Maren triples up, with 2 PR's

Maren in the 800m

4x400m Relay

Maren had a track meet Thursday in Eau Claire. Jordan and I opted to ride our TT bikes to Menomonie, have Carla pick us up, and go watch Maren run. The strong west wind made for a fast ride. We clicked off 45 miles in well under 2 hours.

Maren was only planning on running the 800m, but the coach had her do a couple distance relays too. We missed her run the 4x800m. She ran a PR of 2:50, anchoring the team to victory. We got there in time to watch her run the 800m in 2:54, taking 4th place. Finally, she ran the 4x400m. She ran a PR of 1:13, and the team finished 2nd. Way to go Maren!

Presidential Physical Fitness Test

Jordan opted out of running track this spring, since he has a history of ankle issues associated with running.

I'm sure many of you remember the Presidential Physical Fitness Testing from when you were a kid. Jordan's class is doing the testing right now, and they ran the mile on Thursday.

Without any running specific training, Jordan did a 5:35. He passed.

Black Dog #1 - Jordan surprises...

Top 5 times at Black Dog #1:

Daniel Casper - 14:25
Jonathan Toftoy - 14:36
Tim Mulrooney - 14:38
Micah Moran - 14:56
Jordan Cullen - 15:03

I knew based on our training together that Jordan had gotten fast, but he far exceeded my expectations at Black Dog. His fastest time last year was 16:16. I'm at a loss for words.

I rode a slowish time of 15:22, certainly amplified by a legitimate 19 second beating by my 13 year old son.


Redemption came on the Tandem with Linda Sone, where we rode a PR time of 14:28.

Carla rode women's stock, and set a PR by 8 seconds. Way to go Carla!

Good Humor

After the Juniors 15-18 Lacrosse Crit, one of the juniors complimented Jordan, by saying "I'm glad I turn 19 next year."

When Jordan started racing (age 9) on the tandem with me, people would often say "I think it's so great that you and your daughter are racing together."

Jordan has gotten so tall recently, racers often mistake him for being age 16 or 17. He's 13. He turns 14 in July.

LaCrosse Crit - Juniors Races Recap

Carla, Jordan, and I got up EARLY Sunday morning, and drove down to La Crosse, WI for their inaugural Criterium. It was a perfect day, with a nice course right on the Mississippi River.

Jordan did back-to-back races, starting with Juniors 10-14, then Juniors 15-18. Each race fielded around 10 riders.

It was great seeing a new flock of younger juniors out their racing and having fun. Jordan joined an early attack by IS-Corp junior phenom Pete Davis, and the 2 of them were off. Later, Jordan attacked, and got away solo, lapping everyone except Pete. Nice ride Jordan.

The older juniors was the main reason he came to LaCrosse, and he loved every minute of it. There were only 9 racers, but lots of attacks and counter moves, each time resulting in a regrouping. There were 2 riders from Thunder Bay, including Sam Loud, who packs a very strong sprint. Loud won both primes, and then late in the race, while everyone was watching him, his teammate got away solo. That left the field sprint for 2nd, which Loud took handily. Jordan finished 3rd in the sprint, 4th overall. Well done.

We didn't feel like sticking around till late afternoon for my races, so we grabbed a bite to eat, watched the Women's Cat 1/2/3, and drove home. Second week in a row I opted out on Sunday.

Start of the younger juniors (10-14)

Racing with the older juniors (15-18)

Jordan wins Cat 4 Marty Road Race

The look on his face says it all.

Jordan rode a smart race, and was able to pull off a win at Marty in the Cat 4's. Congrats Jordan. Hats off to all the racers who battled and conquered the strong WNW wind.

42 riders towed the line in the Cat 4's. 3 laps on flat 14 mile loop, with one short hill that served as the feed zone. Jordan attacked up the climb, but there was a general regrouping the first 2 laps. On the last lap, an out of town rider got a small gap, and Jordan waited for the hill to try and bridge the gap. He took Dylan Knutson and Nick Vetter from SPBRC with him. They bridged, and held a small gap on a chase group all the way to the right hand turn to the finish. Jordan drilled it through the corner, and rode away for the win. The out of towner just piped 18 year old Dylan Knutson for 2nd. Results Posted

Perfect day for a bike race.

Attacking the hill on the first lap

Checking the damage the last time up the hill.

Marty Road Race Cat 1/2 Race Recap

48 starters, WNW wind, 5 laps on a flat 14 mile loop with one small leg stretcher 4 miles from the finish. This was the 1st of 4 qualifier races for the Nature Valley Grand Prix, so everyone brought their "A" game. Besides the normal goal of winning the race, the secondary objective was for a team to place it's top 4 riders as high as possible to garner points towards qualifying to race in the 2009 NVGP.

Racing was much less subdued than was the case at Durand and Ken Woods. The wind made it hard for everyone, and the domestiques set a hard pace at the front. One of the hardest parts of the course turned out to be the crosswind section on the downhill following the feedzone hill. Gutterball each time through that section.

On the first lap, the officials stopped the race, when most of the field was over the center line in the cross wind. The field took note, took a quick nature break, and resumed racing.

