CX Fort Steilacoom

The weather was perfect for a cross race and the number of riders in each category proved it is definitely cross season. Susan told me Saturday night that she's racing in the beginner race. I didn't know she was even thinking about it. Cool! I made sure her bike was ready and took both ours to the race early the next morning. 

Happy go lucky at the first turn after the whistle blew for the start. 

I trailed her the whole time yelling "encouraging" remarks and making sure she knew when riders were approaching from behind. 

Feeling the pain at the barriers. 

Yeaaaaaaaa! All done!

I raced the single speed again and on my third lap my rear tire picked up an old safety pin used to keep the numbers on the jersey and it flatted in seconds. I was tired from cranking up the hill and holding my own in the bottom 25 percent , but I wasn't ready to quit just yet. Oh well, that's racing. 

WWU

We dropped Jasmine off at the university this past weekend and were surprised about being first in 

line upon our 930 arrival. We unloaded everything onto the ground and then I moved the truck to a parking lot a few blocks away. There were several WWU helpers assisting with the move and we had everything upstairs in no time. Bailey, Jasmine’s roommate had a little more stuff than her and most of their stuff remained in the hallway until we could get the beds lofted. After getting the beds squared away, we started to bring the boxes in and place them as best we could until they could arrange it the way they wanted. An early arrival time was beneficial because an hour later the helpers were spread thin and the students/parents ended up carrying everything themselves. Between the drive up, offloading, carrying multiple boxes up the stairs and unpacking, I was pretty tired.

Later in the day, our goodbye was quick and didn’t allow for too many tears to flow after this picture, but we each had our share. Today’s technology allows us to call, text and skype so it’s not like we weren’t going to see her for months on end because we were skyping that night. I remember getting dropped off at the MEPS station at the start of my Air Force career. My dad kissed me on the cheek and I didn’t see my parents for over two years. Times have definitely changed since then.  Her classes started Wednesday and she’s been looking forward to having something productive to do. We wish her the best and I’m sure she’ll do great. 

Passport to Pain 2014

This is the forth year for the P2P and you could do one of three rides: the weenie at 30 miles with 3400 feet of elevation gain, the weasel at 50 miles with 6300 feet or the Idiot at 80 miles with 10,000 feet. I signed up for the Idiot because a coworker told me I could make it, but I knew it would be tough. I stripped my commuter down to the bare essentials (nothing) and then put some faster road tires on for less resistance. I used a saddle bag for a spare tube, tire spoons and patch kit. I ended up buying a frame bag because I didn’t want to pack anything in the pockets of my jersey and it paid off during the day and will pay off again on future rides. It’s a pretty nice addition. 

Prepped and ready. Too bad I couldn't find someone to ride it. 

I bought a mountain bike crank back in February just for this ride. I put 34/28 rings on it and already had an 11/32 cassette on the back so I was ready to spin. I wasn’t going very fast up the hills, nor on the flats for that matter, but I chugged along knowing I needed to save my leg strength to pull myself up the hills. Most people were riding stripped down road bikes to make them as light as possible, but I saw one electric assisted bike (cheater), several mountain bikes, a couple beach cruisers and one dude did the 30 mile course on a skate board. Now that's bad ass! Rain was not in the forecast, but I would have welcomed some cooler weather because I was sweating bullets after the second climb.  The ride is listed as unsupported, but there was so much food and drink at each of the stamp locations it would have been difficult to starve. I packed several power bars, but I only ate a few because I left each station with food in my belly. I packed several shots too and forced myself to eat one every hour to prevent the wall from coming too soon.  I also dropped a Nunn tablet into each bottle on each fill up to keep my electrolytes up. The peanut butter and jelly sandwiches were by far the best food to hold me over. Another favorite snack was the small red potatoes at a few of the stops. They were good and the kicker was the coarsely graded salt in a bowl you could put as much on as you wanted. I was crunching away and enjoying every bite as I replaced the salt I had lost in sweat on the miles before. I was forcing myself to drink and I didn’t care how many times I had to pee. Fluids are very important and I wasn’t going to cramp up on these hills. There’s plenty of support at the stamp locations, but you’re on your own on the road. My legs started to cramp up a bit after getting my 13^th stamp, so I knew the full 80 miles was going to be in question. One of the volunteers at the 14^th stamp location asked me how I was and I admitted I wasn’t doing very well. He showed me how to bypass 15, 16 and 17 and go right to 18. My mind wanted to continue, but my body said otherwise and it would not have made it up the difficult island hills ahead.  I’m not sure how many miles I shaved off, but I’m guessing it was in the 16-17 range and I didn’t miss the additional 3000 feet of elevation I had to climb. My shorts were so wet from sweat I developed a rash in a not so good spot that contributed to my cutting the ride short. A few days out of the saddle will be a welcomed comfort. Bek’s henna tattoo was a big hit to all that noticed it. It’s a one of a kind and looked awesome! It’s a good spot for the real deal next year after my 50^th.  

