Corby south trail work tonight, Monday

I mentioned to Randy the other day that some of the runner guys who use the trails you guys so generously maintain have decided to pitch in & help out, since we benefit from the trails also. Yesterday we got about half of Corby south done. Tonight, a couple of us are going back to finish up the three (I think) spots that still need clearing. Two are one-man, 5-minute jobs, and the third location is a little more involved. All three locations are fortunately within a 200-foot radius, near the NW corner of the big field at the end of 25th St.

If anyone wants to come heckle us in our short-shorts and other silly-looking attire, feel free. Or if you want to come help. Or tell us how we are doing it all wrong. Or whatever. We are planning to start at 5pm.

MTB Race Season Winding Down..

What a 2010 its been so far! Can’t believe that the summer is gone and only one more month of MTB races… Three weekends, and that’s it. Time to turn your attention to skinnneeee tires and big time leg shavers!

So here is the game plan for whoever is interested! Its now or never…

This Saturday, September 4th, I am going to head down to Swope Park, KCMO to preview the singletrack out there. So if your interested, just let me know.. Going to try and leave early so we can get back at a decent time..

THEN, its two weekends of racing to finish off the season: UFD Series

Frist off Tour De Lizard, Arkansas City, KS (wherever the hell that is) on September 12th…

After this, last race of the season, KC Cup, Swope Park, KCMO on September 19th… If your done with MTB already there is a CX race that Saturday…

All in all its been an awesome season, got my little mini me due on September 27th. So I am going to take a little break for the beginning of Cross season. Much needed, have been battling burnout for about a month now… Legs are dead more than not and need a little RR…. With a newborn, prob not going to be either restfull or relaxing, but will give my legs time to recover…..

Anyway, someone is going to have to take over the posts for a little and keep us up to date on Cross Season!

Get your TT Roadie on!

Just passin on the word in case any of you fools are wanting to do some cross training. Or whatever..

"Ladies & Gents, "Let's get ready to rumble!" Hope to see ya'll at the same

place as last couple of years... basically start from the gravel road
(County Rd 395) just on the other side of the train tracks east of Amazonia
baseball field on Hwy T... just east of Amazonia. If we get a lot of people
driving out there, the baseball field's parking lot is just about 1/4 mile
down & will work out nicely. I'm attaching the spreadsheet with the data
from past years in case your interested in those results... or better yet,
to help you figure out & set your own timing goal. I'm certain that those
of you whom trained with me during the winter months & have been riding
consistently will see a noticeable improvement from your times last year.
I'm definitely going to expect faster times from "Javier's Heroes". ;0)-
But seriously, remember that the whole reason for setting this up is simply
to give you another tool to get to or stay at whatever fitness level you
want... so come on out and have fun & feel good about doing your own thing!

Annette will input the info into the updated spreadsheet and we'll need
someone to help with the stopwatch & hopefully another to watch for any
vehicles at the turn around point near the train tracks."

ALSO!!! I am going to make a road trip down to Swope Park one of these weekends to get a look at their trails. KC Cup MTB race is going to be there Sept, 19th..
Looking at either this weekend or next...

CX is around the corner...

With just two MTB races left in the season...Its almost that time of year again.... Time to rub elbows with the  rodies in their skinsuits!!!!!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VRZOa_E9Qs8

speaking of which, I need some new CX tires.. Any suggestions?

Rapture In Misery (RIM) 6/12 hour race

Joetown and Shores Sports crew was down in full affect at Rapture in Misery 6/12 this Saturday.. What an accurate name for this race! RESULTS ARE HERE
This was a finely tuned machine of a event. Race times are kept like nowhere else I have raced.  Well done!

(race meeting)

Hoppe and I did the 12hour duo, the hippy and Bradbob did the 6hour duo. JP, Gary M. and J Smikahl did the12 hour 3man.

(Did ya get it out, BradB?)

My personal hero, the Hippy started his day off with a pre ride of some of the course and found out that the first section of downhill was slick. We were just getting our gear together as he comes riding back to the tent covered in mud and blood. He went down hard before the race even started. Going to be a long day..

