Sweet Home Algomaha

A useful deterrent

2012-02-09T06:16:00.004-06:00

If you ever want to help someone not ride a bike, send them out in conditions similar to Monday and see what happens.

Three full days after trudging down the Keystone, I still haven't been back on the bike. Not because it was hard, and not because it was dangerous. Honestly, it's because it wasn't fun.

Take away the ride in — that's the anomaly in this case. The odds of me hitting a similar situation this winter are low. No, the problem was the ride home, on heavy, slow, sluggish tires. It made the whole thing feel more like a chore.

Chores suck.

Of course, the fact that I've had no desire whatsoever to be on a bike over the last few days means I probably shouldn't have been on the bike anyway. I've found that, when working without a training plan, the "have to ride" impulse dims right around the time I need to take a day or two off.

I'll be back at it today. I haven't been out in the sunshine — even cold sunshine — in a while. A little less than six weeks until the first road race.

Hey, thanks for that

2012-02-07T06:03:00.003-06:00

As I was mounting my studded tires on Sunday night, I got an update from the Polish News Service (PNS) via Facebook declaring the Keystone Trail to be clear.

"Nice," I thought. "Maybe I'll only need the studded tires to get through the neighborhoods."

My own neighborhood was fine, as was zipping down Fort. (Though "zipping" doesn't really happen on studs. More like "maintaining momentum.") The sidepath on Fort had, surprisingly, been tended to, though quite poorly. I walked for about 100 feet and then was finally able to jump on and ride.

All was well until I jumped onto the Keystone at Maple. I saw not a clear trail, but frozen footprints as far as the eye could see. And on either side of that, deep snow. Damn Poles.

I shouldered the bike and carried it past the junkyard, then got going again almost to the softball fields. Just past Western, a pickup had driven on the trail and made a nice, icy track for me. But then the truck drove off, and I was stuck with the frozen footprints again.

It wasn't until after the bridge by 24 Hour Fitness that the PNS finally came through for me — the Keystone was, indeed, clear ... for the last 200 yards of my time on the trail.

When I finally got to the office, I was worked over. "I should have driven," I thought. "Not only was that not worth it, that sucked."

And I still had to get home later. My plan to check out alternate routes evaporated as we got busy throughout the day. When it was time to go home, I pointed my bike toward the Keystone and hoped for the best.

It was clear all the way to Taylor Street, where I turn off onto the street. This is where we have to say thanks to Omaha Bikes and many others (like Carlos Morales) for advocating on our behalf. I expected to have to trudge down an unplowed trail last night, but instead I heard only the dull roar of carbide spikes on pavement.

It's nice to know somebody has our back — especially when the PNS blows it.

Snow day(s)

2012-02-06T06:02:00.002-06:00

Like a good little shopper (or panicked prairie homesteader), I picked up groceries on Friday night before winter blew in.

We usually get groceries on Saturday, but who wants to mess with that? Not me. Other than not having to drive in the yuck, it was a nice bonus to not need to go anywhere for anything. We watched it snow, stayed inside and let Jack slowly drive us insane. Man, that kid can talk.

When I did go outside, I was so very thankful to have a snowblower. We had 7 or 8 inches of snow up front, and it was heavy and wet. Nasty stuff. I'd be chewing ibuprofen today if I would have shoveled all of that.

Oh, and I got in a nice, succinct workout on the trainer.

On Sunday, though, Mike and I pointed our bikes westward and went exploring. All of the soft, wet snow from Saturday turned into hard, icy snow. Trying to get around Standing Bear was a chore — 50% hike, 50% bike — and once we got out, we stuck to pavement. There were a lot of snowy/icy sections out on the paved roads, too. Oh, and it was super foggy.

We got 2 hours of riding in, along with 10-15 minutes of hiking. It was a good cap to the week. We got our work in.

I put the studded tires on last night. I guess I'm riding in today. Two months ago I would have said, "pass," but now I'm ready to go. I blame 'cross. Again.

Forward momentum

2012-02-03T08:28:00.003-06:00

The moment was fleeting — just a few minutes near the end of the ride yesterday — but it was encouraging. Mark, Lucas, a pair of younglings from the Papillion store and I got out for a quick ride to take advantage of the last day of nice weather. Well, at least the last day for a week or so.

Anyway, as we wound it up for a couple of 5-minute zone 4-type intervals, I found myself surprisingly comfortable. OK, maybe not comfortable, but how about relaxed? Not stressed about the speed and effort?

It was hard, but not soul-crushingly hard. I was going fast. And I could have kept going fast for some time longer than what we did.

What does it mean? Maybe nothing, but it's done wonders for my psyche in the last 18 hours or so. I'm ready to do the work. But no matter how epic I aspire to be (not that epic, by the way), I'm not riding outside tomorrow. So it's time to make the most of it — I've been thinking about the workout for a couple of days now. I'm ready to grind it out.

And when the streets clear, I'm going to keep it going. Motivation is a powerful thing. Hopefully that turns into a powerful season.

Running the numbers

2012-02-01T06:09:00.003-06:00

Well, that was a quick month. February 1 already. Two months until the first road race of he season, but still plenty of time before the first real races of the season.

One of the things I wanted to keep track of in 2012 is mileage. I generally don't write things down as far as training goes. I know it would help with building workouts and everything, but i just haven't done it.

But I've been keeping track of mileage so far, and with one month gone, I have 754.5 miles in the bank. I can really only think of maybe two rides I missed out on, so there's maybe 75 additional miles I left on the table. Anyway, for not having a ton of daylight hours to ride, 750 miles in January isn't bad.

Other numbers are slightly more impressive: a total of two hours on the trainer. Both were a direct result of kids and bad timing for a longer ride. So I climbed on, did my work and called it good.

Finally: one. I had one can of soda in January. That's remarkable to me because I really like soda. But I came into the year a bit heavier than in years past (think kids, holiday and a desk job) so I tried to cut back. And the can I did have was kind of an accident. I just grabbd one and cracked it open after a ride — almost out of habit.

But I've had none since, and I'm not sure when I'll have another. I'm lighter than I've been since Maddie was born, but I've also been working on getting stronger, so it's hard to say exactly where I stand.

What I do know is that the weather is still going to be great (for February) for the foreseeable future. And I'm going to keep on collecting as many miles as I can get.

Teach them well

2012-01-31T06:33:00.000-06:00

Upon leaving the store on Saturday with his new bike, I stopped Jack to take a picture. Upon reviewing it this morning, a couple of things struck me:

The upturned bill on his Harvest hat is all him — I don't like wearing cycling caps that way. But, as he says, "Now you can see it says 'Harvest.'"
Note his positioning with the bike. Logos forward, giving a good profile shot. And I had I been back a bit farther, you'd see more of it.
Finally, the Trek Store van behind him. Nice.

The next step, of course, is when he finishes a kids race and says, "My Trek Jet 16 handled really well in the corners. It's a great bike and I'm fortunate to be able to ride it."

He's already declared that he'll be winning a bunch of races on this bike. "More than you, Daddy." Yeah, he's probably right ... .

Piling on

2012-01-30T05:39:00.002-06:00

It was really windy on Saturday. Those who were out on the road, gravel or otherwise, were aware of that pretty quickly.

But at 45ish degrees, it was still pretty nice outside. For late January, at least. And Sunday, though it started off colder, was another great day to be out. Almost no wind until noon or so, and even then it was pretty mild.

I'm curious as to how the mild weather will affect the first month of racing. It seemed like lots more people raced cyclocross this time around and, combined with the warm weather, never really lost fitness.

If you look at the calendar historically, we're about three weeks away from the end of long-term snow accumulation. As in, if it snows, it won't be here long. The lowest high in the 10-day forecast is 39.

When the season opens at the end of March (which seems super-early), will we be riding at mid-May tempo? Or will it still be a traditional hot-and-cold early season slog? Or will we have a few people who killed themselves all winter to peak in April, and then we won't hear from them again? Or, perhaps more importantly, will we all get to enjoy another chilly, blustery day at Branched Oak Lake?

Hard to say, really. (Except for the Branched Oak part. It's always cold and windy there.) I'm guessing we won't really know until the first time we roll out for Wednesday Night Worlds. By my count, that will be March 14 — just 10 days before the first race.

In the meantime, there's still work to be done.

Unnecessary indulgence

2012-01-27T08:16:00.004-06:00

How many toys does a kid need?

Surprisingly, not that many. Though it's super-fun to see Jack's eyes light up at the sight of a new toy, he can only really play with two or three at once. And, like most kids, he goes in cycles with his toys — a week filled with Lego, followed by a stretch of Cars 2, followed by Batman and Superman.

Because of that, we don't really buy him many toys. Christmas and his birthday are a few months apart, and that usually sets him up. I'm sure he'd like more toys, but he's content with what he has and doesn't know what he's missing. Our parents approached things much the same way. Though I lusted after Optimus Prime, I had plenty of toys to keep me entertained.

One thing I did usually have, however, was a nice bike. Not a top-of-the-line model, but something solid — something durable. My first real bike was a Ross, which had chrome fenders. It was not cool, but it survived both me and my brother. I think it's still at my parents' house.

I had a Diamondback Viper dirt bike next. Before Diamondback got bad, it had some cool bikes. The Viper was a fun bike. It got stolen out of our shed one summer, though, and was gone for about a year and a half. My dad saw it at the next homecoming parade, of all places, and yanked it out from under whichever town hooligan was riding it at the time.

I got a road bike after that — a Centurion. It was red and white and pretty cool. I rode the hell out of that thing. It had 10 speeds, or maybe 12, and I had no idea what to do with any of them. But it was a nice bike. Not the best, but better than what almost everybody else had.

When we bought Jack's first bike — even at shop-guy pricing — we wondered why on earth we spent so much on a bike for a 2-year-old. It was, of course, completely worth it. And now he's outgrown that one and ready to move on to the next size.

We have no problem with getting him a new bike. He loves to ride — it makes him happy. But because I'm a bike guy, sometimes I just can't resist going one step farther. We need to do this thing up.

Yep. Top-tube stickers for a 4-year-old. One hundred percent unnecessary, but 100% awesome. He's going to love it. He's been obsessed with Cars 2, in which the cars hail from different countries. Most of the race cars have their numbers and homeland flags on their side panels. He took note and recites them faithfully every time they race.

He'll get his new bike tomorrow, assuming he doesn't burn down daycare today. I may be just as excited as he is.

I don't miss this

2012-01-25T05:56:00.002-06:00

This winter has been delightfully free of snow ... so far (mostly). And while there are some who seem to be offended by this lack of snow, I embrace it. For one, it means I don't have to run the snowblower. It seemed like I had to use that thing every other day last year.

Also, I don't have to walk the dogs and tromp through the unshoveled snow that one block of neighborhood residents NEVER shovels. And if the dogs have to go right there ... eh, maybe I'll pick it up. Or maybe not.

Anyway, winter is OK, but it's never been a favorite around here. But you can remember the good times with this video. It starts out slow, but it gets pretty good after a minute or two. Oh, and take a note: when it's snowy, slow down.

Physics lessons

2012-01-24T05:51:00.002-06:00

For those more well-versed in physics, I apologize. But here's what popped into my head this morning:

An object at rest will stay at rest, unless acted upon by an outside force.
An object in motion will stay in motion, unless acted upon by an outside force.

Whether that's 100 percent correct or not, I'm not sure (and I'm ignoring the Google search window up in the corner). I'm going with it, anyway — it suits my needs right now.

That little corollary (that's a science word, right?) describes Mondays for me. On the "training plan" — in quotes because it's so half-assed right now it barely qualifies as a plan — Mondays are rest days. But I usually plan on an easy spin or core work. Yes, both of them are so easy on the legs they still count as easy.

That's the plan, at least. The last couple of weeks I've had problems pushing myself away from my desk in order to actually do a workout. That's where the sciencing up above comes in. Once I'm in the groove of doing what we do, it's tough to unplug despite progress being made. I'd rather keep going and check off one more item on the project list.

So yesterday, despite telling myself I really needed to get that core work done, it did not get done. And though I had another opportunity to get it done at home later, after cooking supper and tending to the kids, it did not get done.

I can see how people become sedentary. It was easier for me to keep sitting there, plugging away, than for me to get up and get moving. And this from a guy who's actually motivated to be up and moving (most of the time).

If there's any good to it, I really did rest yesterday. My legs did as close to nothing as possible. Today will be ripping around for an hour or so, followed by that neglected core work.

I just need to push myself away from the desk, get moving and remain moving. It's science, see?

A full slate

2012-01-23T06:00:00.005-06:00

Somehow, the past few days have been one of those weekends where a lot of stuff gets done, but you don't feel stressed or rushed while doing it. One might even call it relaxing. Crazy.

We got off to a lazy start on Saturday. It was super-cold in the morning, so nobody was in a hurry to do anything. Chris walked the dogs around 11. She came back inside and informed me I was stupid (or maybe only crazy) for wanting to ride.

Ha! I ended up riding around noon with EOB for just a bit more than 90 minutes. I basically put all of my warmest clothes on, put a bunch of lotion on my cheeks so they didn't get all windburned and chapped, and then hoped it was enough. With the exception of my fingertips and toes, it was fine. And I warmed up quickly when we were done, anyway.

After that, we did our grocery run, which saw Jack snagging another Lego set at Target. The kid loves Legos.

He built his new police helicopter pretty much all by himself. At some point I should probably stop being surprised by what he can do, but for now I'm always amazed at how quickly he figures things out.

After that, it was bath time for both kids. I drew Madelyn, who spent her day dressed as a pink leopard. And I tried to get her to smile, but every time she does, it's a whole-body smile that gets her arms flapping and legs kicking.

We finished the night with a bottle of Boulevard's Bourbon Barrel Quad. Very good stuff, though it'll help you spend some time in a haze if you drink too much or too quickly. It's 11.8% ABV. Ooof.

On Sunday, with warmer temperatures and lighter wind, the weekly traveling circus headed to Glenwood on a mixture of pavement and gravel. More new roads for me, which I generally won't complain about.

After an easier week on the bike last week, I felt pretty solid over the last couple of days. It seems as though the offseason "get stronger" plan is starting to prove itself. Still plenty of work to do, but I can feel it paying off.

On to a new week. One week closer to spring.

This is still better than normal

2012-01-20T09:53:00.002-06:00

I got an email from my dad the other day asking if I had necessary supplies in my car for the upcoming snow. Wait, there's snow coming?

Up there, in north-central Iowa, yes — many inches of snow. Down here? It'll be in the low 40s on Sunday. And though it's cold right now, it's easier than many inches of snow.

I'll take it.

—

Madelyn is just a little bit more than two months old now. In those two-plus months, Jack has done really well in terms of being a helper and following directions and generally not being a little shit. He does has moments, but he's 4. Kids are little shits sometimes.

The one place he's struggled, though, is at daycare. It's maddening. It's as if his ability to be a generally decent child flies out the window. Yelling, arguing, ignoring directions, teasing. What the hell, son?

His punishment for such activities is losing playtime at home, and an early bedtime. It doesn't work. We've dangled rewards — there's a much-sought-after toy that's actually in the house and waiting for him to not hit at daycare.

On Wednesday I told him he had a surprise waiting for him — a new bike — if he did a good job following directions and not fighting. We're still waiting for that to happen.

He's a good boy. He has nice manners (mostly) and is thoughtful and kind to his sister and to animals and all of that. We're not super worried that he's turning into a little anti-social twerp, but he could do a better job of convincing us he won't grow up to be a snarky little shit.

—

Who's riding this weekend? Lots of miles to be had. Keep an eye on the blogs and Twitter and so forth. If it's dry, it's time to ride.

Talent? No. Luck? Probably.

2012-01-19T10:35:00.002-06:00

Somehow, some way, there was calm in the house at 6:45 this morning.

Jack was up and dressed, and so was Maddie. Chris was eating breakfast, I was out of the shower. Nobody was in a hurry. The day was beginning with ease.

How did that happen? I have no idea. I wish I could say it was the result of planning, as if Maddie going to daycare and Chris going back to school was the catalyst for a higher level of organization.

More likely, it was luck. Tomorrow is another day, and it's hard to tell how one kid will act in the morning, let alone two.

Here we go.

Superchunk

2012-01-18T05:59:00.003-06:00

Celebrity chef Paula Deen hit the airwaves yesterday (or the day before — it really doesn't matter) to announce she'd been diagnosed with Type 2 diabetes.

This is shocking to approximately nobody. If you're not familiar with her work, Deen is a comfort-food practitioner — tons of butter, fried everything, loads of sugar. This woman developing diabetes seems like a foregone conclusion.

More than eight percent of the United Stats has diabetes, which is linked to poor diet and lack of exercise, among other things. This number will only rise.

Deen could have used her diagnosis to say, "You know what? I was wrong to rely so heavily upon lard as a base for all of my recipes. Let's dial it back and bring in more fresh vegetables. Let's knock down that sugar or fat content. Let's try to cook healthier."

Instead, she has an endorsement deal for diabetes medication, essentially saying, "Hey, diabetes isn't so bad! You can just take some drugs to keep it under control. I'm not changing the way I cook — the drugs will take care of me."

Ugh. If you were looking for a prime example of why America is fat, Deen is it. Don't change the diet that will eventually kill you — just take medicine to fix it.

That's the easy way out, but it's not like getting healthier is hard to begin with. It goes like this:

Stop eating so much. Take smaller portions and know how much a serving of whatever you're eating really is.
Add more fruits and vegetables to your diet.
Aim for fat-free versions of foods — especially dairy
Exercise. Start small, work your way up.

And that's it. It's certainly better than drinking a tub of butter every week and then going on medication.

Isn't it a little early for this?

2012-01-17T06:28:00.003-06:00

Mark has a little tag on his blog that describes his current working mindset: Driven by self-doubt.

Am I fast enough? Am I working hard enough? Oh no, I'm not. Must ... work ... harder!

At some point, I think every racer goes through little cycles of self-doubt. For me, it's usually in the week or two before a big race, when there's nothing I can do in that short amount of time to get faster. What you see is what you get at that point.

Right now, though, there's plenty of time to get faster. We're just beginning the third week of January, and pretty much everybody has been getting some great miles in. The weather has been awesome for months on end.

And that means that the March and April races will probably be a lot faster than in years past. How fast? We won't know until we're in it.

And am I fast enough for that? Am I taking full advantage of the weather and the miles and everything else?

I hope so. I think so. I felt pretty good on the bike this weekend, and I feel like I carried over a bit of fitness from last season.

Is it enough, though? I have no idea. But thanks to our warm offseason, I'll be thinking about it for months.

Awesome.

Weekend on wheels

2012-01-16T06:37:00.005-06:00

Though it sounds like I'm at the helm of a record player capable of playing only one song, I still have to say it: I cannot get over this weather.

Mid-40s on Saturday, mid-50s on Sunday. And it's the middle of January.

Saturday was a gravel ride with the usual crew. We rolled out of downtown with a dozen riders and came home with gravel dust all over the place. The wind kicked up a bit later in the day, but it was pretty perfect for us as we climbed and descended in the Loess Hills.

It was my first official gravel ride with the bunch, too. It wasn't the magical, revolutionary experience I'd been promised, but it was nice to see some different roads. I'd often wondered what was down this road or that one. Now I know. All in all, a really great start to the weekend.

