Redline sucks!! (sorry, no other way to put it)

...its time again...

Going into a season can be so stressful. All of us want to do better than we did last season and we all want to tweak our training to do that. For me, and most of us really, our training programs are "tweaked" simply by having a life outside of racing a mountain bike. I could whine about all the stuff I have going on, but everyone does! There's work, grad school, raising kids, etc. I could go on and on.

Its late January and like most others, I feel like I am WAY behind the 8 ball. Races start up in March with the longer endurance events starting the first weekend in April. So what do we do....simple, just deal with it.

A lot of you are probably mumbling some expletive toward me under your breath, but it really is that simple. Its not an excuse to get lazy or sit back, it just means find the time. For me, no more sleeping in until 6a.m. most mornings....

With all that said, I have to brag now: Cameron made the El Dorado Select Soccer team. So May through January will be even busier! In a good way. The best way to keep my kids out of trouble is to keep them busy with what they love doing. So between the gymnastics meets and Soccer tournaments I will find some time to race! I have to say, I think it will make the races I do get to do all the sweeter!!

As someone said recently, "I believe in Quality Brad, not QUANTITY..." Can't remember who that was but it was probably someone very wise (hint: sense sarcasm now). But seriously, to date myself:

"...its better to burn out, then to fade away...."

On to the more stupid side of my life, depends on perspective I guess.... I currently have more bikes hanging at the Citrus Heights shop than Pete has for sale:

1. Redline Conquest Team CX bike, cracked top tube. Only a few months old
2. Carbon Force crankset on my SS CX bike, cracked and useless

Good news, both Seattle Bike and SRAM are sending me a spanking new frame and a spanking new 2010 Crankset. Looks like the orange crush on the trainer tonight!

Hmmmm

You know you need to go ride outside and leave the trainer alone for a few days when you see this picture and all you can think is:

"...I really need a hitch rack... the bikes wouldn't have a scratch..."

end of CX...

So its been nearly a month....I am pretty sure the few people who get this in their email have survived... if not, we need to talk! There has been Xmas, New Years, illness, ind0or soccer, gymnastics meets, and cyclocross races. Before going continuing I have to pat Marja on the back:

Yesterday (last weekend) was the Sac CX Series finale out at Granite Bay. Marja was excited but also ready for the season to be over....it's been a LONG one. I was on the far end of the course at a nasty little sand pit that had a hairpin turn with a drop into it....I was hoping to see some good carnage. The Women's race started, and I could see a great distance down to the women's first turn.... A big bunch hit the turn followed by several stragglers. THEN I SEE MARJA???!!!

I was trying to figure out what happened to her bike. I had ridden around shifting and tuning before she started warming up, oh crapp what did I miss???? Marja's Mom had made it down so I was really bummed to see her already minutes behind the lead group. Turns out she got slammed at the start from her left shoulder and hit the ground, with her left shifter/brake lever turning parallel with her bars. After she tried to straighten them, Rich (race director) jumps in and beats on her brake lever to straighten it out and sends her on her way....

Marja comes through on her first lap

to the pit and she is so out of breath she couldn't really tell me what happened. She is 2:50 down on Joan and Emily leading the race. Thats about 1/3 of a lap. I can tell she is pissed and pushing really hard. Her face is totally expressionless. Next lap, she has made her way past a few riders and is now 2:20 down on first. I just keep telling her to not give up and just bury herself.... she didn't need me telling her that, she was doing it.

Each lap she made up more and more time. With 2 to go, the pit is 100 yards from the finish, she has caught 3, 4, 5, and 6th place. She is trying to pick her way through the girls before dropping into the pit. The leader of the group won't let her by, and as she drops into the sand another tries to cut under her. She wisely hops of and starts running the pit to the barriers and gets over the barriers shoulder to shoulder with the gal in 3rd. Keep in mind I am screaming at her that this is the last lap and and its now or never. Marja loses the sprint to the line in the distance when I notice that two of the other girls are still racing...

HMMMMM??? One more lap....Oooopppsss

I am either going to be dead, by Marja's hands, or the other girls will crack! Lucky for me the other girls couldn't hold her pace for the bell lap and she held on to 3rd overall, only 1:38 behind second and 1:55 behind the winner. Marja put on a serious show of strength in that race after what happened to her at the start and trailing by so much. It was really fun to watch!

