Just about ready.
Well, it's Sunday, and I am typing this up from my hometown of Algona, Iowa. It is looking like we will be heading for Whistler at about 5:00 AM on Monday morning.
Today, I am going to head out on the mountain bike and get in some last minute intervals and hill climbs before my legs are doomed to the car for 2 days of driving. I am hoping that we can get past Billings, MT by Monday night.
Yesterday I posted my bikes that I am going to use this coming weekend. Here are some specs I forgot.....REAR DER: Sram X-9, SHIFTERS: SRAM X-9, FRONT DER: Shimano XT.
OK, that is it for now. Look for updates during the next week or so from the road.
Jeff Kerkove said at 7:14 AM
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Weapons for World's......Bike 2
XTC SE1
Originally uploaded by kerkovej. FRAME: GIANT XTC Carbon/Alum. 18"
FORK: Fox F80X
WHEELS: Cole Prototype Disc
BRAKES: Avid levers and Avid Ball Bearing Disc
CHAIN: SRAM PC-59
CASSETTE: SRAM 12-32
STEM: TruVativ Team 120mm
HANDLEBAR: TruVativ Team
CRANKSET: TruVativ Stylo
GRIPS: Oury Lock-On
BARENDS: Titec Micros
TIRES: WTB Nanoraptors 2.1
SADDLE: WTB Shadow V
SEATPOST: TruVativ Team
Jeff Kerkove said at 4:14 PM
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Weapons for World's....Bike 1
NRS AIR
Originally uploaded by kerkovej. FRAME: GIANT NRS AIR 18.5"
FORK: Fox F100X
WHEELS: SUN Disc-o-tek
BRAKES: Avid levers and Avid Ball Bearing Disc
CHAIN: SRAM PC-59
CASSETTE: SRAM 12-32
STEM: TruVativ Team 120mm
HANDLEBAR: TruVativ Team
CRANKSET: TruVativ Stylo
GRIPS: Oury Lock-On
BARENDS: Titec Micros
TIRES: WTB Nanoraptors 2.1
SADDLE: WTB Shadow V
SEATPOST: TruVativ Team
Jeff Kerkove said at 4:10 PM
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Here is what is on tap for Thursday
Summer is back! It nice to see that we "Iowan's" are enjoying a typical summer day. High temp. of 88 degrees with 90% humidity. Swamp ass conditions are at a peak level!
For today's training I am planning on taking one of the mountain bikes out for a 1 hour all-out effort. I am planning on hitting up the "Euro Crit" in Cedar Falls. This is a 1.5 loop thru a residential area on the north side of Cedar Falls. The roads are narrow, rough, and there a few short power climbs. After about an hour of this, most riders are cooked. I hope I can get this ride in tonight. I say this cause the weather nazi's are forcasting nasty thunderstorms for this afternoon and evening. I suppose i could go out and train in the high winds, hail, and rain........it would be just like the night laps at Solo World's in 2002. Oh, the good ole days!
Ok, I am off to work!
Jeff Kerkove said at 6:20 AM
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Cateye Enduro brings home more "Goods"
Here is a write up from my teammates from Trans-Rockies in Canada and 12 Hours of Willamette Pass in OR
CatEye riders Eric Warkentin and (24hr nat'l champ) Louise Kobin went into Trans-Rockies a bit beat up; as it turned out, Eric was still suffering from a shoulder injury received at the Trans-Alp race. But they toughed in out and ended up in 2nd in the mixed category and 12th overall, overcoming several challenges during the arduous Canadian stage race.
Louise wrote up another excellent report which is at the bottom of this post.
12 HOURS OF WILLAMETTE PASS
Not to be out-done by his teammates, Sloane Anderson headed to Oregon the following weekend for 12 hours of racing and came home with the victory!
Sloane's race report:
Well I guess you can chalk up another victory for the Cateye Enduro Team, I won the race! Pretty non-technical course with the exception of a 4 mile steep fireroad climb. It was a 9.5 mile course and each lap took me between 40-55 minutes as I finished with a total of 13 laps. Two of the biggest obstacles to overcome were the heat and altitude. The race started at an altitude of 5200 ft and the temps were in the mid 80's. My fiance' (pit crew) did a great job once again keeping my electrolyte balance where it needed to be so I wouldn't dehydrate.
It's a good feeling heading into Worlds with a win.
Everything on the bike rode exceptionally well, especially the combination of the Cole wheels and WTB tires. The wheels made the course feel like butter and the tires allowed me to keep my speed high during some of the loose descents. I love the Fox fork! Can't say enough about it.
TRANS-ROCKIES RACE REPORT
A few days before the start of the Trans-rockies both Eric and I were questioning if we would be able to race or not. My ribs were still hurting really bad from the wreck in the TA, and Erics back and ribs were
not feeling any better after his crash with a truck. I have been looking forward to this race since last year and I didn't want to miss it. I figured hopefully I could get through it with a lot ibuprofen.
The Trans-rockies challenge has a completely different atmosphere than the TA. With only 125 starting teams, and a lot of people returning from previous years, it almost seems like a big family of racers. People are really friendly and the race-organizers and all the volunteers seem genuinely happy to be there. The mechanics are great, and it is amazing what they will do to fix someones bike to allow the racer to continue the next stage, no matter what is broken. I know sometimes they were up until 4 in the morning working on bikes. The race ends at a campground most days, so the organizers have to lug all food, race equipment, tents, sun-showers, trucks, pressure washers, etc around the middle of nowhere. Most people sleep in the tents provided by the race, and a few stay in RVs.
