were back on the original course, which was not nearly as tough as last weeks. I minded my P's and Q's this week, and rode a much more productive race. I spent a lot of time riding soft tempo at the front, while various teammates were in small groups just off the front. GP set up their train in the final 5 laps, with Doug and others licking their chops in tow. Timmer jumped around on the back stretch and got a gap, but Doug Swanson followed by Derek Goerke were able to get around him before the finish.

WI State Junior Road Race Champion

2009 Wisconsin State Junior 15-16 Road Race Champion

Thompson Remo and Jordan at the top of the steep climb.

Cresting the climb

Jordan opted to race up in age with the Juniors 15-18 at the WI State Road Race in Spring Prairie. Only 10 starters, but a longer and harder race than the Juniors 10-14. 4x6.5mile laps on rolling terrain, with a Ramsey-like hill just before the finish.

Jordan knew who to watch, and the first lap was very tame, while Spencer Oswald (Baraboo Sharks) disappeared out of site solo off the front. On the 2nd lap, Sam Stone and Thompson Remo (Baraboo Sharks), Eric Dobberfuhl (Geargrinder), and Jordan separated from the rest in chase of Spencer. Tons of attacking eventually resulted in Thompson and Jordan getting away, while Stone marked Dobberfuhl. On the 3rd lap, Thompson and Jordan caught Oswald, forcing Jordan into a 2-on-1 situation. Those 3 stayed away, and battled it up the hill to the finish. Jordan was ready to go, but the 40K TT from the day before stole his snap, and he had to settle for a well earned 3rd place, 1st place 15-16.

I raced the Cat 1/2's with minimal expectations. Not the greatest way to start a race. The average speed for the 1st 4 laps was 26mph. I popped on the 4th lap, rode 2 more and called it a day. May have been a different story if I had fresh legs vs. doing a 40K TT the day before. I still had fun, plus it was sunny and dry.

Course Profile - Finish just after the top of the steep climb at the end

St. Peter TT - Still Shiverin...

Photo courtesy of Seth Iverson

Photo courtesy of Seth Iverson

48deg, steady rain, and a brisk East wind made for a tough ride at the St. Peter TT. I don't know too many people that prefer a headwind on the return leg, but that's what we got.

Fastest Times:
1. Ian Stanford - 52:03
2. Lance Niles - 53:51
3. Brian Koeneman - 54:20
4. Jens Brabbit - 54:22
5. Dan Casper - 54:27
6. Gordy Paulson - 54:54
7. Gerry Finken - 54:56
8. Jim Cullen - 55:39
9. Jim Parker - 55:59
10. Jonathan Toftoy - 56:13
11. Dan Logan - 56:25
12. Mark Mlinar - 56:33
13. Tim Mulrooney - 56:35
14. Josh Roeser - 56:37

Jordan had a bit of a stomach ache, but still managed to break the magical hour barrier in his 1st true 40K, clocking a 58:20 to win the Cat 4's. Well done Jordan.

20 Years Ago Today

Fate brought Carla and I together. It was hospitality workers night at the swanky Pacific Club in the Lumber Exchange Building. Carla was managing a restaurant at the time, and showed up for the $1 domestics. I was a college senior on the prowl, and spotted her across the dance floor. I asked her to dance, we talked, and exchanged digits. Your basic fairytale stuff.

2 days later, I dropped in at the restaurant she managed in Hudson, WI. From there, it was a whirlwind of romance. Engaged 5mos. later, married after 1 year.

Lovin' every minute of it.

Black Dog #3 - Sub 15min, then Sub 14min.

So cute, they bring a tear to my eye...

Finally, a calm night at Black Dog. The conditions helped me finally break the 15-min barrier solo, clocking a 14:50. Jordan got back on track to accomplishing the same, just missing it, with a new PR of 15:01. Carla also had a PR by over 20 seconds.

The cake frosting on the night was finally breaking the 14-min barrier on the tandem, with none other than Jordan. We clocked a 13:47. Dan Casper was our 30-second guy. I didn't think we would catch him, but Jordan thought differently. When he saw we closed on the way out, Jordan buried it on the way back, and we caught Dan with less than a mile to go. Dan still ripped a 14:21, which is amazing considering how hard he rode at the State Fair Crit just 1 day earlier. Below is a breakdown of my exploits on the Tandem with various partners over the years:

Stoker - Year - Time
--------------------
Jordan Cullen - 2009 - 13:47
John Baker - 2006 - 14:00
Chad Macy - 2008 - 14:08
Dave Zimmerman - 2009 - 14:20
Linda Sone - 2009 - 14:28
Carla Cullen - 2008 - 16:04
Maren Cullen - 2008 - 16:08

Writing checks my body can't cash

Photo Courtesy of Emily

The Massacre on Machinery Hill was last night. Once again, my ego took over my body, I pushed too hard from the gun, red-lined, and blew. Sad part is I know what I'm doing wrong. I'm not concerned about my individual performance, but I feel like I'm letting my team down. I'll get it right next week.

