week in review.

time to do some recapping!

i've got 4 racedays in the legs since my last racin' write up last week!

thursday - co springs thursday night lights velodrome racing was cool, i guess the turn out was light due to impending rain that never came. racing was fast and fun. (and bumpy).
didn't die from the altitude like tuesday night so that was a plus!

saturday - mn old man track states. in the timed events i rode ok, all my times were good, but not as good as i would've liked.
i think if i did the events again next week i could go faster in all of them. still they were good enough to take the top spots in the 30+ group.
sweet.

the points and scratch races were a total cluster. all cats ran together, which caused alot of chaos in speeds and scoring. i managed 2nd in the 30+ in both with teammate extrodinaire fil taking the wins in both!

that was good enough for me to be crowned old man #1 in the state!
fil was #2!
joe j was there rocking too and won the open category.

medals all around for lgr!

sunday - mn state championship crit. our goal was a pack sprint. so some of us watched the front, some of us sat in, and some of us lead it out.
my job was laps 6-to-go to 2-to-go.

i hit the front at 6, and tried stringing it out, and the field didn't feel like going too fast so they let me roll of the front.
oh well, it accomplishs the same goal- letting my protected riders sit in.

got reeled in, sat at the back, finished. job done.

lg did the final leadout, but ran into traffic in the final turns. oh well, that's bike racing.
the team did a great job all around.

tuesday - dakota tech. made the break with teammate jake h., along with 3 others.
we got the bell a lap early, but hey, give us a bell and 1-to-go and we are gonna sprint it out even if we think you are wrong. raced myself to 4th place.

...and then they gave us the real bell for one to go.... ugh.

dug deep and raced some more, and actually finished 3rd that time. didn't try for 2nd, as 2nd place had already (in my book) gotten 2nd in the first finish.

again, that's bike racing.

stared the 1/2/3. that's all i have to say on that.


next up - thursday night lights!

video monday - special edition!

an old classic!

this one is for chedda!

seven eleven.

colorado springs velodrome racing impressions;

1. their 4/5's field (aka c field) is way slower than ours.
2. their 3's (aka b's) are slower than ours.
3. their a field (pro/1/2) was about the same, maybe a touch faster.
4. there were no pros/olympians in attendance on thursday night, so maybe that is not always the case.
5. the women field was fast fast. nsc ladies would need to step it up quite a bit. i think these ladies were all very experienced roadies though...
6. their crowd was lame.
7. the race announcing was non-existant. something that the nsc does very well.
8. locker rooms and a real bathroom are really nice features!
9. the cute little banked warm-up track in the infield is awesome.
10. there is a water fountain (aka "a bubbler") in the infield! lucky!

colospgs.

a family reunion has me out in colorado springs for the week, which just happens to be the home of the 7-11 velodrome.
and i just happen to have brought my track bike.
i will be racing thursday with the big boys, i expect them to be flying being that it is an olympic year.
i raced tuesday night which is the lowkey night (i.e. no prize money), there were about 12 guys in the 'a' field.
the 7-11 velodrome is 333m and concrete. banked alot more than kenosha, but not as much as blaine. definately does not flow as well and was a bit bumpy in some spots.
felt like i had to steer the bike though the turns... blaine more or less turns the bike for you.

anyway, the docket was chariot races, a tempo, and a 10 mile scratch.
i did well until the altitude caught up to me.

made it to the chariot final, and finished 5th in the final.
spent the whole tempo race otf but only got 3 points, i was getting worked by 3 spike guys.
5th or 6th in the end.
after that effort i could not recover at all.
never felt so crappy in my life.

ever.

dns the scratch race, which i had been looking forward to.

oh well. i be prepped for thursday!

crying. doping. losing.

i don't have time for this crap.
all i know is there is not enough time to go around being all whiney, lame, and depressed.

let's go.

...

cry.
get over it. don't like the categories? promote a race.

doping.
if you are doping you are too slow to be fast. go train.
if you are accusing people of doping you are too slow to keep up with the people training. go train.
you have to train hard to be fast.
it's a crazy, unfair, vicious cycle, i know.
get over it.

losing.
quit bitching about every-goddamned-thing.
...or we will be losing races, promoters, racers, and officals. not necessarily in that order.
seriously, dumbass. get over it and race your fucking bikes.

our finest news source.

back on the job, and at it again!

best team site ever.

who's is it?

well, not flanders.

not slipsteam... er, i mean garmin.

not rock racing. (!)

no, not even gp.

cofidis!

this site is soooooooooooo cool!

it's like japan barfed on my computer screen in french!

i love it!

it makes no sense, like a crazy dream!

i can't get enough!

i'm buying a mini team bus at the low low bargian basement price of 14.95Euro!

...and i'm gonna have a kid so i can buy the baby kit! sweet!

(i bet toddler smithers doesn't have that action!)

i love spending money!

seriously. it's awesome!

especially when i didn't plan on it!

well, ok. i knew i'd have to eventually, just wasn't ready to quite yet.

lemme explain;

2 years ago at the bike swap, i bought some formerly fancy wheels from the bearded maniac, (aka ezra). they were funcutional, but were also well used. i planned to use them for the season and then get some new wheels.

with that in mind i raced all summer, and then decided to retire them to cx wheels.

makes sense right? "i'm gonna get new road wheels for the road season".

no problem.

well, after cx season ended i took some time off and then started winter training/riding... on the same wheels.

