Adventures in Mediocrity

For years, Team Goathead has existed among the upper echelon of mediocrity, and we're perfectly okay with that. Jon's write up was a great recap of the race, but I would simply describe it as a perfectly mediocre race weekend. We all came in around 6 hours which barely puts us in the top half of the 500 person field. None of us ride with expectations of excellence. We ride because we love sharing epic experiences with great friends. Admittedly, some of us have gotten more serious about riding over the years. I never thought I would race wearing lycra, I never thought I would work at a bike shop and I never thought I would put more miles on my bike in a week than I do in my car. But the real objective in all of this "seriousness" is just so that the adventures can be more and more epic. Somebody already threw out the idea of 24 hours of Moab and I've already started thinking about how to train for the Exterra Triathlon.
Honestly, I'm very satisfied with my race time, but my favorite part of the race was seeing JC at every aid station and seeing The Professor and JA come across the finish line together. In a few weeks the race will be a blur, but I will definitely remember the "Jewnado", The "gay/Ukrainian hotel" and "boating euphemisms" for a long time.
Just anther mediocre adventure with good friends.
Here's some photographic evidence to attest to the mediocrity.....

A Sunday in . . .

For two years, the racing faction of Team Goathead has planned on returning to the Dakota 5 0. Unlike 2008, we did a much better job of training. JA, Lumpy, and myself put in more than a few 40+ mile rides. Would this make a difference? We also made some changes to: equipment, nutrition, and race strategy (only stopping at aid stations 2 &4).

So we got up on Sunday morning and WOW, it was cold!!! After getting warm (somewhat) we rode over to the start line. Two questions were about to be answered. Would we all improve upon the fastest time from 2 years ago (6hr. 20 min) and who would be crowned Goathead National Champion? As we rolled out of town none of us were in too big of a hurry. There was lots of dirt and climbing left. As we rode onto the first dirt road of the day, all three of us were together. As we entered the single track, I tucked in behind Lumpy, with JA about 30 spots back. Things were going according to plan. We had decided to not worry about passing too many people until we got close to aid station 1. Lumpy and I were rolling along smoothly and were in a nice little group. We were busy riding back and forth across the creek when my day hit the first bump and would be changed for the next 45+ miles.

As we crossed the creek and were about to head up a steep uphill, a fellow rider crashed. I lost a little momentum trying to avoid him and had to down shift to make it up the hill. However my chain got stuck between my chain ring and chain stay. I got it out and started riding again, however my rear der was jumping all over the place. This doesn’t sound good. I jumped off my bike to inspect it and saw a bent chain link – bummer. Only thing to do is take it out and put chain back together. About this time JA sees me and pulls over to lend a hand. WHAT A TEAMATE/FRIEND!!!

I get rolling and eventually catch JA and we set about trying to re-connect with LUMPY. We rolled through aid station 1 and saw a friendly face (thanks JC). One by one, JA and I are passing people and possibly inching closer to Lumpy. As I arrive at aid station 2 it is time to refuel. There is a little gap between JA and myself, but nothing that can’ t be closed in the upcoming miles. As I leave aide station 2, I begin to think the chain issue will be just a minor blip in my day. However, halfway between stations 2 and 3 it breaks again!!!! First thought is, there will be no sub 6 hr ride and NO catching Lumpy. He has been strong all year and I cannot overcome two mechanicals. Just as I am ready to re-attach the chain, JA pulls up and AGAIN helps me. Okay, so my original goals are shot - let’s just get to the finish as fast as we can.

As planned there was no stopping at aid station 3 and I headed off towards #4 and some hard hard climbing before the finish. After a quick stop @ 4 I head towards the infamous bacon station. No time to stop for God’s gift (bacon!!!), because sub 6 hrs is still possible!!! About .5 mile from the bacon station it happens again!!!! I have snapped a link. Come on, can’t a guy catch a break?!?!?! Knowing JC is about 800 yards behind me I entertain thoughts of walking back to him and catching a ride back to town. However, as JA stops (AGAIN) to help, he lets me know that DNFing is NOT an option. But this chain break seems to be worse than the previous one. That is when course angels, Ron and Aubrey, stop and give me a quick link. They weren’t racing, they were just patrolling the course to help people finish – thanks!!!