Sunday was road miles with a few from the Saturday group. Once again we headed to Iowa, but I only did a little loop before heading back across the bridge. I had an hour in my legs before we left Jones Bros., and needed to get back a bit sooner.

After a quick shower and lunch, Jack and I headed over to Tranquility to bask in the sun for a bit. Jack was super-pumped to get back on the trail, and rode faster and smoother than I'd ever seen him ride.

Since the new loop on the north is most accessible to us, that's where we go. During our previous trip, he trembled with fear at the ravine that serves as a link to the northernmost part of the course. This time, though, he lined it up and went ripping down into it. He's not strong enough to pedal back up the other side — plus he's on tiny 12-inch wheels — but I pushed him up the rest of the way.

And then he went back the other way. And then he did it again and again.

We finished off the north loop and then he wanted to ride into the trees. So we did that, too. And then he rode home, back up the hill. For someone with a tiny bike, that's a long way. And it was awesome watching him take a huge leap compared to last time.

The 10-day forecast still looks awesome. Well, awesome for January in Nebraska. Let's keep it rolling, yeah?

You can do anything for 30 minutes

2012-01-13T08:31:00.003-06:00

The weather app on my phone said minus-1 degree when I was getting ready to leave the house this morning.

That's a bit chilly, isn't it? But, like everything else you do when it's cold outside, just add a layer and get on with it.

Up top I had a short-sleeve wind-front baselayer, a long-sleeve thermal baselayer and my long-sleeve thermal team jersey. Below I wore standard bibs with leg warmers and my Bontrager knickers over the top. Wool socks and boots on the feet, charcoal warmer in the gloves. Oh, and a balaclava and thermal cap under my helmet.

With the exception of my feet, everything else was great. My hands got cold at first, but a quick sprint up the first hill cured that. And though I initially felt the cold licking up under the cuffs of the knickers, it was fine after that.

Plus, it's only 8.8 miles; just a little over 30 minutes. You can put up with a lot of stuff for such a short time.

We get a small monetary bonus for riding to work. It won't make me rich by any means. And my initial motivation for riding more was taking that bonus and treating myself to a cup of coffee now and then — like at Starbucks or wherever — or maybe lunch (I pretty much always bring my own).

But it's been pretty obvious that after three months here, the real bonus is starting the day with 30 minutes on the bike. Even on a day like today, when my snot froze within a minute or two of leaving the house, riding to work is energizing. It's fun.

More people should try it, even when it's cold like today.

More Adventurous

2012-01-12T05:57:00.004-06:00

Chris called the office yesterday around 4. "Are you still riding home?" Yep.

As I was gearing up to leave, Ryan asked, "Do you need a ride?" Nope.

I knew what I was getting into. After the front blew in during the morning, it snowed a bit. It looked like this:

That picture makes it look like a nice, light snow, doesn't it? And it was, technically. But was pretty chilly (wind chill in the low teens when I left) and kind of slippery in spots. But I was ready for that, too.

I added a layer, let out a little air from my tires and headed out. Getting to the trail was a little sketchy — the intersections were bad. Once on the trail, all was well. And even up into the next neighborhood it was fine.

Getting down the next hill was a concern. My headlight made the ice shine bright, which probably made it look worse than it was. I kept steady pressure on the brakes and got to the bottom without incident.

It was pretty straightforward the rest of the way, though it got cold by the end. My gloves are good to 15 and not great after that. And I wasn't really going fast enough to generate enough heat, either.

But I made it. I got the ride in. It wasn't that bad. The studded tires might have helped a little bit, if only for reassurance. But I did as Lucas told me — ride in a straight line — and it was fine.

Today ... yeah, nevermind. I'm not going out in it again today. The good news is that it'll be in the 40s again for the weekend. It's going to be a fast spring.

Maintenance

2012-01-11T08:29:00.002-06:00

It's been a little more than 2.5 years since I broke my back. An injury like that sounds really bad, and at first it was definitely really bad.

But in the months afterward it was only sort of bad — almost an annoyance more than anything else. The bones healed quickly and I was on my bike again about seven or eight weeks later.

I did lose a little bit of fitness — not riding for two months will do that — but the biggest thing I lost was core strength and flexibility. I worked on it a lot before the crash, but in the months and years since, it's been doubly important.

This workout from Bicycling magazine, surprisingly, forms the core of my ... uh, core workout.

It takes about 20 minutes or so, and done twice a week it makes a big difference.

The rest of my core routine centers on stretching — specifically the hamstrings. A lot of the stretches are based upon yoga poses — none of which I can actually find online. Super-helpful of me, I know.

If you've been looking for a way to gain some core strength without having to go to the gym, start with the link up above. After that, hit a yoga class or two to learn a few stretches. The combination of the two will make a huge difference.

A good start

2012-01-09T06:02:00.003-06:00

When I woke up on Sunday morning, I had a feeling in my legs that I hadn't experienced for some time: fatigue.

Looking back on the calendar, I realized why: I've been riding the hell out of my bikes. Every day for two weeks or so. That would do it.

From October though just a few weeks ago, I'd ridden whenever I felt like it. Really, I rode just enough to be able to be semi-decent at 'cross. Had I slacked off any more, it probably would have been really ugly.

And since Maddie was born, it's been mostly riding to work plus a couple of weekend rides — definitely not enough to stay fit.

So, with the turn of the new year, miles started increasing. Having nice weather certainly doesn't hurt, either. One ride was in summer kit. The rest have been with warmers or a vest.

And here's the next 10 days:

We win again.

I spent a few hundred dollars on outfitting my 'cross bike (and myself) for winter. So far the return on investment is about $5o worth, I'd guess. I'm good with stopping there if it means I get to ride my road bike through spring.

From the archive: Truck balls

2012-01-07T07:55:00.000-06:00

At some point in the past, I was apparently capable of writing something pretty funny. This is one of those posts. Originally posted on January 17, 2008.

Sydney had an encounter with one of Nebraska's finest the other day -- one we've all had at least once or twice. Big pickup = cool = tough = get out of my way, etc. Right. We get it, dude.

More often than not, the F-150, Dodge Ram or Silverado has one of those sweet "Peeing Calvin" stickers on it, and usually the target is one of the two other brands of tracks. Or a football team. Or Jeff Gordon's number. Also included in the standard "awesome truck" decal package is a sticker proclaiming toughness of either the truck or the driver (though probably the truck). Something like "Fear This" with scary eyes is what I'd put on it -- all across the back window. And I'd add one of those "Terrorist Hunter Permit" stickers, too. Those rule. They say, "I love my country, so I'm going to show it by telling terrorists they'd better start runnin'. Of course, that also means I'll be staying home while other people actually hunt them."

But the best way to rate the awesomeness of a truck is to look just under the trailer hitch. If that truck has balls, steer clear, friend. Ain't no force in the world gonna stop it. And that is awesome. But there's trouble brewing for the "fully outfitted" truck enthusiast:

Drivers with vehicles sporting the facsimile sex organs face a fine under a bill before the Virginian General Assembly. Delegate Lionel Spruill introduced the legislation Tuesday, Jan. 15, 2008, saying the sight of masculine genitalia is a safety issue because it distracts drivers. -- AP

Because it distracts drivers? You got that right, Cletus. It distracts me because I'm laughing at the guy who, after blowing $30,000 on a truck that will probably live in a heated garage in the suburbs and never haul anything more than a Christmas tree or a new bike from Target, felt the need to prove exactly how bad he was by affixing balls to his new ride's underbelly. The dualies weren't enough. The running boards and push bars on the grill weren't enough. The bullet-hole decals fell woefully short. Clearly, the next step is testicles.

If the truck is compensation for one thing or another, what role do the balls play?

Time capsule

2012-01-06T08:01:00.000-06:00

While we were in Algona last week, I spent a bit of time digging through old photos in an attempt to pull out the best ones. Why? Facebook Timeline. It's pretty cool, and I've been playing around with it for personal use as well as business use (which isn't really available yet).

Anyway, I was looking for older pictures to post, mostly because they're far more entertaining than anything I've done in the last 10 years. This one, in particular, caught my eye:

That's me on the day I was born. The reason I look huge is because I was about two weeks late. I was 10 pounds, 3 ounces and 22 inches. Yikes.

Anyway, compare it with this picture of Madelyn from just a few weeks ago:

Double yikes.

Of course, you can go with the "all babies look a like" bit, and to a certain extent it's a little bit true. But this is a little uncanny, at least from my tilted view.

One can hope, also, that she ends up taking more of her looks from Chris. Because look how I turned out less than two years later:

Feats of strength!

Thoughts on the Nebraska calendar

2012-01-05T07:12:00.001-06:00

The Nebraska race schedule is out, probably as early as it's been in the last couple of years, which is awesome. And here's an early thanks to the promoters and officials and sponsors who help make it all happen.

As a guy who's taken advantage of both running and cycling races frequently over the last 10 years, I'm always grateful that we have people willing to give their time — and sometimes their money — to help bring race-day experiences to the riders in our state. It's not an easy job, and I do my best to thank every promoter or race director after every race.

Having done a bit of event planning/promoting over the last few years, I can attest to the challenge of providing a great atmosphere or course, while also being able to actually manage the whole thing from a practical standpoint. Simply put, the sweetest routes or courses we can imagine are sometimes untenable for the small race operations we have in Nebraska.

So compromises need to be made, be it on a course or a date or some other piece of the logistical puzzle. By and large, I like the Nebraska road schedule. There are a few more cyclocross dates in the fall, which is never a bad thing. And there's a road weekend scheduled after early July for the first time in two years. That's awesome.

The season opener is now an early season opener — the UNL weekend is now in March. It was cold as hell last year in mid-April. I don't reckon it'll be much warmer a few weeks earlier. Regardless, that's fine, too. If I have to choose between racing earlier or not racing at all, I'll race earlier.

The Flatwater weekend is in the same spot in May, which is a nice little burgeoning tradition. I like that weekend, even though I've never really been good for it.

And that leaves us with June. Last year, the NCA moved all of the various championships, save cyclocross, to June — championship month. OK, fine. Whatever. So the state road race and crit were on the same weekend, followed by the MTB title race and then the TT. Great. No problem. The TT interfered with the Tour of KC, but given the attendance at TTs lately ... eh, no biggie.

This year, the state road race moves away from the state crit weekend and toward the end of the month. It's tied in with the state TT the next day. And it again shares the same weekend as the Tour of KC.

We complain about not having a ton of KC guys coming up for races, no matter the discipline. We complain about not having a ton of Des Moines guys coming over, too. Well, the KC guys won't be here this year, either. Not when there are three days of racing close to home. And not when one of them is a time trial on that god-forsaken Yutan course. (Yes, I realize the logistical hurdles of hosting a long-enough time trial. Still, we have to be able to do better than this.)

For the last couple of years, the big conflict was the Clear Lake BBQ/Omaha Cycling Weekend thing. They're both big races in their own right, but both would attract a decent contingent of traveling riders. I finally got to go to Clear Lake last year and it was AWESOME. It's my hope that an even bigger group of riders will head over this time around and take the Iowa riders' money. Make them want to come to Omaha or Lincoln to get it back.

We have a limited pool of riders in Nebraska from which to draw a race field — it needs to be supplemented by out-of-state riders. If we're canceling out an entire racing region (in this case, KC, but in the past, Iowa) with scheduling, how do we expect to get the larger fields we're all hoping for?

I'm not bringing this up to be argumentative or anything like that. And I'm not offering a solution in the form of a better schedule or alternate events. (And I hate complaining without offering a solution or alternative. You're left just whining about something and not offering to help fix it.)

I guess what I'm doing is asking a question: Isn't there a way to avoid stuff like this? I'd love to go to Kansas City to race, and the handful of riders I spoke with yesterday feel the same way. But we can't go spread the word of Nebraska cycling — which is a strong, quality word — if the areas we'd most like to make an impression upon are blocked by our own, shuffling schedule.

What's the answer? I don't know. But we should figure it out.

Time is running out

2012-01-04T07:29:00.002-06:00

Lucas and I went out for a lunch ride yesterday. It was 40-some degrees, the sun was shining and the pavement — and everything around it — was bone-dry.

It is January in Nebraska.

Though it's unusual, it's not unheard-of. I recall a January (2006? 2007?) that saw me putting in more outdoor miles than I did that same March. And I remember a few Decembers that were on par with this last one in terms of mild temperatures.

But still, it's January in Nebraska. The last two winters have trained us to expect the worst; to realize and accept that our road bikes will be useless for anything other than trainer rides for a while. After I got my 'cross bike built up in late November, I was pretty much planning on riding it all winter.

My last half-dozen rides have been on the road bike.

And as I look at the calendar again, I can't help but wonder if we're going to dodge the big, horrible, grinding winter. Historically, bad weather has broken around the second or third week of February. We're nearing the end of the first week of January, putting that breaking point just five or six weeks away. Seven, tops.

Plus, look at the 10-day forecast:

No moisture at all. Freaky temps, too. (Really, though, if it was dry and 25 degrees every day, that would be fine, too.) I take 10-day forecasts with a grain of salt, since predicting the future has proven to be a little difficult, but it's a nice road map for what lies ahead. And it means there's probably one less week of winter before typical seasonal warming begins.

Sure, it'll snow at some point in March. But March snow never lasts long. There's always a warm stretch to get rid of it.

I have studded tires for my 'cross bike in the garage. They were purchased after our lone stretch of snow and ice. They still have the tags on them. And though they cost a pretty penny, I'd be perfectly OK with not having to use them this year.

Blazing thumbs

2012-01-03T07:38:00.003-06:00

For the bulk of my childhood, my only exposure to video games came at my friends' houses. Oh, and at Kmart. When Super Nintendo came out, it rocked my little eighth-grade mind. Since none of my friends had one, I played Super Mario World at Kmart, which at the time was the longest Kmart in America.

Yes, really. Not largest. Longest.

Anyway, I never really asked my parents to get one for us, because I knew that would be a dead-end conversation. Besides, we only had one TV in the house. No way was it going to be taken over by a video game console.

But for Christmas during my senior year of high school, I got a little 13-inch TV that I could take with me to college the following fall. But since there was no cable hook-up to my room, it was basically worthless at the time.

I remember pretty clearly going with my mom to Target in Fort Dodge near the end of that Christmas break. As I walked through the electronics section, a Sega Genesis caught my eye. Only $99.99, you say? I worked a part-time job in high school and had no bills whatsoever to worry about. One hundred dollars, plus another $30 for a game (NHL 95, by the way)? Please. Child's play.

So I got one. My mom said, "What's that?" — as in, "What do you think you're doing with that?" — and I said, "It's a Sega. I'm getting it."

And that was the start, about 17 years ago.

Since then I've had all three iterations of the Sony PlayStation and have done my best to wear out each one. My original PlayStation (first game, NHL 98) got to the point of failure before it was replaced. It only sometimes spun up properly and often just flat-out quit. It's no coincidence that during its lifespan I got fat.

I beat the hell out of a PlayStation 2 (first game, NHL 2003), as well. My newspaper job had me working 6 a.m. to 11 a.m. every day, to ostensibly be followed by covering a game or writing a feature story later in the day. More often than not, I went for a run right after I got home and spent the rest of the day playing video games.

We didn't get a PlayStation 3 (first game ... not an NHL game) until last fall, long after it had been discounted several times and there was no hope whatsoever of getting new, good games for PS2. (And now we have two of them.)

And it's at this point of my life, precisely when I can actually sort of afford to get the newest (OK, semi-newest) stuff, that I have the least amount of time to do it (save for last week on Christmas break). Where I was actually fairly skilled at a few PS2 games — eight years of system ownership will do that — I pretty much suck at all of my PS3 games. I feel lucky when I win a game of baseball and I really just mash buttons on the new Batman game.

Despite that, I got excited when I saw Sunday's Best Buy ad. LA Noire, a 1940s detective-type game, was on sale for $9.99 — one day only. It was released in May and is usually $39.99. I'm still knee-deep in Batman right now and I play baseball year-round, so I don't exactly need another game. But $10 is a steal.

Best Buy was sold out, though, which put a dent in my "I don't need another game but since this one is $10 I want another game" high. And then I remembered Wal-Mart's price-match policy. Jackpot. I head back up the road, snagged a "complete" copy (which has all of the downloadable add-on content included) and was on my way for $10.

Yes, these are the things that get me pumped up. I realize I'm kinda lame. I just hope I have time to play it before ... I don't know, May?

Wonderbike

2012-01-02T07:03:00.002-06:00

Well, that was fun. My time with the Trek Cronus CX has come to an end. I cleaned it up and returned it to the store last week, thus reclaiming some garage space and downgrading from "ridiculous pro-level bike" to merely a "very, very good bike."

I was impressed right away when I built it up in May, and even more impressed as I put it through its paces. It's light, fast, comfortable and confidence-inspiring. It was awesome when I used it as a road bike when a shifter broke. It was even more awesome when I used it for its intended purpose.

And there was a brief time — a few hours or so — when I considered ordering a 2012 Cronus Ultimate as my demo bike. I have a full-size crank to swap for road use, and Shorty Ultimate brakes are good enough for what we do around here.

In the end, I ordered a Madone as well as an Ion Pro frameset. The Ion has almost everything that the Cronus has ... plus an extra pound or so. And the way I build it up will have some of that weight eliminated.

But the ride — while similar — just isn't the same. I'd still like to get a Cronus, despite having a pretty nice road bike and a pretty nice 'cross bike. Yes, the Cronus is that good.

Until then, I'm pretty certain I can rack up my pack-fill finishes on a very, very good bike.

Day one

2012-01-01T12:44:00.003-06:00

There's a tree up the street that I use as a wind gauge, since it's the tallest tree at just about the tallest point of the neighborhood. It doesn't tell me direction, really, but it lets me know about speed.

Right now, it's swaying wildly. Luckily, that wasn't the case when I headed out earlier this morning for the first miles of 2012.

Since Chris is still not feeling better — she's going to urgent care today — I've had my ride time seriously clipped. I had two hours or less (preferably less) to get back, so I did a little Bennington Road-Elk City-Elkhorn-Lincoln Highway-West Papio loop. It's about 27 miles, hilly in parts and isn't super-exposed the whole time ... despite what the picture above shows.

I have super-heavy 32-spoke wheels on my Madone right now, and I can really feel it. For a number of reasons — desk job, weight gain, offseason laziness — I have virtually no leg speed right now. I know it's not something to stress over in January, but I felt really sluggish through the first 45 minutes of the ride.

Regardless, it was nice to get out. I'm amazed at the number of riding days I've been able to get in over the last six weeks or so. Even on the really bad days, it wasn't really that bad. Temps are good today, too — even if the wind isn't.

And since it's January 1, here are my resolutions for 2012:

Complete at least one home-improvement project per month. Our house is almost 17 years old now, and we have a few nagging maintenance issues that need to be taken care of. No time like now.
Ride more, drive less.
Race more, suck less.
Write more.

This is a good start. Let's have a great year, yeah? YEAH!

Goodbye to all of that

2011-12-31T19:02:00.003-06:00

The first blog post of 2011 was about how we ditched satellite TV and instead used the internet and over-the-air signals for content. It was a smashing success — better than we imagined it would be, even.

And the rest of the year? Well, let's check it out ... .

