Colonel's Corner

Vertical

2009-04-28T10:26:00.005-05:00

Apparently climbing is decent training for bikleling...I hit the track last Thursday and turned over some good races, then came out to the Tuesday Nighter and took 5th??? Screw riding for 5 hours a day 7 days a week...just go climb at your local gym 3x/week for about 2 hours at a time and you will have decent race fitness!

BTW, for those of you who are so over zealous you didn't pick up on the sarcasm in my writing, realize I am just better than you.

There you go, your post for the season. I may post some more now that I have more than school and stuff to talk about.

New Format

2009-02-10T21:48:00.004-06:00

From here on out, I am going to abide what my mother always taught me...if you don't have anything intelligent to say, just post a picture...

Pictures speak louder than words anyway right?

And, it is like a choose your own adventure book.

And...

The happenings between Bubba in the Dark and Sate Cross...and now for that matter

2008-12-09T23:00:00.006-06:00

I was doing so well at updating this turd... well, I guess I can't be perfect at everything. There has been some cool stuff happen since the 16th of November. Most notably, Thomas and Micah came to visit for Bubba in the Dark. Micah came to race, Thomas came to heckle; they both came to rock out!

It was cold as ballz the evening of the Night Bubba, but Micah and I were packing embrocation, and Thomas was packing no fewer than 3 beers on his person, and a loaded flask to boot! We were also warmed by the many spectators; I am proud to say 15 of which were members of my personal fan club. I had a bunch of buddies from school come out and freeze their tails off to watch quite possibly the craziest thing they have ever witnessed on two wheels.

A handful of the crew came back to the house to celebrate w/ chili and buffalo chicken-dip galore. After dethawing a bit, the real party started. By 1 am, the Logan crowd had retreated, K and the dogs had passed out, and then there were three. Thomas hung strong until 3:30 or better, but quickly retired after pounding several liters of water. Micah and I were in awe of THIS little device I picked up earlier that day. Three bottles of wine and a sunrise later, we finally passed out at 6:45. Unfortunately, Micah had borrowed a bike, so we had to get it back to the fellow (Thanks Claw, you are the Man!) before his race. This was 11am. I am not the greatest w/ math, but that isn't much time for the liver to do it's magic and metabolize the sinful substance we had drown ourselves in just hours before. So, Thomas drove, Micah and I acted giddy, and the good times continued.

There are some pics of the race on stlbiking.com, but none of them are of me, so why would you even bother? This pic was taken early on Saturday. Thomas had an entire crab stuck in his throat from the airport; this is my valiant attempt to retrieve it.

My visit w/ the dudes was awesome! I wish it could happen more often. One day when we are wiping our butts w/ dolla' dolla' bills, we can fly all over to hang out for random weekend fun.

K and I cashed in on a little retreat as well. We kind of traveled back in time to a place that doesn't matter if you turn your assignments in on time or attend the weekly meeting. Our cabin and breakfast were amazing; traveling through wine country w/ 25 degree weather is interesting however. I didn't seem to mind too much, but it wasn't K's idea of a great time.

This was our retreat...pretty rustic huh?

This isn't so rustic;)

We had the fire roaring all weekend which made K happy...I just liked the crackle of a real fire. Our gas fireplace is nice, but to smell the seasoned wood, and hear the fire interact w/ it's surroundings is meditative.
If you didn't notice from the sweet pic of T and I (and K and I... see how smart I am? I refer to everyone by the first letter in their name!), I was sporting a pretty phat beard. This was a product of the 2008 edition of No Shave November. This season brought a new spin to the buzz phrase: charity. The founding fathers (Steveo, Cam-boy, and I) took NSN school wide and took donations. Seeing that we are the Logan Llamas (hey, our mascot will spit on your mascot!), we only found it appropriate to donate a llama to a needy family in South America. I think we actually raised enough money for two llamas. If you think I am joking, or just plain rediculous, go HERE ... you see, the llama is like a membership to the jelly of the month club; it is the gift that keeps on giving!

Founding Fathers...and their sweet T's.

The camera loves me

We started a transportation service called Stache Charters...who wants a ride?

And then there was State Cross: I will let the pictures speak for themselves

Just a note, this was the first lap...what the hell was I thinking?

At least my facial expressions are consistent.

All in all, the race was a top-notch event. Jeff Yeilding did an amazing job as usual. The course was fun as it was brutal, and the fans on the stairs were very much appreciated (and needed!).

We recently discovered Paola is a closet case drunk. This is good news for me, because I was trying to rationalize all of the empty bottles around the house. Turns out I am okay, but the kitty begins AA meetings later this week. Do you think she subscribes to "a bit of the hair of the dog who bit her"... I can attest, she certainly does!

We are starting finals at school...Yay! I love exams. Actually, I love what comes after exams which in this case is a trip to Florida.

Other quick items to address:
- K received the Master Teaching Award and is slated to speak in Vegas for the acceptance of said award...I am going to try and go too! Thomas, where was that magical elevator again? I am super excited she was nominated (silently) and proud she won this award. It is kind of a big deal...

- Happy birthday Brian Dziewa

- Turkey Day was good, we hiked, we ate, we slept.

That is all... see how much easier it is to update weekly? Yes I do.

Bubba @ Suson

2008-11-16T20:03:00.004-06:00

Quote of the season "I am going to spoil all of childhood memories of my favorite St. Louis childhood parks". I can remember going to Suson often as a child, to visit the animals, climb around in the playground, and run around on the open grounds...well, we did plenty of "running around" on open ground today! Honestly, I wanted to vomit the first 5 laps... finally I got into a groove.

The course was good: soft, but good. Lots of twists, turns, ups and downs. This week did not feature the infamous "Stairs of Death", but it did feature an uphill barrier-->180-->reverse 180-->uphill that killed me every lap. I was actually good until we got through the start/finish area. The network of twists and turns featured extremely soft ground, which drained the battery power out of my legs as each lap card fell.

More pre-killer 180 hill craze pics. I really began losing spots in laps 4-6 or so, but made a little come back. This is my second worse finish of the year, but I don't like soft ground or hills, so back off!

I finally got my legs back, but they continued to tire each lap. Not even the cowbells could resuscitate me.

So, here I am sitting in my compression hoes trying to recover from the brutal rape and pillage my body received today. I am calling JASON OZENBERGER out to come race next weekend. It is supposed to be warmer, and you and Alicia will have more baby sitters than you could imagine. So, rum and coke...do it, DO IT!

On another note, have you ever noticed that every other country in the world dies from diseases of deficiency... lack of good quality food, good water, poor healthcare, and lack of understanding. Why is it that every disease in our country is a disease of excess? Diabetes, heart disease, renal failure, alcoholism, emphysema and others. Seems a bit unbalanced, huh? Of course, if we just tried to balance out the world's health by sending them more food, our health care (or illness care), and what we believe we understand, the planet would go to hell in a hand basket. Sorry, not hating on our country, just the bone-head people in it that eat, smoke, and drink themselves to death... literally. "Oh, heart disease runs in my family...ohh, my mom and dad were both Type II diabetics...my entire family is fat; I guess those are the cards I was dealt." In the words of Adam Sandler in Mr. Deeds... "bu bu bu bullshit!" Get off your duff, begin eating better, decrease --> eliminate the toxic substances you cram down your pie hole and quit doing things known and proven to kill you! It is sad that we have to make caskets the size of a 77 Cadillac to accommodate some of the fat-asses that pass away from choking on a chicken bone, when our "brothers from another mother" in a less developed country gasp their last breath of air hungry, dehydrated, and desperate.

I do not lack empathy, I just absolutely despise helpless people...sorry if I offended anyone. K made me watch this episode on the tv about the fattest people in the world...bet you can't guess where they were from:)

Crossin' it up

2008-11-10T23:40:00.007-06:00

So, in this edition of cross race-STL, you basically ride around in circles just like any other race. Here you can see me taking a pull w/ my buddy Jay...Jay and I have seemed to find each other the past two weeks and work our way through the field together.

This was a major difference in the other cross races so far...there has been many nicknames given to this beast (that one may work too), but I like to call it the moveable mountain.

Ok, so it isn't as tall as Everest, but after a few laps, I bet it is close to the demands of the Asian wonder of the world. This is me ascending the stair-case.

And preparing for descent... notice my landing gear is not attached. You see, the flyover (aka platform on top) was not very long, so you had to remount immediately, put your feet in the vicinity of your pedals, and get off your seat as quickly as possible in order to clean the transition at the bottom of the down ramp. Otherwise, you may find yourself on the ground, snapping a fork, or the day's favorite... destroying a seatpost. The stairs claimed several victims on Sunday, thankfully I wasn't one of them.

As Josh came around me, I dug a bit deeper and tried to hold his wheel for a bit. I kept him in sight for about a lap, and with his help I moved up a little. I was beginning to fall into a little groove; Jay and I were closing in on a few peeps. Jay crashed or mechanicaled (wow, what a word...almost as cool as bikleing) and I pulled away for just a minute or two. He caught back on in the sand pits and we began rocking again. Next lap I dropped my chain just before the pits, which was the pits, and I had to get off my bike to fix it. Come to find out a lap later I had kicked my front D and couldn't shift into my big ring... that made the chase very interesting.

A lap or two later (mind you we only have 3 to go at this point) I really began closing in on Jay, spinning @ 200+rpms... he held me off through the pits, the start/finish, and the barriers, but I caught him and passed him on the asphalt climb on the backside of the course.

I kept on the gas and managed to hold him off, unfortunately it wasn't for much...9th place is all I could offer my efforts. This is a good peak at the sand pits in the closing laps.

The good:
- I am feeling better each week
- my riding is getting a bit better each week... I am sure Josh would argue I use my brakes too much still, but I am working on that. When I get my tubies back on, we will start talking no brakes!
- I get stronger throughout the race

The bad:
- my starts still kind of suck; I need to change this before state, as I got myself a sweet starting spot.
- I am on the brakes too much, and not pedaling enough... hopefully the tires take care of that.
- my back is still pretty weak. I better get that in check before Herman too!

All in all not too bad. K and I kind of hunkered down over the weekend and chilled around the house. We had a gang of leaves to rake, which I may have some pics of somewhere. This coming weekend we are staying in a cabin that my siblings and nieces reserved for us last Christmas... should be fun. It is in the heart of wine country out off Hwy 94. Suson is next weekend, so that should be good as well. I haven't been to Suson Park since I was 9 probably.

I am really boring these days. Maybe if I didn't stay up so late studying this eve, I would be wittier.

Bubba # 3, Mucho Gusto e' Mucho Better!

2008-11-03T22:27:00.006-06:00

This edition of Bubba was much more enjoyable for myself. I must have really been "off" last week, because I felt like a new person. Maybe it was my top secret race mods I made to my bike the night before...I still don't have everything together for that, but I am working on it. I really liked the Faust course last year, and this year proved to be just as painful w/ a few different arrangements. The course featured many of my favorite elements of cross...costumes, bull-horns, cow-bells, and boozers!

This section was crazy...I never did get the hang of this double 180, and it may have cost me a spot or two. Better gearing would have helped, but when you play bike shop late the night before, options are limited...lesson learned.

Much of the course was tortuous and bumpy, but I enjoyed this particular section as I had a dense (and by dense, I mean K, my buddies Steve and Cameron, Parker and Payton) cheering section. Cameron attempted to moon me, but couldn't get his belt down in time...it is a shame, because I was actually watching...and waiting:)

It doesn't get much better when you find two pics from the same cross race and both of them you are grinning ear to ear.

Oh, I almost forgot...Halloween was fun too! If you remember from my Nov 1st-ish post of 2006, I am technically supposed to still be grounded from All Hallow's Eve...I decided to go against my own punishment and have a good time.

This is my pal Steve and some guy I really don't know. He was kind of creepy.

A pic of the dudes before we hit the party...well, we were partying already, but you know what I mean.

K was a lady bug, and she must have been flying around all night, because I haven't seen a pic of her yet...if I come across one, I will post it up. You can't tell, but I actually pulled a costume switch-a-roo...I am now Tom Cruise from Risky Business...I had the dance down and everything. But then again, what dance do you not have down at the end of an evening such as this? This pic is kind of like "Where's Waldo?" except I like to call it "Where's Weirdo?" Can you pick him out?

Yeah, amazing I as even able to race cross on Sunday...consequently, we had originally planned on racing in Columbia on Saturday. I bet you can guess where I was;)

I updated my link bars just a bit...just for you! And me, it will save me precious Internet surfing time!
That's all for now...the less I promise, the more I deliver!

Qucik Catch Up

2008-10-31T10:16:00.003-05:00

Not much new in the life of the Kippenbergers...a few mid term exams, some dog running, some bikiling, and a little hanging out. I raced last weekend, and got absolutely slaughtered! I am not sure what happened. I have been feeling pretty decent on the bike, but I felt like a pile of poop @ Spanish Lake.

None of these pics officially demonstrate the amount of pain and agony I felt, so I guess my poker face is still pretty solid. I crashed twice for no reason...I assume I was fighting fatigue and it got the best of me. Regardless, I had fun; I am heading to BoCoMO for more pain tomorrow, then back here to STL for Faust Park CX.

I did some top secret race-mods to my steed last night (which kept me up way too late), so I am hopinig that helps out a bit. That reminds me, I need to glue a tubular as soon as I get home, b/c on my last lap at the cross ride last night, I ate shit going up hill and rolled a tubie! How is that even possible? Micah?

Well, that is about it. I have finally touched base w/ Micah and Thomas...still playing a game of phone tag w/ the Teej...Lance, if you are reading this entry, lay off my boy a bit, so I can get my fix!

Lost and Found

2008-10-13T21:43:00.006-05:00

I have certainly been a stranger lately to many; however I have not been lost. I believe preoccupied may be a better descriptor of my life. As per usual, school is blah, blah, blah and work was blah, blah, blah...now, on to our not so regularly scheduled programming.

I remember promising a certain picture dump of all the things of new around the house...well, that day will come possibly sooner than later. Who am I kidding, you will never get to see that. I do have some pics for your viewing pleasure, so without further adieu:

- State track was amazing! I learned a lot racing w/ the likes of Tom Brinker and Russ Murphy...there were some fast cats from Australia as well, racing for the newly updated Lindenwood Cycling team.

- Pic of Tom and I in the points race maybe? I am not sure.

- We headed down to the river in July to show all the kids from Logan a good ol' fashioned Rolla good time...I think I managed to have the best time on the river period!

See above caption for description...yeah, I really did have the most fun.

This is my buddy Steve and I at Chiro Games...think of it as the Chiropractic Olympics. I ran a 5k and a 5 mile race...yeah, that is right, I ran. I held a pretty decent pace for the 5k, and finished in 18:39...my 5 mile on the other hand kind of stunk, as I came in @ exactly 35 min. Bummer. Maybe next year I will actually run more than a few times and see how that pans out. The top 3 were pretty much pre-decided...I took 7th, and probably could have trained well enough to take 4th. Something to shoot for, if you are into running.

The Logan Boys @ Castlewood. We get out when we can. The mountain bike and cx bike have been the steeds of choice since track ended. I am still running a bit too. Yoga rounds off my workout regimen...I may even start lifting again?!?

This was the best part of the Tour of MO...standing across the finish from this guy...look at that sexy biatch!

Speaking of sexy, look at those Chops! K looks ok too...ok, K upholds the sexiness, and my chops are a very close second:)

So, that is what I have been up to. I have some pics of the house, some bike stuff, winery visits, and BBQ's yet to load up. Those will come.

This week is the famous SORSI homecoming. I will be in seminars from Wednesday to Sunday. Saturday night, we get all fancied up and go to a banquet and dance. Maybe I will take some pics of that too. Anyway, I would really like to post on this thing more often, so Email me and heckle me about it ever so often.

Thanks

Well, it has been a while

2008-09-07T22:32:00.003-05:00

They say the first post back is the most difficult. Well, here goes nothing.

Needless to say, much has happened since April. Probably too much to add to this one blog post: there has been a little bike racing (mostly track), a little working on the house, a lot of schooling, and nightly dog wrestling.

Track season has come and gone w/ out a single solitary post from myself...shame on me. I had an absolute blast. Track has stolen my heart as my favorite form of bicycle racing. Cross seems to be a worthy second, which is just on the edge of the cliff. Maybe I will post something about cross before Froze Toes 09...only time will tell.

I have many projects that have commenced here at the house, however, none are 100% finished. I will post some pics, and hopefully finish some of these projects in a relatively timely manner.

School: where do I begin? Nothing has changed here. It is still the same kick in the pants it always is. I am still enjoying what I am doing, but this past trimester I think I developed seniorosis (read this for the difference...if you don't care, skip to the end of the parentheses--New research has lead medical professionals to realize that in the majority of patients (about 90%)who come in with "tendonitis" the problem is no longer tendonitis, but tendonosis which is a degenerative condition of the tendon.
Tendonosis is characterized by degeneration of the collagen fibers in the tendon (the fibers that provide the tensile strength), tendon weakness, abnormal growth of unhealthy blood vessels through the tendon, and most importantly no inflammatory cells. Basically the nice straight strong fibers of collagen become a tangled mess of strings with little pockets of "jelly" and small weak blood vessels. If you look at pictures of a healthy tendon it will be white and glistening, tendons with tendonosis are dull and brownish. Keep in mind that this is not an inflammatory process, so there is no reason for anti-inflammatories or injections.
Tendonosis is a more difficult problem to heal with only an 80% chance of resolving. Typical tendonosis can take anywhere from 8 weeks to 9 months to resolve depending on how long you have had the problem. There are quite a few treatment options out there right now but the best protocol seems to be: Relative rest, ice, friction massage, and exercise. I will go over each of these steps for you...
-Relative Rest: What this means is do NOT stop using the injured tendon - disuse leads to the tendon losing more strength - tendons need load on them to maintain and gain strength. You should decrease your activity level though, and try to avoid activities that severely irritate the problem.--that's right, not senioritis...I am such a dork!) So yeah, I am kind of burnt out. Along w/ the class load, I hosted 2 seminars, took part in 4 others, raced some weekends, worked on the house others, and only had one weekend completely to my (our) self(ves) this past trimester. So, this is the eve of my last day of break...ever; that is, until I graduate. Crazy huh?

TOM begins tomorrow; Thursday a group of us are heading down to St. James to party w/ the big wigs. We will likely catch the St. Chuck and STL stages as well. Should be great.

Well, I am going to quit while I am ahead. Maybe, just maybe you will see some posts from me in the near future. As usual, do not count on it!

New Additions

2008-04-13T20:18:00.008-05:00

There are new things happening around the Kippenberger household once again. We have been gingerly working on our downstairs bathroom; originally we were going to plop a claw-foot tub to make a little nostalgic centerpiece to our basement. However, after the demo began (and after we already bought a claw foot tub), we found a little treasure...2 66x36 shower pan, already prepped, plumbed, and drained.

So, we took advantage of that and began hanging the necessities to make it a functional shower. We are now thinking of a zen-spa theme. Originally, we had planned on creating a full redwood shower, treating it w/a marine grade sealer, and having a truly unique escape from reality...that didn't work out, but we still have something cool up our sleeves.

Stay tuned for pictures of the finished product soon!

This was the beginning of making our house more "Zen"...not really, we just like green, and our porch was super cluttered.

Almost finished product...I have already eaten, studied, and drank wine in this cozy little corner.

So, this is probably the biggest change in the house...meet Payton, Parker's new little bro. He is a pretty good little guy, but he has been a little butthole too!

They pretty much took to each other immediately, and the kitty doesn't seem to mind him either. They have taken over our couch, and I am watching them reverse spoon right now as I type this.

