commuterDude

KCUC's Spencer Klaassen to ride L-E-L!

2009-07-21T14:36:00.001-05:00

Good luck to Spencer! In just a few days, he'll be undertaking one of the few "Grand Randonnees" that's longer than the famed P-B-P!
1,400kms from London to Edinburgh, and back...

Check out details on the ride HERE.

Follow Spencer along the way, with automatic updates:
Click HERE for Spencer's SPOT page, and follow the action!

The Un-Lenexa Midnite Cave Ride.

2009-07-12T03:43:00.001-05:00

Big, king size props to Noah for not only breaking all previous DSR attendance records, but for hosting a solid ride. Ya know, some rides you kinda know what yer gonna see, but the DSR stuff...well, the freaks come out at night. I mean that in the most affectionate way, too. We had class-A mileage freak (me), Badger on the Riv, we had a Long Haul Trucker, various old Treks, hybrids, mountain bikes, a Swobo fixie (VERY nice), an urban tourer complete with wicker basket, another sweet fixie with a front disc brake (couldn't make out the name, but a bad-as$ setup, and some of the best trackstanding I've seen from both cats), and even a newer Trek with (gasp) carbon on it. I mean, not that the bikes should have anything to do with it, but this ride just a really diverse bunch...very cool vibe. There will be more to come on this, including a second-by-second account of our descent into the bowels of doom and our encounter with the cave snot! Read: Dude biffs! The Lenexa
caves are weak. THIS cave had like a 20% drop-in grade. (ok, not really) Hey, we were warned, but the pucker power and brake feathering threshold was pushed by quite a few folks, and I had a guy bite it right in front of me - engage front brake...you get the idea. I'll cross post some pics from Noah "slick mud" Dunk-tank's site when they're up, too. In all seriousness, a great ride, despite the bumps and bruises. Light traffic, light winds, clear skies, a break from the humidity, singing bugs and frogs, waves and cheers from late night KC folks, just smile after smile: crap, I was even laughing when I hit the deck. I hope everyone comes away with the same good feeling - and good memories of this ride. I certainly will! Now, as my caffiene-charged electrolyte drink wears off and the ibuprofen for the hip-bounce I performed earlier kicks in, I bid you goodnight.... Stay tuned.

Confessions of a cycling addict

2009-06-28T11:46:00.007-05:00

Even when you know something is absolutely the right decision, its sometimes really hard to let things go. This is good in some ways, because after solid weeks of commuting back and forth and basically being car-free, I'm clearly not burned out: the last two days I have been struggling with ways to just squeeze in that 200k before June is history. I find myself knowing full well that I'm not going to do it, but the desire is still there. Its all for the best, because the farther I stay away from burnout, the better. The only thing that bothers me a little is possibly losing some of the endurance edge that I've built up by no longer doing a long ride every 30 days, but I think that can be achieved again easily enough if I keep my weight under control and do some 'smarter' rides. Kinda brings back the training theories of old, like hammering out 70% of the target distance at a higher effort, something along those lines. That keeps me out of the triple digits, gets me home faster, and is probably a better tool to prevent burnout anyways.

Noah stopped into the shop yesterday which made for good conversation, and got me thinking about that fact, especially about February's 200k, one that I'm glad I did for the experience and personal lesson, but its still an example of me pushing the issue: everything pointed to me taking a month off, I had the R12 bagged up, and yet there was the pressure (self imposed) to keep doing the same thing every month, just because. A good lesson to remember, as once again I find myself looking for ways, in the next 72 hours, to squeeze it in unneccessarily. I laugh at myself, even as I write this: Badgerland's comment rings so true...I just try too hard sometimes. But, I know better, deep down, and I will flip the calendar over to July and relax about it, without a 200k in the books. I will make sure that my commute efforts are balanced, and that at least once every two weeks I get some sort of "bagless" fun weekend hammerfest under my wheels, to shake things up and keep an edge on things.

Come 2010, things will start to ramp up I have a feeling, things like revenge on a certain 20 mile loop down south, perhaps. Should I even announce such things? Well, I thought about that. Its hard to know where I'll be next year, honestly. I can't divulge too much in these pages, but I have to be honest about things: the econony has been hard on everyone, including me and the family. While I won't lament my personal situation, there is the fact that focus has been pulled back to more immediate concerns, so I really hope the cards are aligned right over the next 18 months. Let's just say that The Tejas-500 in 2010 is a legitimate hope and goal - the wife and I already have a roadmap to make it happen, but there are a lot of unknowns. The only thing I can guarantee is my own fitness and personal readiness for it. If I was worried about appearances, I wouldn't have mentioned this at all, and financially its the same for the whole country right now....so there you have it. Heck, I can only hope the event itself still happens, because many rides have simply not shown up on the calendar this year - which is sad. Aside from those 'secondary' concerns, the difference this time is I will prepare myself physically and mentally as-if my attendance at Tejas is a guarantee. That will be the contrast between 2010 and my first two attempts.

Looking back, while my intentions were good, I wasn't really ready either of those times. Cutting right to it, that makes the preliminary training goal similar to what Jeff W. was aiming to pull off last month, and that's a sub-24 hour 600km brevet. I defer to the old Byron Rieper standard for things like RAAM and Furnace Creek preparations: "if you're not on pace to ride 400 miles in 24 hours, go home." A tall order? You bet...but they don't make cyclists like Byron very often...guys like Danny Chew, Dan Jordan, Mark Metcalfe, Sam Baugh. Not to be a name dropper, but these are the folks whose training journals and accolades I'll be studying carefully. There is a lot of work to be done. I've been privledged enough to have ridden close to or talked with riders like this over the years, and there is a formula, unique to each, yes, but consistent in many ways. Speed and endurance comes with patience, good nutrition, focus, drive, and proper training. My usual trick of
starting fast and ending up slow has to stop. I need to find my 400-mile pace early and train to stay there, stay predictable. I need to train to eliminate the 'lap factor'. Just affording the entry fee truly is a secondary concern right now.

So, these last ten pounds are toast. Tomorrow is a new day, and I put focus back on the diet and really get 'off vacation'. Will I have fun on the bike and smell the flowers? Of course! It won't ALL be heads down hammering...but if I'm talking about it, I need to make it happen: either do it, or shut up about it already. My choice is made. I've made good strides since that last struggle of a 200k in February, so its time to make the rest of the journey. Let's do this.

click...welcome to Summer.

2009-06-24T15:00:00.001-05:00

This week's return to the bike after a relaxing vacation was more than welcome, but I wasn't really expecting the crash-course in heat acclimation. It's good training, though, and the beginnings of true tests of self-reliance. I've left the car with a full tank of gas, and my tentative goal is to keep that one tank for the rest of summer. Now, now, the way these self-challenges usually work is there will be a bevy of unexpected crud that will rain down upon me, and I'll have to drive to the airport or something - we'll see. But, that's my best intent. Last year, I had things pretty easy temperature-wise, and I didn't really take advantage of it. I'm missing those conditions now! But, I press on. If could always be worse, which is a difficult thing to say when the heat index yesterday was easily in the hundred-teens.

What comes along with it, however, is pleasant. There is a lot to be said for the olfactory excitement that comes with increases in heat. Take stew, for example: put a buncha stuff in a pot, and it smells... well, like nothing, really. Turn on the heat, and within an hour the house will be filled with pleasant aromas. It seems the outdoors is the same way, to a certain extent. There is a wild smell to the flowers, fields, and there is a waft of sunscreen and chlorine from local pools, something I didn't really notice a couple weeks ago. Unfortunately, there is also a strong smell of stagnant water along the bike trail - but that's okay. Nature! Whoooo!

Speaking of the bike trail, not since probably 2004 have I seen the trails so empty in the afternoons, and instead busy in the mornings! Things have flip-flopped, as the weather has reached a point where people are rising early to get workouts in before the heat really builds up. This morning started out in the lower 70's after some wild impulse thunderstorm activity from a passing shortwave, and it was "almost" cool feeling. Halfway to work, however, the truth was another day of relative misery in store: humidity was high, and even tenderized efforts weren't rewarded with any respite. I arrived just as sweaty as I had the day before. I'm hopeful for a repeat of last nights thunderstorm pop-up, for my ride home tonight from job #2. Pray for rain, they say... I'm there. It will be a thrilling treat to get a cool summer shower to wrap up an especially hot couple of days, maybe a little light-show along with it. I even took the bike out last night after dark, just to ride around the block a little and watch the lightning flash and the hear the skies groan. A LOT of energy - it's remarkable to see.

I've been pulling out some of my old methods for surviving the extreme heat, taken from many a stint at summertime 12 and 24 hour races, brevets, and commutes under high-heat advisories. These days, even fully frozen water bottles are fully thawed and warming after only 10 miles - and that's even with insulated bottles. For the commute, normally a one-bottle job, I've been running two this week: one for the inside of me: stay hydrated! Staying hydrated while sitting at the desk is a good idea, too. Don't head home in the afternoon on a hydration deficit, or you'll end up paying for it. The other bottle for the outside of me: A long squirt of icy water down the back feels GOOD at that long stop-light when the pavement is baking me from the ankles up. A plastic zipper-seal baggie, sandwich-sized, filled with ice and sealed - then with one of the bottom corners snipped, small, maybe a 1/16th inch - just enough to allow one drop at a time to pass. Stick that in the center back pocket, with the cut corner facing down and there will be a nice stream of cold water to keep you chilled after a while. You're gonna get wet anyways, right? Might as well be cool moisture, because the humidity here is too high to allow evaporative cooling to work with sweat alone - depending on what you're wearing, that is.

Clothing is important, too, this time of year. You know, honestly, I'm a cycling-geek big-time. Do I really have to get all suited up, gloves, cap, all that jazz, JUST to ride to work? When the temperature is between maybe 32 and 70, probably not. I see plenty of people just riding along in jeans, t-shirt, maybe a button-up with a few buttons un-done, casual shorts - whatever. I think I just get suited up in the cycling garb, A) because I've paid for it already, so I might as well use it, and B) it's just habit. I started riding recreationally before I ever considered commuting regularly, so it was just "what you did" to get ready to ride the bike, even if it was only for a few miles. This time of year, however, technical fabrics, jerseys, shorts are nearly essential. You NEED something to move that moisture away from your skin, something that is designed to cool, someplace to stash an extra water bottle (back pockets). You have to have something on your head to move sweat away from your eyes, keep the blistering sun off your face a little. Cycling-specific clothing and accessories, even if you only have one "kit" are, in my opinion, absolute life-savers - literally. If your body can't cool itself, you are putting yourself at serious risk. I can even tell a difference when I wear a "power-dry" or whatever athletic t-shirt.... they're just not the same as a good jersey. As long as I'm moving through the air, no matter how hot it is, I feel fairly good in these get-ups. They don't have to be expensive, either. A lot of jerseys or shorts will run upwards of a full Benjamin, but my basic, no-frills, solid color, no ads or graphics jersey is about $44, shorts a little more. Hand wash, hang dry, and they're ready for the next day's commute. Shop the close-out bins if you need to, but you don't have to have a full wardrobe of cycling gear by any means. Just a couple good pair of shorts, a jersey or two, and weeks like this one are far more tolerable. Compared to regular casual clothing, the technical stuff DOES make a difference in this heat. Considering we're all supposed to be "avoiding strenuous exercise" during this Excessive Heat Warning, I'll take any advantage I can get.

Areas to the south where you wouldn't think twice about associating the word "hot" with the city names, it hasn't been this warm or humid. Places like Houston, Phoenix... nope. It's been hotter here, in some cases the heat index in some Texas cities has been cooler than our actual temperature. Training? Check... Between Bob Burn's brevet series and the wild weather, the Kansas City area certainly gets me ready for whatever cycling challenges lay ahead. Surviving this week will be the first real test of summer fitness, and so far --- well, so far I feel like the dried-out grass clippings that I've been running over these past few days: squeezed dry, and cooked. But, it's getting better, easier... One thing is for sure: summer is in the house.

REVIEW: Global Ride: Hawaii Rides DVD Box Set

2009-06-23T16:10:00.002-05:00

Jeff and company at Global Ride contacted me a while back and asked if I would be interested in reviewing a new line of indoor cycling training DVDs, and I was all ears. I've been looking for something to spice up my winter-time indoor sessions for a while now, and this seemed interesting enough. My normal winter routine usually finds me suiting up in multiple layers for an outdoor cycling adventure, but there are those days where winter is really unkind. The roads can be impassible with ice, and things can be otherwise dangerous. When this happens I am pretty old-school: a wind trainer, a terry-cloth towel, and Tour De France videos. Yeah, I'm not the kind of person that will spend money on training videos, but after reviewing these from Global Ride I think it's simply been a matter of not choosing the right ones. While it is thrilling to "chase" that breakaway on stage 16, or follow Lance up an Alpine climb, sometimes there is something missing... I mean, honestly, you can only watch the same stages over and over so many times, which is part of the challenge of training indoors in the first place: finding variety.

There are lots of options at the beginning of the videos, which come in a modestly packaged box-set of three DVDs. Each disc has a straight-forward menu, giving you a myriad of options. You can select your background music preference, choose whether or not you want a personal trainer along for the ride with you, or you can choose one of three (depending on the disc you select) pre- or post-ride workouts. These include yoga, pilates, and strength training, each of which is a huge bonus for this package. Most cycling videos simply leave you with the ride, and the cooldown - the Global Ride DVDs workouts are good in their own right, and complement the cycling workouts nicely.

The opening sequences of each ride start out with a lush slideshow of the locale and theme of the package, Hawaii in this case. I personally think this is an improvement over other videos; you have some music and some images that float across the screen while you get yourself ready. Getting myself ready: I find myself in this scenario quite a bit, actually, so I appreciated the extra time to prepare as each video ramps up. Since riding indoors is not "normal" for my routine, I find myself often forgetting simple things like my gloves, or my water bottles. Instead of having to pause the video, I can easily keep it rolling with this warm-up "buffer", and get back on the bike before anything really gets started. This, however, is my first indication that these DVDs are probably meant for cyclists that are familiar with indoor riding and training already: while its easy to deduce that this first portion of the DVD is for warm-up, there is never any announcement to confirm that suspicion, and it made me think that I'd missed something. As the DVD continues play, it simply transitions into the first part of the workout. Its my first notion that perhaps there could be more text or scrolling graphics, maybe a "dashboard" of sorts, to let the viewer/rider know what's expected, and what's coming up. For beginners shopping for their first indoor training DVD, this might prove detrimental: as the first scene appeared and the actual training portion of the video unfurled, the coaching companion was assuming that I was already in my target zone. Now, to be perfectly fair, I chose to watch the third DVD in the package first, mainly because I chose based on the title and scope of the videos. Correcting myself, I tossed in the first DVD of the set, and the coach does indicate the first section is for warm-up.

