CXMas then On to 2010

Well, with 2009 coming to a rapid close it's now time to really finalize what 2010 might look like for me.

Wrapping up 2009..
But first, there's no better way to end the year than with Team Seagals CXmas non-race! This was an absolute blast! Over 120 riders turned out. Some wanted to "race". Others, like myself, just wanted to get a good ride in an enjoy the festivities. There's nowhere else in the world where you can ride 20+ miles on a kick-ass course, drink PBR, chug egg nog, eat bacon, and do shots of Jamison all in a 2-hour period while riding alongside Santa and a dude in a bunny suit!!

The highlight of my race was definitely the thought of winning the unofficial egg-nog chugging contest! Actually, it was so unofficial I don' t think the guys planning on having a contest until some of decided to make it one in the middle of the race!

After a big group of us got lost out on the course - and of course laughed it off - we rolled into the egg-nog checkpoint. The first nog was so good I had to have another! The second was twice as good, so I asked what the most nogs consumed so far. When I heard Drew Black had done 3, I of course had to man-up for 4! I was a little worried these 4 drinks of pure holiday cheer would be making a quick exit from my body on the next hill - especially with the shot of Jamison whiskey we all had to consume about 5 miles before!



However, my hopes and dreams of being the egg-nog champion were dashed by one guy that did 5, then by a highly competitive egg-nog'er named Bob who chose to not only beat 5 but smash it with such force that noone would even think about matching him. He did 15 egg-nogs! My hat, and gut, are off to him!



But what an amazing event it was and I'm now even more looking forward to more non-races next year!

On to 2010....
2010 looks to be an awesome year of racing. The newly formed United Federation of Dirt recently announced the following fantastic news:
"For 2010, we are promoting 17 traditional cross country mountain bike races divided into two leagues. The Eastern League is comprised of 8 races and the Western League will be hosting 9 races. The Endurance League brings together 4 races focused on long distance and the ability for the human spirit to suffer. The events will take place on some the best singletrack that the region has to offer, including the ever popular Castlewood State Park, Spanish Lake, Wilson Lake, KS and newly minted Swope Park. "

Plus, Karen and I are planning on doing more 12/24 hour endurance races. Karen is going to be racing for the Gary Fisher 29'er crew in 2010 so we're very jaz'ed about that!

I've also started running again. So thinking about doing some long trail races (Berryman Marathon), the Berryman Duathlon, as well as maybe even puttign another Adventure Race on my calendar. Unfortunately, the calf issues that stopped me from running and Adv. Racing are flaring up again. Going to the Dr. on 1/7 to hopefully get some answers.

Happy Holidays everyone!

24-hours of Pride and Disappointment

The Dino 24-hour race started at noon on Saturday. The venue was fantastic in Versailles State Park . It was a big park with a lake, campgrounds, pool, and showers. Perfect for this event.

Our TA was definitely the best one there. We were pimpin' thanks to the Ghisallo tents, Christmas lights, boat batteries, inverters, tools, bike stands, stoves, and healthy supply of chef-boy-ardee, soup, and cheetos!

Racers had to stage their bikes in front of the pool. To separate the field, racers had to do a Lemans start with either their front wheel or seatpost in their hands. Then re-assembly was required before the riding could begin.

The 13-mile course started with a 7-8 minute steady climb. Not too steep at all, but consistent with short plateaus tricking you to think you were at the top. Once you got to the top, you were treated to some awesome sweetness of single-track that knocks the socks off anything we have around St. Louis ! In fact, the rest of the course was absolutely amazing!

Now for the results…

I can not tell you how proud I am of my woman! Going into the Dino 24-hour race she was hoping for some women to race against as motivation to keep going for 24 hours. Well, she got her wish as there was one other female in the 24-hour solo division. BUT, she was a pro racer and had a 4-person support team, RV, and trailer to help her. With the pro woman putting time into the entire field of racers (men too!) Karen’s race became one of pure persistence and stamina. And if you know Karen, this is her strength! She went on to complete 10 laps over the 24-hour period taking short breaks between most laps to fuel and rest.

She did all 10 laps on her singlespeed and looked strong the whole damn time!
What a great season she’s been having. She’s got the Endurance Womens class in the Midwest Fat Tire Series locked up. She also won the womens class at Rapture and the Berryman Duathlon.

I on the other hand, I had a very disappointing experience. I performed a triple-lundy over the handlebars on a couple strategically placed logs next to the trail on lap 3. I really didn’t feel hurt at all and jumped right back on the bike to keep going. I was averaging about 1:10 on my first 4 laps and doing well to keep my avg heartrate about 142 to make sure I was in it for the long-haul. I kept taking short breaks between laps to change bottles and refill the gel flask. It wasn’t until I hit lap 7 that the pain really set in and I slowed way down. It was pure darkness by now and my neck was really bothering me with the added weight of my light on my helmet. My knees were screaming from hitting them on my bars when I went over and a good headache had set in. Mitch blew by me like I was standing still and so did many other racers. I just wasn’t having fun anymore! I finished lap #7 and sat for awhile talking with Kerry Rascher (he was there kickin’ it on the 12-hour) trying to figure out whether I should try another lap or quit. It was about 9:30pm and I made the decision to quit.