Payton was supposedly kennel trained...well, after two sleepless nights (and I really mean that...six hours of non-stop howling), we created this little situation. We took all of K's shoes out of her closet, laid down some foam, put this handy dandy gate up, and viola! K gets to come to bed after midnight, if she has been nice to me that day;)

That is about it right now. I am in the middle of finals and hating my life. My skin disease was almost completely gone, when all of a sudden it popped back up this morn. I must have ate something w/wheat in it. Oh yeah, I have been going through this elimination diet, and wheat is certainly one of the culprits. Go to www.deflame.com if you have any weird issues that seem undiagnosable/unresolved. Great website. Anyway, obviously I am still trying to figure out what the HE double hockey-stick is wrong with me. It may have been a little sugar induced outbreak...I did eat about a 1/3 of a bag of semi-sweet chocolate chips.

I almost forgot, I raced at Tilles over the weekend, and I rode my bike over 100miles last week! Better watch it, I am coming back fast! I got to see the Teej, which was good. He is riding really well right now...another guy who is riding well is the cup of coffee himself, Brian Java. Congrats to him for soloing away from the field, and riding in for victory. More posts very soon. I will have nothing else better to do other than ride, play on the internet, and watch movies very soon!

Thank the Lord!

2008-03-28T13:15:00.002-05:00

Well, since I really don't ride bikes any longer, I have decided to begin ranting on a regular basis...so, here it goes.

To all the parents out there: take a peak at THIS link. Here is an excerpt from the beginning of the article: "Fevers, or elevated temperatures, are good. Fever is the body's mechanism for fighting infections-speeding up metabolism to increase heart rate and blood supply where it is needed, producing more white blood cells to devour pathogens, and increasing antibody responses to infection. Fevers should not be suppressed with fever-reducing medication (antipyretics). Acetaminophen, ibuprofen, and aspirin have no place in the home treatment of fevers below 105°F (40.5°C). A child with a fever higher than 105°F should be under medical supervision because a serious infection such as meningitis may be the cause, but only fevers beyond 108°F (42.2°C) have been known to cause brain damage. If your baby under three months of age has a fever or seems sick and lethargic, see your medical provider."

This goes back to a few posts ago...see my rant about immunizations. People get really bent out of shape when they start getting a hint of a cold. What people don't realize is that when you start manipulating a fever, supressing a cough, or taking NSAIDS to reduce aches and pains, they are actually prolonging the process of healing. Sure, tylenol has been shown to reduce fevers, but it most certainly doesn't provide a vehicle for the "bad bugs" to be removed from the body.

These are the kind of articles I think people should be issued at every Dr. Visit. I feel like the health care industry does a poor job educating their patients. There is a wealth of resouces available regarding health, illness and disease, but many practitioners fail to deliver this information. Anyway, I guess I am suggesting for people to inform theirselves, because your care-giver will likely speak over your head, leave you in a state of fear, and treat you for the same thing over and over again (*note, I am bashing my own profession too!)

- The Colonel

BTW, though I haven't been riding, I am not just sitting around getting fat. I have been running and doing some core stuff still, and working my tail off around my house...pics coming soon!

Quickie

2008-03-24T09:48:00.003-05:00

I am beginning to recover from the lashing I took only a week ago (seems like an eternity, and probably will until I get my scores); I have dusted off my road bike and began riding again...better watch it, signs of the tan lines are already emerging. I rode 3 hours on Thursday w/ a buddy from school (and his buddy from Ohio) through the lovely urban countryside of St. Albins. The roads are great really, and the drivers are actually courteous. All of the roads are one lane, twisted and hilly. I cracked at 2 hrs and 15 minutes (moving up in the world!) and we crawled back in. Just after showering, we all headed (K met us there) to an Irish Pub called Clancy's. The food was good, the drinks were better, but the service was kind of off. They were out of virtually everything, including TP in the ladies room...if you don't already know this, you should never mess w/ a woman's TP.

We headed down to R-town for Easter festivities, which commenced w/ a ride abreast Dr. Peterson. Keith and I did about 4 horus, which I began to crack at about 2 hours, but sat up and soft pedaled through it and was able to pick the pace back up in the third hour. Keith went on ahead of me for a little bit while I pussy-footed around, and then we rode it back in together. It was really nice to get some sun on my legs! I love this time of year, when you are comfortable in shorts and arm warmers.

Saturday began cold and lazy...I can't even remember what we did really, but I do remember going for a short hard run right before dinner. I think it was just shy of 4.5 miles, but I only ran for 28 min...that isn't fast by a runners stand point, but it almost made me throw up so back off!

Here are some pics of K's new car...

Yeah, that's right...sliding rear door, 3rd row of seating, and enough compartments to store 100's of dead ba....wait, I mean to store stuff. Anyway, she is a soccer Mom w/ some pizzaz. No, we are not pregnant...that has been the first thing out of everyone's mouth in response to the car.

Three weeks left until break...I can not wait!

This is what happened to me today

2008-03-15T23:08:00.001-05:00

Damn you National Boards!

The hype about flu shots

2008-02-19T19:19:00.002-06:00

So, I started this about a month ago...a few days late, and a few bucks short, here is my February Rant

It is that time of year again, when we are all couped up indoors and sniffleing and snotting all over each other. There has been a lot of chatter about flu shots, and what they do for you during this wonderful time of the year. Here is my insight:

I am not sure how many folks out there are "deficient" in the flu virus, but I am pretty certain that we all have the little critters all over us at any given point in time. It seems as though many people are excited to add the little virus to themselves via a vaccine. Why aren't we sick all the time? Most of the time, our bodies have the ability to cope with a little flu bug. There are common misnomers that people get sick from being outside while it is cold, or they get sick because they are around others when they are sick...well, that is just not the case. I can attest to doing 6 hour bike rides in temps less than 20 degrees out on the road on a windy day and remaining completely healthy (Micah can back me up on this one). The problem is not what we are surrounded by, but rather what we surround ourselves by. If you eat junk, sit on the couch, feel sorry for yourself all the time, and put yourself in the situations listed above then you will probably get sick (among many other things). Poor diets, lack of exercise, high stress lives, and a chemical-based environment all lead to immunosuppression. When our immune systems are depressed and we are then exposed to the "bad little bugs", then we have a higher chance of becoming sick. So, don't be suprised if you don't take care of yourself, then go get a flu shot to take care of the flu for the year, if you get sick...because you are still exposing yourself to harsh conditions.

Maybe you don't understand what is in a flu vaccine...the intramuscular injection hosts an inactivated (aka dead) virus strain, you will also find a plethora of heavy metals. Of these, mercury seems to be the most popular with the press; mercury has been dubbed as a potent neurotoxin, which has been linked to many cases of autism (not to mention ADD/ADHD). There is another treatment; this time with a "weak" virus (live attenuated) strain that is inhaled through the nostrils...yummy! Are dead viruses injected into our bodies better for us than live viruses outside our bodies??? At least the live viruses have to fight to get in; the dead ones (who still release toxic burdens to our bodies...ever been sick after a flu shot?) have a "Get out of Jail Free Card, pass GO and collect your 200 bones!)

What ever happened to the good old chicken pox parties? The Simpsons even did an episode on the subject. Oh yeah, they came up with a vaccine for that too. This article shows just how much control our government has over our health...or illness. It is a shame the CDC and FDA do not implement more wellness/prevention programs. Some of you may say that vaccines offer prevention; I couldn't agree more when considering nursing home residents. They do not have a chance with the conditions in which they live. Dormant, close harbored, and sickly conditions (not to mention awful food, lack of exercise, and poor sleep) is enough to give even the healthiest person a little fever. BTW, fevers are bad?!? Wrong, this is your body's first aggressive line of defense against invaders. So, why do we take fever reducers when we have a little bit of a temp? I couldn't even begin to tell you. Another example: last February, I got hit hard with something nasty (evidently, chiropractic school is a lot like a nursing home; you stick a bunch of people together for a long period of time, stress their immune systems to the max and you get sick). So, 104 degree temp for a two days...102-103 for another and then back to normal. No fever reducers, no cold medicines (which wouldn't have helped anyway); just a ton of rest, a lot of water, a little elderberry, and a lot of love from my wife (and my pets). Thankfully my sickness began on a Friday, school was canceled for snow on Monday, and I was recovered by Tuesday. Now, I realize that I had an ideal situation to recover, and not everyone has the ability to take 4 days of bed rest...however, 90% of the time taking the common cold or flu medicines wouldn't have you back in the ring any sooner. Sorry, off my tangent.

Moral of the story: eat well, sleep well, live well = being well (most of the time). Consider your lifestyle as a preventative, rather than an injection or inhalant. Each day you are exposed to "bad bugs", your body builds up a little larger immune barrier towards them (so long as you are not immunosuppresed to begin with).

Rant is off: sorry, back to life. I have been studying my a$$ off for boards which are coming to kick me in the nutz on Saturday and Sunday the 15th and 16th of March. I am not sure I have ever studied so much in my life (aside from Biochem part duex). I feel like I have been ran over by a really big truck, followed by some little kid riding up and doing a bunny hop and landing right on my head. Good news: it will all be over @ this time next week (it is March 9th, contrary to my post heading).

Other things are well; K loves her new job and her new car (which I still need to put pics up of). We have began a new project: a spiffy bathroom rehab for both the upstairs and down stairs is on the horizon. Parker may be getting a new playmate soon. We should find out in a few days if we were chosen for an adoption/rescue.

I am really excited about the weather making a turn around. I hope it dries up soon, so I can go mountain biking. I have really been craving some saddle time; I have been running and getting my core work on, but I am hankerin' for some bicycle practice. Lots of other stuff has happened too, but it is not like I am any good at filling people in anyway.

Until next season

-the Colonel

Wow, it's feakin' cold.

2008-01-19T22:39:00.000-06:00

Today I made a wonderful and absolutely awful decision today; my buddy Brennan and I went mountain biking. Actually, all things considered (0 degree wind chill, 30 minute drive, trip to the grease-pot after), it was a great experience. Riding in freezing cold weather really makes you feel alive.

So, we rode for a little over 2 hours @ the SIUE trails, then met some buddies over at Fast Eddies for some gub and drinks. After stuffing ourselves to the max, and a few Makers Marks, K and I headed back to well, right here at home. I know you are about to fall out of your seats with anticipation and exhilaration, but that is all I have.

I haven't had the chance to take the pics I promised yet, so I will attempt to get those up tomorrow. Stay tuned for another stupendous post!

Back in the grind

2008-01-17T20:09:00.000-06:00

Well, I am back in class and actually not doing all that bad. Usually by this point, I am already crying for mercy. However, I really enjoy the the classes we are being subjected to this trimester...even though there are 34 credit hours, and like 38 hours in class per week.

So, I took a little sabbatical from the bike. I began doing yoga again, with some core work and a little running. I will try and ride Friday through Sunday, but I have came to appreciate Anne's Philosophy on riding. I will still ride the rollers ever-so often, but probably not religiously. I would prefer to run most days of the week, rather than sit in front of a TV on my trainer. The mountain bike and cross bike have been the steeds of choice, and will probably remain that way at least until I pick up another track bike. I have some pics to get up, and should do so over the weekend.

With regards to racing, I have decided to leave the Mercy team. It hasn't been fair to other riders that I received the same treatment, and put forth a fraction of the effort. I have had a great time racing for the program, and enjoyed the company I had. I may one day return to Mercy (and have the assurance that is a possibility), but for the time being I will be riding with the Columbia Bike Club. I have a good core group of folks I have ridden with for a long time, and we are all in the same place in "bike life". Should be a good time.

That is about it for now. TJ is in Texas...butthole! Hopefully you are having a good time.

Hello Again

2007-12-26T20:53:00.001-06:00

As per my usual tardiness in posting, I am back yet again. Obviously, there is much that has happened since my previous post. I am not sure an incredibly detailed post would do anyone much good, so I will hit some highlights, and make my usual promise to update this thing more often. Anyway, here it goes:

This is the Logan Class of December 2009; Best Beard Contest/No Shave November. We had nearly 30 participants in this years edition. In years past, it has only been those around the bike shop participating in such an idea. I was humbled to see such a wonderful turn out. We had some great beards, and some beards that were lacking, but the bottom line is beards rule, regardless of the thickness, consistency, or added warmth. Here we are in this photo giving the public a demonstration of one of our most popular orthopedic tests, the Valsalva Maneuver. This test can be seen on toilets across the country, or in the gym by some meat-head trying to up his bench max 2.5 pounds.

So if the Best Beard Contestants were the personification of the District Qualifiers, this bunch of fellas would be heading to Sectionals. Those of us who dressed up were on our way to State, and I am proud to say I brought home the State Championship. So, we didn't shave 1 day in November, took some pics of our Beard on 29th, and sported this look for the Sweetest Stache Contest. Many categories were up for grabs, and you can see, none of us took this lightly. Notice my boy Cam playing the guitar on my leg.

This could have been the pose that won it all for me. Keep in mind we were in class for about 10 hours that day...Yeah, does that make you feel good about your future Doctors of Chiropractic of America? Go here for more pics and info.

So, school closed for the year, and things went relatively well. Grades are good, burnout was not quite achieved, and I am looking forward to going back on the 8th. This trimester will be a double milestone: not only will we have taken our first round of National Boards (St. Patty's Day Weekend), but by the end of the tri, we will be halfway done with school. Hooray!

So, the evening we finished with classes, there was a little shin-dig...An Ugly Christmas Sweater Party/9-19 Party. The first is self explanatory, but the later, well, that is two birthday parties rolled into one. This is K and I minutes after returning from the thrift store. Notice my Christmas blouce? Thanks for the tie Dad.

From right to left, we have my buddy Cam-boy, Katie (birthday girl #1), and myself. I am witnessing something that happens pretty regularly around our class...Cameron is confessing his love for Katie.

You may have noticed my hair was longer than normal in many of these pictures...well, when you get a hair cut, and your hair is 5 inches long, you have to sport a mullet for at least a day or two. This is the closest I have ever been to racing in Europe. I actually sported this guy for two days, and survived trips to Chesterfield Mall, the Mills Mall, and many coffee shops and Firestones in between. Oh yeah, I watched nothing but NASCAR during the 48hr period.

One night, I felt like a pirate...
Mullets are sweet!

Anyway, it is 5:45am on the day (Jan 8th) we go back to class, and it has taken me since the day after Christmas (which was wonderful in itself) to get this far with this post, so I am going to cut my losses, and release this amazing bit of info to the world. The rest of break was great. I watched no fewer than 61 movies (some of those were repeats), did a lot of laying around, a little bit of bike riding, a lot of cleaning, a little doctor shadowing, and a lot of internet surfing...obviously not enough here at this site. And I really will try and be more timely w/ these things.

-Colonel

Bubba # 4...yeah, I had to skip # 3

2007-11-06T21:28:00.000-06:00

The Colonel has been up to the same ol' crap. School is cool, riding is going pretty well, and we got out of town last weekend to relax in Branson. Other updates of note:
-I will have my new road bike back this coming weekend...and a new sram force group to hang on it; pretty pimp!
-I no longer have a power meter...but Micah does. I traded him some of my watts (watts from 04') for a few extra chips. Don't worry Micah, you will get your wheels someday.
-I have entered the world of 29ers...not officially, but I have something in the makings.
-I will have a super pimp TT bike for sale...if you are interested, drop me a line.
-Because of said sram group, I also have an immaculate Dura Ace Group up for sale.

K, Parker, and Paola are all doing well. K and I have been busy around the house as usual. Our trip to Branson was great. It is always good to get away from the hustle and bustle of STL.

Well, things went better this round of the Bubbaness.
Josh came in and put together a pretty stellar course. It was a tad longer than what we have been used to at previous Bubba Shows, and the length definitely wore on me. I started out near the back, and because of a first lap bottle-neck, I found myself next to last in no time. No sooner than Butthead passing me on his way up to the winner's circle, I began picking riders off myself.

I must have some weird affiliation w/ riding behind the two Marks, because I found myself chasing them down, just as I did two weeks previous. Thankfully, this time I didn't go yard...twice. I was making pretty decent time back on them, and then the gap just stabilized. With three laps to go, I began getting tired. Then, with two to go, I flat out hit the wall. I was passed by three riders, and couldn't respond to save my life. One of them had a mechanical, so I was able to take back one of the spots I lost.

Rounding the final few corners, I could hear someone coming up on me...I knew Anthony was on my trail. I had just enough left in the tank to kick up the heat, and hold onto my 7th place spot.

Oh yeah, this guy was there too. It was awesome to get to race w/ Tyrone, aka "White Bread".

So, things I learned...don't eat 4.5 hours before a cross race and expect to keep a full tank. As soon as I crossed the line, I pounded two bowls of what some circles would consider chili (don't get me wrong, I am extremely thankful for free food, and the people who provide, cook, and clean up), six bags of orange sport beans, a few bottles of water, and then immediately headed to Chipotle for some burrito madness. I completely hit the wall. I haven't had that feeling in quite sometime. There is some good to this story; my body hasn't even been fit enough to allow for such a beating in quite some time, so I appreciated being humbled.

Other than that, I have been running a little, and studying a little. Things have been tough around the family front. Not soon after my Mom's surgery, the Docs found a spot of cancer in my Dad's colon. He went under the knife yesterday, and took it like a trooper. Mom and Dad have had a tough time this last month, but I am super happy they have kept open minds and positive outlooks on their situations. The have found a home here in STL, and will be closing the deal in a week or two.

Thats all for now...cross race back at the Alma Matter this weekend...can't wait.

Bubba Part Duex

2007-10-22T21:39:00.000-05:00

To begin the weekend, K and I met up with the crew from Logan for a beautiful day at Oktoberfest: we drove down on Saturday morn, and left early that eve. This pic was from Stone Hill. We spent most of the day @ Hermanhoff, which somehow we didn't get any pictures. I volunteered to drive, since K is usually the DD.

Well, things started off good...Mark, Dr. Mark and I hit the gas from the go and made a pretty small selection coming through for the second lap. The Marks dropped me and maintained about a 25 second gap, while I kept about 40ish seconds to the 4th placed rider.

Then, about half way in, I began to get greedy...my body was hitting that "numb" state, so I decided to hit the gas, and try and close the gap between the Marks. I was making a bit of headwind, when I came into a corner too hot to take the right line and totally ate it after slamming my front wheel into this gnarly root. I was going to try out for a spot in the chimney sweep crew for Mary Poppins...I was digging dirt out of my nose and ears all night long.

Good news is: I not only kept all of my teeth, but they maintained their less-than pearly appearance!

Total Damage:
>1 tufo tubular tire (or tyre if you are euro-trash)
>1 700c x 28mm tube
>1 brand spankin new pair of Mercy Cycling bib shorts (not as bad as Anne's though)
>My ego for the rest of my life

My excuse: this is what I was doing before and after the race:

Just for the record, I pulled all of the rocks I had laid down, dug everything about an inch deeper, reset a drain, and leveled everything off by the end of the night. I am still suffering from that. I am pooped. Until later

Bubba Cross

2007-10-14T20:08:00.000-05:00

It is that time of the year again...not that I have every really raced cross on a consistent basis, but this year is different. Since the weather has been almost cross worthy, we decided to break the crock pot out for the first pot of chili. Matt, and his gal Sarah joined us for dinner and drinks, as we watched MU blow their game w/ Oklahoma, and sat out on the deck to enjoy a roaring fire.

My legs definitely are not fried from a long grueling season, so CX is where it is at. This is Bubba #1 I guess, even though there was a race in Carbondale a few weeks ago. Don't get me wrong, cross still hurts like hell, but I am definitely a lot fresher this season.
I was able to make up the most time on this scorching downhill, from dirt to pavement.

They had this little loopty-doop that kept things interesting just after the start/finish area. I am pretty certain there were a few people who ate it here.

