Future States?

When I got my change from buying lunch I noticed I got a new quarter so iI flipped it over to see what the new state on the back of the quarter was.

American Samoa!?!

I thought they were just doing the 50 states but as it turns out they are doing quarters for American Samoa, DC, Virgin Islands, Puerto Rico, Guam and The Northern Mariana Islands. Now I have at least heard of Samoa but The Northern Mariana Isalands??? US Mint

Night Rider

First night ride of the year last night. After the weather we have had it was really hard to go out for a ride at 8pm when it is 50 and windy. I had to keep telling myself it is alot warmer then it will be in a couple months. I got to the North Loop a little early and did a partial lap then the six of us did 2 laps, less the expert rock section. Good first night ride, and I wasn't cold at all, actually a little too warm.

Stud!

He just won the 2009 world TT by 1 minute 27 seconds.

Cheq after thoughts

I felt way better yesterday and today than the previous 4 Cheq 40's I've done. That brings up the question that popped into my head around the 1/2 way point of the race, could I have gone faster. Usually after the race all I can do is sit on the ground and sip my drink for about an hour, this year I was showered, and had two bottles of water, a burger and a beer in me before the hour mark.

During the race I downed 4 - 20 oz bottles of energy drink, a pack of shot blocks, 4 gels, two bananas, and 3 cups of water. Although I did start to cramp with 7 miles to go, I slowed down for a few minutes and avoided anything major.

The cold, or what my doctor told me today was probably a case of walking pneumonia, didn't hurt me too bad until after the race, then I couldn't stop hacking. My average heart rate was 165 bpm for the 2:49 minutes, high for me for that duration.

I was 575th out of 1,778 starters. The winning time of Brian Matter was 2:02, for an average speed of a whopping 19.9 mph. The slowest time was 6:15, now that takes guts.

Well off to take my anti-biotics and put ointment in my daughters eye.

Fat Tire & the E.R.

Chequamegon 40 wne well. I finished in 2:49, my best time, so I am happy with that. Everyone from St Cloud did well also.

At Erickson's cabin before the start.

Ben finishing.


Me crossing the line.


Mike and Angela. Not a great pic but Mike won the dirtiest face award.

Jim and I.

Bryon and Matt.

Me giving Tami a big sweaty, dusty one for helping me out.

No crashes for me during the race, I only unclipped once when I spun out on fire tower, but we did have to take Madelyn to the E.R. later that evening to stitch up her eyebrow.

She's going to have a nice shiner too.

Next weekend the St Cloud double. Single track escape mountain bike race on Saturday and the Pork Chop cyclocross on Sunday. Throw in my parents, my sister, Brock and Owen coming to stay with us, Octoberfest at Mi Familia, a wedding and my 20 year class reunion.

How did I get into this?

Jim always talked about some big race in Wisconsin and though that I should do it but I always blew it off.

In March of 2005 my neighbor Doc, with some coaxing from Jim I'm sure, brought over an entry form and told me if I got in I was going with him. I got in. I started riding my Mountain bike, a late 90's Specialized hard tail I bought from Jim a couple years earlier, on the road.

In May MDU (parent company of Knife River, where I work) annonced a team weight loss contest. 20 person teams of employees had 9 months to lose as much weight as they could and the first three teams would split $100,000! $60k for 1st, $30k for 2nd and $10k for 3rd place.

It wasn't long and I bought a road bike, a Trek 1500, and started riding longer and even a few group rides. I managed to get out 2-3 time per week and logged a whole 67 hours of riding from April until Cheq.

I had lost over 30 pounds before Cheq finished in 3 hours and 21 minutes. By the time February rolled around I had another 60 hours riding (mostly indoors on the trainer), lost 45 pounds total and had an extra $3,000 in my pocket.

Spent most of my winnings on a used Trek Fuel from one of the Sovas and in the 2006 Cheq clocked a 3:01, my best ever.

The next two years I finished with a 3:09 and a 3:03, both were disappointing and way off of my goals.

So now I am thinking about it way too much, reviewing spilts from the past 4 years, recalling where I started, what I ate for breakfast (McDonalds in 2007, Yuck) and how much I ate and drank during the race. It's really wirthless for me to be at work, I can't get anything done.