I showered then did my best to support Karen, Mitch, and Greg. But had to duck into the tent to get some sleep about 1am.

The predicted rain finally came about 8am on Sunday. It started very light for the first hour then got a little heavier between 9 – 10 when most racers were finishing their last laps. The crew fought the mud to get their last laps in before time limits made it unnecessary to start another lap.

There were 12 men in the 24-solo category:
Mitch got 2nd
Greg got 4th
I wound up 8th – not sure how that happens?!

Mitch enjoying his post-race OJ. I think he ate the McD's biscuit in one bite!

Kerry took home 4th out of 6 in the 12-hour and was very pleased with his first 12-hour race. Especially, given his 2009 injuries. Well done!

All-in-all, It was a fun weekend with everyone in an awesome atmosphere of mountain bike racing!

Here it comes..

Well, a couple races have gone by: Tall Oak 6-hour and the ICCC Castlewood race.

Tall Oak
Karen - 1st place in the solo women w/7 laps. She looked strong the whole race!
Todd - 11th place in the solo men w/9 laps. I lost a lot of time (20 mins) messing with my tube and took kit during two different stops at the tent. I had it in my back pocket but it was causing a rash on my back - just like at rapture. So I was trying to zip tie it to the bike in different places. I really need a saddle bag!!

ICCC Castlewood
Karen raced with Loreen in Expert to try something different on her singlespeed and got 2nd
Todd raced marathon as usual and got 4th behind Dwayne, Jeremy Bock, and Mitch. Eric Schunk was on my tail the whole damn time!!

But the real test is now upon us this weekend - 24 Hours of Dino!!!
Karen and I are doing it solo. We're making the trip with Dwayne, Mitch, and Greg. Dwayne and Mitch are experts at these events. Greg is about to have his cherry popped like us. It'll be first 24-hour race exclusively on the mountain bike race. We have done many 24 and 36 hour adventure races, but that's a whole different ballgame than sitting on a bike for that long!

My rear-end is already dreading the pain train that is about to travel across it!
My stomach is dreading all of the sport drinks I'm about to throw down.
My legs are shaking at the 24-hours of pedaling they're about to do.
My brain is wondering what sick twist of events caused it to think this is a good idea.

But it's going to be awesome!!

Berryman Duathlon

If any of you haven't done the Berryman Duathlon yet, put it on your calendar for 2010. Bonk Hard Racing puts it on and it's a fun race. You won't think it's fun at all while you're doing it, but afterward you'll look back and enjoy it.

I did enjoy it last year, but since I haven't been doing any running in 2009 I chose to sit out and watch Karen go round and round.

The race starts/ends at the Berryman Campground shelter. The typical format is to run the Berryman Trail in one direction from the shelter then come back in on the road, then bike the trail in the other direction and come back on the road. This year they mixed it up and really minimized the amount of time racers spent on the roads giving them more trail time.

The race also allows racers to choose whether they want to run or ride first. Teams are also allowed for those that don't want to do it solo. Karen chose to ride first along with one other guy. Everyone else ran first. She became a human spider web cleaner until the guy decided to take his turn at the front.

Karen was a little worried about her running going into the race since she's been doing so much biking but it didn't show!


Coming off her 1st place finish at Rapture the girl kicked it again and won 1st place in the womens again and also took 4th place overall. Awesome! ...and yes she did it on her single-speed again!

Along with winning some nice swag, she won a very special can of Spam. But I have my eyes (stomach) on that trophy!!

The race was a blast to be at. Team Trail Monster was out in full force in their new Segal kits passing out the PBRs. The race directors, Jason and Laura Elsenraat are always an absolute pleasure to be around. Plus, got to catch up with some old AR friends: The Sonas, Brian Greaser, Buckley, as well as make some new friends.

Don't miss it in 2010!

Well smack my a$$ and call me Sally!

.... yeah that's all I can say after seeing the below beauty!

I have found my next bike and it is still a Niner. Apparently being shipped to dealers by the end of the year. I'll be getting my order in ASAP! Hopefully, the strong relationship we've built with our Niner friends this year will help in these efforts.


Many guys on mtbr.com are complaining about the paint job, but I freaking love it!



Not sure about the brake mounts here and how reliable they will be. But I'm definitely not an engineer or someone that understands how strong carbon is!

The Pain Train

We had our own version of the pain train this weekend at the Rapture In Misery 6/12 Hour race on Saturday in Trenton, MO. I had planned to do the 6-hour but Karen was committed to the 12. So, how could I only do the 6?!?!?

We decided to do the festive thing and camp out with other racers at race HQ Friday night. Needless to say, there's a reason I don't like to camp - I like real beds!