Okay, no sub 6 hours for sure, but maybe a PR? As I entered the out/back section of the course I could tell it was going to be CLOSE. As I left the single track and looked down the road I saw JA in the distance. Perhaps he and I could finish together!!! I did my best to impersonate Lumpy and tried to descend as fast as I could. Just as we left the dirt and hit pavement I caught my teammate. We rode to the finishing line together – 6 hr 12 min. We both set PRs!!!

No way that happens if JA doesn’t stop 3 times and help out a brother. Oh, what ever happened to Lumpy? He only took about 2 hours off his time and finished in 5hr. 40 min. Congrats bro, very nice riding!! Again, JC it was great to see a friendly face out on the course.

Remembering Moab

11 days and counting

Here is a picture I stole off the Ridge Riders blog. I think this is part of the new section of trail they've put in since last year.
The other day I was out at Lewis and Clark with the Professor and J.A. We did 6 laps. It was intended to kinda test where we were fitness wise. I think we all passed, but it's still no substitute for 50 miles in the rugged, Black Hills. I remember I was finishing up a climb (what's left of Mt. Neverest) and my legs were burning, my heart was pounding out of my chest, and I was thinking, "this is exactly how I'm going to feel for most of the 5-0, except it will be on mile 12 and I'll have 38 more to go".

I can't wait!

Give Blood. Give Life.

This is what happens when you give kids soda....

Two Wrongs.....

I had this for lunch today

Weekend re-cap

Great weekend for riding/training this week. Although it was hot, I was able to hit both Swanson and Jewell for multiple laps. Two years ago I spent too much time at Tranquility and felt un-prepared for the single track of the 5 0. So hitting both these parks in a single weekend is a part of a different training strategy. Hopefully this will help me shave 2 minutes off my time.
Both days J.C. braved the heat and joined me. Seeing a lot of him on the trail this year is great after scarce sitings last year.
As you can see below - only a few more days to place you bets on who will take home the Goathead National Championship.

Close enough for a countdown....

Not much else to add

Jon's write up pretty much sums up the weekend. A lightning quick assault on the front range that resulted in sore legs and not many pictures. Here's what I do have.....

Lumpy and Mrs. Lumpy at Echo Lake


The top of Mt. Evans



The best Men's Wearhouse has to offer



T-rev and Mrs. T-rev



The payoff

Colorado 2010

Lumpy did all the riding. The Prof and I just stood around and posed.

Front Range 2010

Lumpy, JA, and myself spent 48 hours in Colorado this week. For the first time in long time, we spent all of our time in the front range. Only rode one new trail. On Saturday, JA and myself headed out at 5:00 AM and by about 2:30 PM we were at Lair O'the Bear. WHAT A TRAIL. It is about 12 miles long (6 out and 6 back). However 1.5 miles in the trail you start a climb that is roughly 3.5 miles long. That was GREAT!! The trail is just incredible. On the way down there was very little steering involved, it just FLOWED so great.
On Sunday we met up with Lumpy and headed to Evergreen to ride the trail named 3 sisters. The trail starts at about 7,000 ft. and has 1,900 ft. of climbing. There is about a 4.5 mile climb on this ride. In the PM we headed to Chimney Gulch (new to Goathead Nation). The plan was to ride this trail up Lookout Mtn. and then head over to APEX and ride down. First part of the plan went great!!! Chimney Gulch is an EXCELLENT climb. When we got to Apex the first of a bad next hour started. First, the Enchanted Forest is one way on certain days. We couldn't ride it. Then, about halfway down we found another one way section and had to start climbing again. We then started to hear thunder (not good). As the weather looked to be getting worse Lumpy flatted. About that time the weather went from bad to worse. JA and I eventually made our way down the trail and headed towards the car (we would drive back and pick up Lumpy). Then the heavens opened up. That was a wet ride.
We got up early on Monday and headed for one last ride (48 hours and 4 trails). Usually Dakota Ridge is our first ride and this time it was our last. What a great way to end a quick trip to CO. Oh, and ask Lumpy about where to get quality tubes.

For Lumpy

Spotted in Georgia a few miles away from my brother's house:






I'm just sayin...

Goals are rare, celebrate them.

This is from Iceland's Premier division.