During the race you get into this routine each day. After finishing, you suck down a hamburger or sausage the volunteers grill at the finish-line. Then you wait in line to wash your bike with the one or two pressure washers that are brought in. Sometimes water is carried from a nearby stream. After taking care of your bike, you try to scrub off most of the mud covering your body in one of the 4 sunshowers that are set up. Then it is almost time for dinner and after that there is the award presentation followed by a movie of the stage. There are photographers out on the course and there is even have a helicopter
shooting pictures. Very cool.
Eric and I had a good race. We ended up in second place in the mixed category, about 21 minutes behind Canadians Marg Fedyna and Nic Christoffersson. I think we were 12th overall, behind 10 men's teams and one masters' team. We won 2 out of the 7 stages and got 2nd place in 4 of the stages.
The racing is pretty brutal with a lot of single and double track, fun rocky descents, lots of roots and ruts, many hike-a-bike sections, technical climbs, and a little bit of gravel road and pavement. One day we
had to hike 6 km in thick clay-mud carrying our bikes. You couldn't even push the bikes, because the thick mud got stuck on your tires and all of the sudden the bike weighed 50 pounds. I wasn't even able to pick my bike up without using a stick to scrape of some the thick mud. I could not believe the bikes held up as well as they did in the muddy conditions. My bike actually shifted pretty well after riding through mud, streams, and cow-crap!
The only major incident was a broken derailleur hanger on my bike 13 km into a 97 km stage. Eric replaced the hanger with the one from his bike, and made his into a single speed!!! A few km later a guy on a
Rocky Mountain let Eric take his bike (his partner was planning on dropping out because of a knee injury). Unfortunately, the bike was about 2 sizes too small with semislick tires, really crappy shifting, and terrible suspension. They also had to trade shoes and that was the long hike-a-bike day, so that was not the greatest either. Although we really really appreciated the favor, I think Eric was pretty happy
to be back on the Giant the next day. We actually ended up catching a lot of the mixed teams that passed us during this 30 minute incident and ended up in 4th that day.
As you can probably tell, I love this race and I would highly recommend it to anyone, competitive or not. The scenery is absolutely amazing, the riding is awesome, the race organizers are great, and you get to
hang out with some really cool mountain bike enthusiasts.
Jeff Kerkove said at 5:09 AM
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Getting stuff dialed in.
10 days and counting......Wahoooooo! I can't wait for World's! I think I am as ready as an "Iowan" can be to race in the Canadian rockies. I proved to my self that my fitness is good-to-go, based on my performance at 24 Hours of 9 Mile. It's just too bad that my little slip up at 2:00 AM had to "throw" my race. Maybe it was a sign from God to chill out and focus on the bigger race? We'll just have to see.
Anyway, I am starting to get stuff together: bikes, food, clothing, etc. I wish my new clothes would show up! It's almost the end of the season, and NO clothes. Boo Hoo. I guess it is one of the small ball-ups that goes along with the start of a new team. As far, as getting stuff dialed in, I have been doing shorter rides in the 2-3 hour range focusing on specific aspects of the next race like hill repeats, higher intensity rides, isolated leg spinning drills, etc. I feel pretty good, and it seems that my back is feel'n good too. Unfortunately, It's one of those things I won't know is completely healed until I rage at 100% in a race.
Oh, by the way, I got my phone line back. I now have internet again. I think I need the Internet to live. I went into withdrawl like a crack addict. Lots of shaking, twitching, and binge eating......well not really, but you get the idea.
For today, I am heading out for a easy road ride followed by work. Tomorrow looks to be a hilly gravel grinder witht the locals who just got back from doing the Leadville 100. Then...............It's off to Whistler on early Monday morning for the 29 hour drive.....sigh :-(
Jeff Kerkove said at 4:22 AM
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Rage'n at Wausau
Rage'n at Wausau
Originally uploaded by kerkovej. Here is a photo that was taken at 24 Hrs of 9 Mile by the event photographer. Rage'n!!!!
Jeff Kerkove said at 2:21 PM
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Sunday, Sunday, Sunday!
It's Sunday, and I am at work. College is set to start here in Cedar Falls at the Univesity of Northern Iowa so all the college punks are coming in looking for mnt bikes to commute on. They almost have us wiped out of inventory! Quick Trek, get out the 2005's!!!!!!
This morning I went out to the hill again, but this time on my road rocket, and did one legged hill repeats half-way up Lookout Park Hill in Cedar Falls. Good painful times!
It is amazing how much stuff you can get done when you don't have a TV or Internet access at home. Yesterday on my day off I went out for a 3 hour mnt bike ride. I did some hill repeats with Super Dave and Tinker Fry. Of course they are roadies and I was on my mnt bike, so it was a bit unfair, but I held up. After that I got home and sucked down a strawberry protein drink......Mmmmmmm! Then I did my part to help with Walmart's take over of corporate America by spending some money there. After that I came home and elevated my feet and read all my Velonews rags and worked on a logo design for a client.
There is like 14 days till World's, and everything is paid for...entry fee, hotel, gondola passes, awards party passes, etc. I can't wait. I just hope I am saying "I can't wait" at 2:00 AM during the race. I see they are only paying to the top 8 riders in the Elite cat. so that means top 10 won't do. I need me a top 8.
