Lumberjack?

After watching a mountain bike newbie complete the 80 miles of the High Country Pathway this weekend I'm out of excuses. Does any one have a lumberjack entry they need to transfer my way? :)

I knew she'd do it

This past Saturday was the 10th running of the Ore To Shore Mountain Bike Epic in Marquette, the race that Ali and I gun for as our goal for our mid season training peak. While the training was there the past two years for Ali, the bike gods were frowning upon her plaguing her with mechanicals in 2007 and 2008, would it be different for 2009?

Right from the roll out I was feeling pretty strong despite knowing I had a long way to go with my sparse to non-existant training base this year. I moved up at least 100 positions during the roll out and gained even more on the luge hill. By the top of the luge hill I felt pretty good, as strong as last year for sure. After another few minutes of spinning along the two track I decided to back it down as I had doubts as to how long I could keep a 170+ heart rate this year. During my pace down my team mate Chad passed, I almost gave chase, but knew I had to drop the heart down a bit. Unfortunately for Chad he had some ajor mechanicals and I passed him 20 milutes later at the side of the trail.

The next few miles went along fine, I passed a few people, got passed by a few and just kept it steady. Every now and then I'd have to crank it to get in front of people for the downhills and to get clear for climbs, but the legs were feeling pretty decent. Finally as we hit the small hills leading to the power lines things were starting to slow a bit, time to back it off more and have fun trudging up misery. Next year I'll be doing some hill running to better prepare for this part, it was a conga line like normal but my breating was horrible and short. When I re-mounted at the top of the climb I could feel what must have been and oncoming cramp in my calves which I have never experienced before. This was my first major signal to back it down more and I tried, but it is a race so I kept my output up there.

The next rolling sections went by slowly in my mind, I was still making good power but my mind was not winning over body. The same bagels, gatorade, and flat pedals guy I finished with last year dropped me a couple miles after the bridge climb. By the time the 20 to go sign appeard I was worried and my pace was dropping off even more. I was guzzling drinks and eating gels but it was not helping, a bunch of people I had passed in the previous ten miles were on top of me and starting to pass back. By the 15 miles to go sign it was all falling apart, my legs were suffering from the lack of early season training and a pace that would have put me across the finish line in the 3:15 range.

That last 15 became a death march to the finish line, I was standing in the saddle and stretching on every downhill and spinning a crazy easy gear up every hill while keeping an eye out behind me because I knew Ali was close. Every now and then my legs would perk up and I'd spin pretty good until the next little climb which rendered them half useless. And then, there it was.... "Oh Hi" as Ali goes rolling past some where around 10 more miles to go. She was stuck in with a group of around four or five riders who quickly slipped past me up the next climb and out of site. "That's my baby" I said to the last guy in the pack as he mentioned that she was chasing me down. :)

Seeing Ali totally brought a smile to my face, less than 10 more miles to go, no mechanicals and on pace to go 3:15/3:25, Ali's Ore To Shore curse was almost broken.

The next couple miles went by slow, I thought I was going to come in closer to 4:00 this year from how it all fell apart, but when I looked at my watch with two miles to go I was shocked, I was going to do it in around 3:30 which was my first goal, second pie in the sky goal being 3:15. Up kirby's hill with the flamingo girls, past the big rock through the short single track section and I was out of the woods. I got passed by two more people and I tagged along behind girl who pulled me darn near the last mile in to the wind and over the mulch and chips. While my legs came back enough to put a pass on her I refrained and just said thanks and that I was notgoing to pass her in the chute just to gain a couple seconds and pimp her in the end. I rolled across the line just behind her and said thanks. She was totally out of it, could barely grunt a response and could not get off her bike her legs cramped up so bad.

So how did we fare? Glen: 3:27 Ali: 3:21

Way to go baby! I knew you going to rock it this year!




















And a thanks to Kathe Maskus for the photos!

Time to get greedy

The stock market is being battered and there are lots of deals to be had out there. I was visiting my parents over the weekend and told my dad I was going to toss $500 in a Scott Trade account and roll the dice with a long shot on Ford and another stock or two that was hurt but will certainly come back.

His response, I'll give you another $500, put a bunch on EXXI for me and if it pay off we'll go to Vegas in a couple years. Sweet, gotta love my dad's thinking. :)

So today I put funds into the account and tomorrow I begin trading.

Energy companies, car companies and car rental companies are all getting beaten up right now. I think half will be spent on long shots and the other half will go on depressed but stable stocks.

Wish me luck, I'm either going to do really well over the next couple years or I'm tossing a really nice wheelset away. :)

Peak to Peak - A race of lessons

This weekend was my first time attending the Peak to Peak mountain bike race which is certainly going to become a fall classic.

I really broke some cardinal rules at this one, so here is a synopsis of what to do and what not to do.






Do: All your prep work to your bike two days in advance to make sure things are running right, ghost shifting blows.

Don't: Change tires out right before a race start

Do: Have your race clothes ready the night before

Don't: Scramble in the AM to find the right gear

Do: Get a proper warm up for at least 10 minutes before the race starts

Don't: Arrive cold in the start chute and blast off on a 28 MPH roll out with the group leaders and hang for the first two miles when you body is telling you it's unhappy.

Do: Maintain a heart rate that will let you finish well

Don't: Hold a 185 hear rate for the first half hour an expect to do well for more than the first lap


Overall, a learning experience and still a fun race. I owe Jim's friend Doug big time for giving me that tube when I punctured mine and the core came out of my other. I got to the start with less than two minutes to spare.

The synopsis, ten miles of flat, fast non technical single track with a half mile of uphill hell and a super fun blast weaving back and fourth across a ski hill. Overall a total roadie course, no leg rest, a total burner. Even if I had been ready and not blown out my legs early I don't think I could have moved up more than a position or two. I'll take my 18 out of 52 in my age group and be happy to finish nursing a wounded bike back.

The best part of the race? Two giant climbs that felt like I did something, post race beers with friends, and Ali getting a strong second place.

Thanks again Doug for the tube, Jim for the beer, and to Ali for not laughing at me throwing my tire and slamming my car door. :)

On my ride today I saw

People fishing

Kids playing

Deer foraging

Leaves blazing

Squirrels packing

Swans nesting

And a camera crew shooting

What a beautiful ride!

Paybacks for my childhood

I did some pretty dumb male things growing up, TPing trees, a couple eggs at houses, building walls of snow across roads. At one point I was even a little foolhardy with a paintball gun.

Well sometime in the past couple days I got my paybacks. The boy next door, whom we'll refer to as "E" happens to have a toy paint ball gun too. He loud, obnoxious and totally lacking discipline. Why his parents figured he could be trusted with something that slings paint all over the place is beyond me. I knew it was only a matter of time until I saw the evidence at my house. For the longest time he was out of paint and I thought I was in the clear. His parents must have recently re-loaded him as I found shells of paintballs on my deck then looked up to see paint on the side of the house, the gutter, the garage and my grill. I guess go big or go home.

His dad helped me clean it up and prime the spots that are stained, however little E is still out playing. When I got caught doing things like that I was inside, grounded and getting my ass kicked. I really wish I could have just ran the gun over with my car to teach him a lesson.

I'm still kinda chuckling at the whole thing, life really does come full circle. :)

He's back

Ugh, looks like I sealed him in a couple days ago. I do not want him hibernating in my crawl space this winter.