Two-Foot Workout

The riding season is coming to a close here in ND, but with my upcoming move to Phoenix, I would imagine the season just keeps on going, huh? Sunshine 300+ days a year with annual average temps of 72 degrees. I'll be able to get used to that!

That said, so far for the year I have put in 3454 miles with just over 260 hours on the bike. A breakdown: trainer miles = 1210, road bike miles = 777, mt. bike miles = 1467. This total is just over 1200 miles more then last year. My goal for 2012? With the change in weather, I'm shooting for 5000 miles. However, I may start to run again, and even jump in the water. If I do this, I'll never get that many miles on the bike, but I believe the running will give my cardio a boost. 

Why running and why swimming? Well, I've recently started thinking it may be fun to enter some triathlons - the Xterra type. Not much different then a regular tri except rather than a road bike, you ride a mt. bike, and the run is a rugged trail run. 

This just in! On 10/26/11 I finished my first run in close to 10 years! I ran one lap at the Sleepy Hollow trail, which is just under 4 miles of several ups and downs. It was tough, but I managed ok I think. Click here to see the Garmin data for the run. I'll be sore tomorrow, but well worth it!

Surly 1x1

Well, the Voodoo frame that I had originally planned on building up to a singlespeed turned out to be too small (twss). I decided to send that frame back and go with a Surly 1x1 frame. I'm very much looking forward to piecing this beauty together. Parts yet to add? Hope hubs and headset, Thomson seatpost & stem, Magura Marta brakes, White Industries crankset, & Raceface handlebars. Not yet sure on the wheelset and other miscellaneous parts.

'Voodoo Child'

My latest project. Piece-by-piece I'm going to build up a singlespeed mountain bike, and this is the first component - a Voodoo Bokor frame. Fork will be next. Should be a fun!

11th Annual Dakota Five-0

I find that I like this mt. bike racing stuff. That's not to say, by any means, that I dominate or finish near the top, because I don't. It's something much more. It gives me something to work towards, and when that time comes, I get a tremendous sense of accomplishment after experiencing what all the training helped me to achieve. What more can I ask?

This year's Dakota Five-0 race weekend started on Saturday with a 16 mile pre-ride that included the entire Dakota Ridge section. Dakota Ridge is very technical and mostly downhill. Pre-riding this enabled me to keep it fresh in my mind and helped me on race day to ride it with just a bit more comfort. I think this may become a standard pre-ride for me in years to come.

After some good burgers and good company, it was time to get some sleep. Everyone at the campsite was in agreement that the night and morning was going to be COLD! I set my alarm for 4:30am so I could throw my kit on super early and go back to sleep another hour or so. I pulled up the temp on my phone, and it was 41 degrees! Didn't warm up much by race time....47 degrees when we rolled out.

My race was very uneventful. NO CRASHES! I had four last year. I rode at a steady and controlled pace up the first three miles of gravel climbing, and continued at a nice pace to the first aid station. I was feeling good, so I rode through this aid station, as I did last year. Second aid station was a short stop to fill a water bottle, and quickly back on the bike. Still felt strong when I reached the third aid station where I filled my bottles, had a banana, and a glass of coke. Coca-Cola has never tasted so good! Thanks Janice!! I was now well fueled and ready to pedal on to aid station four. After I filled my bottle, I started on a beast of a climb. There were many riders walking this section, but I was able to ride it. FELT GREAT! The climb up to the bacon station was next, and this, in my opinion is the toughest climb on the course. Not because it's the steepest, because it isn't (Cardiac Climb grabs that honor), but rather it comes at about mile 30, and the legs don't have quite as much in them as they did back at Cardiac Climb. Happy to say I rode this as well; thanks to a fellow rider that seemed to push me. There was no way I was going to walk this section! Ahhh...the Bacon & PBR stop! What a fantastic idea for a non-official aid station! Had myself a strip of delicious bacon and washed it down with a glass of PBR. I was now ready for Dakota Ridge. I rode this section relaxed and kept up a nice pace. This section could easily end a race if a person isn't careful. One more long climb on a fire road, and a nice, fast, mostly downhill ride on Tinton Trail. After this I was on the gravel again where we first climbed to start the race. I jumped to the big chain ring, and flew down the hill! Only 3 miles to go.

