I drove back to Milwaukee after the JP race today. My flight home is at 6am!

ugh. The races, they are not so good to me.

Had a decent start! And then my back cramped up on me again and I dropped anchor.

So weird, I don’t what is happening. Same thing as last Sunday, I just could not pedal my bike. Had good legs till they gave up on me.

Talked with a few people about what is going on: No drastic change in bike position recently, went out hard but, not too hard. Did not even really blow up, I just could not put anything into the pedals.

wah wah wah. All I’ve got is excuses this weekend!

Oh well, it is a long cx season. Plenty more racing to do.

Waiting to race. So, I’ll be posting up some photos from yesterday.

We made some cornbread that called for flaxseed oil and all Jen could find were the pill supplements so, she cut open the little capsules and we squeezed out enough to use!

I went on a spin and saw this old-timey water tower. I took a photo.

Ran into Kevin Sparrow at the race which was pretty dope! I forgot that I’ve got people out here in the mid-west. Gonna try and stay with him in Milwaukee tonight after the race.

“SUN PRAIRIE LOVES MOLLY CAMERON!” was heard at the start line call-up. So awesome.

The locals put on a spectacle, dollar hand ups, beer hand ups, Dan Powell was hanging out right in the middle of a sketchy corner on the race course, I gave him a scowl and a “come on man…”

“Thats how we roll in Wisco!!”

There was another guy playing the trombone and I noticed when I raced by he would break into a rendition of “dude looks like a lady” by Aerosmith.

So I gave him the finger. He actually tracked me down at my rental car and apologized. “no harm meant by that.” I was a little too wiped out from the race to respond with anything intelligent. I think I muttered, “yeah, its cool.”

But come on, if we were pals, that would be cool. I have no idea who you are. I dunno, get to know me before you start playing gags at my expense. I don’t know if you are laughing with me or at me.

eh?

He paid me back by busting out the Super Mario bros. theme song on a later part of the course.

Bjorn Selandar gets the “nice-guy” award at the race. Being totally friendly on the start line and then ripping a podium spot. We chatted about racing with my SRM as another PRO scowled, shook his head and made the all too common “just ride your bike” remark. I guess if I was a PRO I’d have enough time to just ride my bike too… Baker gets the “awkward bike racer” award. Looking straight through me as I waved and greeted him; “hey Jon” with a smile. I forget that I should not bother making the effort sometimes.

Eh, that is racing I guess.

But not last night… We were up ALL night. A couple bands played at the Powell household. So now I’ll have a decent excuse if I have bad legs again today! Drunkeness abounded. There was some country AND western going on. I camped out in my room when it started getting late. I really was destroyed from yesterday. Hoping I can open it up a little today!

Ouch!

Got my behind handed to me today in Wisconsin. I salvaged a 9th place finish behind the Lalonde bros. the Wells bros. and co. Jon Page won, I barely stayed ahead of the 2 U23 Euro riders and I think the Swiss Mueller got 2nd. Apparently Jon Baker dropped out with an injury but was putting up a pretty good fight for the win.

I really felt miserable out there!

The course was great, very dry but not too dusty. Bumpy. Fast. I never really found a rhythm (besides going backwards) and was hurting so bad the last bunch of laps. The cracked rib was not bugging me too bad but the back cramping was.

I almost passed out when I crossed the finish line! That does not happen too often.

wah wah.

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Spent last night watching the debate. Like everyone else apparently.

What did you think?

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What’s up Evazan!!

Really, the last 30 seconds are the best 30 seconds:

I am in Wisconsin. Sun Prairie to be exact. Staying at Dan (of Planet Bike fame) and Jen Powell’s house!

It is very nice. Dan is still at Interbike, Jen is at work. I am putting my bikes together and working on work and more work email stuff.

We went grocery shopping and picked up their CSA box at a farm just out of town. Then Jen took me out to the Weary Traveller for dinner. Delicious salad with fried veggies, lemonade and dark atmosphere.

Quaint coffee makers. Vintage electric fixtures, loud toilet, radiators with covers you can sit on. So midwest. Fresh cut grass, streets made rough by season after season of snow and ice.

Huge dogs. Now most may know, I don’t really like dogs. Or babies for that matter. Besides cats, polar bears and dolphins, I scowl at most other animals. But huskies are a different story. I am a friend of the husky. And the dachshund for that matter.