In January I poked the sleeping bear and told everybody I didn't give a crap about their ice beards or epic snowy gravel rides. I still don't care. You don't get faster from riding gravel, you get faster from riding — it doesn't matter where. Now go shave, hippie.

In February the thaw came reasonably early and I got some pretty good miles in. Also, the Trek Store got all ripped up and remodeled and everything. Oh, and we found out a baby was on the way in November.

In March I spent about 30 days coughing constantly. My form in April bore the effects of all of that.

In April, I did OK at Twin Bing and much, much worse at the Tour de Husker. And in between I swatted with futility at Wednesday Night Worlds success, started a shitstorm when I asked if we should have waited longer for Kevin on the same ride and then created a preamble for a fall of cyclocross by saying, "You know, I really want a 'cross bike."

In May I got stung on the forehead by a bee. For the record, I think bees are total assholes. I mean, thanks for the honey and pollinating all of the plants and all, but why so much stinging? Anyway, it was like a damn tumor for, like, a week. That sucked. Elsewhere, we planted a tree in the backyard and then I raced sort-of OK in Lincoln at the end of the month. And then I got a 'cross bike.

In June I finally felt like I was starting to put the pieces together. I don't know what I thought I was building, but I started getting faster. Also, because he's a small boy with lots of energy, Jack jumped over/onto the deck and split his chin wide open. We spent a Sunday night in the ER, which was ... well, it wasn't that bad, really. (For me, I mean.) I got a replacement Dura-Ace 7801 wheel, which was really exciting, and then we saw the Cubs lose in Kansas City. Thanks, Cubs.

July was better.

In July I somehow found my way onto the podium for the first time since 2008. I checked the results a dozen times to make sure it wasn't a mistake. I raced on back-to-back weekends that featured absolutely ridiculous heat and humidity and actually did pretty well. And it was then that Brady finally hit on the reason it took me so long to be halfway decent again: breaking your back is a very traumatic injury that takes a long while to heal.

In August I went to Trek World for what may be the last time for quite a while. I didn't know that at the time, of course. And then Mark and I happened upon an ambush at a ride in KC, which was actually pretty fun. Jack turned 4 on the 20th and then a week later ditched the training wheels. That was easily the best part of the month.

In September I used epoxy to glue on my license plates, won the NCA's Rider of the Year award after they canceled the last two races and then left my job at the bike shop. Or, rather, I decided to leave. And then I signed up for two 60-minute 'cross races. I never said I was smart.

In October I really did leave my bike-shop job, then raced a little 'cross and then watched the Cubs hire Theo Epstein to run the baseball works. Huh? What? The Cubs? Holy crap.

In November we won the game of chance and had a baby born on 11-11-11. My favorite number is 11, by the way. I did my last race of the year — where I won some cash — just two days before she arrived. And after she was born, I finally finished up building my new 'cross bike.

In December ... wait. December is done? Actually, it wasn't that much of a blur. I rode in the snow and then in the warm again. I got winter boots and snow tires and it's been warm ever since. I've done as much gravel as pavement and I still don't feel any faster. Guess I'm not epic enough.

And now it's December 31. Chris has been sick for a few days, meaning our usual New Year's Eve celebration — good beer and not-good-for-you food — is on hold. Two more days until I have to go back to work. I'm sure we'll work in a celebration at some point.

But that's all there is for 2011. It was a good year. The last couple of months were a bit nuts, but it was otherwise pretty entertaining. I don't see 2012 being any less of a thrill ride.

Shoes are now required

2011-12-30T08:37:00.005-06:00

If you've ever stepped on a Lego block before, you know how that little plastic block can take on the qualities of a razor blade. You're going to want to wear protective footwear at our house from now on.

Chris and I decided to stick our toes into the shallow end of the Lego pool by picking up a couple of small Cars 2 Lego sets for Jack for Christmas. Though the pieces are pretty small, Jack has done pretty well with being able to take them apart and put them back together. And to not leave them all over the floor ... .

When we were in Algona earlier this week, I got out some of my old Lego sets and let him go to town. If the ones we got for him are slightly over his head, the space plane from 1985 was WAY over his head. He dropped it once on my parents' hardwood floor and sent pieces skittering across the room.

But, for the most part, he did pretty well. I imagine we have a future ahead of us that includes plastic totes filled with foot-slicing little blocks. And I'm cool with that, because Legos are awesome.

Foreign relations

2011-12-28T17:22:00.004-06:00

At certain points of the fall and spring, my high school cross country and track coaches would load us up into a cargo van and drive into the country. They'd kick us out and say, "See you back at the school."

Because of that — and from exploring southern Kossuth County, Iowa, on my own — I'm fairly familiar with the gravel roads around Algona. Even looking at the map this morning, I could picture the roads I'd be riding on.

So that was nice. Memories came right back as I rolled out of town — south, toward Irvington — and onto the gravel. My previous rural-road gravel experiences came in handy pretty quick: farm dog, 3 o'cock.

It was obvious right away that it was the friendly kind of farm dog, the one that's basically saying, "Hey! Can I run with you? I like running! Yay! Run run run run run!"

Though I knew it was futile, I told him to go home. And then I picked up the pace and really got moving. He kept up. So then I tried to trick him by heading back toward his house, letting him get ahead and then doing a quick U-turn. Nope.

Then I thought I'd go farther down the road — and faster — trying to drop him. He was on my wheel when I got to a fairly busy country intersection. So I turned around and took him back ... again. When we got there this time, he laid down on the grass in front of his house. And then he got up and trotted toward the house, as if he heard his owner opening a door or filling up a water bowl.

So I took off — again — and ripped down the road. Again.

After a half-mile, I looked back and the damn dog was running after me. This time, I had a pretty good gap, so I ripped through the next little (ghost) town, around a couple of curves and back out into the open country.

That dumb dog was there the whole time. When I finally got the point where I could not, in good conscience, allow him to follow any longer, we turned around. Back through the ghost town, back across the intersection and on the way back to his house.

Like any good dog, he got distracted when we went past another farm house, at which something exciting was happening. And like that, he was gone. I wish I would have known about that distraction on one of the other four or five passes past that place.

By the time the dog was gone, my ride window was fairly well blown and I had to head back. Prior knowledge helped once again, so I took a slight detour on the way back into town. It would have been nice to get more miles, yes, but it was just nice to be out to begin with.

And, hey, I made a new friend, if nothing else.

New adventures in the old country

2011-12-26T14:50:00.002-06:00

For the first time in a few years, it was actually worth it to bring a bike home around Christmas. The last two or three years have been either super-snowy, super-cold or super-cold and snowy. And I didn't have a 'cross bike until this year, anyway.

But it's actually pretty nice this time around, so I packed accordingly.

If there's one defining feature of my home territory, it's the complete and utter lack of elevation change. It's flat enough to see your turnaround point off in the distance. The few hills there are come from the vast network of creeks around the area. And those are 30-second hills - slight inclines, really - at best.

And while the area isn't particularly windy, when it is windy, it blows across the plains for miles and miles. That was today's scenario. In Omaha, when the icon on Weather.com just says "WIND," you can hide a fair amount in the valleys. Up here, you hide from the wind by staying inside.

I mapped out a route to a nearby town that was made up almost entirely of gravel or rails-to-trails surfaces. The initial stretch of pavement was only a couple of miles long and straight into the teeth of 20-30 mph wind. After that, it was gravel all the way to the turnaround town.

Only one section had big, loose chunks and the rest was pretty standard gravel. One section had a "No Snow Removal" sign on it, which was interesting at first, but it ended up looking exactly like the rest of the road.

After a quick bottle fill-up and a snack at the halfway point, I headed back west. The SSW wind was really ripping, and it felt like a block headwind a lot more than a cross-headwind. I was fortunate to be on the Rails-to-Trails section for the return trip, as it offered a bit of protection when I passed through brushy or lightly wooded sections.

Still, though, it was a long slog. When the trail finally kicked back north again, it was a sweet, welcome relief. Suddenly the cranks turned easily and the gusts stopped grabbing my front wheel. I rolled back into town with four hours on the clock and food on my mind.

I'm into my second cup of coffee by now. I think I still may take a nap.

Super-secret ultra awesomeness

2011-12-23T08:19:00.002-06:00

Though I've had access to bike-shop-guy pricing for nearly three years now, some of this stuff is still expensive. While there's no real way to get around some necessities, there are ways to cut costs even further: food.

Sport-specific stuff is expensive, even at shop-guy prices. Some stuff you can't avoid — energy gels work well for me in long road races and in preparation for crits and such — but if you just need sugar and a little bit of fat, regular food does the trick.

And the best place to get regular food that works on the bike is Costco. Nature Valley granola bars? Twenty-five cents apiece, 190 calories. Pop Tarts, another fine source of sugar and a tiny handful of vitamins, end up being 45 cents apiece (or so). And it's 400 calories if you eat both pastries.

And those waffles from earlier this year? Yeah, those are awesome, too. There are at least a dozen regular-food items out there that would work great as on-bike food.

But there's one holy grail of bike food that has just now found its way to Costco. It's the kind of item that gives me pause when considering whether I should actually have such easy access to such things. It's so ridiculously inexpensive compared to even the generous shop-guy pricing.

Brady made me promise not to tell.

So I won't. But I'll say this: If you're at Costco searching for something to stuff in your jersey pockets, take a right at the second-run Calvin Klein jeans, a left at the big coolers, another right at the 8-pound bag of ground beef, a right at the Mexican Coke and another right at the giant tub of whey protein.

Keep your eyes peeled. You'll see what I'm talking about.

There's a prize inside

2011-12-22T06:00:00.003-06:00

It's almost time.

Historically, I've had a problem waiting until Christmas Eve to find out what's under the tree, in presents marked with my name. My parents can attest to this. Chris can attest to this. If there's a way for me to find out, I probably will.

That's not to say I dig through the house and try to find out. Well, not anymore. The seventh-grade me found a baseball card magazine long before Christmas, and by the time the big day had arrived, I'd read it cover to cover. And I recall one year very, very carefully (and probably not as quietly as I thought) pulling back a slightly unstuck piece of Scotch tape to open the flap on ... I think it was a GI Joe something or other. Regardless, it was undoubtedly awesome.

This year, mostly due to having a baby in the house, things like getting presents under the tree (to say nothing of getting the damn tree up to begin with) happen when they happen. Chris just started wrapping presents a few days ago. And because I have bigger fish to fry, I haven't even checked underneath. (That could change, of course. All it takes is one tiny fit of boredom.)

Jack, meanwhile, has the whole thing mapped out. There's nothing so obvious — like Lego sets — under the tree, so we might have him fooled for now. And while he's had a problem keeping mouth shut in past years, he hasn't told Chris what he got her. But I think he probably forgot, since it was in the middle of a busy, distracting trip to Village Pointe.

On the opposite end of that, though, he inadvertently told me what I was getting — sort of. Some bike tools and socks. Of course, I asked for a number of different bike tools and just sort of pointed toward the socks. Could be anything.

Hmmm ... maybe I'll go find out.

Commuting

2011-12-21T06:00:00.002-06:00

Since I started at Harvest a couple of months ago (that was a fast two months, by the way), I've been trying to ride to work at least twice a week.

The ride is the same as it's always been, with the exception of the last half-mile or so. Instead of going past the first Furniture Mart warehouse and turning into the parking lot, I turn just before the warehouse and cut straight east toward Lowes, Jimmy John's and Starbucks.

With the exception of the first couple of weeks, every ride home has been in the dark. And the gear I've accumulated over the past couple of months has little to do with racing (in the short term) and everything to do with continuing to ride deep into winter.

I started by adding a headlight — the NiteRider MiNewt 150. Nothing too crazy, but enough to light up the Keystone (which is surprisingly dark in spots) and grab the attention of motorists. Though I also rode home in the dark when I worked nights at the newspaper, I had only a pretty simple battery-powered headlight. The difference? No traffic at 2 a.m. Sometimes I rode Radial Highway from downtown.

My 'cross bike will be the prime commuter over the winter, and I've added fenders, too. Studded tires are on a hook in the garage, and I hope they stay there. I realize this is probably an impossibility, but I'm holding out hope.

As for the Shimano boots I picked up — they're pretty solid. They are by no means revolutionary and won't keep my feet toasty warm down to 5-below. But they're certainly easier than shoes and covers and will be way more durable.

And despite stories by others of being honked at, cut off and otherwise treated horribly by motorists, I really haven't seen it. The only even remotely dicey part of either portion of the ride comes in the first mile on the morning leg: I have to get down Fort Street, which is fairly busy. I can get up to speed pretty quickly and get out of the way in about 30 seconds. After signaling, a little wave of thanks to the driver who let me in has me set up for an easy ride the rest of the way.

With a slightly busier schedule this winter, hopefully a couple of rides to work per week — and the first half/last half is hilly — will help maintain fitness. I'll still have to get good noon-hour work in, along with weekend rides, but I'm hoping I can be a little bit better for the races earlier on the calendar than I was in the last two seasons.

December reprieve

2011-12-19T05:45:00.002-06:00

With one week left before Christmas, I got out twice over the weekend on my road bike. Even better, it was actually semi-warm both days.

Dry roads in December isn't a miracle or anything — I remember December of 2008 being not so bad. The two last two, however, have featured snow on the ground by this time.

Anyway, it was nice to get out on the road bike, especially after I'd pretty much resigned myself to riding the 'cross bike for the next three months. (Which isn't a huge deal since they're set up exactly the same.) I put the super-heavy 20-year-old wheels on the Madone, which probably added three pounds. They're ridiculous.

Saturday was about three hours or so. Chris took Jack and Maddie to the Childrens' Museum to see Santa Claus. Wanting nothing to do with that, I met them there around lunchtime. I promptly negated the ride by choosing the Patty Melt-Phatty Style at the Dundee Dell. It was still worth it.

On Sunday I decided way too late to join a group leaving from the downtown Blue Line. (Seriously, people — why do winter rides always leave from downtown?) In any case, I was drilling it to get there in time when I came upon a road closed sign leading into Elmwood Park. "No matter," I thought, "I'll just go cyclocross style and ride around it."

That didn't turn out very well. Unlike most Omaha "road closed" situations, there was actually a pretty huge ditch involved with this project. And parts were muddy. "OK, go farther around." Not two feet onto the grass, a stick kicked up and jammed itself into my rear derailleur.

Yikes. I got it out, put everything back together and got onto the cart path for a proper detour. By the time I got going again, I was late and still 10 minutes away. Ugh.

And when I finally did catch up to the group in Council Bluffs, we were minutes away from the first of several big climbs for the day. I was pretty much toast right then. And, even better, my rear derailleur hanger was bent, which made the bottom of the cage just barely touch my spokes on the easiest gear. That meant I climbed the first huge hill in a 39-21. Ow.

At the top, I stopped to bend it back and got on with things. Of course, I also hoped it would stand up to the rest of the ride. Two bends to a derailleur hanger is two too many. As it turned out, the hanger was the least of my worries. Saturday's effort, combined with an hour of pinning it just to meet the group, left me wanting in the power department.

I ended up just shy of 70 miles, which is pretty solid for December 18. After that, I spent the rest of the afternoon catching up on chores — yardwork, cleaning, laundry — and then cooked supper.

I'm still pretty worked over right now, but I'm summoning the will to ride to work today. It sounds greedy, but I feel like I should take advantage of these nice-weather opportunities as much as possible.

This is still strange

2011-12-15T10:14:00.004-06:00

Madelyn will be five weeks old tomorrow. November 11 seems like ages ago.

That said, I can't remember much between then and now. It's been a blur. I looked at the calendar this morning and realized Christmas is 10 days away.

Huh.

Life is moving pretty fast right now. I'm honestly happy I've been able to get any semblance of training in, let alone fairly consistent work. My training goals are fairly straightforward: Get faster. Ha!

It's more like this: work on my right-leg weakness, refine my pedal stroke, get stronger overall. It's obviously a little more complicated than that, but that's the main idea.

I've been riding to work twice a week, doing a little bit of running and getting outside for longer rides when possible. It's not been too bad so far.

Of course, Chris has been home for the entirety of this five-week span. She has about four weeks left (or so), and then heads back to school. It remains to be seen if either of us can keep this kind of semi-efficiency going.

Based on some of the mornings and evenings around the house, I'd say it's a 50-50 chance.

Can't explain it

2011-12-14T08:21:00.004-06:00

When we started stocking Sidi shoes at the Midtown store earlier this year, I was among the first to try some on. I mean, why not? Sidi is one of those iconic cycling names.

But, iconic name or not, Sidi's standard last (which is the shape upon which its shoes are built) just doesn't fit me. Shimano fits best, followed by the newish Bontrager RXXXL. Sidi does make a narrow version of all of its shoes, but I know my feet (big, high arches, bony), so I'm not ordering anything I can't try on first.

Though all of the above is established and straightforward, I cannot take my little gear-obsessed mind off of these shoes:
The new Sidi Ergo 3. I have no need whatsoever for these shoes. They retail for $400. They are completely ridiculous and completely awesome.

Similarly, this helmet has been on my mind for months after first putting it on my skull:
It's the Kask Vertigo, which is worn by Team Sky. It's $300. Again, I have no need for this whatsoever. The Lazer (and Bell Volt) helmet I have right now is perfectly fine. But the Vertigo might be the first helmet I could wear without needing to spend some time "customizing" it with a Dremel tool.

These are the things I think about when there are no upcoming events to think about, or real training to consider. Just spinning the miles away, thinking about upgrading every single piece of gear I have.

Is it necessary? Hardly. Would it be awesome? Yup.

All in

2011-12-12T10:34:00.003-06:00

Welcome to winter. It's time for the annual debate about what makes you faster: riding inside or outside.

The answer is neither. Riding — getting your work in, regardless of where you do it — makes you faster. If you're in doubt, think of your competition; the riders closest to you in terms of ability.

There are guys who rode outside and touted their trainer-less winter who were faster than me. And they've always been faster than me. Inside or outside doesn't matter in that case. Are they faster because they rode outside? Not likely.

There are guys who rode outside and touted their trainer-less winter who weren't faster than me. I've always been faster than them. Inside or outside didn't matter there, either.

(If you want to skip ahead to arguing below, go ahead. )

Regardless of which side of the fence you're on, riding outside in winter is fun — provided you have the right gear for it. I've had most of the clothing for a couple of seasons now. I have gloves and clothing pretty well dialed in. I very, very rarely make a mistake on those.

Picking up a 'cross bike this fall was a big step, of course. And after a couple of dirty rides on it, I saw the need for fenders. And though ripping around the lake and the snowy paths was awesome, it was clear that if I wanted to keep riding to work, I'd need some studded tires.

Check, check, check.

What's left? Footwear. Pow.

I ordered a pair of Shimano MW81 boots last week and tried them out over the weekend. The Bontrager RXL thermal booties are awesome — easily the best booties out there — but they don't work nearly as well on MTB shoes.

Long story short, these are very nice, but they aren't a magic bullet. Your feet (or my feet, at least) will not be toasty warm for four hours. It will, however, take much longer for the chill to set in, and you'll be far less frozen at the end. My feet were warm again pretty quickly after the ride was done.

All together, this stuff will allow me to go play outside a bit more this winter. Getting my workout in is still most important, but like I said before — it's fun to go ride with your friends.

