What'd I get up to this weekend...

Hey...I'm not always riding bikes.

Happy New Year!

TK

Disclaimer: only aluminum cans & my ear drums were harmed during this adventure, if you're wondering? it's a 9mm Glock.

Happy Holidays

Nothing to do this weekend...

XM 57



Dark Star Marathon this weekend. 24 hours of the same song in its various versions with a brief break to do what else?...talk about Dark Star.

the 411 - dark star

So stay warm & mellow.

Later,

TK

22-22-22

I'm starting to see a pattern here. My last three Nationals I've finished 22nd in '06 40-44's, 22nd in '07 40-44's, & 22nd in '08 45-49's. In '06 Providence I started way towards the back so that 22nd was through the field. Last year I was behind/in a crash at the start & managed a 22nd in the frozen snowy wasteland at Wyandotte. This year was stupid fast from the whistle. I held on for my 22nd on the spongy surface at Tiffany Springs. The course had completely dried out by race time. Traction was teetering on perfect but the surface was spongy making the pedaling challenging. I'm going to call it a power-robbing surface. My 33 psi w/ Mud 2's was perfecto on Day 1, not so good on Day 2. Looking back I should have yelled to my pit folks to bump me up about 5 lbs on my pit bike, hindsight you know, never crossed my mind. I did pit though when I heard something rubbing somewhere with 2 to go. Broken spoke on my rear wheel. Clean exchange didn't lose any ground. Thanks Matt & Craigio.

Way to much happened from last Wednesday when we headed down to KC until I got home at 6:00 last night to even attempt to write up.

Marshall, you & your crew pulled off a superb event. No stone unturned.

Have to say one of my main highlights of the weekend was on Saturday. Our weekend of racing ended on Friday but Tom & I got the bikes back out & did 4 or 5 laps during the noon open course session. Conditions were perfect, we had the opportunity to rail everything. I still had the Mud's on but had them up to 39-40, nice.

40+ B's...I want that sandbagger's national championship jersey. '05 19th, '06 9th, '07 2nd, '08 2nd.

I may toss up some pictures or add stuff as it comes to me but that's all for now.

My season's over.

Later,

TK

4-3-2-1

Workouts remaining to Nationals are winding down. Its funny how a 36 degree day with a NW breeze blowing but the sun shining becomes a great training day. Scheduled participants...Craigio, Matt T, & Coach KB. On tap...3 intervals. 4 lapper, 3 lapper, then 2. For me, this means a 19 minute something, 14 something, then 9 something. Should hurt sufficiently with short recoveries in between. Coach missed round 1 but suggested we add a longer road drag strip start to mimic the flat, long start at Natz. OK, this should be even harder. Cool. It was, redlining it as we enter the top secret training grounds for our circuits. During the final lap of the 2 lapper I could start to feel the fatigue set in. I took out one of the barriers, not hard to to do with it being a jumble of piled up branches, over shot a couple corners, and wandered out of the line a few times. Still managed a respectable time. In true Coach fashion, he starts rolling over to the start area for a 1 lap set we hadn't been planning on. We all managed to grind it out & called it a day.

Matt, Craigio, & myself are heading down Wednesday in the Trek Store Sprinter loaded up with all our bikes & gear. Matt & my wife are coming down Thursday morning loaded up with essential home made snacks for 4 days in a hotel. Snacks list preview...Ranch Oyster crackers, Ranch Spicy Pretzels, Cookies, Cocoa Puff/Rice Krispie Bars. All critical to our success. My parents are making the trip this year from CO & are also arriving Wednesday for a couple day stay to see me race.

Weather outlook...depends on where you look, but I'm seeing Monday/Tuesday as the set-up for a potentially wet weekend. Some form of precip scheduled for those days. Whatever, bring it on.

Have a great day! Supposed to be 41 here today, breezy, partly cloudy. Awesome!

Later,

TK

TDT

the secret weapon.

The Dragon's Tooth

Good weekend. Jingle Cross will probably always be on my calendar. Its got sort of a circus or carnival-like atmosphere. The setting...picture a beat down county fair grounds, complete with all the out-dated buildings & livestock barns. The course actually runs you through a few of these buildings with Christmas lights & holiday music playing. The signature element to this venue is a 200' tall hillside called "Mt. Krumpet". This "mountain" has a particularly steep bit that you run-up one day & the next day you blaze down it, either way its an effort to get to the top just to fly back down it again. A new edition this year was a pin-wheel feature, spiral in to the middle & then spiral right back out again. Oddly enough this was the 2nd race I've done this year that had this element. All in all, there is quite a bit going on. Possibly too much.

Myself, Craig, Ryan, & Tom from our team all converged on Iowa City from Lincoln, Atlantic, IA & KC respectively for the weekend.

