Chequamegon 40

My check cleared today!

Uncle Jeffro, again.

My brother Phil and his wife Laurie were due to have their first baby on March 1st so this past weekend we had planned to go to Walker and stay with my parents, who came home earlier in the week, and see baby Sora. Friday night when we got up there they still hadn't had her yet but we couldn't get ahold of them. Phil finally called us Saturday evening with the good news. They had gone in around midnight Friday and she was born at 4:36 Saturday afternoon. I'll post some pictures when I get them.

While we were waiting I realized my mountain bike had stowed away in the Avalanche so I went out for a ride. I found some snowmobile tracks in Chippewa National forest that were nice and firm to ride...

and some that had a crust on top but just couldn't hold me up and I broke through a couple inches...

I found enough hardpack to ride out about 1.5 hours and could have gone further but it was getting late so I headed back.

Check out that spoke pattern...

Happy Birthday Grace!

It was Grace's birthday yesterday, 7 years already!

I took her to the shop for a new bike.

A little too icy to ride but it won't be long.

February 29th

February can't be over yet?
Not much going on. March is here, next weekend is daylight savings time already, maybe time to start riding outdoors on the week nights?
Madelyn and I went downhill skiing yesterday at Powder Ridge. It was a little cold but she didn't want to quit even after 4 hours. Before last weekend I hadn't downhill skied in about 10 years but I got back in the groove right away and Maddie is picking it up really quickly.
Still working on the basement room project running wires for the TV and speakers. Next insulate and put the sheet rock up then it will look like something.

Winter is still here.

I really wanted to ride outside today but wimped out with 4.2 inches of snow overnight and cold wind out of the NW. Instead I went and bought an Avalanche full of lumber to finish off the one room in our house that isn't finished.
Origianally we were going to make it a scrap book room for Tami so she could leave her stuff out and be able to work on it more but decided to make it into a workout room to keep us motivated to stay (get) in shape.
I wonder how the Birkie goers did?

I got for a ride yesterday afternoon and I felt really fast until I realized I had gone out with the wind and had to buck it back. The first few rides outside every year the wind always throws me off, it seems like I need time to get used to it.

I never can drink enough water when it's cold out, it seems like I just have to piss all the time, so I managed to dehydrate myself and had a headache by the time I got back.

It was good to get out on the bike after almost 500 miles on the trainer this year indoors.

Friday Afternoon Blahs.

I want to ride OUTSIDE tomorrow, anyone else?

It's only going to be 20 degrees but I need to get out of the house and the Skiing doesn't look to be that great. Besides I still have a sore on my foot from my ski boots.

Vassa Fasta

What a fun race! Great weather and Fast snow made it a really great race. My goal going in was to do the 35k race in about 3.5 hours, about 6 minutes per k. That is a little slower than I knew I could ski but I still had a sore on my right arch from a blister from skiing last weeked and the most I had skied at one time this year was 20k so I knew the end of the race would be tough.

The first 10k was really fast and I tried to keep pace with those around me. I checked my time at the 25k to go mark, 37 minutes, I thought it was way too fast but felt good so I kept it up.

At about 15k to go I started dragging a little so I stopped at the next rest stop and got some Gatorade and something to eat and that helped for a while.

With 10k to go I caught Sheila while she stopped to put some wax on her skis.

At 7 to go I really hit the wall. I had to slow way down to just keep moving. I had a balance issue at one point and must have gone 40 yards down the trail on one ski or the other with my arms flailing all directions to keep from going down. I did manage to stay up and got alot of cheers for a "nice Save".

I finally hit the lake and I knew it was almost over. Up the hill off the lake and around the corner to the finish in 2hours 15 minutes and 57 seconds. 322nd overall and 9th in my age group.

A big thanks to the guys at Revolution Cycle and Ski for preping my skis as they were wicked fast.

Pictures soon.

38 years.

I got out for a two hour ski last night at Quarry Park. I always feel fast when I ski at night. The trail was fast and a little icy.

I took the day off tomorrow, it’s my birthday, going to go for a ski with Tami then head to St Paul for dinner and the Wild game. I’ll post a picture from the game. They shut out Anaheim last night so hopefully the are on a roll.

Crappy!

The skiing was tough yesterday. In the shaded areas the snow was still frozen and fast but when you hit the sunny spots the snow was soft and it felt like you put the brakes on. I managed 2 hours and 15 minutes before I had to stop with a big blister on my foot, and other issues.

In the last week Tami and the kids have had a 24 hour stomach bug and 3 nights this past week someone was up throwing up. I think it hit me yesterday but on the other end... if you know what I mean. I had to make a dash for the Biffy while skiing yesterday and haven't felt well since. Not fun but it's better than puking, I never did like that.