It's too early for this

2011-12-09T08:38:00.002-06:00

It is December. We are months away from baseball season. Even the beginning of Spring Training — when pitchers and catchers report — is still a full two months away.

Yet I cannot stop thinking about the upcoming season. The Cubs will likely be, at best, pretty average. There's still not a ton of talent on the Major League roster; the starting rotation is woefully thin.

But with Theo Epstein and Jed Hoyer — a pair of certified baseball wonderboys (though they're older than me, so they're probably not exactly boys) — in charge, there's actually some hope. Maybe not for next year — that may already be a lost cause.

The year after that, though? Maybe. The moves being made now are, from my decidedly non-wonderboy view, telegraphing the intent of the management team. Even though the Winter Meetings from the Cubs' perspective were pretty tame — just a fairly ho-hum trade — I kept a ticker rolling all day.

They're going to do something. And it might be slow progress but it's going to be awesome.

That's what made me go home at the end of the day and want to play PS3 baseball all night. (I still ended up playing Arkham City instead.)

It is December. It is time to try to block out that awful, awful 2011 season. But I'm excited for baseball, and I wish it was April.

A Christmas classic

2011-12-07T12:16:00.002-06:00

Two-year-old Jack, circa 2009. Chris has been decorating the house, but this video is all I can think of.

Heavy rotation

2011-12-06T06:19:00.003-06:00

We listen to a lot of music around here. In fact, when we moved our home theater setup downstairs about a year ago, we bought a little sound bar for the living room upstairs just so we could keep listening. Well, keep listening without blasting the downstairs speakers ... which is awesome, by the way.

Compared to years past, we didn't buy a ton of music this year. I typically find myself buying six or seven new albums — those released within a given year — and then filling in gaps from years past. This year, I think we only bought four or five.

It's notable, too, that most of these were streamed in their entirety on NPR before they were released. Being able to preview an entire album is probably one of my favorite parts of the digital age.

Anyway, here's what we've been listening to:

Wilco: "Born Alone", from The Whole Love

We're big Wilco fans, as you might know. They were in KC on Saturday and Des Moines on Sunday. We were in Omaha. Sigh. Anyway, The Whole Love starts off hot and then twists and turns through almost an hour of music. Good stuff, like always.

Decemberists: "Calamity Song", from The King Is Dead

I've held a long disdain for Colin Meloy, the leader of the group. He comes off as pretentious and nasally. That said, this album is pretty great. EOB has made fun of me for mocking the band in the past, but Chris and I have both played the hell out of this album. My hypocrisy knows no bounds, apparently.

Bright Eyes: "Jejune Stars," from The People's Key

My first exposure to Bright Eyes came when I stopped by the Omaha Public Library a few years ago for my then-weekly allotment of books. I probably added to my music collection by 20 percent when I started digging through the library's offerings. Having been in Omaha for a short time, everybody made it a point to mention Bright Eyes. I grabbed I'm Wide Awake, It's Morning and was impressed. The People's Key is probably the band's most balanced and accessible album to date.

Ryan Adams, "Ashes and Fire," from Ashes and Fire

I remember the early days of Ryan Adams — the wonderboy who was the next great singer-songwriter. He had about two years of fame around 2001 and 2002 and then promptly went off the rails. After about five albums' worth of "bleh," he came back with Ashes and Fire. It's still not as good as his best work, but it's quite good.

The New Pornographers: "Moves," from Together

This is admittedly an album from last year. We saw the band live at the Waiting Room in the spring and haven't stopped playing them since. The best part about hearing a band you're into — but not REALLY into — is that you hear stuff you haven't heard before. We filled in some gaps in their catalog after the show, and it's become a road-trip staple.

I'll probably think of more along the way today. I might add them in. And if there's something I should have checked out this year, please toss a link into the comments. We have a lot of road tripping coming up around Christmas. We're going to need a distraction.

Get your money's worth

2011-12-05T06:11:00.003-06:00

As expected, riding time is not plentiful when both kids are in the house. I was prepared for that.

With that in mind, I decided a few weeks ago that all workouts over the winter had to be worth it. As in, if I'm going to ride, I need to make it a good one. Plus, when you think about the flow of my week — little pockets of ride time here and there — it's not that much different than what I've been doing for the last month.

On Saturday, as the snow was coming down, I jumped onto the trainer for an hour. One of my objectives for winter training is strengthening, so after a good warmup and then some upper zone-3 intervals (5 and 10 minutes), I dumped it into the 53x11 and spent 15 minutes climbing an imaginary mountain.

After some quick stretching, I was done. I noticed how easy it was to slip back into workout mode, even after a few weeks of "definitely not trying to be fast on a bike." I haven't officially started any sort of preseason plan — and I might not for a while — but it's time to get moving a bit again.

On Sunday, with the street out front scraped mostly clean, I figured it was time to see exactly what a 'cross bike can do. With only a couple of exceptions, the roads I usually ride on in winter were clean enough for a road bike. That said, the Madone is shiny and will probably stay inside for a long while.

Anyway, I decided to plow through the path around Standing Bear, then head out on Ida for a few miles of gravel. Though I had a couple of times where both tires were sliding a little bit, it wasn't too bad. Actually, it was a really good warmup. I have Clement Crusade PDX tires on right now, so when I did get to the crunchy snow, I had plenty of grip.

Once out on the road, I enjoyed the looks people had on their faces as they drove past. It was actually really nice yesterday — 28 or so, no wind — so the conditions were really comfortable.

On the gravel, it was 95 percent OK, and the parts that weren't OK had nice, bright-white snow on them that made it very difficult to get any idea of texture or depth. On the way back in, I continued the theme of strengthening and worked a big gear up the hills.

As usual, the last two miles (along with the first two) were the worst. Streets that allow an easy exit in the summertime are usually a mess in the winter. Most of it was snow and ice, while some was just flat-out ice. I would imagine that after a bit of freeze/thaw/freeze, the paths around Standing Bear will be similar.

Once home, I quickly cleaned my bike. Or, rather, cleaned it as quickly as I could. I got a paint brush to brush away the snow around the BB and derailleurs, along with the braking surfaces and brakes. I'm going to re-examine my fender situation, too, because while I was clean and dry, the bike was not.

Later in the afternoon, while I was taking Jack to a birthday party, I noticed the sidepath essential to my ride to work was clear. I later checked on a couple of the sidestreets. They were predictably packed with snow and ice, but that's probably something studded tires could take care of. I still want to ride to work at least twice a week, but I'd rather not take 50 minutes to get there because it's all sketchy.

Guess I'm heading to the store today.

It's too early for this

2011-12-02T08:19:00.002-06:00

I get up every morning at 5:25. Well, at least that's where the alarm is set every night.

At 5:25, I have time to get things done (GamJams, and sometimes a blog post); I have time to drink a cup of coffee (or two). Basically, I can ease into the day. It's a pretty low-stress way to get things rolling.

This morning, I woke with thoughts of an annoying little mistake I made at work yesterday still stuck in my head. And I didn't sleep well to begin with. About 10 minutes later, Maddie started making noise — she was having problems going back to sleep after being fed around 5. I ended up putting her in the swing.

At some point in there, Tonka decided to do his Tonka thing, which is to be completely dumb and unreasonably freaked out about something ... which is usually nothing.

Jack woke up at 6:04. Since I'm the one who gets things rolling in the morning, I have a rule that he needs to stay in his room until 6:30. Because he has little-kid dyslexia (not really), he sometimes transposes numbers and letters. He insisted it was 6:40, and therefore time to get up.

So I had to explain to him that no, it was actually 6:04 and he really, really needed to get back into bed. After much protesting and a veiled threat of screaming really loudly, he complied. I swear he's like a cute, tiny little terrorist.

At 6:15, finally, the house was quiet. I was waiting for the little yappy dog next door to chime in and finish things off, but today is an off day for my neighbor — which means things will be quiet.

I intended to ride to work today. I did not. I'm not worried about cold — I have plenty of clothes. I just didn't have the energy to kit up and roll down the hill. It's a sad setup for the day when you're tapped out at 7 a.m.

But I did bring my bike with me today. As much as I hate taking my bike for a drive, sometimes that's just how a ride gets in. I'll aim for that ride during the heat of the day, which is only supposed to be in the mid-30s.

I need a ride, though. Bad. Well, that and a nap.

Stop eating, tubby

2011-12-01T08:43:00.002-06:00

Six weeks into the new job and yes, everything is awesome. I felt instantly comfortable and got down to the business of getting good things done.

So that was nice. And, because of a pretty loose and easy-going schedule, I can ride a bit more than before. Great!

But because I'm sitting on my ass all day instead of running around the shop, I'm getting a little ... umm ... soft. Not fat, by any means, but not exactly race trim.

That said, I haven't really been riding a ton over the last couple of weeks. And sleep has been OK, but not great. And I'm just getting over a cold that lasted a few days.

Hopefully, with the gunk clearing out, I can get back on the bike during the lunch hour. And hopefully, by the time it's time to really start riding again, I won't have to go on the soup diet.

Because although I like soup, it's a semi-desperate measure. And I'd rather not go that far. Yet.

Next year

2011-11-29T08:51:00.003-06:00

The best time to think about goals and planning for next season is most definitely when you're loopy on cold medicine.

So, because I'm not thinking clearly even a little bit, it's time to lay out the plan for 2012.

Because of the nature of the Nebraska road calendar — done in mid-July — I'll probably split the season between road and 'cross. I do plan on traveling a bit more next summer (well, hopefully), so the road season will mostly likely end in early-to-mid August.

After that, I'll take a couple of easy weeks and focus on shorter, higher-intensity things in preparation for a 'cross campaign. It won't be a full-scale, drive-all-over-the-place affair — I still don't care that much. But it will be more focused than this year's spin around the block. I'll actually do 'crossy things outside of the once-a-week practices (skills work, etc.).

As far as events go, pencil me in for all of the Nebraska road and 'cross races. I'll do Climbing Hill, of course, and possibly the Iowa City weekend. If there's something compelling in KC — and if my schedule allows it — I'll probably do it. I'd really like to do the Clear Lake, Iowa, crit again, too. It would be pretty awesome if the Iowa and Nebraska schedules allowed that to happen.

I'll probably again put the Omaha weekend as the top objective, if only because it affords me every advantage: familiar roads, familiar food, better recovery and my own bed. If I had to choose a B race, it would be either Iowa City or the Lincoln weekend in May. We'll see.

For 'cross? We'll see what happens. Everybody is jumping on the upgrade bandwagon right now after solid seasons. But seeing as how I did 1/2/3 races anyway, I don't feel a ton of pressure to get that Cat. 2 upgrade next fall. I guess we'll see how that goes.

The same thing goes for the road Cat. 2 upgrade. It would be pretty cool — a reward for hard work. But I don't think it's necessary, considering how many of the events are combined with the 1/2 field, anyway.

Anyway, back to 'cross. I'll probably target a two- or three-week stretch of races for focus. That will probably be the November races, because I really felt like I was hitting my stride earlier this month. I would imagine that could be continued with a little bit of effort.

And that would bring us back to where we are right now: riding whenever I feel like it. I'll keep that going for a few more weeks and then get rolling for real again.

I should probably drink more coffee first, though.

Space cadet

2011-11-28T08:15:00.002-06:00

Around Thanksgiving, Jack started getting all sniffly and boogery. Though I boiled my hands frequently and practically bathed in hand sanitizer, I started feeling the same way late Saturday night.

I'm always amazed by how quickly a cold comes on. I felt fine all day, minding my own business, playing probably far too much Arkham City on PS3, and then BAM — my nose is running like crazy. I had a headache before bedtime and spent a good chunk of yesterday wiping away all of the skin on my nose.

Man, I love colds.

Anyway, today is the kind of day where you load up on caffeine and cold meds and get to it. I'm a little bit spaced out, but somehow oddly productive. No, I don't understand it, either.

So that's today. It should be interesting.

Shut up, dog

2011-11-23T06:00:00.002-06:00

We've been in Omaha for about 7.5 years now (that long? wow.), and in that time, we've had three different neighbors in the house to the east of us.

The family living there when we first moved in was very nice, quiet and overall perfectly pleasant. The next family was also very nice and quiet and, while hampered by several unreasonable fears, was also pleasant. (One unreasonable fear? They drove to the Keystone to ride their bikes and saw a black person loitering around that scrap-yard corner. Yes, I'm serious.)

Anyway, they moved out in early June.

The new neighbor is in her, I don't know, late 40s? She works 10-hour shifts somewhere in Fremont, so she has four-day workweeks — Monday through Thursday. Hey, three-day weekend! Nice.

The problem is that while she's working, her dogs are, too. At around 5:50 every morning, Monday through Thursday, one of those yappy little bastards goes outside — through the doggy door that she cut in the side of the house and for which she also built an extension to her deck — and barks at nothing for an hour.

Every morning.

We mentioned it pretty early in the whole process. Like, "Hey, your dog is barking really early in the morning and waking us up." She was friendly, but said she didn't know what to do. How about shut your dog up? That's a start.

She put a high-frequency noise collar on the dog and that seemed to help — for a little bit. But the last two weeks have been the same as always. (It's out there right now, actually. What are you barking at, little dog? Shut up and go inside!)

Chris called her yesterday and spent 30 minutes on the phone, to no resolution. Since today is the last day of the workweek, it won't be an issue for a few days. But a nice, four-day weekend should be enough time to figure out how to keep a dog quiet, shouldn't it?

We'll find out on Monday, I guess.

Probably long overdue

2011-11-22T06:44:00.003-06:00

I don't ride at night a ton. More often, low-light conditions see me heading out for an early morning ride. Leaving at 5:45 for an early ride in the summer? No problem. Flick on the rear blinkie and we're off.

Because it's not dark-dark, I haven't really needed a headlight.

Since joining Harvest in October, I've grown more fond of riding to and from work a couple of days a week. It's partially peer pressure — Ryan and Lucas ride almost daily — but it's also just a nice way to get more miles in. It's 60 to 75 minutes a day, depending on the route and how fast I'm going. Not bad for midweek miles — at least for me.

Since the time switch, though, it's been pretty dark at 5 and dark-dark not too much later. About four years ago, when I worked at the newspaper, I rode to work two or three times a week — all the way downtown. It took about an hour, and on the way home it was completely dark ... because it was 1:30 in the morning.

With the exception of the Keystone, there was plenty of light. Omaha, for all of its faults, really got that light pollution thing right. The streets were plenty bright all the way home, and the little two-AA-battery LED light I had on my handlebar was fine.

When I talked about riding to work as long as the pavement conditions allowed it, Chris asked if I had a light. Yep — the one that served me well before. And then she reminded me of the lack of traffic before, and how I didn't really need anything more than a little blinky.

Noted. (She's a smart lady.) Omaha at 5:30 is a bit busier than Omaha at 1:30 a.m. So I rode to work yesterday with no front light in tow. I ended up going with the NiteRider MiNewt 150. Why? Because it was in stock at the store. And because I'm cool with paying a fair amount for a nice light.
No, it's not wireless — there's a battery pack on my stem. No, it's not the latest and greatest and most wonderful. No, it's not as cool as some other lights that I could have ordered but didn't get around to it. But it's pretty bright, and I could see very well on the surprisingly dark Keystone and even better down Old Maple Road, which is also pretty dark.

A decent — no, nice — headlight is something I probably should have done long ago. But, as it's something that won't have a direct impact on how fast I go in a race, I've been putting it off. Well, I'm in the club now.

No, I won't go ride singletrack in the dark with you.

—

In completely unrelated news, yesterday was Algomaha's fifth birthday. And today is my mom's birthday. Happy birthday, Mom. (And thanks for reading, everybody else.)

Annnd, we're back.

2011-11-21T06:16:00.001-06:00

I meant to write more last week. Like, every day, actually. Things pretty quickly turned into a week's worth of the same thing every day: Jack to daycare, things around the house, nap for Chris and Maddie, a bit of PlayStation and ... repeat.

But there were some highlights (of the non-PlayStation achievement variety):

Brady and Katherine stopped by early in the week. Unfortunately, everybody was sleeping, except me. But he dropped off some goodies, which were much appreciated.

My parents came down for a day, too. They, too, brought food, including Snickers cheesecake. Yes, it's absolutely every bit as awesome as it sounds. I spent the second half of yesterday's ride thinking about nothing but cheesecake.

Speaking of riding, I have been out a few times. I spent way too much time on Wednesday getting the Ion finished. I hung most everything on Tuesday night, and planned on stopping at the store for an hour or two to run cables and finish it off. (The build, by the way, is pretty similar to a Cronus Ultimate: SRAM Force shifters and Avid Shorty Ultimate brakes. I have an Ultegra FD, and a Rival RD for now. Before cross season, the crank will go from an old Bontrager RL crank to a Force model, and the RD will be Force, too. The bar, stem and seatpost are the same as the Cronus, too.)

I got the cables set up and tuned the drivetrain pretty quickly. But when I started getting the brakes set up, they were binding. We tried spacers and different springs and all sorts of ultimately futile tweaks.

I'm gonna regret this next part, but ... gulp ... Mark saved the day. Truth be told, I almost called him earlier. He built up a few bikes with Shorty Ultimates earlier this fall and no doubt saw the same problem. He slipped a 1mm washer under one of the spring tensioning covers and it did the trick. I pulled out a couple of slightly larger washers from my random parts bucket at home and finished it off. They're nice and snappy, though it's annoying I had to do anything to them to begin with. On the Cronus, I needed no washers or spacers or anything to get them set up.

Anyway, it got done, eventually. And it weighs 18.5 pounds with reasonably lightweight wheels. Were I to add carbon tubulars or something silly like that, it would be closer to 18, which isn't too far off from the Cronus in its stock configuration.

KGil stopped by on Friday afternoon for the inaugural ride. We got about 90 minutes in, including some gravel. The initial impression is pretty much what I expected: it rides an awful lot like the Cronus. The only difference is that it's not nearly as snappy when you stand up and drill it. I'm pretty sure I can record plenty of mid-pack finishes, despite that slight difference.

Friday night, EOB stopped by with pizza. And not the easy kind of pizza. The dude set up shop, built us a pizza, tossed it in the oven and bid us adieu. Nice. Oh, and it tasted pretty great.

I got out on the Madone on Saturday morning. Remember how it was supposed to be warmish in the morning and then get cold after lunch? It got cold around 9, which means I was a little light with my glove choice. My fingers were cold, cold, cold by the end, but they warmed up pretty quick when I got home. And I'm glad they did, because Jack was waiting for me when I got there.

Based on the "get cold later" business, I told Jack we'd go ride the north part of the trail at Tranquility when I got back. We coasted down the hill and did a quick little loop on the dirt. He wiped out a couple of times, but did very well overall. Hopefully we get more decent weather this week and we can go again.

I got in another two hours on the Ion today. I put the heavy-ass Orange Crush wheels on and slogged it out into the wind. It was a tough ride, mostly because I've been trying to pedal "correctly." It ends up being a lot more work for the glutes, which then pull on my lower back, which results in a little bit of soreness. Luckily, I haven't had to spend a ton of time thinking about pedaling more efficiently, so it's already becoming second nature. Hopefully I'll be able to take full advantage of the change by spring.

And with that, it's Monday. Let's go!