This member of the Spanish press got a little too aggressive with his questions about EPO use on Team Goathead.

watch here

EXPECTATIONS

So in about one month, we go back to Spearfish. Because of a re-route it will be impossible to measure myself against my old time (6hr. 20 min.). So I am hoping to avoid any/all of the following (experienced by at least one goathead last time): leg cramps, mental breakdowns, vomiting, thoughts of retirement, or attempts to eat beef jerky mid race.
How has training gone? I have run less this year than last time. Tradittionally the more I have run the better I climb. Good thing the 5-0 is pretty flat. I have more miles in, but probably the same amount of dirt time. HOWEVER, some of my rode miles have included pulling Ella in the Burley - I am thinking that will make the widow maker a walk in the park. This time around I have longer one day rides in as well.
How are my partners in crime doing? Although he is my good friend, I can't tell if P90X is good training or Lumpy's code for this. J.A.'s miles may or may not be down. However, I think he will draw upon his years of experience a pull out a good ride (and believe me, he has YEARS and YEARS of experience).
Don't tell J.C. we tricked him into going. We told him to go with us as our photographer, HOWEVER yesterday I registered him in the race.

Oh, and before I sign off . . . the A-train made his dirt debut last Sunday. Austin, it was great seeing you at Tranq. last Sunday.

50 Tyson...... Remix!

Can anyone tell me where 50 Tyson is from? ......... or possibly how old he is? I'm a huge fan. You're about to become one.

T-rev's getting married

(T-rev 1994)

Despite everyone's prediction that T-rev would never get married, he's actually doing it........ To a real girl....... She's actually really cool. Seriously, I never saw this coming.
To celebrate this momentous event, I'm heading to Denver where I'll rendezvous with other Goatheads for some Rocky Mountain trail action. I suppose I'll go to the wedding too, but there's no reason to talk about that here. After all this isn't a blog for sappy stories about best friends, it's a blog devoted to mediocre mountain bike adventures and next weekend, we'll be in the upper echelon of mediocrity.
We're planing on riding all the usual trails around Denver, but we are also considering Devils Backbone by Loveland. Has any of our 7 readers ever been there?
Hopefully we'll have pictures and stories to post soon.

Trouble at the Roundabound

In a few weeks, I will be driving to Spearfish, SD along with three other GoatHeads who will be doing something called the FIVE-OH. I guess it's a 500 yard short track in a tight circle. They must go around a few times. Should be pretty sweet! I was told my job is to hand them Propel every 250 yards to keep them refreshed. Looking forward to kicking back in a lawn chair and watching them go round and round.

 

My other job is to drive to and from SD, but I'm a little nervous about that. My GPS has been acting up…

 

 

Mathiessen State Park

If you ever find yourself in Chicago with nothing to do, You can always make the 1 hour drive to Mathiessen State Park. I was there with my family and my mountain bike this weekend. It took me a couple of days to figure out the trails, but once I did I found a 5 mile loop with great views and a ton of climbing. It reminded me of Platte, but with more elevation changes and more sunflower fields.



On a totally unrelated note, I want to thank this guy for giving me a ride home from work last week.......

Cycling Tips

Cardboard Warfare

When I was a kid, me and my friends would use a jigsaw to make rubber band guns out of plywood. This takes it to a new level.

Starting to come together

With the year end goal of the Dakota 50 less than 2 months away, training is more important then ever. The last 10 days have been GREAT!!! The last weekend in June I got back to back hard MTB rides. Saturday @ Swanson and Sunday @ Tranquility. Last Wednesday JA and I hit Jewell and put in four solid laps. Then, last Sautrday, Lumpy/JA/ and myself went to Platte and put some good miles in. The 50 course has changed, so I can't really improve my time. HOWEVER, I do want to finish stonger than 2 years ago.
To top off the last 10 days, Lumpy and I went 68 on the rode yesterday. Rode on one of the flatest and straightest roads as we left DeSoto Bend. I felt like I was on a treadmill.

I have a confession

I said I was doing P90X just so you wouldn't laugh at me, but the truth is, the key to my fitness plan is actually Country Hip-Hop Dancing........ Don't judge me.

Last weekend's scorecard

For those of you keeping track at home, here are the results of last weekend:
Sat: heat 1 JA 0
Went to Louis and Clark Saturday, after working outside all day. What the heck, 3:30pm, it's only 97 degrees give or take and a heat advisory in effect, but I should do OK. Sounds like a good time to crank out 3 or 4 laps at L& C. It didn't go too well- 1 lap and I was cooked- legs felt good, the rest of me not so much. No problem, should be able to crank it up Sunday.