The barriers were few today, in fact, only two; but word on the street is each week will bring more obstacles. I say bring on the obstacles, and get rid of the climbing...just my thoughts.

So, all in all, the first race was a relative success. I didn't die, crash, break any equipment, or puke. I may have came in somewhere between 7th and 9th. Results will be on STLbiking.com
If I am grossly off my placing, back off, my head was spinning most of the way through the race.
Lots of work around the house over the weekend, so we stayed busy at the Kippenberger household.

On a sadder note, my buddy from high school Dave's grandfather passed away last Wednesday. K and I rolled to Rolla for the arrangements on Friday and Saturday. If you know the Busch family, please keep Marvin and Norma, and the rest of the family in your prayers. Marvin was pretty much my grandfather too, as he was always up for keeping Dave and I entertained.

Wow, two blog entries within a week...could I be making a come-back? Stay tunned. --(disclaimer: though the previous entry says 9/26, I really finished it early last week)

I have been called out!

2007-09-26T15:52:00.000-05:00

Here you go A!

So, a lot has happened since my last post...quick recap. I survived another round of Chiropractic school, more than doubled my races on the year, vacationed in Wisconsin, and got to hang out with a ton of friends that I haven't gotten to see in a long while. Here are a few pics to commemorate the last few months

While it would be easy to end the conversation here, I am infamous for dragging out stories and situations. I have been riding my cross bike enough to hopefully to survive the attrition Butthead will present to us all @ the Bubba Cross Series. I may sneak to KC a time or two in November/December to race, but for the most part, it is hard to rationalize traveling to races, when races are in our backyard. I plan on making the trip to BoCoMO for the collegiate/bubba race, and hopefully I won't be too drained from finals to make Nats in December.

Most recently, we traveled to Columbia to hang w/ everyone, and see Thomas off for his "Three Month Vacation" to Cali. I can't say I am not jealous, so I won't.

We have a pile of rocks in our back yard, waiting for a drain to go beneath them, so they may blossom into a beautiful walkway...right now, it is just a pile of crap. Pics to come (like next century).

A few weeks ago, my Mom found out she had breast cancer. Since then, she has went through surgery and will begin radiation treatments soon. The docs caught everything super early, so things look good for Mom. Thanks for everyone's thoughts, and prayers, as we think Mom is well on her way to defeating this awful and debilitating disease.

That is good for getting my feet wet again. I will have some more to talk about soon. I may even make a ridiculous statement as "I will update this thing more often...maybe even tomorrow!!!" Well, don't let the exclamation points excite you, b/c realistically, I will see you again in two-three months.

Colonel Out

Wow!

2007-07-18T21:23:00.000-05:00

That was the worst post ever...I thought I was supposed to be getting smarter. I am sorry for wasting your time, and hopefully can come up with something better next time.

I yammied @ Soulard

2007-07-18T21:11:00.000-05:00

Yeah, thats right...and no one got a picture of me exploding. What a waste of projectile emesis! So, I did Soulard. Actually, I was felling ok before my incident; I had to dig deep a time or two, but in general, I felt ok. My equilibrium must have been off, b/c I clipped like 5 pedals during the race...good news now is I have 4 degrees more clearance on each side.

At about an hour in, I decided my time was limited if I was to do something worth while in the race I needed to act quickly. There was a group of 11 up the road, and the race pays 10 deep. They had a large enough gap that pulling TJ up to the break seemed like too large of task, so I went for a 50 dollar preme. If you know Soulard, you know it is hairy; Mark Nagy was leading another team mate out for the prize so I jumped them on the back side, just after the pseudo climb, and juggled my way through the final turns. Things were looking good, but the other Dogfisher came around me at the line...damnit!

Now I was at redline, and my stomach began cursing me. Instead of making turn one, I blew through the sprint barriers only to begin yacking my brains out. It was pretty sweet. Man, it stunk like something serious. Thanks to all that helped in my emergency situation.

All else has been the same...summer school still sucks. Good news: we are heading to Columbia this weekend to catch this years edition of the State TT. I am hoping my boy Tim @ Santa Cruz comes through with my bolts for my seatpost, so I might actually get to ride this weekend.

Happy Birthday Alicia

2007-06-23T23:10:00.001-05:00

A-

Happy birthday...Busy times in STL led us both to forget to call at a decent hour. Hope you had a good one!

Trackin'

2007-06-21T22:26:00.000-05:00

The pursuit race my be my new favorite thing ever. With a good group of fellas, I think things could be a lot of fun.

I went down to the track tonight, after a disaster of trying to get ready and out the door on time. I got to the track, only to find out I forgot my spacers for my "normal" handlebars, which I still had to put on my bike. After frantically rummaging around in the mechanic's tool box, I was done for the evening...but then, a nice fellow let me borrow one of his spares, and Dr. Mark did the same...now, I have to change a flat (mind you, I had just changed the flat before I left the house). No biggie. Oh, wait, I need a rim strip too???? Luckily, the guy from Big Shark had a ratty rim-strip that did the trick for the night. Ok, now can I race my bike please??

Sure, if you don't mind that your seatpost will be slipping the entire time b/c some jackass (me) stripped my binder bolt (which is extremely hard to get a hold of...Mark, Thomas, anyone with a clue of how to help a brother out, please drop me a line before the first week of July).

With all of that, I still had a great night. Mr. Hill, Dr. Mark, Mark O and many more were down at Penrose, and they definitely brought the pain. I missed the mile, but raced all the other events. I don't think I have anything of note to mention about the night, maybe a couple of 4th place finishes in there somewhere, but certainly nothing to get a roar about.

School was tough this week...lots of exams. Story of my life. I am going to a seminar all weekend, then racing on Sunday again @ the Dogfish Crit. Maybe I will see you there.

ps...Noah Singer, fellow team mate, is rocking the house in Ohio. Good job guys, keep up the hard work!

St. Louis Sucks

2007-06-19T20:33:00.000-05:00

Well, so do the people that inhabit this god-forsaken city as well. I have never been in a more unfriendly place. Usually, when I am out riding my bike, I say hi to everyone...whether you are a cougar with a wedgie, or a group of boy scouts building a bench it doesn't matter. NO ONE around here returns the favor, or even acknowledges your existence. I got spit on from a dump truck in the oncoming lane during rush hour on Chesterfield Airport Rd. Whoever you are, you are incredibly lucky that I would have died trying to turn around and chase after you (which I still almost did). Driving...enough said. Orange air quality every other day???? I am from Rolla, the only thing orange down there is the General Lee. Speaking of Rolla, the St. Louisans trying to play red neck need to stop. If any of you drove your $40,000 truck through Newburg, chanting your ignorant comments as you do, they would have you torn out of that truck and hanged by your pinky finger over a large fire that has consumed said truck, all the while, their kids will shoot you with a 22 like you are a pinata (22's are synonymous with bb guns down in the sticks). I have a better chance of riding my bike in the most atrocious lycra through the middle of town, then you no talent jerks have on the 4th of July with a Confederate flag flying from your truck bed.

Sorry, I am just upset that people have forgotten that they themselves are people too. Anyway.
So, I last left you right before the Tour de Winghaven...which I did, and survived about 75% of. It was great to hang with some of the guys, and get my first mass start of the season. I think I would have finished the race, if I had not found myself at the front of the field on lap 13; oh well, what do you do?

Lots of school and stuff. We made it to Rolla on Dad's day to hang with the Dads; good BBQ @ K's house and back to hel...I mean STL.

I have a to secret training plan, so beware...I have ridden more than once in the last week.

Good luck to the boys out in Ohio, and the guys @ Nature Valley.

Lucky you

2007-06-07T22:38:00.000-05:00

Not only are you getting a post, but also a peek at the little face-lift I gave my E-life.

It is Logan's Homecoming, and we have a few days off from class. Unfortunately, we have an exam the Monday we come back, so things won't be all fun and games over the weekend. Today, I took care of a bunch of yard work, and got a short spin in. I plan on riding out to Alton tomorrow, to meet K for a wedding rehearsal dinner. Saturday the wedding mentioned kicks off @ 3:30, and Sunday, Tour of Winghaven will consume all of K's day, and a good portion of my evening.

I am looking forward to the race; a few of the guys are coming up, and Tyrone will be present as well. I haven't seen anyone since January, and really look forward to suffering like a dog and hanging out with the guys.

Speaking of Homecoming, this is a pic from what I can only explain as Logan Prom:
I must say, I did alright for myself when I snagged K...I still haven't figured out how I have gotten her to stick around for so long.

And while I am on the topic of bringing up photos from several months ago, here is the Logan crew @ a Super Bowl Fiesta:
Notice how K and I are at opposite sides of the rooms from each other??

That is what happens when you are on camera crew, setting the camera up on a stack of 100 books in order to take the timed photo. Good times, and great people.

I have some new pics of the deck, and will post them when I update from my office. Until then, stay tuned for more riding than I have done since November!

-The Colonel

I have lost status

2007-05-21T17:19:00.000-05:00

Apparently, I am not cool enough to have a link on Josh's blog anymore. Maybe it is my lack of posts about cycling, lack of posts about wit...or just lack of posts. Anyway, I was incredibly disheartened when I discovered I was no longer on Butthead's A list.

I raced my bike again over the weekend; I skipped the State RR (maybe that is why Josh was mad, Rolla boy skips big race) but did attend the first addition of the Clarksville TT. I had my reservations, and speculations about the course, all of which were wrong. The course was actually great. There was one short steep bump in the middle of the effort, but it was only slightly more painful than a perfectly flat TT. I gave everyone else a handicap (since I am so incredibly fit right now;) and rode my track bike. Now, before you say I am an idiot, hear me out. I let TJ borrow some of my aero equipment, and I would have had to build my TT bike back up from scratch (my track bike and TT bike are synonymous). So, a 48x16 was a tad to large for the climb, and definitely too small for the flat portions of the event. None the less, I received a great workout, and had an enjoyable ride.

That afternoon, we headed over to Herman for Miaefest, the spring version of the famous Oktoberfest. We had a large group from school on hand, and good times were had by all. We camped out in some guys who wasn't home at first but came home later--s yard, and went home the next morning. Lots of fun!!

School still consumes me.

I am out

Things of new

2007-05-18T13:58:00.000-05:00

Track racing is fun...that is all.

No excuses

2007-05-13T20:05:00.001-05:00

I had an entire break to update this thing, and didn't. Shoot me!

I didn't just sit on my butt and do nothing, but I did sit on my butt a lot. I even played with my computer, contemplating on updating my blog but didn't. That is OK.

I survived another round at Logan...I thought I was going to crack several times throughout the trimester and didn't. I think the school likes this whole push you to the edge, let you teeter, and then totter your way back into the game. Whatever works. I came to the conclusion that if I can survive Tri 2, I am good to go.

To kick off the break, Thomas and I scooted down to Georgia to catch some of the Tour, do some riding, and chill out. Our trip was a bit shorter than planned, but quite refreshing in deed. I have some pics, but they are on the other computer and K is typing away on something considerably more important than this (or, at least she thinks so).

We build a deck...it is neat.
This is where wood comes from when it rains outside.

I skipped all of the boring structural details, but here is the skeleton.

...

...

...done and done...well, except for the railing and real step; my dad wants to make sure everyone knows that this is just a temporary step. Funny guy. Big thanks to him, my brother Tim, Father in-law Dennis, buddy Jake, and neighbor Pete for helping us out with this project.

We broke the deck in nearly minutes after we finished by BBQing for all of the returning Logan students (well, not all of them, just the cool ones that we could get a hold of at the last minute). Most everyone either flew in to the airport (which is like 1300 paces from our house) or traveled down the 70 corridor that ultimately ended in our back yard. Good times.

It is good to be back in school, and to be riding a bit. I am a bit jealous of all the racing that I have missed this year, but that is the name of the game. I am hoping to cruise up to the Clarksville TT this weekend...we will see. It is also the MO State RR, and even though Rolla is the host city, I think I will have to pass due to the fact that I have only ridden my bike over 70 miles a handful of times this year. Bummer. Crit season is among us, and hopefully I can manage to hang on in the whirlwind of pain.

So, this is usually the part of the post I try and promise to keep this thing more updated. Well, you know the routine...see you within the next two months!

Hi there

2007-03-31T08:37:00.000-05:00

Some of you may think I have dropped off the face of the earth...truth be told, if you consider Logan a parallel universe, I have. Not much has changed in my month+ of absence from the blogging world but hopefully I can brush the borders, and keep this post shorter than my usual novel-update. I will attempt an outline format:

1) Recovery from the plague...thanks K for hooking me up
2) Survival of a wedding in KC/got to hang out w/ the Darbs for a few days!
3) Began riding my bike semi-regularly...watch out, I may be able to take 11th in a 30 min race!
4) Outline and design of spring project...a new deck. I can't wait!
5) 3 weeks, 24 exams/quizzes/practicals away from a much needed 17 day break from school
6) Hopefully heading to Georgia w/Thom to ride bikes and watch big bike races during said 17 day break
7) Remembering I am the worst friend ever...Angela, I will E-mail you sometime very soon
8) Secured myself a rockin' intern for next semester...Andrew is going to hook me up!
9) My hair is the longest it has been since we all went to Tucson...I miss Tucson! (actually, I think I miss hanging out with everyone who went down)
10) I said I was going to keep this short, so better end now.

Hopefully, I will throw a leg over for a bicycle race sometime soon. I am hoping I get a chance to go down to JMSR w/ the Mercy boys , who have been rocking the cycling scene in several different states.

Congrats to Brad Huff for taking the Bronze in the Track Worlds Omnium...that is incredible!

Hopefully it won't take me a month.5 to update this thing again. We still miss Columbia, and everyone who is and once was there!

Curt

Sick as a Dog...and my dog is sick too

2007-02-13T11:54:00.000-06:00

I think the plague has hit our household...nothing short of an epidemic. K and the kitty are still showing signs of light, but in the end, the plague may still get them.

We had such a nice beginning of the weekend too. Disclaimer, I would kick myself in the nutz for suggesting K and I do this, but this is not the case. She heard it from a few of my friends, and my friend's spouse.--We went to a semi-formal put on by Logan (I know, infinitely gay), but it was 25 bucks per couple for food and open bar (now, that is cheaper than a wedding!) Anyway, we had a good time there. The next day, I had to wake up early for a seminar...I was hanging a bit, but not too bad, just a little dehydration headache. Got to the seminar, and couldn't eat anything. Able to eat lunch, and dinner, then lights out (@ 5:30pm). I woke up Sunday feeling horrible. I couldn't eat again, and I was due back at the seminar at 8:30. I began to feel better after the show got rolling, but by about 11:30, my world went downward into a spiral. 30 minutes drive time and a jump into bed later, I realized I had a 103 degree fever, and a boat load of nasty symptoms. We iced my head, and neck, began drinking as much water as one is able to drink in the fetal position and slowly my fever came down...to 102.5. By this time, it was 10:00, and I needed to get some rest to make it to school the next day. I popped some tylenol against my own will and fell asleep. My fever fell another degree overnight, but I still felt like a pile of doo-doo--> snowless snow day. Since then, the fever has bounced back and forth from as low as 96, to 102.

Now, I am usually one that really enjoys hanging out in bed...but you have to draw the line somewhere. I am going to go stir crazy if this stuff doesn't clear up.

Monthly whine done.

I am still alive...barely

2007-02-02T21:19:00.000-06:00

Exams have begun at Logan College of Chiropractic...needless to say, I thought I would need CPR before the end of the week. It all started with Biochem part duex, and then today was the big dog: neuroanatomy. 100 questions over a two hour block...and we have like six of these this tri. Seriously, next to impossible. Lets just say that I never thought I could be taken to such a limit. The road has not turned however, as we have 4 more exams and two major quizzes next week.

I know I said I was done with the catch-up game, but in this case I will make an exception. Last weekend, I headed down to Arkansas for the second edition of the Mercy Team Camp. The location was absolutely perfect. Jasper boasts an undulated horizon, coupled with serenity and beauty. Most of the guys cruised down to Springdale on Friday, in order to traverse 95 miles to our weekend retreat: an amazing cabin tucked into the Boston Mountains. I had obligations at school on Friday, so I rolled into Springpatch on Friday evening. Doug and I took off early the next morning. We stopped at a little diner in Jasper-proper, and had a wonderful meal. Then, upon our arrival, the team had breakfast number two ready. Grant it we had just eaten 20 minutes earlier, I still indulged in a little bit of grub (hey, I was getting ready to double my yearly miles this weekend...a little kid has got to eat!) After breakfast, we took a short hike it the woods to catch up with everyone, and do a little team building exercise. TJ was stepping lightly, as snakes are near the top of his fear list. I assured him that snakes were long gone by this point in the winter, except for the cryophibious species.

Ride time: 11:00am, maybe 30 degrees and windy. We had most of the team there, so hiding in the pack was pretty obtainable. The 12 of us rolled out, an really did not know what to expect. Andres did not really fill us in on the route, but rater required some of the new guys to use the radios and communicate the ride details with the rest of us. This worked out ok...only three wrong turns, and a lot of miscommunication later and we had defeated the first day. There were three major climbs today, all of which buried me. The first climb I managed to stay with the guys, but the second two put nails in my coffin. The last bump reached pitches of 20%, and all of the climbs were at least 4 miles long. I was destroyed, but good-spirited. All of the scenery, being around all the guys, and just being away from school kept my moral high. I limped in, but felt horribly good!

That night was typical camp protocol. Eating, sitting, chattering, meetings, and of course, sleeping. Staying at the cabin was nice; no noise, no distractions.

Day two: Ride time, 8:30am, temp...I think we saw the needle hit 13 degrees before we left. The good news: day two was sunny. We set sail to tackle 2 major climbs today (which really turned into 3): the climb out of Ponca, and the bump out of Boxley. Ponca was by far the steepest average grade of the weekend, but it was over pretty quickly. The last kick of 18% was nasty, but still doable. Boxley wasn't bad either: I was able to stay with the guys all day today. Descending down into Jasper was a bit sketch: there was ice on some parts of the road, which Doug and I both found under our rear tires. 45 mph on ice isn't something you look forward to. Anyway, both of us kept the rubber side down, and made it down the mountain. The secret third climb came from Jasper back to the cabin, which was about 14 miles all in all. Grant it, the average was 6-7%, a non-climbing brother like myself, who is not in all that great of shape to begin with, got spit off the back nearly half way home. It was almost better that way, b/c I stopped at all the scenic overlooks to take a peek at things like the Arkansas Grand Canyon, Lookout mountain, and a few without names, that were nearly as breath-taking.

Quick to pack and quick to leave, Doug and I stopped at the diner on our way back, and bolted to MO. I made it back just in time for our "Logan Family Dinner", hosted by Shelby, where I think I ate more than everyone combined.

Today (Sunday), K and I are hosting the get-together for the Stupid Bowl. That is all for now, hopefully, I will never have to play the catch up game again.

Short and Sweet

2007-01-17T06:26:00.000-06:00

It is somewhat hard to believe, but K and I have been together for 10 years today! I don't understand how she has put up with me for this long, but I am sure happy she has. Happy original anniversary K!

"Back to School

2007-01-10T17:14:00.000-06:00

...back to school; I've got my boots laced up, my strings tied tight, I hope I don't get in a fight"

Yeah, I am back in the swing of school...or should I say, I am back so school can take a swing at me. This will be one of, if not the toughest 15 weeks of my entire collegiate career (including what is to come!) 30 hours of fun with Physiology, Microbiology, Neuroanatomy, Gross Anatomy 2, Biochem Part Deux and others to boot! But, what does not kill me will make me stronger, or smarter...or cry.