OK, that is enough for now. I hope I get my phone hook up sooner that Wednesday.
Jeff Kerkove said at 12:29 PM
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Feel'n pretty good.
Ok, here is the scoop. I had been getting free phone service....well not anymore. That means my blogs will be on the down-low til Wednesday of next week. No "Net" at home is going to suck, and I don't have a TV. Looks like I will have to listen to AM radio.....Yeah, right!
As far as training goes, I showed up for the road group ride on my Giant XTC hardtail last night, and felt awesome. I hung with the group with no problems, and actually pull the group for a majority of the ride. For Saturday, I don't have to work (Wahooooo!), so I am going to put in 3 hours on the road bike at a about 70%. My endurance work is done for the year......just need to get some intensity in now for World's.
Ok, it's time to go, and "The Chad" if you are reading this, your sissy old person bike showed up today.
I am out!
Jeff Kerkove said at 6:45 PM
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Great words from the "Great One"
"You can't just cut carbs--or cut protein or fat, for that matter--like every trendy diet has for the last 20 years. That's dysfunctional. You need them all. To simply blame a food type for us being fat is bullshit."
--Chris Carmichael, as quoted by Outside magazine piece on the low-carb craze
Jeff Kerkove said at 6:10 AM
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Cateye Enduro Team Product Review
EPICWOLF TIRE
Originally uploaded by kerkovej. STATS: If you want speed and control for XC conditions, look no further. Ramped center knobs with square-edged backsides combine low roll with great climbing attributes. The open tread design and spiky knobs excel in loose conditions and provide the confidence to ride where others walk.
BEST THING: I have had good luck with these tires this year! All of my endurance races have been raced on these tires. I run the 1.95 for 12 Hour races for less resistence, and the 2.1 for 24 hour events for added comfort. It's a good all-around tire if you don't want to buy seperate tires for different conditions. Lots of duability and the weight is low
WORST THING: The 1.95 and 2.1 are a bit bigger that other companies tires of the same size.
MY VERDICT: This is my 1st year on WTB tires (I was a Michelin Comp S user before), and I have nothing bad to say. They have been super reliable and the hook-up in mud and wet rocks is great for the low profile tread design. This tire fits the "Midwest " style of courses great. I am not sure about the dry-dust "Western" courses. But Hey, they design them in CA, so it must not be too bad. If you want to make your bike super plush and comfy.....run the 2.1. If you want to be a XC speed freak run the 1.95. There is my 2 cents worth.
www.WTB.com
Jeff Kerkove said at 6:06 AM
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Just Chill'n
Recovery is good, but boring. I have been off the bikes now for 2 days, doing nothing but eating, sleeping, and working. I can tell my body is in recovery mode, cause I am hungry, and eating everything in sight. The way it looks now, I might hop back on the road bike for a short spin to get the blood moving again on Wensday. As for my back.......it feels pretty good. It appears to have been a pulled muscle and nothing major. Thanks to Phylis Stevenson, R.N. for hooking me up with the stretching and recovery drills to get me back on track. Back on track? No pun intended. I suppose now I need to put a sticker on my top tube that says "Sponsored by Phylis" next to the one that says "Sponsored by Mark"
Oh yeah, the Stevenson's are keeping me race'n! Thanks guys!
The other down fall to the race this last weekend is the one lonely saddle sore. I normally don't make a big deal about saddle sores, but this one has a mind of its own. It's such a pain in the arse, that we at Europa Cycle and Ski have named it. Its name is Hang'n Chad. We'll just leave it at that. I can't waste any more time writing about a sore on my butt. Let you imagination run wild!
Ok, that's it. I am out. I just gave out way too much information!
Jeff Kerkove said at 4:45 PM
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Is that what I think it is?
Gnome?
Originally uploaded by kerkovej. This picture was reportedly taken across from the Solo pit area during the wee hours of the morning at the 24 Hours of 9 Mile.
Is that what I think it is? Did anyone else get any pictures? Now I think we know who is responsible to stealing the Solo racers spare parts during the night.
Damn them Gnomes! :-)
Jeff Kerkove said at 5:08 AM
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Transition between laps at 9 Mile
24-9 TRANSITION
Originally uploaded by kerkovej.
Jeff Kerkove said at 5:04 AM
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24 Hours of 9 Mile race recap...
Well, here it is. The good and the bad. I had 2 goals for this race: do as well as possible, and not to fry my body for 24 Hour Solo World's.
For those of you who have not raced at Wausau, here is alittle course overview. The laps are 12 miles in length, not 9. The "9" in the race name come from the fact that it is held at 9 Mile Forest Recreation Area. 60% of the course is rock'n single track, and the other 40% is rage'n fast XC ski trail. There is no extensive climbing, but there are some short power climbs. On average, Solo racer laps are in the 1 hour range, plus or minus a few minutes. The hardest part of the entire course is the 3 or so sections of rocks. The rocks just litter the course, and they are about the size of baseballs and basketballs. There is really no good line. You just get your speed up and roll over them. Well, sometimes you just roll over'um
As for the race, I new which locals would be tough. The non-local racer who showed was Cameron Chambers (CC). The latest 24 hour stud sponsored by Gary Fisher. I new if I could ride near CC, this would be a gauge as to how I would sit for World's cause I see him as a Top 10.