Saturday Cat 2/3 race - perfect weather, 40's no wind. Tom & myself were front row due to early registration prowess. Being up front here is key because there is always a section early on that bottle-necks. Last year it was a short narrow run-up, this year it was a greasy off camber section. Get to these sections up front & you can almost control your own destiny. Speedster, and all around good guy Chris Wallace is lined up right behind me. He's the guy to watch. As I stated, its a race to the greasy off camber section. A long straight, a few curves, a double barrier & we hit the decisive section. Its Tom, someone I can't remember, me, & whatever is going on behind us. I slide out but catch myself, guy I can't remember slips, Tom is off, & Chris Wallace squeeks by me chasing Tom. About 5 or 6 of us make the break while behind us...who knows what's going on when the other 70+ dudes hit that section. Tom is flying & Chris & myself are chasing as hard as we can. After the first lap its just down to Tom up the road, Chris hunting him down & myself chasing, but not gaining, on either of them. 4th place hovers 30-40 seconds behind for the rest of the event. Chris did catch Tom, but Tom put in a great effort & was a solid 2nd with myself in 3rd 30 seconds back (I'm guessing on that split). Ryan rolled in 20th through the carnage in the rear & Craigio finished 33rd in a big 35+ field. Highlight of my race...while climbing & suffering up Mt. Krumpet, Kurt Wallace (Chris's Dad) yells something about the Grateful Dead at me, brought a big smile to my face.

Sunday Cat 2/3 - Tom & I in the front row again, Wallace behind me. Oh yeah...it snowed 2 inches & the course is a disaster. I've got one toe spike in, I've named it the Dragon's Tooth. Why? The other 3 sockets are stripped out, I'm just trying to get to the end of the year with these shoes. Today's race is to a short, steep, muddy run-up followed by a super-greasy side hill section that can't be ridden only awkwardly traversed on foot. Tom & I hit the base of today's decisive section section first & second, we come out of it top five. For the next 45 minutes we are slipping & sliding around the course grinding our brake pads down, chains full of grit, can't clip in a bunch of the time just trying to hold our positions at the front of the race. I took 3 bikes because my pedals were so packed with mud, grass, & snow. The beautiful thing was that Thad Neil was pitting for me & every time I dumped off a trashed bike, I would come around for another change he would have my bike perfectly washed & ready to go thanks to a hose in the pit. Now that's service, thanks Thad & Craig! BTW-my Grifo's weren't loving the mud, but my Mud 2's on the pit bike were eating it up. Tire pressure...33 all around, tubulars & clinchers. Wallace ended up 2nd, Tom 4th, myself 6th. Local Lincoln pal Nate Woodman grabbed 5th, he was having a good day in the mud, he's a mudder. All my brake pads need replacing & a chain, but otherwise it was all good.

A million other things happened but I can't go on forever.

Hey Wallace...good luck in Portland!

See everyone at Nationals.

TK

Thanksgiving 2008

My days the last couple months are usually made up of work Monday through Friday, train after work & race on the weekends. A day off during the week throws off my rhythm. A whole day to get ready to leave for Iowa City tomorrow, were not even leaving until 2:00 pm so really I could get ready tomorrow. I managed a couple projects, still had to remove a few screens & put in the windows for winter, better late than never. Took the recycling over to the spot. Weather's great definitely have a ride planned.

Monday is always my day off, I was exhausted from the weekend. Tuesday I usually do a light workout, still exhausted. Rode the trainer for 30 minutes. Was I getting sick? Wednesday is my hard day, still tired. Decided to just chill on the trainer again, 30 minutes. Today...finally feeling recovered, so maybe I wasn't sick just spent from last weekend.

Headed over to one of the top secret training grounds for some hard efforts. Plan was to do 4 laps, recover, then 4 more laps, cool down. First set shaved 39 seconds off my previous PR. OK...I'm recovered from the weekend. I packed up, skipped the 2nd set & slow-rolled over to another top secret training ground. I don't like to abandon a workout but I'm racing in 2 days so why push my luck if I'm going that good. I opted for one hot lap at the 2nd location & called it good. Besides this is what I had waiting for me. Tofu goodness!









Oh yeah...we invited a few dogs over for the festivities. Shilo, Hudson, Scout, Abe, & Ellie. 2 yellow labs, a black lab, a jack russell, & Hudson...the dachsund/yorkie mix. Hope everyone is having a good day. Later, TK

Lincoln CX in the books...

Where to start...

What's being on a team all about? It could never be any more clear than it is to me now. We all came together with a common goal & ended up pulling off a successful weekend of racing. THANK YOU to everyone that helped out & THANK YOU to everyone who showed up to race. A special THANK YOU to everyone who traveled from out of state, you all helped to make this a great weekend. THANK YOU to the weather! Back to back 50 degree days. To all those that didn't show up...you really missed out.

The course...it was unbelievable. It had everything. With the exception of the 1/4 mile road section, the 1.5 mile circuit was an 8-10 foot wide grass speedway. You could rip through the corners carrying all kinds of speed. A single double barrier section & of course the Hooligan Hill run-up. This course was about as good as I've ridden. Top three we'll call it. JJ if you're reading this...Saturday at Spooky Cross last year is one my top three. What's number one you might be thinking...Nationals '06 in Providence, that course was amazing.

Hooligan Hill...as quiet as I've ever seen it on Saturday. Wierd. Sunday though...off the freakin' hook! People in your face screaming your name cheering you on, that's what its all about. THANK YOU for that intense energy, every lap I would look forward to arriving at the hill to be greeted by the insanity. A $5 hanging from the tree that I grabbed didn't hurt either.