Rolled into town and turned the corner into the park and saw my two sisters, Faunne & Leigh Anne and my brother-in-law Dave alongside the road cheering me on! Seeing and hearing them was GREAT! Plain and simple, I have family that is second to none! Crossed the finish line at 5:33. This was 35 minutes faster than last year, and 10 minutes under the goal I had set for myself. I'm very pleased with this time. Next year....5 hours (or less). Oh, Chris Knoll and I rode Crow Peak the next day, too. 1500 ft of vertical climb in just 3.2 miles!


A big thanks to Perry and all who helped organize and put on this awesome race/event! The beer, food, and massive amounts of swag were outstanding! I would have a hard time believing that anyone in the country does it better than The Ridge Riders!

Somewhere after the first aid station...I think.

Bacon & PBR never tasted so good!

Race complete. Riding to campsite where cold beer awaits.

Summit of Crow Peak! A tough post-race ride the following day!

Just A Little Web Surfing

Only a couple weeks until the Dakota Five-0, and I feel like my fitness is as good as it has been since high school, but on a 47 year old body, that will only get me so far. That said, I still have a few goals.

Goal 1 - Finish. It's a long, hard race, and simply finishing is my first goal. JUST FINISH, JEFF!


Goal 2 - Finish under six hours. Unless I have bike troubles, this shouldn't be a problem...as long as I stay hydrated and eat well. Let's say 5:43. Yep, that seems like a good time.


Goal 3 - Finish in the top 20 in my age group. With 700 riders this year, and my age group having the most participants, this will be a stretch. I'd most likely have to come in right around 5 hours, but if my lungs and legs feel good and everything else goes ok, it's possible.

I have to put in a few more hard rides before Sep 4, and today was one of those rides. Road Harmon lake this morning, and in a word, the day was PERFECT! Took a few seconds off the bike to snap a couple photos. It was a little tough steadying myself with my heart rate around 160, but I think they turned out ok.

Did a little editing on this one with Camera+. Gives it a nice watercolor effect, don't you think?

'His Mother Was A Mudder'

Took part in the Harmon Lake Rec Day Hot Lap race today. With 2-3 inches of rain the night before, it was certain to be muddy! 

We pre-road approx one third of the trail to test the condition, and it didn't seem so bad. WRONG! First half was ok, but the second half seemed to be a bit muddier. In fact, it was muddy enough to muck up my drivetrain every 100 feet or so. Spent as much time cleaning mud off the bike as I did riding! Turns out my tires are a little big for the mud, but it was fun just the same!

 An odd thing happened about one mile into the race. I was cresting a hill, and on the short descent my handlebar caught something and I flew over the handlebars hard! The bike and I were ok, but I was a bit stunned. A good crash every so often keeps me on my toes!

Some evidence of the mud... 

Took me a good two hours to clean my bike, but she's shiny now!

Lollipop Loop

Only four weeks until I tackle the Dakota Five-0 for a third time, and looking forward to it! I've put in a ton of miles this year, so I should be able to better my time. I have a goal of 5 hrs 30 min or less.  If I stay hydrated, eat right, and keep the pedals moving, I should be able to meet the goal, but we'll see.

Some family members are also planning on making the trip as well, so I'm looking forward spending some time with them. Their support will help bunches!

The course, as you see below, covers a good portion of the Black Hills in the NW part of Spearfish. Should be fun!!

If I don't hurt when it's over, I didn't ride hard enough!

Never Too Old To Be A Kid

Photo taken with the iPhone Photosynth app, and edited with Camer+. Who needs a point-and-shoot camera these days?!