My plan for the race was to ride towards the top, then push the pace hard come night fall. CC lead from start to finish. From the start of the race till dark, I rode within 1-5 minutes per lap of him. I was feeling pretty good. I was pushing hard, but not my 100% 24 Hour pace. Come night fall, I put on my Cateye Stadium 3's and started turning laps. My night laps were consistent, and faster than the other solo racers except for CC.
At about 11:00 PM, I was riding through one of the rock gardens, when I hit a rock the wrong way, and went off balance. I went to catch my self by putting my foot down, but it slipped off one of the other rocks. Now the bad part. As a result of this, I tweeked my lower back. This was bad! Very, very bad! When this happened, I was in 2nd place overall. As a result of the lower back strain, I was unable to push hard on the cranks. Pushing the 2 x 1 hurt!
Here is the mathematical equation:
Force On Pedals + Pain + Darkness = Slowness, Possible Long Term Damage, Unable To Recover For World's
I got back to my tent, and my Mom massaged in some Ice-E-Hot. That did the trick for about 2 laps, but after that I was a hurt'n unit. I suffered out a few more laps, before I came in on my 16 and final lap. I decided to sit till the end of the race to keep from doing further damamge and risking not being able to recover for World's. So I sat for the last 6 hours, watching all the guys that were in 3rd place and below move up the standings. As for CC, he did 22 laps on the 12 mile course. If I would have kept my pace, I would have ended up at 21 laps and most likely in 2nd place. As for me I finished with 16 laps for a very disappointing 10th
Oh well, that is just how things go. Now I have to recover, train, and prepare for World's. This race just goes to show that anything can happen during an endurance event, and If you're not doing well to keep pushing hard cause something might happen to the guys ahead of you. Everything else worked flawlessly. The Giant NRS with the Fox F100X was plush, and my Cateye lights lit up Nine Mile Forest, so I could dodge the rocks and Gnomes.
Gnomes you ask? They have a Gnome festival in Wausau. It's a Wisconsin thing. I guess we'll never understand.
Up next.....24 Hour Solo World's in Whistler, B.C.
Jeff Kerkove said at 3:39 PM
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Going out for more fun at 24 Hours of 9 Mile
24-9 ANOTHER LAP
Originally uploaded by kerkovej.
Jeff Kerkove said at 6:32 AM
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Refueling at 24 Hours of 9 Mile
24-9 FOOD
Originally uploaded by kerkovej.
Jeff Kerkove said at 6:31 AM
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The Start of 24 Hours of 9 Mile
24-9 START
Originally uploaded by kerkovej.
Jeff Kerkove said at 6:29 AM
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Coming Soon....
Look for recap of the 24 Hours of 9 Mile within the next couple days. I am in recovery mode!
Here is alittle treat of what you can look forward to.
- The local race favorites
- Cameron Chambers
- Bad back
- 39 degrees
Till then.
Jeff Kerkove said at 5:32 PM
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Racing into thin air
I almost forgot! This weekend is the Leadville 100 Good Luck to the following people:
John Adamson racing for Bike Tech from Cedar Falls, Iowa
Connie Inks racing for Bike Tech also from Cedar Falls, Iowa
Ray Coyle racing for Nature Valley/Penn Cycle from Minneapolis. Ray has been racing strong at all the midwest 12 Hour events. He won 12 Hours of Green
The Des Moines XC Mafia....I saw the start list and I know that there is a butt load of you guys heading out. I think Jason Alread is one of them. Sorry I don't remember the rest of you :-(
Jeff Kerkove said at 7:30 AM
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Off to Cheese-land to ride my bike with the Nomes.
Ahhhhhhhh.....the power of cheese.
No, cheese is not a race food. Could you imagine coming thru at 3 AM and be like "Hey pit crew, break me off a piece of that Chedder and get me a new battery for my lights." Then try to get that down your pipe? Goooooooo! Better yet.....I could fill my Hammer flasks with Cheese Wiz. Sweet!
Nome's you ask? Wausau has a Nome-fest. Don't ask!
This will be my last "blog" until I return on Sunday night. Right now I am pulling some of my supplies together, and pounding down a 12 cup pot of Chocolate-Caramel coffee. This stuff is the shiz-nit!
Anyway, I plan on heading out around 10:00 AM, getting up there, and finding the best pit area for quick entry and exit for refueling. I think everything is in order. The bikes are dialed in, I have loading on the Hammer Products all week, and the stress level is low. Now, my body has to do its part.
There is one thing that will suck at this race........darkness! Lights will be needed around 8:30 pm and won't come off till 6:30 am or so. That is 10 hours of NO sun. This will be the toughest part of the race. Mentality will play a huge part. As the great Adam Sandler would say........"The Night Time is the Right Time, The Night Time is the Right Time" I have somethiing up my sleeve for the evening laps. If you want to know, you have to talk to Mark at Europa Cycle and Ski. It's a well thought out plan, that will create havoc on the Solo field......Ha ha ha ha ha ha!!! Evil!
Well, I need to get more stuff together, and finish my "black goodness"
Thanks for reading, and if I have a chance I might test out the Audioblog feature later today or this weekend.
Off to Rage!
Jeff Kerkove said at 5:02 AM
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Want to score a deal on E-Caps / Hammer Nutrition?
