A good little taste of the Dirty Kanza 200. The DK200 is a 200 mile gravel road race through the Flint Hills around the Emporia, Ks. The 2009 race would have a blistering head wind that changed direction throughout the day and was coupled with sweat drenching heat. 85 would start and a record low 15 would finish. www.heartlandrace.com Editing done by Lelan Dains
If you ride bikes you should be in Emporia this weekend. cRamp Alexander this sunday! Trail is in amazing shape and a promised good(cramp filled) time. Big time props go to Lelan and the whole High Gear Team. We have spent tons of time working on them come out and enjoy them with us.
A couple quick lines before I head out on the bike for a couple rides today. First things first...We are putting on a race here in Emporia, KS July 19th. For all the juicy details swing on over to crampalexandarrace.blogspot.com and check it out!
Second, another DK200 is in the books. Long story short, heat plus a constant head wind mentally drained me and I pulled the plug at mile 70 just outside Elmdale(sp?). I would call Matt down at the bike shop and beg him to come get me. He was nice enough to send out domestique Marvin out for me. That guy is a life saver. I owe a big thanks to the High Gear Cyclery, Marvin, Jenna(was going to meet me at the halfway point with my stuff), and anyone else along the way that has helped me out on this race. Be on the lookout for a video from the race coming from Lelan(check links to the right for his blog). By the way 15 out of 85 fiished...out of those 15 there would be no Team High Gear riders...damn the heat!
Third, Team High Gear would make a short road trip down to Wilson Lake a month or so ago. Everyone had a good ride. Mike and Lelan would take on the expert class with Bobby, myself, and Dusty spinning around in the sport class.
Fourth, I have started to kick up the training for 24 Hours of 9 Mile finally.
The crew(Tim, Dusty, Mike, Lelan, Bobby, Randy, and myself) headed down to do the Ouachita Challenge down in Arkansas last week and had a good/painful time. Myself, Tim, Dusty, and Mike all got down there on Friday afternoon just in time to check in to the hotel and grab some BBQ. (On top of first big climb) The next day(Saturday) we would grab some classic small town cafe breakfast(Large portions and tons of coffee)and the head off to meet up with Lelan, Bobby, and Randy to get some preriding in. We would check out the last couple miles then hit up the first 8 miles or so. The first 8 miles had changed since last year and WOW! they added some major climbing. We would rap up the preride and head off for some pizza
(Fixing Lelans bike)
Sunday morning we would wake up to cold pizza and rain coming down. Once down to the race start the temperature would continue to drop but the rain let up.
The start of the race was a clustered mess and luckily Lelan, Dusty, Bobby, and me would bridge up to the lead group getting out of the mess that I knew would happen once the whole group reched the first large climb. Lelan would stick with the lead pack on the first climb and dissappear over the top. Im not sure when Dusty and Bobby backed off but next thing I knew I was all alone.
Once up the climb it was a fast decent to the first section of trail. When I finally reached the trail I felt like my legs couldn't go fast enough. I would eventually pull Lelan in and we both were stuck behind some slow riders for awhile.
From that point on till the first checkpoint I was feeling good. Once at the first checkpoint Lelan and Dusty would come in soon after I was there and they would pull my slow ass in on the long road/gravel section. Timzilla would eventually catch on and the High Gear train took in affect and ripped through the rest of the gravel.
We would enter the trail together as a group and that was all she wrote for me. I had to stop and catch me breath because I just couldnt keep it up and that would be the last I would see of the team.
So pretty much from that point on it was a pain train all the way in with 10 minute burst of energy fallowed by 10 minutes of me questioning what the hell I was doing out here. I would end up riding the last section pretty good for not being able to get into the small ring up front(great fun on those steep climbs).
Results would end up with Tim 41st, Dusty 46th, Lelan 59th, Myself 63rd, Mike 89th, Randy 138th,and Bobby 150th <----Bobby spent almost the whole race with no front brake so just finishing is amazing! His face below pretty much sums it all up. Feel like I left alot out of this post since its a week late but anyway there ya go.
2 post in 2 days?! Ya obviously nothing else to do in this weather. Thought I would drop a quick update that Randy is now going to Ouachita taking the total to 7 High Gear teammates making a showing.
This morning me and Tim got together and mounted up the new tires(Hutchinson Toro).
Also bought a couple new water bottle cages and finally got my fork set up to my liking. I spent the last couple weeks playing with the +/- air pressure and rebound and finally got it dialed in.
In a week that is. I have been getting excited to head down to Arkansas and have my ass handed to me. Ouachita is by far my favorite trail to ride! It hurts so good! This year it will be Timzilla, Mad Mike, Dusty, and myself heading down Friday and getting some preriding(and a couple beers) in on Saturday. Also 'Leggy' Lelan and Boobby(get it? like boobs? but his name is really Bobby!) are heading down Saturday to join up with us
Training is still going pretty decent for myself...I have started to teach Spinning on campus and I am having a blast doing it. Its always strange because I can never tell how hard I worked them 'till we are finished and they walk by me saying "thanks for killing me today." Haha Nice change to put the hurt on someone else for onc.
Speaking of the hurt, I rode with Tim this week and changed my brake pads...and well didn't get the pads pushed back in far enough on the rear wheel so I spent 2 hours on the bike with what felt like dragging a log behind me! It had planned to be an easy ride(which it was for Tim as he watched me suffer) but I was at about 80% or higher of my MHR the whole ride.
Well got to get to work and make that money! Enjoy the snow. Also signing up for 24 of 9 mile after we get back from Ouachita. They lowered the price as well to only $100!
(On top of first big climb)
(Fixing Lelans bike)