The new normal

2011-11-14T06:49:00.003-06:00

There are days where keeping tabs on Jack feels not unlike herding cats. I've often wondered what would if I snapped at him or sprayed him with squirt bottle when he's out of control.

Keeping tabs on Jack after two nights in the hospital, far too much caffeine and not nearly enough exercise is like herding cats that are being chased by dogs. Oh, and there's also a baby squawking. This is our life.

For his part, Jack has been really sweet to Madelyn since we got home yesterday. Despite consistently avoiding all other babies that come near him, he's taken to his little sister quite quickly. That'll change at some point ... any minute now.

He also got to spend a few days with Chris' parents, who were here over the weekend. Right now, the focus is getting back to the routine. Because while grandparents rock (they do, totally), little boys get to do whatever they want. And Jack was bonkers last night. He has to do a lot to lose his bedtime books, and he was up to the task.

Today, though, he's paying quietly in the living room, just like a regular weekend morning. (Yes, I know it's not the weekend. He's staying home for a couple of days.) Hopefully a little sleep did him well.

And speaking of "a little sleep" ... Chris and I now remember what the first few days are like. In the hospital, it's not so bad — if you want to send the kid to the nursery, you can. We did that with Jack the second night. But Madelyn was quite a bit quieter, so she stayed with us both nights. And it wasn't too bad, really.

At home, though, things are different. Nurses don't come in to check on you in the middle of the night. And if the kid has a dirty diaper, it's all you. I forgot about that. Actually, I mostly forgot about the part where you rock an unreasonably angry baby for 30 minutes, fall asleep in the chair and then move just a tiny fraction of an inch and wake up the baby again.

Naptime will be mandatory today — for everybody.

And at some point in the next day or two, I'll kit up and go for a little ride. The timing was right to take a bit of time off (end of racing, new baby, etc.), but I'm ready to spin it out for an hour or two and get back into the routine — whatever that may be.

The new CX bike will be done before the snow flies ... provided the snow doesn't fly in the next two weeks. Almost there.

For now, though, more coffee. I hope I have enough.

Here she is

2011-11-11T17:50:00.005-06:00

Chris is an efficient lady. We were at the hospital for a little more than seven hours when our little girl arrived.

Meet Madelyn Mary. She was born at 2:20 and weighed 7 pounds, 11 ounces — the same as her brother — and is 21 inches long (one inch longer than Jack). And, in an admittedly brief comparison (done mostly with spotty memory), I think she looks pretty much exactly like Jack.

Both Chris and Maddie are doing great so far. Thanks for all of your support and kind words!

It's one louder, isn't it?

2011-11-11T06:00:00.000-06:00

Today's the day: 11/11/11. Though it's just a fun coincidence of the calendar, it's a day to think about turning it up one louder, just like Nigel.

We'll be going one louder at some point today. We're at the hospital to hatch a Stegosaurus. Though the due date is actually Nov. 19, Chris' blood pressure has been inching up over the last couple of weeks and her doctor decided today was the day.

So here we are. I'll post pictures and such later, but for right now, let Nigel take you into Friday.

All the way up, kids.

A fitting end

2011-11-10T08:26:00.003-06:00

As the season has worn on, I've become more and more excited about 'cross. I'm far from alone there — the Omaha and Lincoln scenes have been awesome this year. Cyclocross is on a roll for sure.

But no matter my excitement, I knew Wednesday's race would be the absolute end of the year. Why? Baby Stegosaurus is coming soon. Like, tomorrow, actually. (I'll tell you more about that tomorrow morning.)

Anyway, last night was it for racing this year. And despite the potential for a slop-fest, the course was in surprisingly great shape and really fast. Earlier in the day I wasn't sure if I'd be racing. I went out for a bit with KGil, EOB and Jeremy and had a couple of really great Belgian beers. Despite the full meal beforehand and tons of water during and afterward, I woke up yesterday feeling awful. I ended up taking a nap on my office floor in the middle of the day. But I felt better as the day wore on and ended up feeling perfectly fine come race time.

As usual, despite my desire to start a bit quicker, I was near the tail end of the bunch heading off the pavement. That's due to me lining up a minute or two later than I should have, but also because I'm just not comfortable with that elbow-to-elbow business yet. I'll put that on the list of things to work on for next year.

Anyway, I set about the business of moving up pretty quickly. The wide-open bits of the course definitely favor roadie power, and I soon found myself with last week's group again: Dave, Rafal and Jeremy, with a side order of Feagan. Hey guys!

I was near the front of the bunch when Dave bobbled just enough on a corner to slow everybody up. And from there I pinned it, hoping to establish a gap and then move up to the next group. It took a while, but I finally got away. From there I chased down one rider at a time, finally getting to Vaughn about halfway through the race.

We spent the next five laps or so trading pulls, making sure the chase groups behind us didn't come back. We each took little digs, testing each other. He was a bit faster through the corners and barriers, I was a bit faster on the straightaways.

Heading into the last lap, I knew something really painful was going to have to happen. Vaughn jumped out of the last 180 before the barriers and built a quick lead. I hit it pretty hard after the barriers to bring him back, and by the time we got to the little pavement circle thing in the middle of the course, I was back on board.

Heading into the last few corners, he probably knew what was coming when I moved back to the front. I punched it out of the last one and went full gas to the end. I ended up 7th, thanks to some absences from the really fast fasties. I always enjoy racing with Vaughn, even when he beats the hell of out me.

It was a good race. I was happy with how I rode, and in all happy about how the fall went. I felt like I made some progress, which is always nice. I'll have the Ion built up in the next week or so, and then it'll be time for a week or two off and then some nice base miles.

(And thanks to the sponsors and organizers. We we're fortunate to have a great group of people here in Nebraska. Much appreciated.)

And now, Stegosaurus. More tomorrow.

Hello ... again

2011-11-08T08:59:00.003-06:00

Last week's rain and snow and muck was well documented — it was a mess.

Since then, it had been mostly dry, even though the Wednesday 'cross course itself was a mess.

Of course, it started raining last night and hasn't really stopped since. Today we'll get even more, followed by 3 to 5 inches of snow. Three to five inches of snow.

And then tomorrow it's going to be 45 and sunny ... except we're racing at night. Basically, all of that snow is going to melt, making a wet course wetter and muddier and ... oof. At least I know what's coming. More towels in the car this time, and then a bike overhaul when I get home.

Awesome.

Two weeks

2011-11-07T06:31:00.004-06:00

We're just a little under two weeks away from the due date. All is calm.

Though the arrival of Stegosaurus will surely blow everything up, I've been in a nice groove the last couple of weekends. Actually having both days off results in a lot of riding, a lot of stuff getting done around the house and a lot of time spent at home. It's nice.

Saturday I rolled with Eric, Brady and Munson for a few hours of wind avoidance. We headed downtown, checked out Hickory Street — Brady won (and we also saw a dude with his car jacked up fixing a flat) — and then headed toward Bellevue Boulevard. There were signs of Evil Munson here and there, which was refreshing. I remember the early days of riding with Mike and Brady, which Mike could (and sometimes did) beat the hell out of us.

I still get the hell beaten out of me, but now it's Brady doing the damage. There were signs of life from Mr. Munson, though. That's always good to see.

After all of that, we did it again Sunday. Actually, we rode down to Seymour Smith and monkeyed around on the 'cross course for a bit. We ran it forward and back, and there's really not too much of a difference between the two directions. But, like MTB courses run backward, the tricky parts sometimes weren't so tricky and the fast parts take on a new feel run the other way.

Mostly, though, it was just wet. Really, really soft still. Considering what's on tap for later today and all day tomorrow — rain — Wednesday could be a muddy mess. Last time, it was mostly standing water. I'm thinking mud this time.

Neato.

Things

2011-11-04T08:16:00.002-05:00

While I'm not really directly involved with Cranksgiving this year, I've been thinking about it lately.

If you've been at all involved in the previous four editions, it would be awesome for you to think about it again, too. The need for food and supplies at the Foodbank for the Heartland is still high, and anything you can do to help would be ... well, helpful. You can donate online — put 'cranksgiving' in the additional instructions/comments field — or bring food or funds (or both!) to the event on Nov. 12.

I may or may not be there — we're getting into that "be ready at all times and don't go very far from home" phase. But hopefully I'll be able to stop by for a little bit with Jack. We'll see.

—

I haven't shaved my face in at least two weeks. I'm not growing a beard, I just haven't had time. Well, check that — I have time, just not when I'm ready to shave. Still trying to get that morning thing figured out. I was thinking about it again this morning: How the hell am I going to get all of this done when I have two kids to worry about?

I have no idea. Maybe the beard will be a permanent thing.

—

It speaks a lot to the fun and popularity of cyclocross that I have a little list of "things to line up for next year" cooking in my head. It's mostly just little bits of gear and equipment that would make things a bit easier.

And in the meantime I'll be working on things you can't buy — like skills. Or it is skillz? I'm never sure.

—

Chris is going to hang out with a friend tonight, leaving Jack and I home for "boys night." I asked him what we should have for supper, since I have no idea what to make.

"Steak," he said.

Real manly man we're raising here.

Dirty work

2011-11-03T06:23:00.000-05:00

You know what's worse than riding or racing in the rain? The anticipation of having to ride or race in the rain.

It's thinking about that initial shock of cold or wet (or cold and wet) that messes with your head. And it's funny how we quickly forget how much the racing part hurts — and look back upon it fondly and call it it fun — but we remember that first splash of water soaking through our socks.

After seeing how truly bad it was likely to get on Monday, I started thinking about how racing in the yuck last night would be fine once we got going. It was the warmup and post-race parts that would be cold, not the actual racing.

And as the rain and snow fell all day yesterday, I kept reminding myself: It wouldn't be that bad.

On the way down to Seymour Smith from the office, I stopped by Canfield's to pick up some neoprene fishing gloves. When my idiot friends and I played snow football all the time in college, neoprene gloves were not only great for catching and throwing — they kept your hands warm when it was cold and wet.

Once I got kitted up and rolled a few laps of the course, I knew I'd have a good race. Mark set up a total power course, and for guys like me with no discernible technical skills, power courses are nice.

When the whistle blew, we rode pretty much straight into a giant puddle. And then we went flying into another puddle, which was edged by sketchy pea gravel. A minute later, we rode through a drainage ditch ... about four times, back and forth. (It won't be that bad, it won't be that bad, it won't be that bad.)

I started off slow and toward the back. I've noticed I tend to do that in 'cross races. Let the guys who will challenge for the win get going and I'll find my place a bit farther down. When the course opened up, I moved past a few guys. And when it opened again later, I got up where I needed to be.

I was with Randleman, Rafal and Jeremy for the bulk of the race, trading position and trying to move up to the next group. Maybe because he's old, or maybe because of the mud, Dave went off-course at least three times that I saw. Each time, I slipped past and each time he came right back and took the front again. And then he slid out a couple of times. And so did the other two.

Somehow, I didn't.

And each time when the course opened up, I cranked up the pace out of the corners and made them chase me. However, with two laps to go, they were all still there. And suddenly I had to think about changing my strategy from "don't fall down" to "try to win this bunch sprint."

In the end, I had enough of a gap that I didn't need to sprint. I ended up 12th of 29. And no, it wasn't that bad. It took forever to get cleaned up and changed, though. I think I need a little mini-Sprinter or something to change in. The Camry is good for some things, but de-kitting after a wet race isn't one of them.

On the way home, I stopped by the car wash to clean off the bike and my shoes. The bike got the light rain treatment and a more thorough cleaning and re-lubing when I got home. The shoes got the power-wash treatment and are shiny silver again.

I have one week left in my racing season — for real this time. And even though it wasn't that bad, I hope to avoid the car wash on the way home next time.

Let's GO!

2011-11-02T08:17:00.003-05:00

During the summer, long before it was even close to 'cross season, Mark put together an order for custom team side-zip tights. They're pretty much perfect for the type of weather that's on tap today: temps in the 30s, rain, snow. Warm up, roll to the start line, unzip, go.

I didn't get on board then because I had a pretty clear-cut bad-weather strategy: If it's that bad, I'm not racing. Not worth it.

The twilight race in Lincoln a few weeks ago was chilly, but not cold. And it was dry — no big deal. Had I not dinged up my back, I would have done last week's race in Lincoln and called it good. Instead, I took a week off from racing and decided to do the Omaha races today and next week. I mean, they're right here.

So I lined up the schedule and planned ahead and all of that. And then I saw today's forecast: Wet, cold, windy ... snowy? Sweet.

Suddenly, I've tossed out my bad-weather policy in favor of whatever it is that I'm chasing. Not glory — no way. I know my place. But there's some sort of draw to all of this. I have clothing and kit and my bike all ready to go. And embrocation — god, the embrocation.

What am I doing and why am I doing it? I have no idea.

Out in the wild

2011-11-01T08:34:00.002-05:00

Over the weekend, Chris and I were talking about which of us would be accompanying Jack on his trick-or-treat journey on Halloween.

Jack, as he's prone to do, solved it for us: "It's OK guys, I don't need a grown-up to come with me."

Right.

Jack was Buzz Lightyear this time around — a result of good bargain shopping by Chris at the last gigantic consignment sale. In years past there's been a bit more effort undertaken to make a costume — Bob the Builder, Boots the Monkey, etc. — but this year ... that premade Buzz is just fine.

For his part, Jack didn't seem to care even a little bit. And unlike his first year or two on Halloween, his bashfulness pretty much disappeared last night. It's still a bit of work to get him to say both, "trick or treat" and "thank you" in one transaction, but he did pretty well. More often than not, he'd say, "Bye!" and wander off into the night.

And at the end of the night, he got his two pieces of candy and shuffled — or ran or jumped or whatever else — off to bed.

On the counter is a bucket filled with the spoils of last night's adventure. What was he playing with this morning? The bright-green glow stick he used as his "lantern" last night.

Apparently Halloween isn't over yet.

Mileage

2011-10-31T13:20:00.002-05:00

I headed down to Kansas City (Overland Park, officially) on Friday for a bike fit at Dynamic Athletics. Why go clear down there for a bike fit? Why not?

Actually, it's like this: Dynamic Athletics uses 3D motion capture and cameras and all sorts of other sweet technology to tell you not only how you're positioned but how you're moving in relation to the rest of your body. I'll write more about it on GamJams later this week, but it was very interesting, to say the least.

Saturday, I jumped on the CX bike in an attempt to ride the Wednesday-night race course at Seymour Smith. I found parts of it, but I ended up just doing a few laps on the CX practice course and calling it good. Of note: Getting off the bike hurts, as a result of, well, falling off the bike a couple of weeks ago.

Power feels OK, just not the on-and-off of 'cross. So that's perfect. Also perfect: 40s, rain and wind on tap for Wednesday. Sigh.

Sunday, I rolled out with KGil for some early miles. I probably underdressed, trusting too much in the thermometer. Toe covers would have been a good idea, along with different gloves. Either way, it was the first time on the bike with the new fit. I didn't notice anything specifically different on the bike, but I felt pretty solid throughout the ride.

What I did notice afterward was a bit of fatigue/soreness in the glutes — I was using a bit more "butt muscle" than before, apparently. And if you're guessing "cross," that's a different kind of pain. The soreness radiated into my lower back a bit, but it wasn't bad. It'll probably take a big before figuring out how the fit has affected performance.

Today — more time on the bike. I ride to work on Mondays, generally. It was a bit chilly this morning at 28 degrees, but it should be pretty nice for the ride home. Tomorrow I'll probably bring the 'cross bike and head down to Seymour Smith with Lucas for a pre-ride.

All in all, I've been able to find a nice balance between home and work and the bike. Then again, it's only been three weeks, and we're three weeks away from the baby. Cue the insanity.

I'm having a hard time processing this

2011-10-26T11:07:00.002-05:00

For the bulk of my life, I've watched Cubs teams that range from very good to average to awful. More of them have been awful than good, but all of the recent non-awfulness has happened during my life: postseason trips in 1984, 1989, 1998, 2003, 2007 and 2008.

Of course, all of those trips to the postseason ended badly. I was too young to really remember 1984, though I think I recall watching Leon Durham boot that grounder at first. I was in seventh grade in 1989, and the Cubs really didn't have much of a chance against the Giants. Will Clark was absolutely raking that year.

Amid the circus that was 1998, I was a junior in college. As the Cubs managed to stay in contention, my friends and I managed to watch the games, grill a lot of cheap steaks (like, $1.50 steaks) and follow along. The fact that they even made the playoffs was nuts. The sweep by the Braves sucked, but it wasn't unexpected.

It goes without saying that 2003 was awful. Despite seeing what I've seen over my time as a Cubs fan, that hurt. Like, physical pain.

In 2007 and 2008, I watched in awe as the Cubs won back-to-back division titles for the first time. But they got blasted in the first game of each Division Series and I could see the end coming a mile away.

But for all of those years in between, it's been bad. And those pockets of competency — of good, winning baseball — were likely just a case of every dog having its day. Why? Here are a few snippets from yesterday's press conference at Wrigley Field, introducing Theo Epstein — the former Boston Red Sox GM — as the Cubs' new president of baseball operations:

"We're not looking for the lucky hit, where you get deep in the postseason and then not be very good for the next couple of years. We want sustained success."
"The easiest way to start to change the culture is in the front office. Essentially it involves a lot of hard work, setting standards. … If you're not ready to buy into that, you're probably not going to be along for the ride."
"Our goal is to build the best scouting department in the game, as far as player development goes. … We will define and implement a 'Cubs Way' of playing the game, and we won't rest until there is a steady stream of talent coming through the minor league system, trained in that 'Cubs Way.' "
"I believe you pay for future performance, not past performance." — talking about free agents

Holy shit.

Somewhere along the line, it never occurred to me that the Cubs didn't go about business in this manner. That it was just a string of bad luck and bad decisions that made them what they are. Clearly, that wasn't the case. And it's even more obvious that it wasn't just spending money that made the Red Sox into what they are.

No, it's a targeted, all-in process that starts at the ground level of the organization. And the fact that the Cubs will now be operating that way — in a way that has made the Red Sox the dominant force they are — is almost too much to even grasp.

The Cubs — the Cubs! — viewed not as an every-so-often phenomenon but as a relevant, powerful, force to be reckoned with? I can't even begin to understand what that means.

But, also, I can't wait to find out.

I bet I can beat you

2011-10-24T06:50:00.000-05:00

Our neighborhood is pretty hilly, for the most part. But down at the bottom — in the last few blocks — it's pretty flat. As Jack got better and better on his bike, we started going down there when we walk the dogs. We get a walk, Jack gets to ride his bike.

Of course, there's the matter of coasting for four or five blocks. We had a close call once, in which disaster was averted by Chris essentially catching him at the bottom of the hill. That could have been bad. But since then, all has been well.

On this afternoon's walk, we went one block farther down than normal. As we got there, we saw tons of kids riding around on the sidewalk and streets. As Jack got close to them, he stopped while the kids asked to pet our dogs. We obliged, and one of the kids started checking out Jack's bike.

"Like my bike?" Jack asked.

"I have a bike, too," the boy said. "See?" He pointed toward his bike, laying on the ground just a few feet away.

"I bet I can beat you," Jack said.

Here we go.

The kid jumped on his bike and went blasting down the street. Jack got rolling pretty good, too. After the boy turned around, he was saying something like, "See ya later!" And then he ate it in the middle of the street.