The coaches: this is a unique feature of the Global Ride DVDs, something I had never come across before. Part of the robust suite of menu features, the viewer can select the nationality of their personal coach! You have the option of choosing an American, an Australian, or an Italian coach, or you can choose to listen to a recorded spin-class session from the Harbor Fitness studio. I personally preferred the Italian coach, honestly - maybe it's my appreciation for cycling's racing heritage, but the Italian was much easier to listen to while I rode along. The Australian coach was good, but a little droll. The American coach seemed to provide the most information from a training perspective, but seemed a little unscripted. She kept giving me her resume, and reminding me that I was watching a video, which was interesting since I already knew that I was watching a video: the frustrating part of that was the fact that, while informative, she tended to detract from the imagery unfolding on the screen in front of me. I find this particularly important to note as riding indoors is already a labor for many cyclists, including myself. A large portion of us are into cycling not only for the physical benefits, but for the fact we are outdoors. Global Ride went to a lot of trouble to get the fantastic vistas and scenic overlooks captured on film from the saddle of a bicycle, and to better fit the notion of "being there" in those images, truly along for the ride, the commentary should be scripted to match. There is, however, an option to disable the coaching commentary altogether from the main menu, so you can ride along in "iPOD-land", forget how bad the weather outside is, and absorb the full effect of the videos as they pass across the screen. No desire for headphones? No problem: the soundtracks that are set to the scenery are very good in their own right, and I enjoyed the electronica and pulsing beats while I pedaled along Hawaii's coastline. In many scenes, the music was precisely in-time with the cadence of the cyclist on the screen; well done. There was a mild critique that popped into my head, however, while riding along listening to the music and the Italian coach: the soundtrack is good, but the producers might have opted for music without lyrics, as the coach and the music often talked over one another, which was a little distracting.

The imagery is fantastic, and the views spectacular. The producers truly captured what it must be like to really ride at the location, choosing good roads with challenging terrain. Again, however, a few "wishes" came to mind. The production would have benefited from anti-vibration smoothing on some of the shots, but it did add to the realism. I would have liked to have seen the DVDs played on an upconversion-DVD player, as the images would have really popped had they come from an HD source, but I can't fault Global Ride for my technoligical shortcomings in the exercise room here at home. Though I am hopeful, someday, for some ambitious company to release a high-quality set of indoor cycling DVDs on Blu-Ray.

After about ten minutes of pedaling, my overly-critical mind began to settle in. This is something that I'll be watching from the seat of a bicycle, indoors, while there is probably six inches of snow on the roads outside - and as the pace picked up, and the sweat began to bead, I felt myself getting pulled into the screen, right alongside the rider shown - the body heat building as the images floated by: it really is, if you let it happen, just like being there. Early on I felt it might have been neat to have more than one rider shown on the road, for a paceline feel, but I began to appreciate the fact that Global Ride chose to make these videos about the scenery, and not about racing, or pacelines, or watching someone else's wheel. From a long-distance cycling perspective, one could say this was like doing a brevet in Hawaii, and I put myself into that mindset while I rode along.

It's been said that every mile of indoor training is like riding four miles outdoors - so riding inside is truly a mental test, just as much as it's about maintaining fitness. Even the professionals have been quoted as not liking riding indoors for more than an hour or so, so that's a genuine concern. Getting a grip on mental focus, having something visually powerful to distract me from the fact that I'm trapped inside, is difficult, and Global Ride seems to have delivered here. After that first ten minutes, I was absorbed into the images, no longer paying attention to the time that had passed. It was easier to stay on the saddle, as the scenery passed by. With three DVDs, multiple soundtracks and coaches to choose from on each one, I think there is plenty here to keep me occupied through even the longest off-season. The Global Ride DVDs took me far away, mentally, to an exotic locale, and delivered the imagery and coaching focus I needed to stay on my plan. Let's remember, I received these DVDs and previewed them during the late Spring... and I still got a full workout indoors. After 30 minutes, I was fully into the scene and forgot where I was, the coach popping in from time to time to prod along the effort and motivation. The images of the rider on the screen seemed to mimic how I was feeling, how I would probably look had I really been there in the moment. Quite realistic. Just like while riding in real life, every time the pain came up or I became tired I simply trained my gaze out over the passing ocean, and took deeper breaths. It works! During the downhill scenes, I found myself increasing my pace to "stay" with the rider on the screen, and to make my feeling on the trainer match what I was seeing on the screen. It's quite effective, and almost subconscious, just like real road riding.

I'm a goat at heart. I like climbs: long, steady, stupid climbs, and I found myself barking with glee as the first DVD transistioned to the "Maui Cliff Climbs" section of the workout. The coach announces that it's time to take the intensity up to 90% for this section, and I answer by cranking up the resistance and standing up for the next 20 minutes. Just stunning: the climb shown is like nothing I had ever seen before, and - true - while I wasn't really there, I still reacted the same way. Just astonishing that there exists a place like this where someone can ride, for real - and I'm compelled to visit in real life someday because of this DVD. Global Ride should strike up a deal with the Hawaiian Tourism board or something, and sell a tour package that highlights the roads showcased in this set of DVDs. Prior to this, I had really no desire to visit Hawaii, simply from the notion that it would be too trappy, too touristy. Now, I just want to fly there with my bike and find these Maui Cliffs. Dude... wicked climbs!! I really, really wanted to be that cyclist in the video, and the best part of the presentation was that I practically WAS, as the music pumped out of the speakers, and the singer (no longer annoying with the lyrics) tells me that I'm "taking her higher", and I "am amazing". Ten minutes left until the end of the ride, and I find myself wanting to downshift and rest, but the images are still pitching upward, and sitting down or shifting just somehow doesn't seem right. The coach says its time to push harder and faster, and the road pitches up again! Dang... I like this video.

The cool-down section was neat, transistioning back to a slide-show format with some motivational snippets about cycling floating across the screen, along with training tips. Strangely, the coach's input about what exactly a "cool-down" entails is missing, which again might confuse novice cyclists and people on their first indoor ride - reinforcing the notion that the focus here might be towards more experienced cyclists. Taking all these factors into account, and the general theme of the DVDs, I have to recommend them for advanced or enthusiast cyclists with knowledge of training theory and some understanding of heart-rate zones and the like - which is probably right on the money for someone that would be considering indoor training in the first place. What these videos lack in the hand-holding department, however, they more than make up for with some of the best bicycling location footage ever captured on film.

The video immediately segues into the bonus training section, as the cool-down comes to a close. Strength training, pilates and yoga are certainly training features I could benefit from, being a cycling-only person. The key to riding successful endurance events is overall strength, as well as cycling prowess, so this is something I'm sure I'll use quite a bit. Being flexible, mentally tough - these bonus sections are very valuable training tools, and provide exercises that cyclists generally don't think about for themselves. Especially in the off-season, the bonus exercise programs that are included on each Global Ride DVD can go a long way to preventing injury and keeping you fit and healthy - ready for a solid spring.

Overall I give these videos a solid arm-up for quality, value, and uniqueness. There are a lot of training videos, but not many that can offer what Global Ride has packaged here. The only criticism I have has to do with the lack of "data", which might confuse those new to the indoor training experience - but a little outside research, and a heart-rate monitor, and those riders will be in fine shape with these DVDs. Just don't expect a lot of "you should be here, doing this, in this gear" kind of guidance. In exchange, however, you can't find an indoor training video that is shot on-location like this. It's truly unique, and is on a pedestal high above the usual Tour de France re-runs or movies-of-the-week that one might normally subject oneself to while riding indoors - although it is still kinda fun to chase Jalabert up those mountains. There is even a silver-lining and hidden benefit to the lack of data and hand-holding from a training perspective: sometimes I just want to get on the bike and ride, and these videos will let you do that without making you feel guilty for not pushing hard enough. The settings allow you to hear what you want to, and you can tailor each ride to your liking - something else that no other indoor cycling training video package offers. I think Global Ride has done something unique and enticing here, and I think anyone looking for something new this winter would do well to seek out these DVDs.

You can learn more at http://globalride.net - Keep watching, as they've just begun wrapping up the new Italy Series of DVDs, which should prove particularly stunning!

Thanks for reading!

Perspectives from the great north.

2009-06-18T16:07:00.001-05:00

I'm enjoying a nice vacation from the bike right now, sitting on a balcony overlooking a stand of pine and a couple of small lakes. Its awesome! Do I miss the bike? Obvious question, perhaps. The answer is actually 'no', not at the moment. I am human, after all, not so shallow that I can't function without it - but I will be pleased to get back in the saddle to head off some of my vacationary indescretions. I have been relaxing - rather, *learning* how to relax - on this journey. I still get those spurts of inability to sit still, but those have been fading over the last few days. I'm going to make solid efforts to pull this marked lack of momentum into the 'real' life that awaits my return to Kansas - tailored towards getting things done and doing good work, of course, but this de-stressing mentality is needed with my increased work schedule. Some bike things will have to be rethought: life is getting hard enough, and I've found myself adding stress with plans for
another R-12, along with everything else that is coming up. I simply can't do it all, and coming to grips with that had been difficult in the weeks leading up to this vacation. I'd been tossing back and forth about silly things like whether or not to do a certain ride that I've never done before - something that actually sounds like fun - but I've found myself inexcusably dismissive of these "funner" rides for foundless reasons like their being "too short" or that they "don't count towards X". Continuing that madness, I then begin stressing over something like a last-minute before-the-month-is-out 200k, solo, starting at 3am just so I can fit it in and still have time to do laundry and hang with the fam for a few hours before I have to go back to work. It's kinda dumb on my part, honestly, and it should go without saying that I'm tabling plans for the second R-12 for now, and will be planning on just maintaining endurance and building speed and strength for future endea
vors: things that will require more time and money: neither of which I have the luxury of possessing currently.

It feels good to be healthy again, to perhaps be 'ready' for bigger cycling challenges - but those challenges will have to wait. Focus on my long-term plan is critical. There truly are "more important things", and getting the chance to step away from "life" for a while on vacation, like this, is an excellent way to realize what those "more important things" are. Pursuits like cycling truly are "extras". Course, not to mislead anyone - nor myself: bicycling is important to me, a great outlet. I'm not hanging it up, that's for sure - but if work won't allow me the reasonable buffers of spare time needed to keep an R-12 going, then I can't keep it going. Simple as that.

Thinking along the lines of how much time a 200k takes, and how, lately, I can't even find time to mow the grass - well, the decision is simple, and I've been an idiot to try and keep squeezing all this in. I DO have time for the shorter, "funner" rides, and I've skipped them, unneccessarily - adopting an all-or-nothing policy which, just like trying to fit it ALL in, doesn't accomplish much for de-stressing, either. Yeah, its ridiculous. I miss the wife and kids with all the work hours...why do a 12 hour ride, too? Silly. I get plenty of saddle-time from commuting. Keeping commuting going with my schedule is hard enough - so, essentially, *that* is my challenge. More ambitious pursuits will be waiting for me when I once again return to being a one-job-pony.

For now, I'm looking forward to some smaller mini-vacations, like an upcoming S24O in July. Might attend the Tour de Shawnee. Might organize another DSR, might make the Hard Cider ride happen, might hit the roads for a 200k again in August for good measure, who knows, and then it will be MS-150 time again before I know it, another mini-vacation - and most importantly, this year I'm strictly riding the ride, instead of leading a team. All of this, with the occasional "home-by-noon" speedwork should keep me mentally and physically happy and fit, and I'll have a lot more family time as a result - which is worth far more than any brevet card or medal I could hope to earn.

Hopefully, events like TTTT (www.tt24tt.com), The Last-Chance 1200, and the Iowa 24-hour race, will still be around when I can rejoin the chase. I feel enough accomplishment just having returned to, and exceeding, the form required to consider taking them on. The tests, however, will wait until I can bring the life-work balance back on track.

For today, I'm sticking the phone back on the charger and getting back to staring at the pine trees and ducks, with a kid under each arm.

Advocacy Alert - The League needs us to speak up

2009-06-09T11:03:00.002-05:00

http://www.bikeleague.org/programs/bikeadvocacy/

The text below is copied directly from the League's webpage: take a look:

(begin League of American Bicyclists content:)
Proposal to End Federal Funding for Bike Projects
(6.05.09) A proposal by House Republican leaders to slash critical federal funding for bicycle and pedestrian projects was branded as “short-sighted and out of touch with reality” in a short statement issued by the President of the League of American Bicyclists, Andy Clarke. “House Republican leaders have chosen once again to scapegoat bicycling and walking programs, proposing to end the popular and successful Transportation Enhancements and Safe Routes to Schools programs and to terminate four non-motorized pilot projects mid-stream. These programs are hugely popular with communities across the country and address numerous challenges facing our nation – such as climate change, obesity and oil dependence. We know that State Departments of Transportation have reluctantly implemented these programs over the years despite overwhelming public support, and will not support them independently. To suggest ending these programs is short-sighted and out of touch with reality.”

In addition, the League notes that:

the Transportation Enhancement and Safe Routes to Schools programs are routinely oversubscribed by a factor of three or more whenever States request applications for funding under these programs.
More than 40 percent of all trips in the United States are two miles or less and that almost three-quarters of all car trips are two miles or less, suggesting that most travel is local, regardless of mode.
A 3 percent reduction in vehicle miles traveled in 2008 resulted in a 30 percent reduction in congestion in metropolitan areas around the country, suggesting that demand management strategies such as increasing bicycling and walking are extremely effective in addressing congestion and other traffic-related issues
and subsidies given through tax breaks to drivers to pay for parking at work cost the taxpayer almost as much per year ($4 billion) as Boehner’s and Cantor’s proposal to slash support for bicycling and walking would save in five years.
“We will be asking the White House to reject these proposed cuts out of hand,” continued Clarke. “At a time when we are struggling across several fronts to tackle pressing national concerns related to oil dependence, obesity and the costs of physical inactivity, climate change, air quality and economic competitiveness, it seems inconceivable that we would gut some of the few modest programs that encourage and enable people to walk and bicycle for everyday trips.”
(end League of American Bicyclists content:)

WRITE YOUR REPRESENTATIVE TODAY, and help make sure this doesn't happen!

Frustration as a motivational training tool

2009-06-08T10:04:00.000-05:00

So, after a really bizarre non-start to the 200K, I came home and recollected myself, talked to the wife for a while, and then got shoved out the door to ride anyways.

She knows me pretty well - and getting a ride is better than NOT getting a ride, even if it wasn't for RUSA credit. So, I saddled up.

I guess I needed to blow off some steam, and it worked. I left a lot of myself out on the roads on this last ride, pushing myself pretty hard. I started out heading south on MurLen, and saw several cyclists here and there, including a group that had a member comment about how much he liked my bike... then I realized I'd left my headlight on, which might have been why he noticed. The wind was just right, and even though I knew I'd pay for it later on, I began to ramp up through the gears. I passed a couple more riders on 175th, even before reaching 169 highway. After that, I let it fly. Thoughts ran through my head... should I go to Paola? Should I just head out to Gardner? Maybe... just maybe... I could catch the 200K in-progress before they get to Wellsville? Bet... game on!

I planned my attack, and kept the speed high. 175th to Clare Rd., then 199th.... dang... lot of riders out today! 199th's hills stretched out ahead of me, and I hammered - pausing at Gardner Rd., and then getting the forced turn at Four Corner's road due to construction. There is also a lot of construction out here on these roads, and it struck me that I hadn't been out on a daylight, sunny, weekend ride in months. On ANY of these local roads. In fact, the last time I was on this stretch of road, it was dark, way back at the Moonlight ride in October of last year. Yikes. With 199th being closed, it was time to enter brevet-mode... the only way I was gonna get to Wellsville was on US-56, and so it was. I hopped onto the highway, with the barely existent shoulder, and continued the pace as best I could. Traffic was still steady for a Sunday, which is unfortunate. I flew along, watching the birds flitter around, listening to squeaky oil derricks, and trying my best to keep the bicycle tires inside the 6 inch shoulder I had. This is why I wear those ridiculous blaze-yellow jerseys... anything less conspicuous, I'm not sure how well I'd fare on these highway sections. I figure, highways workers have to wear these colors - there must be something to it, and I don't really want to advertise for anyone - so the fancier jersey's are "out". Seems to work for me.