I have had several people e-mail me about saving 15% on their order from E-caps / Hammer Nutriton. If you would like to try any of their products, just send me an e-mail with the header refering to E-caps or Hammer and I can save you a bit of Bling! Bling!
www.e-caps.com
Jeff Kerkove said at 5:07 AM
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Jeff vs. Mother Nature
Well, yesterday was the local tuesday night road group ride, and I didn't show. Why not? I was looking at the Weather Channel.com and saw that we were having one of those super windy days (20 mph NNW wind). So, I decided to go out and train mind and body. In 90% of my 12 and 24 hour races you are forced to ride by yourself, facing the elements for yourself. Doing these 3-4 hour ride into a strong headwind builds up power, while teaching the mind that there in no backing out. It's too easy to get tired during a road group ride and just sneek to the back of the pack and draft. When you are by yourself, that is NOT an option.
My legs have felt pretty good the last few days, and I think this weekend is going to turn out pretty well. Once again, doing well plays into many factors such as weather, equipment, fitness, and pit crew. My goal for this race, other than getting first in the Solo Freak category, is to turn 20 laps. As far as I know, that has not been done. In 2002 when Tinker beat me, he only turned 18 laps, and I turned 17. I feel 20 is doable, but I am not going to demolish myself trying with World's just a few weeks away. If that goal is in reach I will go for it.
If you are interested in the 24 hours of 9 Mile race, checkout the website. This is the largest 24 hour race in the Midwest.
www.24-9.com
Jeff Kerkove said at 10:12 AM
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Iowa's 2nd Annual 24 Hour Mountain Bike Race
Ok, all you Midwest endurance geeks, here is the 24 hour race you DON'T want to miss! A ton of short power climbs will make this a true test of endurance! Plus there is FREE coffee....Yes, I said FREE! Also, Troy puts on the race, and he rides a Giant. Well.....atleast he did last year!
Race starts at 12:00 PM Saturday Sept. 4 and ends at 12:00 PM Sunday September 5.
Registration and Check in starts at 8 AM. Mandatory race meetings at 11:30 AM. Every Racers must have a helmet & light system to participate. ( I recommend Cateye lights....wink, wink.)
Cash Prizes - Solo - $500 (Bling, Bling!) 1st place & top 3 win cash. Team - $500 (More Bling, Bling) 1st place & top 3 teams overall win cash.
Race Time Activities - Prizes During Race & Huffy Coaster Challenge (How about a "Nude Lap" rule?)
Midnight Party - Free pasta Feed & Chair Lift Rides (Mmmmmmmmm, Paaaaaasta!)
24 Hour Espresso Bar (This is worth the entry fee alone. How about a 24 Hours of Espresso Chugging? How are mass amounts of espresso and a chairlift ride going to mix? I smell lawsiut :-) Just kidding! )
Free Camping - Open 12 PM Friday, Firewood for sale & Shower available ( I am all about Free!)
Medals - 1,2,3 in each Category & Participant Medals
Registration
Anyone can register up until the day of the race but registering sooner will save you some cash. You can race solo or in teams of 2, 3, or 4 members. Awards are given in two categories; solo and team. anyone with 2 or more male and/or female participants is considered a team.
Cost
Solo
$75
$85 after August 1
$95 Day of
Team (per person)
$50
$60 after August 1
$70 Day of
Questions? Call Troy Tellinghuisen - 515.971.4378 or Kyle Robinson - 515.270.8304 or email darkstar10@msn.com
www.sevenoaksrec.com
Let's give it up for the boys at Irwin's in Des Moines for getting this race going....Clap, Clap, Clap, Clap!!!
Jeff Kerkove said at 5:54 AM
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ATTENTION W.E.M.S. RACER'S
Sean Noonan is an new endurance racer from Iowa who will be going to school in Northfield, Minnesota starting September 8th. He is looking for help in getting rides to and someone for support at any of the Wisconsin Endurance Mountain Bike Series races after that date as he will not have a car. He will pay travel expenses. Please e-mail him at snoonan21@yahoo.com if you can help out.
I hear that he is really fast too!
Jeff Kerkove said at 5:12 AM
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Top 10 signs your recovery ride was a success!
10. You left in your 39 x 23, and returned home in your 39 x 23.
9. The ride was alittle over 1 hour.
8. Your average speed was lower than the average wind speed.
7. Your average heartrate was a whopping 118 bpm.
6. You get passed by the local "FRED", and he thinks that all his training is finally paying off.
5. That little old lady on the motorized cart passes you like your standing still.
4. You could wear that same cycling clothing again tomorrow (not that I am going to......Grooooossss!)
3. The hardest thing you did during the ride was changing a friends flat tire (Yes, Megan, I am talking about you!)
2. You have no urge to raid the kitchen for food.
1. Your saddle sores hurt worse than when you left, and why are they all red now?
Jeff Kerkove said at 4:37 PM
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Cateye Enduro set to tackle TransRockies
As I sit here chuggin' down my coffee getting ready to do my gravel grinder, 2 of my teammates are prep-ing themselves for the start of TransRockies. Eric and Lou are are going to try to put the hurt on the "mixed" category. Good luck to them! What the hell is TransRockies, Eh? Well it's a 7 day mountain bike stage race through the Canadian Rockies, Eh. Each stage is like 4-6 hours in length, and there is mucho climbing, Eh
There will be daily updates on the TransRockies website, Eh.
www.transrockies.com
Jeff Kerkove said at 5:17 AM
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CatEye Enduro Team Product Review
Tifosi Quam 1.0
Originally uploaded by kerkovej.
