McCrimmon Adventures

AZ Spring Fling 2011

2011-03-23T08:47:00.000-05:00

We had a great time in AZ again. Here is a partial video of our 5.5 hour ride at South Mountain. Five days of riding in Sedona, Superstition Mtns, South Mountain and the Black Canyon trails.

Summary

2009-10-07T11:51:00.006-05:00

Blog dead? Maybe as technology shifts focus to other apps. Regardless, it it has been an exciting late Spring, Summer and now early Fall since my last update. Here is a summary:

Racing

Completed WEMS Series again (good time w/ Ken & Mike)
Retired as kids are now Teens - I'm now having a great time riding locally

Family

Drake was baptized Sept 12th
Glynnis and I celebrated 20 years of Marriage
Grandma Mc celebrated her 90th birthday
Drew and I went to Seabase (pics here)
Drake turned 16 Oct 4th
Glynnis and I went to Kauai for two weeks to celebrate our 20 years

Career

DevWerx is focusing solely on Commerce Server 2009 projects
Clients this year include Joyce Meyer Ministries, HardRock Cafe and DirectBuy

Home

We've enjoyed our renovation for now a year, improvements this year include:

Paint the Brick exterior
Create a Teen Room, 1/2 Bath and Office in the Basement
Epoxy the Garage
Seal the large driveway
Remove detached Garage

Fruita Fat Tire Festival

2009-04-25T17:56:00.004-05:00

I'm enjoying some additional training prior to the season starting. Thus far 5.5 hrs the first day, 5 hrs so far the second day of Fruita's best MTB trails. No time to write as riding is the priority. Race season starts in two weeks!

More pics here.

Illinois Canyon

2009-02-23T08:05:00.000-06:00

It is always great to get outdoors with one of your sons!

Variety of Training

2009-02-19T17:29:00.000-06:00

The winter months haven't been so bad on the training front as I've been consistently putting the "fun" factor into my efforts. My goal was simply to keep the legs spinning and my mind away from the weather.

The last update was our trip to Florida a few months back. Since then I've been working in St Louis, Orlando and at home. I became a regular at the "Y" spin classes in St Louis and really enjoyed my time there. The weather sweetened up one week which allowed for some incredible lunch road rides in the back hills of Fenton. I sure wish those hills were closer to home as they were tough. I've been on the bike 10 of the last 12 days with a mixture of road, mountain and using the single offroad. A few of the outings were with the Vesrah crew as we prepare for another season.

I do have some ride pictures, yet I had to post Solomon's picture as it is one of his best.

Christmas in Florida

2009-01-03T19:59:00.008-06:00

The kids were out of school, my wife had a month break from school and I had a few days of work to do for a new client in Orlando. Therefore, it was time to head South for two weeks of Sun!

Days by the pool, a few days were spent playing around inside Universal Studios and Islands of Adventure. I believe I'm done with theme parks for the rest of my life. Highlight was time at Anna Maria Island. Beautiful white beaches, seafood, beach cruisers and rest.

I brought my race bike along and spent two days at Alafia State Park. I've been told it is the best place to ride in Florida and the reports weren't wrong. Flowing trails through old phosphorus mines mixed with plam trees and some extreme sections thrown in. The locals were quite hospitable in allowing me to tag along. Highly recommended if you visit Florida.

Winter is here

2008-12-08T09:41:00.001-06:00

The Chicago Winter is here! It is starting to slow me down to about twice a week KK or Palos rides, yet sites like this keep me inspired to ride. That Y membership is starting to look appealing as we usually join each year in January to keep our fitness levels high.

I was able to join my pops for an offroad motorcycle ride on Thanksgiving morning. It has been way too long since I was on my bike due to some mechanical issues, yet the best part was simply being with my Dad sliding around in the mud. How many 42 year olds get to do this with their Dads! I did get a good laugh in watching him slide out around a corner and end up sprawled on the ground.

Fall Rides

2008-11-13T06:53:00.002-06:00

It has been a great Fall thus far! Rides, Rides, Rides, logging hundreds of miles throughout Palos, Knoch Knolls, Saw Wee Kee, among others. The Rig has been a blast to ride! My goal of 3 days a week was lame. Of course I didn't see the sudden downturn in my day job to 1/2 time either. Regardless, the weather has been incredible here in Chicago and I've been able to enjoy it. Things have changed over the past week as the cold and moisture are starting to set in Now it is simply quite a few lunch loops during the week while I break up work and looking for more work. I also joined fitday to track all of my activity and intake in order to keep things in balance and be primed for Spring.

Chicago Marathon

2008-10-13T16:55:00.009-05:00

The wife that could! Glynnis simply loves to run. Thankfully she can. She was diagnosed with MS around 16 years ago, has pushed through various challenging exasperations requiring patience, rest, IV steroids and a trip downtown every 4 weeks to the MS Center at Rush to receive a Tysabri infusion. Her MS physician is encouraging her to continue running. She has refused to stop doing the things she loves. She ran for HOPE Worldwide this year, a great charity.

Dad, the boys and I headed down to encourage her along the latter part of the race. We parked just south of 35^th street, checked the times being reported at the local McDonalds and determined we would have about 50 minutes until she hit Chinatown.

Therefore, we hit the side roads and alleys and worked our way to Chinatown. Brian Sisler come through full of inspiration. We found some Chinese treats while we waited on Glynnis. The boys loved Chinatown! She came through a bit behind her goal, yet looking refreshed and strong for the remaining six miles. We headed up towards mile 25 and waited as Glynnis came through with Charlie Reitz. After reuniting at the finish, we enjoyed a long ride down the lakeshore to 31^st and on to the car, drove back to the finish to pickup our Winner and then back home. A great day!

Pics

Looking ahead

2008-10-13T07:56:00.003-05:00

The end of the season is hard to accept. The cold weather is starting to come with knowledge that Chicago winters are brutal! So much time inside, darkness, laziness and the ease of falling into depression - SAD. This winter will also include a surgery to remove the plates in my arm. I've found a key for me to fight the winter blues is to stay active both inside and outside. I've also contemplated CX this year, yet didn't have the bike and few, if any of my friends were doing it.

Therefore, I’m kicking off the fall/winter season with a focus on fun rides with a new GF Rig. The plan is to continue my normal 3 days/week rides until the snow gets too deep. This usually works through the end of the year. After that? The boys are now teenagers and wanting to start lifting weights in the home gym. This should be some more fun as we hang out and get buff.

Five more years til we head South for the winter…

Kettle Win

2008-10-06T21:21:00.005-05:00

Our team came together for the final WEMS race of the year. We were joined by Vesrah's Mark Junge as this is his favorite place to ride. It showed as he had the fasted overall lap of the day. The course this year was simply the fast blue loop and just over 9 miles. Ken started the day with the lead and we all were able to help during the day to end up with a 20 minute lead over 2nd place.

This is the end of my racing for the year. A year ago is also when I broke my left elbow. It has been a tough year of physical therapy, emotional pain over the ordeal and then the added pressure of the major home gut and build. All in all things have turned out quite nice. My speed on the bike was still strong once the season got going. My arm will never be straight again, yet the pain is very infrequent. We are now living in our renovated house. Life is good!

My racing goal for next year is simply to have fun with my friends.

Big thanks to our team sponsors for a great year!

Results Pics

Thunderdown in the Underdown

2008-10-02T10:25:00.004-05:00

Another great race in the books and another crazy day! My day started early with a hour trek up to Merrill for another 12 hour team event. Thankfully the rest of the team went up the day before which allowed me to have a late arrival. I arrived by 11AM to find out the fastest lap times were 90 minutes. This is exactly what was expected as race organizer Chris Schotz has been talking all season about the length and difficulty of his course. The course was almost 100% twisty tight singletrack with continual climbs. It was a true Northern Wisconsin trail with similarities to the Ojibwe Trail in Cable, although alot more climbing. My first lap was all out and ended up as the overall second fastest lap of the day. A bit of rest while Ken and Mike took their turns and then I was up again for the night lap. Northern Wisconsin, pitch black, 100 minutes of solo racing in bear territory. Needless to say I was a bit freaked out. I did have to yell at a porcupine to get off of the trail. In the end, we came out on top with 20 minutes over 2nd place! Trophy in Wisconsin style was a 64 oz growler inscribed with race details. Next up is Kettle 10 hr!

The long time continued as we stopped for dinner and the drive home. Mike's car started have steering and rear suspension issues on the trip which kept the speed at a maximum of 55mph. Ken and I followed him slowly back to Chicago, well Ken did as I slept as usual only to arrive home at 4:15AM.

Results Pics

Blue Mound

2008-09-21T22:26:00.002-05:00

The Team had other plans, yet I've had such a long summer with the house and need some time away unwinding with some racing, thus it was time for the roughest course in the WEMS series. The 3 hour event is all I desired after Palos as my back has been aching a bit on longer rides.

Traditional Lemans start left the slow runner in about 12th position heading into the woods. Thrown into the tough downhill section of the course, the brakes were on as the group was getting all bunched up and nervous. A slight break down the two track and I was still in about 11th. Now the crawl, the group was killing me with their speed yet the line was not easy to get around. There was plenty of walking up the tough climb in the middle in which I ran past a few others. It was partially ok as it takes me a bit to get going. I spent the next lap riding with a guy who was right at my pace and thus we had a good lap together. He fell on a climb near the end and was new to Blue Mound and thus about done. I saw him two laps later walking a hill as I lapped him.

I stayed steady each lap and focused on enjoying the race and staying safe. I had no idea on my position as it gets confusing when you start passing 6 and 12 hr racers. I finished up my final lap to find out I placed 2nd! Congrats to Carlos Haeckel with the win as he was flying.

I really do love Blue Mound as it is a technical course that favors my type of riding. After my race I headed out to ride the section of the 12 hour course that they remove for the 3 hour racers. I was able to ride with Strout as he was in for 12 hours of pain. He was still going plenty fast for me after 9 hours of racing and ended up with his own 2nd place.