I fly through Edgerton, KS., and continue west - I've still got water, and Wellsville isn't too far from here.... but wait... bogeys! Targets! Acquired! Up the road about a mile or more, a little, unmistakable blip of a cyclist. It's not one of the permanent riders, no - wrong road... but it IS motivation. Time to catch em, if I can... I try to remember the maps in my head... the turn south to Wellsville is only a few miles, maybe one mile past the Douglas County line? Bah.... just get 'em. One mile... still don't have em... (well, I didn't expect to that quickly)... but eventually the Douglas County line arrives, and they are only slightly closer... THEY! I see another rider pop out to the left, very briefly they ride two abreast... two targets... ack! Three! Another one pops out... and then they fade back into a paceline... crud, catching a paceline is hard, even if it's only three guys. If they are rotating and taking turns, they will easily hold me off. Only solution... see what I got. I click another gear, and raise the pace until my cadence is back where it was in the previous gear. The turn is coming! Move it!! I pull in another 1/4 mile, perhaps... they are slightly closer, and I can start to pick out colors on their jerseys and more distinct shapes. But, the turn is nearly here.... there's K-33 south... the first Wellsville turn... DG-1061, on the permanent route, is next... okay, what's my move? Do I try to catch them, or do I turn south and try to catch the permanent riders, whom I haven't seen and don't know where they are? There's 1061... and now I can really see the three of them, as they have already turned, probably a half-mile away now.... SO close...

I turn north... I gotta catch these guys, I don't know WHY - but I do....

The southern wind is picking up bigtime, and the three riders are regrouped and pushing harder. It almost seems like they have gained back some distance by the time I make the turn onto 1061 north myself. I slugged some water, and took another shot of Hammer Gel - alright, you abandoned your original plan for these three mystery riders... get 'em, already! I peer down, and I'm already north of 25 mph... there is some push left, so do it! As it's been said.... "get it on...." It's time to make it hurt a little, and if speed is what I want back in my game then its time to push harder than I would normally push - chase them down, and be stronger for it. I channel in some of my frustration from the previous evening in the garage, and raise the pace once again. I have to be faster and stronger then these three working together. I crest another hill, and I see them again - closer... close enough to see a head pop around and look back. Do they know I'm here? The head snaps back in line, and it seems like they organize a little more, lining up perfectly. Oh, no.... I will get you.... My quads are on fire on the next hill.... I'm moving tons of air with each breath.... spitting on the road... the body is reaching its limit, and stuff begins to protest. I remember the tactics I'd seen on countless races and 'Tour videos, Paul Sherwin talking in my ear all of the sudden -- I love moments like that on the bike... DEEPLY vested in the moment of the chase!!! "If he's going to reel them in, he's going to have to do it in the hills - he won't catch out these three on the flats...." ..and his classic counterpart... "right you are, Paul, exactly... look at the face of this man, he can nearly smell the finishing line, and he want's the stage victory so very badly... but if he's going to catch these three before the line in Eudora, he's going to have to take advantage of these climbs before the road flattens out for the last few kilometers ...." Another hill, destroyed...! They are closer... another hill.... legs on fire! I can hear them shifting, just ahead from me... there they are! I'm finally on a wheel..... and I have just enough composure left to pull off the "morning! How's it goin'?!" greeting... in as clear and calm a voice as I can muster underneath the effort it took to get there. At this point, the threesome is split... there is a lone rider off the front, and then these two behind... and I am greeted with "hey there, go chase down THAT guy! We can't get him to slow down!" with a chuckle... "ok, I'll see what I can do!" Still amped up, I pull out, and raise the pace again to catch the lone leader... and a few strokes later, I'm there, on HIS wheel! Awesome! A few pleasantries are exchanged, and he says something about there being two riders behind him... unsure what that meant - but I was anxious to keep my fantasy alive... I pulled around the right as he ducked left to receive a pull, perhaps?, but I had my eyes on that imaginary line again. After chasing for eight miles, I wasn't going to fall into a paceline - no sir... I was taking Eudora, solo... and so I picked up the pace again, right when the RAIN BEGAN! Ahhhh..... there is something dramatic about the scenes playing out in my head as I continued my own training, hammering again, leaving the threesome behind, and tearing a hole in the rain at 27 mph.... I felt really, really alive. I never even looked back. They could have turned off at any of the numerous intersections I passed in the next six miles to Eudora, but I still pretended they were behind me, and I was taking this imaginary stage I'd set up for myself. It's been a long, long time, even if the only willing participant was myself, that I felt that racing urge, that drive to catch, pass, and stay away. And to be able to pull it off again.... I'm slowly reaching a point where, if I play things right, stay injury-free, and look carefully at finances for 2010, that I will create a new benchmark year for myself. No longer will I wax on about 2003... but I will write a new story.... Ahhhhhh..... I feel good today.

The rain fades, Eudora comes, the fanfare in my mind fading a little, no sign of my pursuers. I pause at Casey's and fill my bottles, and the rest of the ride is spent at a slower (nearly by force) pace. I ride up the permanent route, backwards, and pass by Linwood, around the hairpin curve to Golden Road, and pick up the pavement markings from the JCBC Spring Classic on the pavement, and follow that back in towards the south and east. I pass over the Kansas river again, down to Desoto, and zig-zag my way back to 151st Street near Gardner Lake, then thru New Century Air Center, and finally slowing WAY down as I gulp my last drops of water near 167th and Clare Road. It's getting HOT, and the headwind all the way south from Linwood is taking its toll. I find a soccer park and a water fountain, and top off the bottles and myself with cold, cold water. Ahhh..... better... 175th, across the tracks, and back north on Murlen, hammering a little bit more with the wind at my back for the first time in 20 miles or so. WheeeeeW!!!!! I arrive SPENT, cooked, toasted..... very aware of my legs... a GOOD, solid workout, with nothing much left in the legs. As it should be... I haven't had a ride like this in years. Now, to rest. Needless to say, I'm feeling pretty good right now! What could have been a weekend-ruiner from the debacle in the garage the previous evening, well, it turned out okay. It wasn't a 200K, it wasn't for credit... but with a feeling like this, the heat, the scenery, the challenges along the way - this was a good ride.

Thanks for reading!

Freaking bummerland

2009-06-06T23:58:00.000-05:00

I suppose it won't be a total loss: there is lots of month left for me, but who am I kidding? I think I might be trying too hard to get another R-12 started, and fate is shaking her finger at me. Because of a family member's car woes I lent a helping hand on Thursday this week and let them borrow my car for a few days. No biggie at all, really, because I haven't been using it. The commuting has been going really well, and we have the wife's car if needed...which, would come up this weekend because I knew I'd have to travel to the ride start Sunday AM. The ride start, honestly, is a skip away - like 30 miles from the house. The usual solution is simply to make it a 300k by riding to and from the event. No biggie, but time is not on my side: I have to be back in time to make a Sunday night dinner - and even though I'm feeling especially strong, its best not to push one's luck. So, I make my plans, lay out clothes, and mix bottles. The usual. The time comes, after w
atching "Bolt" with the kids and putting them to bed, to perform the last step: pack the wifes car. It's a bigger car, slightly, than mine so this should be a snap. I drop the fold down seats, and take the front wheel off the bike. I begin to get it into the trunk - but its hitting something. I try a different angle...no....backwards? No. what the? So, I remove the rear wheel also...try again... No. Denied. Fail. WHAT IS THE DEAL? What appears to be a larger car yields a smaller trunk, and a tiny little pass-thru where the seats fold down, instead of the fully open fold down I get with my car. With the fenders attached, I can't get the frame in sideways to sit wheel-less inside the trunk either. The farthest I can get it in longways, the handlebars are sticking out of the lid...and I'm sorry: its ME: I ain't bungeeing or tying the trunk lid down against my bike's bartape. No sir. It's either IN the car where nothing will happen to it, or its OUT of the
car - there is no halfway. I try laying it across the back seats, but the doors won't close.. And I discover I've now left a nice chainring tattoo across the wife's light grey interior now. Pause, apply stain lifter, clean.....whew...... I try every possible angle, approach, and nothing gets the bike in the car without having something about to get bent, pressed against wrong, kinked, or sticking out. So, I can either remove the rear fender, which requires removing generator taillight wiring (no.), or I can remove the seatpost - which is a ridiculously tight fit (no.) - or I can remove the front fender and turn the handlebars sideways.... Dude, this is getting stupid..... I will remove a front wheel for bike portage, but I don't need to be reassembling a bike in a parking lot before a 126 mile ride, where everything needs to work so I can get home on time: oh, yeah..and have time to take the bike apart again so I can get it home. Let's forget the hour I just killed t
rying to Rubiks Jenga Uno this bike into this stupid car.... This is BS. It's now an hour past when I wanted to get to bed for the 4am alarm call... I'm sweating, stressed, nearly hopping mad, confused why Kia makes a larger car with LESS storage space than my (under loan) Kia Rio has...into-which my bike slides easily in and out of with no hassles, and ticked at myself for making assumptions that it was gonna fit just fine without checking first, and not at least attempting to pack the car until an hour before bed-down. I tried everything - I can pack a car: I once got a lawn mower and about 20 boxes of stuff and two people into a 91 Escort. Why the heck can't this bicycle fit into this car?!?!?! Why is the passthru so small? How come that part of the trunk is shaped that way? Theres no reason for it! No matter what I try, something is preventing something from closing, or the frame is resting on a component that will get bent or pushed out of adjustment in transit
, and that's not worth it, either.
I shoulda loaned the wife's car, but I didn't think it'd be this way, as I'm standing in the garage with the bike upside-down, both wheels removed, and beginning to wonder if I really need those fenders on there....hmmm....DUDE, NO, STOP. This is dumb. Just...stop......

fine.

I'll wake up, drive up there, get cards and cue sheets passed out, see the riders off, and go home. Maybe I'll ride somewhere else later, just meander, and then come home and chill. It just won't be the same, and won't be for the RUSA credit I was looking to get. Who knows...but, I DO know I won't be riding the All's Wellsville in 6 hours, that's apparent. Ooooooooohhhhhhh well. With the weight loss, the strength I've been feeling lately, the good meal tonight, the bike running great, an awesome tailwind forecast and sunny skies and mid-80s on tap, and an actual GROUP of riders on a KC Area PERMANENT?!? Six riders?! Dude...that was gonna be sweeeeet .... I was just really excited about this one. Maybe I can get another one later this month: but a few things are certain: my next 'car' will be a pickup truck. Family can borrow my wife's car. AHGGHGHHGGGG.....!!!!!!

200K and 1000K this weekend!

2009-06-05T11:00:00.002-05:00

I'm not doing the BIG ONE this year... maybe next?
But, it oughta be an epic journey! Check the KCBrevets webpage and follow the ride!

Also happening this weekend, the All's Wellsville 200K Permanent ride from KCK to Ottawa, KS. and back. Should be an AWEsome day for a ride, and we've got six hearty riders taking part!
Look for photos and posts from the road, and a full ride report here after the ride wraps up.

Posts from the road, eh?
Cyclists UNITE! Look for me on BrightKite.

200K permanent this weekend!

2009-06-01T12:04:00.001-05:00

Happy birthday to me - it's a 200K permanent!

This time, we head out to Ottawa and back on the All's Wellsville route.

Should be a good time, as we already have four people on the board for this one.

If you are interested, please contact our RPC: Spencer before Wednesday at the latest - after that, we can't accommodate your request.

(I'll be working on getting better notice for these next month)

Peugeot PR-10 is up for purchase

2009-05-26T08:08:00.003-05:00

It's back on the block: If you know of someone looking for a little hunk of cycling lore and history, this is your shot - pass the word:

View listing here.

Truly has to be seen to be appreciated - I can't believe I've had the willpower to not ride this thing, honestly. It's gorgeous. Mention this web-page, and receive the "FOCD" discount. Kansas City deals preferred, unless you are willing to pay for heavily-insured shipping.

The Got-Off-Work-Early Me-Time ride

2009-05-22T17:45:00.002-05:00

An awesome day, and the surprise of getting released early in the afternoon, I take advantage of the fact the wife wasn't expecting me until 5:00pm anyways, and the kids were occupied, to take a free pass and take the LONG way home.... like over three times longer. I Actually hit the drive way about 15 minutes earlier than I normally would have had I left work normally, so it worked out perfectly!

An awesome day, so I revisited the original Dark Side Ride "Prospectors" route, which meanders over into Missouri via the Tomahawk trail, south on Mission Road to 133rd, over to old 150 highway in Martin City - lured by barbecue scents blown on the stiff SE winds. 139th, east to Prospect, and south to 195th, over to State Line, 199th, and finally taking a rest at Metcalf and the Stillwell Grocery and BBQ joint.

Hotter than I expected, and it really hasn't been that way this year yet - at least, not from the saddle for an extended period. Standard commuting set-up only has me with one water bottle, too, and I was slacking on hydration. Doy. How many different ways must I learn this one? Hahahaha! At least I didn't bonk or pass out. Stillwell came just in time, and I recovered nicely.

Right about the time I was leaving the Grocery, a couple of - well, people I just got finished ranting about a little down this page - came up the road, and proceeded to roll right thru the four-way stop at Metcalf. Geeez... what to do? Cervelo.... you know, I take back my desire for one of these, possibly. There seems to be a stigma growing. Ugh. Actually, I quote Lance and retract my last statement: It's not about the bike.

With their Zipp wheels and sleeveless jerseys, man they looked fast -- and to be fair, they were fast. With fenders, flaps, full panniers from work - well, let's just give this a try, eh? Hammer on! Reaching 30 mph felt flippin awesome with the slight downhill and SE wind certainly helping - and while I started to slowly, ever so slowly, reel back a little distance as they worked together and drafted off one another, there just wasn't enough road to catch up before my scheduled turn at Antioch. Time to do something that they won't... gravel! 191st Street, some hills, and then the pavement runs out -- to Renner, move gravel, and finally back in the Olathe. Ahhh.... 45+ miles for the day, a little worse for the wear with the dehydration bout, and a touch of sunburn - not too bad... Ahhhh.... a good way to start a three-day weekend!

I hope you all enjoy yours!

Addendum: Rant of Spring.