So I forced this big one to lug my bike boxes downstairs. Thanks Obi!

Check out this piece of cross history:

“Winter 1985/1986 to SAVERDUN in ARIEGE: I got a cold championship UNSS by Régis duros I met 2 minutes 30 minutes of racing, admire the style hog to break plate with the mouth open bonus.”

And this; price-less.

“I was a cadet 1 in 1986 and j’escaladais and only the famous climb up the circuit, the tree is always elsewhere. David and Hugo: please do not laugh.
Published by Lawrence at 23:06

4 comments:

David Mauhourat said …
Oh la la la! How do you want mean it! But I admit that I am impressed. 40 years older and always hard! Hey hey. I’m joking of course.
September 23 2008 19:21

Anonymous said …
and me, I have the right?
Alain
September 23 2008 20:09

Lawrence said …
You have the right course, especially as you go t’esclafer by reading more: I arrived with david ferrari sprint but I fell 200 meters from the line in the ditch filled with water ice due to board that was placed before me. It was at least 0 ° c
September 23 2008 20:41

Anonymous said …
That’s not funny. You would have been pissed for ever with the cyclo cross.
Alain

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Blogs in other languages are sooooo much better. So I’ll take to copying the content and putting on my site because well, as you know. My site is less exciting than older French men recounting their cadet racing days.

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CrossVegas!

Yay Trebon!

My coach beat Lance which really is the most important thing.

Looked like fun. Everyone was there.

Except me. (and Tristan Schouten).

I decided to motorpace on a surprisingly beautiful Portland morning. Instead of paying my dues in Sin City.

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Jen and Dan’s house is nice. They are selling it and planning on moving soon. (rumors and details to come.) I brought them some Stumptown coffee and we bought another pound cause yes, it will all get used this weekend.

…well, give it 48 seconds:

I stayed at my dad’s house in Puyallup last weekend and I got to sleep with a cat on my belly all night.

My favorite part is how many babies get taken out by cats.

How about the next fun part:

Who wants to guess how much it will cost to fly with 2 cx bikes to Wisconsin this weekend? Just downloaded the FedEx shipping calculator and NW Airlines checked baggage conditions. That calculator is like deciphering the damn Rosetta stone.

Should we do it price is right style? Closest to actual retail price? There and back home?

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The best thing about cx season?

Spending the next few days after the races de-building, cleaning and re gluing all of your gear.

Tonkin and I on our way to NOT getting in the top ten.

I did a decent ride at Starcrossed. I faded pretty hard with 4 to go. Shannon and someone else got me with 2 to go and that was it for the top ten.

11th place. Again.

With my guts in knots and my back and ribs still pretty crampy, I started the Rad Racing GP this Sunday afternoon and went backwards from the start. I could barely walk the 2nd time up the run up. I was having a hard time breathing and decided to pull the plug.

It is September and I’d rather let my ribs heal up than aggravate it more than needed.

(violin playing in background)

Shannon and Solomon rode their asses off both days. They are killing it. It is going to be a good cx season.

Off to Wisconsin this coming weekend!

Big thanks to the race promoter’s this weekend. The season opener races are always a blast.

This one has been making the rounds on the internet.

I don’t believe in separating politics and sport.

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I need new music on my ipod.

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ouch.

After watching Cary Miller pour a little bit of his RedBull out for his homies, I realized I had nerves before starting this local cx race. It was hot and dusty and the course was bumpy as hell.

My teammates Shannon and Kevin were 1st and 2nd in the overall ranking for this little race series and I was there to work for them. Figured I would attack and attack making the other riders do the chasing and leaving the race open for my teammates.

Well, one of the attacks stuck and I found myself off the front with Jason Sager.

Oh, I should also apologize to the masses for the first lap wipeout which saw me face down in the sand. I banged my ribs up pretty good. Not broken this time but, ouch. The white sex file treads may or may not have been the best choice for that course.

Jason and I were both hurting and cramping like crazy. We were off the front for 20-30 minutes and he gave me the sprint. Which was very polite of him.

Not a lot of glory in the win but, I still pumped my fist in the air.

And then I got all bandaged up like a stage racer and rode home with Pete.