Results

Palos Meltdown

2008-09-08T21:12:00.004-05:00

A beautiful Sunday afternoon of racing 30 minutes from home! Quite a bit different than my '07 outcome. It was a hard race for me. My legs didn't want to turn and I kept thinking about all the things I really needed to get done at home. I was ready to leave after lap #1. The next lap wasn't much better and I almost left as I knew I was so far back. I didn't want to quit as it is so difficult to work out the time to finally get out there and then to have a race so close to home. Therefore, I pressed on with a new attitude, yet lap #3 was my slowest yet. Finally, lap #4, 24 miles in and my mind and legs started working. Big ringing, passing other riders and enjoying the ride. The result was 20th overall, not great, yet I'll take it at this point.

The rest of the weekend was alot of fun. Friday night High School Football game as Drake is playing the sousaphone for the Marching Band, Saturday afternoon at the Sandwich Fair with the boys and then off to my twin uncles 50th birthday party.

Pics, Results.

Stump Farm 12 Hour

2008-09-03T07:50:00.004-05:00

Team Vesrah Brakes headed up to Green Bay on Saturday for more WEMS action. I left my house at 4:45AM and arrived back home at 1:15AM the following day. Laney and Peet started the first two legs of the race while Melville and myself were driving up. We did our first two laps and were already 7 minutes behind the leaders. Our team was riding fairly well, yet the competition was going to be tough to beat. We beat the team last year and they wanted revenge. They got it as we ended up second and a full lap back. Regardless, we had a great time racing and challenging each other for the fastest team lap times. I ended up with the fastest by 1 second over Ken. The picture is the secret to my success, sleep between laps. In my defense, it was an early morning.

I had my first mechanical over the past two years racing with the team. I noticed on my second lap that my seat was loose. After my nap I tightended it, yet it really didn't need it. I was still a bit sleepy and thus didn't think much about it. About midway through the thired lap I noticed my seat flexing back and forth as I leaned. No time to stop as lap times are important so I kept racing. Five minutes from the each as I hit a bump in the fire road, the seat and partial post go bouncing down the trail. I whip around, pick them up and then race the remainder of the lap standing up. Legs were sure tired by the time I ended the lap. Easton EC 90 Carbon post snapped right at the frame. Hoping for the warranty! I finished up my day doing two more laps on Peet's Trek Fuel EX 9.8. Very plush!

Homeless

2008-08-19T12:09:00.003-05:00

It has been silent on the blog as of late, yet the adventures are still taking place. We sold our primary residence over 3 weeks ago, yet our new home wasn’t ready. The new home is a 50 yr old farm house under major renovation. I’ve been the GC on the project and have enjoyed many aspects of the project. We were on schedule until I hit some permit roadblocks which set me back 6 weeks. Well, here we are in the home stretch and most everything is coming together for a final inspection this Friday! School for the boys and my wife starts Monday so I’m under the gun to get this pulled together.

The sale of our primary residence was a blessing in this market, yet now where do we live. Family some, a camper that sleeps 8 many more.

Why? This is a question I’m often asked and at times wonder myself. We were living in a large 4BR home in a very nice neighborhood. We purchased a very rare piece of land .6 miles from our current house. We had a vision to build a new home and I even have the final drawings from an architect after quite a bit of work. The housing market started to fall and the thought of sinking $$$ into a house and in reality being a bit finacially strapped was more than I wanted to bear. Thoughts and small attempts of selling came up short as I didn’t want to give away something which is a once in a lifetime type of property to come across. Thoughts changed into what could I do with this old farm house? I posted an Ad on craigslist for cheap labor and the phone didn’t stop as jobs are scarce in the building industry. We began with a full gut immediately and haven’t stopped. The only thing remaining was the roof and exterior walls. We are now close to wrapping up the inside of what will be a 2000SF 3BR 2Bath Ranch with a full basement. The house is still very ugly on the outside and is a far cry from your standard Naperville home, yet internally it is a new home. The outside transformation won’t be as great, yet still will get an update.

Still why? In Naperville, where do you find 1.5 acres of land with 150 year old Burr Oak trees that is surrounded by and even denser forest that will never be developed? This doesn’t sound like much to those in the sticks, and that is where I’d rather be, so this is a refreshing bit of feeling like I’m in the middle of nowhere while being somewhere.

All that matters is that it makes sense to me.

Endurance Commuting in Chicago - 109 miles offroad

2008-07-03T13:59:00.002-05:00

Gas Prices, Traffic, Offroad route and a desire to train are good reasons to bypass the car for the bike. There are a few obstacles with the biggest one being the distance. I presently commute 42 miles through Chicago traffic to work each way. Insane and not desired, yet temporary as I'm self employed and this is where one of my clients is located.

The route consists of two main trail routes, Des Plaines river trail and the Illinois Prarie Path (IPP) with the addition of one mile of road from the office to the trail, about four miles to connect the two and 10 miles through Naperville to reach home. The IPP is well maintained, well mapped and hard packed limestone. The Des Plaines is quite the opposite, not maintained at all, single track, multi track, mud, ruts, swampy, crosses a few sets of RR tracks at non crossings, multiple under bridge crossings with water and desolate. You don't even realize you're near O'Hare when you pass.

I've been wanting to do this ride for sometime and finally took the challenge yesterday. The decision was to drive the car to work in the AM, ride the bike home, sleep for the night and then ride the bike back to work so that I had enough time and energy to complete the task. I left work about 3PM with warnings of high winds, thunderstorms and lightning. I was able to make 2/3rds of the trip before it sprinkled, yet the winds and sky kept me on my toes. Arrival time was 3 hrs 50 minutes after I started with no stops or rests with the exception of a few traffic crossings. I was whipped, ate well and wondered how in the world I would make it back to get my car. I even reviewed the Metra schedule as my body wasn't feeling well.

The next morning came quickly with the alarm at 5AM. Showered, Cheerios and many pondered thoughts. The bike finally won out and I was out the door by 5:40. The rains did come over the DesPlaines river trail after I passed the day before which made for a very muddy commute and lots of standing water. I showed up at work quite dirty, another non-stop ride 3 hrs and 59 minutes later for a round trip total of 108.99 miles, most of it being offroad in Chicago!

Pics from the cell phone to follow...

Levis Trow - Good family time

2008-06-29T21:45:00.008-05:00

This weekend was a great time for the entire Vesrah team as we raced and our families camp along to make it a great family weekend. Camping, cabins or hotel rooms for the families. We enjoyed a small cabin on Saturday night which provided some tough Hearts competition followed by four tired racers, runners and riders.

The race course was the best we've come across with lots of singletrack, climbing and descending. They even routed the course along Toad Road this year. We had some tougher competition along with a flat and a crash that provided us with third place. Our first non win over the last two years. Hopefully this isn't the direction that will continue.

The kids race was another story as they made up the difference. Vesrah shirts and fast kids provided a win in almost every category and many smiles among the parents.

Glynnis needed a long running weekend for her Marathon training and loves to run in the woods. She was hooked with trail running after our Cable vacation last summer. Therefore, while we were racing, she and our boys were out running any trail they could find that we weren't on as well as a few we were on. Two and a half hours later they finally made it back to our truck with many stories and laughter.

We made a long weekend out of the event as life has been a bit busy lately and needed to get some good family time. On Sunday, we enjoyed our own Church service in the cabin and then headed back to Levis Trow for further adventuring. Glynnis wanted to run more, I wanted to ride more and the kids, well, they were good sports and came along. We worked our way up to Northface which we climbed and then played around on Toad Road. We left the boys up top as they wanted to enjoy the views and simply be boys while we continued our run/ride. We worked our way up the Hermosas (many nice climbs) and did a few loops of Sidewinder. That was a real treat as I hadn't ridden that before. Glynnis freaked out a bit due to the exposure and did a slow loop while I did my few. We seperated and I worked the race course back to find the boys up at Toad Road. They did excellent coming down Northface which was a pleasure to watch. They then went off to find the truck and lunch while I went searching for Glynnis. It ended up being around two and half hours of running for her and she was all smiles. That is a real mini vacation, lots of outdoor adventuring with friend and family!

Weekend pics

12 Hrs of New Fane

2008-05-26T17:07:00.005-05:00

The season opener was a great success in that we started off the season with a win! This time we approached the race as a 3 man team, yet hoping our 4th would show up. Three men, a bit unprepared for the season due to injuries and other responsibilities were up for the battle. Ken and family drove up Friday night to start the weekend camping while Mike and I came up in the wee hours of the morning. Mike was starting with less than 4 hours of sleep while I was starting with less than 6.

It was great to see the many faces we had grown accustomed to seeing at these events. These events provide a great festival feeling as you race hard and then enjoy times with the other racers in between sessions.

Our plan of attack was to do two laps a piece all day long. Ken started, then myself and then Mike. Ken started a little easier than usual in order to pace himself all day. It proved to be a good plan as his laps were very consistent. Reviewing the results shows we didn't have the fastest times overall, yet most consistent and even among team members. I was able to follow suit and ride just a tad slower than Ken, yet remain consistent and feeling strong throughout the day. He did bring out his secret weapon, his girls who kept cheering him and us on all day. Mike started strong, had a few hard laps late in the day due to some lack of sleep and late week floor hockey. He came around later in order to finish up strong. This allows us to finish the day one lap up plus 4 minutes over second place.

The biggest challenge of the day didn't actually come from the open team division, yet from the solo division. Ron and Chris each had steller races which kept us pushing. It took up 5.5 hrs to pass Chris and we never saw Ron. We actually thought he was going to lap us which was baffling how one man could beat three. The end of the day Ron did beat us by 5 minutes and we only beat Chris by 5. Hats off to these guys as they are not human.

Big thanks to Vesrah Brakes, Trek/GF, Hayes, Sun Ringle, Manitou, Bidtool, Verizon on their support this year!

2008 29er

2008-05-20T16:55:00.003-05:00

Out with the old and in with the new. Sponsors have come through big time again for Team Vesrah Brakes to kick off another great year of racing. A big thanks to Sun-Ringle, Hayes Disc Brakes, Manitou, GF/Trek and of course Vesrah Brake pads. It has been a very long rehab winter and I'm looking forward to getting the Endurance series going this weekend at New Fane!