The race started with a lemans start like it always does, but a bit nicer than last year. It is usually an uphill start, but with all the mamby pambys complaining Doug Long decided to change things up.

Hoppe had me start the race because his old man knees can’t handle any running. I had a pretty nice start, took off and got to my bike and was in the top 15. We hit a portion of long double track/ mowed field that took us to the single track and the pace was not that bad at this point. Once we hit the single track the carnage began.

Once we hit the first rocky/root covered downhill I shall now call the Hippy tumbling area there were folks off the trail everywhere.. It was pretty nasty, especially once people have been riding over the area and covered the rocks and roots with mud from their tires. It was a little sketchy getting through those sections on the first lap with traffic all around you. Once we hit some smooth single track the pace picked up and people started flying…

The first couple of laps were not that bad.. I did not feel great, but not that bad either. Hoppe was turning out some pretty consistent/fast laps.

It was about the 3rd lap that the cramps started to show up and we would have to fight them for the rest of the day. That mixed in with a mixture of prepetuim that was making me feel bloated and hard to eat made the 6 hour mark quite unpleasant.

We had quite a competition going with the eventual 2nd place team. Hoppy would go out and come back in first place, I would go out and lose it. I was in survival mode at this point, was pretty deep into the hurt locker at this point. The cramps were manageable as long as you could keep pedaling, as soon as you mess up and have to put a foot down or anything your whole leg would seize up..

Throughout the race I was having stomach issues which was making it very difficult to take in calories. Each break it would take me the entire 50min to force down anything I could. A banana, clif bar, part of a sandwich. Its really hard to force yourself to eat in these situations.

My only respite between laps was this faucet that me and several other overheated riders found to cool yourself off.

(as pictured here)

My 5th lap out there became one that I will never forget. I felt a little better that the last because there was a cool breeze and it was finally cooling down. However about 1/3 of the way into my lap I got that, dude, something aint right feeling in my stomach. Great, its bad enough that we have a head to head battle going on, I have to ride this lap having to take a crap. Well, a couple of miles down the track, things were not getting much better. Even a couple more miles down, I was walking my bike up some of the climbs at this point when the inevitable hit me. Hard.. I was going to crap my bike shorts… So here I am in the middle of a race, 2nd place guy is hammering it to catch up with me and I am here taking a crap in the woods. I don’t think I have ever in my life, EVER, done this..

Somehow I managed to finish the lap (ironically, it wasn’t even my worst lap of the day) and b-line it to the porta-bathroom where I spent the next 15min.. So a lesson learned that powders and gels eventually take its toll on your stomach…

In between this lap I said the hell with taking anymore of that crap and choked down a cliff bar with a coke. You know what? Was the best I had felt in 6 hours… Took off for my 6th lap with the lights on and felt pretty darn good. Good enough to hold off 2nd place for good. Handed it off to Hoppe with a 5 (ish) min lead and he came back and the long day had finally come to a close and we took 1st place in the 12 duo by 10 min…

Hell of a day….

Nutrition …

Ran across this supplement company, Infinit Nutrition.. Pretty cool idea, probably been around for a while and I am just finding out about it... Like most things...

Anyway, I find it cool because you can mix your own formula to put into your watter bottle.. Right now I use hammer products (used to use a carb blend from GNC but my stomach can't handle too much sugar) and EAS protein and other assortments from GNC. So basically I have to buy One Carb blend, one Electrolyte, a different protein, amino acids, etc... etc... and mix and match them myself...
This company does it for you, you choose how much Carbs-Calories-Electrolytes-Protein-Amino Acids-even Caffeine.. They mix it and put it for you.. So now I can buy one tub instead of 3...

Plus your going to need a different mix of this and that for traditional XC, endurance XC, recovery formulas, cold riding, hot weather riding, etc.....

(Shameless plug to show we can pimp products if they want to throw a sponsorship our way to support our habits)

Why in the hell do I need this you ask? The Hippy might wonder why in the world you would want calories? Hoppe might be wondering why in the hell you would want protein? I only weigh 150lbs, a stick of beef jerky fulfills my protein requirements for the entire week..