2009-05-21T21:22:00.003-05:00

Perhaps I'm a gutless idiot, but I can't offer up a rant telling people they're going it wrong without offering suggestions on how to do it RIGHT. So, here you go:

http://www.kenkifer.com/bikepages/traffic/traffic.htm

http://www.bikeiowa.com/asp/bike/RidinginTraffic.asp

http://kentsbike.blogspot.com/2008/04/rights-and-duties-of-cyclists.html

http://commutebybike.com/2008/03/18/top-5-reasons-to-claim-the-lane-and-why-its-safer/

The above article on Commute By Bike, I found very informative - and it highlighted a way that I was doing it "wrong" - riding too far to the right DOES cause problems, causes a "squeeze", and can be more dangerous. This, as I stand corrected, seems to make sense why some cyclists I've witnessed might not alway be hugging the curb-line - they're claiming the lane. Now, I think this needs to be tendered to to automobile audience of the moment, and should be used as a guideline, not as a fist-on-the-table rule. If someone is giving you a hard time on the road, give them more room to pass. This is also shown in the video link on Kent's Bike Blog. I think the learning curve for a lot of motorists around here is kinda steep, so I've been playing 50/50 with this guideline - staying to the right, but not SO far to the right that I have nowhere to go. Could I do better? Absolutely - and it's got me thinking about tomorrow's commute already. I'm not perfect, and I'm okay with that. I think most of us ARE doing a fine job, and things have gotten better over the years. Diligence pays off, however, and I encourage even seasoned cyclists to take a look at these links, and offer your commentary, feedback, experiences - positive or negative. I opened this can, after all. Talking about it helps us all benefit.

Thanks for reading!

Your rant of the Spring

2009-05-21T14:14:00.003-05:00

I gotta tell ya, a conversation with a fellow "dude" at work today confirms what I was suspecting: Seems like every year, as the weather warms, I begin to get less respect from motorists on the road. How can this be? I can't begin to tell you how many of these types of rants that I've started writing, and then delete. I just don't know how this kind of post helps -- I'm trying to glorify cycling, invite people to it, garner relationships and grow community among cyclists - and I don't think getting on here and complaining about "other" cyclists does any good. I don't know if it makes any darn difference, so it ends up being nothing more than a "getting it off my chest" forum. You're all gonna do what you're gonna do - and chances are, the offenders aren't even reading this blog. I just wish the message was pervasive and resonant enough to wake up the ones that need to hear it, so I ask respectfully of my readers that if you see behaviors that need to change, say something. You can tell friends anything, right? If they take it the wrong way, well, perhaps the friendship was as genuine as their riding skills. I have to take that risk, also.

Year over year, there are blog posts, news article comments online - most recently about Bike to Work Week - and the majority of them are anti-cycling. It's surprising to me that as a cyclist, seeing what I see out there on the streets, that I have a very hard time disagreeing with some of the posters. Honestly, people are people: they are writing what they are writing because of an experience they had. Can you fault them for that? The fact that it happened is the unfortunate part - because if we were all doing it correctly, those posts wouldn't be there. If there aren't any cars around to see what you're doing, I don't care WHAT you do. If there are cars ANY-where around you, though, behave! If you're holding up traffic, running stop signs, blowing red lights, riding on the wrong side of the road, riding all the way up the right-hand side of a line of cars to get to the stop-sign (as if being on a bicycle grants you permission to jump to the front of the line), stopping in the middle of the road at an intersection to get something out of your seat-bag, riding 15-abreast on Lamar with a line of cars behind all of you because it's "the wacky Wednesday-night hot-dog ride", or you're out there otherwise being stupid, with witnesses in cars behind you that are going to bottle up that frustration and take it out on another cyclist down the road later on, then you're just plain doing it wrong. I'm not sorry about it anymore - with regards to the rules of the road, there is "right" and there is "wrong".

The "wrong" behavior has a consequence - even if that consequence is not delivered to the offender. At 35 MPH, a motorist is going to pass you and get away from you quite fast - and with each passing mile the event in question - however insignificant it may have seemed - will get replayed over and over in that driver's head, and they're going to talk, text, Twitter, Facebook, blog, whatever about it for days afterwards. Other people get into cars after hearing this story - which may potentially be overblown - and they're going to come upon another cyclist. A cyclist that is minding their own business, potentially doing everything RIGHT. Without warning, people are gonna get hit, gonna get stuff thrown at them, gonna get yelled at, and are gonna get hurt and possibly killed. There's no excuse for letting this happen.

Where in the world did anyone get this "by devine right, I will take this entire lane, and ride any flippin' way I please" mentality come from? When someone yells "car back", how come you don't move over to the right and single up? WHY? What's the reason? I have never understood this, after 11 years back on the bike. You're riding in traffic, on a bicycle, and you're essentially no more protected or respected than a possum or squirrel - totally venerable, utterly unprotected, and no-one cares about you. I've heard stories of cars swerving to avoid a DOG, and hitting a cyclist as a result. If that doesn't tell you the REAL pecking order, I don't know what does. A thin layer of spandex is the only thing protecting you from serious hospital time. Your helmet - well, assuming you wear one at all - is not going to keep you safe. That thing underneath it is supposed to do that. Common sense. Self-preservation. The only thing that is keeping you safe and alive, ride after ride, is the WAY YOU BEHAVE.

Racers. Ah, racers. Tell me; what kind of performance-enhancing drugs does someone have to inject to get the nerve to do - and I'm not making this one up: laps up and down Blackbob in Olathe, between 151st and 143rd, on a Cervelo, wearing a CSC jersey, NO helmet, taking the entire lane in the process - sometimes the inner-most lane, and causing people to have to brake wildly as they dart across lanes to circle around again from the median, without looking, without slowing, at 4:45 in the afternoon - practically rush-hour? Thanks a WHOLE lot, man - I appreciate it. Noting the bicycle type and jersey configuration, it's certainly the same notion that gives expensive luxury-car and SUV drivers the notion that the speed limits and turn-signal laws don't apply to them: divinity by purchase price. When did suddenly NOT wearing a helmet become vogue again? I guess we need another pro-peloton rider to die to reinforce the notion that your skull isn't bullet-proof? I suppose that's okay, actually - in keeping with the tone of this commentary, perhaps I don't want you wearing a helmet, after all. Good luck to ya.

Yesterday, I end up standing at an intersection, trying to convince on-coming traffic that it's REALLY their turn to go, because they're just sitting there waiting for me to run the stop sign. That indicates to me that the common perception out there has shifted enough to have drivers expecting the wrong behavior. So, by consequence the correct behavior becomes the exception. A month ago, that wasn't happening. Hand signals are being misconstrued as inappropriate hand gestures - because somebody on a group ride, somewhere, flipped off a guy in a car -- then, days later, that same driver gets behind me when I'm about to turn left - and my arm comes out.... what's he thinking? What does he think I'M thinking? What's he going to do? Am I the last straw for him, even though I was only signaling a turn? Thanks again, whoever you are, group rider. I mean, at what point do we stop talking about this and just throw up our arms and start riding down the middle of I-435? Just get it over with. I want to die in traffic - that's how I want to go, by howdy. Did your mommy not hug you enough when you were a kid? Do you honestly just not know how to ride in traffic? Did no-one teach you? If you're having a problem with cars, did you ever wonder if it was you?

Honestly, it's the state of the nation. It's the state of Johnson County cycling. "Me, me, me." It's MY road, it's MY workout, it's MY triathlon training, it's NOT my problem, I'M fast enough so I don't have to obey the rules and guidelines, and there's more than ten of us out here so the stop signs must just be a suggestion. Wake-up: The world is NOT a closed-course. The freaking police aren't even on our side, guys - c'mon! Leawood, Overland Park, Prairie Village, Olathe - You know WHY? Because we're doing it wrong! Why are they going to waste time protecting and serving cyclists if we're always the variable? If cyclists were consistent and followed the rules, then maybe the authorities would get on our side and start punishing drivers for acting out. No-one cares about us, guys - I'm serious. I just want to make it home to my wife and kids safely after each ride. I don't know what some of you are thinking or doing, but if you're getting hassled by drivers it's time to ask yourselves "what could I be doing differently?" Oh, silly me... that takes a sense of humanity. It's about "you", I forgot. There are no consequences, there is no such thing as Karma, and drivers will forget about what you did as soon as they are a mile down the road. "Oh, no - they had to wait ten extra seconds because they had to pass me" --- you know, I've heard that, and I've said that; but, really, their perception is what's real to them at that moment. Why make it harder than it needs to be? Ride safe, ride smart - the rest takes care of itself, TRUST me. You don't have to take every opportunity to remind motorists that you have a right to be on the road. GET OVER. Let them pass. Don't run the stop sign. OH, sorry -- you might have had to wait ten extra seconds. Go ahead and run it. Especially in a group - I mean, why think for yourself? Everyone else is doing it, right?

Arguably, you could say the entire purpose of this post is to shape up everyone else so that *I* have an easier time of things. Sure, that's part of it - I'm a big boy, I can take it just fine. I work in corporate America: I know what it's like to take the brunt of someone else's screw-up - but I'm tired of doing it from the saddle, too. Yeah, I've screwed up plenty - but I learn from it, change the behavior, and move on. I'm actually trying to ride by the rules, to play it safe, and to not cause a fuss - I'm trying to do my part, and ride to the right, and make it safe for cars to pass me, just as they have a responsibility to pass me safely. I get in line with the rest of traffic when approaching an intersection, and I've NEVER been yelled at or honked at for doing it. Honestly, it doesn't happen to me that much - I had stuff thrown at me once in 2003, and I had someone get out of a car up the road to yell at me once in 2001. That's it, in nearly 70,000 miles. As a business analyst and statistics nut, that tells me a clear result: I must be doing okay. However, again, it seems to happen every Spring when it's finally warm enough to get those that don't do their part back out on the roads - it gets a little more tenuous for everyone. So, no, it's not really about me: it's the stories I hear from other cyclists that bother me - tales of bottles hurled along with obscenities... why is it happening to them? There has to be something happening to warrant it, and it needs to change. I'm fighting and yelling for ALL of our rights - and, more importantly, so are our advocates fighting for bike lanes and safe bridge crossings and Katy Trail connections. Essentially what you have is someone standing up on the floor in Topeka or Jefferson City, on your behalf, telling someone with a coffer of tax money that "we've earned it" and "we'll make good on it", and then you ride the way you do? Shameful. Those that would do it "wrong": shape up, do your part, or hang up the bike - it's that simple.

An awesome week on tap

2009-05-18T15:33:00.000-05:00

I'm excited to have put some serious projects behind me, and while the rest of the month is still a little hectic I think things will be okay - barring any major surprises.

Of course, now that I've SAID THAT OUT LOUD.... yeesh.

Weather-wise, this week looks to be really, really nice. It's kinda sucky, however, that I've decided not to ride the 600K this coming weekend - because the weather is going to be nearly perfect. It would make that long, difficult ride a lot easier to manage - but I think I'll start the day with a considerably shorter ride, and then offer my support to those that ARE going to ride it. I've received a barrage of emails asking what my problem is, why I'm not riding the 600, etc, etc, etc. - so I suppose I'd better outline that before I invite another onslaught of messages. I feel really good, really strong, and things went tremendously well for the 300 and 400K's, but I need a break. I need to stop stressing about it for a while, and start to clear off my calendar. I'm trying to do TOO much - and that's my call to make. Can I do a 600K? You betcha... and I was considering riding it straight through for the first time this year -- but there's always next year. Time away from the kids, the wife, working SO much, handling so many problems for people, house issues, just staying on top of the freaking lawn-mowing. Crud... things could be a LOT worse, and sure: maybe a 600K is just the kind of vacation I need. Honestly, I just want to choose to sit down, and have a vacation from just about everything linked to "responsibility". A nice, SHORT ride, on my terms, with no clock -- that sounds nice, and I can be home and hang with the family. In a couple more years... let's see: 34 months, not that I'm counting.... I'll be able to have a clear calendar, and fewer worries, and then the multi-day events will become more do-able. It's not a matter of "can't" --- it's a matter of "shouldn't". So, there ya go.

That aside, I'm exceedingly happy with the numbers I've achieved for myself this year so-far. The 300 went well, the 400 went well, and I think that's a great start towards a potential 2nd R-12 run. On the same vein as just a moment ago, however, I'm not putting too much pressure on myself to keep it going - but it's nice to have something month-over-month to plan for, keep the spirit and the fitness up. I still have to make some runs at the Border Patrol route and see if the weight loss to-date equates to a faster time on that course. Things like that are helping keep the rest of the cycling season in perspective for me. Littler things like the Cider Mill ride in August perhaps, the Tour De Shawnee - some of the old faves that I haven't ridden in a few years -- lots to choose from. For now, commuting and just keeping it low-key, fun, and energetic.

Temperatures this week look really good, and while I SHOULDN'T be using the weather as an excuse to "do the right thing" with regards to alternative transportation and "green" thinking, it helps. It's been a while since I've had a free-enough calendar to get a solid five-day work-week on the saddle. Something always seems to come up, and it may yet happen - but for a Monday, I feel pretty optimistic. Might even take some pictures on the way home today, spice things up and recharge the Picasa page. Enjoy!

Sorry folks

2009-05-16T10:21:00.001-05:00

I just couldn't make it to the swap meet at ACME this morning -- but I still hope YOU did, and gave some of those fine folks some business. Hectic work schedules are taking their toll, I didn't have time to get anything priced this week, and with my 2nd job, I would have had time to get there, set up, break down, and leave for work. Nice. Anyways -- I'll be offering up C'Dude Deals on this page with possible links to Craigslist to get some of this stuff moved -- stay tuned.

Nice to meet me.

2009-05-11T20:46:00.011-05:00

The Leon 400K Report:

I rose on time, leapt from my slumber and hit a hot shower to get ready for what would certainly be a long day. How long, I had no idea. Coffee on the back porch, and that familiar clang of windchimes around the neighborhood, the rushing of wind through leaves all around. Wind. My old foe. Even on the drive north, I could tell the wind was putting up a good fight. I arrived at the Perkin's in Liberty at 5:00AM, and exited the car - immediately greeted by the cool wind, and began to shiver while I talked to Bob Burns and got my registration straight. After unpacking the car and preparing the bike, my post from last ride was riht on the money - pack everything, right? Good move, because I promptly took everything out of the bag one by one and donned it. A friend on Facebook nailed the notion: it's very odd indeed that a mere month ago 60 degrees would have been considered nice and warm... and that morning at 47ºF reading on the bank thermometer across the way was confirmation enough that it was downright COLD. Not the coldest 400K start, but still. Perkins opened at 5:30, and I was quick to rush inside to warmth and the requisite pre-ride restroom break. Some toast and jelly, and soon Bob was rounding people up outside. Time to ride.

A good showing, and a lot of the usual rando-crowd - Dale B., Jeff W., Jack R., Spencer K., Steve B., Kent F., Karen, a tandem couple from Colorado (word is getting out!), Alex, Danny "Clink", the yellow Litespeed, a recumbent, and (crud.... one mental casualty I'm missing one name.) I'm getting better, I promise I'm trying.

