training weekend...

I like going into a race weekend with no expectations. A couple days of training in a group ride setting is a better way to look at it. Below: kickin' it after the Papillion Crit. Fun course through a very modest well kept neighborhood, pleasant venue. Had a good warm up, race started fast, feeling great...this was going to be a good night! 4 laps in I'm behind the only crash in the race, I'm at a dead stop at the base of a short climb. The field goes by & I'm chasing for about 45 of the 50 minute event. What happened to 60 minute Cat 3 races, seems like were racing shorter events these days? Like I said training races, right? I got my work out in for sure.

pro 1/2 start line...
Gary Fisher Arc Pro's calling it a night...
Fast forward to Elkhorn yesterday. 72 mile RR or circuit race or whatever you want to call it. Team mate Chet got away early with a another rider & got a nice gap on the field. TP & myself moved to the front of the field & dictated the pace for a couple laps, hoping that Chet's gap would stick. It did, the two stayed away & Chet held on for the win! Super-psyched for Chet, he deserves the good result. Team mate JT also got away towards the end but fell victim to an untimely flat tire. Our race was shortened due to bad weather that never came, just wind. No big deal I got multiple hard efforts in. Training, I'll take it.
Back to reality today...

Later,

TK

winding it down...

So it's not quite mid-July & I feel like my road racing season is winding down. What...?

Papillion crit tonight & RR tomorrow in Elkhorn. I may see another RR this season but unless I plan on traveling my crit season is basically already over before it even got started. I know T of KC II is coming up but I'm attending a wedding that Saturday at 11:30 in Lincoln. If the wedding was at 1:00 I might have been able to race Master's at Cliff Dr. & jam back up here. I'm probably not going to drive down to KC just to do the Friday night race. I could drive down for OP on Sunday though? We'll see. Since DK I have had no continuity in my training or race plan, life has gotten in the way. I'm still riding but the schedule is really disjointed, I'll call it choppy. I'm know there are 1000's of others having the same struggle & trying to find the balance between work & play. Doesn't make it any easier to swallow.

The good news...I feel good, physically at least. Mentally, no comment. Below: these 2 thought they might like to make the trip to Lawrence with me last Saturday. Don't fret guys...I'll be back before you know it, like in a few hours.


I guess I should be leaving for the "TT" right about now. I think I'll mow the yard instead. It's crazy humid out, I don't need to spend the day in Omaha sweating between a morning "TT" & the evening races. I don't race until 6:45.

I'll leave everyone with a couple feel good shots from last year's event...

See you up there!

Later,

TK

f-u hundee...

Yesterday sucked. The plan had to work to perfection for me to pull off the racing in Lawrence scenario (see previous post). My wife was taking the dogs up North with her to her relatives but I had to boogie right after my race on Sunday & drive to Columbus to pick the dogs up from her so she could go on a Niobrara excursion with her family. Plan fell apart because I never made it to Lawrence. So I get back to Lincoln before she heads North & I keep the dogs with me. Our dogs hate fireworks & every m-effer in our neighborhood is pulling out all the stops. Around 10:30 pm they are so tired from being stressed out they finally pass out, only waking up when the really big stuff goes off. So I'm so pissed off last night that I'm actually calm, a volcano ready to blow.

I wake up this morning still simmering & get ready to ride. At least the fireworks have stopped & I can leave the dogs for awhile. I roll out just before 7:30 on the CX bike, gravel should cure what ails me.


Wind is out of the NE, but this is an angry ride! I'm heading South, I don't want to start out into the wind & I don't care if I have to ride home into the wind, maybe it will release some of my inner turmoil.


Straight South on 38th, Beatrice bound with the wind at my back. Below: the sweet 4 mile stretch of MMR between Hackberry & Pickrell Rd.

The scenery today was amazing. You know its a beautiful day when even my camera phone pix look good.Sun, rain, & chemicals...the corn is going nuts.Stopped to visit with some of the locals...

After Beatrice I headed West into new territory. MMR everywhere. 120th & Chestnut area, 2 mile section.

110th & Cherry...

The MMR Trinity...110th & Cedar. A 3-way intersection of MMR!

To the East...

To the South, where I just came from...

To the West, where I'm headed. Freakin' gorgeous out! It was MMR for 2 miles after I made my decision to head West.

Before I left the Trinity of MMR I paused to pay homage to those who had been here before & to those who hopefully will visit this site in the future. I stopped & listened for a few minutes as I was overwhelmed by the sound of the wind moving through the corn that surrounded me. It was definitely a "moment". Angry ride? What angry ride...?

Decided to work my way over to Cortland but got side-tracked by Aspen Rd. Detoured for a bit then headed to town to refuel.

100.6


18.0 avg.


Maybe I should ride pissed off more often, that's actually the fastest hundee this year.

Does this look like an angry guy?

Later,

TK

eating...

...the shit sandwich. The light at the end of the tunnel of my bullshit week at work was racing this weekend in Lawrence. The plan involved me making it to Lawrence in the ol' Jetta, story begins & ends there. Started to sputter just past Auburn, tried to push on but when it stalled completely I had to turn it around and literally limp back to Lincoln. Quit running 5-6 times on the way back but I made it back. 152 mile round trip to no where. Left here at 10:42...back home @ 1:44.

have a great weekend...

so how'd it go...?

It went pretty good. Objective: have a good time...accomplished.

Coach, myself, & the Lincoln Industries Juniors (Coach's kids) made our way down to KC Saturday afternoon for a couple days of crits. Lodging was provided by super-host TP with JT & son already in the house (he raced Friday as well). Thanks TP!

Arrived at the venue with just under an hour before my Cat 3 race, registered, kitted up & proceeded to warm up. Warming up was no problem with the heat & high humidity, I was ready to go in about 10 minutes. It being just a few weeks since my departure from my foray into long distance gravel riding I've been trying to get some speed back. The pace of the race challenged a few times but was basically manageable. Final results weren't anything to brag about but I was right in it to the finish. Mission accomplished, a good time was had. Below: Coach & my non-matching Gary Fisher Arc Pro's (he rocking the trip-x fork to my race lite). These bikes continue to impress, I'm super-satisfied with the ride & still lovin' the graphics.

No idea...?
Today we rolled out early so TP, Coach, & myself could race the Master's together at 8:00am. Glad we did, we don't get to race together enough (understatement). TP took 2nd & Coach 4th, me...I was there. Lets call it a good workout, found myself out of position & payed the price. Did I have a good time, hell yeah. Racing bikes with friends...all good! Below: thanks Tanya for snapping the pic & coming out to watch.
Job well done to the SKC crew! I didn't race Friday but the two courses I did race we're very good. I hope this weekend sticks & they build on a really impressive debut year. If you didn't make the trip...you missed out. Good size fields & great venues, top notch promotion.

Had the chance to see some of my favorite folks I haven't seen since the Fall. The Wallace's, Edwards', & countless faces in the regional race seen. The KC vibe is awesome, great people. I'm hoping to make Lawerence this weekend but a number of things need to line up for that to happen, right now its 70-30 I'm going. The seventy is the "not going" side, insert frown here.

When in MO... What's up with these names? I spent half my time at the fireworks store laughing at the goofy names.
Reality check, back to work tomorrow. A week from hell is forecast, wish me luck.

Later,

TK

random june collection...

there goes the neighborhood...

minor maintenance, had to be there...
hey Ryan Feagan...you rememember this straightaway?
backyard farming...
spinach, zucchini, strawberries, beats...
lettuce, peas, tomatoes, peppers...
people are not that different than cows...
serious flat fix firepower...
See some you in KC tomorrow...

Later,

TK