Good news is, bikeleling has been going well. I have been seen riding a bike around with no gears and absent brakes. Today, I finally took it to the place it loves best; the velodrome. Now, this was my first time at the track and I learned many things. First of all, you don't go to Penrose without a broom, and a gang of tubes. I got three flats that finally sent me packing for the day. Secondly, riding the track is no walk in the park. However, it is crazy fun. I think the asphalt and I will get along quite well indeed.

I have also been playing with the total gym...that thing is painful too. I think I know how to do at least one exercise correctly on that thing. I will be huge in no time! Prozenberger, you better watch your back!!!

Lazy Days

2007-01-02T22:48:00.000-06:00

I think I have finally kicked my flu bug, or what have you. K and I snuck up to BoCoMO to hang with the Ozenbergers for the New Year. Niether couple had anything to do, so we watched Jackass 2 and consumed much wine and champagne. I had planned a ride for the first day in 07, but cold temps kept us inside Monday morning in Columbia. K and I drove back pretty early, only to get a quick workout indoors at home. Most of the day was spent upon the couch, watching the idiot box and playing with the animals.

Last night, I was up a bit late lacing my new track wheel, when I heard several "Bangs" in succession. It woke the dog up, and I ran in to check on K (already in bed). I was certain the noises I heard were gun shots. Being the redneck I am at heart, I pulled my rifle out and loaded it up just in case. The cops were in the neighborhood at the exact instant, so I knew something was up. I heard another "bang" nealy an hour later; this one kept me up most of the night monitoring the house.

So, K came home today and mentioned that there were piles of fireworks just down the road from our house, the exact location the cop was creeping by last night. So, I think all of the excitement was for nothing, but holy cow, it did make me sweat a bit.

This evening, I played with one of our new toys I have wanted one of these for a while, and we finally got one for ourselves for Christmas. No, Chuck and Christy didn't come with this one, but I assure you I will have a round-house kick that will take Walker Texas Ranger out in no time. Hopefully, a bike ride of some nature is in store for me tomorrow, along with more fun from the basement!

Holy Crap

2006-12-29T12:04:00.000-06:00

So, I finally have a bit of time to ride, and I get sick. It could be from riding and running on E, but I didn't go out and hammer or anything. Who knows. The worst thing is, it is almost 60, and I will be stuck inside for the second day in a row. I feel good enough to maybe get on the rollers and sweat some of this junk out a bit, but seriously: who wants to ride the rollers when it is 60 out (aside from TJ, who probably thinks it is too cold).

A lot to say

2006-11-26T21:25:00.000-06:00

Prelude: Well, where do I begin? It has been a few ticks, but things are not all that different. School is constanly keeping me busy; anytime I am not working on school, I am caught up working on our house. Both of which are coming along quite nicely. Riding has been scarace (well, compared to what I am used to). Running and lifting are still a staple in my weekly exercise routine. We haven't ventured far from home lately, other than heading to R-town for a day.5 for Turkey Day, which I might add was lovely.

Since I began this post on the 26th of November, I felt it appropriate to finish just over a month later. I have a few other pictures I would like to share with the millions of you out there, but this should be a good start. I was going to attempt to make this look super clean, and organized (such is my life), but I thought instead you could choose your own adventure. So, in no order what-so-ever (sorry, but at least you get to stare at a new template!)

This is a ginourmous resturant in the Valley, known as the Emperorer's Place (or something like that). It has every kind of Asian-influenced food you could imagine. It isn't super authentic (as if I know what authentic tastes like), but it sure hit the spot that day.

This is a ginourmous kid who used to ride bikes a lot, but now thinks that if he thinks about bikes, he can stay fit...wrong!

This is what your floor looks like before you install ceramic tile. Yes, I am a remodeling master now (with the help of my fater and K's father)

Parker is enjoying a little somethign I picked up for him in the anatomy lab...just kidding, but that would be a site!

Paola is still alive and kicking. She recieved many great Christmas gifts, and to keep par she snubbed them all off...except for Da Bird. Thomas introduced me to it a year ago, and no kitty should be without.

Parker is rummaging through his stocking like a bank robber. He grabbed the femur-sized treat from the get-go, and hasn't put it down since.

Sink your fridge into a wall, gain a million square feet (or so it seems). This is one of the nearly finished pictures of our kitchen.

In the begining, there was one word that could describe our kitchen...unfunctional (non-functuax). This is a picture from before we even purchased the home, and K is thinking "my idiot husband better be right about this remodel idea"

We found some interesting things along the way. The chimney was a small set-back, but in the end, it was defeated and put back into the wall. We almost kept it exposed, but it didn't go with the rest of the home. Bummer!

New appliances are neat! New everything is really neat! We even have a dishwasher now. My first one in a long time.

This is almost the same view as the picture above featuring my lovely wife. Notice a difference?

So, here is the quick fridge story...we stole a closet from the adjacent room, closed up a pantry, and put the fride in the wall...this left a door frame in my office from the old closet which now = a book case. Pretty cheech, huh? The old pantry will provide a larger closet for the office, and the rest is history.

I realize what you are saying...we aren't 100% done. Well, BACK OFF!!! The backsplash, base boards and final touches on paint are in the making.

Final prep stages for the fridge. I can't describe the anguish that circulated throughout the household during the project...but is was well worth the time and effort.

I am pretty certain this pic has been posted a time or two already, but this was square one. The first task in opening the room up. Plaster and wood lathes = a hyge pain in the A$$.

Here is that book case I was telling you about. Pretty niffty huh? This is where I put my books. Novel thought, huh?

When we moved in, we had this beautiful fireplace...but no way to make a fire. So, I began rubbing two sticks together, and a few months later, this is what I came up with.

You see, cycling and construction can get along just fine. Seriously, I think the cycling cap/demo crew thing could catch on. It kept crap out of my hair and dust out o the top of my glasses. You can even wear it if you are painting.

Other than all of that, I made it through my first trimester at Logan. That is good. I am looking forward to the next. I have managed to ride a bit here and there, in fact, I got out today and noticed something a bit peculiar...my heart rate was higher than my power output; looks like someone has a lot of work to do.

Christmas was good to us. I recieved two gifts that completely oppose eachother. K got me a wine/beer distilling kit, and for our "together home type gift" Santa brought us a Total Gym. Expect pics of that, plus some other goodies I failed to catch up on.

I am going to try and bein a new rule. No more "catching up". Hopefully, I will just update the darn thing more. If I don't, just consider whatever you missed as something that never happened. I am sick of typing, so here you go...the moment you have all been waiting for. Hope you enjoyed!

18 Days and counting

2006-10-10T19:39:00.000-05:00

That is how long since I have even sat on a bicycle. By far my longest break ever. I have been running and lifting a bit, but my life has been mostly consumed by school. I will pick up my bike again tomorrow or Thursday, and plan on taking my new secret training tool up to Columbia on Friday night, in hopes of finishing in time for a ride on Saturday with the BoCoMO crew.

Life is good in STL. Things with school have been amazing, but incredibly busy as well. I have put in a lot of time and effort so far, and the benefits are beginning to come. My understanding of the material has increased exponentially over the past few weeks, and I finally feel comfortable in my daily agenda. Things I have learned so far:
1) Piriformis syndrome could be much worse for athletes when the sciatic nerve perforates the muscle.
2) Next time you are cutting up dead bodies, be sure to put a bit of menthol/eucalyptus ointment on your upperlip...no one wants to have their upperlip smell like a cadaver lab.
3) Before you purchase a salad for 38 cents and ounce, be sure you understand the amount of ruffage you are getting yourself into...you may just end up with an 8 dollar salad (no meat included!)
4) I fit right in around here: everyone is walking around in the halls changing for their respective labs without breaking stride. Next semester, the first day of Logan Basic, we all get to moon each other to get over the funny butt joke (I will never get over that, it will always be humorous) and to top it off, the motto for the adjustment is "don't squeeze the peach". For further explanation, research the Logan Basic Technique.

On a more serious note, I really am enjoying what I am doing. I can't explain the amount of material I have learned, and can not wait to help those who allow me to offer help to them.

It hasn't been all work. K and I got down to Branson last weekend with her family for a relaxing day.5 get-away. We had a really kickin' condo overlooking Tannycomo (Bendel, we could have crossed paths) and spent Saturday at SDC. Now, I am not the biggest fan of amusement parks, but it was such a nice day, it was difficult to not enjoy the time relaxing. K and I bought a really cool print from a native artist to Web City...look for it around Christmas time. It was good to get away, and put school on the back burner for the first time. On our way back home, we stopped by a farm in Newburg, just a few minutes west of Rolla. The dentist that cleaned my teeth growing up runs Greenwood Farms , and just may end up being our source for all of our meats, dairy, eggs and so forth. They have a very beautiful, serine farm on 300+ acres full of pasture and foliage. We were able to meet with some of the other family members involved, and they seem to have wonderful souls. I highly recommend checking them out if you are interested in those particular eating habits. They do deliveries all over the place, including but not limited to STL, Columbia, Minnesota (no Micah, I am not joking) and of course Rolla.

Watch out BoCoMO, here I come!

Quickie

2006-10-06T06:41:00.000-05:00

I have been busier than I can explain on paper...7-14 hours per day at school, not much time to do anything but think about school. I have been running a bit, doing some lifting, and I am nearing my "break" off the bike. This is the first year I have not had to pull myself off the saddle on like the 9th day off, simply because it is just one less thing to think about, so it was easy to avoid. I recieved a package from Micah yesterday with the second gen Poprad. Cyclocross is on the horizon.

Side note, I recieved a call from Tyrone yesterday...he will be riding with me and the rest of the guys on Mercy. I am super excited TJ, way to go. Meanwhile, TJ is down in Austin working with K-Liv, dialing his body in. Miss you Teej.

To all the BoCoMO crew, I miss you too, and we will reunite soon...7 days to be exact.

Anyone have a right DA, or Ultegra (2nd 9spd gen) lying 'round I could take off your hands? If so, email me

This is where I have been hiding

2006-09-14T21:21:00.000-05:00

To my surprise, school will not be as demanding as I presumed. Don't get me wrong, it will be a straight kick to the giblets (thanks for the verbiage Luke) however, I don't have to be in class nearly as much as I thought. I will probably still be on campus, but at least I can leave the "lair of learning" and go to the library or something. Labs begin next week, so I believe things will hit the fan.

Things are different in STL. I figured I had a pretty good idea of what people would be like around here; I guess not everyone wears lycra and puts more miles on their bike than their car a year. Let me tell you a little story. Classes were cancelled today due to a power outage...wait a second. My rein at MU was the better part of 5 years, and I can't remember one time a power outage, snow and ice storm, hurricane, or any other natural/unnatural disaster happened. Point being, when you wake up at 5am, and drive 20 minutes to learn something you have invested a bunch of money into (well, borrowed a bunch of money to invest into), you feel a bit cheated. I tucked my tail and traveled back home. After a bit of shopping (I had to pick up some pencils and what not) I came home to a very depressed puppy. We haven't gotten Parker out as much as we normally do so he has been a bit of a crab-ass. The problem is, none of the parks around here have a leash-free zone. Ok, no problem, surly there is a dog park near by. Oh yeah, there are several...all of which cost at a minimum of 50 bucks because we aren't residents of the particular sector of town (residents are required to pay 20-30 bucks). Now, I understand that someone has to take care of the grounds, mow, repair fence, ect; but seriously, Columbia has a great dog park, and it is totally free. Well, there is one completely free, non-discriminatory (towards residence) dog park closer than Columbia (not by much), in Wentzville. Parker looked so upset, we rocked it down 70 to get his play on. We were alone when we arrived, and it looked like it was going to be a long soccer match between he and I. Over the course of the next hour, a few more dogs showed up. Two hours in, there was an army of dogs out there. The problem: the owners. Sure, there were some nice people, and I am sure that most of them meant well. There was one woman who just couldn't seem to keep her opinions to herself. To me, opinions are something I keep to myself, until someone asks for it (or, if I feel so compelled to give it, which is a rare case). This woman commented on the dogs she thought were ugly, stupid, breeds with bad breath and so on all the while her beautiful Redbone Coonhound (he really was a pretty dog) played by himself and the other dogs. Don't get me wrong, the dogs are supposed to play together, but I typically enjoy playing with the other dogs, and my dog while he is playing with other dogs. Another woman was fresh off the shacker list. Enough said. Most everyone else was kind, and easy to get along with. Sorry for the rant, I just don't understand the way some people think.

K and I rolled around the airport earlier this week. It was good to get out with her. She really enjoyed the ride too. We saw several F-15's I think (I am no fighter jet-buff, but I think that is the name). Riding comes in waves. Next week, I will begin riding to class hopefully. I need to finish my track wheels so I can roll on the SC to class...painful.

Back to School

2006-09-08T05:51:00.000-05:00

I began my journey at Logan yesterday: it will not be one without familiar faces however, as my home-town buddy Cam and friend from MU Carrie have found their way to this epic adventure. Holly crap though, the room we were in yesterday was freezing...now I know how my wife feels every day of the week. I will have an arsenal of long-sleeved accessories to complete my remainding of the summer wardrobe.

My body is still recouping a bit from Gateway, but I think things are on the up. I have not attempted to ride to school this week, but I believe I will begin that next. Hopefully, I don't have to lug 80 #'s worth of books to Chesterfield everyday...we shall see.

I received a refreshing phone call from Thomas last evening; I had already locked myself in the office to begin reading the plethora of material Logan has to offer. I think yesterday I realized we were not in Columbia any longer, as I am usually surrounded by several people that I have been in school with for the past several years. This was a sad awakening, however, I am sure this time next year things will feel comfortable. We met way too many good people in Columbia...maybe the two cities will grow so much in the next year or so that STL and Columbia will be considered the same: we will have a light rail system that could have my bike and I on the eastern fronts of a Big Tree in about a half hour.

Not much else going on. Parker loves his yard, and the kitty enjoys life just a touch more when he is outside. Look back for some weekend bicycling adventures, as every ride is an exploration!

Quick apalogy

2006-09-05T22:34:00.000-05:00

sorry if your bowser brings this entry up as crappy as mine does.

Guess who's back?

2006-09-05T21:29:00.000-05:00

So, it has been a carbon half-life since I have posted to this ignorant html puzzle, but here it goes:

Since I have last tuned you in, I have moved, became a plumber (yes, I have a workers crack, but you can only find it on my wife ;), an electrician, a carpenter, erected a fence, cleared under-brush, taken a tree down, organized, arranged--and rearranged the house, and driven back and fourth to Columbia enough to make my head spin in circles. During this crazy time, I even managed to portray a bike racer of some form.

Dating back, I missed Tour of KC, because that was the big move weekend. I attended Downers and was unable to race the Pro-Am because I was a bone-head and didn't register...not to self, bike racing must be gaining popularity, or all the Cat 3's in the country have began doping, so now the 1-2 field is flooded. I did race in the 2's event, and had a good ride; alas, the story for this race is similar to last. Good rides do not always elect good results. The elite guys raced well, and Chad earned a spot on the podium (5th) among some of the fastest finishers in the country. Another weekend off between Downers and Gateway sent me to the river for the first time in almost 6 years. Definitely a good break. Gateway was fast and difficult as usual. We had a strong presence, rode well, but unfortunately we didn't come up with the stuff this year. Cagel was resting in 3rd after the new Washington Ave event, and 4th after the Giro. Jensen broke off early, and after several tireless efforts by the team, it was too late. Chad ended up 4th or 5th overall I believe.

Going into detail about the last month would require me to write something equivalent in length to the Encyclopedia Britannica (remember hearing about those as a kid?) so I will spare your eyes and just post some pics. I do want to give several thanks to nearly everyone K and I know for helping us with everything from moving, to providing host housing, to assisting with odd jobs around the new home. Rather than providing a lengthy list, I will just thank you again, as you all well know who you are. We are quite fortunate to have such a great support circle.

I wish I had taken some more before-during-after photos of this process, but here is what I have...in not particular order or fashion.

This is Chad on the podium at Nationals. Congrats Chad

Brad Huff is the first cyclist to ever win an Elite Crit Championship, immediately followed by a Professional Crit Championship. Way to go Chuck!

Yard before

More Before

After

And after that

I have a soccer hooligan living in my back yard...for those of you who don't know, soccer is Parker's favorite sport. He actually has the ball in his mouth.

This is the best I have ever looked at U-city...wait, that is because this was taken only seconds after we began the race.

I look fast with little white-light lines coming off my body.

I will make a valiant attempt to update this more regularly. However, I do begin school on Thursday, which will give me much to speak of, but little time to speak it. I hope this made my 7 or so readers happy.

6 hours for an hour

2006-08-01T08:19:00.000-05:00

Doesn't seem like a fair trade, huh? Actually, I had a great time over the weekend heading down to Springpatch with Tyrone. We haven't had a good ol'fashioned road trip like that in a while, and I at least had a good time. The racing was hot, but I felt pretty good. We were able to make some things happen, and come up with some decent results by the end of the race. TJ rode well in both races (at least he spent 1/3 of his day racing). It was good to catch up with some of the guys on the team, and hang with them as well.

Krista and I are busy this week and next finalizing everything on our home. Finally, here are some pics of our new dwelling.

So far the only projects we have planned are a full kitchen overhaul, a patio, and first and foremost, a fence for ParkerAside from that, we are nearly packed and ready to roll.

State TT Bust

2006-07-25T08:20:00.000-05:00

There was nearly an interaction with some cops down at the State TT, however, I was not a part of that particular bust...I was refering to the bust-of-a time I rode. Grant it, the wind played a huge factor, and nearly everyone's time was much higher than last year, I still felt pretty bad about my performance. Not that I did myself any favors; the lack of consistent training, the debotury the evening before, and the night before that, and the two evenings before that one...

Yeah, so needless to say, not my idea of a good ride. However, we did put on my idea of a good gay-rodge sale. K and I cleaned house, and put some serious scrilla in the bank. We have attempted to blow this cash in several ways already, and thoughts are still brewing; hopefully, we can resist all of our temtations, and put the money into our kitchen.

Quick recap: Friday, we pulled some gay-rodge sale business. Quick ride, and a pile of margarita's later, I was told I was in rare form by my sister-in-law.

Saturday--more gayness, but the cash kept falling into our laps. The only major thing we did not manage to get rid of was the infamous "Colorado Dining Table". See a much older post (probably from my original blog) for details on that one. Anyway, if you need a big-ass table with four chairs, 40 bucks takes the crown. That afternoon, Jason and I Freestyle Urban Crossed around campus and downtown. Good times indeed. We went over to Butthead's that night for a good old-fashioned BBQ. This aided the drunkeness we already started at Rio Grande. Soon after arriving, Jason and I bolted, only to go downtown and scale Jesse Hall again. We searched for more tunnels, but no dice. Maybe next time.

No hangover on Sunday, but things could have been much nicer for the race. I guess you really do reap what you soe.

Now, I am not one to tell stories

2006-07-18T08:53:00.000-05:00

So, I was thinking to myself the other day--"self, you haven't spoke with your Canadian friend lately". So, I do my usual searching of the web for race results before E-mailing my northern commarad; this is what I ran across---

Angela Naeth Second to Olympian Gillian Kornell

At the Oliver Sprint Triathlon this weekend, Elitewave's Angela Naeth had an outstanding race - finishing 6th overall in the 156 athlete field (men and women included) and second overall among elite women. The women's race was won by Gilliam Kornell who raced for Canada at the Athens Olympics. Naeth finished a mere 11 seconds behind Kornell after closing the gap on the bike - riding nearly 2 minutes faster than Kornell on the 20km course in order to make up for a lackluster swim. This is the second podium race of the year for Naeth who now looks forward to the National Triathlon Championships in Brampton, Ontario.
Oliver Sprint Triathlon Results

June 4, 2006
Angela Naeth Defends Title at Hinton Triathlon
For the second straight year, Angela Naeth of Prince George, BC won the Hinton Triatlon. Along the way, Naeth nearly clinched the course record for the Olympic Distance comeptition in 2:07. Naeth was also second place overall among the men and women competiting.