I did it yet again... I don't know WHAT it is about highway H headed out of Liberty, or the thrill of being with a group instead of solo, but I ALWAYS do this. Hey, look ... someone's riding fast! Get 'em! Even though time and time again, I know what the price is for that move... but, interestingly enough that price is slowly becoming more speed at distance. Today, however, it's a move I'd regret for many, many miles. Move #1, there is a mileage error in the cue sheet that the four of us up front realize at the 9.9 mile marker... knowing the turn off this road for the 200K is normally at the 12.1 mile marker, and on Google Maps (my usual preview source) the prescribed turn was AFTER this point. So, we rode on, slowly, and looked and looked - and we passed a road with no road-sign... which was THE road. Did we turn? No... "that can't be it..." - but it WAS it. Cut into the hills of Excelsior Springs, miles later, we got directions back on-route, and rejoined the correct road, with bonus miles in the tank. Ugh... not what any of us wanted, but hey... it's early. The problem now, nobody knew who was behind us, who was in front of us. For the trio of Alex, Steve and Jeff, however, this was not a problem. They make up time by simply riding a WHOLE lot faster than I can (yet). Before even a half-mile has elapsed, they three were advancing up the road towards whomever was up ahead. Little did I know, it was Spencer, Danny and friends - I think. Honestly, at this point, I knew that I was probably in for another long solo-mission on the roads of Missouri. For now, and for the next 55 miles, we'd be on ONE road with no turns. Welcome to US-69 highway. Sounds forbidding, but really with Interstate thirty-five SO close-by, there was not much traffic to speak of on the highway - a nice surprise. Still, this would prove damaging as the day progressed: part of my mental tool kit for dealing with these rides is checking off the turns - and for this ride there simply weren't that many of them.

We passed a little gas station at Lawson, MO., and I quickly stopped to regroup myself, hit the head, and get more water. Note to self: the third-water-bottle trick I'd used for the 300K was a GOOD idea, and for some reason I took the notion from this route that since there was a C-store every 20 miles on average that I'd just tough it out on water storage. That's one of the things I'd change about this one. I just like having the surplus, as opposed to completely running out. Feeling that burst of air from the water bottle as the last drops of water are blown past thirsty lips is one of the most harrowing sounds in long-distance cycling when you are still miles from the next stop - especially with my tendency to process water so fast. It happened more than a few times, and I remembered how nice the 300K went and smacked myself, mentally.

After emerging from the c-store restroom, I had no idea who had passed by, who was where, or what -- all I knew was, I had to ride to Pattonsburg and get my card signed. That's it - that's the next move. Just pedal. And, so, I did. The next 25 miles, I was alone, pedaling up over hills, along the highway. I don't remember too much about that part other than the fact the WIND began to annoy. Thankfully, along came a threesome of Dale B., Kent and "Yellow Litespeed", catching me up. Always a pleasure to ride with, and a gentleman, Dale invites me to hop on. I do. Those following 25 miles were FAR easier. Thanks, guys!

We ride and ride, northbound, fighting the wind, fighting chills, fighting hunger and fatigue, dodging pavement anomalies, and finally we arrive in Cameron, MO. It's not a control, but it's a chance to stop and regroup, physically and mentally. "Three hours is plenty," says Dale, and we find a Burger King near US-36 and stop for a break and a bite. REAL FOOD. This is something that I don't normally engage in on these rides. I'm usually the guy that is laden down with powdered fuel, drinking happily from control to control on my steady, predictable, and easy to handle "engineered nutrition" plan. It's seldom failed me. However, due to a pre-ride blunder involving me not reordering my trusty Carboplex, I was flying on very little on-board food. I had a back pocket dedicated to it - just munchies, stuff to sustain me between controls. Peanut butter crackers are the norm here, since they seemed to work okay on the 300K. Thankfully, I did have enough Carboplex left over from the 300K to stoke the bottles for the first leg of the ride - which effectively has got me to Cameron. The wind requires a lot more energy to pedal through, so intake was up. With both bottles already diluted from the stop in Lawson earlier, I was running on Carboplex vapors, and was starting to feel it as we climbed the hills going thru Cameron, up to the ridge on-which US-36 rests. Us four rolled up, dismounted, and headed inside for the feast. Egg and cheese "Croissanwich" tasted like pure heaven. The lights came on a little - being a vegetarian, it's hard enough finding the right fuel at a c-store that won't give me problems yet still provides enough protein and calories - but, this good, hot food was perfect. I highly recommend it. I just have to remind myself not to go TOO crazy... you want to be satisfied, not FULL - be careful not to overload the system and cause issues down the roadway. It's all personal, all open to YOUR experimentation - I can't officially recommend anything here. What works for me works for me. The breakfast sandwich was a great idea, tasted AWESOME because it was earned, and provided the lift I needed and the fuel to get me to the control at Pattonsburg - which was still 27 miles away.

The four of us continued to work well together, taking pulls, managing the hills and the wind along the way to Pattonsburg - we passed thru Winston, near Altamont, and reeled in another rider about 10 miles shy of the control, and hooked him onto the paceline. About this point, Dale could "smell" the control, and the pace came up - unfortunately, not everyone was able to keep up. I tried a couple times to get our new fifth rider back up to the pack, but it just didn't work out - the hills were taking their toll - and so I found myself in-between riders, solo again. Thankfully it didn't last long, and I arrived at Pattonsburg for the control, and more food.

There is something to be said for backup plans, and my old nutrition plan, and arriving at a control later than other groups in these smaller towns. After realizing that the pizza in the hot case was already gone-thru, I opted for a pre-packaged bean and cheese burrito, which went down really, really well, and sat good for hours to come. Tired, I answered a phone call I'd missed from the wife, ate my food, and started to get ready to go again. We'd caught up with the next-fastest group, and arrived in time to see the leaders on the road, Jeff and company, getting ready to depart - so, really, I was making good time. The only variable was how long they'd rested. I made as-quick of work of the control as I could, but eventually opted again to wait for the rider that was behind me to be ready in hopes I'd have someone to ride with. Unfortunately, pacing is what it is, and after a couple hills we were separated again. This time, I'd be alone for a WHILE. A LONG while.

I had very little idea how far up the road Spencer and the "middle" group were, but I knew that I couldn't see them cresting any hills - no specs of bright yellow or the flash of sunlight off of a helmet to be seen. The scenery was breath-taking, though. The rains of April have painted the landscape up here a brilliant green as far as my eyes could see - and I smiled a lot about that, but the distraction was always temporary. It was getting warmer, and layers had come off at the last control - so I was enjoying some late spring cycling in lighter clothes, but the wind... man. Constant. No shelter. No treeline, no ridge, nothing. Very little coasting, even on moderate downhill sections. There were hills near Bethany that were interesting, and a long, steady climb up US-136, upon-which US-69 overlays for a while before turning north again. I stopped in Bethany at the Casey's that would serve as a control on the return, long enough to refill my bottles and take a nature break, and then it was back to business. More peanut butter crackers, too, although the burrito lunch was still providing the push I needed. I worked my way out of Bethany, and continued north. At this point, I'd wondered how upset I'd be with myself if I'd just turn around and start back home. The lack of turns, the constant fight against the wind, and being upset with myself for getting lost - which set the tone for missing riding with a group - taking too long at the last control, etc., basically letting the groups get away. It's hard to chase something you can't see - but that's essentially what I kept telling myself: push. They are just around the next bend. Mentally, however, after dozens of bends later and no result, I was getting frustrated. Some people get mad at it, and it makes then push even harder... for me, it becomes brood, it slows the legs, and saps the spirit. I let it happen too easily. KEEP PUSHING. I tell myself over and over that the next hill is one hill LESS until the turn-around. I tell myself how nice things will be after the turn-around, with a near guarantee of a tailwind the entire trip back south. The occasional dog jumping from a front porch was the only thing that lifted my pace, however. It was just steady, steady slogging north... chipping away at it, one pedal stroke at a time. Drink, eat, pedal, repeat - and try not to think. I don't remember much else from this section.

Crossing into Iowa was anticlimatic, as a result. I was too whipped to really "leap up and down" about it, mentally. I stopped and took a picture, and took a leak. A little for Iowa... a little for Missouri... ni-iiiice.

Re-mount, and ride. Even though this was a good sign, a sign that I was getting closer, I couldn't relax yet. I wasn't at the turn-around. I remembered something in my head that Spencer told me back in January: "Whenever I make it to the halfway point, I know I'll finish the ride." I repeated this over and over in my head. Legs? Strong. No cramps. No issues. I was drinking enough, and I stopped at the Casey's in Lanomi, IA to top off the bottles again, which were empty upon arrival - so hydration was good. 3:24 PM. I was climbing strong, in large gears - even standing up to do it, as opposed to just sitting and spinning as easy a gear as I could get away with. Physically, I was on-form and having a good ride -- but mentally I was suffering. This "wasn't worth it", "this is dumb", and "I wonder if the wife would even consider driving up here to get me - would the scolding be worth it?" Ugh.... keep pedalling.

The next section was interesting - I find it hard to say this, but the GOOD PAVEMENT OF MISSOURI was behind me as I rode from Lamoni to Leon, IA. I think the highway there is in a state of transistion, and my attention turned to dodging monster shoulder drop-offs, pavement joint break-ups and cracks, and sloppy asphalt fill. Traffic was acceptable, and I was finally starting to feel closer to a turn-around, physically and mentally. Keeping my mental tank topped off was the fact that on this out-and-back route, I had not yet seen the fast bunch headed back south. Despite my mental struggles of the last 60 miles, I wasn't exactly poking along considering I had been doing solo battle with the wind, where others had enjoyed a group and a draft. Perhaps I was coming back to form, after all? My average speed wasn't too horrid, even though the last section's average speed was a paltry 12.38 mph because of the wind - but, overall, my spirits started to lift as I assessed the total information. It was right about 4 miles from the turn-around that I saw the fast trio come around a bend, headed south - still looking fast - but, again the variable being their rest-time, who knows how far "behind" I really was. Not really the point of all this, I told myself, but I smiled to myself none-the-less. That means, potentially, the middle group was still at the control!

They were - but, just like at Pattonsburg, they were wrapping things up. After riding in, and apparently looking as smoked as I was thinking I felt (again, all mental), I got the advice to get some calories on board, and I'd feel better. All true. I ordered up a cheese sub from the lunch counter, had some famous cheesy potatoes bites, a Coke, some Powerade Zero (Gatorade-style quenching refreshment and electrolytes, withOUT the high-fructose corn syrup and potential stomach upset the old "G" can give. Probably the BEST thing to show up in c-stores since... well, beer.) and some pop-tarts for the back pocket, for later. I ate like a c-store KING, and so-far I was not paying any price for my lack of engineered nutrition. Perhaps a little consistancy - and as I'd find later, I think there really is something to be said against high-fructose corn syrups and such in the food I was eating: even the PB Crackers have some of it. I think after a certain number of hours, you muscles - sure, they'll still burn it - but they "know" the difference. I seem to run-out too fast as the day wears on, and HFCS is not something you want to run out of on a ride like this, because the bonk is tougher. I think it makes you hungrier than you might really be, and it's not "pure", "natural", "good" fuel. It works, but there IS better.... like that cheese sandwich and potatoes I had. More than anything else, THAT real food was what would get me all the way back to Bethany, MO. Upon emerging from inside the Casey's, the now nine-strong middle group, complete with the Colorado tandem, was gone. Alone again. I ate at my own pace, and rested my head, repeating my mantra: it's only going to get better from here. But, in the back of my mind, I knew what time it was. I'd arrived and had my card signed at 4:50pm. We'd left the Perkins in Liberty at 6:00am, and it was 5:02pm when I left from Leon, IA. Eleven hours. Into the wind. Heck, that's a respectable 200K time, really! But, I still had to ride allllll that way back. Every inch that I had come, I had to cover again. My spirit needed a tailwind, and thankfully I was given one.

The next three hours were simply brilliant. I took on a new mental technique, and started resetting the "trip distance 2" counter on my computer every time I saw a new highway sign that, for example, would say "Eagleville: 7 miles". I'd watch the smaller number, and check it off as a small victory -- the tally of each small victory resulting in another small step towards finishing the war. I should have done this on the way UP, but it's not always within our control what kinda of tricks dawn on us, and when. But, it made the resulting leg back to Lamoni quite fast... fast enough to start raising the total average speed a few tenth's of MPH at a time, ever so slowly. Feeling the wind, and feeling inspired with a new goal, things really started coming around. Thinking that part of my success from Leon to Lamoni was Coca-Cola-related, I stopped at the Lamoni Casey's again, got another 12 oz. can, slammed it, and hit the bathroom again. It was now 6:07pm - what had taken me an hour and 16 minutes to cover I had just polished in about an hour - most of it east-west without the true tailwind yet. I knew that I was wasting time stopping, but it was all towards that new goal: catch the middle group at the next control, and stay with them. After all this nonsense, there was no freaking way I was going to ride solo all through the night, all the way back to Liberty. Despite the mental hardships of the previous few hours, it was now time to work. 6:17pm.

And work, I did. Starting to wonder - in spite of the HFCS questions - if engineered nutrition was anything to worry about ever again, I hammered along the miles without any hint of consequence from my day's dietary choices. I was focused, relentless, with the wind my new ally. Towns that I had struggled to get to were now flashing by at speed. "I will not ride alone tonight ... get to Bethany".... over and over....

7:44pm. I arrived at the Casey's in Bethany, MO. From Lamoni to Bethany, an average of 19.2 MPH. Not bad, and mission accomplished: There was the middle group, still on the sidewalk - and I had made up enough time that they were still sorta midway in their control prep, getting ready for the next leg, instead of ready-to-roll out. I asked what they were doing, what their plan was, and rushed inside to grab a couple things and get my card signed. Of course, there is one local guy in line that wants some weird chew that isn't stocked currently, five dollars on Powerball, and a pizza to go - all for the one cashier that's working there. I'm standing, and waiting, and standing, and waiting - and I can see the activity outside on the sidewalk -- cyclists AND bikes are moving about, and I know the writing on the wall. Crud.... then Clink peeks into the store: "you plannin' on being here long?", to which I replied that I was hoping to catch a group back in if they didn't mind waiting -- WHEW... thank goodness.... Danny went back out, spread the news, and the flurry of activity stopped. Time to make good. Customer gone, I got my card signed, food paid, out the door, extra layers from the morning off the back rack and back on my body, while eating, Kent offered up a refill on my bottles which saved a trip back inside, and someone took my trash and deposited it for me -- it went off fast, and hectic, but I didn't want to make the group wait. Success! We all rolled out of the Casey's together, and for the first time in 100 miles I was finally not alone, I took a deep breath, and relaxed a LOT. Eighty-six miles to ride, and the sun was getting low. Time to move.

Because the road is so long, there are no turns, and at night things become quite featureless, the last part of the ride seemed to take forever. Being with a group now, I had conversations and pack dynamics to keep my mind off things - just eat, drink, and pedal. A couple hours later, Kent flatted and we all got a little bit of a rest - local sherriff stops by and provides some extra light so the repair can be made. I call the wife and kids and say goodnight... still a long way to ride, as we're only just south of Pattonsburg ... 65 miles to go? Yikes... don't think too much. You're not alone. 9:05pm.

We all regroup again, and roll out. And that's pretty much how it went for miles and miles and miles. Little towns and houses were checked off, occasional dogs in the distance let us know they were awake and watching us. The big nearly-full moon came up, and we actually howled at it. We're all nuts. I love that...