Winona Lake

2008-05-05T17:26:00.003-05:00

A humbling race for me at Winona Lake. The course is a beautiful fully singletrack 9+ mile course consisting of 3 loops for the Experts. I wanted to race Sport so bad knowing that I wasn't ready, yet Ken changed my mind. I don't think I'll listen to him anymore. Last ride prior to the race was a two hour outing with the Boy Scouts the prior weekend. Seven months since the surgery and my racing skills at their best.

Ken, Mike and I lined up. The pros were called up, then the called up in groups riders and how they ranked the previous year. We were left in the back since we didn't race any Dino races last year. We were off across a field and right into the singletrack train poking along all congested. Two people were behind me at that point, not a good start. I followed Laney for a while and then went by as I thought I had more than I did. Shortly thereafter I realized it was going to be a rough race. I passed a few others and then those ahead were gone and ended up riding the next two laps alone. I was done at that point and thought I'd at least ride the final lap with Laney and thus stopped and waited a minute for him to arrive. I latched on and explained my plan which motivated him to kick it up a notch and leave me. He would've caught me on the last lap anyway as I was done. One other guy passed me a little later which left me all alone as the second to last rider. I could've quit, yet focused more on completing the race and enjoying the trails.
I am motivated now to pick up some slack, yet has already been a few days and I haven't made time to get back on the bike. I just need to get through the next few months of some important work and home projects I've got going on and then I'll be able to get my life back in proper balance.

A new '08 race rig was acquired last week and is in the build process. Details to follow when I get some time to strip it all down and build it up correctly.

Working the Plan

2008-04-14T13:20:00.002-05:00

Biking Tough weekend with the rain and cold weather. Ken and I headed out on Sunday afternoon for a few hours. It is never an easy ride with him and the first time I've tried to hit it hard since the accident. The mind and body had a tough time with the efforts and finally had to say to myself to simply enjoy the fact that you're out again and ride my own ride. First race is less than 3 weeks away. New grass roots team sponsored Fisher 29er is coming my way. Let's roll!

Housing We hope to be moving in soon... The house gut process is coming along nicely. An old house of plaster is painful to gut, yet I'm grateful I'm doing very little of it. It is nice making plans and having others act them out. The kids are staying far from this project and are happy to be busy with other things. Any predictions on when it will be ready?

Family Mother in law gave us a scare last night with a rush to the hospital. Many prayers and hours later she is doing better and still being evaluated. Initially sounded like a stroke, yet that has been ruled out. Prayers needed to help determine her ailments and the best way to be treated.

Transition

2008-04-06T20:30:00.002-05:00

This week was my final Physical Therapy appointment and my final Orthopedist appt, at least until I get the hardware out sometime after October. I still don't have full range of motion on the arm. I am supposed to keep working on it by myself and using the Dynasplint until Memorial Day. I've been informed that the extension could get a little better, but in reality it looks like my loss is permanent. It is still hard to take 6 months later knowing that I was injured by someone else. I've come into contact with many others recently that have serious permanent injuries caused by someone else. I could my blessings that it wasn't worse.

I ride alone on the road... I still can't take the risk of riding in a group. This weekend had some great weather and thus I enjoyed two rides totaling 85 miles. The winds were strong which made for some tough solo pushes, yet it is getting me ready for race season as you don't draft in the woods.

It was also the end of Spring Break for the boys. We didn't go anywhere this year as Glynnis is in grad school, I've been swamped with some work and we're trying to figure out what to do with our second home. So far the home is being gutted in order to remodel and prepare for us to move in. We were going to tear down and build new, yet the risk is getting to be more than I was to deal with in the present market. The boys and I did get out this afternoon for 9 holes of golf which was relaxing and encouraging as the elbow performed much better than anticipated.

Singletrack finally ridden

2008-03-29T23:25:00.002-05:00

I headed out to find some trails this afternoon. I hit the road strong for an hour to arrive at Saw Wee Kee Park. I was not disappointed as the trails were rideable. I spent a half hour winding up down and around singletrack through the unique elevations in the park. It was quite refreshing to finally be offroad again. I then spent 1.5 hrs heading back home as it was into the wind the entire route. Three hours in the saddle felt pretty good today. I think I might just get rid of the road bike as the MTB is all I need to get my fix. The arm did fairly well with the various pulls that it took while cranking up and down the hills. The back still feels a bit strange, yet it really hasn't had the bike strains in 6 months. I will have it checked out on Monday when I go in for hopefully my final PT appointment on my arm!

Mixed Emotions

2008-03-26T17:16:00.002-05:00

Today was a day to get out and enjoy the 50 degree weather before another storm comes through. I worked at home today with the main purpose of a long ride. 45 miles in 2.5 hrs isn't the best, yet it has been 6 months since the accident and very few rides. It really was good to get out, yet being off the bike that long has taken its toll. Endurance is low, back is stiff and mentally it wasn't as rewarding as I thought it would be.

The arm felt pretty good. I believe I've reached my extension maximum which is about a 10 degree loss. I have one more therapy session before seeing my Ortho again, yet the therapists really says that I'm simply wasting my time and money with them at this point.

5 Month Update

2008-03-06T17:35:00.007-06:00

It has been 5 months since the accident and I'm still having PT treatments and Ortho visits. I was informed by my ortho today that a book named "The Unforgiving Elbow" was published a couple months ago and based upon the complexities of fixing a broken elbow. Of course I might write my own version. He also informed me that I need to keep up PT for another month in an attempt to get more range of motion. This along with wearing the DynaSplint in a very high tension mode.

I have also found another foolish 41 year old who broke his elbow two days after mine. Check pics and discussion out on a surfer forum. We both refuse to grow up.

Hoping for some breaks in the weather to get out and ride. Ken and I hit the roads Sunday afternoon on the MTBs. It was good to get out and I can't wait to be in true form again and hitting the races with the Vesrah boys again this season. Sponsors are coming together, now it is time for us to hold up our end of the bargain - having fun. Two months til the first race!

18 Week Update

2008-02-07T18:14:00.000-06:00

We had a great Saturday with Grandma Mc. 87 years old and full of surprises. An afternoon and evening of socializing, dinner @ Islamorada Fish Company and games. Truly a great time with a great lady.

As far as the arm goes, I went to the Ortho today in which the stitches have been removed and I'm back with Therapy for another month. We are still working hard to get the full range of motion. Worst case now will be the removal of scar tissue when they remove the plate and screws after the one year point. The hand strength is coming back quickly. The numbness is also fading by the day which means the latest surgery was a huge success.

I've been itching to get the HR going again and finally jumped into a spin class last night for an hour. I'm officially starting my training now and really looking forward to a Spring of training along with my therapy.

Source of encouragement

2008-01-31T17:19:00.001-06:00

Solomon has been with me through it all. He joins me in the basement during my daily arm workout routines. He joins me as I walk through the woods praying to our Creator. He simply loves life and the companionship of those around him. What a great dog!

Good news this week also came on a visit to the Spinal specialist reviewing my recent back issues. The result is that everything looks good for a 41 year old. He recommended to core strengthening with more Physical Therapy. I questioned him greatly in all my sports related activities. Should I change hobbies? Should I slow down? A resounding NO. Keep enjoying life! Some great advice to follow.

Surgery #2 complete

2008-01-26T14:13:00.000-06:00

I'm back home and recovering after a successful surgery. The Ulnar nerve has been relocated from the rear of the elbow to the front. While under, the surgeon performed some manual manipulation on the elbow. He informed me later that there was quite a bit of popping as they were working through the motions. He says that I heal quickly and the scar tissue is what was making the popping noise. Originally I was supposed to keep my arm immobile for the next 10 to 14 days, yet not he wants it to get moving ASAP so that the range of motion can be maintained as the scar tissue attempts to form again. I'm feeling fairly well today and actually had a great nights sleep. No pain meds were needed once I left the hospital which is encouraging. I did have some nice pain as I worked through the range of motion earlier today. Some more icing and relaxing is in order. I also took the dog out for a nice walk in snowy KK woods today which shows I've feeling quite good.

Pre and Post Surgery pics here.

Phoenix Vacation

2008-01-22T12:25:00.000-06:00

It is always great to get away with the family. The temps were in the mid 60s which allowed most days to consist of hikes and time lounging around the pool. We hooked up with some great friends which always makes a trip special.

On the ride side, things were not so good. I borrowed Mike's bike that is down there and headed out Saturday morning for ride #3 since the surgery. Cannondale was doing demo rides at the South Mtn lot when I arrived and thus I opted for a new '08 Scapel. My lower back/hip was hurting from the exertion the day before, yet was ready to push on. I decided on the Beverly Canyon to Javelina loop. I left Pima Canyon going north down to the first wash, up the climb hopping a bit over some rocks and down the next hill into the next wash when my back said to STOP! I got off the bike and couldn't move. I stood there for 15 minutes in major hip pain. Two older ladies helped me to the other side of the wash and then I send them on as I wanted to lay and stretch. Once down, I couldn't get up. Later, as I lay on the ground asking myself so many questions of why so many things have gone wrong with my body over the past 4 months, a family came by and helped me up very slowly and with great pain. Their 15 year old son walked the bike back for me as I walked very slowly up and over and up again to get back to the main lot. My right leg was going numb at this point and I was having a tough time speaking. Someone helped me load Mike's bike back into the car and I finally made it back to the hotel room. A few hours later after a XODOL which was prescribed for my arm and laying flat on my back by the pool, the pain had subsided. I layed flat for a few more hours. The next day we went to Church, sat by the pool and then did a light hike in Beverly canyon. I felt fairly good, yet my stride is a bit off.

The next day I felt better than I have in a month, hiked some large climbs in South Mtn along with a hike in the evening over at CamelBak before hitting the plan home. I am totally baffled on my back and am planning on seeing a specialist very soon. Maybe I need to lay by a pool everyday.

Pics here.

Surgery #2 scheduled...

2008-01-17T14:42:00.000-06:00

The results for the EMG came back showing that the Ulnar nerve is in fact compressed at the elbow. Ortho advises surgery as the risk of losing the ability to gain hand strength and removal of numbness increases as time goes by and 10 weeks is usually the point of no return. We are getting close to the 10 weeks and thus I've opted to go ahead with the surgery next Friday.

