Well, it has been a while

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

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!

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

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

Damn you National Boards!

The hype about flu shots

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.

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

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

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

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

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

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!

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!

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

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

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'

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

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

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

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