We got into HQ about 9:30pm and setup our tent and canopy next to Mitch, Greg, and the Momentum boys. Good times were ready to be had. We got up the next morning and got the site race-ready.

Karen of course chose to ride her single-speed for the event - toughness!

The race started at noon on Sat in a Lemans start. We had to run about 100 yards up a double-track road which was very rough/rocky. I started way in the back and walked most of it. Given this was my first 12-hour mtb race, my plan was to start very slow and take it easy. The goal: Finish. I wound up walking up most of the hill with Mitch. Karen wasn't too far behind us.

After getting on the bikes and riding about 1 mile through some open grass fields we entered the singletrack. As promised by the race promoter, the next section called the "Boneyard" was heinous! It was very rocky. The kind of big rocks that stick up out of the trail causing end-o's, flats, and knock wheels out of true! I wound up riding behind Greg through the boneyard but we weren't riding much. With all the riders still so close together as one guy put his foot down it caused a ripple effect to everyone behind him.

The rest of the 9 mile loop was awesome! Plenty of flowing singletrack, nice climbs, fun downhills, and a little open field for hammering. The first lap took less than 55 mins. It was going to be a fun day!

The second lap went by quickly as I spent most of the time chatting it up with Zach Brace. He's a smooth roller through about everything! I stopped to change bottles and that was it through lap 3. I didn't know where karen was but I heard she was looking strong. I rolled through laps 4 and 5 feeling very strong! I started taking in some solid food, that helps keep me going.

Also at RIM representing the Lou were the Segal boys. I got to see Hoffmeyer and Grotthoff a few times and they were always in good spirits and looking strong.

Laps 6 & 7 were a little slower as I took an extra 5-10 mins to sit and take in more food. On lap 8 at about 7:30 it started to rain pretty good - worse than the sprinkles earlier. Half-way through the lap the trail was really starting to get wet and slick. It had gotten dark by this point and I hit a slick downhill which sent me to the mud! I quickly got back up but walked down the rest of the slick hill. I didn't realize at the time that I'd lost the battery to my main headlamp. By the time I realized it, I was at the bottom of the hill and didn't want to go back up. Figured I'd get it on the next lap.

As the rain picked up and the trail got muddier I regretted not going back to find my battery. Fortunately, one of the Momentum guys gave me his spare light before going out on lap 9. The rain really started coming down harder and most of the rocky sections were impossible to ride since the rocks were so slick. Then after 45 mins the borrowed headlamp went dead! the light on my helmet is good, but not nearly enough for those conditions. Zach Brace came by me on his 10th lap. At least he was the only one to lap me but I was keeping an eye out for Mitch to come by too.

On the final climb up to the finish I saw Karen ahead of me. It was hard to catch the girl! She was still powering up stuff with that one gear. The following section of trail was a new section so it wasn't packed down. You couldn't ride it and you couldn't even push your bike becausee the mud would get caked between your tires and frame/fork. So I practiced my cyclocross carry and kept moving.

Lap 9 took almost 2 hours! Given the trail conditions I had made the decision to call it a day. I saw no need to go back out for more of that hell. I rolled into the finish and to my delight they said the race had been called. I wasn't even tempted to change my mind. I waited there for Karen to come through a couple minutes later.

To both of our surprise, the race officials told karen and I that we'd both gotten 1st place!! She got 1st in the 12-hour solo Womens category and I got 1st in the Mens 40-49 12-hour solo.

At the awards ceremony we got some nice gifts for our efforts. Another surprise was that I placed 3rd overall in the mens 12-hour solo. Mitch took 2nd and Zach got 1st.

RIM is very well run event. They have fun with making sure you're enjoying yourself while you're out there riding the pain train!! Put it on your calendar for next year!

Womens 12-hour solo podium

Mens 40-49 12-hour solo podium

Overall mens 12-hour solo podium

Oops!

Guess I've done a really bad job at keeping all of you that read our blog up-to-date. Sorry mom!

It's a very busy racing season right now. There's been a race almost every weekend and August is one of the busiest.

If I had to highlight anything over the last couple of months it would be how awesome Casey is doing! The three of us took our Summer vacation in Colorado this year. We chose the mountains instead of the usual beach scene since Casey had never been and it gave us the opportunity to compete at the USA Cycling National Championships. All 3 of us qualified at the MO State championships just two weeks prior. I'll post some pictures from the trip at a later time.

Now back to my original point...

Since Nationals Casey has been lovin' the bike. She's been racing strong, bringing home hardware, and loving it. We're very proud of her.



Karen has continued to be super strong and consistent on her single-speed. The only race she hasn't raced on it was at Nationals. Since the race start was to climb a ski-slope I think she made a wise decision!

I had some good results in a couple races (2 - 5th place finishes) but have struggled to find my groove lately. Thinking it's a pre-race nutrition issue. Beer and eggs are good pre-race meals right!!?!?

Anyway, there's the update mom!