We're off to Phoenix in the AM to enjoy a needed break from the cold and arm issues.

14 Week Update

2008-01-14T17:28:00.000-06:00

The arm is improving daily, yet not without a lot of time, pain and patience. Two hours of work today on it at the PT’s office alone. I’m still swimming, stretching, heating and icing which makes the time commitment similar to preparing for endurance races. The PT cranked on the arm today with measurements of 170 degrees extension and 40 degrees flexion. This means 5 more degrees on each to match the right arm. This is extremely encouraging as the range of motion is nearly full range. It will still take some time before it moves freely through the whole range. We’ve also been working on the strength of the hand due to the nerve issues and am still waiting on an appt with the Ortho this Thursday to discuss the EMG and if surgery will be needed.

The Vesrah team announced the race schedule for the year and thus I’ve updated my 08 race list. At this point it is simply a hope that I can compete and enjoy doing something I love.

We are off to Phoenix for four days of friends, fun and sun this weekend. It’ll be nice to get a break from the weather. We’ll be hiking each day and I may even get out on a MTB for a ride or two.

Ride #2 since accident

2008-01-06T20:05:00.000-06:00

The weather was over 60 degrees today and I just couldn't resist the temptation to get out and ride. I deliberated for quite a while and even was encouraged to be cautious by my wife as she has seen me struggle more than anyone through this ordeal. We were both a bit concerned as it was extremely wet out due to the recent snow melt along with an additional mist which meant I'd be riding on the road. I dug through the kids skating gear to come up with as knee pad that fit securely over my left elbow. I was set! Pulled the hard tail off the wall, performed some minor maintenance, geared up and was out the door to be refreshed. U2 was singing in my ears and the wind was in my face. The left hand tingles after about 10 minutes on the bars and required some stretches along the way, yet not too bad. I ended up arriving home near dark after a 1.5 hr outing. So good! Oh so good and needed...

13 Week Update

2008-01-05T17:06:00.000-06:00

The picture is a bit strange, yet the stretching does wonders for the Ulnar nerve. I'm following the PT's directions in order to get my arm back! I'm now at 165 degrees extension which means only 10 more to go. This is very encouraging as it has been a tough road to get to this point. The flexion needs more work as it is now at 55 degrees, yet we are presently focusing mostly on extension and hand strength. I have my EMG this Wednesday and am praying for some good news from the neurologist. The week was a bit rough as i hurt my back wrestling my 14 year old son that is almost as big as I am. This on top of some sinus issues, the elbow and the cold weather don't bring alot of encouragement. Setting your mind on things above makes all the difference, especially during these rough times. I also hit the hot tub and pool alot this week with up to 3/4 mile swims.

12 Weak Update

2007-12-30T14:32:00.000-06:00

First off, hope everyone had a great Christmas and wish all of you a happy and safe New Year. Our holidays were full and joyful.

The end of '07 for me is a weak one! I'm still working real hard on the flexion and extension, yet my hand has suffered alot due to the unlar nerve compression. I saw the doc this week and he is finally concerned about my hand as permanent damage can result. I have an EMG scheduled in 1.5 weeks and my next appt with my Ortho in 2.5 weeks to review the results and determine the direction. Cubtial Tunnel Syndrome surgery will be decided at that time. I'm praying hard that a miracle can take within the next 2.5 weeks!

10.5 Week update

2007-12-20T09:41:00.000-06:00

The flexion/extension is now at 47 degrees / 155 degrees. That doesn't seem like much of a change from last week as flexion is a bit better while extension is a bit worse, yet the overall arm movement throughout the range is easier. I've been in the pool about 4 days a week with 1/4 to 1/2 mile swims, a spin class once a week and relaxing times in the hot tub. I've been faithful to my painful therapy sessions three times a week as I want my arm back. The latest development is that I'm wearing two different Dynasplint devices at various times of the day and night!

All I want for Christmas is my arm back...

9.5 week update

2007-12-11T16:29:00.001-06:00

Today was 50 degrees flexion and 160 degrees extension while on XODOL 10/300MG. At least there was no yelling this time as the pain was a little less. I dropped the PT for the past week and a half as I just couldn't hack it anymore. Lack of sleep, numb hand, coupled with painful sessions left me in a discouraged and a negative mental state. I'm generally a positive person with high hopes, yet this is a trial that is teaching me many lessons. I must persevere as perseverance develops character and character hope (Romans 5:3-4).

In dropping my PT sessions, I still had my own private PT as my wife and kids are now professionals and provided pain with smiles to me everyday. The boys especially enjoyed torturing Dad and I enjoyed punching my Therapist. I also swam 4 days during the week and enjoyed stretching in the hot tub.

I visited my Dr again yesterday for an evaluation. He urged me back to the painful PT of which I did go today. He also ordered me a Dynasplint which I should receive this week. I'm still numb in my left hand due to the ulnar nerve compression and have rough nights sleeping, yet he has urged me to defer that issue for now and simply focus on getting my arm movement back.

8 week update - painful and slow progress...

2007-11-30T12:35:00.000-06:00

One would think that I'd be all healed by now and back to my normal active life. I surely expected that to be the case. An elbow break is not a quick heal. I've been visiting the PT 3 times a week now for the past three weeks and still have a very limited range of motion. Today was 65 degrees flexion and 147 degrees extension while on XODOL 10/300MG as well as alot of moaning, breathing and yelling. The pain is close to being unbearable! The progress is a few additional degrees of motion each session as long as I've done my stretching on the off days. If I don't, I can easily lose a weeks gain in a few days. If I don't get enough range over the next 4 to 6 weeks, it is back to the operating room where they'll put me under and manually move the arm.

In addition, my unlar nerve is compressed which is causing 1/2 of my hand to be constantly numb. This also limits my sleep as the numbness turns to throbbing while attempting to sleep. I'm up and down all night and actually fear going to sleep at night. Last night was about 5.5 hours of sleep with some on the couch in the living room and some on the floor next to my bed. The doc started me on Celebrex yesterday in hopes that this nerve compression is simply due to swelling. If not, another surgery will be required.

Therefore, you now have a clearer picture of my agony. This injury was not my fault which makes this whole thing even harder to accept, yet I chose to race. It is making me think very seriously about any hobby that I enjoy and the risks involved. It is time to grow up a bit as I surely don't want to repeat this lesson.

I'll sing once more

2007-11-13T13:57:00.000-06:00

Today was the first day outside the house on a bike since the accident. I had to get out to the woods as the weather was sunny and 62, therefore I hit most of my lunch loop. The road to the trailhead was smooth and nice, yet the roots were something else. The elbow currently only has about 30 degrees of motion and thus I was in race position most of the time. The left hand was off the bars too much in order to compensate for the bumps. Overall, I came home quite refreshed and encouraged to sweat and attain a HR of 183.

I started Therapy yesterday on the arm and realize that it is going to take quite a while to get most of the range of motion back, yet I am very hopeful.

Cast if off!

2007-11-08T20:01:00.001-06:00

The picture amazes and discourages me as I think about all of that hardware within my arm. Also, you think the doc would've done a beteter job attaching the plate to the bone. I guess there is a purpose to it. I'm just excited to finally get some use out of my left hands again as it is rough developing software with one hand.

The recovery road is still a long one. Doc says the next month I am to focus on flexibility without any attempts of strength. Therapy should start soon and I better get this thing extended soon. The scar on the arm is terrible and part of it looks like I could simply peel it open. Anyway, taking the good and the bad.

The crashed road bike is now setup on the trainer in the basement, although I've only ridden it for 5 minutes due to the pressure on the arm. Front wheel is a rim taken off of a MTB for now. Craziness...

24-9 Video action

2007-11-03T07:17:00.000-05:00

I finally had some time to edit the video my Dad took of us at the 24-9 this year.

Check out the video.

Trick or Treat

2007-10-31T06:45:00.000-05:00

New cast color selection was targeted for the kids. It should also keep me from getting run over. It will be interesting as I head to the city today to meet with some clients for the first time since my accident.

My appointment on Monday went well. They took out the staples, yes > 25 staples in my arm that are going to leave a bad scar... Ugh!!! Thankfully, the X-ray showed that everything is healing correctly. Alot of hardware in there. Less than two weeks til I get this thing off and start PT!

$13576.13

2007-10-27T14:12:00.000-05:00

The healing progress seems to be going well. I'll get to see my arm on Monday as they remove the stitches, yet then back into another cast for two more weeks. I'm eager to get things moving, yet taking things slow in order to let things heal.

The medical bills are coming in and are grateful that we have insurance. BCBS of Illinois has been phenominal in dealing with everything. Of course, I've been paying $1225/month for our family insurance due to being self employed. On the topic of rates and my complaints of a high premium, the surgery alone without the Dr's fees was over $13,500. Therefore, how could the insurance company charge less? We've sure gotten benefits from our insurance this year. Hopefully, they'll make money on us from here on out.

Plate is in

2007-10-15T07:49:00.000-05:00

Surgery took place on Friday morning followed by a very rough three days. I expected a little pain, yet it couldn't have been worse than the pain I had all week. WRONG, this was agony. Two days of double vicoden every 4 hours kept things managable. I'm finally off the drugs and the pain is fading. I'm hoping for a good week and on to recovery as so many areas in my life are being affected by this. They'll take this cast off in two weeks, remove the sutures, then put me in another cast for a few more weeks before starting Physical Therapy.

Pics here

Road Racing Pain

2007-10-07T10:34:00.000-05:00

The past two weekends I've been attempting some local Road Race events. I hadn't been winning, yet was learning and staying safe. This attempt I was following the yellow jersey in a 4 part stage race when things quickly came to an abrupt halt. We were 20 miles into our race when the rider up a bit on my right caught the wheel of the yellow jersey and fell into me while going 25mph in a pack of about 30. Down hard into the oncoming non-closed traffic lane. Race paramedic to the scene, followed by two ambulances and an afternoon in Rockford Memoriol Hospital. X-rays show a broken elbow. Many thoughts and a bit of time as I reconsider my cycling adventures. Road racing is definately out as the risk is too high. Big thanks to Todd Metz of Team Turin for picking me up at the hospital and bringing me home to my family!