So, it seems as if the Kanuk is ripping up the place in Canadia. Good job Ange, keep up the good work.

While my results aren't nearly as impressive, I managed to get over to STL this past weekend for the Tour de Soulard; this is usually a premire STL event,
capitalizing on Bastile Day in a Historic French district downtown.
The heat kept many at home, as the 1-2 field only brought 35 racers.
The race is usually as fast as it is technical, and with 10 corners, hundreds of spectators, beer-handups for all, and a break nearly always finds it's way clear
of the field. Java and I have been the local Mercy representation and
with two battling the likes of 8-10, it is usually an uphill battle. Good thing Brian can climb. Finally, about 25 minutes in, Brian found his way in an established move, with 8 other riders. He attacked the break, and solo'ed for the next 20 minutes or so, only to be caught just before laps. Mesa had three in the break,
and sent one of their ringers, Jeff Schroetlin up the road for the
win...I believe Josh Carter took second, Joe Hill Third, and our boy
4th. Just before the lap cards began to roll over, they called for the
"pass the hat preme". This is typically the preme you want at an STL
race. I made my way to a good position, then fought through the tough
finishing corners only to take on Mike Lanyon in a full out
drag race...I got him at the line, taking the meager 18 dollar prize
(yup, wrong preme this time...but hey, that was good for a 1/2 tank of
gas). Both of us completely blew our steam, and retired from the race
with 4 to go.

My brother Tim hosted a post-race BBQ at his apartment on turn number two. We had a pile of family, a handful of friends, and enough cats and dogs to make a Disney movie. Good food, good fun.

Afterwords, K, Parker and I rolled over to our new home, and little P took his first little pee in his new yard. We took some measurements of the rooms, and the yard, and rolled it back to BoCoMO.

Tight pants tonight, and State TT is right around the corner.

A pile of randomness

2006-07-13T21:43:00.000-05:00

I have a pile of pictures that I haven't put into circulation yet...so, in no particular order here they are. This pic is a tribute to my boy Titus.

We caught this scalliwag scoping out our burgers in Margaritaville. Our B&B was a bust, so we found other places to hang while in Afton MN

K and I in Margaritaville aka Run A Muck. This was a fun back yard BBQ with a carribean theme that would even make the Coral Reefers jealous. Brock, you would have loved it. JB 24/7

This is Micah and I.

This is me stunt doubling for the previous scene. See, even though we are hundreds of miles apart, we still get cameos on my blog.

Me, looking like a complete homosexual, at the Mall of America...personally, I liked Ikea better; that is kind of a gay statement. Notice my "comfotable shoes"?

This is what happens when you spend too much time at the Mall...Jason gets peed on, Dillon gets naked, drug around the rest of the mall, then passes out only seconds before we have to wake him up to put him in his car seat. Poor little feller.

You would never guess, but I think I found my calling...in the limbo. Yep, that's right, I am done bike racing. I am shooting for the low-riding event in the 2008 Olympics, in Bejing...Schwing!

This was one family portarit too cute to pass up...yes J and A, we will be sure to make a copy of this one for you.

If the first one wasn't enough to make your stomach turn, check this one out with Mom and son. Little Dill-weed has some sweet moves!

Oh yeah, we saw these two people in the middle of the room making a big thing to do...I think it was their wedding reception or something. Micah and Sarah threw a stand up event. The first stage BBQ set the tone for the week, and things just kept getting better. I couldn't be happier for you two.

Look at those three pimps...just strutting their stuff. Damn we looked good.

Ok, I am done with the pics...now on to business.

K and I made and offer on the house and they took our contract. I am hesitant to put the pics up of the house, becasue last time I did that, everything got all jacked up. So, after things develop a bit further, there will more about the home and the area. So, more on that later. The other side of this good news is that K and I don't have to go to STL 2-3 times per week anymore. I have been able to pick up where I left off with riding and training and I think I may be able to salvage the fitness I had before all of life went crazy.

I made a special guest appearance at Tight Pants...no one was excited except Thomas. It was a good time. The great thing about that ride is, you ride out, go hard for a bit, and ride back, and before you know it, you have 45-60 miles under your belt without even thinking about it. I have been running a bit still, and things don't hurt so bad now. I got out on the TT bike tonight, and actually didn't feel horrible. I don't expect any miracles next Saturday, but I hope to at least put up a decent time.

I think I may convert the SC over to a track bike before the move. I have never been on the velodrome, but it seems like it would be a good time.

A special thanks goes out to my Mom, who has been up here the past few days helping K and I get things in line. We have a great support crew (her parents were up the previous week doing the same deeds). Thanks again!

That is about it, I am less than two months away from starting school, so my reign in Columbia is coming to a close.

I ran again yesterday

2006-07-04T08:01:00.000-05:00

For those of you who have trouble counting, or keeping track of things, that means I have ran twice in the last month. I am starting slowly but surely to get my "running legs" under me, so I can do the Chicago half marathon. Once school begins, I will not have the time to go out and ride everyday, so running is almost a necessary evil. Yes, I still ride my bike, and I am planning on racing through Gateway (and hopefully the Mercy Classic), but I figured if I didn't at least get over the painful beginning of running, it would take way too long.

Which by the way, my legs are freaking destroyed from yesterday. I figured a quick spin on the TT bike would loosen them up; I was unpleasantly surprised. This afternoon will bring one of my world famous core workouts.

Bang...happy 4th! I have the opportunity to work today, so I will be taking full advantage of that--yeah...on another note, K and I have been doing some serious house hunting. Our tenative last day in BoCoMO is July 31st. I will probably have to drive back for 3-4 days out of the week and work...in which case, I need to stay with someone; any takers?

So, that is really it. Eat, drink, and blow the crap out of things today.

I ran yesterday

2006-06-06T07:43:00.000-05:00

that is all

Busy times

2006-05-31T08:05:00.000-05:00

A lot has been going on lately, and bike racing has not made the long list of things to do. I took Memorial Day weekend off for the first time since I began the sport, which was a bit odd to say the least. My cousin and former bike racing phenom Jason got married over the weekend in St. Louis; K and I went up early to check out some homes. So, after we got done looking at the set from the Boyz N Da Hood, Don't Be A Menace To South Central, and any other ghetto gangster movie out there, K and I finally got down to business...on our own. Hopefully in the next few weeks, I will have good news regarding our new living arrangements.

Back on the bike this week in full swing has been tiring. Next week, I have the opportunity to participate in a study by one of my mentors, Dr. Pamela Hinton on the long term effect of non-load bearing exercise on bone density. I am excited to get a DEXA scan, to check out not only my bone density, but my tubbiness, and to see if I have any strutural discrepencies...more on that later.

I should have more soon, so stay tuned.

2006-05-19T12:46:00.000-05:00

JMSR Wrap UP

2006-05-15T21:28:00.000-05:00

To say the race down in Fayetteville was tough would be quite an understatement. 230+ riders began Joe Martin on Friday afternoon and by the end of the weekend, approximately 30 had survived the entire weekend (those thirty finished in the front group of the crit)! I unfortunately was not one of the 30, but my team mate Brian was...in fact, here are some other numbers that are important to Brian; 2--this is the number indicating he was the second-placed amateur overall; 10--this Brian's GC placing; 8:53--that's how long it took Brian to climb a 6.8% grade over 2.5 miles. Needless to say, Java is breaking out! Congrats!

The weekend was a tough one for me. The races have a bunch of climbing, and when surrounded by such a stellar field, I am not much of a climber. I finished about 40 minutes down on Friday eve, just barely inside the time cut, and pulled out of Saturday's stage after getting dropped 50 miles in.

Friday went a little something like this. A group of 5, one of which was Luke, rolled off the front from the whistle. The pace was pretty chill, and there wasn't much climbing in the beginning. A few hills and several crashes later, the race had heated up a bit, and the race was on. Coming into a small town just before the big climb of the day (Mt. Gaylor, 10 miles of climbing, 80 miles into a 110 mile road race), a huge crash had me on the brakes, and nearly on the ground. I was able to avoid the crash, at the cost of chasing back onto the field up a somewhat steep climb. I made my way back on, but as the climb kicked up, accelerations had me dangling off the back once again. I chased all the way into Mountainburg, which is the host town of Gaylor. I had just meandered my way through the caravan as Gaylor began to take it's toll on my legs. I was able to make up some ground, but I could never fully catch back on to the group (as other racers were falling off the pace left and right). I got to the top, grabbed a banana, my first water of the day, and another gatorade (I now despise gatorade) and began my long solo TT back to the finish. Coming into town, I had lost steam and motivation; at first, it hurt to go slow, so I kept going hard...then, everything began to hurt. I was hungry, out of water, couldn't stomach anymore sugar, and nearly defeated. A group of guys (two of which were my team mates) rolled up behind and gave me a whistle to hop on the train...a free ride home. Thank the lord. Later that evening, about an hour .5 after the finish, I saw my arch nemesis (orange gatorade) again, flying out of my mouth from the deep crypts of my empty belly. I couldn't eat for hours. Finally, my body came around, I inhaled a burrito, a sandwich, some fruit and cereal; I was satisfied. Good news for the day...team mate Chad took 7th!--Round one survived

The next morning came early (5:30 am to eat) for our 8 am start. The race was hard for me from the get-go, and my hamstrings were so tight, you would think I had a come-along attached to my pelvis (for those of you non-rednecks, a come-along is a portable winch-like object that is used when constructing barbed-wire fences...how many hyphenated words do you think I can use in one sentence). So, a long story short, I made it up the big climb two out of three times with the group, and didn't have a 40 mile chase left in my legs. I was fried. I came back to the fee zone with my tail tucked between my legs in defeat--Round 2 KO for JMSR

Round three brought me to Rolla, for my first Mother's day appearance in longer than I am willing to admit. Mom, thanks for being so supportive of my cycling, it was great to get to spend time with you one the one day our country cares to recognize the person who has probably sacrificed the most for each and every one of us. I met up with K, then we spent time with each family throughout the rest of the weekend.

Today, I spun around with Tyrone in the morning and worked of course. This week is recover and recoup for Tri Peaks...More thrills, spills, and hills to come.

The week before the weeks before

2006-05-10T07:15:00.000-05:00

This week marks the true kick off of the season. It is full throttle from here on out. We travel to Arkansas for the next two weeks for Joe Martin and Tri Peaks respectively. Then, there is Memorial Day weekend, which I will not be attending due to a wedding. I may acutally be able to sneak up for the last two days. The next weekend is the Tulsa Tough Crit series, followed by our State RR, then off to Minnesota for the Nature Valley Grand Prix. That is just the next month. So, that means I have the potential to race my bike 23 times before the 17th of June!
This pic of me from last year's race is depictive of where I spent most of my time.

This year, expect to see me here...only, in front of the guy in the funny yellow and blue kit. Ok, that probably won't happen; but as a team, we hope to pick up a stage win!

The weather has been doing funny things around here. They say it is going to rain, but instead it is sunny, 75, and hardly any wind. Missouri truly is predictably unpredictable.

Bike riding this week has been good. I missed Tight Pants Tuesday this week, due to the weekend; it actually worked out better that way anyway, because I didn't get away from Walt's in time to roll out there. Every day this week is pretty chill. I may get behind the car later today or tomorrow, but things will be on the creep.

I haven't yet decided if I should leave Thursday after work, and get as far as my eyes will allow me (traveling down to Arkansas), or wake up at the butt-crack and roll down Friday morn. The Friday stage takes off at 1:45pm...anyone from BoCoMO need a travel partner?

As of tomorrow, K and I will have been married for 11 months. Kind of crazy how time flies when you are having fun. We are looking around for a place to stay and celebrate while we are up in Minnesota. Micah was kind enough to toss us a few suggestions. Today is pretty much the deadline for that decision, so more on that later.

On another note, Java took 28th at the Tour de Gila. He also took 27th on the hardest stage, the Gila Monster, as one of the top amateurs. Way to go B!

A tribute to Tucson

2006-05-04T22:32:00.000-05:00

Well, Jason had to bring it up, so here are a few pics from our trip to the SW last winter.

This is me, eccentric as can be. This was the first thing I interacted with in Oklahoma...or was it New Mexico??? Who knows, but I tried my hardest to come up with a scheme to lift this ape out of the back of the truck, and into our trailer.

Our sleeping arrangements were not the best, as you can tell, wall-to-wall with beds is something prisioners don't even have to deal with (they just keep thoughts like this in their heads for the lonely days). Jason had his Nintendo 64 Super Sonic Game Cube Spy Bot X-Playstation 7 Gigga-what with him to keep him occupied and avoid...

Situations like this one. 11 dudes under one roof, with three total rooms (that includes the living/kitchen area!) is never a grand idea; but it was cheap. I am not sure that there is anything appropriate on the TV, but with the way TJ is bouncing around on that ball, I highly doubt the program is rated "G".

This was the only means of a bathroom Tucson had to offer. You can see our model Jason here performing the number 1 in a most outstanding way. Notice the excited catcti in the background?

Most evenings were spent in the living area, chilling out amoungst all the testosterone. Actually, a few of the guys managed to escape some of the drama. Ben would frequent StarF#*!$ to read and relax. I spent a lot of time sitting out by the pool, and wondering around, and Matt would just dissapear for hours on in ever so often.

This one time, we rolled down to Tombstone to ride from the OK Corral to Nogales Mexico. It took us through the town of Bisbee, which also hosts quite a stage race (Vuelta de Bisbee) later on in the year.

After crossing the border, and making it back into the states in one piece, we ran into these buckaroos and had ourselves a good old fashioned show-down...yeah, those are real cowboys alright.

This picture is just wierd...I will let your imagination take over from here.....

Ok, back to reality.

So, sorry about the recap, but I just found all of my pics from down there. Expect more to come. I rode this morning; hard. Hard enough to make me want to puke up my coffee...but I kept it down. I am not racing this weekend, due to all of the travels in the coming weeks. I am looking forward to being at the house, with K, the kitty, and Parker. More soon-

1st edition Tight Pants 2006

2006-05-02T22:21:00.000-05:00

So, I went out to tight pants this evening...man, I have really missed it. Riding by myself has gotten a little brutal as of late, and having a group of guys and gal sweating all over each other, and attacking the crap out of the group is quite welcoming. The weather was excellent, and the group seemed a bit more pleasant than I remember last year. Anyway, the first tight-pants of the year was good for me...the group has been rolling around for the past month, however, this was my first, and definitely not last visit this season.

Tour of STL was last weekend: weather looked less-than promising for the weekend, however, our Saturday race at Carondolet was actually pretty nice: that is, if you consider 30+ mph wind gusts a good time. Greeker, Chad and Mat made it up for the race and it was on from the gun. The fun thing about STL racing (compared to all of the racing I have done down south this season) is all of the attacking...Seriously, if someone isn't already drilling it, then there is at least 5 others waiting to drill it as soon as the first person comes back. We got Chad up in the winning move, then put Ankney up the road in the second move. Cagle's group ended up lapping the field, and Ankney's group got brought back...good news is, that Mat won the field sprint, and Chad got 4th out of the break.

Sunday was beautiful again...that is, until 30 minutes in. The field wouldn't let anything go up the road at Forrest Park, so it was just attack, after attack. Around the half way point, it began sprinkling, then dumping, then just raining. The corners were super slick, and the race was split up a bit...you had the wusses (like myself), skirting the corners,while all of the big hard men were rocking them. Needless to say, it created an interesting race dynamic. Joe Hill crashed with 2 or 3 laps to go (*the race got called early, at about the 60 minute mark) and then turned around and won. Jensen slid further than any man should, and Mat took 4th.

K and I looked at a house up in the north city...unfourtunatly, I think we are going to have to balk at it. The neighborhood is great, but it isn't exaclty located in the most friendly part of town. More on houses soon. We will take the camera up next time...sucks thought, becasue this house rocked!

But, it was the first one we looked at, and we were excited, and there is probably one as cool as this one out there for us...just not for the price. Oh well, maybe not all is lost.

I tried to post all the pics, but the links will have to do. Sorry

Wow!

2006-04-27T22:47:00.001-05:00

I tried to post an audio update over the weekend, however, I assume that didn't work...quick recap: Bob Herbert Memorial SR

I stunk the TT up at Bob Herbert. I had a nasty run in w/johnny crapper, and spent the majority of my warm up on the can. That led to a crappy time.

So, since I was sitting like nothing overall, I went with an early move in the circuit race, which stuck, and put a minute .5 into the field. Now, I am sitting 7th overall. We had two others 4th and 5th, so my job was still to work for them.

I burnt a lot of matches early in the race on Sunday, but things payed off...we popped the two top-placed GC riders, overcame the time gap, and took 1st, 3rd, and 7th for the the weekend.

So, I am not really sure why time has seemed so short lately; maybe I am just more selfish with it. I have been spending more time with K and the pets, which has been good. Sometimes, you forget about the things that matter most in life. Cycing has been tough the past few weeks, but I think I have dug deep inside of myself and found new inspiration. There are a lot of changes I am going to have to deal with in the next several months, but this seems to be my typical life schedule. K and I have been searching for homes in STL, with little success. It seems like you have to have a decent job to purchase a home...who'd a thought?

The Tour of STL is this weekend, and I think some of the OK boys are heading our direction...I should probably not mention that the weather is supposed to be crappy; better let them find out on their own.

So, random post, but this is how things are now.

Here you go Micah

2006-04-13T13:57:00.000-05:00

So, it has been a while. Nothing has changed too much. I still work a lot, I still ride bikes, and I still have a crazy dog named Parker.

The only thing that has really changed around the mid-MO scene, is that crits have started. Thank the lord! I have done more RR this season than all other seasons combined. Well, that may be close to being true.

This past weekend was Hillsboro and the Tilles park crit. Hillsboro was a race of attrition (as usual). It was seasonable, but unusually cool for that race. Illinois usually experiences a heat wave everytime that race comes to town, but this year, it was 50 and windy as all can be. The field was as big as I have ever seen it, and with fire power like 10 ABD guys, Nick Riestad, a few Bianchi Grand Dopers, and St. Louis teams so big it would make your heads spin; Java Doug and I had our hands full. The short version of the story is there was a break, and after a TTT by ABD for the first 50 miles brought them back, Trek Midwest sent their guys off like a pack of Saturn Missles on the 4th of July. The race comepletely shattered and nothing good came from it.

Tilles brought several early attacks, and a quickly established break. Java tried to bridge, but after several laps, came back to the field. My turn. No dice. I tried to get accross several other times, but each time was the same story. The break was stuck, so I decided to take a last lap flyer and try and sneak in the money. Tilford thought otherwise, grabbing onto my wheel, while I burned every last match I had. That guy came around me like it was nobody's busines about 20 meters from the line. Physically and Mentally defeated, I sat up and everyone came rushing around for the finish. Bummer.

I have been able to take a couple of easy days this week, and I am going to get out on my TT bike tonight just to putz around. I am excited to get that thing dialed in. We have a TT in a little over a week that will be a good first test.

That is all for now, one of these days, I will make time for things like this.

Old Mushy Man Rock

2006-04-07T06:25:00.000-05:00

That is what I am listening to at the moment. Every work place has it's own style of music, and the music at PSCR is a genre I will not miss. Not that I really enjoy listening to the Dead or WSP all day every day, but at least there is enough going on so I can tune that out.

