I Knew it!

 

Lutsen 99er

Saturday was the big Lutsen 99er mountain bike race.

It started with a neutral roll out downhill to 61 then up to the town of Lutsen then a right turn and up around 1,000 vertical feet on the next 5 miles of pavement. Trying to be conservative I took it really easy on the climb and slip back through the pack. At mile 9 we turned off the pavement and hit some gravel roads and snowmobile trails for about 14 miles to the first check point. The check points were great lots of volunteers helping each rider get food (PB&J sandwiches, Fig newtons, Pro bars and Gels), water, energy drinks, endurolytes and whatever else was needed.  

From the check point we headed out for two 16 mile laps of a circuit that consisted of two loops connected by two miles of gravel forest road. The first loop started with gravel forest road for 2.5 miles the turned off onto 4 miles of snowmobile trail that was definitely not intended for mountain bikes. The trail was mowed but had rocks, roots and mud holes from small to 50’ across and over my cranks. A few small hills but the terrain being rough and technical really started to wear on me. Challenging to say the least, especially knowing I had to do it again. Then we hit a gravel forest road over to the second loop. This section of forest road was also to return from the second loop to the first one for the second lap so we met the leaders headed the other way and were they ever moving. The second loop started out with a 3.5 mile section of snowmobile trail very similar to the first loop, tough, then ended with 4.5 miles of gravel forest road before the 2 mile run back to the check point to start lap 2. It was on the section back to start lap 2 when I met Charlie on his way to loop 2 of lap 2. I did a quick calculation in my head and figured he was 30-40 minutes ahead of me already so he was doing well. 

After a re-fuel at the check point I headed out for lap two. I still felt good considering I had 42 miles and over 3 hours of riding in already. 

After lap 2 I stopped at the check point, grabbed my drop bag, mixed up some Heed (energy drink), ate and gathered some food, gave my drivetrain a quick brush and lube, stretched for a minute and headed out. 2 miles of more gravel forest road then a nice stretch of double track that reminded me of riding in Colorado with its rocky surface, rolling terrain and large pine trees. I really enjoyed this section but I also started to really get weak. Between miles 68 and 79 (the next check point) I ate all my food and drank all my fluids but was still in a daze. I was moving along ok and still passing riders every once in a while so I kept plugging away. That 10 miles is such a blur I don’t even remember the terrain or what the trail was like I just kept looking at my Garmin waiting for mile 79 to come. 

Finally at the last check point I ate some food and drank a bottle of water before topping off my supplies heading out on the last section back to Lutsen. The next 10 miles were rolling gravel forest roads then about 5 miles of the same roads but all downhill. The last 4 miles we were back on Lutsen property and on their old mountain bike trails. It was evident the trails had not been used in a while and were rough and muddy, AND MUDDY. MUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDY. By the time I hit the final ½ mile climb up the ski slope to the finish line my chain was so full of mud it sucked around the little chain ring twice so I put it in the big ring and ground my way to the finish line. 99 miles 8 hours 34 minutes. 

A good race, one I’ll do again. The award ceremony was really unorganized, crowded, slow bars service and they quit serving food. So after Charlie collected his 2^nd place age group award we headed to Tofte and ate way too much Pizza.




99er Start

 

Westside Dirty Benjamin

With a last minute entry I headed down to Chaska Saturday morning with Doom and the Amo’s to the Westside Dirty Benjamin.

Despite rain as the ride started I felt good but 10 miles in I noticed my rear tire getting low. By mile 15 I was flat. After a quick change I was rolling again and back up to where I was pretty quick. By mile 20 the rear tire was getting soft again so I borrowed a tube (I only started with one spare on me and one in my drop bag for mile 60). I really took my time and finally found the culprit of my issues, a piece of a staple just barely poking through the inside of the tire. I picked it out and carefully put in my borrowed tube and got going again. By this point I’m sure I had lost 20 minutes messing around and just concentrated on catching groups ahead of me. I would look ahead put my head down and hammer up to them sit on for a minute, say hi, them say bye and head off for the next group. It is somewhat motivating to be able to keep catching riders and groups ahead of you rather than being passed.

By mile 40 the riders and groups were getting few and far between so I put in my tunes and set a good hard pace. With a lack of riders I also had to start following the cue cards vs. just following riders. This caused a few issues the biggest being the turn right before the check point at mile 60. The cue cards had us take a right, so I did and after about a mile and a half I met a group saying the check point was the other way at the intersection. So I doubled back to the check point and stocked up again on Heed, food, CO2 and a spare tube (just in case of another flat!).

About mile 70 I got my third flat! A couple riders really gave me shit as I sat and fixed it as I had passed them at least twice and each time they caught me again stopped on the side of the road. One guy from St Cloud, Greg was his name I think passed me 4 times (once for each flat and once for my wrong turn).  I talked with him for a minute after I fixed my last (hopefully last) flat and I joked with him as I rode off that I hoped I didn’t see him pass me again, luckily I didn’t.