This is after Jack, when we stopped to let the kids pet the dogs, pulled a similar trick.

It's gonna be like this for a while.

I stayed in my bed!

2011-10-21T13:03:00.002-05:00

On Jack's good days at daycare, he announces to us when we pick him up, "I stayed in my bed!"

He has trouble with that, you see. It's not naptime itself — he's conditioned to lay his sweet little head down and catch a few winks after lunchtime. It's an almost guaranteed daily event. The kid will sleep.

No, it's the waking up. More specifically, it's what he does after he wakes up. He's supposed to read books upon awakening, so as not to wake his ~~co-conspirators~~ friends. On a good day, this is what happens. He gets to put a sticker on his sticker sheet, too. And stickers are as good as gold to a 4-year-old.

Every other day, he wakes up his friends, runs around and generally causes mayhem.

I've been having trouble staying in bed, too, but it has less to do with wanting to get up and rip the place apart and more to do with ... well, I guess I don't know what, exactly.

Sometimes I try to fall asleep and fail, because Chris is even more cooked than me. And she snores, like, instantly when she falls asleep. Being frustrated while trying to sleep is the worst. So I get up and sleep on the couch, which sucks. It makes my back hurt.

Sometimes I wake up in the middle of the night and can't go back to sleep. So I go sleep on the couch.

Last night, somehow, I was in bed all night. It's been a few weeks. I can't even remember the last time. Moving to the couch has just kind of become part of the routine.

Hopefully this will all get better after the kid arrives. We'll be sleepless, but for different reasons. For now, though, I'm gonna go put a sticker on my sheet and hope for a repeat performance.

I wondered how long it would take

2011-10-20T08:02:00.003-05:00

Throughout this whole 'cross escapade, the one thing that's been living in the back of my mind is the health of my back. Would it hold up to all of that? Is it capable of taking a fall or hit or something else?

After weeks of hard efforts and running and remounting and sliding out, I had a pretty solid answer: yes, it will hold up and be fine. Little aches and pains, yes, but everybody has those after a 'cross race (or workout, even).

Of course, until last night there was one thing that hadn't been tested — a direct impact exactly like the one that broke my back to begin with. So I went ahead and took care of that.

As we staged for the A race at the Flatwater Twilight Criterium, I looked around in the corral. There were a lot of bikes in there and the course was pretty tight. It would be a challenge. But once we got going, I felt surprisingly good. I'm never going to contend for a victory, but I was closing gaps and pulling myself toward a top-15(ish) finish.

About four laps into the 12-lap race, I had finally closed the gap on a group I'd been chasing, while also slightly distancing the group behind me. I planned on sitting in for a lap and then making a move and trying to get past and up to the next group.

In the tight, swervy part of the course, I was right where I wanted to be, and then ... I was on the ground. What the hell?

I hopped back up and felt a bolt of electricity blasting from my tailbone to my neck. Yep, I somehow landed exactly how I did 2.5 years ago (though without the same force, thankfully). I got up, fixed my shifter — it was pointing decidedly inward — and got going again. A minute or two later, I noticed my hands and fingers were tingling.

And when it was time to turn on the power in the one or two open spots, I had none. Getting off and running the barriers was awful, and it was all I could do to keep turning the cranks.

That was enough for me to pull the plug. Even before I got back to the van, my back was killing me. I got changed and felt it stiffen even more as the cold descended upon the park. A trip to Yia Yia's with the boys (Mark, Lucas, Paul, Rafal and Jordan, along with a ton of Lincoln folks), and the ride home pretty much finished it off. Ouch.

I slept surprisingly well, considering, and I'll probably take an easy spin on the road bike today to see if it'll loosen up. It sucks to have a sore back, but I'm honestly pretty used to that. It's not a big deal. The worst part is that I actually felt pretty solid, and I may well have been able to claw my way back toward the front half of the race.

But that happens sometimes. I'll be nice to my back for the next few days, and then try to get it rolling again. If it works, it works. If not, oh well.

Next time around

2011-10-19T08:10:00.002-05:00

Lucas, my new work partner and part-time training partner, and I headed out yesterday to do some sprint/high-intensity work in preparation for the next couple of weeks of 'cross.

While sprinting and high-end stuff is hard to begin with, coaxing my body to do it in October has been especially challenging. What has traditionally been a time of transition and relaxation has turned into a semi-focused quest to keep going fast. It's harder than it sounds.

But there's only about a week left, so I think I'll survive.

What's likely to happen next time around — next time being next summer — is that I'll race pretty heavily through July, chill a bit in early August and then wind it up again for an October/November campaign. I like cyclocross. I'd like to be halfway good at it. And that means I should probably actually, you know, prepare for it.

Anyway, two races left, starting tonight at the Flatwater Twilight race. It's gonna be chilly and, by the end of it, kinda dark. I'll hit next week's race, too, and then that'll be it. Baby Stegosaurus is due about three weeks later. It'll be time for lockdown.

And, at some point, I'll get that new bike built up.

Zorinsky Hammer: 2011

2011-10-18T08:10:00.004-05:00

We live in a pretty amazing age, people. Our daily lives and activities are laced with technology we could only dream of just a few years ago.

That's true not only for us normal people, but for those who really strive to perform at their peak: Zorinsky Hammers.

I'd have to check my training records (which don't exist) for the exact number of times I rode through Zorinsky this season, but I believe it's something like two or three. One time was cold and windy, so nobody else was out there. Another time was an early Sunday morning ride, so there runners all over the place (runners who drove there to run, for some reason).

But the third time (I think) was the most terrifying. Those who have ridden around the paved trail at Zorinsky know that it's sometimes a little curvy and tight, with blind corners and many, many opportunities to wad things up. Those opportunities typically come in the form of dogs, children, runners with iPods, walkers and, of course, fellow cyclists.

Coming around one of those blind corners, just ambling along, I suddenly found myself face to face with a Hammer: in aero bars, head down, iPod blasting. And on the wrong side of the trail.

These hazards matter not to the PR-chasing hammer, who boldly kits up, pounds out his (or her) 15 hill-free miles and returns home to celebrate his (or her) feats of strength.

Thanks to technology like GPS, we can visit Strava and see exactly who these people are. Names don't matter, really. But it's interesting to see so many people only riding on paved trails. The roads are great. The neighborhoods are great. (Seriously, be more creative.)

The 20mph average around Zorinsky? Not so great. Look, it's awesome that you're riding. It's awesome that you're fit. It's awesome that you want to go fast. It would be even more awesome if you came out and signed up for a race. You know, since you like to go fast and all?

But seriously, Hammers: Stop drilling it around Zorinsky. Someone's going to get hurt. And it's probably going to be you.

Settling in

2011-10-17T08:37:00.002-05:00

After a week on the job, I'm getting the feeling that the hardest part about this transition is going to be the flow of the day — different events and places at different times — rather than the job itself. That's not to say the job won't be challenging, but trying to figure out what I'm doing and when has proven more difficult so far.

Take Friday, for example.

My new road bike arrived around 1 or 1:30. I wanted to pick it up at some point so I could build it that night. But nobody could get into the warehouse (no keys), so I had to find a key and go down there myself. And after I jammed the box into the back of my car — which was surprisingly easy, considering the size of the box — I was headed back to the office.

Lucas and I planned on riding for a bit, but by the time we got done with our stuff and got ready to go, it was 5. Sigh. I got home a bit before 7, ate, got Jack in bed and then finally got going on the bike. It was done at 11:30. Yeah, I kind of took my time in getting it done.

The inaugural ride was a four-hour session the next morning with KGil and the Bike Masters group. I did some sprinty, climby things a few times but otherwise played it pretty chill.

And the bike? Well, it rode pretty much the same as the last one ... because it is the same as the last one. The only differences are the bar (same top shape, shallower drop) and the wheels, which rolled smooth and fast and all of that. Also, when you wind them up, they whistle.

I'm not sure if that's cool or not. For now, at least, it's a little cool.

And then I did chores the rest of the day on Saturday. I think that's how most normal people spend their weekends, right?

Sunday was a quick trip to Des Moines and back for a wedding reception/party thing.

And now it's Monday again. I'm doing my best to get psyched up for racing on Wednesday. I even brought the Cronus to the office with me today. You know, for riding. We'll see.

Everybody cut footloose

2011-10-14T08:05:00.003-05:00

In my past life as a bike shop manager, various opportunities and programs presented themselves on a fairy regular basis. Some are big deals, some are not. Some, frankly, are a waste of time.

And there are some that are no-brainers.

Last week I spent about six hours pretending to be an Oakley rep for KGil's annual Bergman Incentives show. Held at the Midtown Crossing cinema, the show is an opportunity for Bergman vendors to show their products off directly to the buyers. Oakley is among those vendors, though their corporate sales rep couldn't make it. And that's where I came in.

Though I spent the first 30 minutes with my head spinning — there some seriously grizzled road-dog salesmen there — I got it figured out before things got too busy. And when it wasn't busy, I found myself drawn to the flat-screen TV near my table. It was playing movie previews pretty much non-stop.

Check that, it was playing ONE movie preview: Footloose. The new Footloose. It was interesting the first time, and maybe even a time or two after that. But pretty soon I was stuck in a loop of "Look away! No, I can't!"

As far as I can tell, here's how the movie will go: Dumb high school kids go to a kegger, dance a bunch and then die in a head-on crash. The heartbroken townsfolk decide that dancing — not drinking and driving — is the root cause. Of course.

And then, salvation for teens who love dancing arrives in the form of a surly looking teenager from ... somewhere. There's something to do with a demolition derby and an exploding school bus, along with an "Oh, hey, that girl is hot!" montage. And then, in a fit of rage against some sort of something ... the new guy starts dancing in an abandoned warehouse. Where better?

His fit of perfectly choreographed rage inspires a dancing REVOLUTION. Bring back dancing! Bring back the prom! Or some other significant event that involves dancing! (No word on the kegger.) And then Dennis Quaid furrows his brow a bit, the local yokel law enforcement officers try to keep the kid down, he dances anyway and then, somehow, it's over.

There may be more to it, but probably not. There was also a constantly rotating ad for simulcast presentations of the upcoming Metropolitan Opera season. It's in HD, by the way.

There was a reward for all of this, of course. I got an Oakley polo shirt and a free lunch. Oh, and these:

Split Jacket in white, Radar in crystal gray. Cool.

Back at it

2011-10-12T08:03:00.002-05:00

The post-race routine after the Omaha Cyclocross Weekend went like this: exhale, eat everything in the house and then don't move for a week.

Yup, that's what I did. Despite having awesome weather and a not-too-stressful schedule, I did nothing for a week after the Sunday race. No Wednesday-night 'cross practice — I was cooked from being a fake Oakley rep earlier in the day — no Tuesday ride with EOB. We moved furniture and had Mexican for lunch instead.

The streak ended when I kitted up and rode to work — the last day at the shop. I had a nice Sunday ride, rode to work on Monday and now I'm back in the groove again. 'Cross practice is tonight, which could go a number of ways, including awesome (because I'm rested), so-so (because the edges may be a bit dull) or awful (because I've done so little in the last two weeks).

We'll see, I guess. Regardless, my time with the Cronus is growing short. Should any of you get a chance to ride one (or get a good deal on mine, since it's a demo), take it. It's an AWESOME bike.

I'm hoping my Ion ends up being awesome, too. The geometry and fit are the same, so the transition will be easy. I have pretty much everything I need except shifters. I should get around to that sometime, huh?

Life on shuffle

2011-10-11T08:04:00.002-05:00

Though there are a number of different ideas about such things, I'm of the opinion that people work better — and by work, I mean "function on a daily basis — on a fairly set schedule. While there's a certain draw to coasting through the day, it tends to not do much for me.

Because if I'm given the option of a floating, free schedule, I tend to literally not do much. I look up at the clock and it's 4:30 in the afternoon. Whoops. But if I have a time for writing and a time for riding and a time for ... whatever ... those things get done.

With a new schedule — 9-5, essentially — I'm forced to rearrange my daily dealings. And, starting the second day of the festivities, I have no idea how that's going to work. Check that — I have sort of an idea.

Mondays and Fridays, I'm going to ride to work. It takes just under 40 minutes both ways and includes a few decent hills. That'll do.

Tuesdays and Thursdays I pick up Jack from daycare, so I need to be out the door by 5. Depending upon how the days stack up, I might be able to ride over lunch.

Wednesdays will be a mid-day ride, probably. Well, at least when it starts getting dark at 5.

And the weekends? I imagine it'll be a long day and a short day.

So that's riding. The rest of it? That's where I really don't have any idea. It'll work out, though. It usually does.

For now, though, I'm going to try to make my office voicemail work. The phone's been blinking at me for a while now, and I have no idea how to make it stop. Sweet.

The calm before

2011-10-10T06:08:00.005-05:00

Today is the day.

I've been looking forward to starting at Harvest for a couple of weeks now. But I've also been looking forward to that "normal" schedule that's been so elusive for most of my adult life. Nine-to-5(ish), Monday through Friday.

Interesting.

I got up yesterday and rode for about four hours. EOB and KGil and I hit Bellevue and downtown and then coffee. After the Omaha CX weekend, I didn't get on the bike for another week. My schedule was crazy, yes, but I really just didn't want to ride. So yesterday's ride was nice. I feel recharged and ready to go do more silly things on bikes.

And speaking of silly things on bikes: There's new stuff coming.

This is the new road bike, which is pretty much the same as the old road bike except for the wheels. It's a 6 Series SSL with Force, carbon bar and stem and the new Aura 5 deep-section wheel. I rode the wheels at Trek World and they felt pretty awesome. Lighter than the old ACC wheel and nice and smooth. Since I have my low-profile Dura-Ace wheels, I don't need a second set of those. The Aura will do.

And then there's this:

Cyclocross has intrigued me, and though I'd love to just hold onto the Cronus CX I'm riding, it's a demo that apparently has to go back. (Something about me not working there anymore. Whatever.) So when I'm done racing here in a couple of weeks, it'll be gone.

In its place will be an Ion Pro frameset. My build will look like the one above, except it will be Force instead of Rival and Shorty Ultimate brakes instead of Shorty 4s or 6s or whatever's on there. Wheels, for now, will be the ones from Orange Crush (which is now re-retired). I figure I have almost a year to figure out better race options (that don't include my Dura-Ace wheels). I'm sure something will come up.

Things are going to be crazy around here for a bit. And then there's the matter of the baby who's due in six weeks.

I'm gonna need more coffee.

That's life

2011-10-07T06:28:00.004-05:00

Generally, when you think of a temporary situation, it's a period of time that lasts a few weeks or months. It's something to deal with; something to get through and move on.

That was the plan when I started at the Trek Store in March of 2009 — a pit stop at a bike shop and then onward to greater things ... whatever that was.

Throughout the summer, Chris asked me whether I'd seen anything new on the job front. Finally, in August, she asked if I'd even been looking. And no, I hadn't. I knew a few months earlier that I wanted to stay at the shop.

Honestly, I had no idea if it would work. But Chris warily agreed that it was the best option — provided I keep writing on the side to help fill out my portion of the earnings.

I have two days left at the shop — today and tomorrow. On Monday I'll take a different turn and head to Harvest for day one. And that will be the start of another great adventure.

For all of the uncertainly around the time when I left the newspaper, things couldn't have turned out better. The next phase wouldn't have been possible without my time in the store. And that time wouldn't have happened had I not been set free to begin with.

And if you take a wider picture, what would my riding be like had I not landed where I did? Would I be riding with the same people? Probably not. Or not as often, at least.

I'm not a big fan of the "everything happens for a reason" line of thought. I think that's just a way to make people feel better about the randomness of life. That's what you say when you can't think of any good ways to explain something.

More likely, everything just sort of happens. And it's up to you to figure out what to do with it.

Eventually, provided you're willing to take a chance now and then, you'll end up where you belong.

I wonder what happens now?

2011-10-06T06:03:00.004-05:00

Upon reading of the passing of Steve Jobs last night, I made a mental tally:

Four iPods
One iPad
Two notebook computers
Two desktop computers
One WiFi/backup disk

That's the current population of Apple products in our house right now. And while one of the notebooks is old and decrepit, it still comes out now and again when I need something upon which to write. The old desktop is long since boxed up and put away — I actually bought it in college and used it a long, long time.

All of the iPods get used on a near-daily basis. The iPad has become indispensable, which is not wholly unsurprising. It's a pretty cool device. I'm writing this on a MacBook and our iMac downstairs — now four years old and performing as well as ever — is the hub of digital content in our family room. We streamed the playoff baseball games last night to our downstairs TV. It was pretty cool.

The ideas for all of these computers came from the head of Jobs. (Well, except that old boxed-up desktop. It was from the era of gray boxes that all looked the same and existed in 15 different versions. In fact, that computer is one of the reasons Jobs came back. You're welcome, world.)

While Jobs didn't invent them, per se, or physically come up with the design for them, he pushed those in his company to make them better. Over and over and over he demanded better. And we ended up as the beneficiaries of that work. (Of course, Apple got our money, so it's more like a win-win thing.)

For me, it's not that Jobs and Apple made awesome devices, it's that those devices changed the way we consumed the various content available to us. Until the iPod, what was the best way to take a bunch of music with you? A binder of CDs? (And don't say it was one of those early MP3 players — those things sucked.)

And after a few evolutionary changes, that iPod then had internet access? What? And then that iPod grew into a tablet computer, which can do video chat and internet and music and movies.

Pretty crazy stuff. Not only did Jobs push his own people to make better stuff, Apple pushed other companies to make better stuff. The Android phone I use every day wouldn't be around without Apple's iOS platform. And each step one company makes, the other counters it and ups the ante. (Meanwhile, if you're a BlackBerry person, it's more like one step forward for Apple, three staggering steps sideways or backward for Research In Motion.)

In the end, yes — it's all just stuff. But that stuff helped define the technology of my era. I've been using Macs since elementary school, when my mom would bring one home for the summer. I was the editor of my high school yearbook on a Mac. I started in newspapers on a Mac. When I start at Harvest on Monday, it will be on a Mac.

Apple, I'm sure, has a plan in place for what happens now. The stuff we'll see over the next two years is probably well underway by now. Whether Apple can still make great things shouldn't be in question. But will Apple still be able to say "make it better" and force other companies to play catch-up? That's the question, isn't it? I guess we'll find out.

Thanks, Steve.

Just as I expected

2011-10-03T07:17:00.001-05:00

If I have one thing going for me as a bike racer, it's a solid grasp on reality. Am I fast? Yeah, sort of. Am I elite? Absolutely not. Remembering that before going into a race and instead focusing on making the most of opportunities presented tends to work best.

That non-elite status is apparent now and again, though I do have my good days. And I knew heading into the first 'cross races of the season that I'd be reminded of that status. I'm merely a budding 'crosser, despite having a sweet bike.

So I did what any hack racer would do: sign up for the hardest race of the day, both days.

When I woke up Friday morning, I was going to do the 3s race both days. Then Brady told me to do the 1/2/3 race, which was 15 minutes longer and stacked with some of the top riders in the region. Paul Webb also goaded me along. Then I consulted Mark. And then I signed up. What the hell, right? (Also, my friends have a warped sense of what's really good for me.)