This week has been our Super Sale, and it has been super busy. With me finishing up my hours at PSCR, and working the sale, I have pulled several 12 + hour days. Training has been minimal this week, as I really don't want to get sick, or break my body down any more than I have to. I have been crashing after work for at least an hour, and then getting my usual crappy 6-7 hours of sleep. I can't wait until next week, when I get to sleep in until 6:30!

K, Keven and I rolled down to Flatty last night for some grub. Good times. However, we were somewhat rushed, because we were on our bikes, and well, it looked like there was a tornado comming. K and I have been kind of rashening our food out, so we can hit up Whole Foods and TJ's (you better run Teeje) when we are up in STL. This weekend is packed full of fun; Hillsboro kicks off the weekend with a painful 90ish mile RR, followed by an early morning of Half-Marathoning around Forrest Park and the Central West...later in the afternoon, we will be over at Tilles park riding bikes around in circles for 60 min plus 6. Somewhere in there, we plan on grocery shopping, house hunting, and Parker playing.

Well, that is about it, for now.

Okmoar

2006-04-04T06:50:00.000-05:00

No, that is not the name of a Chineese entre, that is where I was over the weekend. Another weekend down, several hundred miles traversed, and a handfull of hours racing.

Flint Ridge, Kansas OK
This was a hard race. I set the pace early so that Brian Jenson wouldn't just roll off the front and away from the field. I got rolling in several early moves, that were all brought back fairly quickly. Finally, the field split, and I as in the second group...no worries, we had Fiddler up the road. Well, we thought we could bridge to the front group, and better our odds in the top 5. A few more times up the climb, and we realized they were gone. I worked with 4 BMC guys, and Chucker. For the most part, I kept it rolling, saving a bit in the tank for the finish. We managed to drop all but me and two guys from BMC and we dropped one of them on the decent. Scott Barnes attacked me at the bottom of the hill, and I waited for him to get gassed, then nailed it. I had the field sprint in the bag, but began cramping about 30 meters from the finish. I saw Scott steaming up behind me, and he got the wheel throw just in time for 7th.

NWA Spring Classic, Praire Grove AR
What a race of attrition. Strong winds and high temps with Jenson driving the pace definitly took it's toll. Our team decided to play a more conservative roll today, so we wouldn't all burn our matches early. We also decided that we were racing for 2nd, as Jenson is a complete animal. We coverd a few moves from Jensen, and MMM, but everything stayed together in the first lap. Jenson strung the field out just after the feed, only to roll solo off the front...this was good for us, because with him out of the equation, we could focus on our goal. MMM on the other hand had a different idea. They were under the impression that we could bring Jenson back, and they organized the chase. Now, I am not sure if everyone bought into the fact we could catch him, or if they were just doing the same thing we were; we had four riders in the field, and if we refused to chase (because we knew he was way gone)then we would seem like the bad guys. Well, to make a long story short, we had an organized chase for a little over an entire lap. Of course, in the end, it was all worthless. However, it may have worn on MMM, and the BMC boys, becasue we did end up accomplishing our 2nd place finish. I popped mid-third lap. I am not really sure why, I just couldn't hold the effort any longer. I dangled behind the field for several miles trying to catch back on, and soon, they slowly began pulling away. My legs were aching, something that doesn't happen too often while on the bike. Anyway, I finished up the race, and took 12th.

BoCoMO, Middle of everywhere
I am trying to not get sick this week. I have a lot on my plate: plenty of riding, finishing up my work at PSCR, and the Super Sale at http://www.waltsbikeshop.com. So, yesterday was a 12 hour workday, with a bit of recovery ride on the side, and yes, a core workout. I am going to take my TT bike out for the first time today and tinker around with it. I am not punching it today, but I want to get my position dialed in on it before I have to take it down to Arkansas for the Bob Herbert SR.

K and I are heading out to Les Bergois this evening for dinner and vino'. It will be our fist official date in quite some time. These "dates" will become much more frequent after I have to quit waking up at the butt-crack of dawn.

2006-03-31T21:15:00.000-06:00

Robbie

2006-03-24T06:23:00.000-06:00

Let me tell you all a story about my buddy Robbie. You see, Robbie may be new to cycling, but everyone who rides a bike should realize there are certain things allowed, and well, others that are not. Cycling etiquette may go out the window during a 100 man sprint, but it should always be kept in mind on a 45 degree day on your travels through a town called Ashland.

Well, I am sure Robbie did what most of us did when we were green: he saw two cyclists up the road and tried to catch them. What Robbie didn't know, is that he was trying to catch Micah and I, and well, we don't take kindly to strangers. Well, Robbie did indeed catch us, and we made no attempt to change our speed, or our ride for that matter. Robbie sat on us through the head/crosswind section of the ride, then decided to roll up and say hi (after about 5 miles of sitting on silent). Not only did Robbie not introduce himself, but he proceeded to attempt to ride away from Micah and I in his middle ring. Unfortunately for Robbie, there is a little bump in the road by the name of Andrew Sapp just around the corner.

The angry man and I may have hit it a bit harder than we normally would have up Sapp, but it was not a move that was too excrutiating. Poor Robbie was left, possibly in the granny gear, looking about how this all could have happened. To Robbie's defense, he finally did bring us back into sight right before Lakota Ridge.

Moral of the story: Robbie, if you are out there, next time you roll up on a couple of fella's on your aluminum steed, you should at least introduce yourself (I assume your name really isn't Robbie, but hopefully you see the irony). You may find a couple of joes that wouldn't mind some extra company. Here is a scenario that Micah and I played around with on our way back in:
-said cyclists rides up behind two or more cyclists, and sits on for a second to catch his breath
Robbie- Hi guys, my name is Robbie
Elitist snobs- Hi Robbie, you look a bit tired
Robbie- Yeah, I have been pedaling my butt off trying to catch you two, do you mind if I tag along for the ride
Elitist snobs- No Robbie, we would rather you not tag along...you see, my buddy Micah and I have been having a wonderful ride without your presence, and frankly, I am not willing to compromise that. I hope you have a good ride though.

Here is a more likely scenario:
Robbie- "panting heavily" --after the 5 miles of sitting on
Elitist snobs- Hey man, what are you doing?
Robbie-Well uhhh...
Elitist snobs- you are trying to poach our ride aren't you. Let me tell you a little something about cycling etiquette: you see, if you come up behind two cyclists, you should gather your breath, then simply introduce yourself and ask the cyclists if they mind if you tag along. While in this case, the answer would most certainly be no, you may find someone who is willing to toe you around and tolerate your lack-luster behavior. --the two jerks begin to ramp the pace up a bit, bringing Robbie to his LT; just before Andrew Sapp, the two snobs punch it at the base, leaving Robbie with a bit of puke in his mouth, and a sour attitude towards the two elitist snobs.

That pretty much sums up my ride yesterday. It was deceivingly cool; Micah and I rolled out to Ashland from Mexico Gravel. I showed him the sneaky way around the front of the airport, and for the most part, we had a decent ride.

We got home, K and I cooked up a Thai-steak pizza (mmm, Thai and pizza at the same time), had a cup of Java (no, not Brian) and cashed in. Today I am sitting up at work, thinking about food, and anticipating a warm day (hopefully). Micah has all but yet completed the famous "Coffee Loop" which we coined several years ago on cold Friday mornings. I am pretty sure we were the only two out on some of the mornings, but Osama's always had something warm for us when we got there. It was probably the most consistent ride either of us ever committed to: I think each of us only missed one day over a 4+ month period (and it was a mutual decision). Anyway, because I go to work so early now, we decided it would have to be and English Coffee Ride, (you see, the English always have an afternoon cup of tea or coffee), so we will roll around 2.

Robbie, if you are reading this, don't take my satire to heart, however, do take my advice and you will find much more success on obtaining some company.

-Quote of the ride yesterday - "Curt, when did you become a spinner? You are making me dizzy; I leave for a year and a half, and when I come back, you have went and completely changed your cadence. You might want to ok things like that through me from now on" -Angry Man

-and a close second- -Micah-"Watch him come flyign around us in his 62! Curt-"His 62 what? Chevelle???- refering to Robbie, after the Andrew Sapp incident.

Northern Lights

2006-03-22T06:42:00.000-06:00

All the crew here in Columbia received a package last Friday. It was wrapped in grey, and said to be 1/2 of the best Minnesota has to offer. What was this great gift you ask? It was Micah (the other part of this wonderful half is Sarah of course). Yeah, Micah is in town for a few days, riding bikes in conditions that he could have stayed in the comfort of his own home to suffer through. We are all glad to have him down though, and the weather is looking up, so maybe he can still get a tan before heading back.

I took a tour of Missouri over the weekend, driving from Columbia to STL, then on into Rolla: from Rolla, we headed south and crossed the border into Arkansas, then back to Rolla and home to BoCoMO. Needless to say, all of that moving around put me in the hurt box.

Saturday, the ICCC crit rolled around Jefferson Barracks in a most uneventful fashion. There were a lot of attacks, and several small moves that ended up no where. I found myself in several of them, however, each move got pulled back. With 5 to go, a group of 5 got away, and of course I missed it. The group stayed away, and I had to settle for a pack finish.

TJ, K, and I rolled over to his aunt and uncle's house for some eats and treats. Thanks you so much Mike and Jeanna for your hospitality.

Shortly after, we rolled down to Arkansas, driving into Mt. Vernon and crashing at the local Durry. The weather looked crappy for Sunday, but it actually held off during the race. An early break went up the road, and our team made the mistake of not going with it, as Butthead rode to a solo victory. I spent the majority of my time on the front, attempting to bring the angry one back, but as it seemed, I was the only one interested in doing so. Luke and Plumer played their cards right, and popped me on the final climb in the first lap. Later, Spearchucker got away with those two, and Ex-pro Ernie: again, good poker by Bigshark, as they took 1,2 and 4 for the day.

Columbia received some unwelcome snow the other day, however, most of it is gone and the roads are clear. I will start hitting it hard today, and getting ready for the Dogwood RR on Saturday. This is probably the worst post I have every written, and I apologize for that. Better stuff on the way-

Another day

2006-03-17T06:10:00.000-06:00

This would seem like any normal Friday; however, Micah is rolling into town to throw some Northern spice to our lives.

This week has been centered around recovery...Monday was easy as can beezie, Tuesday featured one of my world famous core workouts, and Wednesday was a nice, aerobic-paced Big Tree. Yesterday required me to make specific watts for specific time periods, and today will bring some pre-weekend openers within a cool ride around town.

K and I cooked Thai last evening. I tried to make a new curry-peanut sauce, that turned out ok...I wish Bangkok would give me their recipe. She also prepared some scones for this morning, however, the recipe called to serve them warm, so we also had one last night.

I sold my cross bike last night: Thanks Charlie, I hope you enjoy it. I had sellers remorse just after it left the house, but of course I get that with every sold bike.

We are heading to STL this weekend for the Sylavan Springs crit, then on down to Arkansas for Hells Kitchen. It seems as though many of the STL guys are rolling down to the RR...should be quite fun. A big portion of the Mercy crew will be heading down to Fayetteville TX for another race in 1,000,000 degree weather. Good luck guys. K and I are heading to Whole Foods before the race, to stock up on some goodies. If we have time, we are going to check on a few houses in the STL area. I should be sending my apps off to Logan soon, so cross your fingers for a lovely July move.

Have a good Irish day, and if you are racing your bike this weekend, take it easy on the green beer.

2006-03-11T18:54:00.000-06:00

2006-03-10T20:55:00.000-06:00

Hells bells and shotgun shells

2006-03-08T05:15:00.000-06:00

I think I may finally have this waking up thing down. Now I just need to get a solid morning schedule so I am not rushing all over the place like a chicken with his head cut off.

There has been some bike riding going on. Yesterday, contrary to Doppler Dave, I went outside, and managed to not get wet. I only had about an hours worth of work outside, then came back after my third shift at work (yeah that's right, 6am-10am at PSCR, 10-3 @ Walt's, then back to PSCR at 5:30 to 7:30. Needless to say, my Monday's and Tuesday's are a bit rough.

Monday, I caught up with some recovery on the rollers, after a hard Ashland on Sunday. After Church, K and I went and did our grocery shopping: the weather looked as if it were going to break, but when was the question. We prepared lunch, and by the time I had the last dish cleaned up, it was just before noon. I wanted to make the noon ride, but it was nice to get some stuff done around the house and sneak out a bit later. Plus, I ended up riding in the peak of the nice weather for the day.

Saturday I busted out Mark's SS 29er; a tornado of emotions comes with a bike like this. First of all, Jason and I went to Cosmo (because it was raining out at Rockbridge). Enough said. Secondly, I haven't ridden a bike with a flat handlebar off road since before K and I got engaged! I used muscles that my body had forgotten about. I began loving the bike, and after a while, I started to hate it. By the end of the ride, I appreciated it. We had a good time, and without really trying, I ended up riding relatively hard. So, as you may have guessed, I did not head down to the Sooner state with the rest of the guys. I did get word that Huffy showed up, attacked the field, Matt Ankney went with, then a few laps later, they came steaming by the peleton. That's right, Huff and Ankney lapped the field in an 8 mile circuit race! That is insane.

Friday was so long ago, I can hardly remember what happened. I am pretty sure I recollect a core workout, and some sort of ride outside. I took Thursday off, to keep recovering from all the travel earlier on in the week. A side note, my father is doing well; he is able to communicate rather well on the phone, and if he could get his tongue to quit hurting, well, he would just be some guy with his mouth wired shut...I am sure there are plenty of women out there that can appreciate such a gesture.

2006-03-02T21:14:00.000-06:00

Dropping off the face of the earth

2006-03-02T20:34:00.000-06:00

Yeah, so it has been a while since I have updated this thing. I have been pretty busy. Riding went well through Froze toes; however, a few turns this week have set me back just a bit.

I rode quite a bit last week, and on the day of Froze toes, I was out for a long day rather than a big result. I rode for about an hour before the race, and about 1.5 hours afterwords to get in the mileage I needed. The race was as easy as it ever has been, with great weather, and virtually no wind. Somehow, two of Tilford's chronies, Doug Plumer and Bill Stolte managed to get up the road early and stick it to the finish. I chilled out most of the race about mid pack, which was about four times the size it normally is. After the first lap, I moved up a bit to make sure nothing crazy was going down. Towards the end of the second lap, Butthead, Eathan, and a few others managed to clear the field with ~ 2 miles to go. Shortly after passing the 1mi marker, I began turning some screws and brought the field up to the 5 before the finish. I figured it was a "make it or break it" situation. Well, depending on how you look at it, I would say I broke it, because I ran out of steam with about 50 meters to go. Oh well, I got my long day in anyway.

I am no where to be found in the picture, but my dad was manning the camera...don't worry, I still love you dad.

Monday was the day of my final. Just before planning on hopping on the bike, I checked my voicemail only to retrieve a very disturbing message: my father had an accident while cutting down some tree branches. I got a hold of my mom, and she said dad was scheduled for surgery, and that I should take my exam, and get home afterwords. Dad had just gotten out of surgery by the time K and I managed to roll into Rolla. He had broken his jaw in 3 different places, had several lacerations along his tounge, face, and chin, and was suffering a concussion. Needless to say, my father and our family are very lucky that his injury was not more serious. K and I stayed in Rolla for a few days to make sure dad was back on his feet. He is doing well, but will have his jaw wired shut for the next 6 weeks. We are thinking about you dad.

I managed to get a short ride in in Rolla, while my pops was resting. However, all of my workouts this week have been a wash. I have been tired from the travel, all the time on my feet, and the emotional stress that comes with the situation. I have opted to stick around town this weekend, in luie of heading south to Oklahoma to race with the guys. I am hoping by the end of the weekend, I will be back on track.

Hell week

2006-02-23T05:08:00.000-06:00

So, getting up earlyier isn't all that bad. It is the going to bed at the same time without a choice that really gets to me. I have been waking up at 1/4 to 5 everyday, which was incredibly rough the first day, a bit more mild the second, and now I just feel like a walking zombie. However, class allows me to get home just in time to not get enough sleep.

Speaking of class, I had something new happen to me last night. I slept through plenty of my freshman classes, however, I do not think I can say that my body has ever completely shut off. I was trying to write down my notes last night, and insted of the usual "dragging the pencil" down the page when you nod off, my hand just completely quit working. That's right, I would be writting, then all of a sudden I would find myself in some state of tranquilly; I looked down, and nothing was shadowing my lead point. Crazy huh?

The past few days I have been riding with Prozenberger. We took picutures yesterday commemerating our first ride in ever together (I know, slightly homo erriotic) but Jason got a new phone and I have stupid ideas. We cruised passed the gigantic tree, and then headed down the crappiest road I think I have ever had my road bike on (aside from the gravel roads that pop up here and there).

The day before, I split some time up between the trainer and the road, and Monday I could be found on the rollers and working on Butthead's favorite part of me...my six pack.

The weekend was capped off with rides inside, the one on Saturday easy, and the one on Sunday was a kick in the junk. My body feels good after the easy week last week, but I am definetly bogged down right now (did you know that in Rolla, I once got pulled over for "bogging on private property"?)

Froze toes is this weekend. The weather looks somewhat decent, but this race by nature always has some extraneous factor that makes it difficult. It will probably be Ethan and Butthead attacking the crap out of each other, meanwhile creating a tornado through the rest of the peleton.

2006-02-18T07:32:00.000-06:00

Morning Commute Weather on Your Drive
8am
Partly Cloudy
5°F
-11°F 20% -10°F 42% From NNE 12 mph
9am
Partly Cloudy
5°F
-10°F 20% -10°F 42% From NNE 11 mph
10am
Partly Cloudy
6°F
-9°F 10% -10°F 40% From NNE 11 mph
11am
Partly Cloudy
8°F
-6°F 10% -10°F 36% From N 10 mph
12pm
Partly Cloudy
10°F
-4°F 0% -10°F 32% From N 10 mph
1pm
Partly Cloudy
12°F
-1°F 0% -10°F 29% From N 10 mph
2pm
Mostly Sunny
13°F
0°F 10% -11°F 26% From N 10 mph
3pm
Mostly Sunny
14°F
1°F 10% -11°F 24% From N 10 mph
Evening Commute See Pollen Hot Spots
4pm
Mostly Sunny
14°F
3°F 10% -11°F 24% From N 8 mph
5pm
Sunny
14°F
4°F 0% -10°F 26% From N 7 mph
Sunset 5:50 pm Check Local Pollen Forecast
6pm
Sunny
13°F
5°F 0% -10°F 27% From NNE 5 mph
7pm
Clear
12°F
4°F 0% -10°F 29% From NNE 5 mph

I actually just had the chance to watch the weather raise 1 degree...If the weather was also able to raise 1ml of water, 1 degree celcius, then our little weather world would have just expended one Joule.

It is freakin' cold outside. I am thinking of starting my car (which lives in a garge) before I go to work...yeah, it is that cold. I talked to Matt Ankney, and Mark Teruki yesterday out of Tulsa; they were bummed it was 25 degrees. If I remember right, we went and rode for a hair over 5 hours with 25 degree weahter. There is not much you should do with 3 degrees, aside from sitting inside w/caffinated beverages, and cuddling next to the heat register.

I am going to go downstairs and ride the rollers...it better be at least 6 degrees before I leave for work. If you are attempting the local noon ride today, wear something over your face.

Camp Wrap up

2006-02-16T08:05:00.000-06:00

No, I did not just get back from Fayetteville, however, I did manage to just now catch up with my life. I was waiting for some pictures from camp to post this up, but it may be a few days yet, so here it goes.

I rolled down to Rolla Thursday night to hang out with my folks. Friday morning, I met with a local chiropractor who is an alumnus of Logan and consequently a cyclist. Dr. Peterson seems to be a great practitioner, and I would highly recomend him to all the peeps of R-town. I got on the road a bit later than expected to Ar-kansas, but I managed to get there in one piece.