With RIM tomorrow, this gives the perfect example... With an endurance race like that your going to need different nutritional requirements than a regular XC race. Your legs run out of Glycogen every hour/ hour 1/2, which is about the length of a traditional XC race. RIM is a different animal entirely, you have got to refuel with calories and carbs like a regular race but after hour 3,4,5,6 etc... you will need to add protein plus some amino acids so your body does not cannibalize itself for fuel. (breaking down lean muscle for fuel)..Its going to be rather hot, so you are going to need to add a sh** ton of electrolytes... (minus the hippy, your going to cramp even if we tie a salt block around your neck and ride with a camelpack of IV)

Now I am no rocket doctor, so some of my info might not be 100% as I understand it, but I think I am on the money, close enough anyway...

Just something to think about, regardless, nutrition is something you should read up on... Prob one of the most important aspects to racing..Especially endurance racing...

Has anyone tried this Product? If not what do you use and find effective????
Good luck tomorrow, ladies and gents!!

Hey Hoppe,

Snap into a Slim Jim!!!

Countdown to RIM!!

One of my favorite races of the year! If you have never been, I highly suggest that you go... Doug Long always has a wonderful route and the Heartland boys and girls are organized.. Its on of the most well ran races I have been to...

SCHEDULE OF EVENTS

9:30am Race Day Biking registration opens.
11:30am Registration closes.
11:45am Racer meeting.
Noon And they're off! Rapture in Misery 6/12 is underway. Both races start
6:00pm 6 HR Finishing Racers begin to log-off the course.. Awards ceremony will begin apx. at 7:15pm.
12:00am 12 HR Finishing Racers begin to log-off the course. Awards ceremony will begin apx. at 1:15am.

6 HR CLASSES/FEES
Solo Male ($45)
29 and under
30-39
40+
Solo Female ($45)
Duo Open (any combination of 2 riders) ($35 per rider)

12 HR CLASSES/FEES
Solo Male ($55)
29 and under
30-39
40+
Solo Female ($55)
Duo Open (any combination of 2 riders) ($45 per rider)
3 Person COED (must have one female) ($45 per rider)
3 Person Fun (beginner/sport level riders) ($45 per rider)
3 Person Supa Fast (sport/expert lever riders) ($45 per rider)
*All entry fees include $3 USA Cycling rider insurance surcharge.

Parkway Blast Saturday - Honey Run Trail Story

I know this blog is for MTB, but for those willing to get out and sweat a little this Saturday, 8/7 you could have some fun. It's the Parkway Blast, starting at Krug Park at 8AM. Three distances involved ranging from 22, 35 or 60 miles.

Here's a website to check out more about it, along with two of the routes available:

http://www.mapmyride.com/event/united-states/missouri/united-states/538127436324741834

Now I know JDoug won't want to be caught out there on a skinny tired bike, but it's not all that bad and promises to be a nice and sweaty day at 96 degrees for a high. Good chance to see some other bikers you don't see a lot. What I have been seeing is more roadies doing the MTB thing here and there too so maybe some good recruits to help with trail maintenance. I know I should be putting my chainsaw where my mouth is myself.

On another note, I was down at Lake of the Ozarks about two weeks ago and had the chance to checkout the Honey Run Trail that I saw in a brochure at OZ Bikes down at Lake Ozark. Stopped by to talk to the owner there and he told me about building those trails with the help of the IMBA folks. So I checked it out.

Now for my disclaimer. I'm far from a respectable MTB rider, but I do enjoy it. The PR on the trail was that it seemed all downhill from the start so the gurus didn't like it much. I don't remember the specifics on distance, but it's comprised of something like a 3 mile connector trail and then a basic route of another 3 miles off the connector. You can take both of those and then take the second route off the end of the connector for something like 7 miles. More hills and whatnot on the second route. To get back where you started you have to ride the trail backward as each ends on a county road in the middle of nowhere.