I finished 14th of 18 or 19 both days. The guys who I expected to beat me did so. The guys I hoped to be able to beat, I did. (Though I hoped to be able to better hang with Jordan Ross. Maybe next time.) I handled the bike fairly well, and only dumped it once — on the low-speed/tight corner portion of the maze. The dismounts were fine, the remounts were 99 percent fine and the rideable sand went without a hitch both days.

So why such a poor finish? Because I have no damn idea what I'm doing. Also, 60 minutes is a long damn time. I've also done zero workouts in preparation for 'cross, other than going to practice once a week. I know for sure I need to start harder, but I spent the weekend trying to stay out of the way of those who actually had chances to win some money. But also, there were a few seconds here and there that could be picked up in corners and stuff.

It's a work in progress, basically.

I have about three weeks of races left before I pull the plug in anticipation of Stegosaurus' arrival. And after that, my Cronus CX is heading back to the shop to be sold as a demo. That's a bummer, because I LOVE that bike. Do I need a pro-level carbon bike to finish 14th? Um, no. I'm sure I can accomplish that on its younger sibling — the Ion CX. It's aluminum, it's fairly decent, it's good enough.

But it would certainly be nice, even though I know full well what cross bikes do in the offseason. So I'll enjoy it while it lasts. And in the meantime, I'm shopping for a new bike for the post-Stegosaurus timeframe.

There's something to this whole 'cross thing after all.

And then there's this, courtesy of Michael Dixon (who also had a nice sequence of me eating it in Lincoln a few years ago):

I'm in it now

2011-09-30T11:30:00.002-05:00

One of the reasons I think guys like me race - that is, guys who are reasonably quick but will never, ever win a race - is the camaraderie of the peloton. Not during the race - god, no - but afterward, swapping stories and strategies and stuff.

Why that, and not the race itself? Well, because races hurt like hell, even when you're very, very good. And that level of pain tends to get blocked out as we look back upon races. I can remember what the pain of only a couple of races actually felt like, and that's because it was back pain. I'll always remember what that felt like.

But as far as the actual, cross-eyed, blood-in-your-mouth race pain? It's hard to remember exactly what that feels like until you're in the middle of it. And by then, it's too late to really do anything about it.

It's that same endorphin-induced amnesia that prompted me to say, "Eh, what the hell?" and register for the Cat. 1/2/3 races this weekend.

Read that again: Rather than just jumping in with a 3s race to start things off, I went ahead and signed up for a pair of hour-long death marches. Amnesia, man. Amnesia.

Regardless, I'm ready to go. The bike is dialed, I have spare wheels. Hell, I may even wear a skinsuit. I figure I'm going to go the same speed regardless of which race I'm in. May as well sign up for the big show.

I'll let you know how that turns out.

What race are you doing?

2011-09-29T06:04:00.002-05:00

The season opener for most of the area's cyclocross racers is on Saturday. I can tell because people are calling the shop and asking for things in semi-frantic tones. That's always the first clue it's going to be a big day — no matter the discipline.

As for me, I'm going to check out my spare wheels — otherwise known as Chris' wheels — tonight to make sure they'll fit with my brake setup. And if they don't fit, I'll figure out what needs to happen to make them fit. Juuuuust in case.

I've also debated cleaning the bike. Race-day rules say you want to have your stuff dialed and looking sharp. Cross rules say ... eh, whatever. Maybe I'll do it if I have time.

For many racers — judging from the last night's comments, at least — the biggest preparation was asking each other which race they were doing. Most of the riders at the weekly 'cross practices at Cat. 3 or better, which means a pair of races are available to them: the Cat. 3 race, but also the Cat. 1/2/3 race.

Some are strong enough to be competitive in the 1/2/3 race (Lucas, Brady) and some are not (me). While I'm certain watching the field roll away from me in the 1/2/3 race would be entertaining, I'll probably just stick with the 3s race both days. It'll provide more than enough of a challenge, I'm sure.

And what of the rest of the schedule? I'd like to race at least two or three more times after this weekend. Norfolk, maybe? I'll be in Des Moines while the Oakley Nightcap races are going, so I may bring my bike. Lincoln for a mid-week race? Maybe.

What I do know, though, is that the carriage turns back into a pumpkin on the last week of October. After that, nobody's going anywhere. It's Stegosaurus time.

A good start

2011-09-28T11:41:00.003-05:00

We don't open until noon on Wednesdays, which is nice sometimes. While I spent much of the summer working through that open time, we escaped this morning for a ride.

As you can see from the sky, it was a pretty perfect morning. Mid-to-upper 50s, no wind. Damn, it was nice.

We rolled south to Bellevue, up the boulevard - and up a couple of nice, awful climbs - and then back down the boulevard, to Midtown and to the shop.

It was the last ride on my current Madone, because from here on out - or for at least the next month - it's all 'cross all the time. And when that's done, a new bike will be here and it'll be time to roll on once again.

Race week

2011-09-26T06:00:00.003-05:00

I haven't raced since July.

Moreover, I haven't really even thought about racing since July. I think that's what has made it hard to really get psyched up for 'cross. I just haven't been in "race mode" for such a long time. As such, talking about next weekend's races kind of freaked me out a bit.

What? A race? Now? Huh.

I'm basically ready to go. I haven't felt particularly fast — though I've been doing OK — for a few weeks now, so it's hard to tell exactly how this is going to go. It kinda feels like it's fall, when I'm usually spinning long, easy miles. To have this kind of intensity going right now is weird.

If nothing else, though, I'm super-psyched about racing this bike:

Damn, Cronus CX. It's hard to describe it with words other than "sweet" or "awesome." This is one, maybe: ridiculous. Light, stiff and fast also work.

I threw some Challenge Fangos on there last week and they felt pretty great. The Bontrager CX0 tires were nice, but when it was time to get good hook-up on the tighter, faster corners, they weren't doing the job.

Otherwise, I have it set up in its stock configuration. I kept the Bontrager RL wheels on, because I'm using my Dura-Ace tubeless wheels on the road next season. And because my new Madone is going to have deep-section wheels on it, I need those low-profile DA wheels to be in one piece. I'm not super-worried about trashing them, but I'd rather not take any chances. The RLs are solid, and I've been effectively racing on them at 'cross practice with no problems.

All told, the bike weighs in right at 17 pounds. Sure, it could be lighter. But even the very light ones ridden by the Trek Midwest CX team aren't that much lighter. And, seriously, at this point it would be overkill anyway.

Bring on race week. I'm ready ... I guess.

I've been thinking about a cot

2011-09-22T05:58:00.006-05:00

There's probably research supporting or refuting the claim that's to follow, but I'm pretty sure my in-the-field data is probably more accurate. Anyway, here it is:

Pregnant women snore a lot.

During Chris' first pregnancy with Jack, I worked nights at the World-Herald. I'd get home around 2 and would typically be in bed shortly thereafter. I reached a point with a month or two left that climbing into bed with Chris at that point was ... well, pointless.

First off, she was taking up the whole bed. I would, too, were I the first one in bed. Second, she was sleeping deeply and snoringly. A nudge here, a poke there, a foot in the back ... no dice.

If I was going to make a list of the sounds I'm most annoyed by, snoring would be second. First is sniffling your nose constantly instead of just getting up and blowing it (thanks, Mom!). Snoring probably wouldn't be so bad, except it typically happens when you're trying to sleep. At that point, everything is annoying.

When we hit that magical point last time, I just set up shop in the spare bedroom. The sleep was restful and wonderful.

Typically, when it's bedtime now, Chris is exhausted. Teaching all day and wrangling a 4-year-old is tiring enough, but doing it with a baby using your spleen for a speedbag probably takes a bit more out of you. So when she hits the pillow, she's done. (Her fall-asleep record is just shy of one minute.)

And that takes me back to the claim up top: Pregnant women snore a lot.

I don't begrudge her right to fall straight asleep and get that nice, deep, restful sleep — not even a little bit. She needs it. She deserves it.

But while I'm typically cooked at the end of the day, too, it sometimes takes me a bit longer to fall asleep. Like, maybe five or 10 minutes. And it's hard to do that when you're beaten to the punch by the exhausted pregnant lady who, quite amazingly, is snoring within a minute of hitting the pillow. Seriously, it's impressive.

Basically, instead of relaxing when I get into bed, I'm racing to get to sleep. That's not really how it should work. On nights when I have writing to do and stay up later, I've been going straight to the couch. It seems to work - I go right to sleep - but I wake up sore. You know, because I slept on the couch. Why not the spare bedroom? That's going to be Stegosaurus' room. And right now, it's more like a big pile of things.

We have nine weeks left. (Note to self: Finish baby's room.) And contrary to what you've heard, the no-sleep thing then isn't really that bad. I'm sure it will be tougher with big-brother Jack in the mix, though.

If nothing else, maybe I can set a new go-to-sleep record. I promise not to snore.

The laws have changed

2011-09-21T07:33:00.001-05:00

I've heard often that being able to run a bike shop is considered by many a dream job. If you're into bikes, what better way to spend your days than sharing your enthusiasm with the world?

I don't disagree with that. The two years I've spent running the Trek Store have been awesome. I've met a lot of really great people — and a few not-so-great people — and learned quite a bit. And, of course, I've spent the last two years on awesome bikes. Like, ridiculous bikes.

But despite all of that, I'm moving on. Starting in mid-October I'll be working at Harvest Retail Marketing — the company that does all of the marketing and promo material for our stores and about 30 others across the country. Ever gotten a sale postcard from my store? It came from Harvest.

My official title is Online Accounts Manager, which means I'll be talking with a lot of clients and hanging out on Facebook lots. Also, I'll be working closely with Lucas again, which will be pretty cool.

So many jobs in the cycling industry are shop jobs with shop hours. This is a desk job — in Omaha, no less. I'll be working closely with my friends. I'll be working 9-5, approximately. The ride to work will be about five blocks longer now, but it's still mostly the same.

I'll miss being at the shop. Really, I will. I'll miss getting people set up on bikes, seeing the enthusiasm of a new cyclist. I'll miss helping people build their dream bike. And, of course, I'll miss my staff. I was fortunate to have an awesome group throughout my time in the store. (Also, I'm missing a managers' trip to California in February. Damn.)

It goes without saying that I was fortunate to land with Midwest Cycling — the stores' parent company — to begin with. Had Mark not hired me way back in that awful March of 2009, who knows where we'd be right now? Certainly not in this position. I know that.

As far as racing goes, nothing will change. As far as bikes, nothing will change. (Well, the paint jobs will, but that's about it.)

Everything else, though? Huge. Thanks, Omaha. I've enjoyed the ride.

Maintenance work

2011-09-19T10:40:00.002-05:00

You may have noticed — or maybe not, which is perfectly fine — but I haven't talked much about my back lately. That's a good thing, for it means it isn't an issue.

One of the things I worried about as I laid on an ER table for hours (seriously, hours and hours) on the day I broke my back was the long-term effects. I knew I'd heal and be relatively normal and everything. That, for me, wasn't ever a question.

But how would it be in five years? 10? 25? Who knows?

What I do know is that you need to do a bit of maintenance work now and again or the whole thing gets all jacked up. Throughout the summer, I got by on the minimum: just some stretching and a bit of lower-back work. Easy.

But since 'cross has fired up and I seem to have made a half-assed commitment to racing, the minimum isn't cutting it. I've been waking up with hip and knee pain, along with the expected lower-back crankiness. The answer here isn't "that's what happens when you do 'cross," because it's no more violent than trail running in the fall.

No, the answer lies in getting back to scheduled maintenance — not unlike what's needed for your car. (Note to self: Camry needs an oil change.) It may be working fine right now, but it's gonna get bad if you don't take care of it now and then.

So today was a day off the bike and a day on the floor. Stretching, strengthening, trying to get back into that maintenance routine. If all goes as expected, I'll be back to normal in a couple of days.

I call it freedomwear

2011-09-16T09:36:00.002-05:00

I've made note previously of my fondness for cycling socks. They fit better than cotton socks, they last longer and they look cooler. Why not wear them all the time? So what if they retail for $20 a pair? If they look awesome and wear well, it's worth it.

Lately I've been thinking about expanding that mindset to other bits of cycling apparel. For example ...

Outerwear. This jacket is awesome. I'd wear it as my winter coat.
Gloves. This is a fairly obvious one. Any windstopper, softshell-type thing would work. Like these, for example.
How about shirts and stuff? Long-sleeved wool jersey. Duh.

The tricky part comes when you get to the lower body. You can't very well wear cycling shorts all day. Just ... no. And rain pants? No. Baggy MTB shorts? Just wear regular shorts. Clearly, this part is going to take some more thought.

For now, though, since it's cold and damp and crappy outside, I'm going to grab a pair of the Vermarc zip-up thermal tights (probably in XL, so they're roomy like a track pant) and pour another coffee.

Freedomwear, baby. Freedomwear.

It's about to get real

2011-09-15T07:53:00.002-05:00

For about a month now, I've been floating along in a state of blissful ignorance. After it was pretty clear we wouldn't have any more road racing in Nebraska this season, I fired up the offseason training program: Just do whatever you want.

So here's my plan: Wednesdays I go fast. The rest of the week, I just ride. Long ride on Saturday? Another on Monday and Tuesday? Sure.

But at last night's go-fast session, which for me was a survival session more than anything else, someone mentioned that the first race was just a couple of weeks off.

Wait, what? I've been doing my best to completely avoid thinking about such things, but there they are on the calendar — October 1 and 2. Omaha Cyclocross Weekend.

Hell.

I felt pretty blah last night. I can't tell if that's from riding too much or not riding enough. I'm going to hit it pretty hard over the next 10 days to find out if it's the latter. If that doesn't work, it's the former.

Well, that or I'm just not that good. Either way, I'll have something figured out.

This time of year

2011-09-14T07:42:00.002-05:00

Midway through yesterday's ride — a short, sweet, gravely affair — I noticed the change in the clouds and the wind. Though it's been intermittently cloudy and windy over the last few months, yesterday was different.

The clouds weren't "summer" clouds. The heavy, iron-gray coloring made them look like "fall" clouds. The wind, so warm and sticky over the past few months, was drier — almost chilly. Summer is over, and the slow descent into winter has begun.

That feeling in the air — the change — made me think back to high school. I remember most the afternoons. With the afternoon heat waning, we'd amble outside for cross country practice, put in our miles and head home. As the weeks wore on, the wind blew colder, the practices more pointed. By the end of it, we were wearing long sleeves and pants, and sometimes snowflakes swirled.

On Fridays, we'd run, get home and be back in a half-hour. Though the football team was god awful (and that's not through lack of effort — they just weren't very good at football) that's where the town went in the fall. I was in marching band — I played the snare drum. After we played at halftime, we'd change clothes and come back down for the rest of the game. I remember the transition from "just cold enough to need a jacket" to "can we light that trash barrel on fire and stand around it like hobos?"

There was a smell at the football games, too — donuts. The local Rotary club made donuts in a little trailer every night. The Do-Mobile. They were a quarter apiece, and they were awesome.

There's a Better Than Ezra song that pretty much sums up the transition — the feeling. (This can be taken a number of ways; one of which is could be embarrassment for knowing a Better Than Ezra song). There's a bit of storytelling through the first 1:30, which mentions the song's origin: the first cool winds of fall.

Well there's a feeling in the air,

Just like a Friday afternoon.

Yeah you can go there if you want,

But it fades too soon.

Though I didn't hear the song until the summer it was released — 1995 — I always attach it to the fall of my senior year of high school — 1994.

It was so long ago; 17 years now. When I felt the wind on my face yesterday, it took me back. I know I can't be alone.

A cautionary tale

2011-09-13T08:02:00.000-05:00

I say "um" a lot. Sorry.

The song remains the same

2011-09-08T09:43:00.004-05:00

On the road, there are certain riders against whom I know I have no chance. My short list: Mark, Lucas, Brady, Limpach, Shim, Spence, Lee, Ian. There are others, of course, but that will do for now. (Edit: Kent should be on the list, too.)

Call it realism instead of hope. They are faster than me. They have always been faster than me. They will probably stay faster than me. That doesn't mean I can't improve. That doesn't mean I can't close the gap a bit. But for all intents and purposes, I'll be chasing those guys for the rest of my racing career.

After two weeks of 'cross practice, that feeling of "there they go, here I am" remains firmly in place. I'm not quite fast enough to be up with the fastest, but I'm usually faster than the rest.

So goes my life. Slightly above average across the board.

Basically, it boils down to this. Good riders are good riders - period. You can throw in technical courses and all of that, but generally if a guy knows how to ride a bike, he'll figure out how to adapt to whatever course he's on.

Some are better than others, yes, but it still comes down to being pretty fast on a bike. And me? I'm sort of fast, which means I've been doing sort of well. But it's a long fall, and lots can happen when it's for-real racing.

Guess we'll find out in a few weeks, huh?

Guess that means I win

2011-09-07T05:57:00.003-05:00

For the second year in a row, the Nebraska road season ended in July.

Sweet.

When the NCA race schedule was released earlier this year, a pair of races were scheduled for this weekend in Lincoln. (Actually, wait — they're still on there.) On the GamJams Midwest calendar, I marked them as "tentative" even when hope and optimism came as a package deal with a new race season.

Something told me those races weren't going to happen. I took them off the schedule a few weeks ago. Though it was fairly obvious even in July that they weren't going to be held, it would have been nice to get that confirmed by ... oh, I don't know ... anybody?

Regardless, the lack of racing means I won Rider of the Year for Cat. 3, even though I'm not the best rider. Shim can insert his "attendance award" routine here, but it's true — I was there for every race. Nobody else was. The reward isn't the title of Rider of the Year, because that's pretty silly. It's the "you race for free in Nebraska next year" part.

Racing is expensive. I have an allowance debt raging right now thanks in part to entry fees. As a guy who doesn't always (or even semi-often) win his money back, the bills were high this time around. It will be nice to cut that expense out next year.

Maybe I'll actually come out ahead money-wise? With another kid on the way, we'll need it.

The worst trip I've ever been on

2011-09-06T06:10:00.005-05:00

It's been a few years now, but one of the most god-awful weekends of my life happened to be a Labor Day weekend.

Since moving to Omaha, I've been beset with ragweed allergies. I wake up every morning at 5:30, take a 24-hour allergy pill and feel horrible for the next 90 minutes or so. After that, though, everything is (mostly) fine.

Before I started taking the 24-hour pill, though, I used to just pop a Benadryl every few hours. It worked well enough, but it was still a pretty miserable six weeks or so.

That most awful weekend came as we loaded up the car and headed to the middle of nowhere. Literally. Chris' grandparents used to own a farm in Union County, Iowa. See Lorimor on that map, just off of Highway 169? The farm was a little southwest of there. How remote was this place? The county roads were gravel. The "good" road was a deteriorating mass of old chip-seal and asphalt patches.

In the middle of all of this nowhere sat the farmhouse. Built about 4,000 years ago, it had two furnaces (seriously), two living rooms (for some reason), four bedrooms and one bathroom. And no air conditioning.

Having spent most of my childhood without air conditioning, I know how to handle such a situation: turn on a fan and don't move. There were about 15 people in the house, though, so taking over a fan for myself would be tricky. And there were, of course, the arguments about how best to keep the house cool: open the windows and night and then close the place up during the day, to better keep that cool air inside; or open all of the window and have a breeze blowing through.