STATS: Technically superior glasses for the everyday cyclist, the Tifosi's interchangeable polycarbonate lenses flex to providing you with excellent eye protection and the decentering process eliminates distortion for optical clarity and less eye fatigue. Vented Grilamid frames provide strength and resistance to fogging. Ventilated Hydrophilic nose and earpieces actually get sticky for a non-slip fit. Includes: Smoke (15%-LT), AC-Red (27%-LT) and Clear (93%-LT) lenses, carrying case and cleaning bag. Quam 1.0 fits faces small to medium and Quam 2.0 fits faces medium to large.
BEST THING: The Price! They are only $49 for a set of shades that come with 3 sets of lenses, a hard case, and a cleaning bag. The fit is great....super snug and no slip. Comes in 2 sizes for different face sizes. They don't fog up. Chicks dig'um!....I think?
WORST THING: Worst thing......What are you talking about?
MY VERDICT: I am all up on these glasses. If you like Smith or Rudy Project these are an inexpensive alternative. I was a Rudy Project user before getting hooked up with these for being on Cateye Enduro. They work just as good, plus my Rudy's would fog up. My Tifosi's don't! Also, the fit is a bit more off-road friendly than other shades I have used. The Tifosi's fit a bit tighter, so you don't have to worry about them falling off your face or out of your helmet if you stick them in your helmet vents while not wearing them. All in All, I give these shades a 10 based on value, function, and durability!!!
www.tifosioptics.com
Jeff Kerkove said at 5:03 AM
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Here is what's on tap.....
Well, it's Sunday, Sunday, Sunday (you are supposed to say Sunday in that booming monster truck voice). This is what I have on tap. This morning at 7:30 A.M. I am meeting up with "Carlos the Jakel" for a little 3 hour gravel grind'r carnage to Parkersburg and back. This loop rocks. Lots of loose gravel and lots of steep hills. Steep by Iowa standards. After that I ge to got work.....Oh Joy! Shouldn't be too bad, we haven't alot of psyhco's come in lately.
As for the rest of the week.....
Monday: Easy spin on the bike
Tuesday: Hang on to the Tueday Night Road Ride. I am looking to get in an hard effort before 24 Hrs of 9 Mile. Plan on going hard enough to openup the legs, but NOT to destroy them for 24-9
Wensday: Easy spin on road bike
Thursday: Few short bursts, and hill repeats
Friday: Drive to Wausau for 24-9 and hangout / pre-ride
Saturday: Race
Sunday: Race and recover for World's Yo!
Jeff Kerkove said at 4:33 AM
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Sponsored by (Insert your name Here)
For just a small donation, you can help sponsor a pro endurance racer. Click on the PayPal link on the right side of the page and follow the directions. Your donations will be used to offset entry fees and travel costs to World Championships and possibly travel to a 24 Hour race in Japan in October. Any help is greatly appreciated. If you have problems with the PayPal link, e-mail me, and I can sent you my mailing address and we can do it the old fashion way....United States Postal Service.
Thanks to everyone who has donated so far. You know who you are!!!!!
Keep on Rage'n!
Jeff Kerkove said at 3:33 PM
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Cateye riders rage at TransAlp
Start of Trans Alps
Originally uploaded by kerkovej. Here is a write up from Lou Kobin from Trans-Alps. I found it to be a good read, and thought i would share it with the rest of you. ENJOY!
Below is Louise's report from the Trans-alps.
Cristina Begy and I didn't start out with the best of luck at the trans-alps. At the end of the first day had a really long road descent and as we were flying down, a van came around a blind curve. Cristina had to slam
on her brakes to avoid a head-on collision, she slid out with the bike going under the van, and then I flew over my handle-bars trying not to run over Cristina. I had a deep cut in one elbow, and road-rash on both
knees. Cristina's wheels were tacoed and fork totally trashed, but luckily she was not seriously hurt. We sat there for a while, trying to figure out what to do when a spectator came up and loaned Cristina his bike so we could coast to the finish. I ended up going to an Austrian hospital for x-rays of my ribs and knee and getting my elbow doctored up. Luckily my ribs were just bruised.
A couple of days later with about 30 K to go,
Cristinas bike seat comes off. we stopped a few times trying to get it back on, but it was damaged in the crash and she ended up taking it off and riding the last part of the race (which was luckily down-hill and
a little flat) without a seat. It was pretty funny!
We ended up in 4th place in the women's category. There were some really good competition, with a German team taking first, and Leslie and Gretchen from Rocky
Mountain getting second. The weather was great, except for rain the last day, and the scenery was awesome. All the little towns in Austria were so pristine, with perfect houses and flowers everywhere. And the mountains were just amazing!!
My bike worked great and I didn't have to do any major maintenance except for washing it and lubing the chain. The shifting was perfect the whole time and the suspension worked great. Pretty amazing for a 8 day
race. I have always had shifting issues in the past, expecially in stage-races. I also really like how the NRS Air climbs. Pretty important in the Alps, since some of the mountain passes are 25-30 K long. There
was actually a little more single-track this year, which was fun, but could be frustrating at times. There seemed to be a ton of people who were walking and wouldn't move to the side when you wanted to pass.