The race also served as the final event in the Nature Valley Grand Prix Qualifier Series. Congrats and good luck next week fellas. We'll be there watching and cheering.

It's been a while...

Hadn't done any long rides since Easter. It was a perfect day to join our Flanders teammates for a ride down to Blakely. Scored a hundo in under 5 hours. What a great group to ride with. The best part of long rides is getting to know people better, an aspect that Jordan enjoys too.

Applying sunscreen like a good Father should.

East Union Circuit Race - Another Windy Race

Sorry, no pictures this time.

Flanders had a very good day at East Union. The team took the top step in 6 of the races:

Men Cat 1/2: Michael Woell
Women Cat 1/2: Teresa Moriarty
Men 35+: Mark Skarpohl
Men 50+: Scott Flanders
Women 40+: Teresa Moriarty
Juniors 10-18: Jordan Cullen

The team rode very well in the Men Cat 1/2, with Woell notching his first Cat 1/2 victory, with a brilliant attack with 2K to go. Teammate Froemming went with Woell, and helped him secure just enough of a gap for the win. Teammate Zim won the field sprint for a 1-2 finish. Very well done guys. Way to ride as a team.

Jordan was a marked man in the cat 4's. SPBRC had their usual suspects, and they rode well as a team. They kept attacking, and forcing Jordan to chase everything down. No one else seemed to have the desire and/or strength to help Jordan out. Jordan took the initiative to attack several times, but they knew better than to give him any rope.

Between the attacks and the strong winds, the group shrunk to about 10 riders. In the last few miles, Rob Beyers of SPBRC got away solo, and pretty much only Jordan chased. Rob rode strong and held on for the win. Jordan managed 5th in the field sprint, for 6th overall. SPBRC deserves kudos for riding well as a team. Each race gives Jordan more experience on what works, and what doesn't.

After the Cat 4's, Jordan raced the Juniors 10-18. 7 kids towed the line, and they agreed to stay together in the first tailwind leg. Once they hit the crosswinds, they split up. Jordan and the 3 older juniors stayed together, until Jordan attacked in the headwind and got away. Jordan soloed in for victory, with the other 3 sprinting it out for 2nd. Aaron Shaw 2nd, Merill Lutskey 3rd.

Jordan at the Snake

News coverage of Quad Cities

From Quad Cities online:

"Also, in the youth divisions, Minnesota's Colton Barrett (Juniors 15-18) and Wisconsin's Jordan Cullen (Juniors 10-14) were the big point-winners in the Lance Armstrong Junior Road Series races."

Snake Alley Winner's Trophy

Way cool trophy.

Quad Cities Criterium

Note to Jordan: Smile dude. You won!

Jordan went 3 for 3 in the Juniors under 15 this weekend. He won Snake Alley Saturday, Muscatine on Sunday, and Quad Cities on Memorial day. Well done Jordan.

Jordan doubled up again on our 3rd and last day of racing. This gave him a total of 7 races in 3 days. The Quad Cities Crit course in Rock Island, IL is a flat, fast 8 corner crit right downtown.

Juniors under 15 raced 1st. Jordan attacked off the line, and drew out 2 riders, Pete Davis and Evan Hartig. He kept the pace hard, and attacked them on the last lap for his 3rd solo victory of the weekend.

The Juniors 15-18 race started immediately following the younger juniors race. This was the fastest race of the weekend for Jordan, and he once again found himself fighting for position. Unfortunately, he got caught up behind a crash half way into the race, and ended up chasing solo. The field lapped him on the final lap. He took it in stride, and savoured the success of his weekend.

I did the Master 30+ 1/2/3 race, which was a blast. I covered a couple early attacks, and then sat in the back and rested for the middle part of the race. With about 5 to go, I went to the front, and worked to close a small gap to 3 riders who were off the front. I gave it may all for 2 laps, and that was all she wrote. I rolled in solo, off the back. Teammate Doig scored another 8th place, to match his finish at Weed Park.

The Pro/1/2 race was a unbelievable to watch. Adam Bergman won from a 2-man break that got away late in the race. Teammate Woell rode a great race, and finished 15th. Nice. Zim was right there too, but got caught behind a crash in the last lap.

