9,998, 9,999, 10,000

Back in mid October we went up to Walker to visit my parents before they headed south for the winter. We got out fishing a couple times before the boat got put away.

I went out by myself one afternoon when everyone else was otherwise occupied. Not 10 minutes in I hooked a small Muskie. I got it to the boat and in the net fine but in my haste to get the hooks out (the air and water temp was about 45 degrees) I did what I knew I shouldn't have and grabbed the crank bait while it was still hooked in the fish. Just then the fish decided to make an escape attempt and flopped around in the net with my middle finger attached to it via a "Bomber long - A" with two sets of treble hooks. Not Fun!

I managed to get the hooks out, measure the fish (36"), get out the camera, get this picture and release the fish all the while bleeding all over myself and the boat.


Yeah that was my biggest fish of the year, still a far cry from my biggest (51") about 8 years ago when I did alot more fishing.

For Sale

2008 Scalpel (carbon) with 2007 XTR, Crossmax SLR wheels. New in Sept - tires (tubeless), chain and cluster. Size - XL. Let me know soon or it's going on fee-bay.

Colorado Day 2

The second days ride was on the high lonesome trail, a 10 mile trail we did as an out and back. The out seemed all up hill but the return was fun.

One of our creek crossings...

Lonesome, we saw just two hikers on the trail all day...

Charlie, Mike and I in moose country...

Our guide, my brother-in-law Brock, works for the forest service and knows the area well...

I don't know... Kern trying to pet a fish at the turn around, Meadow creek reservoir.

Colorado Day 3

Better late than never, Colorado pics. Day 3, Rogers pass ride. From our condo 15 miles to the top with about 3,000 feet of climbing.

Charlie and I climbing at the treeline...

John riding one of the tougher sections, me walking...

Charlie leading me and Mike with a long way to go...

Mike and I near the top...

Just over Rogers pass, enough said.

Photos by CS photography

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.