Sunday: JA 1, Tranq 0/ Lumpy 1 JA 0
As the Prof already posted lap 1-3 went good but Casey decided to separate the men from the boys on lap 4, and it hurt. Lumpy is starting to scare me with how good he is doing this year. Finished the lap with decent energy left. Still a long way from being ready for the 5-0 though. 4 laps at Tranquility is a decent start but nowhere near being a good prep for the 5-0.

So what is a better 5-0 prep- a lot of laps at Swanson or Tranquility or mega miles on the road bike?

Ouch

We had so much fun two weeks ago, we decided to move Sunday Smackdown to the dirt yesterday. Lap one J.A. set a good pace. However I could tell that I would be fighting all ride just to limit my losses. On lap 2 Lumpy took over the lead and upped the tempo. He put time into me and J.A. on 2 climbs in a row. However, halfway up the 2nd climb J.A. exploded past me and caught Lumpy. They probably would have lost me for good had Lumpy not crashed going into a corner too hot. Unlucky for him, but lucky for me. Every turn of the pedal kept telling me that today was not my day. I managed to lead lap three, but was struggling to keep Lumpy and J.A. behind. As we started lap 4 Lumpy surged into the lead. Then . . . he was out of sight. He didn't attack me and Jeff, he simply threw the hammer down. Realizing a chase was futile, J.A. and myself simply finished in the main pack.
A lot of Goathead nation is asking "where are the others??" JC missed the start time but threw down a blazing lap in the middle of S.S. The A-train is still recovering from a pre-season crash that set back his training. The big question is whether J-mac will come out of retirement. He has said he will make a come back, but so far he is doing more talking than riding.
In September, Sunday Smackdown will merge with the Dakota 50. The Goathead national championship jersey will be on the line. I'm not sure what the guys in Vegas are saying but the smart money is on Mr. P90X.

Goat Bridge

H2O

Amazingly several Goatheads were able to get some dirt time in last week. However, the return of Monsoon season has closed the trails for awhile. That meant I needed to ride on pavement. My question is where do I ride when the pavemnent is covered in water?

Obligatory pics

As a follow up to the Prof's post here are the pics from the ride:

Lumpy setting up for an attack:


Prof pulling him back:


Crossing small ponds:


It was so deep in some areas the Prof picked up a leech:


Fin:

Game on

A few Goatheads plan on traveling back to Spearfsh this Labor Day weekend. Apparently we forgot how much pain we felt last time and wanted to be reminded. HOWEVER, the recent weather patterns have done a number on the local trails. I predict that Manawa won't be rideable until about the middle of August.
So JA, Lumpy, and myself went looking for a hard road ride on Sunday. In hoped of being in shape come Labor Day weekend. We have often read the post write ups about Wedesday worlds, so we thought we would have our own Wednesday worlds (but on Sunday).
As we headed to the North Omaha Airport, Lumpy set a pretty good pace. No doubt he was trying to lose JA and myself. However, his attempts were to no avail. The bunch(all three of us) re-grouped as we headed towards Boyer Chutes. After passing by the chutes the road eventually went up. Nearing the Seaside resturaunt I thought it was time to leave my companions behind. JA and Lumpy were having none of that and stayed glued to my wheel. We stayed together for the next few miles including some nice rolling hills as we got near to Lumpy's house. Then with only a couple of miles remaining JA thought it was time to see if Lumpy and I were napping. The elastc might have snapped,if it was not for a red light that slowed JA progress. In the end we finished together with Lumpy keeping his lead in the G.C.

Bacon Flapjacks

This old Aunt Jemima ad just gave me a whole new reason to wake up in the morning.

It really works!

Check out this new laundry drying rack I got......



The guy at the shop I bought it from says it also works as a mountain bike if I can find dry trails.