The first night, we just hung around the house, waiting for everyone to arrive; over dinner, we discussed the purpose of the camp, and the expectations of the season. Our director, Andres Angulo , is a great guy. He has a great passion for the sport, and generally cares about people. I think it will be a good relationship for the team. After dinner, a bunch of relaxing and talk of the upcomming year filled the house with excitement.

Saturday brought some pretty challenging weather, as Fayetteville is usually pretty mild throughout the winter. They experienced season lows (14-22 degrees) wind and snow to boot. The snow was not heavy enough to stick, well at least for the first few hours. Our morning ride (which began at 7:30am) was pretty chill. Andres had us do a few drills, then drill it up the Hell's Kitchen climb, which we will be seeing again in less than a month. Good thing too, because I blew my entire wad on the not-so steep section of the climb, which left me red-lined for the part that hits the fan. Towards the end of the ride, we began to ride very smoothly together.

Our afternoon ride was posponed due to heavy snow dumping from the clouds above. We finally got out on the bike around 2:30 and began spinning through the white fog. At one point, I looked up the road, then at Fiddler, and asked if he could see any further than 10 feet in front of him...his reply, "you can see 10 ft?". Yeah, it was snowy. We cut the ride just a bit short, and rolled back to the Irwin's house (another team mate, who's family was gracious enough to let us take over their castle). More chatting about the season and team building commenced in the evening, as we all sat around exhausted from the day.

Sunday we woke up early to get our ride on, however a bunch of ice was keeping us off the road. We waited a few hours, let the ice melt, and got out on the road. Originally, we were planning on riding Friday's stage of Joe Martin so we could take a peek at Mt. Gaylor: instead of riding the entire loop, we rolled up the back side of Gaylor, decended the race side, then climbed back up out of Mountainburg to check it out. I have never felt as good going up that climb, (which, in the three times I have done it, I was pretty satisfied) so hopefully I won't lose 45 minutes to the leaders this year. More drills and paceline work took us back into town. After a short team lunch at Flying Burrito, a quick triple americano for the road, I was back in the car and back to Columbia.

I have been taking it easy this week, and riding when I can. Monday was a day completely off, then yesterday, I rode with TJ and K for about an hour.5. Wednesday was, you guessed it, a core workout, and today will be a short ride at tempo.

For V-day, K and I had Wes and Anne over for Thai food, and then went out to The Forge and Vine for some drinks. We stayed out a bit later than normal, but time just slipped away with the good times. K was trashed, and spilled water all over the place. She provided much of the entertainment for the evening. I also had an interview with Progerssive Spine and Rehab ; I found out yesterday I got the job, and will be starting on Monday. I will still work at Walt's, in a slightly more abbreviated fashion, and keep on turning pedals.

School is almost finished, and that will be a huge weight off my shoulders. On another note, K may go to STL this weekend to become a USCF official. It would be nice to have the option to pick up some extra sctatch each weekend, but the fact that she will be learning more about he sport really excites me. We will see. Pictures soon:

Storm of the century

2006-02-08T10:34:00.000-06:00

It's snowing...all the better reason to head 6 hrs south to ride over the weekend. My hell week is nearly over, as I will take an exam this evening to put the icing on the cake. It has been trying, but things will be fine in 3 weeks.

Froze toes is just around the corner, and I can't tell you how excited I am to get the ball rolling with race season again. After the weekend, I should have a pretty good idea of what my schedule will look like: check back soon for details.

On a side note, check out my buddy Brocks Blog on Fly fishing...found just to your right under "good people"

I got my core work on this morning, and a bit of studying to boot. Tomorrow, I will probally hit up the rollers again, and get on the road that evening to Rolla to pay my parents a visit. I hate leaving K for 4 days, not to mention Parker and Paola. I still may wait until Friday morning to leave, but I would like to see the fam too.

Stupid Bowl

2006-02-06T08:17:00.000-06:00

The Anti Super Bowl-Super Bowl Party. I really don't care much for professional sports, aside from a select few: cycling, wrestling (not wwf, but olympic), the X-games, and the Olympics. I could do without all the others. However, the Stupid Bowl offers K and I a great chance to have some peeps over and have a good time.

The day began with a little church action, followed by a slightly colder than cold ride. Java, a new guy named Hans, and I rolled out at 11 to make sure I got back in time to help clean house. We rolled up to Old # 7, into Harrisburg, then cruised by Tracy's mom's house, and back in. The first 20 minutes of the ride were the coldest, I believe a mere 18 degrees. As the sun rose higher overhead, the day warmed up (to a blistering 29) and my face became pliable enough to begin talking again.

The party was fun: Keven and Seth from the shop rolled over, as well as the Podium, Wes and Anne, T and Lesley, and a special guest appearnce by Java. I think the Steelers won...good for them.

This week is going to be a bit rough: I have school and work everyday, until Friday that is, when I drive down to Ft. Smith for our final team camp before the season. I also have an exam on Wednesday, which throws a curve ball into the week. However, I will only have 3 more weeks of this crap after I make it through this one.

Holy wind storms batman

2006-02-03T15:42:00.000-06:00

Yeah, it is freakin' windy...That was me before I turned into the headwind; damn, I should have taken an after photo. I trudged through however, and managed about 4.5 hrs today. I spent the first hour .5 with Thomas and TJ. We saw this gigantic tree. It was huge! Yeah, so we did a Big tree, then Teej turned off, and T and I rolled up to New Haven...I kissed him goodbye and rolled on down to Ashland. This was the least painful part of the day, because the wind was out of the North West. As soon as I turned into Ashland, it was on like Donkey Kong.

I battled back and fourth with the wind through the turns, and it finally beat me. I had to slow my roll on, in order to make it home. I found out when I got back that it was blowing at 15mph, and gusting to 30.

None the less, the ride was good. A bit chilly, but it seems as though us Midwesterners better get used to 30 degrees once again.

I'll tell you who did it

2006-02-03T06:52:00.000-06:00

Twas that damn ground hog. He is brining the cold weather over the weekend and next week. Actually, I had a customer inform me that if you look at the calendar, that winter was another six weeks regardless. You see, it is just another way our society tries to fool us (he used more explicit language). "spring is just around the corner!", yeah, no crap, because 6 weeks is nothing. Catch 22.

I rode bikes yesterday. It was fun. I am going to ride bikes longer today. Hopefully someone like the Teej will join me. Wednesday I lived up to my nickname: Court. Thanks Micah. I will probably do all of my work inside on Saturday, and then get out for something longish before noon on Sunday (so I can participate in our Anti-superbowl party) I originally wanted to have a bunch of people over, and watch movies or cycling flicks in lieu of the bowl game...problem is most of the people coming over, would at least like to have the game on. I may be downstairs watching the trainer-vision, with the 04 Paris-Nice kickin'.

Happy, Happy, Happy

2006-01-31T22:34:00.000-06:00

Happy Birthday Micah! But I can't believe you, Jason and I are not racing together this year...it didn't really hit me until I read this:

The team also welcomes newcomers Micah Moran, junior Jens Brabbit, as well as upgraded racers Andrew Kruse, Matt Muyres, and Jesse Rients to the team.

*Ian Stanford (Winona, MN) - Cat 1
*Matt Henry (Northfield, MN) - Cat 2
Doug Swanson (Plymouth, MN) - Cat 1
Andy Minier (Anoka, MN) - Cat 1
Aaron Johnson (Princeton, MN) - Cat 2
Dan Swanson (Plymouth, MN) - Cat 2
Scott Ralston (Farmington, MN) - Cat 2
Micah Moran (Minneapolis, MN) - Cat 2
Andrew Kruse (Minneapolis, MN) - Cat 2
Matt Muyres (Minneapolis, MN) - Cat 2
Jens Brabbit (Winona, MN) - Cat 2/junior
Jesse Rients (Minnetonka, MN) - Cat 2
Anne Grabowski (Minneapolis, MN) - Cat 2

* Denotes co-captains

Team website: www.flatcity.org

I guess we will always be together...in other news, I have been riding some bicycles lately. I did not make it to either of the nooners: one, I had to work. two, rest weeks are blissful.

I rode with T today, TJ on Sunday, by my lonesome every other day, for various times and intensities. I really just wanted to update this to wish my boy Micah a good one. Oh yeah, btw, I graduated today. Cool poop huh?

Low Temps=Tempo

2006-01-26T13:01:00.000-06:00

I went about my morning in a most lackadaisical way. Most mornings, I am getty-up and go, however, today I was on a mission: to avoid the day as much as possible. It began much like every other morning, the lights went off at 6am, I took a leak, let Parker out to do the same, and while he was eating some breakfast, I made some espresso. Then, I turned the next corner of my day to the office, and began my internet surfing agenda. After I was finished with that, I walked about the house, aimlessly; up the stairs, down the stairs I went. Finally I had convinced myself that if I was going to do anything this morning, I had to get to it.

Sorry about the story, I rode the rollers for an hour today at tempo. I felt a bit rushed after my morning of laziness, so riding out doors was kind of out of the question. Yesterday was tough, with 8 hrs of work and 5hrs of school. I did manage to crank out yet another core workout though!

K is still on schedule to run 13.1 miles 11 weeks from Saturday. I am proud of her: Micah once said to me, "the only reason you would ever catch me running, is if I were running from something much more dangerous than myself"...while that my be paraphrased, it was a good tip. Micah has since taken up running. Speaking of runners (no, not in your panty hoes), Prozenberger is going to do the marathon with K and A...Don't you guys remember, running is bad for you.

I have tomorrow off, so riding and school will be on the mind. Oh yeah, and I will probably do another core workout too; 0

Recover from Tulsa Sooner

2006-01-24T07:49:00.000-06:00

Yeah, the weekend has me bogged down a bit. It would be different if I didn't have to come back to work and school right away. That's ok, I was looking for a recovery week anyway.

Quick Summary:
Friday, traveled down to stay with Doug and Amber...thanks guys. You are wonderful hosts.
Start List: Myself, Doug, Chad Cagle, Steve Cate, Matt Ankney, Stefan Rothe, Java, and Brice Jones.
Saturday: Woke up early and rolled to Tulsa. Rode for 6 hrs, 110 miles, 3900 kj=ouch. Tulsa is much different than I thought it would be. Quite rolly and painful. The wind was certainly a factor that I had already thought about.
Saturday Night: The Cagels and Matt Ankney hosted the camp; Chad and his wife Jen had everyone over for dinner that evening. All of the wives were having their training camp too, and cooked a fabulous meal. After dinner, we all headed downtown to check out the Tulsa Night life. Everyone made it to the last stage, except Java and Ankney: Matt was sick, and Java is just a wuss.
Sunday: Start list was the same as above, minus Ankney, plus Fiddler, this Trek VW pro, and uncle pain. Similar route, this time a hair more rolly. Something was way different though. Rode for 5 hrs, 110 miles, and 3800kj (I sat in for the second half of the ride, for fear of exploding). There was little wind today, but the amped up pace sure made it a tough ride.

Amber was kind enough to drive back to SpringPatch, then we had dinner at the Mud House downtown and rolled back to BoCoMO.

Thank you to everyone who helped/hosted this weekend. Cagles, you guys are great. Greeks, you already know what I think about you, but thank you again. BTW, the cake was fabulous. It was great riding with everyone, and I look forward to the camp in Feb.

Out of town

2006-01-20T06:43:00.000-06:00

K and I are heading out of town this evening to meet up with the guys down in Tulsa. The weather has been pretty consistent down there, so we should be in store for some beautiful days.

This week has been challenging with classes, and preparing to leave. I had to take a quiz yesterday (that would have been taken this evening), so all of my reading had to be done in advance. I will have a lot to do when I get back as well, but I am off on Monday.

So, in reverse order, Thursday I headed out to the Highlands and did some strength work, and Wednesday was reserved for one of my famous core workouts. Today will bring yet another chronicle of the Colonel's Core Workout. I am thinking about quitting cycling and just doing core work...

Guess who's back?

2006-01-18T07:08:00.000-06:00

The Teej is back. T and I met up with Tyrone yesterday for a spin. TJ was in wuss mode, and only rode with us for an hour, while Thomas and I cold-forged for another hour .5. Somewhere in the middle, I managed to do some strength work (which I am still feeling as I sit and type this).

I got a chance to play a quick catch up with Micah and Java yesterday. It is crazy, I talked to a lot of my close friends that I have not seen in a while yesterday. Everyone is great, motivated, and ready for the season.

I am probably going to take the next few days easy and prep for our camp this weekend. This is supposed to be a rest week, so I should take my own advice. TJ, I will be soft peddling with you the rest of the week.

Beatin' the rooster

2006-01-17T06:33:00.000-06:00

After I installed the timer on one of the lights in K and I's room, I have miraculously turned around my horrible morning routine of hitting the snooze button and waiting until the last minute to do everything. If you are having any trouble at all, I would highly recommend the timer, or a full blown dawn simulator, which is a bit less abrasive.

T and I did a lakey loop yesterday on the chill bus. We had a chilly, but otherwise beautiful start to an awesome day.

A few treadmill deliveries made my day at Walt's go by pretty quick, and soon I was back home.

K began training for a 1/2 marathon yesterday. I am really excited about her goal, and hope she has a bunch of fun in the process. I know Parker will. Alicia is her partner in crime, so having a buddy usually helps.

Last evening, I hit up my core, ate some really kickin' chicken and noodles (we bought an entire chicken the other, some really clean egg noodles, and K whipped up a fabulous dinner), did some studying and more work on my schedule. There seem to be a lot of races this season: I am getting really excited.

High Noon

2006-01-16T06:55:00.000-06:00

My first nooner in nearly 8 months went well yesterday. I could be exaggerating on that number a bit, but for all practical purposes, it is probably accurate. We had a great day to work with, sunny and near 60. I saw a lot of skin on the ride, which is always a treat in Mid-January.

So, the group rolled pretty chill up through the Old # 7, in and out of Harrisburg: things began getting railed up going into Fayette. It was just fake however, as the pace backed off again and we came to a stop at the local Casey's.

Rolling out of Fayette, we had to deal with a pretty substantial headwind. Fish suggested an echelon on the way back. Though I was skeptical (because if you get involved in a paceline on a noon ride, ultimately it turns in to a hammerfest) but none the less began taking pulls. We soon had the pace drilled, and no one was responding to me trying to slow things down a bit. I tucked back into the pack, and chilled out. We came up to a stop to wait for some others, when a local tri-guy rolled up on our group. He was heading back to Columbia so our group invited him to endure the headwind with several, rather than by his lonesome. He was a chatty fella, but just a few minutes of us rolling off, he went around the pack, tucked into his aerobars, and attempted to leave our peleton behind...You just don't do that. Especially to a group of competitive cyclists. So, we sent Jimmy Mc and Tracey across. Call us immature, but hey, you don't poach rides, then attack the guys who gave you an invitation. So, while the two gradually picked up the tempo through the rollers, we got back on the front in our paceline, and slowly brought this d-bag back. After flying by him (and sticking him out of the slip stream) we cruised away at 25+ mph. The pace stayed nailed through some of the toughest climbs of the day.

Guppy attacked on the first big climb of three heading back into the intersection of Big Tree and Home. I countered, but sat up at the top of the hill. BTW, watch out for lil' Fish this season. I can not believe how much this kid has improved over last. He is super strong, and he can ride his bike in a straight line now. Then, we nailed the pace down the hill, and Fish attacked at the bottom...I really did not have much to respond with, so I crawled up the next climb, and did my classic TT chase back up to him. We totally chilled it out up the last climb to wait for the others, and see who would take the turn around the huge tree with us.

So, 82 miles later I was home. You really can't argue with 60 degree days in January; I have a feeling in the back of my head that we are going to pay for it in February and March. I guess time will tell.

Klutz

2006-01-15T06:59:00.000-06:00

I made two costly mistakes yesterday: I nearly dropped a treadmill on myself, and I nailed my elbow with my knee while riding the trainer. Note to self; you shouldn't drop heavy objects on yourself, and you should never kick yourself. Let this be a lesson to all.

I endured another five hour session of physics, which was lovely. The cool thing is, I only have to do it now for 7 more weeks. Time flies when you are having fun.

One of my co-workers informed me of a race in KY the second weekend of February. I really enjoy racing in the green country, so I may follow suit. Teej, you ready? The only down fall is that travel will just be starting to pick up at that time, and I could just stay at home. The weekend before, I will be down in Ft. Smith for another team camp...I guess we will see.

Friday, I did a recovery "session" on the rollers (sorry, but we have a group of gravity guys who ride on the order of "sessions", so I figure I can too). While on that note, MU has sprouted several up and coming guys who like to go big and drop their bikes off things that it hurts my neck to look up at. I am excited to watch them develop as cyclists.

Saturday, I had to work, then I dropped the tread, then I came home to try and do my second baseline test (to test the accuracy of the first). I found that I will need to do another (partly because I kneed my elbow, and couldn't feel my arm for the majority of the test) because after being on my feet at work all day, I did not feel like suffering on the trainer. I am really not sure if I feel like suffering on the trainer at all...it really sucks. I am going to do some searching around to see about doing another test out on the road.

Today, I will hit my first nooner of the year. I am bummed, because I missed the sequal to A Cold Day in Hell starring Prozenberger and his second go at a come-back tour on the bike. I hope he may muster up the time to ride a bit with us today. We will see.

Dawn at 6:30...in January?

2006-01-13T07:15:00.000-06:00

Of course not. But, I hooked up a Christmas tree light timer to one of the lights in our room, and it is kind of like a rude and abrubt dawn. The little system works pretty well. In fact, this morning I even woke up waiting for the light to turn on. Funny if you mix your routine up in the morning, how refreshing it can be.

So, with work from 10-5 and class from 5-10, it doesn't leave a whole lot of time and strength to get a ride in. Wednesday, I did get some solid core work in, but no ride. I think that may be how my Mondays and Wednesdays go for the next 7 weeks. Today, I am off, so I will be able to ride and attend class. Rock!

Yesterday, I went outside to do a strength workout. I am finding that I should probably just stick indoors to do those, where things are a bit more controlled. I think I say that every week, but it has been so nice, I don't want to miss a sunny day.

Like I said, I am off today, but it is already snowing. This may mean a ride on the CX bike. That may end up being a good thing, because my road bike is partially disassembled. We will see. I also need to take Parker out somewhere, he has been cooped up like, well, like something that has been cooped up for a while. If you read A's blog, you will understand that I am just not fully awake yet, thus, I make absolutely no sence.

Recap...nightcap

2006-01-10T19:57:00.000-06:00

Just a quicky...if K finds out I am doing this in lieu of my homework, I am busted. So, Wednesday did nothing but get my core on (TJ, we are going to have an awesome abs contest when you get back...) Thursday I did a strength workout north of town, Friday was an easy spin, Saturday, Pedro and I did the Tour of the Ozarks ride, in reverse, with a killer headwind for the first 40/103 miles. Sunday, I rode down to Skank James and back.

In the mean time over the weekend, K and I had a wonderful visit with my 1/2 siblings and my two nieces. My bros played with Parker, and we did a lot of sitting around, and a lot of sport eating. Good times. On our way back to BoCoMO, K and I stopped at the Vichy tower and ran Little P around the fire roads.

Monday was scary. I enrolled in Physics in the morning, went to work, then went to class for 5hrs. Yup, I am back in class again. Hence, I did not get a good workout in. I have started to commute again, I will let you know how that goes. Today, K and I cleaned house all day, I rode the rollers because it was sh--y outside. Another strength workout (which on the rollers is tough, I had to carry a much higher rpm than normal). We went out to breakfast with Lesbo and T, had the Prozenbergers over for lunch, then visited the podium trio at their place for dinner.