For the record, the best way to keep a house cool is air conditioning. Barring that, the window-opening thing works, provided your 4,000-year-old farmhouse isn't in the middle of a stand of trees that stifles any and all breezes.

Anyway, I dealt with the heat. But because the house was opened up at all times, I also had to deal with ridiculous levels of pollen in the air. As such, I spent the better part of three days sweating, sneezing, blowing my nose, wiping my eyes and generally being miserable. At one point, I considered driving back to Omaha and coming back for Chris in a couple of days. And at another point I considered sleeping in the car with the AC running.

I ended up staying the whole time. I think I used a full box of Kleenex.

This year, and the past few, really, we stayed home and enjoyed the long weekend. With super-mild temperatures, I got out for a couple of long rides (actually, I rode all three days), we got a bit of yardwork done and fired up the smoker. Pork shoulder (pork butt, specifically, which is different than a hot dog, of course) and BBQ beans were on the menu for last night. It looked like this:

I've put a lot of things in the smoker over the years, but this is the best pork butt we've had. Chopped up, tossed with BBQ sauce and put on a bun, it's pretty much perfect. As I recall, the food during that lost weekend a few years ago was OK, but this was better.

And so was the part where I didn't feel like clawing my eyes out all weekend.

A new way of doing business

2011-09-02T10:54:00.003-05:00

My great-grandfather (I think that's who I'm talking about here) was known around Algona as a bit of a handyman. Dude could fix everything, or so I hear. (That's assuming, of course, I'm thinking of the right relative to begin with. And that's an awesome start to a story, by the way: "I know of this guy who may or may not be the right guy but I'm using him anyway as a tool for getting a blog post started.")

So, the handyman.

My dad picked up whatever gene that is, because he can fix or build (or at least try very hard at) most anything.

Me? Well, I can do some stuff. I built a good chunk of our deck, though I left the really tricky stuff - the stuff that can't be fixed by simple board replacement - to a professional. I rebuilt a fence in the backyard, put new hinges on one of our gates and completely removed another.

But there are some things I have neither the time or energy for. And I think I have a solution. Follow along, if you will.

I have a 2000 Toyota Camry. Even when brand new, it was nothing to look at. It's silver and it's boring. And it will run forever. When we bought it in 2004, we babied it like the new(ish) car it was. Because it's a nice car, at least in the general sense of the word.

Since then, it's been all over. And along the way it's been dinged up a bit. Hey, it's an 11-year-old car. It still only has 109,000 miles on it, though.

I headed to the DMV on Tuesday to pick up the Camry's new plates, intent on putting a little shine back into my old friend. The front plate went on with no problem. On the back, I found myself staring down a pair of very rusty bolts. They looked like they were ready to crumble.

I sprayed some rust-buster/lube stuff on the bolts and behind the plates, waited a few minutes and gave it a crack. Uh, no. Even worse, the Phillips head stripped on one of them. So I just left it on. Hey, you can only see one plate at time, right? No problem.

This morning, I planned on dropping off my car at the Firestone place down the street from the shop and making it their problem. I'm handy, but only to a point. That point seems to be right around the time things are more complicated than attaching two pieces of wood.

One screw broke, but the other came out. So now what?

I work at a bike shop, as you know. And I have all manner of tools at my disposal for attaching things (and also taking them apart). To take care of the one good side, I pulled a new bolt out of the "random bolts" box.

For the other, I figured: why not glue? I mean, it's a Camry - and an old one at that. If I was worried about looks, I'd be in something different altogether.

A quick turn around the shop and I located a bit of steerer-tube epoxy from our Cervelo days. A spray of Simple Green to clear the gunk, a pass-over with the alcohol pad and a mixing of epoxy and ... done. It's not moving. Ever.

So what happens when Nebraska changes plates again in five years (that's a really stupid law, by the way)? Pop the bolt (assuming it comes out ...) and glue the new one on top.

Glue!

I love it. I look forward to a brave new world of screw- and nail-free attaching. It's all epoxy for me from here on out.

Moving on

2011-09-01T06:22:00.000-05:00

For most of us, when we start a new endeavor, we worry more about the here and now — the getting started — first. That's probably the right approach.

But at some point, you have to think about how it's all going to end. Can you go on with it forever? How long can you keep it going?

"It," in this conversation, is Cranksgiving — my little labor of love that started in 2007 with a "why not?" kind of thought. It's gotten bigger every year, and the 2010 version brought in a lot of needed food and funds to the Food Bank For the Heartland.

That version will stand as the last with me at the helm. I handed over the keys to Dave at Bike Masters yesterday. They'll take it from here, and it will continue to grow.

So why leave?

Well, I'm tired, frankly. We're all tired, I know, but I've been burning the candle at both ends for about 2.5 years now. I started scrambling when I left the World-Herald and haven't come up for air since.

My weekly schedule includes a lot of writing (World-Herald, GamJams, VeloGear and this blog, among other projects), a lot of working (50 hours a week or so) and a fair bit of bike-riding. And, to be honest, those arenas are suffering a bit under the weight of the others. What started as a survival tactic (get money, any money) has turned into a way of life.

To even think about adding Cranksgiving to the mix makes me shudder. Oh, and there's the issue of Baby Stegosaurus being due within a week of the event. That's not the time I want to be thinking about boxes of macaroni and cheese, canned corn or how many rolls of toilet paper people should be trying to stuff into their Jansport backpacks.

So that's it. It was four great years of planning and scheming and doing our part — as small as it was — to help others. It of course doesn't mean we won't continue to find a way to help others. We'll figure something out.

But it won't be Cranksgiving. That belongs to Bike Masters now. If you're a fan of the event, please continue to support it, as well as the efforts of the Food Bank. We can all do our part.

Let's roll

2011-08-30T19:58:00.006-05:00

It's hard not to get excited about this:

We're still working on the starts, but he has the rest of it down pretty well. We last tried this about two months ago and it was pretty awful. He got a Strider shortly thereafter and has been tearing things up since. On Saturday night (or maybe Friday?) I took off his training wheels, rolled it at him and told him to get on with it.

That ride was merely OK, but he nailed it tonight. No turning back now.

Look out, other little kids whose parents drag them to bike races, line them up and and then beam proudly. Jack has arrived.

I made a list

2011-08-30T07:11:00.003-05:00

Though the season is winding down - the bike-selling season, I mean - August is a busy month. Trek World, that trip to KC for Shimano and Pearl Izumi, then the progressive sale. And in between, Chris' birthday, Jack's birthday and our anniversary.

We're dealing with a lot of stuff here.

And because of the business, which included working on GamJams, VeloGear and freelancing for the World-Herald, I'm officially pretty much tired of everything. Well, tired of everything that isn't sitting around and doing nothing. Of course, it's mostly my fault. You know that Gallup Strengths Finder thing? I have responsibility as a strength, which means I tend to take on whatever comes my way.

That's probably a detriment now and then.

So I'm taking a couple of days off. Really, it's just one extra day off - Wednesday - but it feels like a super-huge vacation. And while I'm on my super-huge, yet deceptive, vacation, I have a list of things to do.

That seems a bit like it would defeat the purpose, but they're just little tasks that have been lost in the shuffle of the past six weeks.

For example:

Killing the grass on our parking. It's been bad since we've been here, but it's worse now. So it gets the RoundUp treatment and then resodded. Maybe in the spring. But it needs to die first.
Dogs to the vet. That's a fun one. Nothing major, just a couple of stinky dogs in the car.
Took the glass recycling in (already done!). I really wish we didn't have to do that.
Pick up license plates for the Camry.
Go ride a bike. That should be an easy one.

There are more, I think. I don't have the list handy, but I'll be crossing things off as I go. Is it the best way to spend a vacation? Probably not. But it'll be nice to think about little, easily accomplished tasks instead of the big things I've been working on all summer.

And when I'm done with those little tasks, which really shouldn't take up too much time, I'm going to try to convince myself that I need to be psyched up about 'cross. I still like the idea of it, but I'm in a nice little groove right now - long, steady bike rides. Man, that's a lot of fun.

Isolation drills

2011-08-29T06:44:00.000-05:00

Were I to make a list of the top 10 inventions of the last 50 years, the Apple iPod — in whatever flavor — would be on the list.

Portable digital music players existed before the iPod, but they all sucked. The software used to manage them was brutal and, yes, they didn't look very cool. But then there was this:

I got my first iPod (the one shown above, though that's not my Chili Peppers song) for Christmas in 2003. It was the 20GB version, spinning hard drive platter and all. Chris got one a couple years later. And that's around the time that things got nuts. Instead of hard drives, newer models used flash memory. iPods got smaller and thinner and cheaper. (Well, not so much cheaper, but more bang for the buck.)

As they got smaller, they got more accessible. Everybody (close enough) has one. And for people who spent the 1990s carrying around a Sony Discman and a pile of CDs, they were revolutionary. Not only could you carry an album or two with you, you could carry a couple hundred albums with you. And you could go anywhere.

Like, for example, the Keystone Trail in Omaha.

As I was riding into work yesterday — yes, it's true: you can ride a bike to the trail and then ride on it, rather than drive to the trail to go for a ride — I got stuck in the middle of a 10K run of some sort. (And I feel sorry for those who had to run a 10K on the Keystone. Bleh.)

By and large, most of the runners were on the right side of the trail, shuffling away their miles in the time-honored way. There were a few others in the same spot with headphones on (earbuds, really) listening to music.

And there were still others — though a minority — who were in the middle of the trail listening to music. Loudly. How loud? Loud enough to not hear me say, "passing on your left," even when I was right beside them.

You can make a case about a group of cyclists being the most terrifying (and sometimes rude) thing on the trail — I get that. I've been in the middle of groups that haven't exactly been the greatest ambassadors for the sport. But the thing about a group of cyclists, generally, is that they all know how to ride their bikes and won't run into anybody/anything. Basically, if there's a crash, it won't be because of them.

Runners with iPods, however, are a different story. I've never understood running with music. I've tried it, and it pretty much always sucks. Headphones don't stay put, you have wires dangling. And the music sounds awful — though that's mostly because earbuds are awful, too. To hear your music, you have to turn it up louder (oh, hello there, hearing loss). And when you turn it up louder, you lose the ability to hear "passing on your left."

Is it a motivation thing? A need to hear a favorite song while you're out there? I would argue that if you need to listen to music for motivation, you're doing it wrong. The motivation is to be fit and healthy, is it not?

Sure, music is nice, but not at the expense of other trail users. Take off your headphones and enjoy being outside. It's a nice day.

Tuesday

2011-08-24T06:15:00.002-05:00

As much as I don't like to complain about day-to-day stuff, Monday was pretty much a drag.

Stuff happens from time to time in retail, and Monday was the day a lot of stuff came to a head. Though I wasn't in until noon — technically — I was dealing with things from 7:30 on. In between I had to write a story to finish off a freelance job.

By 1 p.m., I was pretty much done.

And when I woke up this morning, allergies were hitting me pretty much full-force. Things haven't been too bad this year, but Tuesday was the first time I wanted to pop a pill and go back to bed. After spending time cleaning the gunk out of my eyes and nose, I finally got moving.

Mark and I had an 8:30 meeting with Kam, our Capo rep, at the store, and after that we planned on a ride. The meeting was good — lots of cool stuff coming down the pipeline for 2012 — and the ride was even better. Cycling in Omaha doesn't get the credit it deserves. We have some really, really great roads on which to play. Sometimes it takes an out-of-towner's perspective to remember that. (Kam recorded a pair of videos during the ride here and here.)

After the ride, Kam and I grabbed a bite at the Dundee Dell and I headed home — finally — at 4:30.

It ended up being a nice day, which was nice considering how it started (and how Monday ended).

Here's to good days, every day.

Herding cats

2011-08-22T09:29:00.009-05:00

It was Jack's birthday on Saturday. As such, we invited a bunch of four-year-olds to our house, gave them squirt guns and got out of the way. Well, sort of. At some point, they came after me. I solved that problem fairly easily.

That's Jack and his cousin trying to refill the bowl, and therefore dump the bowl on me. Teamwork — that's good to see.

Rockin' the suburbs

2011-08-19T07:52:00.002-05:00

The suburbs have no soul.

The suburbs have no trees.

The suburbs are where cities go to die.

That may be true — especially in certain sprawly parts of Omaha. But you know what else happens in the suburbs? We don't post to Twitter about power outages every time the wind blows.

Even if we did have huge trees (it's way better than it was when we moved in seven-plus years ago), we'd still be OK — many of the lines are buried. And that storm sewer/sanitary sewer thing? No problem.

I'm often preached to by those who live in the Midtown area — inside the beltway — about how much better everything is there. About how much easier it is to ride there. About all of the wonderful things going on there. I can ride pretty much everywhere out here, too. And I'm on country roads in less than 10 minutes.

There seems to be a strong sense of identity tied to the area in which your house is planted. For those types, I'll give you this: It's just a collection of buildings. You happen to live in one. It's what's inside the house — the people, the collective memories — that makes it home.

I like living here. I have little desire to move. Sure, our house doesn't have old-school character. But it also doesn't have old plaster or a crumbling foundation. It's just a building anyway. And I'm never worried about the neighbor's tree taking out our house.

Next time the power's out, come on over. We were probably going about business as usual while you were tweeting.

Weapon of choice: Sprinter van

2011-08-17T06:26:00.000-05:00

If you've ever joined a group ride as an out-of-towner, you're familiar with the once-over you get from the locals. It's equal parts "Who is that?" and "Wonder if he's fast?"

The once-over turns into a twice- or thrice-over when you pull up in a fully done-up Sprinter that says "Trek Bicycle Store" in really large letters. (And the shiny white shoes probably didn't help, either.) Mark and I were in town — along with mangers from the rest of the stores — for a Shimano/Pearl Izumi 2012 preview. Early Monday, emails started flying about catching a 6:30pm group ride. Only 24 miles, but pretty quick pace.

Sounds good to me. I'll almost always choose riding over sitting around.

So we checked in, stopped by the Shawnee store and kitted up. After the thrice-over, we rolled out with a good-sized group. We'd been warned it was going to be quick. And it was ... about three minutes after we left.

Seriously? As Mark and I climbed a hill in the middle of the bunch, we both remarked about the lack of warmup. No easing into this one, apparently. Nothing like being on the rivet from the start. It was like jumping into a crit with no warmup on a course you've never ridden.

After that, I just made sure I was inside of the first five guys and held on. But it was a strange ride. Unlike most rides around here — even random weekend rides — which settle into a nice rhythm with rotating pace lines and the like, this was a free-for-all the entire time. I remember one time where we actually did a rotation. And that one rotation led into a hill, where the guy ahead of me in the line gapped the hell out of the dude behind him and then proceeded to accelerate further, making it even more difficult to pull through.

Seriously, it was like riding with a bunch of guys who learned how to go fast, but didn't learn how to keep it under control. After a stop light, they pinned it. After a corner, they pinned it. Damn.

That said, it was pretty fun mixing it up and showing 'em we know how to ride. Mark did more damage than me, like always, but we made it hurt. At the end of the ride, the locals were all looking at their computers in amazement. It was their fastest ride of the year on that route — 23.something mph.

Lance, the assistant manager at the Papillion store, ended up off the main group and with a very, very strong Cat. 2 (I think) woman. She summed it up best: "As soon as they saw you guys pull up in that van, they all wanted to drop you guys."

Gee thanks, Sprinter van.

It begins

2011-08-15T06:14:00.003-05:00

I woke up yesterday morning a little bit stuffed up. It's been like this for a while now, but it clears up pretty quick and I get on with things.

Yesterday, though, my eyes were watering, too. And I blew my nose a zillion times. And midway through my little gravel ride, I felt all gunked up again. (Side note: the gravel and bike were both wonderful. It's a nice little power-hour loop.)

Sigh.

The annual allergy post is pretty much right on schedule — second or third week of August. It's when I start the day with a 24-hour allergy pill instead of firing up the coffee pot first thing. (Although, truth be told, the coffee's on immediately afterward.)

For the most part, it's never really been a problem on the bike or running. It only gets bad when I'm standing around or working outside. And that's easy to fix: just stay inside.

I'm going for a run here in a little bit, then it's off to the shop early and then to KC, where I'll learn about more new 2012 product (Shimano, Yakima and Pearl Izumi, this time). No, I won't bring an Ultegra Di2 setup back for you.

Fuzzy memory, blurry pictures

2011-08-12T08:17:00.010-05:00

Brady asked me a while back how I come up with stuff to write about. Usually it just pops into my head and I transcribe my thoughts. Right now my thoughts are mostly half-formed, but 100 percent dull and mundane. With that in mind, here's a photo dump from Trek World. Because indoor lighting is generally brutal for a camera phone — even a decent one — the blur on these photos serves as an apt metaphor for four days on the road with the Midwest Cycling crew.

More of the rocket bike. The fire belched out after the jet was turned off. And the leaf blower? That's how they pushed enough air into it to get it to light.

Lance Armstrong's 2003 Tour de France bike. Specifically, the bike he rode in the Luz Ardiden victory. After getting yanked down by that musette bag, Iban Mayo ran over Armstrong's bike and cracked the chainstay — right on the N of Shimano. It's pretty cool seeing all of the famous/infamous bikes stationed in the Trek atrium.

Yup. Gary Fisher. The first 10 minutes of last year's Trek World was, "Whoa! Gary Fisher!" But then I saw him 300 more times in the next few days. Now it's like, "Oh, hey Gary."

Jens Voigt and Fabian Cancellara signing autographs. The lines were long, but they were both pretty cool.

And here's Andy Schleck. Both he and Frank made me feel fat. They're tiny.

The Schlecks' bikes. Andy's had a computer on it still. I checked the odometer: 2,074 miles. Minus the time trials, that's about right for the Tour de France.

Cancellara's bike. He uses mechanical Dura-Ace instead of Di2. The paint job was pretty nuts, too.

The end result of waiting in line with a bunch of other bike hacks. I'm keeping this one for myself. The rest are heading to the store, including one from Jens Voigt.

I'm sure I'll come up with something to write about next week. Actually, check that. I make no promises.

Sights seen

2011-08-11T09:09:00.002-05:00

Oh, Trek World. The place where amazing, cool or reasonably important things are seen. This year's demo was pretty chill for me - I rode a Madone and a Speed Concept, just like last year. The trails were a bit wet, and seeing a bunch of muddy people coming back didn't make me want to join them.

So, short of amazing things on the bike, we took in the rocket bike. That's a pulse jet on the side. And that guy is so hunched over because he's holding it back. It can go 60mph. It's completely ridiculous. And, of course, completely awesome.

Later on, we saw Jens Voigt, Fabian Cancellara, the Schleck brothers, Chris Lieto and Julie Dibbens. The last two are pro triathletes. The previous four are bike-riding rock stars. So I waited in line for a long time to get a few posters signed. By the time I got through the Voigt/Cancellara line, the Schlecks' line was ridiculously long. So long, in fact, that when I got there, one of the Trek folks let me know they'd be stopping soon. Oh well.

After that, it was far too much beer in a three-day span, some nice rides on Madison-area roads and a lot of walking around. A lot. That's pretty much how trade shows work, though.

All told, it was fun. But I'm glad to be back. And unlike last year, I have no idea which paint job I'm going to go with for my 2012 demo bike. Last year I had it locked up in 5 minutes.

Priorities, man.