Update: 10/8 - Met w/ local Ortho and have surgery scheduled for Friday. Olecranon Fracture in 4 places requiring a 3 inch cut, plate and screws.

More pics, including X-rays and bike carnage.

Gold @ Palos Meltdown

2007-09-09T18:10:00.000-05:00

It was a beautiful afternoon out at Palos as riders converged from all around for the challenge of the 1st Palos Meltdown XC race. Drew and I headed over after our morning worship as God is first. Drew was a great pit crew in keeping me supplied with fresh bottles. I raced with the Experts today and it was a challenge. 50 of us took off for a race up hill while I attempted to find my grove. I looked ahead and saw Frank leading the pack. I passed a few and a few passed me as everyone was settling in. The first lap was the most enjoyable as several of us were mixing it up. Jerry from the MARS team and I were in the mix and I knew he was my competition. I was amazed to find Gatto on lap #1 near the end of the lap. I got by him, yet he came by determined not to let some non WORS Elite get ahead of him. He did a great job and I never caught him again. I was pushing hard as he was my target to catch. Jerry got by me on the end of lap #1 and graciously let me back as we entered Three Ravines. The rest of the race I was all alone as I focused on not letting Jerry catch me and trying to catch Gatto. The race finally ended and I came out with Gold in my age division! Goat took the overall. Ben from Pegasus took the 25-29 win. Pics here. Results here.

Warren Dunes

2007-09-07T08:46:00.000-05:00

Labor Day was a great day to get away with the family to Warren Dunes. We've got some exciting family memories of this place and this year proved to be no different. We wandered into the woods and found a mud hole that families were playing in. Imagine the fun of sliding down mud slides, even at 41! Psalm 40:2 is a proper reference of how this adventure can relate to our life. More pics here.

Team Wins again to wrap up series

2007-09-07T08:25:00.000-05:00

The team hit up Stump Farm last Saturday for our final WEMS race of the season. Thankfully, we've won every race thus far and wanted to wrap up the season in style. You never know what you'll get with the WEMS 12 hour teams. Sometimes there are quite a few teams and other times things are a bit slim. This was one of the slim times, yet still fun as they kept us pushing through the final lap. We always have a good time as a team pushing one another to do better and racing for lap times. This was an exceptional day for me as my lap times were consistently low throughout the day. A big part was the guys on the team telling me that I'm old.

I did have to apologize to the race officials, another rider and the team as I couldn't control myself coming into the timing chute and caused a bit of frustration for them and a slower rider ahead of me. The rules state you can't pass in the timing chute, yet I had my fastest lap of the day and was racing for the timer and a slower rider in front of me was simply taking his time. Their timing system required that you pull a pvc pipe with a bar code out of your jersey and run it through their scanner. As you can imagine, this can cause a delay.

Pics are here, Results here.

Family Time

2007-08-23T18:01:00.000-05:00

It was time to enjoy some time with the family prior to the boys heading back to school. We made a last minute choice to head up to the Telemark Resort up in Cable for four days of adventure. We hiked up to the top of Mt Telemark the first night for a family devotional overlooking the surrounding areas. I was hit hard by some allergies and fell asleep on the couch while the family played games. After 12 hours of sleep, it was time to give to the family. The boys and I rode the Esker trail while Mom ran, crazy woman! This trail wiped out Drew as there were alot of climbs. Drake complained a bit about the number of rocks. We ate lunch and Drew and I headed out for 9 holes of Golf at Tahkoadah Hills. It was a simple and cheap course to get us warmed up. We all played Monopoly late into the night. The next day we headed out on the Ojibwe trail, the boys and I riding while Mom running again. I took Drew back after a while and was able to enjoy some fast sections catching back up to the other two. The entire family golfed in the afternoon at Teal Wing. This was an incredible course and perfect for the family as it was misting and only a few people were out. More games late into the night. The final day, Glynnis and I went out on the Ojibwe and Sleigh trails for another 1.5 hr run/ride while the boys rested. The afternoon was spent boating, skiing and tubing on Lake Namakagon before heading home late into the night. We all had a great time bonding further and ending the summer right. Pics are here.

Vesrah Brakes Wins at Levis Trow

2007-08-12T17:54:00.000-05:00

Our 4th WEMS team race provides drama and excitement for all. The day started quite early with a 2AM departure from the burbs. Ken takes the wheel while I crawl into the back seat and sleep. He wakes me three hours later and I finish up the final 1.5 hours while he sleeps in the back. The storms are brewing as I drive down the road. The lighting is splintering throughout the sky. We arrive and enjoy the great building registration is held in. Mike and Mike show up shortly thereafter and we're off to setting up our site. An hour later Ken is ready to head out on Lap #1. Rain is pouring out the sky, yet the lightning has subsided. He takes the initial lead and works with the lead group for 1/2 of the first lap before fatique sets in a bit. The laps of 25 miles each and alot of hills were tough on everyone. He settles into his groove and finishes strong. I'm the second guy to take off, the rain has stopped, skys are clear and the trails are starting to dry out. I felt better than I have in the past month and finished with a lap I was proud of and inline with where I should be when at my best. The singletrack trails were so nice! The climbs, views, off camber sections, fast rolling singletrack was all I had hoped. The two track was more than I desired, yet the organizes worked hard at creating a balance. Mike Peet was up for lap #3. He was ready for some redemption. He has been coming up to speed quickly with many miles in the saddle lately and inspiring us to keep it going. He felt good the first half of the lap and then the rains came back followed by the hot sun and the harder half of the course. The hills hit him at then end and he pushed to hand over the outcome to Mike Laney. We all fought hard, yet at this point we were 17 minutes behind the lead team. Mike was feeling good and we expected him to finish with a 2:15 time as that would be consistent with his performances throughout the season. We expected him to potentially gain 5 to 10 minutes on the competion. He was off with his target in front of him. He had gained 5 minutes on the leaders by the half way point and was looking good. We suited up and chased him through the woods on a 1/2 mile section. He was flat out moving and we couldn't hold on. He was also banging off trees and still holding it together. We told him we'd meet him a few other times to give him updates. Ken and I went off and rode Toad Road and the IMBA Epic trail Cliffhanger. Those trails are a must do for midwesterners. We know we'd taken too long to see where Mike was, yet were having some much fun and headed to the spot where we were to give him his time differential. Oops, he came through as soon as we'd gotten there. We chased him up the two track, yet I couldn't hold on and we headed to our next spot. We waited 2 miles from the end in the area where people were hurting the most. Many were walking. The team leaders came through walking and we knew we had a slight chance if Mike would get there soon. Sure enough, 1 minute 6 seconds later he comes through and still riding hard. We inform him of the difference and he can do it. He is inspired even more and pushes on through the final climbs to catch the leaders about a mile from the finish. He passes and smokes it to the finish to end with a 2:09:29, 6 minutes better than we expected and the fastest guy among the teams for the day.

Above all, we've been having a great time getting to hang out will all of the series WEM racers this year in all categories. A big thanks to Jason Plansky, the ChainSmokers, N.A.S.T.I. for putting on a great event and working hard at creating a great trail system to ride in.

Pictures Results Press Release #1 Press Release #2

24-9

2007-08-02T12:19:00.000-05:00

Team Vesrah Brakes came through with a big win! 24-9! Endurance racing at its best. The Vesrah team along with Mike Kelsall of the D'Arcy team were ready to give it our best. My Dad offered his support services in a major way for the weekend with his van, camper, driving, videography and encouragement. Videos will be coming soon… We arrived at the venue around 9:30, setup camp, signed up, hung out with the Junge group and headed for bed. Kelsall headed for the van to avoid the snoring. Come on, McCrimmons don’t snore!

Race time! Ken is our chosen runner for the ½ mile run placing us near the front of the pack at the end of the run. He held on tough for the first lap, yet the open course for ¾ of the initial lap gave the roadie types an advantage. Kelsall was up, he has been doubtful he is ready to race due to the limited number of events he has done this year, yet put in our teams top lap of the event and then continued to be consistent the rest of the race. My turn, I’m ready to go and hit it hard while noticing the legs started giving me the hurt right off the back. The demons of the previous WEMS race come back quickly while the open course also provided some discouragement, yet I was able to put in my top lap of the day. Laney was up and off putting in a great lap. He crashed on either his 1st or 2nd lap while trying to get around someone. He ended up twisting his fork and needing a replacement during his pit. Our lightest guy does the most damage again! The rest of the race was pretty standard with slightly increased lap times, mentally draining laps throughout the night, attempts of sleep between rides, various food intake and the desire for it to be over. Above all, we held it together, rode consistent and smart to pull off a great win for Team Vesrah Brakes.

Recovery and next steps! Who knows, I’m still recovering and have needed a break from the bike as I’ve been on it all year. These past few races were mentally tough on me. Next week I’ll get going again as we’ve got a couple more WEMS races to finish up the season on top. This week is recovery and enjoying time with my wife as the kids are away at camps.