10:26pm. Winston, MO., another C-store... the first one in hours, it seemed, and we stopped for food, warmth, and rest. Nine miles later, we're in Cameron, MO., another control, and we stop again for rest, food, warmth, more layers. 11:18pm. Our pace was still good, but we were all taking longer and longer breaks, and no-one was really complaining about it. Plenty of time to get back, with a 27-hour cut-off. It was getting chilly, and everyone was wearing everything they'd brought with them. It's strange, I didn't bring my third water bottle, but I DID bring a thin thermal head-and-face cover (balaclava?) and had it in my back pocket all day. I'd done that occasionally in the past - ever since the '05 400K which got so cold at night - because if you can cover your head you WILL stay warmer - plus, you just never know how cold you are going to FEEL, despite the temperatures. I was happy that I'd had at least remembered to bring that little gem... I folded it over itself once and turned it into a watchcap, just enough to cover the ears - and combined with my cycling cap, for the rest of the ride I was perfectly cozy. There are others that are real soldiers; strong, strong people: one guy with no warmers, maybe a vest, no full-finger gloves that just rode along in the upper 40's without so much as a complaint. Other people had to give him a hard time just to get him to acknowledge he was sorta wishing for a jacket or some warmers. His "kung fu" is strong.

After Cameron, more of the same. Eventually we rolled out of town, and continued south.... south............ south. Yeesh. Thank goodness for nearly PERFECT pavement, and light traffic, and a nice moon-lit night. It really was, despite the growing fatigue, the concerns about water, etc., a great night for a bike ride. It's just too bad it took ALL DAY to get this this point. Ahhhh, I take that back... you have to take the bad to appreciate the good. A few things that are probably over-used, but relevant: that which does not kill you makes you stronger - true. Pain is temporary... glory lasts forever - true. Adversity is like a strong wind - fight it long enough, and it strips away everything and reveals who you really are. Nice to meet me. I was encouraged to find that after 130+ miles into that headwind, I turned right around and fought hard to get back to Bethany in time to ride with a group, stayed focused on that goal, and made it happen. In the face of such a long road back, knowing what I had just experienced on the way up, I am proud of the fact that I stood up on the pedals and kept right on pushing. After I turned around, the notions of quitting never came to mind again. I'm pretty happy with that.

If you're going through hell, keep going. ~Winston Churchill.

More of the same all the way back into Excelsior Springs, and finally a huge check-mark off the list as we crossed the citiy line: we were within 20 miles to ride. Slowly we navigated the streets and empty intersections of Excelsior and found the little road we were supposed to have taken 19 hours earlier - well, the little road *I* was supposed to have taken, that is. Everyone else in that fine 9-person group had made all the correct turns. After a quick break, people started to "smell the barn" and we all broke apart into mini-groups and started making our way back southwest on highway "H" towards Liberty, each at our pace. It's odd, in all the time I've passed over this road, I'd never ridden it IN to town before; the return route was always back into Liberty from another direction. It's a neat road - sorta eerie after dark, not a lot of traffic, as usual. Nice. I finally got up the nerve to check the clock on my bike computer -- okay, not TOO bad... 1:53 AM... so, we're not going to finish before Perkin's closes at 2AM. That was a small disappointment, because part of my focus for the last 30 miles was a nice, hot stack of pancakes, coffee and juice, maybe some hashbrowns.... with cheese.... OH LORD that would have tasted GOOOOD. Still, I knew there were other 24-hour food options, but I really kinda wanted that pre-2:00AM finish to work out. Maybe next time.... yeah, yeah. Mentally, I decided that this is probably my last brevet of the year over the 250km mark - the verdict is still out on that one, but I need time to recover, rest, and forget. It's Tuesday, and - going back to nutrition again - I know there is a difference: when the engineered nutrition folks claim you will "recover faster", I think I know what they are talking about now. While I don't think I'm damaged - I'm sore from the RIDE, not poor bike fit or anything - I can almost 'feel' the toxins in my leg muscles. I've been drinking a LOT of water these last 72 hours, that's for sure. Some of it might be from the effort itself - because even though this one was mentally exhausting, there was a killer headwind which I fought alone for nearly 100 miles solo, this was still my 2nd BEST finishing time for this distance. Not by leaps and bounds, but it should be noted that the other 400K times were on *shorter* courses. I showed 263.7 miles at the finish of this one, really making it a 424k ride, and the Grandview and "East" rides are right around 252. Despite all the hardship on the way up, and all the extra rests on the way down, I managed 20 hours and 35 minutes. I can handle that. Rolling time was around 17 hours and change ... numbers aren't in front of me. So, my goal of a real rando test, on a new route, with a lot of unknowns, no engineered nutrition to "boost" me along, borderline dehydration because I was dumb and didn't run three bottles, and getting lost at the beginning - well, I'd say I passed. Not sure what that really means, what it "gets me ready" for, or whatever - but I'm a happy randonneur, that's for sure. I got my card signed and handed it to Bob Burns, who was back in the parking lot checking on people, at 2:35AM on Sunday. Done. Done. DONE. Verdict is still out on the 600K at this point - honestly, this year, it might be too much. Can I? Yes. Should I? mmm.....

I can only say this now: Saturday was a great day.

After ALL that, how can I say that? People have asked me, and it's hard to describe. Basically, it's a great tool for life - at least it is for me - to absolutely get the snot kicked out of you once in a while. With time and distance, you see yourself for what you really are, what you can handle, what you are made of. There is little else left in this world that gives a person that feeling, honestly, the way it was MEANT to be given. Quite literally, this sport gives back everything I throw into it. People can say I'm nuts all they like, shoot me looks, comment on the outfits, the bags, the helmet - but I know myself. I know what I am, what I can do, what I'm worth. For me, it involves a bicycle -- but it's not really about that. I could just as easily walk or jog a ridiculous distance, and accomplish the same thing. But, to be able to look over your shoulder and say, "I rode to freakin' Iowa from KC on a bicycle.", it's like... what ELSE you got, life? It may not be all sunshine and roses, for sure, but you'll know what your limits are - you'll probably surprise yourself and find that your limit is farther out of reach that you might have thought. Everyone says the same thing to me: "that'd KILL me," or "I can't do THAT." - BULL. You should have seen me in high school; if *I* can do this - then anyone can, and I really mean that. No, you don't have to do exactly what I do - but, do SOME-thing, anything - spark it, find it, REACH. You, and your very soul, deserve it. I think it's part of the human condition: strength through suffering, finding importance in your family, your faith, your self; the latter of which doesn't have to be "selfish" - know thyself, right?

When you're hungry, tired, it's dark, you're frazzled from passing traffic, spooked by charging dogs, you've had a flat tire, you're out of water, it starts to rain, and then someone says, "only 70 miles to go" - and you can find a silver lining in that??? You're ALIVE. Relish it.

424 kilometers, success...!

2009-05-10T12:56:00.003-05:00

I'm cooked fairly well - so there won't be much in this post, only to say that I finished.

A true randonneuring test-of-will. Over the years these rides "got easier" because you know the routes, you know what to expect, you know landmarks, and you can check off the turns one-by-one. This route was totally new, and there were very FEW turns... 42 miles between turns in one instance. This makes it harder, mentally; FAR more difficult than the distance alone would indicate.

But, despite the horrendous headwinds out of the northwest/east, with no shelter, no respite, and hills after hill after hill, I made it to Leon, IA after about 10 hrs, 45 minutes. On the return, speeds came up, and I managed to catch the next-fastest group before leaving the control back at Bethany, MO. From there, the sun dipped, and we all rode back together - the long, long slog into the night. Bouts with dehydration, walking a thin line of bonking nearly all day (more to come on that point) and mentally being exhausted, frustrated, and hollowed out - overall, well, it was one of the most challenging rides I think I've ever ridden -- moreso even than the 600K, no lie. Even with the extra kilometers over and above the Grandview 400K and the "East" 400K, we managed to pull out a 20 hour, 35 minute finish -- that includes stops. By way of comparison, the best time I'd ever managed on the other two 400K routes was 18 hours, and that was in my faster days. Usually, it's a 21+ hour adventure, and those routes are solidly 252-254 miles apiece. So, with bonus miles, a sub-21 hour ride on THIS route... considering how I FELT... not bad. Rolling time was on the order of 17.5+ hours, for an average of 15.1 MPH. I'll take it -- not a land speed record, but dude... the road up into Iowa was long, and difficult -- and then coming all that way back.... yeesh. I wanted to throw in the towel probably six seperate times - seriously - and that's usually not my bag.

Again, more to come when the dust settles. Lots to tell.

Today will be spent rehydrating, and recovering, while I make mothers day as nice as I can for the wife, since she lets me go out and do these nutty things. Thanks, honey....

Stay tuned...

The Final Prepwork

2009-05-08T11:44:00.001-05:00

Within 24-hours of the big ride start, the brain is working overtime.

"Did I check this?" "Should I check that?"

It's like peeling an onion... things like a seat binder bolt, something that hasn't been touched in months, hasn't made a sound, hasn't slipped - suddenly. It's hard to describe, but for some reason I sometimes feel the need to perform maintenance on things that don't need any attention. I used to be a lot worse about this - but sometimes that feeling is still there. It's like peeling an onion: you clean off one thing, and pretty soon you have the front end taken apart to make sure the headset isn't going to explode. Well, that was the OLD me - I don't take it to THAT level anymore. Leave well-enough alone. If it's not making noise NOW, wasn't last week, wasn't last month.... 250 miles probably won't change things. Check it off the list and move on. Lube the chain, sure, and make sure nothing has worked LOOSE - but don't go on a torquing-bolts spree the week of a "big ride". If you break something in the process of acting dumb in the garage, you may not have time to get a replacement - not to mention the extra stress you just piled on yourself. In a sport where success is 85% mental, why make it harder on yourself -- I ask myself. Leave well-enough alone, within reason: if it's something you DO NOT want to have to fix on the roadside, it's worth investigating - but do it the week prior, not in the days prior. Things tend to be okay if they haven't been an issue in the last few rides leading up to a brevet or permanent.

Keeping that in mind, I did do a couple quick and easy things that have been overlooked for -- egads, a year? I hadn't pulled the seat-post for a long time - that was the biggest rule-breaker I performed last night - probably shouldn't have, but it cleared my head. No rust, no issues - so I simply wiped off the old grease, applied new, stuck it back in, and tightened it down again. Done. Walk away! A few drops of lube on the cables, rub the crud off the wheels, check the tires for anything that might be working it's way into the casing and get it outta there, visual inspection of this and that. Keep it simple... but make sure you won't be fixing anything on the roadside other than a flat tire. Good, regular, routine maintenance goes a LONG way -- you'll notice and replace stuff long before you have to think about "catastrophic road-side failure". I'm big on regular maintenance.

Aside from equipment concerns, there are storage and clothing concerns. I slapped a couple of bungee cord loops on the rear rack last night to hold the third water-bottle in place.... something that I MAY not even need to carry on this ride, and I'm still debating that notion. With a c-store nearly every 20 miles, and no miracle powder coming along on this event, I may just have to stop for supplies anyways... so why carry the extra stuff? Of course, I probably will anyways - it's just a bottle, after all. Later in the day it will probably have extra layers of clothing like warmers and my wind vest bungeed to the top of it anyways. That's what becomes a larger concern as the distances increase: clothing. On the 300K distance, assuming your pace is good and the ride starts early, you are only concerned with surviving the first part of the ride in cooler air. After the sun comes up, you can generally ride the rest of the day without worrying about putting anything back on later. On the 400K, you're nearly guaranteed (unless you're SUPER fast) to finish well after dark. After a day in the sun, and a day's worth of pedaling and fatigue, you will get cold during the last 40 miles of the ride. It's amazing how chilly even 70 degrees can feel after you've ridden 200 miles, and it gets me every time. If the temperatures drop into the 40's, like is forecast for tomorrow night, then you need to keep those extra layers around. BUT, I'm hoping to balance back pocket real-estate with comfort this time by lashing them to the rear rack. On the 300K the extra weight in the rear pockets made my jersey sag a lot, and while it was tolerable, I'd rather not be bothered with it. I want to "save" that space for food, the cue sheet (which will likely be needed this time out), and just not have to worry about fishing around between layers to find "X" in my jersey. Get that stuff outta the way, and ride light. I plan to have wool arm warmers and knee warmers, a wind vest, full-finger gloves and the multi-use jacket on-hand. All very packable, useful stuff, but not crazy.

That's all for now ---- look for the ride report next week, and updates from the road in-between!

Swap Meet is a'comin'

2009-05-07T09:03:00.001-05:00

http://www.AcmeBicycleCompany.com

May 16th

Come out EARLY for the best deals - I'll have a table there, as usual, and I'll be cleaning out the garage.

I've grown tired of Craigslist and the waiting game, so it'll all be on the table - literally.

I'll have a GORGEOUS 1974 Peugeot PR-10 for sale. Come see it. The restoration of this bike was talked up on this site a few months ago, and I'm tired of looking at it in the garage. Make an offer. You really oughta see it, at least: finding an un-futzed-with, original French sport-tourer like this with all-original spec - well, after this, I'll probably not see one again in my lifetime. They are so quick to be turned into fixxies or otherwise updated with (arguably) better stuff than Simplex and Stronglight. This one is exactly how it was sold in Holland in '74.

Aside from that, I'll have a few crank-sets, a fork (someone else's), a set of mountain-bike fixxie beater wheels, a set of fenders, some caliper brakes, a couple stems, bells, gently-used tires with a lot of use left in them, derailleurs, assorted taillights, a small-kids' bike (ages 3-4, girls), more.

I'll be there from sun-up until about 9:00am. Anything that doesn't sell - crud, it'll probably be donated to ACME - (aside from the Peugeot, of course).

Be there. There are always some quality vendors there from the local scene, and a lot of small surprises and grab-bins from other folk's garages.

Good coffee and pizza across the street and Pi and Grinder's. Come-n-see.

May 16th - NEXT Saturday.

400km... to IOWA and BACK... May 9th

2009-05-02T09:14:00.002-05:00

I'm really excited about this one --- not since 2002 has KCUC ventured onto a totally new route for this distance, and this time it's a doozy. Same mileage as usual, of course, but we're turning our sights northward. On of my old road-trip dreams from high-school was hopping into my '76 Buick and driving the entire length of US-69. While I was able to accomplish most of this to the SOUTH, I never went north for some reason. Now, decades later, I'm doing it on a bicycle.... whodathunkit? Yep, yep... living where I live, crossing the KS/MO state line is not a big deal at all... but this? This will be a first for me, and I can't wait!

It's a challenge, yes, but the time limits are long -- if you're looking for a challenge, and you're trained-up, come out and join us for 252 miles of pure brevet pleasure in the northern Missouri contryside! Treat it like a tour, and you'll be fine... nothing says you have to finish these things fast.

Next weekend: May 9th, 6:00AM start.

Visit the KCUC website for more details and stuff.

Day of the ride, watch this page for some sort of social networking page updates as I make my way... still picking my favorite, tho Facebook Mobile really made it easy on the 300K. Stay tuned!

Hope to see you there, hearty randonneurs...

Bike to Work Week is coming...

2009-04-29T10:09:00.001-05:00

Check it out, sign up -- ride lots!

http://www.kcbike.info/bikeweek

Good vibes. The 300K report.

2009-04-28T21:04:00.003-05:00

Where do I begin? There is so much to tell about this one ride. Let’s catch up by saying that I hadn’t ridden this route since 2007 – I really missed it. I can’t lie; as intimidating as all the climbing is, as hard as the wind might blow, it really is a very pretty route, excellent country, stuff you just don’t get to see closer to home. Today, however, the ride would come in three dramatic parts. I’ve simply never had it this weird before, and leave it to this particular route to bring a challenge.