Bland Chili with Ocho Cinco

Have you ever been to Cincinnati? I hadn't until last week. I just spent nine days there for work. It seemed like an okay town. I was working most of the time so I didn't get to experience everything. The people were friendly and it seemed like when asked if they liked Cincinnati, the general consensus was that they were all happy they didn't live in Cleveland.
The other consensus opinion I encountered was that everyone thought I should try the Skyline Chili. When I think of Cincinnati, or Ohio for that matter, I don't think of chili, but this was not your usual chili. First of all, they eat it on top of spaghetti. My first thought was, that's odd, but after the idea sank in it started to appeal to me. The only problem was the chili itself wasn't what I would call chili. It was sweet instead of spicy. I guess they season it with cinnamon and chocolate. The one thing that really saved the experience for me was the ridiculous amount of cheese put on top, plus they had hot sauce at the table in case you wanted a little extra kick. Final conclusion, I don't think it is something I would eat again and again, but it was worth trying.




There was one thing I did that saved the trip from being as bland as the chili, that was sneaking into Paul Brown Stadium, home of the Cincinnati Bengals.



I walked down to the stadium with a co-worker because we heard the Bengals were practicing. As we were walking to get around to the practice facility, we saw a truck driving out and the electric gate shutting slowly behind it. We had just enough time to slip in. Once on the inside we saw a security hut with two guards sitting inside. I expected them to throw us out on our ear, but they seriously just looked at us and then went back to their conversation. So we walked under the stadium and found a tunnel that went onto the field. To our surprise we walked right into the middle of a celebrity meet and greet for all of the corporate sponsors. We acted like we were supposed to be there and ended up getting a free lunch while rubbing elbows with Carson Palmer and Cedric Benson. I didn't get any pictures of that, but I did get some pictures inside the their locker room. You'ld think they would keep that door locked.

Family Outing

When the adoption became official, several people told me my riding miles would go down now that I have a child. Here is what has changed - I trade a few mountain bike rides in for rides with my wife and daughter. That combination has actually increased the amount of miles I have in this year.
The only drawback of riding with my daughter is she loves to coach. "Daddy sit down". "Daddy faster".
Friday's ride took us to one of our favorite hamburger joints.

Are you ready?

You're chasing Peter

With all the snow and rainy weather so far this year, several of us took up another great way to stay on top of things.

WHY????

Your friend asks, "Wanna go for a bike ride?"
You say, "sure".
Your friend says, "Wanna ride for 12 hours, taking turns riding each hour?"
You say, "uuh, sure"
Your friend says, "how about we start at six in the evening and end at six in the morning?"
You say, "uuuuuhhhh, I guess".
You friend then says, "oh, how about we pay to do this?"
You say, "are you crazy?!?!?!?"

For the second year in a row, the Goatheads sent a group to the 12 hour race put on by Angry Cow Adventures. This year the course was flat. Maybe not as flat as Manawa, but closer to that than Swanson. Also, the temps were well above freezing, unlike last year.
We decdided to take two lap shifts, which meant about 50 minutes of riding per shift. This seemed to be a good strategy. We were able to "red line" it for most of that time. Starting at 4:00 am we went to one lap shifts for one final push to the finish line.
Due to slick conditions and not knowing the course, all three of us took a tumble at some time during the evening. I got two flats, the last one at 5:45 AM. Knowing it wouldn't change our standings, I just cut corners and didn't finish that lap.
We finished with 27 laps - good enough for 2nd place.

A Goathead Life

Let's see..... What's been going on...... Well, I ordered a new bike. It should be in in a couple of weeks. It looks similar, if not identical to this



In the mean time, I've been trying to ride. The Professor and I went to Lewis and Clark on Sunday. Big thanks to all the trail builders that put in the reroute. Although the chute is now gone, it's still a sweet trail and the new entrance is actually fun, not as fun as the chute, but still fun.

I didn't ride as much as I would have liked this last winter, but I'm feeling good about where I am for this point in the season. A commitment to bike commuting has helped, but also 3 months of P90X has paid off. Anyone that is thinking about doing it, should. Especially as an off season routine. It's a good mix of cardio and strength training. I won't gross you out with my before picture, but I will show you my after picture.



The 12 hour race @ Wagon Train is in a week and a half. Like a mutating virus, Team Goathead has multiplied and split. We are now planing on having two teams in the race. Look out, we're on the verge of a global pandemic.

I don't have any pictures from my biking in Colorado, but I do have a picture of T-Rev doing what he does best. I have a picture of myself on the same lip, but in that one I'm flailing my arms like a little girl, so I'll just post T-Rev.

