WNR Report

I rode alone upstairs. 20 min. rollers/40 min. trainer. It was awesome.

Stormy Tuesday

Boy was it windy yesterday. I Had to go to Petoskey in the morning for yoga and to run a few errands, and the wind was actually strong enough to move the Passatt around in some places. We lost power out at the house in the afternoon for a few hours so I decided to hike down to the beach for my afternoon workout and check out the waves. It was absolutely wicked down there. I took my mittens off; and in less than a minute, they were numb. I've gotta try and find out where those crazy dudes go to surf around here. I'd really like to get some shots of that. Anyway, I just took this clip to try and do a little practicing with iMovie on the new computer. Check it out, and I'll check you later.

Freeheel Weekend

Considering they only had two runs open, the skiing at Nubs Nob this weekend was incredible both days. I got out right at nine on both days and skied until after eleven. John, Tim, and I even found a little fresh powder on Saturday morning to the far left side of Snow Pro (that's right, fresh powder on Snow Pro). It's amazing how much snow that crew can make in a short period of time if it just gets cold enough. The weather service is calling for a chance of snow everyday all week, so next weekend I'd think they'd be able to open the whole front side. Sunday morning John and I were able to hook up with Marcus, and we skied together all morning. I don't get to see Marcus very often; but when I do, I always have a great time. Between biking and skiing, we have an almost endless amount of things to discuss.
My legs were feeling pretty trashed after my reentry to ski life, but I forced myself onto the bike yesterday afternoon. Got in a good hour and a half, and the legs actually came around after a little warming up. I'm feeling pretty good these days, and I'm planning on closing out the year with some real solid training. I want to be ready when the xc trails open and the racing starts. I'll have to sit down and figure out my ski racing schedule soon, but to be honest I'm already planning out my bike season for next year. More on that later. Until next time, take care and ski well.

Surprise, Surprise.

All week we've had no snow, and Nub's Nob was predicting an opening day of Dec. 1. Well it got cold over the last couple of days, and they were able to fire up the guns. That and the 3-5 inches we've gotten last night and through today means they're going to open up tomorrow and Sunday. I'm meeting up with John and Tim right at 9:00 tomorrow for a few runs before work. I'm really excited, and if this keeps up we'll be able to start cross country skiing soon.
On the bike side of life: New record on the trainer yesterday, 1hr40min. My legs are finally starting to feel good again after the month of little activity and massive beer consumption surrounding the wedding. I'm skipping the cross race downstate again this weekend due to holiday traffic concerns and the fact that I can go skiing. The picture below is Niko making some unauthorized phone calls when he was over for dinner yesterday. He is a nonstop flurry of activity. Hopefully, he'll be able to channel that energy in to the pedals before too long. Hope everyone has a good holiday weekend.

Sunday Morning Ride

It was sunny and almost 40 out by 11:00 yesterday morning. So I decided to brave the elements instead of riding in front of the t.v. for the third time in a week. It was definitely the right choice. I previewed the route Scott and I are planning to ride Wednesday night this week. It's a good mix of dirt and pavement, and the roads should be almost entirely deserted after dark in the middle of the week. So we shouldn't bother too many people with our lights. Anyone else interested? I'm not even sure why I ask anymore. It's hard to find riding partners in November, but at least Scott's still hanging in there. This cabin is one of my favorite houses along the shore. Hope everyone has a good week.

NASCARGOT

This one's for you Kevin.

Rolling

Finally had to bite the bullet and start riding inside this week. I've got my old Trek 8000 set up on the magnetic trainer with a rear slick, and I've got my rollers set up in the doorway of the guest room with my road bike. In order to alleviate some of the boredom, I'll start off on the rollers (with ipod) for 20 minutes as a warm up and then switch over to the trainer (in front of a tv) for 45 minutes in the endurance zone. I'll cool down for about 5 or 10 minutes and then do a little stretching. And Voila! I got a good solid hour + on the bike and didn't go anywhere. All in all, it's not that bad of a workout, but I'd really rather be out cross country skiing by now. Hopefully we'll get some snow soon.

Race update for tomorrow: I'm not going. I've had a mild nagging pain in m right knee all week, and I don't really think sitting in the car for most of the day tomorrow to race for an hour is going to make it any better. Hopefully it'll be cleared up by next weekend because I'd really like to give this cross thing another chance before the end of the season.

Below: I was really trying to capture the thrill of riding indoors for everyone. Unfortunately, I don't know how to set the timer on my digicam for longer than ten seconds. So, I had to push the button while the camera was propped up on the dresser and then run back across the room and hop on and clip in before the flash went off. Sadly, out of 3 attempts this was the best.