About 25 or so, estimates are rough, hearty riders showed up for this route, and after arriving early and paying my entry fee, signing the waiver, and beginning my prep-work, I proceeded to drop my bike. MAN… I hate that. Leaned up against the side of the car, seemingly safe, I guess the wind got hold of it, and it rolled backwards and tipped over. ACK! I couldn’t reach it fast enough – but thankfully it was a “soft” fall, if there is such a thing. The pedal hit the pavement first, and the drivetrain rolled, slowing the fall. No damage, nothing bent, nothing weird came of it aside from a slight buff on the bar-end shifter. Still, it was a nice mental hiccup in a sport where mental preparedness is probably 85% of the game. I get there, unpack, I know at least the bike is ready… now, let’s drop it on the ground! Yeesh. So, after polishing off my pride, I finished packing on the three water bottles, my back pockets, and putting on the final touches. The first thing I noticed is that it was a tad chillier than when I’d left the house, and the wind was stronger; but the best part was the fact the wind was out of the correct direction! We are all forecast watchers, but today was difficult: even a couple posts ago when I was talking about prepping for this ride I had been talking about the 80’s for temperatures, and I wasn’t lying. But, in the 24 hours leading up to the ride start, the forecast had literally changed four more times. Now, we were looking at highs maybe in the 70’s, and maybe a cold front coming through. Just unpredictable. MY rando advice of the day: when packing the car to travel to a ride, bring everything you have and dress at the ride start: that’s the BEST advice I can give anyone. Don’t decide your clothing at the house. Pack it all. If you don’t need it, leave it in the car. This was one of those days. If it’s a 40 mile club ride, you can get away with forgetting a layer or a warmer… with potentially 15 hours of saddle time in the middle of no-where staring you in the face, take no chances.

We all mounted up, and Bob took center stage to lay out the day’s expectations. Dogs, bad pavement and a proposed detour. A who’s-who of KC randonneuring was there: Jeff W., Ed, Steve “weatherman” G., Spencer, Jack, Dale B. “from Iowa-actually from Columbia” and friend, Danny “Clink” the Colonel, Alex, Steve B., “the tandem” – whose names I can never remember, but were on this ride in 2002 and have been doing them longer than that – a guy on a recumbent, and several others of note whose names also escape me at this writing. We rolled promptly at 6:00am, out into the streets of Liberty, and into the unknown. None of us – save for Steve the weatherman – really knew what was in store.

The first thing I notice, right out of the gate, the hill on Clayview is easier. The weight-loss is going to help today, for sure. I highly recommend it. I am happy to be past the issues that somehow allowed me to pack on an additional 40 pounds in a little less than two years, and I place both feet forward by saying I will do whatever I can to make sure I live responsibly and not let my nutrition get out of hand again. I’ll remove all mystery from that variable of this ride: the hills were easier, fatigue was minimized, my back didn’t hurt afterwards, and my shorts weren’t cutting into me. Weight Watchers: it works, it’s worked for me twice now, and it’s worth it. (why twice? cuz, I'm an idiot.) Start, stick to it, you’ll get there. It can be the difference. While the day still had its challenges, it would have been worse with that extra weight on me, for certain. What comes next is more speed and fitness training, and that will come with time.

We headed along the newly paved Glen Hedren outer road, which was actually a treat this time with wider lanes and no more pot-holes, and turned onto Lightburne, which would become Plattsburg Road. I talked it up with Jeff W., whom I hadn’t ridden with in a while, probably since last year, and we talked about the R-12, keeping the streak going, and the subject of weird midwest weather came up, like the late March snow that reset my 2^nd R-12 run. Pretty soon, the hills were beginning to mount in succession, the hallmark of this route. It starts nasty, early, and never really lets up – but today, the strong tailwind was a blessing. Granted, a blessing that would eventually bite back, but we were going to enjoy it while we could. Jeff, Alex and Steve B. grouped up, and I held on as long as I could before logic smacked me in the face and reminded me that I had 170 miles to go. They are just plain FAST, and so I settled into my usual position. Eventually, however, I found myself first on the road! Jeff and company decided on a little detour at a critical turn, despite my hollering for their attention only a few clicks behind...and suddenly I was thrust into first place… which, make no mistake, means zero in the rando world. Still, it’s fun to say. I smiled to myself, and kept my pace up, curious to see how long I could stay off the front knowing full-well that Jeff and friends WOULD catch me once they turned around. I advanced up Plattsburg Road, past the familiar dips and dives, the newer houses, the fields and lakes, and shared a little conversation with a gent from Iowa that I think came down with Dale B., before he was advancing up the road while I continued finding my pace for the day. I managed to reel him up and stay ahead (big deal, I know) on State Rte “C”, and made it into Plattsburg really, really quickly – like on the order of an hour from the start time. I stopped off at the little corner C-store, nature break, and water refill, just in time to come outside and see the Iowa express come past. Oh well! Still no sign of Jeff and company. I made my way up to SR “Y” and took another turn north. The wind was just awesome, shoving me and my bike along at a wicked clip in the mid 20’s, sometimes poking into the 30’s, even on the flats as I motored along in top gear. This is where bicycling is the BEST, out alone on a good stretch of road, just letting it all hang out in the big chainring, and loving life – a small amount of sunshine (lot of clouds today) and a good wind at your back, and every reason to smile. I love this stuff. Behind me, after a couple more miles, I can hear the chatter of conversation – Jeff, Alex and Steve B are on my tail again, and we join up for the next 12 miles or so into Stewartsville, chatting it up, talking about Tejas and such, future plans. A good time. We hit the first control in style, out front of the group, feeling good. Cards are signed, bottles filled, and I buy up some PB crackers to help fuel the next leg – although Carboplex is the main item on my menu today. I still can’t quite let go of the “miracle powders” after all this time. I can never seem to find anything at the c-stores that fuels quite the same way, and is predictable: my only beef with the stuff, it makes my back pockets look ridiculous and makes me think about things like saddlebags and Camelbaks again, just for storage. Invisioning the latter on my back, I’m glad I snapped out of that delusion and just went with bottles. I carry three today, some nice insulated Camelbak “chilljacket” bottles: my only beef with THOSE is they’re only 21 oz., but three bottles still affords 63 oz. of water, and that’s plenty. My Zefal Magnum bottles hold 32 ounces each, and are a great solution if you only want to carry two bottles… BUT, I have had valve problems with those consistently: they end up leaking all over me and the bike while I drink, which raises the question of not only making a mess of myself, but how many of those extra ounces I end up losing from spillage, and the sports-drink crust that I end up chipping off the top tube after every ride with them. With the superior Camelbak Podium bottle valves, I’m only getting a drink when I want one – and the insulation is a huge bonus. While it didn’t get warm enough today for me to really test it, it’s notable that my drinks DID stay cool all day long, and that makes me more inclined to drink – because cool water tastes better. It's the best compromise I've found that allows me cold water on a hot day - something the insulative properties of the Camelbak backpack are good at - but without having something on my back. This will become more important on the 600K, for sure, where the longest stage between controls is 62 miles, and it should be hotter.

Back to the 300K, just as we begin setting off from the Stewartsville control, the 2^nd group pulls in, including Clink and Spencer. We bid hello, and then goodbye, and are off onto US-36’s ample shoulder, with Steve G. and Ed and a few others in tow. The best part of the ride was nearly upon us: State Route “J”, or, as I’ll call it now: the miracle run. As the fast trio of Jeff, Alex and Steve B. turned onto this brilliant stretch of pavement, and the Iowa express and I followed along, the speeds went right up, driven by an increased tailwind of easily 25-30 MPH. As a result, for at least five miles, I didn’t have a single occurrence when I looked down at my speed and saw anything less than 29 MPH. It was such good fun, at times sitting in the biggest gear I had on the bike and hammering along with no regards to how many miles lay ahead, or what the weather might do to us. We were flying. We were smiling. We were practically singing!

The party continued for miles and miles more, until we finally had to stop at highway 6 after blasting full-bore through Amity, MO. Now, the real section of the ride was beginning. From here north, the hills would multiply in double and triple force, mile for mile, and the good pavement was officially behind us. Highway “H”. Ugh. Not the worst, and certainly not gravel, but definitely in need of some Mo-Dot love. Unfortunately, if the highway department repaved roads based on traffic volume, this one is going to be low on the post. I don’t know exactly how many cars we saw along the way here, but it was less than five for sure. That’s over probably 20 miles, easily. One of them was a heavy tractor, for example. More dogs on the road than cars, probably. At this point Jeff and the fast trio, including Iowa, were beginning to advance up the road. Not sure what it was that had me falling off the back, but it was real, and I slowed down a bit, for a little while. Not sure if it was a small “wall”, or a nutrition thing --- at this stage I had Sustained Energy in the fuel bottle, just to shake things up – and there may have been just enough simple sugar in the PB crackers or something to throw something off. Who knows – didn’t last, but it’s yet another nail in the coffin for specialized fuels that expect you to operate and ride inside a perfect bubble of nutrition. They’re good – but you have to be good, also, and I can’t carry that much powder: been here before. Carry on. Carboplex is cheap, mixes perfectly, you can flavor it with anything, mix it with anything, and have no worries. But, if I want to have a real Coke in Albany, I can. Anyways, I digress (shocked?). A five minute gap grows, and I’m alone on the roads and hills north of MO-6 once again. I do like it up here, but it can feel awfully lonely. Especially when mother nature comes out to play! Steve “the weatherman” called it, and I’m a believer. The national weather service eluded to it on Friday night, but it was vague and sketchy. I, personally, have never seen it play out so quickly. It was like walking through a door, to quote another randonneur that would recall the event later in the afternoon: I climbed to the top of yet another long grinder of a hill, and upon reaching the top I was greeted with 20+ MPH of north wind right in the face, and the temperature dropped 15 degrees almost instantly. BAM. There’s the front. I even looked over my shoulder to make sure I hadn’t missed a time portal or something. It was THAT quick. Along for the ride were sprinkles, barely enough to begin wetting the road. The jersey took on a good damp feeling, and I began walking that “jacket?”/”no jacket?” line for probably the next 15 miles. After turning east on highway “Z”, greeted by more hills and a crosswind, I elected to tough it out until I had to turn north again – but the temperature had dropped into the lower 50’s, where it had been approaching the mid 70’s for a while earlier. I relished in the warming effect the hills were having. Helping stave off boredom, and keep my mind off the constant climbing that highway “Z” offers, I began counting stuff. Pop cans, McD wrappers, cigarette boxes… an unusually large quantity of Mountain Dew bottles for some reason… interesting demographic: farmers like Mountain Dew?... as I rolled up the hills, I spotted something odd, though: Speedplay pedal?!? What the….? I stop, stoop, and plop it into my pocket… I’ll bet someone’s gonna miss this… and sure enough about a ½ mile later, at the top of a hill, two riders were stopped, looking around. Steve B. was about to one-leg it about 70 miles homeward, but I revealed my find. Steve waved me ahead and went about fixing his pedal, and I went about riding the rest of the hills eastward towards the intersection of Highway “A”, miles ahead. I thought perhaps that it was Jeff that had stopped to help Steve initially, but I would never find out. Even solo, Jeff is just too quick to catch yet, and if there is an advantage pound-for-pound between me and the four riders that were now ahead of me, I was the only one on steel, the only one running an antiquated and heavy Shimano 105 crankset, the only one running a generator front hub, the only one running heavy and bomb-proof Velocity rims, the only one running bar-ends, the only one running full fenders, the only one running a rear rack, the only one running a frame pump. Not to say this chase boiled down to equipment… bike for bike, they’re still faster riders, but I was feeling a little out of place trying to chase down a svelte carbon-fiber race bike with aerobars and Jeff W. as the engine. Fahgettaboutit! Of course, I just got done riding away from someone that broke a racing pedal… so, there are pros and cons both ways. I dropped my bike before the ride, and nothing happened to it. So there. Still, try as I might, there was no catching Jeff or anyone else at the front before Albany. With that knowledge, and the fact I knew my favorite rando intersection was coming up, I just geared down, enjoyed the hills and watched as more cold rain rolled in on top of me. Eventually, at the intersection, I stopped, snapped a few photos, swapped water bottles, finally decided the last turn north into the headwind and cold rain required the rain jacket, and took another nature break. About that time, Steve G. and someone else rolled up – I think it was Steve B., with the pedal finally fixed! After they rolled past, and I mounted back up, I kept my eye on things from about ½ mile back as the two Steves battled out the headwind and rain. Again, I wasn’t able to shove hard enough to catch up, but I was more in a conservation mode at this point. I was looking forward to turning around at Albany, and enjoying the 2^ndtailwind of the day – which was just weird, because I’d never had the wind shift quite like this before. Hopefully, it’d stick. It was cold, it was raining, it was blowing… not unlike 2002, but with me on a much more appropriate bike and a far better jacket. In the next few miles, as I slowly but surely started to reel up one of the Steves, eventually being right on his wheel just short of the Casey’s in Albany, I was no longer envious of carbon, aero-bars, and super-minimalist set-ups. Knowing what I know from my experience on this route in 2002, not to keep repeating the same things over and over in this blog, but I’ll keep my steel bike with full fenders and generator set-up. It works… and as far as I can tell, it’s got a lot more to do with ME than what’s under me. I think more than anything, the “upgrades” I’m made to my own body have helped far more than any new parts ever would, but still, there are probably opportunities in the front crankset arena that I think back to the Knob Noster 200K for, namely a compact crankset: Yes, back on Highway “J” was WAS in 53x12 for a short time, but certainly not at a high RPM. That’s the only time in recent memory I can remember being in that gear…or 53x13 for that matter… and needing to be. I think I’m more in need of extra RPMs on the steeper hills, more than I’m in need of wicked top-end power during these rare super-tailwind rides. 50x12… that’s plenty big. 34x25, though, provides more spinning potential in the hills than 39x25 does. It’s almost like having a 28 tooth cog out back, without changing cassettes… and considering my rear derailleur won’t wrap up that big of a cog anyways. Dale B. and I exchanged thoughts on that note, climbing a hill later in the day, while I was in 39x23, pumping, and he was in 36x25, spinning. I mean, if you’re going to be doing 7 MPH on a steep grinder ANYways, why kill your knees with 45 RPM? I don’t want a triple… if I’m going to change parts, it needs to be an upgrade. Not a RACER upgrade, but a sensible compact crankset with the updated bottom bracket perhaps. A little increase in versatility, and a little weight savings. That seems reasonable to me. Honestly, not that appearance counts for much on a bike with full fenders, but from the side sometimes that 105 crankset looks, well, cheap. Which, on the closeout table, it was. We’ll see. I have a birthday coming, and a trip to a swap meet that might raise some capital. Certainly not a frivolous upgrade opportunity – while it works fine, the rest of the bike is higher-end equipment, and the crankset is the one thing that’s left to advance. Might as well, right? He,he.