The first break was initiated by Dale Sedgewick (GP), with Erik Dahl (Flanders), and Mean Dawg (GrandStay) quickly joining him. Nature Valley attempted to bridge, but just missed it. Synergy gave chase. In particular, Aric Hareland (Synergy) narrowed the gap with an amazing effort on the front. This allowed Timmer (Synergy), and Gregg Brandt(GP) to bridge across. They stayed within sight, and were caught shortly thereafter.

The next move was by Dewey Dickey (Mercy) and Froemming (Flanders). They held a small gap for several miles, but were also reeled in.

Coming into the last lap, Settergren (Flanders), Lavick (Synergy), and Sartain got a gap, and held it almost the the feedzone. The fireworks went off, the final time up the hill, followed by the gutterball section.

Patty Cakes (Texas Roadhouse) made a late move with a couple others, coming into the corner before the finish. However, with a tailwind, it came down to who saved something special for the end, and wound it up the fastest. Doug Swanson (Grandstay) stomped out another road victory, with Dave Zimmerman (Flanders) 2nd. Brian Koeneman (Wheel & Sprocket) took advantage of the gravel shoulder to secure the final podium spot. A very fun and exciting race.

Parting is such sweet sorrow

Sold! I'm gonna miss her.

Maren has a new spring in her step

After Maren's dizziness issues in the mile, she switched to the 800m. Tonight, we all watched her run at the New Richmond JV meet, and she looked great. It was one of the best races I've seen her run, especially considering how windy it was. She paced herself very well, and still had a good kick at the end. She finished 3rd, just a step behind the other 2 girls. Congrats Maren!

Cool shot. Getting psyched up at the start.

Strong finish. Way to go Maren.

Opus 3

Jordan won the first sprint of the night in the Cat 4's, placing him 4th on the night. Their average speed was a respectable 24.5mph. Results Posted.

I suffered a bit in the Cat 1/2/3's. I was able to lead out the 2nd sprint, but then I was in the red for several laps, and never really recovered. I ended up sitting at the back the rest of the night. Average speed = 26.5mph.

On a positive note, I did get 50 miles of training in for the night.

I did enjoy watching my team put together a great leadout train for the final sprint. Froemming was able to nab 3rd, with Patty Cakes and Doug getting around him. Nice job guys.

Campus Crit - 2 words - Cold & Wet

45deg and rain is never a good recipe for fun racing. It does bring out the hard men. In Jordan's mind, he was racing no matter what. I was not as enthusiastic, and in the end, opted out. No regrets either.

Jordan raced the Juniors age 10-18, which fielded 7 riders, mostly from MNJRC. Jordan went hard right from the gun, and drew out 18 year old phenom, Colton Barrett. The two of rode hard, and collaborated to lap the entire field. Jordan knew he would have his hands full with Colton in the sprint, but really dug deep, and finished right behind Colton. Aaron Shaw was best of the rest for 3rd place. Well done guys.

After the race, Jordan's hands were so cold, it took him 15 minutes just to get his shoes off. He is still shivering as we speak.

The Men and Women Cat 1/2/3, and Masters 45+ were combined for the last race with about 15 riders (3 women, 1 Master 45+, rest Cat 1/2/3). In typical fashion, Hollywood drove the pace from the get go. Half way in, there were 7 left in the front group: Jens Brabbit, Micah Moran, Chris Doig, Rich Settergren, Brian Koeneman, Jared Roy, and Hollywood. Jens got away solo late in the race, with Settergren trying to bridge across from the remaining 5. At the Bell, Jens looked like he would hold on, with the group bearing down on Settergren. Jens held on for an impressive win, with Koeneman 2nd, and Moran 3rd. Settergren must have gone down on the final lap, because it was a while before he came into the finish. Fun race to watch, not so fun to do. You guys are harder than I am.

Start of the Juniors 10-18 Race

Colton Barrett wins the sprint over Jordan.

Ken Woods Road Race Cat 1/2 Recap

Flanders had 6 guys tow the line in the Cat 1/2's. Scott Flanders, Adam Froemming, Erik Dahl, Dave Zimmerman, Mike Woell, and myself. There must have been around 40 starters.

After an easy roll-out, I jumped from the first corner on the tailwind section. No one followed, so I stayed with the effort. I rode hard, but didn't bury myself, so if a small group came across to me, I'd be ready to work. No such luck, and I was back in the group just before the climb.

Both Froemming and Dahl had solo attacks that stuck for a while, but GrandStay was very vigilant at the front. Jerry Finken and Derrick Lewis started lap 3 with a gap, but GrandStay and Flanders rode tempo on the front, and slowly brought them back.

The 3rd time up the hill was hard, thanks to Jens Brabbit. I popped a little, recovered, and gave chase. I ended up in a chase group of 4. For about 10 miles, we were close, but couldn't close it. Turns out Dan Casper had attacked solo, and later Doug Swanson and Mike Woell bridged up to Dan.

Once the field sat up, we finally rejoined the field at corner 3. The racing was pretty subdued from there on, until we hit the climb to the finish, where it blew apart. Woell ended up 2nd, and Zim won the field sprint. Scott finished close to the front too. Well done boys.