I guess the European men don't like to be beat by girls :-)
Looking forward to the trans-rockies next!
Jeff Kerkove said at 6:21 AM
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We should have seen this coming from a mile away.
DRUGS ARE BAD!
Originally uploaded by kerkovej. Remember boys and girls drugs are bad, and cheaters never get away with it. I hope we learned ourselves a valuable lesson. Thanks Filip!
Jeff Kerkove said at 5:53 PM
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Ahhhhhh...the black goodness
Gooood Morning!
Looks to be a good day! Right now I am wasting some time before work surfing the net and chugging down a steamy pot of the liquid black bean, a.k.a. black goodness, a.k.a coffee. I surf the net too much, cause I don't own a TV or furniture. So in my apartment it's just me, my bikes, and my G5........Is that how all bike racers / shop junkies live?
Yesterday was an alright day on the bike. I went out in the pouring drizzle (not rain, drizzle.) and put in 3 hours on the road bike keeping the heartrate at a nice 130-150 bpm. I felt good, and I hope I am good to go for tonights Thursday night road group ride. My rides have been highly motivated lately. I am pumped for 24 Hours of 9 Mile and World's. Winning is the ONLY option for 24-9. I just hope everything comes together to make that happen. My goal for World's is the podium, which would be top 10, and I feel that that is do-able. Looks like the entire Cateye Enduro Team will be at World's also. That's awesome, cause I would like to meet my teammates at some point in the season. I am thinking that the entire team can make it on the podium. I came to the conclusion last night that the hardest part about World's is not going to be the race itself, but rather the 29 hour drive out there. I think I will pull off the 29 Hours to Whistler, and try to do it Solo. Riiiiiiight! One other quick note. I am now able to Audioblog which means I can call in my blog over the phone and then it will post it on this site in MP3 format. I think I will take advantage of that at World's.
Anyway, it's time to replenish my mug with the black goodness, and start thinking about going to work.
Jeff Kerkove said at 5:31 AM
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Moab 24 Hour Tire Choice?
If any of you that are reading this have raced the 24 Hours of Moab, I am wondering what tire set up you ran? Brand? Size? Knob size? Air pressure? Etc.
Just starting to plan out the Moab trip. I have ridden at Slick-Rock, but I know that the course is way south of town and there is a crap load of sand, and not much slickrock.
Any suggstions would be great.
Jeff Kerkove said at 5:32 AM
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CatEye Enduro Team Product Review
Cateye Stadium 3
Originally uploaded by kerkovej. STATS: The Stadium 3 is still the brightest bicycle headlight. A 12-volt NiMH battery connects to the top tube mounting ballast, which boosts the charge to 6000 volts, producing the equivalent of 80+ watts of halogen light. The Stadium 3 has a run time of 3 hours, and charge time of 3 hours with CatEye's quick-charger.
BEST THING: It's super bright! Don't look straight into it or you will burn a hole straight through your head. Runs for 3 hours and charges in 3 hours. The light that is given off is white, so everything is seen in "true" color
WORST THING: This light consists of 3 items: light, ballast, and battery. That is a lot of stuff to carry. It is a bit heavier than most lights available now. Takes up a water bottle cage.
MY VERDICT: This is the best light I have used to date. You will have no problem seeing where you are going. The only thing I don't like is the size. If there was a way to roll the ballast and battery into one small pack that does not take up an H2O cage that would be swell. Better yet....make it into a helmet mount with a battery the size of the existing ballast that would fit in your jersey pocket. On a scale of 1 to 10 (10 being the best) I would give this light a 10 for light output and a 6 for its bulky size.
Jeff Kerkove said at 6:18 AM
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Pit Stops the Kerkove way.
The Pit Crew....of One.
Originally uploaded by kerkovej. I have been requested by a number of people who have sent me e-mails to give out some of my "pit stop" tips. Well, here are a few that ALL endurance racers should follow, unless your name is Chris Eatough. If that's the case, you have it nailed down, and I wish I was as cool as you are :-)
HOW LONG OF PIT STOPS? During 12 Hour races my longest stops are generally around 15 seconds or less. 12 hour races are run-and-gun, so there is no time to waste.
During 24 hour events, the same goes. If I have a lead, I might take a bit more time. To be successful at these events you have to keep moving forward whether it's at 2 mph or 30 mph.
DO YOU CHANGE CLOTHING? During 12 hour events I can get through an entire event in the same shorts and jersey. If it rains or the conditions change, then i will swap out top and bottoms if the competition allows.
In 24 hour events I will switch clothing at the half-way point if I can (that's if the competition is not close). Once again, conditions such as rain, heat, and yes snow will lead to many changes of clothing.
WHO HELPS? My parents do an awesome job. My mom (look at the nice picture) does most of my fueling and cooking. For 24 hour events you need atleast 2 people to crew, and for 12 hour events I have been able to get by with one. I have 2 bikes, so I don;t have a mechanic at every race. At major raecs I have a bike junkie friend who come along to play mister fix-it.
SOME TRICKS: To make things easy on my crew, I lay out the pit the same at every race. I also have a dry-erase board that I write down what I need per lap (what drink mixes, what E-cap products, etc). This is done before the race. Keeping your pit crew informed makes things run smooth like nice warm butter. I am also very organized. I have all my clothing in one container, all my food in one container, my lights in one container, and cooking and general supplies in one container. That way there is no searching for everything.