The best part of the weekend was it offered 3 different types of courses. Snake Alley is a challenging race of attrition. Weed Park is a cool circuit race in a beautiful park. Finally, Rock Island is a true criterium.

Pouring it on in the Juniors under 15

Melon City Crit - Experience for Jordan, Podium for Jimmer

Jordan opted for 3 races at Muscatine on Sunday, Older Juniors, Cat 4's, and Younger Juniors. The course was an Opus-like (only in beautiful Weed Park) mile circuit, with a fast down hill, and a power climb followed by a tight corner to the finish. Positioning is everything to finish well.

Older juniors was his first race. He was well positioned for much of the race, but the speeds were very high. He found out how tough it is to hold position in a fast race, especially on the power climb. He found himself frustrated at the back of the field in the final laps. It was a tough lesson to swallow, but this kind of experience is the reason we came down to Quad Cities.

Cat 4 was his next race. He fared much better, and rode aggressively. He got in several moves, and held great position through out the race. Unfortunately, he got boxed in the last time up the climb, and was shut out of the field sprint. Another valuable lesson. Use the rest of the race to judge how the finish will set up, and figure out where you need to be when its money time.

Jordan's final race was the younger juniors, which he won solo. The win cheered him up a bit, especially the podium interview.

I raced the Masters 40+ with 35 or so racers. Dale Sedgewick was there to animate the race, and was off the front for most of the race. I followed the un-written rule of don't chase down your local racer, and stayed tucked in the pack. At the start of the bell lap, Sedgewick was out of sight with Brian Koeneman and another rider as company. Another group of 3 was in between the pack and the lead 3. I attacked at the top of the downhill, caught the group of 3 at the base of the climb, and sprinted past them. By the time I got to the top, I was surprised to find myself passing Sedgewick. A look over my shoulder at the final corner, and I had an ample gap to cruise in for 3rd. Koeneman won, with James Cochran 2nd. It was definitely not according to any plan, but I was thrilled with the result.

I also opted for the Masters 30+ race, but pulled out after a couple laps. My head just wasn't in the race. Teammate Doig finished 8th.

Snake Alley Criterium

Jordan shined at Snake Alley Saturday. He won the juniors under 15 solo, breaking away the first time up. There were 18 riders, his nearest rival being Jonathan Shilling, a strong 14 year old from Missouri, who he battled at Jingle Cross and Cross Natz last year.

Immediately following, he lined up with 57 riders in the Junior 15-18 category. Many of them are Cat 3's, and some are even Cat 1/2's. With Snake Alley being so narrow, a good start is critical. Jordan had good position at the line, but a rider in front of him pulled out of his pedal, and Jordan dropped back to the bottom 1/3 the first time up the climb. He just kept drilling it, and picking riders off. By the end of the race, he made it up to what was left of the main chase group. Cat 1 superstar Chris Wallace and local Colton Barrett were off the front. Wallace won, Colton 2nd, and Jordan finished 6th in the chase group for 8th overall. What a great ride.

I raced the masters 40+, and loved it. I started in the middle of our group of 30 or so riders, and worked my way up to the main chase group, with 2 off the front. I struggled the last couple times up the climb, and ended up losing touch with the chase group. I finished 8th.

Local MN riders ended up winning 5 of the races at Snake Alley:
Junior under 15 - Jordan Cullen
Master 50+ - Charlie Townsend
Cat 4 Men - Dylan Knutson
Masters 30+ - Dewey Dickey
Pro/1/2 - Adam Bergman

Black Dog #2 - The wind is getting old...

Results Posted

Can't seem to catch a break from the wind. This was the 3rd blustery time trial in nearly a week. First TNT, then Synergy, now Black Dog. This time it was HOT!

This weeks Black Dog was the 2nd of 4 events in the Nature Valley Grand Prix Qualifier Series. Overall turnout was unusually low, considering there were 100+ racers 2 weeks ago. As expected, more fast guys showed up than normal, including Doug Swanson, who broke the course record (13:48), setting a new record of 13:44. Very impressive given the windy conditions. GrandStay swept the top 4 spots with Stanford (14:09), Casper (14:26), and Brabbit (14:28). Timmer finished 5th in 14:37.

The pavement is now patched (still pretty rough though), and the police were there in force to keep riders on their best behavior. Not nearly as much traffic as 2 weeks ago, so I can't imagine there were any complaints from motorists. Staging in driveway, and not allowing people to warm up on the course cut down greatly on start area congestion.

Jordan found out first hand how mean the dog can be. He felt much better than this past Sunday, and thought he was flying. He was dissapointed to see his time was 15:28. How many of us Black Doggers have had that happen to us? Probably all of us. He was clearly spun out on the way back in his junior gears, and it didn't help that I neglected to fully inflate the tire on his disc.