Pictures Results Press Release Other Reports

Vesrah Solo at Metro

2007-07-22T14:32:00.000-05:00

The team had other plans so I decided to head up and tackle the 3 hr solo class. Confidence was high and the training has been coming along nicely. I drove up around Noon and got stuck in so much traffic from O'Hare to Six Flags, yet arrived in time to get signed up and ready to go. 39 3 hr racers were at the start and I had goals of being in the top 3. Of course, it always depends on who shows up. The LeMans start running uphill is never a good thing for me as I simply don't run, yet was able to push it enough and pass enough in the open to be somewhere around 6th heading into the first singletrack. The body worked to get warmed up as I cranked and twisted around and up and down the tight singletrack. There are a couple real nice climbs and a switchback downhill that add to the challenge. I ended up the lap in 6th and then started feeling good. The flow of the singletrack was going well to improve my lap time by 16 seconds. Lap 3 was also well with a slight drop. Lap 4 I started feeling the pain, yet was determined to keep pushing. Lap 5 was the killer as Ray from Skinnys had been on my tail for two laps. I was simply holding on as best I could, yet he went by at about 4 miles into the lap and at that point I had hit a wall. My body was shutting down, stomach was feeling it, yet managed to salvage the lap without letting anyone else pass me. All of that for a 7th place. I'm a bit discouraged on the outcome as I had higher expectations. I'm having a hard time pushing to the end in races as I get into a comfort zone and simply want to finish. I do need to realize that 5 riders ahead of me are Elite WORS racers and 1 is at the Comp level with other comp and elite racers still behind. Not bad for someone who isn't ranked in any category. As I sat by the car at the end of the race, the fear of puking came over me, my body wouldn't move, my left foot was killing me and hurt to walk on it and my stomach was burning up a bit. I haven't felt this bad since my failing at Levis/Trow a few years back when I did puke. A day later, both feet are hurting and I'm still not sure why. It is the outside edge of both feet. Is it from the run? Is it the new shoes earlier in the year? Is it from clipping some rocks at Blue Mound and clipping them again here? Well, I've gotta heal up and pick myself up to get ready for the highlight of the race year next week at the 24-9. I'm so glad I'm not soloing this, yet it is still going to be mentally tough to push to the end. Hope to see you there! Here are the results of Metro.

The Best Team

2007-07-15T08:22:00.000-05:00

My best ride this weekend consisted of hooking up with the McCrimmon team! We decided on a nice ride through the singletrack at Knoch Knolls. It is encouraging to see how the boys are getting better and faster as they grow. I'd ride ahead to take some pics, yet by the time I stopped and pulled out the camera, they were there. My wife was a trooper to hook up with us as she had already done a 9 mile run earlier in the day. The logs in the middle section were rough on her, yet she had a great attitude and kept going. It is always good to hangout with the family and especially so as they are enjoying something that you enjoy. Pics are here.

In other weekend training, I hooked up with Laney on Friday for a couple hours at Palos action and then with Ken, Mike and Matt for a 5:30AM road ride on Sunday for a few hours. I surely didn't want the early hour, yet it is good to push the body to ride at odd times as the 24-9 is quickly approaching.

Vesrah Wins War at Blue Mound by Attrition

2007-07-08T15:17:00.000-05:00

The war will usually be won by the side with greater reserves and resources. This summed up the battle that took place at Blue Mound. The course was the most brutal of any midwest races courses I've seen to date. You've gotta love rocks, roots, climbs and more rocks to do well here. Laney broke his new Top Fuel frame on Lap #1 and ran the final three miles to the finish, 2nd place team broke a frame on Lap #1, Ken encountered numerous flats due to a dented Rim on Lap #2, we all battled mind games, yet pushed to the end. Mike Peet joined the team for the first time this season and rode steady throughout the race. At 8 hours into the race, we were down by 29 minutes. This was mentally wearing on us as we've usually lead all races from lap #1. I was severely doubting our chances and was settling for 2nd place, yet Ken and Mike had the faith to push hard to the end knowing that anything can happen. Within two laps of myself and Ken on the course and the other team's major mistake of having a guy go two laps in a row due to the large gap they had, we snuck up on them and were now only 2 minutes back. Laney pushed hard on the next lap to up our lead to 6 minutes and I finished up the race pushing our lead up to 14 minutes. This victory was the hardest and sweetest of the season!

Many family members of the team were also enjoying the day with us which made the win even better. The wives and kids all enjoyed themselves and were in for all of the excitement. My oldest son also enjoyed the drama and I'm thrilled he was there to see his Dad rip the overall fastest lap of the day at 51:56. As the boys say, I'm fast for an old guy.

Pics here. Official results here.

Vesrah Boys @ Palos

2007-07-02T18:37:00.000-05:00

Three hours pushing hard on a great Sunday afternoon enjoying the beauty of the Midwest. I hadn't been to Palos since early Spring so this was a treat. No races this weekend so the boys hooked up for some training. I ended up going over the bars after catching my front tire on a tree in the brush. Man that hurts. It only happens once every year or so, yet when it does, it reminds you that the helmet is necessary.

Rides 5 out of the last 7 days as I hit my lunch loop on Monday, Naper bike club blur ride on Tuesday night, Wednesday KK ride with Ken and Saturday hookup with the Naperville roadies. Today was a deserved day off as we get ready to head up to the next WEMS race at Blue Mound on Saturday.

Some pics here.

Riding with the boys

2007-06-21T08:40:00.000-05:00

The boys and I had a nice 20 miler tonight as we rode our bikes to Church and back. We hit some singletrack, prarie path and pavement in the outing as well as coming home in the dark without a light. We arrived back home around 10PM. We were preparing to come home about 9pm, so I pulled out the NiteRider out of the Hawg only to find out that the cable to connect the battery to the light was missing. At least I had a flashing tail light. We headed home through the woods and hit sidewalks whenever it was risky. Thankfully, very few cars were on our route. The cable was found on the garage floor where I piled up everything that was to go in the Hawg.
My legs are a bit spent due to road ride Monday, road ride Tuesday night on the MTB with the Naperville Bike Club on their Blur ride, Wednesday 5:15 AM road ride with teammate Ken and Mike and another 20 miler Wednesday evening with the boys.

Team Vesrah Brakes Wins Round 2

2007-06-11T07:48:00.000-05:00

WEMS race #2 a John Muir is now in the history books. A change to our lineup with the addition of Neil Swanson majorly helped us end up with a 14 minute lead over 2nd place. The 10.8 mile laps were mainly singletrack for the 12 hour teams, which was quite a bit different than New Fane, yet more to our liking and reason we ride. The 3 and 6 hr teams ran a short course which kept the congestion down until the later part of our lap, yet they also missed most of the fun. Ken, Mike and myself had our new Top Fuel debut which stirred up some talk. The rear 3.5" travel on a light race rig was perfect for the course. Racine Cyclery came through with some new race jerserys. Vesrah pads provided effecient single finger stoppage all day. Enjoy the other pics.

Project One

2007-06-07T05:24:00.000-05:00

Delay, Defer and now Deliver! It has been a trip getting the new Vesrah team bikes this year. Trek has made some minor strength needed adjustments on the Top Fuel that caused some delays. The deferred me to the '06 model for a few weeks and now delivered the hottest full suspension frame xc race frame available. The 19.5" '06 frame I built two weeks ago is for sale if you want one. WEMs race may be the debut this weekend!

Show Me 200

2007-06-04T08:16:00.000-05:00

My Dad, Steve Mitoraj of the D'Arcy team and myself headed down to meet up with 170 or so others for the annual MTRA Show Me 200 down in Southern Missouri. The ride was 115 miles on Saturday and 85 on Sunday. The ride starts in Lesterville and works its way offroad up to Viburnum for the night and then back the next day. The Lesterville area seemed to consist of mostly ATV trails which get a bit monotonous to the dirt biker while the latter half of the ride turns into alot of sweet and technical singletrack. Rocks, hills, dust and mud after a rain storm made for quite the adventure. After arriving in Viburnum, we got cleaned up and shuttled off to an old Country Club turned into a Senior Center for a prime rib dinner. Steve and I snuck in a 9 hole round of Golf at the old Country Club before dinner. Most of the riders slept in the high school gymnasium in Viburnum which surpisingly was pleasant and peaceful by about 9:30pm. Here are a few pics of the trip. Now it is time to put the motorized cycle back in the corner and get back on the human powered cycle.

Team Vesrah Brakes Wins Season Opener

2007-05-28T14:49:00.000-05:00

The WEMS series opener was this past weekend for the new Vesrah Brakes MTB team. The new team gear is in the works with Voler. In the meantime, 34 laps, 163.2 miles in 11:57:42 was good enough for 1st place in the Open 4 man 12 hour category. We left Chicago shortly after 4AM following the rain til about Racine. The rest of the day was generally a mixture of sun and clouds with a few sprinkles. We were blessed as the rain was south of us and to the north. The team started the day doing 2 laps a piece and decided to switch to one after the first set. It was a long day of all out effort watching the competition quite closely. We had about a 7 minute gap on team two after 6 hours and ended the day with about a 10 minute gap. Vesrah welcomed all of the 12 hour participants over to the Vesrah van for some free disc brake pads. A swarm of folks were eager to give them a try. Look for more Vesrah Team action and brake pads at the next WEMS race at Kettle! A team dinner at Perkins on the way home to celebrate and then the arrival back home by 12:45 that night. Exhausted in all aspects, now that is Endurance racing! More pics are here.

Sign from Above

2007-05-20T19:28:00.000-05:00

I was about 45 minutes away from home on my way to the Wors race at Lake Geneva when the skies opened up. I finally decided that it wasn't meant to be. I tried all week to make it happen, yet with mishaps in parts, time management, priorities, it was finally time to give in and see the writing on the wall. Sometimes we push so hard to make our will work, yet there is a time to listen and realize when it isn't God's will. Therefore, I headed home, surprised the family and greatly encouraged my wife followed by my own small race in KK. A phone call a few hours later from a D'Arcy member informed me that the decision to turn around was a great one as it was a mud fest. Now, I do like mud as can be seen in a previous post and generally can get much higher in the rankings when the conditions are bad, yet all that hard work in setting up the new bike to race would've been a discouraging site to see. Interestly, I grabbed the radar snapshot near the beginning of the race and noticed that the entire midwest was clear of storms, except for the race area. The tail end of the storm left the race area at the end of the race I was to be in. Therefore, I believe it was truly a Sign from Above.

Custom Build

2007-05-19T20:18:00.000-05:00

The race bike is finally ready! What a crazy process it has been in building a custom race bike. Production issues on the original frame, swapping steerer tubes for the first time on a new SID, and then building attempting to build the bike while everyone is sleeping as the days are full with other needs. I did get out for a test spin around Knoch Knolls today. It has been a while since I had more than one gear and suspension in the trees. Tomorrow afternoon she will have her first showing at the new Wors race in Lake Geneva followed by the WEM series opener for the Vesrah team next Saturday.

Mom's Day

2007-05-14T17:30:00.000-05:00

A great day for the Moms! Everything worked out well and the Moms in my life were greatly encouraged. Time of course is the key ingredient in making anyone feel special. My wife is an incredible mother to our children and deserves many days of being treated like a queen. My Mom of course is a great joy to me as she has provided a great example in so many areas of life. The day was filled with socializing, dining, Peet's coffee, chocolate and a great walk in the park.