Oh yeah how did I race? I was concerned all week that promoting & racing wouldn't mix, but I still had plenty in the tank to put forth a couple good races. I continue to be pleased with my fitness with Nationals just 3 weeks away.

Jingle Cross this weekend in Iowa City.

Again, thank you.

TK

LINCOLN CX WEEKEND!!

You see it on the schedule all year & before you know its here. This has always been one of my favorite weekends, sure its local, but I love this course. Fast, fast, fast. Flowing corners, fast barrier section, Hooligan Hill rowdies, beautiful park & its all 10 minutes from my house. The preparations are nearing completion, we're starting set-up tomorrow morning, & the weekend weather looks sweet.

Random start line photo on the right. Actually, now that I think of it, where the hell is Adam Lang?

See you all Saturday!!

TK

KS CX USM

Having a bad day is a relative term. Team mate Tom Price hit a root, crashed, & injured his shoulder. That's a bad day. Mark Studnicki was going for a potential win in the 35+ & dropped his chain. That's a bad day. Me...I dropped my chain on the start of the 2nd lap, crashed a half lap later, & then flatted a front tubular & had to run about 1/4 mile to the pit. Bad day? Nope, I actually had a good day. Why? Once I got on my pit bike with all my troubles behind me, I felt great. Fitness was there, stamina, power. 8 laps of chasing, never quite got there, but it was a good day.

Lincoln CX this weekend, hope you all can make it up here. Weather's looking real good.

TK

Smile, smile, smile.

The Sirrius/XM merger hadn't really had any impact on me or my XM listening habits, until this morning. When I checked my email this morning there was some XM spam about the new channel line up. Well, well, well...the grateful dead channel, channel 57. 24/7 Grateful Dead. I headed for the receiver & sure enough there it was, 24/7 Dead. My usual listening habits are XM 84 (the chill) which is trippy electronica or XM 81 (BPM) dance music or XM 43 (XMU) which is indie/college/unsigned.

So why am I fired up about the Dead 24/7? In another life I actually was a follower. Saw my first show at the Aladdin Theater in Vegas in '82 & over the next 10 years saw them probably another 50 times, mostly in the mid 80's. The last couple times I saw them was Giants stadium in Jersey & Madison Square Gardens. The Giants Stadium show Sting opened, wierd. That was like '91 or '92, can't remember. The Garden shows were the same time frame, they were doing like 12 nights or something epic, again can't remember exactly.

The farthest I traveled for a show was probably from Boulder to Portland, Maine at the Cumberland County Civic Center. The best part was we went all the way there & didn't even have tickets. Managed to get tickets & had a great time, I thing I paid $120 for 2 tix. It was worth it because it was pouring rain outside. The next night was in Hartford, I had tickets for that show. Pittsburgh, Atlanta, Red Rocks (many times), Sacramento, Oakland, The Greek Theater in Berkeley (sweet venue, again had no tickets but got in), Milwaukee all come to mind.

Another life.

When I came home for lunch today I tuned in & listened to Hartford '74 for a bit. When I got home from work, Holly had left it on & the dog's had been chilling out to the Dead when she went to work. They did seem a little mellower than usual.

Nine mile skid on a ten mile ride, hot as a pistol but cool inside.
Cat on a tin roof, dogs in a pile,
Nothin' left to do but smile, smile, smile!!!!

Peace,

TK

Damn you Andrew Coe!

Maybe I'm getting faster. Boulevard Cup, Andrew Coe blows by me on like the 2nd lap or something, I never saw him again. Yesterday I either made him work for it or he was just biding his time, because he didn't get by me until 2 to go. When he did go by it was with an audible whooosh! Dude was flying.

I remember a time (last year) when Chris Wallace was always behind me. Now...he's taken his skills to the next level & beyond. Pushed Jensen to the line yesterday, very nice. Ok, maybe I'm not getting any faster just everyone around me is.

Slotted in 8th out of 20 in the 1/2/3's yesterday. Fast course, all grass, smooth, great circuit. I'm pretty happy with my ride. Weather was awesome, mid 40's, sunny, no wind to speak of.

I heard this was the last race at this venue. This was the site of one of my first CX road trips, might even have been the first. The first place I ever saw Dean Parker on his orange Salsa. I was doing the B's, was in about 4th & ran my front wheel into the cement stairs run-up. Chain came off, some people went by & I ended up 7th. Those stairs have brought the ire of many racers over the years. We used to dismount on pavement/slash white rock right before that run up. Ask Tom Price about that jewel of an approach to the stairs. Its fitting that Roger determined that yesterday's approach & use of the stairs was unsafe & removed it from our race prior to the start.

Heading to Leavenworth again Sunday. New venue, a college down there.

Roger, thanks for the picture above & a great race.

Carolynn, thanks for grabbing my jacket I left at the start line.

Later,

TK

ok...it's cold now

Bundled up & headed over to the top secret training grounds. Air temp 35ish, windchill upper teens.
Three "warm-up" laps, four "hot" laps, & one "cool" down lap. 50 minutes total & my feet were frozen.
Ok...its cold now.