We spent the evening chilling at Ryan Weavers house which was so damn nice. It was the perfect summer evening. Winning a race is always a good feeling and there were tons of friends new and old at the BBQ.

Thats all I got, now I am buried in taxes and paperwork. And emailing euro race promoters.

Damn. (here is my tongue in cheek and slightly late tutorial.)

Got a few comments and a handful of emails about the Shimano shoes.

I like Damian’s comment about Adam having a thing or two to say to Shimano about the slickness!

So, here comes a photo or two and a brief tutorial.

Race.cx covered it briefly when I did my shoes up last year.

First: take a dremal or similar and grind out a 5-8mm wide section of your lugs. You are basically creating a lug near the front of the shoe. When I race, I use toe spikes unless the course is bone dry.

With the new smaller front end lugs your shoes are now lighter and have a more aggressive tread.

Second: prep your shoe like you would a sweet new carbon tubular wheelset. A light sanding, clean with rubbing alcohol; prep the bottom of shoe with at least 3 thin coats of tubular glue. Vittoria or Panaracer are my favorites.

Cut up a sweet, expensive tubular tyre into the length you want on the bottom of you shoe. (that is right, I said you shoe. why? because I am baller.)

FMBs work best. You should have a few of those laying around eh? The lighter the better. You don’t want to be adding too much rotational weight to yourself.

Coat and prep the cut-up tread section like you would if you were mounting it to a rim. At least 3 coats. Thin coats. Let them dry in between each application.

Make sure you have prepared more surface area of the carbon on the bottom of your sole than the size of the tread you are laying. Otherwise the edges will not seal up and the tread will peel off.

Put a final wet coat on the shoes and stick the tread on the bottom of the sole! Apply even, firm pressure. Overnight if possible. Use a vice, or cinder block or electrical tape. Get creative. You could stick them in one of these.

Now, due to the nature of clipping in to your pedals, you are constantly “scraping” the bottom of your shoes. And if your technique needs work, you will find your newly glued up tread peeling up just behind the cleat.

Not a lot you can do about that. Except work on your technique. I’m experimenting with mounting the tread right behind or even under the cleat. Let you know how that goes.

I put about %75 of a cx season on a pair of the M300s with a TUFO glued to the bottom of it. Once I went to Belgium in December, it eventually peeled off and I took to using some replaceable “bathtub grippy strips” before every race. And even double sided foam tape worked pretty good.

You are not adding the strip for running traction, you just don’t want your foot to slip around when you are flailing-searching for the pedals. Sandpaper or griptape could work though it may clog in the sand and mud.

Why are the bottoms of the shoes so slippery anyways you ask?

Have you seen the PROs racing in Europe? Their technique is so good, they are in the pedals and sprinting away before hacks like us even have our hips over the saddle. They NEVER slip a pedal!

This popped up on a friend’s website so I’ll repost the link here.

The fundamental reason (not the only) I went vegan ten years ago: my effect on the planet.

A very basic article because I don’t have the time to write at length about it.

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The Shimano M300 shoe is by far the stiffest and most comfortable off-road shoe available. I am giving this shout out because I am spending a little time today grinding out the lugs and gluing up some tubular tyre tread to the bottom of the shoe.

I suggest you go to your LBS, buy a pair (or two) and promptly cut and glue up your shoes.

Nope, Shimano is not paying me. Every time I slip on those damn things, it is like falling in love all over again.

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Sarah Palin?

I love me some NPR.

I think Mccain shot himself in the foot. Was he trying to get the women’s vote that Obama may have been losing with the Hillary scandal? But, it seems that those ladies ONLY wanted to vote for Hillary. And those ladies are typically pro-choice and intelligent. (unlike Gov. Palin-zing!)

It would be amazing to have a female VP but… I’m finding it insulting as well. She has so little experience beyond Alaska, it is almost like Mccain is using her as a trophy-VP to lure voters that he is not attracting…

with his stunning stage presence and wit.

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Does anyone remember D.B. Cooper?

Back in the 70′s this guy hijacks a plane and gets a TON of ransom money. then he parachutes out of the plane somewhere in between Portland, Oregon and Seattle, Washington.

The rumors continue to this day.

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How many hours a day can one renner spend emailing race promoters?

I imagine the best part about being a PRO would be not having to do all of the leg work and logistics.

I kinda love it though. Every race I go to, I know the promoter personally!