Newness

2007-05-11T14:21:00.000-05:00

The promise of the commitment to Diadora has been fulfilled as my replacement shoes after 10 years are now here. I actually broke down and got a pair for the road bike also. The Trek plans were altered as the new '07 Top Fuels are having some issues, therefore a few of the Vesrah boys will be racing the '06 models. Also, the Sun Dirty Fleas for the team have arrived and ready for some testing. Training is still going well with several hard rides this week. The first team race is two weeks away!

Going down to the River

2007-05-04T10:27:00.000-05:00

The boys and I decided to take a local adventure and canoe down the Dupage river this week. The water was high enough from recent rains that we braved the river deep in the jungle of Naperville. We put in at the River Walk and a few hours later ended up at Knoch Knolls park. Not bad for an evening of fun with the kids.

Diadora review and training update

2007-04-29T20:59:00.000-05:00

How about a review on a 11 year old pair of shoes? Everyone notices my shoes and can't believe I don't replace them. Is he cheap? Well, yes, but in reality they have been an excellent pair of shoes and my only MTB shoes since living in Dallas 11 years ago. It is time for an update and I've been looking at one replacement brand, Diadora which might last me for another 10 years. These shoes have seen MTBing in about half of the US!

The weekend training was strong with a hookup with Frank and Mike of D'Arcy on Saturday for some fun with the fast Sat AM Naperville ride. Hitting is quite hard for most of the 57 mile ride with a top heart rate of 194 while getting dropped from the front group.

The recovery ride on Sunday afternoon was with Mike and Ken of the new Vesrah team which turned into another 2.5 hour hard ride with a top HR of 187. I promise my body that tomorrow will be the recovery.

Note that the Diadora's have also been my road training shoes. I guess it is time to get some read road shoes also!

Drew's new SyCip

2007-04-16T18:59:00.000-05:00

What in the world is a kid doing with a SyCip? Hopefully, alot this year! You give your kids some opportunities and see where they land. It is a used bike, yet many high end components that will be going to my new race frame arriving in a few weeks. Drew is the lucky recipient of the frame that came along with the parts deal. Also hit the roads this afternoon as I'm working towards a 200 mile week! A few more days to go, and also a few days in the city working.

3 days of Road

2007-04-14T12:27:00.000-05:00

I finally hooked up with the fast guys starting off in downtown Naperville at 8AM. Here is the 56 mile route Sat morning. The group size wasn't that large due to the weather. We started with 11 or 12 and ended the lead group with 5, of which thankfully I was one. It was good to see how the training thus far is working out, even with a slow down in the past few weeks with the Winter of winter. Sunday was a recovery ride in the afternoon, thus making the past three days with over 100 miles on the bike! Drew was also fired up as he picked up a new ride courtesy of spicyride.

2007-04-09T21:41:00.000-05:00

Alot has transpired over the past few weeks. I finished up my Spring training in Phoenix, headed home for a few days of work and then we drove to Florida for a week long family vacation as the boys were on Spring Break. A day at the beach, a few at some parks, few at the pool, one on the Golf course.

Our Vesrah team is forming nicely as our new team frames were ordered while I was out of town. The entire team will be riding new Trek Top Fuel based bikes with custom builds that we're still working on.

The weather has slowed training a bit as winter has come back in Chicago. Tonight was a fun night helping a Scout troop learn about MTBing followed by the race loop at KK.

Spring Training Day #3/#4

2007-03-17T21:21:00.000-05:00

Day #3 was a 5.5 hour adventure due to a large group ride at South Mountain climbing National, descending Holbert, climbing Geronimo, descending National. It was recorded as 98 for a high that day!
Day #4 was another 5.5 hour adventure due to a large group ride in Sedona. My hands, legs and feet are looking forward to a little rest. See more pics here. Tomorrow will be a time of worshipping God followed by some smaller riding in the afternoon.

Spring Training Day #2

2007-03-15T23:44:00.000-05:00

A morning at South Mountain climbing National with Tiggerider while focusing on clearing the obstables. I'm normally a rush up the mountain type of rider so the new technical challenge of clearing all the obstacles was a good twist. Three hours later we called it a day as tomorrow is the big group ride at South Mountain where everyone is showing off. Check out the pics.

Spring Training Day #1

2007-03-14T23:26:00.000-05:00

A great day riding in the desert with about 12 others enjoying the first day of the AZ Spring Fling. I always forget how different this place is when coming from the Chicago winter. I drank about a gallon of water today with riding and replenishment. A special thanks to sycipsinglespeed for the bike maintenance! The week of my Spring Training pictures will be here.

Boys will be Boys

2007-03-10T15:50:00.000-06:00

As the countdown to Arizona takes place, the boys and I thought we'd hit a few golf balls as the weather was near 50. Drew decided we'd aim towards the old house on the land we own since we will eventually have it torn down. I said as long as they didn't break any windows. Well, it didn't take but 15 minutes to break one. We spent another hour hitting away from the house.

AZ Bound

2007-02-26T10:58:00.000-06:00

I'm flat out excited to get away from reality for a bit and what better place than the warmth of AZ. Here is a pic near Sqaw Peak from last Spring. Physically, the winter training hasn't been bad, except for dealing with illnesses in January. Therefore, a few more focused hill efforts like the Spin class this morning at the Y should keep me primed!

AZ Spring Training

2007-02-24T15:14:00.000-06:00

Plans are now being finalized for Spring Training down in Sunny AZ. I'll be hooking up with the Annual Spring Fling event. The last time I joined the crew was back in '03. I'll be hooking up with Mike from the D'Arcy team for a few of the days. It'll be awesome to break away from the Midwest.

Dilated Blood Vessel

2007-02-23T15:09:00.000-06:00

The CT results came back very good as I don't have cancer. I have a dilated blood vessel that should go away over time. They'll check me again in 6 months. Encouraging news always lifts the soul! I've been feeling better lately and hitting a few hard spin classes and riding a bit outside lately, yet still feeling a little week later in the day. I'm going to be trying some One A Day Men's Health Formula to my regimen to see if it helps.

Computed Axial Tomography Scan

2007-02-21T16:03:00.000-06:00

A CT scan this week was needed to determine if a lesion on my liver was beneign. It has been an interesting month of weakness and tests. A favorite scripture I've been quoting for 20 years is James 4:13-17 ...Why, you do not even know what will happen tomorrow. What is your life? You are a mist that appears for a little while and then vanishes... May we all be seeking the Lord's will whether tomorrow or 50 years from now is when we vanish.

Annual Creek Hike

2007-02-16T18:17:00.000-06:00

The boys were off of school today and hit me up for our annual hike on the Dupage River. We spent two hours hiking, traversing snowy trees and simply enjoying some good father/son time. It is simply great being a Dad and creating unique memories.

Valentines Day

2007-02-14T21:09:00.000-06:00

Valentines Day included quite a few adventures. My wife and I enjoyed a trip to the Y as I did intervals in the Spin class while she ran. I then took her out for some 4 wheeling in the back yard. Candle light dinner at home for dinner followed by a family outing to a kid friendly movie. We had officially celebrated last weekend, thus no pressure. Valentines Day for us has many great memories as this day 19 years ago is when I kissed my wife for the 1st time. 18 years ago on VDay is when I proposed to her.

Creek riding

2007-02-12T17:59:00.000-06:00

The days of my youth included sheet metal screws in the tires of my YZ80. We had some great times on Blackberry Creek that winter. Today, I ventured off the trails at KK and took a ride down a small section of the Dupage River. This section is usually only a few feet deep and thus it was fairly safe. The rest of the trails were fairly deep and required quite a bit of effort on the SS. More snow is coming tonight and thus the training will be back to the Spin classes. Blood work tests can back clear. Still waiting on the ultrasound findings.

Rebuilding weekend...

2007-02-11T18:20:00.000-06:00

No time on the bike this weekend. It was time for my wife and I to get away for some quality Marriage time at a Retreat hosted by our Church. Kids were off skiing while we were staying warm. We had some great lessons, great talks, dinner, dancing and a night away!

The tests related to my weaknesses lately are still up in the air. Here is an ultrasound taken Saturday showing something around the Liver.

Playing with the kids...

2007-02-08T18:00:00.000-06:00

Riding, Sledding or Spinning - you choose! Boys pulled me out for some Motorcycling in the snow this afternoon. The Husaberg wouldn't start, therefore I pulled the kids in the sled behind the XR70. Spin class yesterday was a great feeling and about the best I've felt in a month. Visited the doc for a variety of tests this week. Hopefully the doc will have some good feedback on why I've been misfiring all month.

0 Degree Super Bowl Sunday

2007-02-04T15:56:00.000-06:00

The Bears are in the Super Bowl 21 years after their last win. Can they do it? We'll find out soon enought if Rex is on or off. As they are enjoying the sunny Miami weather, we are stuck in Chicago freezing our tails off. I enjoyed a brisk ride through KK today in which my normal winter attire just didn't cut it. The face was frozen through the Balaclava and the little pinky was cold in the lobster gloves. But then again, the bragging rights are available. Enjoy the game! 20 degree weather next week will be like summer!

Get out while you can

2007-02-01T15:58:00.000-06:00

I got out for a late lunch ride at KK today as I was working at home. I'm still taking it easy at building myself back up, yet enjoying the time and lack of a very specific training goal. Riding to have fun, hanging out with friends and staying in shape is what it is about. The temps are dropping quickly over the next few days. Single digits during the day of the SuperBowl and almost negative double digits at night. Spring is getting closer as it is now February!

Ice Riding @ Palos

2007-01-29T21:11:00.003-06:00

Skipped out of some afternoon work to enjoy some Ice Riding w/ Mike L. A fresh frosting of snow hid all of the ice in the low 20 degree weather. I was provided some great entertainment in watching Mike slide around. Also, the plans and sponsors for the year are starting to come together and hopefully will have some updates soon.