Boulder Cup...the longer version

The folks who put on these races do an unbelievable job, DBC Events. Harlow Platts is like a mini-Nationals and the reservoir course is hard to describe, its sort of a barren landscape peppered with goat heads. The weekend starts at the reservoir, if you survive racing on the surface of the moon, you are rewarded with Harlow Platts on Sunday. The course was described as 10% sand, 10% pavement, & 80% grass. Grass is a relative term, I'd call it more like 10% grass & 70% a sandy, bumpy, dusty lunar landscape. To those who race with any regularity at the reservoir you probably develop a love/hate relationship with the venue, for outsiders visiting yearly you are left wondering what you just went through. I'm starting to love the venue, or hate it, I'm not sure.
Harlow Platts is as good as it gets. Fast grass, flowing corners, sand, brilliant barrier sections (the addition of the stairs this year was superb), just the right amount of everything. Both venues need to be experienced to be appreciated.

You know you've got a good thing going as a promoter when you can
raise the entry fee by 25% over last year, eliminate all the payouts except for the elite's & still have huge turnouts. I'll be back, it was worth every penny.

How can you go wrong when you've got your Dad in the pits on Saturday cheering you on & your bro working the pits on Sunday yelling his head off. My brother kept yelling something like "get some!" or something like that, it was kind of funny but strangely appropriate. Also in my corner, my Mom, my wife, & our 2 dogs.

You know you're in someone else's house when each race starts by calling up the local series leader's. The first 2 rows both days were are all locals, I did mange to jump in the 3rd row each
day, can't complain.

I'm sure there's more but...looking forward to next year.

Leavenworth this Sunday.

Later,

TK

the way it should be...

Quick recap, still at my parents in Fort Collins.

Saturday @ Boulder Resevoir 19th outta 40 some in the 35+ 1/2/3's. Felt pretty good, tough course, gravel, sand, sand, sand, hot.

Sunday @ Harlow Platts 16th outta 50 some in the 35+ 1/2/3's. Today was awesome. 45 minutes of bike to bike action. The whole event was a battle for position with a 4 up, 200 yard, uphill sprint to finish, I held on for 2nd in the group. There wasn't any point in the race when I wasn't either fighting somebody off or looking for a chance to pick off somebody up ahead. This is the way it should be. Glad I came.

Later,

TK

O2 debt

In an effort to take CX suffering to a new level, I'm making my 2nd annual trip to CO for 2 days of racing in Boulder. Last year went way better than I had expected in the 35+ open category. I got a 20th on Saturday & something like 24th on Sunday, 60+ starters both days. This category is stacked w/ fast guys. Here's my plan...ride as hard as I can for 45 minutes, seems simple. My mantra: reasonable expectations.

Little known facts about me...I actually grew up in Colorado Springs, went to CU, my parents live in Fort Collins, & my brother & his wife just moved to CO Springs from Denver. So going out there is not that big of a stretch.

Last year a crew from KS also made the trip, not this year. Looks like I'm representing the midwest by myself. I wish I could be at the Nationals preview race at Tiffany Springs but...whatever, I'll see it in December.

See you on the other side.

Later,

TK

$2.08

Spooky Cross Year 2. Had so much fun last year had to come back. This year showed up with 3 team mates Ryan, Tom, & Craigio. Tom & I opted to double up both days lured in by the cash payout in the master's race. Arrived early Saturday to find a slightly soggy & slightly muddy circuit. All of us decided to do the early races in older (not-white) kits instead of our team issue white topped affair. JJ & Tony know how to be creative when designing a course. I raved about their courses last year & they lived up to my expectations again this year. I can't even begin to describe the two courses, so I won't. Ask me sometime when you've got a few minutes & I'll elaborate. One element I have to mention is from Sunday's course. In order to access a section of the property they had to have a crane bring in 4 phone poles to span a creek. Then they took 3/4" plywood to make a surface, stapled some indoor/outdoor carpet on top & there you had your creek crossing, it was like 25' across. They put a barrier right in front to get you off the bike & running across the bridge. Freaking ambitious to say the least, totally successful because the section they opened the race into had multiple short, steep, painful climbs. Well done guys!!!
Here's my personal recap:
Race 1- Master's 40+...3rd
Race 2- 1/2/3's...3rd
Race 3- Master's 40+...3rd
Race 4- 1/2/3's...5th

Highlights: Race 2 was a lap after lap throwdown with Sean Walker (Bikes 2 You) 25-30 seconds back, dude wouldn't give up. Race 4 was a lap after lap, wheel to wheel throwdown with Andy Lueck (Rasmussen). He attacked up the most severe climb w/ 2 to go & I couldn't answer. Well done my friend.

Tom dominated the Master's, & was a force both days in the 1/2/3's with a 2nd & 3rd.
Craigio had a 6th in Master's Day 1 & a wild ride for 9th in the Master's Day 2. You'll have to ask him about that one.
Ryan had a 3rd in the 3/4's on Saturday fighting back after a mechanical & a strong 6th in the 1/2/3's Sunday.

A really good weekend for the Midwest Wheelmasters.

http://cyclingupdate.com/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=403&Itemid=29

Now all we have to do is get those in charge in KS & NE to get together with those in IA & try to not cross-schedule events. I know its tough, maybe impossible, but this is a weekend that should not have to battle with other races on neighboring states schedules. Probably just a dream but as long as I'm around I'm going to pimp this event & keep coming back! The Iowa folks are an awesome crew, I've been coming over for the last 4 years. See you all at Jingle Cross.