Heat Index = 116

Heat index of 116, and I decide to go for a mt. bike ride. I don't so much mind the heat, but today was brutal! Saw just one other hardcore person on the trails, which made sense I guess. However, I think riding 23 miles in this heat made me a better rider. That's what I'm telling myself anyway. It may have also served as preparation for the Maah Daah Hey In A Day mountain bike race in August. I haven't decided yet if I'm going to enter, but the opportunity to ride the entire 105 miles of the trail is very enticing...and scary!

Almost forgot. The reward for my Sunday ride in the 'HOT AS HADES' heat....

Hill Repeats

I was looking forward to a relaxing ride tonight, but seven miles out I discovered someone decided to lay down a layer of gravel on 1804 South. Those rat bastards! So, my original plan of an EZ 20 on nice rolling hills, quickly turned into a suffer fest of junk miles mixed in with three MARY HILL REPEATS. At 3/4 of a mile with a gradient anywhere from 5% to 8%, the Mary Hill puts a serious burn to the legs and makes the heart feel like it's going to explode...if you hammer it.

I'm actually happy my ride turned out the way it did though -- I believe rides like these make me a better rider. Good thing I enjoy climbing!  

Oh, the photo below is my latest gadget. Cool, huh? You can see what it does here.

2011 Race To Sunset

Entered the 2011 Race To Sunset this year with a three person team, and as a team we managed to complete 25 laps in 10 hours. I felt good on the bike for most of the day, but this course has a way of making me feel slow. I can't quite figure out why this is.

The local news was at the race as well, and they did a nice story on the event, and highlighted professional racer Kelly Magelky. I have a hard time wrapping my head around what this guy can do on a bike! The news story can be seen here.

Me at the start of a long and satisfying day on the bike.

What my heart did during the 10 hours.

Punta Lobos!

I'm having a real hard time getting through this mid-life crisis. However,  I don't necessarily see this as a bad thing. Therefor, this is why you see the below photo of a longboard that I recently purchased.

As a kid, skateboarding was a big part of how I spent my summers, and I'm attempting to recapture the feeling that skateboarding gave me 30+ years ago. I no longer have my G&S Fibreflex board, but the Punta Lobos will help fill that void!

Heart Rate - 238. This Can't Be Good.

Finished a long day at the office and decided to go for an easy 20 mile ride on this breezy afternoon. Little did I know that the breeze I felt during the day turned into a 30 mph headwind for the first 10 miles! No worries - the second 10 miles it was a tailwind! Weeeeeee!!!!!!!!

Legs, lungs, etc. felt great. However, if you look at my heart rate (below) during the first part of my ride, you will see that I was apparently having some sort of 'event.'  I can assure you that my actual heart rate did not max out at 238. If it had, I'd be dead. I'll chalk this up to my Garmin needing a firmware update, or some shit.

Road ID - Don't Leave Home Without It!

Went on my first long ride today in cool temps. Legs felt great. Lungs felt great. Fingers and toes froze. Oh, and I managed to forget my heart rate monitor and my Road ID. 

Forgetting the HRM was not such a big deal, although I did feel a little lost not being able to check whether or not I was in or out of my target zone.  The Road ID, however, is an item I will never forget again. I never expect an accident to happen, but if it does, I want some ID around my wrist. Forgetting this was a BONEHEAD move on my part.

'You mean we're smokin' dog shit, man?'

I may or may not start experimenting with psychedelic drugs. Stay tuned.

The Arrival

Levitation. Just one of the iPhone 4 features.

Indoor Trainer = The Devil!

For anyone who likes to get out on their bike, the snows of North Dakota can throw a big-ass monkey wrench into one's plans. Thankfully, to get my miles in, I have the option of hopping on the trainer during the snowy season. Yay. Interval session below:

1,2,3,4s followed by 20 x .5s

To me, an hour on the trainer is like 3 on the road. My iPod helps bunches during these sessions. I will be doing a 3+ hour workout tomorrow. This makes me sad. Oh well, it won't be long before I can stop with the trainer nonsense and jump on my newest purchase...

Very much looking forward to hitting the trails on this!