After cutting 40 minutes off of last year's time at the King of the Rockies a couple weeks ago I was thinking Cheq was going to be a breeze, then I came to my senses.

After all that my goals are pretty much the same as the last two years, I am going to be really bummed with over three hours, happy with a 2:5x, and ecstatic with a 2:4x.

There, now I can put it out of my mind until Saturday. Right.

Double crap

Feeling crappier as the day goes on.

Can you OD on Zicam?

Ride or rest tonight????

Crap

3 days until the Chequamegon 40 and I woke up this morning with a sore throat and runny nose.

North, South, East and West

My crazy last two week in summary.

8/27 After work loaded up the Kern Cruiser and John, Charlie and I headed west.

8/28 We drove until 1 am then got a room and crashed for 5 hours. Had the worst continental breakfast ever then hit the road again. Got to Fraser Colorado at 3:30, met up with Mike, loaded up on groceries, checked into our condo, went for a hour ride and went out for some pasta.

8/29 After our morning rituals we went to the race HQ for King of the Rockies at Winter park got checked in for the race, went back to the condo, got suited up and rode to the start line. John had a great race beating Charlie by only seconds. I felt good all race and shaved almost 40 min off last year’s time. Mike had chain trouble on the first climb and crashed on a decent but still finished and even took second in the “Road Rash” competition. My Sister Angela and her husband Brock, were at the finish so we made plans and met the for a Crazy Donkey burrito and margaritas at Azteca after the awards and a short and fast ride back to Frazier. Then on to the Crooked Creek for Jack Daniels and pool.

8/30 Met Brock at the bike shop as he and Mike, whose bike suffered some damage the day before, were going to rent rides. We then drove up to the Devils Thumb trailhead and rode the High Lonesome trail up to Junco lake. A tough technical trail littered with rocks, roots and short steep climbs. During our 20 mile ride (10 out and 10 back) we saw a few hikers and no other bikes. After a late lunch we checked out the pool/hot tub, went for an hour ride, saw two moose not 10 yards off the trail, ordered two pizzas and crashed.

8/31 Had a plan to ride up to Rogers pass from the condo, about a 14 mile ride starting out at 8,700 feet and climbing up to just shy of 12,000. Charlie, Brock and I rode it last year but started about 1/3 of the way up. I really struggled to keep going but made it to the top after about 3 hours. Way too much work for the fun down-hill that followed. We took a different route back to hit the Broken Thumb trail and extend the ride to over 30 miles. Then after Mike left for the airport to head home John, Charlie and I went to Winter Park’s Trestle bike park for some chair lift assisted down-hill runs. Way easier! Then the Cheeky Monk for some 9% AC Belgium brews and an encore at Azteca followed by Hot Tub and Steam Room.

9/1 Moring ride out on Creekside, Broken Spade, Chainsaw, D2 and Upper Elk Creek trails. The latter of which has a Way too Hard climb followed by a very scary steep descent. Then Bombed the Forest roads back to town for lunch and to pack up. My sister had us over for dinner then we headed eat toward home.

9/2 Still driving. Fortunately Charlie had too much coffee (2 cups?) and drove all night so when I woke up we were in Iowa already. I drove to the cities and JK got us home tired but happy.

9/3 & 9/4 A blur of work, trying to catch up on sleep and fighting off some kind of Flu.

9/5 Madelyn’s 9^th birthday after taking her, her sister and two friends bowling the night before and the friends sleeping over I made them breakfast, went for a ride (thought I was going to die), had lunch and headed north to some friends cabin in Hackensack. Then after Beer, BBQ Ribs and Birthday cake we drove to my parents house in Walker.

9/6 Managed to sleep in until 9:00 and would have slept longer but had to get ready for Church and brunch. Then we went for a bike ride, sailing and tubing. Ate more Ribs and Birthday cake.

9/7 I got up early and went for a couple hour MTB ride in the Chippewa National Forest by Walker, then another bike ride with the family, lunch at the “502” and more tubing for Madelyn. Then packed up and headed South home.

Yes that was the summary.