Carla felt crappy the whole ride, almost throwing up. To top it off, she got caught at the turn around behind cars coming at her, and from behind.

They sent all the NVGP qualifier riders off last. Therefore, I rode the Tandem first, with stoker Dave Zimmerman. We made a modest effort, hoping to open the legs up, but not burying it, for a 14:20.

I started 2nd of the NVGP qualifier riders, 30 secs behind Zim, and 30 secs in front of Yorgos. I knew it would be a lonely ride, and it was. The toughest parts were approaching the power plant, and the open section just before the turn around. The wind seemed to be coming from everywhere. At the turn, I looked to be holding Zim @ 30sec, and Yorgos didn't appear to be closing. The return was fast, and it was critical to get on top of a big gear and fly. I saw 24-27mph most of the way out, and 29-35mph on the way back. I actually rode the 53x11 from the power plant back to the start. That never happens. I posted the exact same time as this past Sunday, 15:04.

To top the night off, we somehow managed to lock the keys in the truck. Hollywood came to the rescue, calling back the locksmith who had just helped Matt Stein unlock his car. $75 later, we finally headed home. What a night.

Charity TT - A beautiful day at Black Dog

RESULTS POSTED

It was a beautiful day for a TT Sunday. A far cry from the blustery cold on Saturday. Registration was very smooth compared to past years, and the porta potties were a HUGE welcomed addition. The starting line was moved back to the parking lot to avoid road congestion.

As expected, Stanford ruled the day in 13:54. Casper 2nd in 14:24, and Timmer 3rd in 14:34. Zim (14:40) and Brabbit (14:42) were the only other riders to break 15 min.

I started 30 secs in front of Jordan again. I had a much better ride than 1.5 weeks ago and clocked a 15:04. Jordan felt the effects of the previous days 40K, and rode a 15:18. Who's your daddy now? Accounting for the added distance from moving the start up, you can deduct around 5 seconds. So I would have went sub-15. The legs are coming around.

Jordan and I both won our divisions. Jordan won the Cat 4's by a mere second. I eeked out the win in Masters 35+ with 3 of us posting a 15:04. They went to the tape, which shows 100th's of a second, and I had the edge. Mlinar 2nd (Dang he's fast this year), unknown 3rd.

Jordan is learning that the Dog can be fickle, and at the speeds he's running, results are not always as one might expect. He's got to work for every second and MPH now.

Synergy TT - Friggin' Windy

Photo courtesy of Skinnyski.com


Photo courtesy of Skinnyski.com

Results Posted

The Synergy TT is always a big challenge. The first 40K of the year (actually more like 42K), and this year, windy as all get out. The wind didn't seem to affect the fastest guys as much as the rest of us. Jordan clocked a 1:01:06, placing him 18th overall out of 102 racers. Very nice.

I had a somewhat disappointing ride. I noticed my rear tire getting soft coming into the last corner. By the time I was through the corner, it was all the way flat. It's a clincher, so there was no way to ride it flat, my ride was over. I had a fairly reasonable first lap, clocked in at 31:55. I could tell my second lap was not as strong. I estimate my time would have been around an hour flat and change, but that's only a guess. The flat was the result what appears to be the sharp end of the remnants of a safety pin. I'll live to TT another day.

The after party at Sal's is always a great time. After that, Skibby, Dave Gray, Jordan, and I hit Brown's Ice Cream Parlor in Stillwater. They serve the biggest ice cream cones ever. The couple shots below are after they are half gone.

Another Triple for Maren

Strong Finish, 3rd in the 800m in 2:45

Start of the 800M

4x800M

4x400M

Even though she has a bad case of tendinitis, Maren still ran the 4x800m, 800m, and 4x400m at the Hudson Big Rivers Conference JV meet, taking 1st, 3rd, and 2nd respectively. She posted personal bests in the 4x800m (2:40), and the 800m (2:45). Very nice.

2001 Elite Track Natz Crash - By popular demand...

It was one of the points race qualifiers races at 2001 Elite Natz in Blaine. Coming into turn 3 early in the race, a rider dropped down, without looking, right into Doug Beck. He hit Beck so hard, that he fell to the center of the track. I was at speed right behind Doug, and had no where to go. I went over the bars, hitting face first on the infield, and rolled to a stop. Amazingly, a photographer captured the latter part of the crash. Nothing broken, but my face was pretty torn up. Black eye, deep laceration below my nose, and a fat lower lip.

I briefly thought about giving up on bike racing, but it didn't last long. I raced the rest of 2001 on the track, but didn't return to pack racing there until 2008.