Adventures in gods country

A few photos that will occupy this space until well into the future...

Loppet

It's been awhile since I've done a longer ski race (25km+), with all my time not having a job since finishing school back around Thanksgiving I have had lots of time to ski. All long and slower pace making short ski races not go by very quickly, but the longer ones are where it's at. Thus I signed up for the City of Lakes Loppet just to see what would happen. Naturally, as I prefer classic that had to be the way to go. After being placed in the second wave for some odd reason, I managed to coerce someone to bump me up to wave one. And well, things went well, felt the good until the finishing stretch, where I had neither kick or glide, but hey, what can you do. I was able to hang onto 5th for the whole race, felt pretty good about that.

Thanks to the Ski Hut for providing the suit to sport.

In other news, starting work on Monday, finally... It will be nice to be back in Duluth and have easy access to the trees, rather then highways.
And I suppose it is time to start thinking about

This and all the races up too it...

Done

The 2010 bike season finished up last weekend for me. The final race being Mill City in Stillwater, hosted in part by Oliver from The Bikery, a big thanks to him for the help this year for racing. Time to eat more pastries!
Race went ok, nothing special, I just was not feeling it, I had other things on my mind...

2010 was a pretty decent season for me, spanning 8 months, and around 40 races, it has been pretty busy. Road season was fun, the Synergy team really came together and made things happen. Hopefully we can continue the fun next year.

Post part gravel road race in the thunderstorm.
Making silly faces in Stillwater.

I did a few more mountain bike races then I have in the past also, I really enjoyed those and look forward to maybe doing even more next year. It's really nice to get off the roads, and I did do quite a bit of my riding away from cars, why not race there too!

Things went pretty well too...

Right at the start of the cx season I took part in The Heck of the North. A great bike race up by Duluth that at just over 100 miles, mixes pretty much every aspect of bike racing into one great time. There were even wood bridges to ride over, therefor by default the track is also included. HA!
Anyhow, it was a great race, and ended up being my first win in a few seasons.

Out in the woods

Plus, it's so dang pretty up yonder that it was just fun to be out there.

Then came the cross season, things started off with a number of mechanicals. Including, but not limited too chains dropping, seat posts breaking in half, flat tires, and mental break downs during the race. About half way through I got into the groove and things got much better. The coolest race of the year was by far the State Champs with all the snow and mud, with the following day being pretty fun too. It ended up being a good season, despite not training as much as I had planned on, maybe that made things better...

When this is the start, how can it not be fun? Sloppy, notice the snow packed into my helmet...

The next day it was all mud, fun.

Like I mentioned above, a good year. Now time to have some fun, hopefully some of this

will work it's way into the schedule...

Not only did I finish the bike season this week, but I also finished paramedic school and all associated requirements, and earned one of these

cool looking patches.

Now I just hope I can find myself a job in these parts doing something that I really enjoy!


Keep in tune for winter adventures...

How 'bout that.

My eyes still hurt, there is so much gravel and mud jammed up under the eyelids that if I were to cry about how long it took to clean my bike, I could fill a sandbox. Hopefully the washing machine still turns after my clothes are done...

This weekend was my favorite cross race in the state, the state champs. Always fun, always a pretty decent crowd. And this year 6 inches of wet sloppy snow. Saturday was probably one of my all time favorite races, you just can't get much better then that for cross. In addition to the course conditions being great, I felt pretty dang good also, which is always a bonus. Despite running the first 1 km due to a massive number of people and only a single file track, I ended up in an OK position within 5 minutes. After that I just kept moving up, and got lucky a number of times as people I would have been stuck behind picked the proper moment to biff it in the powder. I myself had a nice face plant with a few to go, luckily fresh snow and mud is soft...

The start was nothing but a cluster.

Carving in the pow.

Fun in the mud

The stairs
This is why this race is an event! Thanks to everyone who comes out to watch!

Sunday riding in the snow was not really part of the race, thick sloppy mud was the challenge at hand. I definitely did not feel as good as yesterday, but still managed a top 10. Today is where my eyes were filled with gravel and such, it made drafting relatively unwise. Despite that, it was still a pretty fun day.

Nothing but mud.

Not much of a crowd this time, but still lots of fun.

Overall a great weekend, too bad the races that are happening after stuff up here in MN is done are so expensive. Someday I'll be able to afford them!

Double down

In the past I've been able to do both cross races per weekend, however, this year that has not been the case. A fortunate/unfortunate turn of events the last few days allowed me to be able to play this weekend rather then work (which I really would not have minded).
Anyhow, Saturday out at the village, thanks for them to hosting. A pretty good course, provided some good racing. I got really excited when it started sprinkling, I thought it was going to get messy, but alas it dried out by the time we raced. Throughout the race I felt pretty good, and had a blast racing in the group that ended up assembling. The race went right down to the line in a good old fashioned sprint that somehow I managed to keep the others in check! A good time was had by all. Post race party down at Oliver's new shop in Marine, stop by and check it out, it's really coming together quite well!

Sunday it was off to Green Acres for the first time at the Synergy race. It got wet over night, making a good couple of mud pits to play in. I felt good for about the first half, then just botched the big climb one time and was out of the running for the top 5, oh well it happens. Still had fun playing in the mud and ended up doing decently in the end. Thanks to Bob at Now for making it all happen.