Team Skin dude that gave me the cross DVD's, thanks! I'm usually good with names. When I figure it out I'll update.

I got gas Saturday morning in Lincoln $2.49, got to Des Moines $2.15. Later the same day $2.09. The next morning$2.08. Got back to Lincoln, $2.49. WTF!

Later,

TK

mas boulevard

Who's this dude, Andrew Coe? It might look like I'm racing with him, but actually he's blowing my doors off & rode right through me. Never seen him before & this was possibly the last I saw of him during the race.

Tony Wilhelm siting:

http://americancycling.org/Results/2008ResultsCross.aspx?RacePK=220

If you live in the NE, KS, or IA you're either not riding, soaking wet, or on the trainer for a few days. It started raining here yesterday afternoon, stopped briefly around 4:00 yesterday so I could ride home from work dry at least & its been raining all night & pouring right now. So whether your racing in Des Moines or KC this weekend its going to be muddy I suspect.

yea...?

TK

my "ok-ness"

Boulevard Cup, 4 years ago I drove down w/ my dad to race the inaugural Boulevard Cup as a "B". I won, my dad was pretty stoked. I still have the pint glass trophy, we use it as a votive holder. My dad made himself at home during my race, just about every lap I went by him he was eating a plate of food or drinking something provided by the race hosts.

Last year in the 1/2/3's it was one of those rare races when 5 or 6 guys are together going at it lap after lap. Not for the win but for 5th through 10th. By rare races I mean when you've only got 20 guys starting it inevitably thins out & there's a lot of singles out on the course. I think I ended up 9th or something but it was memorable, a good time.

I didn't mention 3 years ago course because it was forgettable, this year it was memorable only because with the wind blowing a bit & the course softened up from recent rains it ended up being tough. For those who couldn't get the engine humming you know what I'm talking about.

I heard 21 starters at the line, I slotted in 10th at the finish. Should I be happy with that, probably not. How do I feel about it? Ok I guess. I actually rode pretty well.

What will I remember most about yesterday's race? With maybe 4 to go, I approach a barrier section over by the skate park. Approach is good, speed is good, but I caught my left toe on the barrier & pile drive my head into the ground. I get up, birds chirping merrily around my head, dazed for sure. My helmet is cock-eyed, my glasses are cock-eyed, & my head is spinning. A brief pause to regain my composure & I take off again. Pretty sure no one witnessed this, it was ugly.

Thanks to all the folks cheering me on & shouting encouragement.

White skinsuit survived the mud holes.

Des Moines this weekend for 2 days, looks like I might be testing out the white skinsuit in the mud again.

http://www.spookycross.org/Spookyflyer08.pdf

Later,

TK

my ok-ness continues...

I'll elaborate later. Didn't sleep very well last night, started off good but woke up in the middle for awhile. Tom...I had a dream somebody stole some kind of lamp off your back porch, it was over by the grill? Not sure how to interpret that.

TK

My day off....

Didn't travel yesterday so I had to make the best of my day off. Wife & dogs went up to Norfolk Friday night, so it was just me. Wierd.
-mowed the lawn
-unhooked the hoses
-cleaned out the gutters
-took the recycling
-went to the grocery store
-went to the bread store
-rode my bike
- got my bikes ready for KC tomorrow
-watched about 1/2 the Husker's game
If you remember last weekend, or not, I was experiencing some shifting problems. I rode my "A" bike today to make sure the problem was gone. Unfortunately it was still there. I tightened up the cable a couple clicks & it seemed to go away. Hmmmm?
Went home & began the clean up for today's races in KC. I discovered the root of my shifting woes...I had a piece of an outer plate on my chain broken off. I can't believe the chain didn't come apart. Picture not included, but I took one.
So I ended my day with a soy cheese pizza & channel surfing between cops, CU v. KSU, & Barrett Jackson Classic car auction on Speed Channel.
Man I'm ready to race today.
TK

Topeka/Lawerence

Pretty good & OK that's my weekend. Saturday was pretty good. Rode hard, consistent, not a whole lot of mistakes. Actually had a good start, finally. Ended up 7th & was happy. Interesting course. First of all it was at night, under the lights. Second, it was mostly on a dirt oval race track & its infield. Kind of hard to imagine unless you were there but it ended up being a lot of fun. I guess CX can be a good time if you feel like you're going good.

"Ok", that was Sunday. Ok start, not great. First lap I noticed my cassette was skipping a bit? Should have pitted right away & switched bikes, didn't. Didn't matter anyway. I ended bobbling a gravel corner & then full on crash a bit later in another gravel corner. Both incidents were not cassette related, but now my rear shifter is jammed w/ grass & its still shifting like crap. Craigio's working the pit, I come in "hot"(sorry man), ghost ride my bike at him, it pile drives into the ground right before him, & I manage an ungraceful remount on my pit bike. Not pretty but it worked, I didn't lose any spots. So I spend the next 7 laps chasing Wilkins, I can't catch him. Lap after lap he's hovering about 15 seconds (guessing) in front of me. Nice ride man! The whole time I'm holding off a KCCX rider about the same gap behind me. 11th, just "ok". Compared to how I felt mentally after the first race 2 weeks ago, I'm feeling/racing better. Its still really early.