One final note. Eat and drink while riding, keep the servings about hand size so you can take it with you and eat/drink it as you start your next lap.
I hope this helps. If you have more specific questions e-mail or post.
Rage On!
Jeff Kerkove said at 4:04 PM
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Day Off = Ride from HELL!
Training route of doom!
Originally uploaded by kerkovej. What a ride. 88 degrees plus a 20 mph SW wind made this a training ride to remember. Follow the green line heading south, then west, then north and that is the direction I rode. Here are the ride stats.
MILES: 131 round trip from my apartment
TIME IN SADDLE: 5 Hours 56 Minutes
AVG. HEART RATE: 158 bpm, Max 183
AVG. SPEED: 20.8 mph
CALORIES BURNED: 6,509
FOOD & DRINK CONSUMED: 2 50 oz bladders from my PolarPak, 5 Endurolyte pills, 1 P.B. Power Bar, 2 24 oz bottles of Sustained Energy
PIT STOPS: 1 in Bristow to fill up hydration pak
HOW LEGS FEEL: Like Poop!
I will have another post tonight. I have been getting requests about pit stops during endurance races, and how I go about doing them.
Jeff Kerkove said at 3:13 PM
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Unleashing of the NEW team clothing
CatEye Enduro Team Clothing
Originally uploaded by kerkovej. Well, here is what the Cateye Enduro team clothing looks like. Bling, Bling I dig it! I just can't wait to fly the new threads at my next race.
Today is my day off from work, and I have a huge ride planned, but mother nature has other thoughts. I planned on hitting up the bike at 7:00 AM, but we are having a nasty thunder storm move through. It's windy, super dark, and a bit a hail is falling. I will just have to wait. So in the mean time I will just have to "blog" my self retarded.
If you have any questions about the products I have been testing/using, just send me an e-mail or reply to my blog
Rage On!
Jeff Kerkove said at 6:21 AM
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CatEye Enduro Team Product Review
POLAR PAK 1.0
Originally uploaded by kerkovej. STATS: The Polarpak 1.0 is an all-terrain pack with plenty of storage for the most common adventures.
300 cubic inches of storage, 70oz Bi-Polar system, cargo and mesh pockets, detachable waist belt, sternum strap, shock cord storage, detachable key clip, reflective piping, EVA foam padding and insulation, internal pump holder
BEST THING: It keeps your liquid cold or hot depending on how you prep the bladder, Nice padding on back, Lot's-O-Room for gear, fits me like a glove
WORST THING: A bit heavy for some
MY VERDICT: I was a Hydrapack user before this pack showed up at my doorstep one day. I have now been converted! I have done 5 hour mountain bike rides in 80-90 degree heat, and this pack keeps my water nice and chilled. There is enough room to carry food, tools, hand pump, and extra clothing. There is enought room to strap on your pet dog in need be (well....not really). I used this at the 24 hours of Rapelje for the entire race and never had issues with it. It has good features and awesome durability and comfort. Look out Camelback there is a new player in the hydration game!
Jeff Kerkove said at 6:01 AM
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The coolest picture I have.
2003 24 Hours of Afton
Originally uploaded by kerkovej. This is a picture that ran on the front cover of the sports section of the Minneapolis Star Tribune Newspaper after last years 24 Hours of Afton. Pretty cool huh? It looks like something you would see in BIKE magazines Photo Annual.
Ok, that is enough photo post for one day. I think I have this posting picture thing nailed down. Time to get some shut eye for the big road ride tomorrow. No work = Long ride.
Jeff Kerkove said at 7:01 PM
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CatEye Enduro Team Product Review
Jeff Kerkove said at 9:32 AM
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Single is all you need.
Jeff Kerkove said at 9:15 AM
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Trying to Figure out this picture posting thing.
Jeff Kerkove said at 5:55 AM
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Coming to you in Full Color!
Howdy!
Well, Saturday was interesting. It was the day that my story ran in the regional newspaper. I was plastered all over the front page of the Sports Section in full color. I also worked at the shop yesterday after my ride, and had people coming in asking to talk to "the guy who rides a lot." They mentioned the shop and my sponsors in the story, so people knew where to find me, and they were very interrested in Cateye products. Looks like Cateye's marketing dollars are hard at work. Here is the link for the story. Just copy and paste it into your browser .
http://www.wcfcourier.com/articles/2004/08/
01/sports/local/40bcccb655d6315d86256ee2001cbc29.txt
Yesterday, was also another WEMS race (www.wemseries.com) Looks as if my competition is still raging. Way to turn out 34 laps Scott Cave! It must have been a "hampster" course. Are you dizzy? Also, local Iowa new comer, Sean Noonan raged to a 3rd place! That is awesome, cause I think that is his first Endurance event. I better watch my back, and stop sharing my training secrets with him over e-mail. As for me, I am getting ready for 24 Hours of 9 Mile in 2 weeks. I have Monday off, so that means only one thing.....Long ass ride. I thinkg I might hit up the road bike and push the wind. We'll just have to see.
Well, that's about it. I am going out for an easy 3 hour ride with a co-worker, and then it's back to the shop to be "that guy who rides a lot."
Jeff Kerkove said at 5:16 AM
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