Bek's art work. 

My Passport. 

They had a terrific barbecue dinner prepped and ready for us after we finished. Brisket, pulled chicken/pork and all the sides with cold beverages too. I opted for a cold Coke in a glass bottle because I couldn’t remember the last time I had one in a real bottle and I love Coke. When we left and got near the truck, I heard a loud howling, so I did a 360 looking for a dog crying. As I got to the truck I heard it again, but this time it was “very” loud. I looked at the car behind me and the guy in the passenger seat was in some crazy pain. I couldn’t help but start to laugh because I knew his leg had cramped up and I’ve been there, done that many times at the house. He was smiling a bit when they pulled out, but I knew he was still hurting. My not so sharp eye observed an item of interest before, during and after the ride. No one was smoking. Not even a vapor cig. I think it’s a first for me to see (or not see) a smoker in the crowd. I like it. I highly recommend this ride to anyone looking to challenge themselves to see what they’re made of. It’s a true test of one’s ability. I can’t wait to see the pictures on their website and the look of pain on our faces as we ride next to the devil. We must be nutso to not only commit to the ride, but pay for it too. I’m looking forward to the next one. J

CX Season

Last week was the start of Cross season and we kicked it off with a Team Double Check sponsored annual Labor Day Cyclocross race. Training Area East on Joint Base Lewis McChord continues to be a fantastic spot for a race. Not just because of the vast amount of space we have to work with for course setup, but parking, shade and vendor support play a critical role as well. I think the turn out this year was a bit better than last and everyone enjoyed an injury free race in perfect weather. I picked up a single speed (Single Greer) from a teammate earlier in the year and after working on the drive train, headset and swapping out the wheel set, I was set to enter a different category. Racing on a single speed bike versus a multi-geared is definitely a new, but welcomed challenge. Having only one gear forces you to race up the hills and spin, spin, spin on the flats. I completed the race without incident until I approached the last barrier on the last lap. I unclipped my left shoe and attempted the right, but it wouldn't come out because one of the screws holding the cleat in had backed out allowing the cleat to rotate freely. I ended up hobbling over the barriers and the run up with my right foot stuck to the pedal. The crowd was cheering me on, so I couldn't give up. I made it up, re-mounted the bike and pedaled across the finish losing 5 spots in the process. I had a good time and it felt good getting the heart rate up for 40 minutes.

I had to use a screwdriver to get the shoe off after I got home. All the movement chewed up the bottom of the shoe a bit, but I got the cleat back in place without issue. 

Lake Sammamish was Sunday and I entered the Single Speed category once again. You have a few things going against you in this cat. You don't go out until 130 in the afternoon and by that time the course is chewed up pretty good and the weather plays a critical role. It was hot for the first race and by the time I went out, it had reached the mid 80's. The course was dry and it ran us through the sand three separate times. I'm not a fan of sand and it really took the wind out of my sails. I was out of gas and sweating so bad on the third lap, I was hoping to get lapped. My wish was granted toward the end of my fourth. I finished 43 out of 51 and felt like I came in DFL because I got my ass kicked!  I was very dehydrated and couldn't get enough fluids in me to ease the pain. I saw someone dump a cooler of ice in the grass next to us, so I filled one of my socks up and placed it on the back of my neck. I never felt anything so refreshing. Fort Steilacoom is in three weeks and I'll be looking for more pain on Single Greer. I guess I left myself for plenty of room for improvement with such a poor finish, but I've been there before. Like the multi speed bike, my goal is to finish mid pack each race.

A Motley Crue. Brian, Scott and Mike heading out for a warm up lap. Brian kicked butt and took second in the Masters 60 +.

Food was a priority leaving the park and this place had tons of cars in the parking lot, so it had to be good. The cheeseburger and 32 oz Root Beer was gone in no time after being placed in front of me. I was a happy camper.