Credit where credit is due:
Wilkins, tough.
Woodman, awesome ride. Ended up 6th, in front of a bunch of tough riders.
Tom, both days tough as nails! I love it, you're going great! 4th on Saturday, 3rd on Sunday!

Traveled ( 2 cars) w/ Craig, Ryan, & Matt T. Good crew, had a lot of fun.

Thanks Nancy for putting us up, the oatmeal bars, pasta, & everything else.

I said a couple weeks ago something's gotta give w/ this busy CX schedule. Next weekend is going to be Sunday only. Sorry Jeff if you're reading this. I've got to get some stuff done around here. Des Moines for 2 days the following weekend & then Boulder the weekend after that.

Later,

TK

KS - Round 2

Spent Friday through Sunday in KC, round 2 of what might be 4 rounds in 4 weeks. I believe this was the first time I've been down there in recent years that didn't involve a bike race. Scott & Tanya had a perfect wedding & reception, met some new folks & saw a lot of people I knew. So glad we could enjoy their special event. Tom & Nancy, our gracious inn-keepers, thank you! Waffles, yum! Tom & I ripped up the bike trails on Saturday. 38 miles of "I have no idea where I'm at" fun. A twisting, undulating, big gear jam. A wide smile ride that left me pretty shelled.

Topeka & Lawerence this weekend. Topeka's an 8:30 pm start, something different.

later,

TK

Blowing out the cobwebs

Ok...here's something I just realized on my 3 hour solo ride home from KC yesterday. I haven't really raced since 2 crits & a TT in July! I did do an 84 mile RR on September 6th. What the hell have I been doing since July? Somebody? I guess I was just doing training rides, I think. Its almost October, again...I can't even remember what I've been up to.

Yesterday. CX in Lenexa, KS. 1/2/3 race, 22 starters, I got 14th. It was pushing 90 degrees & my race time was 1 hour & 11 minutes & change. Brutal, epic, tortuous whatever you want to call it. Bad start (something I'm good at, bad starts that is), dropped my chain later on, & I hadn't gone that hard in a long time...a long day. Other than that, I guess it went ok. Preseason, right? It is still only September.

Besides the chain drop, on the bright side, my bike handling was ok, not superb, but just ok & my bikes ran great. BTW - the chain came off in an extremely bumpy section, if there was one place on the course where I would expect a derailment it was right where it happened.

Preseason starts NOW!

For the last 3 years I have started my CX season w/ trips to IA. I always thought of it as the preseason. A chance to get the motor started & see some different faces from the usual KS/NE scene. Not this year. First the original race in IA for this weekend was canceled then a new event popped up in its place, but by this time my mind had started to look for other alternatives. Alas, I'm headed for Lenexa tomorrow, a day trip, solo. I'm looking forward to it.

Photo below is from last year's Spooky Cross in the Des Moines area. It rained all Saturday night & Sunday morning leaving the course a sloppy mess. This was one of the best courses I have ever raced on. Some paved sections, fast/technical/flowing grass, nasty run-ups, & mud. The venue has moved this year but JJ & Tony won't disappoint with their course design I'm sure. http://www.spookycross.org/Spookyflyer08.pdf
Yeah, it's still September...but you want to do well & you need to find out "where you're at". It's all about the build to the 2nd week in December anyway, right? I've moved into the 45+ realm this year, yikes I am old! Am I going to hide out in the Master's races, hell no! Except Boulder that is, the master's races are the real deal out there. I'm still planning on taking/giving my licks in the 1/2/3's locally as usual. Geez...I'm getting kind of psyched.


Don't look for me next weekend in Omaha. Friend/team mate Scott is getting married in KC. He's found an awesome companion & his single life will be brought to an abrupt end next Saturday evening. A wedding day ride is in the works. Don't worry man, we'll get you to the church on time!


See ya in KC. Tomorrow & next weekend!


TK

whats been going on....................?

Saturday the team put on a mtb race out at Branched Oak, between work & putting that together it was a hectic week. Thanks to everyone on the team that gave up there day to help. I heard too many good comments to list from participants.
Chet...you & Scooter (not Scott Stevens, the dog Scooter) get the lonely guy(s) award. I've been there. The last two races I helped w/ I got stuck out at a road crossing as a marshall & went partly mental. BTW - I've got your inverter, I'll get it back to you.

Spent Sunday a.m. w/ Craigio, Tom, & Ryan getting our cross on at various undisclosed spots. I've had my B bike done for about 2 weeks & put the finishing touch on my A bike yesterday, I was waiting on bar tape. Its official, I'm ready.

My season begins this weekend. 2 days in IA or a day trip to KC on Sunday? Probably KC, we'll see.

Random photo from yesterday. Hudson & a very large zucchini.




Have a great day! Have a great week, if I don't post again.