The Flanders team has made my return to the Cat 1/2's very enjoyable. They are a great group of people, and ride well as a team.

Doug Swanson - 1st, Mike Woell - 2nd (photo courtesy of Valkyrie)

Dave Zimmerman wins the field sprint for 4th (Photo courtesy of Valkyrie)

Scotter is back (Photo courtesy of Valkyrie)

Jimmer and Dave Hackworthy (Photo courtesy of Valkyrie)

Jordan Solo's to Victory at Ken Woods

Jordan raced Cat 4's today, which means he is racing with the adults, instead of juniors. He is doing this to gain experience, and learn racing tactics.

He attacked the group on the climb to the finish of the first lap, and shattered the field. Jack Hinkens (Flat City), and Brian Krueger (Great Dane Velo) joined him, and the 3 worked together to establish a gap on the remnants of the field. The chase group was strong, but the front 3 rotated well together, and slowly pulled away.

Heading down into the valley, Jordan and Brian dropped Jack, who was riding a cross bike, and didn't have the gears for the high speed. Jordan and Brian continued working together into the short hill in the middle of the valley. Jordan rode a hard tempo up the rise, which was too much for a cramping Krueger, and soloed to the finish. Krueger held on for 2nd, with Nick Vetter (GP) taking 3rd. Results Posted.

Large group at the start. Jordan was cold at first, but quickly warmed up.

Jordan leading the field through corner #3.

Jordan attacks on the hill.

3 man breakaway (Jordan, Jack Hinkens, Brian Krueger)

Solo victory. Well Done Jordan!

Opus 2

Jordan had a better race this week at Opus in the Cat 4's. He broke away for a couple laps solo, winning one of the sprints. Way to go Jordan! He finished 3rd place, winning $8. Woot!

My race went better than last week. My GPS clocked this week's Cat 1/2/3 race at 26.2mph. I'm missing the snap I would like to see in my legs, but was able to take the front a couple times and do some work. My body is quickly adapting to the intensity.

Durand and Prom

Jordan took 3rd in the Cat 4's at the Durand Road Race in a field of 50 racers. He attacked on the climbs to draw 5 riders away on the 2nd lap (see photo below), and then attacked the climbs again on the final lap to narrow it down to himself and 2 others. Well done Jordan.

First selection of 6, coming through to get the bell for the final lap.

I did the Cat 1/2/3 race, and didn't fare as well. I got caught at the back at a crucial moment, and got whipped off the back over a climb. I clearly need more training for extended periods at threshold pace (i.e. races).

Meanwhile, back at the homestead, Maren was getting all dolled up for Prom. She went stag with some girlfriends, since her boyfriend backed out 2 weeks prior (class act!). His loss.

Hey Dad, can I use the car tonight?

Yep, it's official. Maren passed here drivers test on her first try. First Cullen chicka to do so as far as anyone can remember. She lost points for driving too slow. Yes, you lose points if you don't go the speed limit. Congratulations Maren. Oh, and happy birthday too.

Opus #1

Shook the cobwebs out. Jordan raced the 4's. He was up near the front the entire race, but didn't score any points. The same 3 riders took all the points each time. He learned some things.

My race didn't go as well as I'd hoped. I started at the back, and had a tougher time than usual moving up. I lead up the hill to get the bell on the 1st and last sprints. That was all I had. Not too worried. The legs will come around.

I have to say it was strange wearing new colors. Many people didn't recognize me at first. It was pretty cool seeing 10+ teammates in the Cat 1/2/3's. Several of the guys scored too. It's going to be a great year. See you all at Durand.

Easter Weekend Recap

Knocked out 140 miles with Jordan and Zim. Rode with Hanna out to Menomonie, dropped him off, and then rode back. We had originally planned on around 100 miles, but the day was so nice, we just kept going, and going, and going...

Jordan spent Saturday with a friend, while I joined a group ride in Afton for another 65miles. I was definitely feeling Friday's ride.


Sunday, we celebrated both Easter and Maren's sweet 16 with the family. Jordan and I went out for an easy ride after everyone left, and I was toast. Jordan felt fresh as ever, and kindly rode slow with me.

Wheel Failure

Tore the nipple through the rear rim sprinting down at Loon Camp on Friday. My new Colnago Extreme Power (Thanks Donimator) may have played a role. It's more stiff than my Litespeed, likely resulting in more stress on the wheel.

I'll take another Hundo please.

6 of us gathered in Hudson Saturday morning for a hundred mile slug fest in the hills and valleys of the St. Croix and Mississippi Rivers. We took in 6000 feet of climbing, and had quite a few laughs along the way. Jordan fixed his first flat tire, and later, dumped his Dr. Pepper all over in Prescott. Dahl's rear wheel bearing howled whenever he went over 30mph. Woell and Froemming duked it out on the climbs, pushing Jordan to his limits. Woller had a much better day than last Sunday. No bonks for anyone.

Oh yea, and the debate raged on regarding proper wearing of the oversocks.