About mile 80 I was feeling really good yet, almost too good for riding gravel for that long so I upped the pace and really gave it my all for a while. This must have really affected my focus as I made two or three wrong turns and had to turn around. Nothing that was real time consuming but it really pissed me off. Then I remembered I had the course on my Garmin so I started that and it was like putting on the auto pilot. I wish I had done that earlier but in the past I couldn’t figure out how to switch from the course maps to the ride data during the ride but I figured it out, that Edge 500 is really nice, a lot of features I hadn’t been using.

The last few miles were down hill on pavement to the finish, a good way to end. My official time was 7 hours and 17 minutes but according to my Garmin my ride time was 6:43, the difference being about 10 minutes at the check point and about 24 minutes changing flats.

There were sliders, beer and soda for us at the finish as well as a big table of schwag to pick from. I had three sliders and beers gone before the Amo’s finished and we made our way home.

For the official review and finishing places see the link on the previous post.

Sunday was lazy! I did manage to mow the yard and get over to see some of Madelyn’s soccer camp. Then we went to Cowboy Jack’s for lunch and bloody marys then home for a nap before a little garage cleaning and a boat ride and BBQ with Tami’s parents.

Now the week begins.

What is Wrong with me?

I just got into the Dirty Benjamin on Saturday. This is 100 mile gravel road race west of the twin cities. Add to this the Lutsen 99er mountain bike race next Saturday and the annual St Cloud summer solstice century on the 26th and that's 3 century rides in two weeks.

What is wrong with me?

Gota love Jens

Read from Bottom up...

Busy week last week both girls lost both soccer games on Monday and Wednesday one game by over 6 goals. Not alot of ambition to go when they get their butts kicked like that.

Got in on a fast Tuesday group ride averaged 22.3 mph for 3:20 and it really worked me over. I am really thinking about skipping the next couple weeks for more moderate rides because that had me fatuged for a few days. Thursday I did another 3 hour ride and was really flat. Saturday 3 agian and still felt a little sluggish. I have Lutsen 99er in less than two weeks and I don't want to feel like that for the race.

Friday night and Saturday Tami had class so I hung out with the girls. We did some cleaning, mowed the lawn, got groceries and ran some errands.

We had the Nelson's out Saturday night and Brett smoked one of the chickens from the previous weekends kill and it was awesome. A pontoon ride with a bottle wine rounded out the evening.

Sunday after a big breakfast and church the kids wanted to go to the pool because it was so hot. So I rode, they drove to Eagle Trace, we swam and had some food then I rode and they drove back. I made some Ribs for dinner and Madelyn made fried bannanas in caramel on ice cream for dessert.

Back to Back soccer games again this Monday and Wednesday, I hope we can get a win or two. Rides for me on Tuesday and Thursday and Art Crawl Friday.

June

Friday after work Tami and I went down to Big Lake for her neice's graduation ceremony, hard to believe she is graduating already! Congrats to her. After we went out for pizza and a few beers with her family.

Saturday I got for a good ride up the river on one side to Little Falls and back down the other. I don't get to do that ride too often but it is sure nice. Just shy of 4 hours, 75 miles. Then I retrieved our kids from their sleep overs and came home and mowed the lawn. Grace and I whipped up some homemade Mac N Cheese to go with some burgers and sweet potatoes for dinner then a pontoon ride with Ferrell's.

Sunday after a big breakfast I went out for a couple laps at the North Loop on the Mountain bike. A good chunk of the trail is closed yet due to the rain we have gotten but what was open was fun. Then off to butcher chickens at Nelson's. 5 of us Killed, Plucked, Cleaned and vacum-sealed for freezing 50 chickens he has been raising from chicks. I was pretty grossed out at first but once we got into a routine we were a machine. Golden Plump aint got nothing on us!

Here I am holding the chickens in thier juggs while they flop around after losing thier heads.

Today starts our super busy summer. We have soccer Mondays and Wednesdays (coaching and cheering) from 5:30 - 9:00, Tuesdays and Thursdays are my nights to ride and Friday nights and all day Saturday Tami has Class to get her teaching license. I can't wait until Sunday!

Memorial weekend

Friday the whole family went and got haircuts and then we went to Noodles for dinner and rented and watched We Bought a Zoo, not a bad movie.

Saturday Tami and I did the Apple duathlon Relay. Tami's run times were within 19 seconds of her time last year. My bike time was 56 min even for the bike leg, a full 4 minutes fast than last year. Even with that the Nelson's beat us, so we now owe them dinner. After the race we had lunch did some house work and then went to Schad's for their annual after Apple party.

Sunday after pancakes and church I went out for a road ride. during the ride the temps kept climbing until my Garmin registered 93 degrees. I had a nice tail wind home but with little breeze it was warm and I ran out of water. I mowed our almost knee high yard before my dad came to help me finish my stairway project to the river wich we finished Monday.

We tried out the new Brothers bar & grill on division and 5th ave and were not too impressed. Definately a neat old building with great renovations but the food was a little spendy for bar type food and portions were small. They have a wide selection of beers on tap but not much at all for wines. Tami did try a glass of Pinot but had to send it back because there was already lipstick on the rim of the glass when she got it. It's probably a great place for happy hour or just to meet and have a beer but for food I'd go across the road to Noodles or Chipotle.