Later,

TK

SEE-EX

I'm on the back end of a forced week off the bike. Work related. I raced last Saturday & only did my short commute 3 of the 5 days this week. I call that off the bike. Weather has been crappy for a good part of the week so wasn't hard from that respect. Itchin' to ride this morning, a bit of rain in the air but looks like it's going to happen. I'm unfamiliar with "off" weeks. Makes me feel slow, makes me worry about getting back, makes me second-guess my fitness, it's making me mental.




Random photo...a worn out Pontiac Fiero w/ faded wolf/moon graphics. The motto across the windshield screams " Spirit of the Wild". F'n-a right!

I had a dream Thursday night...cattle killing themselves to escape an enclosure. Disturbing. Cements my resolve.

Tentative CX schedule:
9-28-08 KC
10-11/12-08 Topeka/Lawrence
10-18/19-08 Topeka/KC
10-25/26-08 Des Moines
11-1/2-08 Boulder
11-22/23-08 Lincoln
11-29/30-08 Jingle Cross
December - Nationals KC

October looks a little hectic, something's gotta give. Had planned on Louisville, KY at the end of October but that's falling apart, a lot of effort to make that happen & then go to Boulder the next weekend. November's got some gaps?

Later.

TK

Long day in the saddle

Here's something pretty cool, finished racing a little after 1:00pm got this email @ 4:57pm.

"Thank you for competing in the Nebraska State

Road Race Championship. Below are your

personal results:

Name: Troy Krause

Distance: 84 miles

Time: 3:39:30

Average MPH: 23.0

Category: Pro Cat 1-2-3 Male

Place: 9 of 9

The complete results are available at

www.lincolnrun.org/images/RoadRaceResults.pdf

Since this is the first roadrace that teamFIRE

has put on, we welcome any feedback on what we

did right or wrong."

84 miles, the longest RR I've done @ BO, actually It may be the longest RR I've ever done?
23 avg, pretty pleased w/ that, I'll elaborate on that.
9 of 9, whoops!

I could go into a lengthy story of how it all played out but...ok here we go...

With 3+ to go Chet, Kevin Limpach, & myself let a gap open through the feedzone. Not good! If you've raced at BO you know that the right hander after the feedzone is a nightmare if you're trying to close a gap. People always gas it out of that corner & if your not on you've got trouble.
The 3 of us chased all the way to the top of the big hill, finally got back on.

Fast forward to the long straight on the North side, an acceleration by the group & both Kevin's & myself find ourselves gapped. Limpach's on the front chasing hard, Burke lets him kill himself & then hammers it past him, I jump on Kevin's wheel & we get back to the group. Limpach is off the back. Soon as we get on another acceleration up the hill past the shooting range. I'm in too big a gear trying to keep contact & bam, I'm done, I've losing contact w/ the group. Basically 2.5 laps remaining & I'm in no man's land. Here's the effort of the day...Limpach catches me on the dam & then rides right through me, he takes the term grinder to a new level. Not only did he blow by me but he eventually caught the group a lap or so later!!!

So I rode 2.5 laps of this race solo, that's why I'm pretty pleased w/ 23 avg. I will give mother nature some credit though, light winds & cool temperatures made it possible.

Shout outs:
Chet, excellent work!!! He attacked up the big hill & was off the front in a break for a full lap w/ Joe, was super-strong in our 3 man chase to get back to the group, & then has a great sprint to finish 4th overall!! BTW - Joe DNF'd.

Coach...as always knows what he's doing, knows where to be, & how to meter his effort in a race. He let Jon V. lead it out to the line & then pounced for 3rd overall.

Aaron, great to have you back. I know you didn't finish like you wanted but you had the others on edge by your presence.

Kevin Limpach, enough said.

Finally...Team Fire, you really pulled this off. Positive-vibe was everywhere. 50 Cat 5's, alot of them first timers, awesome! Chip timing, the fastest results I've ever seen, personal results via email w/in hours...first class. To Janna & everyone who made this race happen, thank you. Also...thanks for not reducing laps.

Road seasons over, actually I've been done for a while. I'm spent.

September 28th, CX in KC. 3 weeks & counting.

Later,

TK

NE State RR Saturday

I'll be there...

CO training camp (revised 8.28.08)

Arrived in Fort Collins Sunday afternoon to begin a 3 day training camp. Actually I'm here because my mom is having 3 vertabrae fused w/ a combo of titanium plates & screws. This corrective surgery a result of a nasty car crash 1.5 years ago. The surgeons here are amazing, the prognosis is good & the likely hood of success is high. None the less, are there risks? Absolutely.
All that being said, I brought my bike(s). I brought my road bike & one of my nearly finished CX bikes (hoping to finish the build).
Day 1 - Rist Canyon to Masonville to Fort Collins. 56.1 miles. I was hoping to do something painful, I found it. About 13 miles uphill w/ some nasty bits at the top. The reward...15 miles downhill to Masonville on one of the most beautiful roads I've encountered in Larimer County.
Day 1 part 2 - I met up w/ old friends Stacey & Tony @ 5:30. I finished up my CX bike after my morning ride & we hit the roads for another 1.5 hours. Riding, talking, & just enjoying the beautiful evening. Finished off the night w/ Stacey whipping up a delicious post-ride tofu dish while Tony put the french press into overdrive. If I hadn't done so much riding yesterday I probably wouldn't have been able to sleep w/ all the caffine in me.
No pictures to post, just picture a beautiful CO memory & that'll do.
Unsure where I'll journey today, hopefully something painful again.
I miss Holly & the dogs.
Later,
TK

Day 2 (8-26-08) Horsetooth - Masonville - Carter Lake - Berthoud - Loveland - FC, 58.7 miles. Climbing legs felt much better today. New roads, great ride. Kept asking myself...why do we live in NE?