Iceman Cometh, Iceman Goeth

Made it down for the Iceman over the weekend and had a grand old time. A guy from Wisc. named Brian Matter won the Elite/Pro race followed by Simonson of the Bell's squad and JHK to round out the podium. I stole this picture from the Bell's site. I'm pretty sure that's JHK on the floor and Simonson heading for the line. A new addition to the event this year was a beer tent at the finish. They had kegs from Short's, Bell's, and Founder's. That was an awesome, and at the same time dangerous addition to the race. So now the party is officially over. I ordered a case of OldMill N/A this morning. I need to begin supplementing my regular beer intake with some n/a. Not that I'm going to quit the beer all together, I just need to cut back and get back on some sort of structured training plan. WNR at headquarters this week. Last ride before the men with guns enter the woods. Take care, and have a good week.

I'm ready for the white stuff.

As far as I'm concerned, it can start snowing anytime now. I've got the snow tires on the wagon, and it's been real cold out for some time now. I'm even having vivid, technicolor skiing dreams. Last night I was cruising down a freshly groomed set of cross country ski tracks. Maybe tonight I'll be ripping some tele turns in a foot of fresh. I keep forgetting that I still have three bike races left, but they're all below the 45th (they never get much snow anyway). Just wanted to let everyone know I'm ready for winter proper. That's all.

WNR Report

Scott and I were the only two riders last night, and I can't say that it came as too big of a shock. It was 32 degrees, snowing lightly, and dark. Still, we managed to get a pretty good ride in on the North Country Trail. 10.5 miles in just over an hour. After the ride, we all (Kathryn, Scott, Mitchell, Sarah, and I) sat down to a wonderful dinner of Lasagna. We only have six days left until the guys with guns start wandering around the woods shooting at shit for two weeks, so hopefully we'll get some good riding in this weekend.

In other breaking news: Chris got a good report from his doc yesterday. No more brace unless he's driving, and physical therapy starts Monday. Hopefully he'll be able to join us out on the skis by the holidays (if we have the snow). At any rate, it's great news, and we're excited to have him almost back to normal. WNR at headquarters next week with a 6:30 start time. Have a good weekend everybody.

Kisscross #5

Well, I've got my first cyclocross race done and in the books. I got to the venue about 1.5 hours before the start of the B Race. After signing in (for the low, low price of $15), I got changed and started to get warmed up. I did about 30 minutes on a dirt road, throwing in some short hard efforts. The course opened up after the C Race, so we all had a chance to got out and do a slow lap on the course. I ran into Joe Slonecki from the Founders Team (he was there for the A Race), and it was nice to have someone to chat with. It definately helped take my mind off the fact that I was minutes away from entering the great unknown. 60 people lined up for the start of the B Race (there are no classes or age groups). I was expecting to suffer from the gun, but I soon learned that I didn't know what real suffering was. The pace is absolutely insane. Keep in mind that you're riding a road bike with skinny knobby tires on singletrack, with sandy corners, barriers that forced you to dismount and haul your bike over, and hills to run up (or walk as the race wore on). The course was just over 2 miles long, and the B Race was 6 laps. Somewhere near the end of the 3rd lap I was able to start embracing the pain. Part of becoming a better bike racer is simply increasing your capacity to endure all different kinds of pain and suffering. Once I started to look at the race that way, it actually started to feel like fun (in my own twisted way). The last three laps were just as hard as the first three, but I was able to keep up the consistent redline pace. I finished the 6 laps in 55 minutes for 43rd overall: 12.3 miles/Avg. sp. 12.7 mph/Avg. H.R. 177. Next race is in 2 weeks, and I'm already planning on putting up some barriers in the yard to practice my skillz. Joe S. finished up 9th overall in the A Race. I'm looking forwward to seeing him in the Pro/Elite class at the Iceman next weekend. WNR in Cross Village at 6:00. Bring your lights. Thanks for reading.

Daylight Savings

Don't forget to turn your clocks back this weekend. It'll be nice to get an extra hour Sunday morning when I hit the road for G.R.. Other than that, I'm pretty ambivelant about the whole falling back thing. WNR report: nada. Matt bailed, and nobody else called for a start time so I didn't go, and yes... I know I'm a pussy. It's getting to be that time of year where it's hard to get motivated for solo rides. Maybe getting back into the racing scene this weekend will rekindle the fire inside. But to be honest, I'm starting to think more and more about the upcoming ski season. I've been checking the dates for all the races, and I'm ready for a change of pace. I'm just hoping we get some good snow this season. As much fun as it was to ride over the christmas holidays last year, I'd rather be freeheeling on the snow. Talk of a nightride tomorrow, call if you're interested. WNR next week: 6:00 in Cross Village for Scott's birthday (lights will be mandatory, and i might be able to round up a loaner if you don't have one). We'll probably head to the Crow's Nest for pizza afterwards. Have a good weekend, and stay warm.