I just found my wife's Mothers Day gift....

Who's in?

May is almost here.You know what that means - 12 hours @ Branchd Oak. Except this year is at Wagon Train Rec. Area. Only a few teams answered our challenge last year and some of them cheated. For intance, Team Lucas only had one rider. Do you know how much easier it is to keep riding lap after lap as opposed to stopping after two laps and resting for an hour, then start riding again. I wouldn't have thought riding solo would have been easier but it had to have been - how else do you explain team Lucas beating us by two laps.
There are rumors that we are sending a couple two man teams - that should make things interesting.

Ya ever feel like you're just way out of your league?

Best I can do

I don't have any pictures from my Colorado trip, so this is all you get.

It's go time

There have been various reports of a Goathead riding here or there over the past two weeks. But they have always been alone and not in a group. That changed Sunday!!! JA, JC, and myself met up at Swanson for a few laps. Nothing beats a great group ride. It was JA's second trail ride in 2 days. JC and I were also on our second ride of the week. Lumpy does trump our ride with a lap at Dakota Ridge on Saturday.
It appears that the A-train is out of commission for awhile. Bad crash at Tranquility. I think in the past few years he has busted his lip and his frame while riding there. He shoudl find a new place to ride. Heal up bro and see you on the dirt soon.

It's Thursday

My First Dirt Ride for 2010

I hit Tranquility last Saturday. Beautiful weather even with the wind, and the course was smooth riding. Lots of people had the same idea. Kind of weird at the end to have the 30 yards of utility road turned private property, but whatever.

Overall, for my first dirt ride of the year, I was definitely happy with the day. I plan to get out more than last year, so looking forward to many more.

Was he surprised by this outcome?

The final nail in the coffin costs $149

Q: How do you know when a sub culture is dead?

A: When Walmart is on board

Unconventional but effective

The 2k10 season is barely underway, but it's been obvious to everyone that JA, the Professor and myself have been doing some serious work on the bike. You're probably wondering how we came out of winter so fit....... Well, it was our unconventional off season training methods that are really paying dividends.

FINALLY

Because a)global warming caused a long snow cover and b)I wimped out from commuting to work this winter - yesterday was the first time I rode my bike since December. Way behind on miles, Lumpy and I rode from North O to Crescent, IA. Okay so to a lot of people 34+ miles isn't super long. However, when the Goatheads first started we might start with 1 lap at Swanson (in May) or a 10 miler on the Keystone.
Yesterday HURT!!! There was a hill about 4.5 miles outside of Crescent that made me wish I had an FX and not my Soho S. After that, Lumpy and I put on a two man time trial clinic into Crescent. Lumpy has the computer, not me, but we must have hit at least 15 mph. Had we had a TT helmet and a skin suit we might have cracked 17 mph. All I know is that our drafting skills are AWESOME!! The ride back to his house went better, except having to climb up Burt St.
This is Spring Break at GU so I am hoping to put some miles in this week. Afterall whenever I race my annual Psycowpath event I want to be in shape so I don't do anything stupid - like crash at the beginning of the race.

Oh, the real highlight from yesterday were the two bald eagles we saw near L & C. Lumpy claims one of them had a baby kangaroo in its mouth.

# 500

I've been waiting for this day for months..... The 500th post on MTB Goatheads.
This is obviously a momentous occasion. Since the beginning, I've always had big plans for #500. Should I share a video displaying our mediocre riding skills? Should I relive some of our great triumphs from the past few years? Should I preview things to come on the blog? Should I talk about the blog in ways that reveal my overinflated sense of self-importance? Should I tell a story that's only funny to me but makes everyone else uncomfortable?...... No, there will be time for all of that in the future. Today, you will get a centaur using a port-o-potty.

Jr. Goatheads

The official shirt for the Jr. Goathead program

Which multi-tool is best for removing squirrel?

Reminder

I was reminded of two important facts of life this morning on my commute into work...... Ice is slick, and concrete is hard.

Don't say I didn't warn you.

Have you seen this?

OK GO has out-done themselves... Again
The first version of their video of the song "This Too Shall Pass" Featured the Notre Dame Marching Band.

OK Go - This Too Shall Pass from OK Go on Vimeo.

As cool as that was, they felt the need to raise the bar.