In other news, school is getting close to done, if anyone knows of any place hiring paramedics in the next few weeks, please lemme know! It's been fun so far, learning new things everyday.

Corners are fun!

To bad I crashed. And that there are no photos of it!

Jump!

A bit bumpy though.

I love cross...

On the way home the real adventure began when the Subaru decided to not go any further. We will just have to see what happens...

Outta luck

Today was the Theo Wirth cx race. I really enjoy this race, good atmosphere, good field, usually a good course, and close enough that I can ride to it.
Things were on a downhill slope before I even got to the race. Went to my car to get something, and set off my car alarm, which I did not even know I had, thus had no idea how to turn it off. I still don't but something I did stopped it. Oops. Just after leaving my house, the tubulars which I just glued up felt like riding a roller coaster, and somehow one of my break pads came loose, naturally I did not have a wrench in my bag so back home to try again. I finally got to Wirth just in time to register. Good thing the warm up was done!
Almost missed the start because I went pee. But that was worth it. The first 30 minutes went pretty well, felt good was in ok position, then I hit a wall, I guess not riding your bike will do that to ya. By the time I recovered there were 3 laps to go, ok whatever, can't feel good everyday. With 2 to go I jumped back on the bike after a barrier and CRACK, the seat got all wiggly. I thought I broke the bolt, but inspection on the stairs revealed another broken seat post, being the junk it was I ripped it off and I think I accidentally hit a guy when it flew off! Sorry! Definitely was not trying to do that. Then next two laps were very taxing, it's amazing how much you use the seat, not just for sitting, but stabilization and such for corners and bumps and everything. I slogged home and in the penultimate turn dropped the chain, luckily no one was around to pass me, everyone had already done that!
I guess a good chunk of the race was really fun, just parts really sucked. But hey that's bike racing, although I am wondering why no one waited for me? Oh wait, I forgot already, that's bike racing.

Playing in the mud early on.
Hurting on the stairs.
I guess no seat and post is a good way to cut some weight in a hurry, cheap too.
I guess I've been eating to many chips and too much popcorn!

Then on the way home, the luck did not improve when I ran over a small nail, and got a flat. Just the right size of nail that if someone was trying to be a dick, would through all over the trail. And of course I had forgotten my extra tube and supplies at the race (see below). I was fortunate that I could switch the front wheel and ride the roller coaster home...

The casualties.

If anyone is good at gluing tubulars, and wants to do it for some beer, lemme know. It'll be a good trade.

Hopefully that is all the bad luck for the rest of the season!

Forgotten at Wirth.
By the front right tire of the silver car parked up by the U-turn at the finish line. A small banjo brothers saddle bag containing 1 700x35 cc tube. 2 screw on co2 cartridges, 1 pump head, 2 blue rubber gloves, a quick link, and a presta to schreder adapter. I had enough bad luck between the race and the ride home I don't need to loose that as well. Also I'm poor so I can't afford a new one. Please let me know if you have it.
jwboyce at g mail dot com

Ah Heck!

But first.
Cyclo-cross started a few weeks back! I love cross, good weather, or bad, depends on how you look at it. Fun people, fun courses, fun bikes, it's quite a bit more relaxed then road racing making it extremely fun for everyone! Anyhow, St. Cloud CX was a few weeks back, went ok. Probably should not have had that Snickers shortly before the start, but I was hungry. Lead group of three for most of the race, then dropped my chain with two to go, thus ending my bid for glory. Oh well, it happens.

Early on.

The week was busy with clinicals. Got to ride my bike a little bit, went to a Twins game.

Then last Saturday the real fun began. Went up north for The Heck of the North. Probably one of the most bad ass bike races in the region. 102+ miles of anything that a bike can go over, and then some stuff one can't. It's a race that tests pretty much every aspect of bike riding there is. You've got to be able to ride for 100+ miles, ride on pavement, gravel, single track, climb long hills, slog through grass and puddles, know where you are as the course is not marked, and actually like riding bikes. If you don't it would be a miserable race. The field was pretty good sized, 61 to start, with lots of strong guys there. Ross and I had plotted about when things were going to explode, so we just hung out and enjoyed the 39 degree morning, then when the trails came we took out the jet packs and blasted off. The first trail section reduced the lead group from about 40 to 11. Then after lots of miles and pain, the final trail section came after fording a creek, the final cut was made and there were 3 of us left. The last 15 miles we went quite hard, Ross got dropped going up Hawk's Ridge (15 min climb) and Nikoli and I were left. As we crested the final hill my legs locked up and the Russian attacked, I was able to suffer through the cramp and catch up right as we took the penultimate turn. After not winning for a number of years I played the game and put my gamble on the sprint. Things worked out. It was one of the most fun races I've ever done, with all the fun people, like Mr. Farrow. And people who are just generally quite laid back. A grand old time.
Thanks for Mr. Kershaw for putting it on, Mr. Buffington for beer post race.

Bragging rights.

Sunday is Wirth. Should be fun. Then lots more clinicals, should also be fun.

Bike companies..

What's wrong with this picture?

Bike companies, please hire me as a product tester, I will break it.

At least it happened during bike practice!

Hopefully that is warranty, if not, I need someone to give me a new seat post...