So, things are going to be busy, but for those who know me, I wouldn't have it any other way. Things will be tough, but I will manage.

Square One

2006-01-04T19:10:00.000-06:00

Yesterday I rolled down to Jeff City on my day off in pursuit of pancake flat roads. Hwy 94 is the venue for the state TT, also, a great place to do a baseline test. It was a bit chilly (~45) and a strong wind out of the south at 12-15 mph. Good news about time trials into the wind, there is a tailwind at the turn-around.

So, I about threw up on myself, but things went relatively well. As suspected, I am definitely on my way to some sort of form...however, that form is certainly at a distance. After my two efforts, I rolled back to the car, took down a recovery shake, then suited up with some warmer clothes and headed to Holt's Summit.

There is a problem with riding on that side of Jeff...you have to ride down 54 to get there. After reaching the exit, there is a long climb into town, then it levels off, much like a plateau. As I rolled through the small network of towns (Holts, Lake Makke, and New Bloomfield), I quickly realized that the highway seems to disappear (however, I was actually enveloped by 54 and 63. Most of the homes in the towns were quaint, but offered a lot of property. There was not much in the means of farming, but many horses, cows, and vineyards.

Some jackass had to ruin my view of this unique niche; driving a huge Toyota SUV, a group of younger guys swerved from the left lane into mine, giving me the bird, and honking like a bunch of tools. I rebuttled with my classic wave, head shake, and to put the icing on the cake, I gave them Thomas's favorite: the kiss goodbye.

I traversed nearly to Fulton, then turned around and headed back. I do believe I may have stumbled upon a road that would take me to Guthrie...now, I have to figure out how to make a loop out of all these new-found roads. Wouldn't you know it, the same db's past me in their ginormous SUV, this time limiting the antics to honking and waves. Who knows, maybe they thought they knew me. No, they were definitely idiots.

The evening brought a better mood; K and I had the Prozenberger Podium over to the house for some lasagna. Though K has made it before, this was the first time I had really made it from scratch (well, that I can remember). It turned out excellent (if I do say so myself), and everyone else seemed to think so too. Little D is getting so big. Parker finally outweighs him. They paralleled each other for a few months, but P took Dillon at the line.

Today was a quick recovery ride on the trainer, and I gave my core the old heizman. Tomorrow is another day.

Yeah for rain

2006-01-02T21:08:00.000-06:00

As you may have guessed, it was raining today. Not bad, but a definite mist. However, it is kind of hard to be discouraged when you are on a new
rig. So, I shoved off. I was discriminatory about the wind however, and made sure I followed the path of least resistance. I had a chilled out ride, with a few sets of spin ups and called it good. I got home, showered and ate, and barely made it to work.

On New Years day, K and I slept in a bit (until 9), after our super late night (~12:03) and made biscuits and gravy from scratch...you know, there is really no reason to ever eat b&g any other way. Mom, you better be ready next time we come to town. So, I rolled up to the shop to help out with some fine-tuning of our inventory closeout (no, Walt's is not closing, we just have to count stuff every so often)and then met up with K and some of her co-workers for a bike ride. We cruised down the Katy trail to McBain, and then K and I took some gravel home while the others headed back on the MKT. Krista has not been out for a ride over 1.5 hours in a while, but she trudged on like a soldier. It is amazing, when you are a bike racer, you hardly think about the little important things that make a huge difference. Take eating on the bike for example, K had no problem determining when to eat...she would yell at me to stop, and then pound a luna bar. Oddly enough, her body told her to eat nearly every hour. Physiology is great isn't it?

So, New Years Eve, we had some really bitchin' Chinese at one of my buddy's restaurant. Ryan "Q" Quian moved to Rolla his freshman year of high school. He spoke very little English, so we made sure he knew the basics. After several confrontations with various teachers and school administration, Q quit taking our advice on word choice, and took up wrestling. Oddly enough, Q always had a plethora of Chinese appetizers in his travel bag when we were off to a meet. Egg rolls and crab rangoon quickly became the fuel of choice for the Rolla Wrestling Team (picture possibly on the way). So, to make a long story short, if you click on this you will get a good idea of what others think of this fabulous restaurant. After our dinner, we grabbed a drink with a few of K's friends, then came home to watch Meet the Fockers. We were both ready for bed, but we managed to stay up just long enough to hear the "First Night" festivities nearly catch the downtown on fire. I love fireworks, but I have decided that from now on, fireworks after 9:30 should be outlawed.

New Kid in Town

2005-12-31T08:42:00.000-06:00

Well, I should have pictures of my ride up later this evening. I will be taking the starship voyage on it this afternoon, as Walt's closes at 2pm. A tempo ride seems like a great way to break it in.

Not much has been going on in the world of cycling. Some quick rides when I have time has been the name of the last few days. Beginning next week, I should have more time to ride. More on that later.

You should check out this link http://www.cyclingnews.com/news.php?id=news/2005/dec05/dec31news
and scroll down a bit to the bottom. We are still finalizing our schedule, but it looks like Doug, Brian and I may be around for the infamous "Froze Toes"...That is, unless there is a Texas race that weekend, and we all feel up for the travel. Aside from that, we have planned Gila, Joe Martin, Tri Peaks, Elite Road Nats, Nature Valley, and Crit Nats. To fill in the gaps, we will be doing some of the regional races in Missouri, Arkansas, Texas, and Oklahoma, while the veterans head out to swing punches with the big boys at the NRC events. So, I better quit writing and go ride.

Man, are we in season already or what?

2005-12-28T08:23:00.000-06:00

K and I have been traveling every weekend for several weeks. I thought the off season was for relaxing, and definetly not leaving your house. We have been to STL, Indiana, Ft Smith Arkansas, and Rolla in the past consecutive weeks. Our latest trip to Rolla was good one. Even though we were away from home, we were still able to relax and take it easy.

We had some classic Belgian weather over the holiday, which was actually a great backdrop for each of my rides. Friday, I just took things easy for an hour or so taking in the new scenery. Saturday, I finished up my rest week with a 3.5 hr ride in the misty/foggy conditions; so far, it is on the top five rides of the year. We took Parker on a long hike on Sunday, and I did not throw a leg over the bike all day.

Monday, was another leg calming spin on the rollers, and yesterday I did some strength work before heading to Guthrie, through Ashland, and up north of town quite a ways. At 4.5 hours, my legs were pretty fried, so I spun home. Today looks like more Belgian weahter, a bit colder, but still seems ok.

As you can see, there was plenty of relaxing over the weekend: Parker and Paola took full advantage of the situatioin.

Somehow on Christmas morning, I got stuck in this goofy hat...no worries, it looks like K had it worse than me. Note to self, never agree to be the elf at the Bennett household.

Holy Crap

2005-12-21T08:22:00.000-06:00

I am horrible at keeping this thing updated. I think I have SAD, and that definitely cuts into blogging time. There is a lot to recap, but I will give you some of the basics:

This evening, we hooked up with the Prozenbergers for some Mexicano. We haven't got to hang with them in quite some time, so it was nice to get back to our roots. Poots is doing great, growing, farting, and spitting up ever-so-often. Not really, he is incredibly cute! It is nearly disgusting. TJ, I am telling you, take Dill-weed to the mall or something and you are bound to come home with a chick.

Last evening, K and I headed over to our friends house for dinner. Wes and Anne go way back to junior high, just like K and I. They cooked us a fabulous meal: shrimp creole. It was good to relax and hang out with them. I think we may catch up with them back in R-town and roll around the rural roads.

Monday evening was the Walt's Holiday party. Most employees attended, and had a grand time. Seth schooled us all in pool, and we ate a bunch of food, and drank a few cocktails. At 9:30, I was ready for bed...which didn't come to me until shortly after 11.

The ride recap: Rollers. Plain and simple, I have been recovering from what I am about to explain.

This past weekend was Mercy's first training camp of the year. I packed up and headed down to Ft. Smith last Thursday evening. After a long stop at Denny's for breakfast, and a cracked out waitress who couldn't seem to get anything right, we arrived at the fitness center just in time to get kitted up and on the road. We were fortunate enough to have Brice Jones, a local Mercy Alumnus turned Jelly Belly Pro, lead our group rides each day. The weather is slightly warmer in Arkansas compared to BoCoMO, so our weekend outlook seemed great. Our first ride was pretty chill, over a rolling terrain; this ride absolutely killed me! Being that it was only my 3rd ride over 4 hrs, it definitely put me in the hurt box. Good thing the Olive Garden was near by our hotel.

Day two was said to be the big dog. With temps falling on Sunday to the upper 30's, we decided to get Gaylor out of the way. The group took a totally different route than Joe Martin does; Frankly, it is substantially harder. The ride was much more aggressive today, with tempo being launched at the base of Gaylor. Two flats, and two motor paced-efforts later, we had climbed over 8000 ft in the course of 90 miles. I cracked. It felt horribly good. I had not hit the wall that hard in quite some time. The funny thing was, consistent with how I feel during season, I still felt better than day one...Day 3 was looking up. Later in the evening, Brice's family hosted a party for the team. We had a great team meeting, a bunch of great Mexican food, and a pile of dessert. After our inhalation of treats, we limped back to the hotel and rested up for the final stage.

30's never came on Sunday. We rolled out and the temp was 50 and climbing. Secretly, the ride lengthend quite a bit, to nearly twice as long as I expected. The last day was absolutely beautiful. The roads were super rolly, with some crazy descents, and long grinders. We weaved throughout the river valley, and up over the adjacent ridges. I began going delirious at 4 hours. I had not had any food for the last hour, and my fluids were running low. Finally, after a little over 5 hrs, we stopped at a gas station where I pounded things I would never even think of eating on a normal day. My team mate Jason Martin saved my ass and hooked me up with the cash to make it home. The fitness center was in sight, at the 5:50 mark in our ride, with 108 miles stacked on for the day.

So, after the mix, I am really excited about the coming season. I just ordered a new vehicle, so expect pics soon. Other rides have included but not limited to rollers, trainer, CX, the good ol' road, and the carousel at the mall...

Thanks Micah!

2005-12-05T15:47:00.000-06:00

Micah has disclosed important information to me several times since I have known him. The latest, is how to spell debauchery: you see, Micah has exceptional spelling and grammar, so I always look to him when in doubt...you may still see me spell it the Colonel's way (debotury), but hey, I am trying, so back off!

Over the weekend, K's parents came up and we went Christmas tree hunting...expect a pic or two soon. Parker came with, and went completely insane out around the farm...he also met his first donkey.

I have been riding quite a bit lately, mostly outside. The weather hasn't been that bad, that is until today. Somehow, I could not convince myself that it was ok to go outside, when the actual temperature was 7 degrees. Who even knows what the wind chill was?! Instead, Java and I watched Old School and rode the trainer and rollers respectively.

I have a trip to Indania this comming weekend for a family Christmas party. I emailed the coach at Marian in hopes of hooking up with some peeps for a ride. However, they are going into finals week, so it may be tough to find someone to blow the better portion of the day on a ride...I hate school. Speaking of school, I am about finished with my first of two classes. Time flies by when you bang your head repeatatively against the desk.

The weekend after next, I have my first training camp with Mercy in Ft. Smith. I am pretty pleased to head down there, as the weather has been much nicer. I am looking forward to meeting the rest of the guys, and getting in some good long rides.

"Man who catch fly with chopstick accomplish anything"

2005-11-29T21:15:00.000-06:00

Is that synonymous to -- "Man who rides bike in crazy weather accomplish anything". While on that note, I can't believe Mr. Miagge (sp) passed away. Good think they have those Karate Kid movies around to keep his spirit alive. I am even thinking of taking up martial arts...what do you think about my ninja outfit?

This is me getting ready for my ride today. One may ask, Curt, is your helmet on crooked? The correct answer is yes, my helmet was on crooked. You may also ask, is that a knee warmer on your face? Yes, that is a knee warmer on my face.

So, enough banter about me. I went and rode today, and actually, it wasn't that bad. I went out for a big tree, and added a little flavor. Two hours flew by, and I realized I really only needed one today. Good times. TJ, you definitely missed a good one.

Not much else going on in my life right now. I am busy with school, and trying to find a clinic to get into after the first of the year. Anyway, more on that later.

One of my collegiate compadres, Garrett Peltonen got hit by a car the other day. Anyway, that is a link to some really funny thoughts from a super fast dude.

Gobble Gobble

2005-11-25T08:26:00.000-06:00

Meet Franklin: no, I did not name the turkey, but certain other crazy people that live in our house did. Not bad for our first bird, huh?

This was Turkey Day dinner. The start list included parents from both K & I, her lil' sis, uncle, and the Podium-ready Prozenbergers (there is three of them you know). I was a bit concerned we wouldn't have sufficient space, but everything worked out ok.

K and I are breaking Franklin's bones here. I tried to convince her that I won, but the reality of the matter is only K's wish will come true. She better have wished for something good. Anyway, her half of the wishbone will be up on eBay later for sale, seeing that you can sell anything for a mint now days. So, happy bidding!

True charisma was captured here. Other than the fact that the Dill-pill is about as cute as they come, when you see a pose like this one from across the room, you can't pass it up. Jason, anytime Dillon is giving you a tough time, take a peak at this pic.

So, lets re-cap. The Prozenbergers hosted breakfast, consisting of pancakes, coffee, some left over formula, a bit of spit-up, and plenty of drool and giggles from Poots. Afterwards, we came home to put Franklin in the incinerator, and headed out to Wagon Wheel with Parker and A. After about two hours of chasing P around, we came back home and met with most of the fam.

Jason and I headed out for a quick off-road ride to Cosmo (it was freakin' cold!), and then back home once again for a stretch, shower, and shovel (food into my mouth that is).

The rest of the day was spent relaxing, conversing, and eating. Not a bad Turkey day. Hope yours was as good as ours--

Back In The Saddle Again

2005-11-22T21:15:00.000-06:00

No AC/DC lyrics, but I am back to full the full swing of things. I rode my road bike outside for the first time in I can't remember how long today. I have been doing many days on the rollers, but getting outside was a real treat. I took K on the Lackey Loop, and then came home to ride...you guessed it, more rollers. However, I just received my new rollers from CycleOps so riding indoors is going to be a little better, with the choice of having my gentiles fall asleep, or having my mind fall asleep. Stay tuned:

K and I are hosting Thanksgiving for both of our families and the Prozenbergers. We are really excited, which has sent us hustling around the house in order to reduce the entropy that the animals have brought us. If we could just limit Parker to a 1'x1' area in the house, things would work out fine. Thomas has made his way north with Lesley for Turkey day, so Chief won't be able to help us cut the bird, but we do have little Scout!

So, in previous days, I lifted, took a few days to relax before slugging out base miles in the frigid Midwest; on another note, Tyrone Jerome got his acceptance letter to ASU...that jerk will be riding in 70 degree weather in no time. Teej - if I come up with 3 bills for a plane ticket, and a little extra scratch to hang with you for a few days, I will be there.

People are still racing cross for some ungodly reason. Cross racing hurts. Micah and Josh, how did you ever pick that as your scope? I would probaly do more racing, but the issue of traveling at the moment is not very attractive. I suspect next season when I live in STL, I will not have the same excuse.

The Plauge

2005-11-10T13:44:00.000-06:00

I have been stricken with some nasty sort of flu...It began yesterday at work and I have been suffering ever since. I can honestly say that even though I don't get sick very often, this is probaly one of the worst flus I have ever experienced. Fever, chills, vertigo (really bad vertigo), neck and back pain; but the worst pain is in my legs. It feels as though someone has been punching them for several hours strait trying to make me say uncle. However, it isn't too bad being sick around the Kippenberger household, as K tends to my every need. She is really great about taking care of me when I need it most. T is a rock star as well; A, I didn't even know he was hanging around the house today (he has been that quiet, and we have hardwood floors) taking care of Parker as usual. B, he went down to Main Squeeze and is picking me up some go-go juice, and an RBS&Q. Thank you guys.

So, I have my first exam tonight. Should be interesting with me feeling like crap and all. Sorry for the lame post, but I had to share my problems with everyone else.

Since Micah has updated his blog more recently

2005-11-08T08:12:00.000-06:00

--than myself, I suppose I should follow suit. So, a lot has happened since my last update in the tales of the Colonel: here are just a few.

-Parker's Sinsae has been teaching him well..."Dog who can catch catch fly with chopstick can accomplish anything"

Spiderdog visited our house on Hollows Eve

So did Super Dawg...if any of you are still wondering, Super Dawg can definetly kick Spider Dog's ass...Isn't it obvious.

Paola is still pissed at the world, but things are getting better. Her and Chief are beginning to get along better.

My wife has began practicing Voodoo. Here she can be seen blowing a flame out of her ears. After that, she stood up, spun her head around 360 degrees, and stuck her tounge out so that it touched her forehead. Sorry, I was too scared to snap some photos of the previous statements.

In other related news, I in my 3rd week of classes. Things are going well, and I really hope Chiropratic school is worth the waste of time I sit through every Tuesday and Thursday night.

I have been riding, lifting, and thinking like a bike racer again (Micah, I miss you). I have been traversing local gravel quite frequently, and will plan to make a road bike appearance soon. As for the time, I am quite content with riding my cross bike.

Today, I have to rake leaves, stain the deck, clean a bunch of crap, and ride down the Katy. I am hoping to drag Jason out of retirement today, so he can pull the Dillweed in the trailer.

Speaking of Dillweed, that kid grows more than my dog...it is insane. He is comming up to be quite the little guy. I am pretty sure he will be crawling before too long, as he grunts and grimaces in trying to do so now. He is pretty hillarious.

What did the Colonel do over the weekend???

2005-10-31T08:49:00.000-06:00

Trash Stuff &

Suffer. It was my first real ride since I began my brake. However, through all the pain and agony, and getting lapped several times by Josh, I found the race somewhat comforting. It was just what I was looking for. I have been having trouble finding motivation to get back out and train...well, getting lapped a bajillion times isn't any fun. So, back on the horse.

Aside from riding road bikes in the dirt, I worked on Saturday, while Jason and I stategically planned a gay-rodge sale; our wives and his child suffered through the cold while we remained inside at our respective employers...actually, it wasn't all that bad. K and A shut the thing down just after I left for work. We made 24 bucks...and then went out to dinner, only to blow it all. We are so American.

Happy Holloween...I should have some pics of Parker up soon, he will be dressed to please for the evening. Scary movies and grocery shopping await.

So, today, my ankle is a bit sore, but I will hop on the trainer, and do some stuff downstaris. fun times.

Back to School

2005-10-26T09:07:00.000-05:00

...I've got my boots laced up, my shoes tied tight
I hope I don't get in a fight...-Adam Sandler, Billy Madison
So, I am back in class. That is really fun. The class is pretty chill, just an entry level biology class that I need to head to Logan. I think if anything, it will help me study for my internet class that has been plaguing my life for so long.

Riding bikes again is weird. After taking almost a solid month off, it is time to get back on the saddle. I have the cross bike set up for almost everything I can throw at it. I will probaly not ride the road until the last week of November...or maybe I will, due to the weather. Who knows.

Daylight savings needs to come and take over my life...I have had a lot of problems getting out of bed lately. Hopefully, that will solve the mystery.

I may head to St. Louis this weekend for a CX race...I am in no shape what-so-every, but it should be a good time. The weekend after, I hope to go catch up with Jim, Cale, Brad, and Doug in Springpatch. Should be good times.

That is it in the life of the Colonel...take care

This just in

2005-10-17T21:11:00.001-05:00

Micah updated his blog, and owes me a million dollars for copywrite infringement. Oh, what the hell, our bikes look the same anyway...stunt double, you will be missed. BTW, I sold my Airborne to a local tri-guy. So, all we have to do is to get a tri-athlete to buy your bike, and the scene will continue.