Ice Camping w/ boys in 3 degree IL weather

2007-01-29T21:11:00.001-06:00

Total adventure this weekend as my boys and I joined our Boy Scout troop for some winter fun. The day was spent challenging you minds with skills in the annual Klondike Derby. The night was spent challenging all of us as it dropped to 3 degrees.We've made it and are now even more grateful for a heated home!

Feeling better...

2007-01-24T16:51:00.001-06:00

I've been feeling a ton better the past few days. The spiraling down sickness mentality had taken me captive for the past week and was hard to break out of. Prayer, inspirational scriptures, and rest do wonders. The snow is still on the ground and temps are perfect for offroad riding. The trails are now packed and rolling nicely as I've been out the last two days building myself back up. I'm trying to get used to the cold as the boys and I are off to the Boy Scout Klondike Derby this weekend and will be camping out.

Conserving Energy

2007-01-21T19:32:00.000-06:00

I've been feeling alot like the punchy in the new Rocky movie. Energy has been conserved and used at selected moments. I'm not sure if it is sickness, over training, age or mental, yet I've been quite tired lately. I was able to hit two spin classes during the week, the first being an intense 1 hr 25 minutes. The boys and I went skiing at Cascade Mtn on Friday. Saturday was a bit of running the kids around and a bit of relaxing in the evening while Sunday was a time at Church followed by a easy ride at Knoch Knolls in the new snow. Later in the day I was resting and watching the Bears win. I never watch football, so I must be sick.

Six days outside in Chicago!

2007-01-11T08:54:00.003-06:00

The weather has been bearable this week and allowed 6 days straight outside on the bike. Some days were leisure and others strong, including winds so strong that I felt like I was climbing Moore Fun again. With all this riding, it is time to focus on the training and nutrition plan. Dave Scott is producing some great podcasts on pre, post and race plans. My Accelerade flavor to keep me cranking is now Lemon Lime as the new Lemonade flavor was a bit sweet for me.

50 miler on a January day in Chicago

2007-01-05T19:20:00.001-06:00

You gotta love the warm Chicago winter this year with over 50 degree temps today. Global warming seems to be having an impact. We are now one week closer to Spring! I was able to enjoy a 50 mile ride this afternoon following this route. The boys and I headed out to Starved Rock on Wednesday to hike the Illinois and Ottowa Canyon trails and enjoy some good father and son time. The streams were flowing nicely and we were able to enjoy a few views of some waterfalls.

Great way to End '06

2006-12-30T14:17:00.000-06:00

The closing of '06 ended with a great week. Our Church service on Christmas Even was spent enjoying a communion service followed by watching the new The Nativity Story movie. A great movie to set the proper tone at Christmas. I then hopped on the road bike and headed for a 2.5 hr ride out to the family for the traditional McCrimmon family Christmas Eve gathering. A surprise hook up with a few riders from the ABD team for 45 minutes of my ride as they were out on a training ride. Christmas Day was a great day to be with friends serving others and enjoy time with Glynnis and the boys. Tuesday and Friday weather allowed for some afternoon 1+ hr road rides. Friday was my wife's birthday in which we enjoyed some good Indian Food with friends. She is now the holder of tickets to the upcoming Josh Groban concert. She will be one of the middle aged women rushing the stage. Saturday morning was in the saddle for 3+ hrs on the road bike with some DArcy team members to end the cycling year on a strong note. Looking forward to '07!

Kenda Support

2006-12-14T19:17:00.000-06:00

Kenda came through in order to get me going for the '07 season! Can't wait for the trails to either freeze or dry out in order to give my new tires a spin. On another note, Melville and I went out today for a 90 minute road ride. The rain came and dampened the road quite a bit and created a mess around some construction areas. We came back looking like we'd been out on the trails. So much for keeping the Fuji clean.

18 and still going...

2006-12-08T18:03:00.000-06:00

18 degrees and still going. Am I really a 40 year old kid who won't grow up? The training and fun must continue with whatever weather Chicago may receive. After two days this week in spin class, it was time to get back outside and ride. The loop through Knoch Knolls was rideable this time. Extended riding around town was in order to get in a 1 3/4hr ride.

On the techie side, check out Google Apps for your domain. What a great way to have an extranet, email, calendar for your company. My company is now leveraging it.

Joel was my inspiring book of the week as he was a minor prophet during the reign of Jehoash. It may seem as if things were going well, yet the people were a bit clueless. I must question myself how often I'm in a cloud believing that I'm on the right track, when in reality I need to continue to return to God.

2006-12-02T17:13:00.000-06:00

What a week in weather it has been? From the 60s to the 20s with snow. New adventures are in order. Boys and I had some fun sledding (McCrimmon style) with the Husaberg pulling the kids around the yard. MTBing was still in order after being motivated by others. I had sad thoughts of staying inside and having only indoor workouts for a while. Those thoughts have now vanished!

Knoch Knolls in the Winter

McCrimmon sledding

Youngest decided to ride a bit also in the snow. One spill was all, and with smiles to boot.

North Central Iowa for Thanksgiving

2006-11-26T17:02:00.000-06:00

We made the 6.5 hr trek to visit family in Thornton, IA. A very peaceful town focused on the farming community. There are many good things to be said about a slower pace, although it is hard to adjust towards when you live in a Chicago burb.

I decided to take the MTB along and search out any local areas to ride. Thanksgiving morning is the tradition to go for a ride and I headed out to Pilot Knob State Park for a couple hours of climbing around on horse trails. The park has the 2nd highest point in Iowa. I stopped to view 8 wild turkeys wandering in the woods. Also, I was followed for a while by a coyote which can be a bit creepy when riding alone. I decided to simply ride gravel roads on Friday as that seems to be a common event for Iowans. I had remembered the issue of dogs shortly after passing a few homes. Therefore, I decided to pace myself around homes and keep an eye out. Not long after, I came upon another farm house and didn't notice a dog sitting 5 feet from the road. He stood up as I came by and quickly started running after me. This dog was no mutt of a farm dog but a doberman pinscher. Holy cow, I'm spinning like crazy, and not so fast as I'm on my Singlespeed with a 2:1 ratio for the woods. I'm freaking out and the dog is gaining. He gets close enough for me to spray him with my water bottle. He slows for a second and then continues on. I spray him again and he finally starts to slow and turn towards home. Enough of the stupidity of riding gravel roads in Iowa with dog issues, I headed out to the main paved road as quick as I could and headed back to the family.

Meet me in St Louis

2006-11-20T14:52:00.000-06:00

19 years ago I arrived in St Louis for five incredible years. The time was focused on helping many souls come to Christ, building friendships that will last for eternity, and a extra blessing of meeting the woman beyond my dreams. This past weekend the St Louis Church celebrated their 20 year anniversary and we went down to join in the celebration as Glynnis had been there from the beginning. The kids were exposed to much of our past and got a bigger picture of what Christianity and life is all about.

So many victories

So much encouragement

We stayed with the Hovey family and they took us to the City Museum. What a cool place.

Mud stop you from cycling?

2006-11-14T09:04:00.000-06:00

The weather is turning from warm to cold as we enter mid November. We were spoiled with some 70 degree weather this week and loved it. Saturday was the day to hook up with the guys for some adventure, yet the rain came pouring down on Friday night. Should we ride the road? Hmmm... cold weather deters that thought? Therefore, a couple hours sliding around in the mud rekindled the youth within us striving to come out. Now, back to reality of being grown up.

2006-11-09T17:26:00.000-06:00

Final Enduro of the year in Goshen, IN.

Start of the race

Some action in the woods

Bill E and I raced the Senior class since we turned 40 years old. Nothing like starting your racing together as kids and now continuing as mature men. Well, I'm not sure how mature we are. We did have a great time!

Winter Park - Spring Break with Family

2006-04-09T09:41:00.000-05:00

Spring Brak was upon us and we were off to Michigan for a three day weekend. Three days prior an incredible opportunity came up for Winter Park, CO. We loaded up the vehicle and headed out. The boys have only skied in the Midwest so this was going to be a real treat. Glynnis hates the snow so it was going to be a real bummer for her. She still had a good week (not great since it wasn't at the beach on Spring Break) and enjoyed some good inside workouts and a time of relaxing. The boys and I got very little rest as we skied 4 out of 7 days. First day was from opening to close. It was in the mid 20s with strong winds. We actually came down the Mtn in a whiteout on our final run with fear of never finding out way. It was the worst storm I have ever been involved in. Colorado continues to live up to its unpredictable weather for me. The second day skiing was in the 50s and we skiied in our Fleece jackets. Sun was shining and we were loving it. Now this is Spring Break. Red Heads and Sun do not mix so it was a day our family will never forget. We neglected to use sunscreen and the boys were literally fried. Their faces are finally back to normal but some of the freckles are gone due to the loss of several layers of skin. Drew also thought he'd be a snowboarder on the second ski day as he'd done this a few times in Wisconsin. He had forgotten how hard it was and spent a few days complaining of all the aches and pains he had. The third day was a winner as the weather was in the mid 40s and we had sunscreen and the boys faces covered. This day was the first day that the Bowl was open so they got to go over 12,000 feet on skis. We skied and took video from 12,000 down to 9,000 feet. What a run! They left early that day to avoid the sun. I spent the final three hours attempting to hit it hard with some harder expert runs. I finally settled down realizing the kids hadn't slowed me down at all and their pace was perfect. My lefts were burning and I could hardly lift them up by the last hour. The final day we skied only 4 hours before getting back in the vehicle and heading home. It was another success and lots of fun chasing the kids through the trees.

Phoenix - Single or Six Speed...

2006-02-15T09:40:00.000-06:00

We love to visit Phoenix, especially when the weather isn't so nice in Chicago. This was my first opportunity to join my Dad and friends on their annual winter break trip to Phoenix for some fun in the desert mountains. It consisteted of 5 days of playing in the dirt. I was able to take my newly built singlespeed along for some challenging rides on South Mountain and Squaw Peak area. We rode the motorcycles in the Sycamore Creek area and Tonto National forest. Great fun and great weather were had. How about 78 degrees everyday? I was also able to enjoy some time with great friends in the area over a meal of freshly caught fish. Back to reality...