In Albany, finally shielded from the rain and wind behind the Casey’s store, I began to feast on a banana, a vitamin shooter, and some of the coveted Casey’s potato cheese bites, some leftover PB crackers, and a little shot of Hammer Gel to round things out. Bottles refilled, a little stretching, and second-guessing about whether or not to keep the jacket on, and we were off again. We talked about the bear of a dog that was waiting for us in Evona, just up the road. I think, honestly, next time, I’m going to ride on the other side of the highway, just to see if it makes a difference. After stories of getting chased, getting nearly-bitten, and myself getting chased halfway up the subsequent uphill – it’s amazing, after nearly 90 miles of slog, the last 16 into a cold headwind and rain, that a large snarling dog can still squeeze a wicked sprint out of tired legs. On the return, the beast seems to not be terribly interested at all, as he just sits by the porch of the house he’d come from initially. On the way down, however, perhaps we’re on “his” side of the road… and that’s what launches the property protection instinct? Who knows. I, for one, am a big fan of leash laws. Last time I checked, the surface of the Missouri state highway is NOT a home-owners property that a large dog would be employed to protect. If I cross onto your grass, by all means, get me… until that happens, get off my shoe!!! UGH!

There was little time to discuss dogs and sprints, however, as upon leaving Evona there is a long steady climb that takes you up onto a plateau, and it slows and breaks up the group a little bit as we roll along. From this point, it’s clear who the headwind and cold section of the final trip up to Albany affected, and who it didn’t. Jeff and the faster two guys are, well, fast – consistently. They are up the road, up the hill, and start making time and distance from us towards Stewartsville. Spencer, Clink, Dale B., myself and a couple others, with Steve G. and Ed along for the ride, all start working along, enjoying the new tailwind that once we cursed only an hour before. The hills on highway Z came back, and we all safely stayed in our own little zones, climbing and descending and trying not to run into each other, all while enjoying the scenery and dodging rain drops here and there as the weather still tried to figure itself out behind the front. What rolled through the rest of Johnson County on Monday is pretty much what we experienced on Saturday up north, about 100 miles or more away. (seems weird saying that, especially since we were on bikes.) I envisioned warm southerly breezes on my back porch, and here I was way up north in the chilly air. Weird. Usually, on these long rides, the weather isn’t all that different back home – today, I might as well have been in Minnesota.

Eventually, after the long, steep grinders of highway Z were past us, and the choppy pavement of highway H was behind us, all fueled by a chilly tailwind and sporadic raindrops, we were back on highway J on the other side of Missouri-6. Whew… this, again from the 2002 ride, is where I always relax a little. I’m closer to civilization (sorta), and beyond the part of the ride that gave me so much pain way back when. Not that I wasn’t enjoying the ride, but now, I was REALLY enjoying the ride. There is something special, reaching that halfway point, and then reaching the 2/3^rd’s done point. On a ride like this, suddenly you have this subconscious feeling that you’re definitely gonna finish, and the worst is over.

And, there’s no irony there, intended or implied… this, really, was turning out to be a great ride. I was mildly nervous about the prospect of riding an additional 100 kilometers above and beyond what I’d been used to for the previous 13 months or so, but it turns out between all those 200Ks and all the weight loss, I was having an exceptional time of things. The bike was performing great, my three bottle system was working fine and I was well hydrated as a result, and for once I was actually carrying too MUCH food. I need to work on my perception of caloric needs on the next big ride, actually: I carried enough Carboplex to suit my effort, but I still loaded up on food at the controls. I’m thinking possibly a one-or-the-other approach might be in order – but the good thing is my stomach meter and such kept me from over eating: the extra food just stayed in my bock pockets, so I just hung onto it and used it to prevent purchasing at the next control, and so-on. It never got terribly hot, but cramping was never an issue, either, which is a very good thing.

The tailwind helped propel us along on Highway J, where I played with positions and tried to bridge up between the remains of our group from time to time, testing the legs and playing in the tailwind. Saw a lot of interesting scenery, bounced out of a pothole on a bridge in Amity – oops – and rode alongside some running and prancing baby horses (er, foals?) as we got closer to US-36 again. I really enjoy this stretch of road! Right about reaching US-36, however, I had a sneaking feeling the honey-moon with the weather was going to come to a crashing halt. The clouds were a little thicker, a little darker, and there was that smell of warm rain on warm pavement. Sweet, summer rain… Hmmmm. A sign of heating, which increases storm intensity, noted. Plus, I'm not sure what it is about timing: as soon as we're on the shoulder of US-36 headed west - where the shoulder is NARROWER - the heaviest rain of the day so-far started up. Nice. I manage to catch up to Dale B. and Clink, and then Clink pulls off to help his friend change a flat - Dale and I continue on to the control. Eventually, we're all together again at Stewartsville, going thru the usual brevet routine once again. This one is a slightly longer break, and people sit down on the pavement for a spell, eating food and staring off into space. A good time to do it, really: this is the last control of the day - this ride is practically in the bag, with about 42 miles to ride is all.

Eventually, though, resting TOO long, and the impending storms that are now echoed in the comments of passersby and store-keeps alike enter our thoughts. There is talk of St. Joseph being under the gun, just to our west, and the front beginning to fire off storms, instead of gentle rainshowers. Time to roll. We group up, and hit the road. I am gapped a little, after deciding at the last minute that rinsing the dead sea off my face might be a good idea - but I like the notion of playing a little catch-up back out on the roads. I stretch the legs, and soft-hammer (as much as the 140+ miles in my legs will let me) back up to the group of 6 or 7 riders that have all lumped together. We enjoy highway Y for a while, occasional sprinkles, and a continued tailwind. This is pretty rare, the double tailwind ride, and nobody is really talking about it too loudly - as if we knew what was coming. I think we all did: it was only a matter of time before we'd cross that mystical, invisible border that we'd crossed on the way north. Something was going to change - and as we rolled past the lonely intersection of highway "NN" and "Y", headed south, there it was... again, just like walking through a door... there was a tailwind, and the suddenly a headwind... a STRONG headwind. Whoa... the hidden blessing was the temperatures on the other side were markedly warmer and more humid, and any notions of jackets and warmers were now unfounded. In atypical randonneur fashion, we actually made some sad attempts at organizing a paceline and working towards a common goal in the wind. Laughable. We're all soloists at heart - I tihnk it's an unwritten rule somewhere. Try as we might, it never stuck - but it DID help. Clink would pull, then Jack, then a few of us at the back would start to feel guilty, so we moved up the left and pulled for a few miles, Spencer and I pulled the train side by side for a while to block the most wind and hopefully set up the double paceline, and then someone else came up, and I tried to start the rotation... but to no avail. Still, the best part of all this shuffling around - we totally forgot about the miles, and how strong the wind really was. Before long, we were poking back into Plattsburg, and turning left onto MO-116. Wow... just like that, 22 miles to go, roughly. Nice! There's a little c-store here at the corner of 116 and route "C", and it's a good enough reason to regroup before the final push back south.

But, to our north and west, however, there was a dark force looking for a drafting partner on the road. Steely grey, with a tinge of green, and a low rumble, he was coming up behind all of us. Steve G and Ed rolled in, and the weatherman layed it out for us. We had to move. I turned on my phone - battery saving move by having it "off" inside the saddlebag - and as the network kicked in, I was delivered a handful of weather-related text messages one after another. Flood warnings, flood watches, a tornado watch, and severe thunderstorm warnings. All of them close-by. To give you an idea, for those that don't live here, there is a creepy pattern every spring that seems to repeat. Call it wind-field dynamics, or the fabled "Tonganoxie split", there is a phenomena that seems to push the worst of the weather north of where the bulk of the Kansas City population resides. Down in my neck of the woods, we always get our TV programs interrupted (to my delight, most of the time) with news of nasty weather... but usually, talk it up as they might, it doesn't hit Olathe, Overland Park, Lenexa... looking at any weather website and watching the radar loops confirms it, and the newscasters always spell it out: Kearney, Chilicothe, St Joseph, Platte City, Camden Point, Plattsburg, Maysville... and every time they do, I shake my head knowing that only a few weeks (sometimes only days) prior, or following, that I was up there riding a bicycle. Today, I actually was... roll the dice enough, and the numbers will come up. It was indeed time to move out.

Amid fumblings with gloves and helmets, and smelling that smell in the air, the taste of energy just hanging in the warm thickness, I knew it was real. But, fighting nature is a silly game, a losing game. All we were going to be able to do was our best, after 160 miles complete, and some serious hills and a big plateau with nothing to block the growing headwinds lying ahead of us. The first bunch headed out, and I found myself detached again, like in Stewartsville - but this time it was accompanied by a request to stay together from a couple riders that had rolled in later. This is another rando impossibility, at least from my seat. Try as I might, I was either going too slowly, or not slow enough. Highway C stretched out before me, and the climbing came, and I found myself alone ultimately, my attempts to provide a draft not working or sticking. Eventually I had to just let it go, knowing that we were all within a half-mile of each other, and that was as good as "sticking together" was going to get. We each had to fight our own individual battle against the winds, trying to inch away from the dark competitor that was lurking up the road behind us. I peered over my right shoulder at one point, and it was an awesome sight - forboding, seething... he was coming.

A quick regroup, and I pedal on up again, slowly chipping away at the miles of highway C that never seem to end. There's the water tower... then Route J... then that house with the black truck.... then Route "CC".... finally! Plattsburg Road again... relative safety. Traffic on Highway C can be a shore, but today it really wasn't too bad. Still, I was glad to be back on the little roads. Despite the shifting winds that were balancing out the effort of the day nad keeping speed at bay, it was still not even 5:00pm - and while I knew a sub-12 hour 300K was not going to be in the cards on this route, on this day, it was satisfying to hit Plattsburg Road at such an early hour; normally one of my interim goals for this ride is to make it back to Plattsburg road before the sun goes down, and today I had HOURS to spare. That was worth something! Reaching Albany when we did was something special, lemme tell you - a pretty good 90 miles. If the wind hadn't shifted, we might have even pulled off the elusive "sit on the curb, because you got here too fast" manuever... excellent stuff... but now, with the hills and wind taking their toll, the numbers were certainly slipping. Again, for this type of event, those numbers really aren't important. You know what they call the last guy to cross the line at a brevet? A FINISHER. There are no places... and I think that's why I love this particular niche of cycling.

With the darkness approaching, trying to catch my wheel, it was time to start trying to dig a little deeper. This part of the ride is usually limp-mode - I slow down and relax the last 15 miles more often than not on this route - but today, the front was pressing the issue. A flash of lightning, and the birds are starting to act a little weird. Not good signs. The raindrops are starting again, and they are fatter, signs of updrafts. The air was thick with energy, and the hills were not making it easy. I finally exhausted the last of my water from bottle number one - and since bottle number two was mostly fuel, I had to stop to swap bottles again (bottle number three rests on the rear rack, liek a rack trunk would: but mine only carries water. Yeah, it requires stopping to safely retrieve - but so would a third bottle cage mounted low. It works. About then, Steve G. catches up and checks in -- and Ed is out of sight, but he knows the roads well. I mount up, and start to make my way back south again - more lightning dances across the skies... yeesh, this is a little creepy. Move it.... don't think, just pedal and get back to the car before anything happens! Feeling good, hydrated, and uncharacteristically peppy for so late in this ride, the last ten miles went really well. The hills here ALWAYS top off this ride with "style" - it's usually a struggle, these last few climbs... at least one good one per mile, up and down, up and down -- it wears on you with 175 miles in the pipes... but today, I was feeling motivated, stronger... I was finishing this beast of a ride strong... that's new for me! Finally, with the winds only getting stronger, the rain becoming more steady, and the lightning more frequent, I crossed under I-35 - the last big marker that essentially says "welcome back to Liberty." Only a few miles to the finish -- thank goodness they repaved that outer road! The last trip back up those last few long hills on the outer road were over with, and I was back in residential side streets, winding my way back to Perkins, down the long speed-fest of a hill on Clayview, and to a clear road to cross over to the parking lot, still bustling with activity from Clink, Spencer, and all the other 6 or 7 riders that had made it in only a few minutes prior. I made good time, and just in time for the real rain to begin. Finding out later that someone had spotted a funnel cloud only a few miles northwest put the final "whew" on the whole event. And the creepy thing was there were still riders out there, hours behind us, that were going to have to make it back in the middle of all that. I felt fortunate for the speed I managed - and I noticed that Bob's (the RBAs) car was missing.. a sign that maybe earlier in the day he'd decided to play it safer, maybe drive out and look for riders? I didn't remember seeing him out on the road, or at the controls - but he had suited up to ride that morning. Something tells me everyone made it back in one piece, probably with a great story. But, man... we got lucky. Sort of anticlimatic in spirit, as I packed the car and began to head back south I was now really able to give that storm front a run for its money... and it wasn't until hours later, overnight, that anything happened in Olathe, weather-wise. As usual... most of it stayed to the north, up where the mystery is, up on those lonely roads.

Road notes: that compact crank might be a good idea, but it's certainly not a must-have. Three water bottles are perfect.. drink without worrying about conserving, and I stay hydrated. The insulation should prove invaluable, as the temps rise in the coming months. It's not as clean a set-up as a third water bottle cage mounted to the frame - but it solved the back-pocket question. When the rain stopped for a while, I lashed my rain jacket to the handlebars with a ankle-band - and it worked really well. It kept it at hand, for the rapid weather swings, but it was out of the way, and not stuffed madly into a jersey pocket. I've got a couple more of those ankle bands at home, and I'll take those along to create an open-air handlebar "bag" for spare layers in case pocket storage runs low. At this point, I can't see investing in another saddlebag - yes they hold a ton, but I don't need to be carrying as much stuff as I had with me, another hard habit to break. I like being prepared, but some of the layers I brought along I never ended up needing, which effectively just was stuff that was long for the ride. It's hard to predict everything, but I have become more adaptable to changing weather over time, so it's time to leave some of it behind - or in a dropbag at a control if I end up not needing it. An ACTUAL handlebar bag might be nice - but it should be smaller than the Carradice SuperC that I'd bought in the past -- that thing was massive, too large, really. Something small and soft-sided, maybe, maybe. Another option that I spotted on Spencer this weekend is a wind-vest with POCKETS. SIx pockets instead of three might work... Bike fit is good - no issues, no lingering pain.

All I know is, I'm ready to rest up for the 400K, which is less than two weeks out.

I finally get to ride my bike into another state... Kansas to Missouri and back doesn't count because of where I live... but, this 400K goes to Iowa. I'm riding from Kansas City to Iowa... there is something that sounds REALLY nuts about that prospect. I love it....

Thanks for reading...

300km's of success.

2009-04-25T21:46:00.000-05:00

I'm pretty beat, but exceedingly pleased. The last time I rode a 200k, I was heavier and it took about 13 hours and change. Today, after some focused training and weight loss, I rode a 300k in 13 hours and 3 minutes. Effectively, if I was racing the February 6th version of me in a 13 hour time-trial, today's version of me would have been 62 miles or more ahead at the end. I feel pumped, like I can't hardly describe. That's total time, also. Rolling time today for the 187 miles was 11 hrs, 10 mins. I will never let my weight slip again. I'm tired from the effort, but not totally destroyed like the end of nearly every R-12 ride last year. Still work to be done: the fastest bunch were probably an hour ahead of me, and the next fastest pack was only maybe 20 minutes ahead.... but, I can't complain about that. That's not what rando is all about: I improved MY time, and that does count. Considering the first finisher today was a Tejas finisher and third in his age group (?), I know what I need to do. With shifting winds, wild temperature swings, warm rain, cold rain, and an unofficial 17,000 feet of climbing, I am tremendously pleased with my day! More to come.... time to sleep.