So I jumped on the trail from a small trailhead where you can park about 5 cars. First impression was that it was pretty grown up with weeds so the trail might be a little rough. When I started though what I liked was the mature forest and a pretty tight track. Not having biked outside SJ, I haven't experienced much in the way of rocks before and there were a few here and there on top of the ridge.

About a 1/2 mile in I was charging down a little hill and just about plowed into a massive tree down. Didn't think much about it so went around the tree. Little further along and another - and another - and another - and another. So either a big windstorm had hit or something.

Then I started to cross some creeks on some steep little downhills, very loose rock, with turns on the uphill (don't like those!). A lot of these crossings were pretty washed out and my confidence, that was already low, ebbed a bit more.

Then a big black cloud came in and it started to rain. So I decided not to re-ride the connector trail back to the start. Instead, I tried to remember the site map and turned to the right on the county road to get back to the car. It seemed that I was mostly veering toward the road so that should be the way back - good reasoning? No.

So as I'm going along looking for the car (my wife and youngest daughter were there walking the trail), I'm starting to think that things aren't looking so good. Brain surgeon that I am, I check the odometer and I've gone 5 miles so far with no sign of happy life. Unhappy life, in the form of biting and snapping dogs, are keeping me moving. All the while the skies are dumping major water down.

So as this county road turns from rock into mud, I'm starting to think that either I'll run into U.S. 54 or will hit the Lake soon. Then I start thinking about just looking for a cross street and that I'll call my wife on the cell phone to save me. We've got OnStar so my fevered mind figures that she could relay that to them and she could find me. Never see another street intersect though. Just trees, hills, mud, and dogs.

I'm 8 miles from the end of the trail and still am not seeing anything encouraging and then spy pavement on the horizon. So I pedal on and hope this is a good sign. 12 miles from the trail I start to hear trucks and round the bend to see the waterpark on U.S. 54. At that point I realize I'm 24 miles from the trail head and my car (as traveled on paved roads). But at least I have a landmark and can call the wife to pick me up.

I call her and she says she was starting to get worried as I had been gone longer than I said I would. Then I tell her I'm 24 miles away and could she pick me up. "No problem", she says, but then says "how did you end up there?" I tell her the story and then she says, "I was looking at the state park map and if you'd turned left at the county road, it would have been about 1 1/2 miles back to the trailhead. Didn't you know that?"

She picks me up and I go back to OZ Bikes that afternoon for a spare tube. The guy there asks me about the ride and I told him that the trail was pretty much trashed. I asked about whether there'd been a storm in the last week or so.

He answered that he hadn't had time to do any maintenance and that his volunteer group vaporized so it was him or nobody. As to recent storms, he said nothing bad. He said that it only gets maintenance about once a year and that trees do tend to fall in the forrest. They do indeed.

So four lessons learned:

1. Honey Run Trail is nice but needs lots of maintenance so I wouldn't recommend lugging your bike down there as it's probably not ridable. Hope they get some volunteers as that poor guy at the bike shop can only do so much.

2. Ask about the condition of a trail before you head out - not after.

3. I have no sense of direction.

4. If I'm not a moron I'm not far from it.

Don’t THINK just RIDE!!!

Those of you who know me well might say that I could be a tad… Well, how do I say it… OCD about bike racing…Now most of the time (according to your prospective) this is a huge attribute when it comes to training, etc.. I have a drive to constantly want to get faster, a speed freak if you will.. Now my wife is the “other” prospective that thinks I am nuts, but that is another topic altogether.
This last weekend as you probably know was Crocodile Rock MTB Race at Perry Lake. This is where my OCD bit me straight in the arse! We get there early which I like to do, I would rather piddle around than pull a Lansen and show up 20 min before start time. During the pre lap I find out that it’s a rather flat course, basically just one little climb at the end. This does not suit how I like to ride, I tend to do better when there is a bunch of climbing like out at Krug. Soooo…. I decide to break the number #1 rule (because I am ocd) DON’T CHANGE YOUR BIKE SETUP RIGHT BEFORE A RACE!!!