Day 3 - No ride but my mom's surgery was a success. Titanium plates connecting c3 to c4 & c5 to c6. Amazing stuff. At 10:30 pm Tuesday she was in a lot of pain post-surgery, at 5:00 pm Wednesday she was home feeling good. My dad stayed at the hospital sitting up in a chair all night, I think his recovery will take longer than hers.

TK

50/20 A Journey to Wee Town

My quest begins. When the pavement ends, go gravel.

An army of tractors returns from battle. I reached my destination, only to to find it deserted. The natives had abandoned this once proud enclave. I had brought along my pack of Sweet Cherry Little Cigars as offering. I would return home with more questions than answers.



Mission accomplished.

Its over....

How to put 3 days of racing into a few words? I mostly enjoyed myself, was frustrated at times, & revisited some of my weaknesses. Non-racing related...Holly came with (awesome), stayed w/ Tom, Nancy, & the kids (awesome, thank you!), hung out w/ great people (Scott, Tanya, JT, Ryan).
Didn't sleep enough, ate to much, & I'm spent.

Friday - Downtown KCK. Holly's was off her game w/ photos. Here's the best of the worst, or something like that.
Saturday- Cliff Drive. I flatted. You flat here your done. It rained, so it looked like we'd done a cross race when it was all over. I got a wheel change & decided to stay out there, rode the last 3 circuits w/ a Mesa kid who flatted also. First flat in a race, bound to happen some time. Ran over a big chunk of a beer bottle, I know this because I went back to the scene afterwards & spotted it.Sunday - Overland Park Crit. Still beating myself up over this one. Just couldn't seal the deal. I was right there.

Congrats to Ryan, hasn't been racing but finished in the money Friday & Saturday in the 1/2's. I know you got screwed Saturday, but we know. Great job Chet, his first Cat 3 races & he rode great. Scott, the best I've seen you riding for this weekend, right on. Tom was nails Friday night. Took 2 premes & got 9th overall.

Mentally, I believe my road season is over. Technically, I still need to show up for the State RR in September.

Later,

TK

44 on 8-8-08

I also had my birthday on 8-8-88 so this one is pretty cool but not mind-blowing. KC bound today for 3 days of crits. http://tourofkc.com/TourofKCFlyer08.pdf Last year we suffered in high temperatures, this year looks to be quite pleasant. How do I think the weekend will go? Reasonable expectations of course. Reports to follow. Have a good weekend everyone!

Photo's from last year. I'm actually at the front of the race cresting
the climb, not the last lap though. I remember Tony Wilhelm yelling "get off the front!". I think I ended up 14th out of around 100. Spectator's were throwing so much water on me that my skin suit was starting to get baggy around the crotch. Felt good though, it was hot!

Later, TK

Wilber

Marc, Dan, & myself made the pilgrimage to Czech Fest. Started off w/ six-pack of apple kolaches.









Headed for the grocery for some fluids & spotted some familiar bikes in front of the bar. Wills, JB, Craigio, & Super Don having an a.m. beer. Apparently Wilber
is not on board w/ the smoking ban. Me without my Sweet Cherry Little Cigars, dammit.





This last image goes into the "when donkey's fly" or "pigs fly out of my butt" or "when hell freezes over" category. Yep that's Craigio with a cell phone. No its not borrowed its his. Congratulations man.

KC next weekend.

Later,

TK

Man Down

I guess it was bound to happen, the potential is there on any group ride. No sense in finger pointing, most of us know what went down.
Bottom line...KW hit the deck as a result of a very suspect maneuver by another individual. For a few of us behind it, it happened in slow-mo. Nothing you can do but wait & watch the fall out.
I believe Kev's alright, but a bit beat up to say the least. Get well soon man, its great riding with you. The Dark Knight also went down in this incident, plenty of road rash but was able to ride back to Lincoln.

TK

Oh yeah, Kev I've got your sunglasses.

Ground Score Saturday

Day started off w/ some early morning hill repeats followed by my first sweet score out on West Van Dorn.
Later that same day...score # 2. Not every day you find a nearly full pack of Captain Black Sweet Cherry Little Cigars.
Saturday evening we rode down to the Haymarket to check out Lefler's band & the CSG running race. Saw the Hansen clan, KB, & the Bonsall's. Ate some Lazlo's & headed for home. Evening ended on a bad note. If your familiar w/ the railroad tracks in the 8th & M area...Holly ended up going over the bars. Severe bummer. Sore wrist, bruised chest, & bump on her forehead. She's ok, she's tough. She needs a sweet cherry little cigar.

later,

TK

The Family

My parents came for a visit, first trip back to NE since they abandoned ship for CO almost 2 years ago. Hudson makes himself comfortable on Dad's lap.

Shilo turned 5 this week & Hudson's 9 months? Can't remeber, might be 8 months.