"no biggie. i'm getting new ones this spring".

after a rough winter and also of slop and grim, plus the rear wheels second broken spoke (never a good sign), racing season was suddenly upon us!

so, i raced the wheels.
then i raced cx on them again...
then winter...

oops! then it was racing season again!

so, i raced the wheels.
and have continued to.

...until today.

yesterday i broke yet another spoke on the rear, and that was it.

i'm over it.

no more dicking around with this wheel.

so i bought some sweet ass fulcrum r3's, and tonight for the first time in... well, ever... i am racing on new wheels.

wheels that don't need truing,
or could use new bearings,
or make a funny noise every so often,

or...

...well you get it.

it's gonna be awesome.

still, i like money in the bank too... i'll let you know if it was worth it.

video mondays!

gp elite team theme song! (even mentioins p.cakes by name!):



hanz and franz are wanna-be's.
i bet hawk's 200m time is a 10.1, and animal's is a 9.98.
(and, smack-talkers take notes! these dudes are some of the best ever!):



speaking of trackies... theo bos gets smoked in japan. (he's in red, #3)

tgif!

friday.

new toy.

hopkins on sunday.

what more could i ask for?

(answer: soy ice cream.)

viedoiooios.

smarter.

here are a few things that i have learned in the last few weeks;

• the 30+ field at dakota had only 2 sketchy incidents.
• the regular field at dakota had 2 sketchy incidents.
• now that i am 30+, i cannot risk the craziness of regular fields.
• now that i am 30+, i realized i have kids and a job. who knew?
• strats does not wear a labcoat at work. some scientist.
• last thursdays racing at the drome was really positive and smiles all around! what was different?
• superrookie is a poor judge of what looks good.
• i have a friend who luckily does not race bikes. if he did his 8 year old daughter would have to watch him risk it all in the regular fields. he is only 28.
• he has a "real" job as well.
• lgr night at the track was a smashing success!
• there was no yelling.
• the grill was out!
• free massage is an amazing team perk!
• "goodbye blue monday" is not only the alternate title to breakfast of champions by kurt vonnegut jr., it is also a pretty sweet coffeeshop in northfield, on the crit course. for some reason their internet computer was set to www.littleguyracing.com, strange.
• it is officially iced coffee season. time to research the cafes in town that provide maple syurp for maximum iced coffee satisfaction.
• the tour started, and i didn't care.
• the tour seems actually really interesting this year. after only two stages my faith has been renewed. i might pay attention now. viva le tour.
• i like making lists, despite what i may have said in the past.

that is all.

video mondays installment to come.

master of the obvious.

i'm mad as hell, and i am not going to take it anymore!

our masters fields are under attack!

and not just by lsc, (not that we're concerned - they'll crash themselves out anyway).

no, it is much worse.
yes my friends, over the last few years days i've watched the local cycling scene buckle and succumb to the pressure of young, boisterous, jive-talkin' racers from who-knows-where.
and they want one thing!
categorized racing.

cat 3?
cat 1?
cat 5?
what the hell is that!?

if it doesn't say 40+, 35+, 30+, 50+ or 70+ how do i know if that is where i belong?
where do these suburban, inner-city, punk, hippy, liberal, tree-hugging, war-mongers come up with this crap?
as long as these diaper-wearing, snot-nosed hosers continue to push our old, tired, easily-bruised bodies around, we will continue to lose masters races.

the way i see it, (and it suddenly became clear to me on the sunday morn last), with humans living into their 100's these days, there is easily room for 100 masters categories.

this new-fangled "category" system isn't even based on age at all!
and there is no system in place to calculate "upgrades" or bureaucratic regime to enforce it.
i don't want to race with babies!
i don't even want to race with toddlers!

tell me this, smartguy- what is the point of getting old if you can't race just other old people?
how will you know that your health is fail far less quickly than you competition?

where does it end? not with road racing, i'll tell you what.

did you know that the velodrome in blaine does not even have any master categories!?
preposterous!

why, if i could find my cane, i'd march right up there and give them what for.
yes sir, i would.

i say do away with this "category" talk.

kids have it too easy these days, back when i started racing the courses went uphill both ways.
and we had to race barefoot...
thru the snow...

juniors shouldn't be racing.
they should be out building character.
join the marines or something, racing will still be here if you make it to 30.
and women, don't feel left out! you are still needed!
registration does not run itself! and we will need corner marshalls!
and really weak coffee! who else would make our really weak coffee that we like so much?

we want masters-only racing. yes, it is possible!
lobby your mcf president! write letters!

image this on race day;

4:40am masters 80-82
4:46am masters 78-80
4:50am masters 72-78
4:56am masters 68-72
5:00am denny's opens for grand slam breakfast
5:10am masters 64-68
5:16am masters 60-64
5:24am masters 56-60
5:30am masters 52-56
5:40am masters 49-52
5:50am masters 46-49
6:00am - nap time
6:15am masters 42-46
6:30am masters 39-42
6:45am masters 35-39
7:00am (grand)kids race
7:22am masters 32-35
7:40am masters 30-32
7:59am masters 80+
8:10am masters 75+
8:15am feeding and scheduled nature break. (fiber available).
8:30am masters 65+
8:45am masters 50+
9:00am masters 45+
9:20am masters 40+
9:40am break for grumbling about 'kids these days'.
9:55am masters 35+
10:20am masters 30+
10:45 awards! grape-nuts and participation ribbons for everyone!

and home before noon to get some gardening done and have another nap!

[editor's note; i forgot what the point of this was. i doubt there is one actually. congratulations if you made it this far. whatever.]