I decide that the course is too flat to race a smaller gear in the Cat 2’s and put a 16t on my bike 45 min before the race starts. AND my partners in crime did not stop this insanity either! Well the 16t is smaller than the 18t which put some play in my chain. I was a bit worried about it, but I had a chain tensioner on it so I thought what the hell, just run it beeoch.. After we started the race, during the first section of rocks/tree roots I was hearing a hell of a lot of chain slap, now being on a single speed , I immediately knew I had made a remarkably stupid decision. The start actually went well, right off the start I was 3 back, then Denny w/ 360 (riding like a mad man) passed me and we shortly after saw one of the top 2 on the side fixing a flat. Game on right? Nope… I threw my damn chain just like I knew I was going to.. Put it back on and there was know one around so I hammered my way along.. Threw it again… This time two guys passed me.. Put it back on hammered again, and caught up with them.. Threw it again! At this point you can imagine the obscenities I was shouting at the top of my lungs! I knew top 3 was out of the question right then and there, the course as too fast to catch anyone with any serious time on you.. So this is how the first two laps went for me… And yes it does get worse…

Last lap about 1/3 the way through, I am going 150% to try and limit the damage when I caught the chain half on and half off the front chainring and bent the sob.. So now not only do I know what a colossal of an idiot I am, I have all kinds of time to think about it while I am walking my bike out of the woods while seeing EVERYONE pass me… I think my favorite comment was by one of the experts “bummer dude”…

It even gets better, after about ½ mile of walking I figure its going to take me an hour or so to hoof it out. So I put the bike down find the nearest rock and pound the damn front chainring into submission. Got it to where I could do about 2/3 of a pedal stroke without tossing the chain. So here I am pumping my right leg ½ pedal strokes to get out of there. Even caught up with a guy… Huh... Ended the day DFL!! By some miracle I am still retaining 1st in the UFD series, go figure…
Results for Crock Rock here...

Crocodile Rock Race Report

Headed down to Perry Lake Sunday with Roger Ptomey and Darrel Williams to do the Crocodile Rock MTB race that Lyle Riedy was hosting. Jim Spellman, Brad Riley, Jason Douglas and the Water Doctor boys also were there so St. Joseph had a good showing.
The event was extremely well run and the course was rocky but still very fast.
I entered the Cat 1 old man group (40-49) which turned out to be the largest group for the Cat 1's... approx. 9 or 10 guys.
They split our category into two groups at the start. We took off second after the 19-29 and 30-39 groups.
I was probably 5th or 6th entering the single track. Ended up getting passed by several guys as I was not riding aggressive enough at the start. I eventually started to work my way up but ran into a bit of a snag trying to pass Chris Locke. We hooked handlebars as I was trying to get past him and we both ended up going down. Chris was not happy and had a few choice words (of course I appologized several times). Anyway, we both got going and he eventually let me by.
In the process several guys, including Doug Long, passed us. I caught back up to Doug and rode out the rest of the lap behind as he was going at a pretty good clip and taking good lines.
On the second lap Doug let me by and I eventually worked my way past a few guys and caught up to Brian Duff. I followed Brian for a ways and eventually passed him only to have him pass me back as I was getting another bottle going through the feed zone (big thanks to Roger P for the bottle hand off!)
I followed Brian for the entire 3rd lap and let him set the pace. As we came through the feed zone he was taking a bottle and I passed him there.
About a half a mile or so into the lap there is a short switchback climb. I accelerated up this section and got a little gap on Brian. From there on out I just tryed to be smooth over the rocks and keep the pace high enough to stay in front of Brian.
I ended up finishing in 4th place but found out I was only 10 seconds out of third (wish I had known that before I finished)
Fitness level is a little off here lately but I was satisified with the outcome and the race was an absolute blast with the rocky sections... Not much climbing but still very fun to ride.
Also, Jim Spellman layed down a second place finish in his race so congrats to him.
Good times and a big thanks to Lyle Riedy and his crew for putting on a great event!
Hope to see you guys at RIM
CH