For me, well I did the Folsom Rodeo Cross race on December 19 on my single speed. The single speeds started at the back, 40 seconds behind the Men B and 20 seconds behind the Masters. The first lap was chaotic with traffic but I was feeling pretty good. As we are finishing lap one, dropping into the parking lot from the grass I get a little "confused" with the white tape....long story short I start sliding into the tape on the inside of the corner dropping into the asphalt and have to re-enter the course after the group I just passed passes me back...bonehead!!

By the time we are in the coral area I passed them back and was in 2nd overall. Trying my hardest to catch the B rider that started 40 seconds ahead of me. The whole race I felt great, always pushing. Pretty soon I was completely alone with one guy in front of me trying to catch him but he would stay ahead of me. What a fun course out there!! A little of everything!!

After the race, my left elbow, that was hurting is now killing me. Tendinitis. Luckily I think I am slowly getting past it, but still not racing it. MTB season is too close and my SS needs my elbows on the climbs. Might be good rest for the miles that are going to start piling up here pretty soon.

So here we are today....it dumping outside, more importantly its blowing 30, gusting to 50mph. Or so they say on the news. Whatever its blowing, its windy. Time to get to know my trainer again and get the old Orange Crush ready to roll: my 1995 Stumpjumper equipped with a 1x9 drivetrain and slicks sporting full fenders for the winter!! Just throw on the rain pants and the rain jacket and life is good....good as it gets at least playing with El Nino!!

Thought of the day:

...if you are riding a single speed and no one sees you, are you still cool?

Merry Xmas!!

CX Nationals was.....chillin'.....

Sums up my weekend...what a great couple of races.  Didn't know whether to bring the CX bike or my boards to the SS race Friday morning!  Thanks Scott!The coolest was Marja took 9th in the NCAA Division I National Championship Race!!  More to come, with pics!  It was a long drive home today...

CX Gods...

...so what have I done? Seems I have angered the cyclocross gods this year! DNF in the forst race of the season, hurling in the woods...a great race at McClaren on my SS, then a dismal evening uder the lights for my first race on the Redline (I could blame the gears, but i won't). I followed that race with a good race the following morning in Folsom. After that came Golden Gate Park where I totally missed my start, but that wasn't my fault...oh wait it was.

No worries, put some new treads on both bikes in preparation for Nationals in Bend where it was last forecast to be 34 for a high with snow all week, and took them out to the RodeoCross in Folsom on Wednesday night. Now I have to admit, I had never run this tire setup tubeless (Specialized Captain CX Pro) and I wanted to see how hard I could ride it w/o rolling it off the rim.

Race comes, great start, and after 2 laps I was sitting in 5th and we had a good size gap. Lap 3 the gap is actually getting bigger. I was riding my SS with a 39x18 and I was happy to be hanging with the lead A racers. Lap four, coming into the stadium I run over a barrier, remount, make a hard left to ride up and over a steep pitch and "BUUURRRRPPPP!!!"

"F&^%#" I slipped....and Cameron was right there watching, literally a couple feet away!

"What the heck was that DAD!?" Cameron yells out as I am dropping an F-bomb in front of him....lucky me he was louder than me and he was wondering about the Stan's love sauce that now covered my right leg!

So again, the CX gods strike...well if you haven't figured it out, I have been racing this CX season by the seat of my pants and really not paying attention to details...like when my start time is, helmet, tire pressure, etc. The frustrating thing is I was moving Wednesday night and actually felt good....relatively speaking for a CX race of course.

Just trying to keep up with Marja's performance Wednesday night. Marja put on a clinic, being forced to stage up behind a large field of Men's C's and Junior Men, she was in second starting lap #2 and took the lead starting lap #3 and never looked back. She won by a few minutes (keep in mind each lap took about 3:50) over the men.

Oh well, what can I do....pay more attention, I know, I know!! But I am looking forward to Nationals up in Bend. I am r acing the SS race on Friday, Scott the masters 45s, and then me the Masters 35 race on Saturday. My start position on the grid is around 100 for the SS race and 150 for the masters, so I have no pipe dreams of a Cinderella story, but I am excited as all heck! Cold, muddy, snowy conditions! Marja is racing for the collegiate National title on Sunday.

Most people wonder why we would drive over 8 hours through crummy weather to race for just 60 minutes...my guess..... they have never raced Cross...