Cyclocross Results

I stopped by Tom's Bicycles the other day to purchase some necessities and our very own Daniel was working. Before I left I remembered that Daniel is the one member of our team that is racing 'cross this year. When I pressed him for results I realized that he has been doing really well and I have been completely neglecting this part of our sport. So next year I say we all race cyclocross. In the meantime, here are Daniel's results:

4th @ Chandler Park Cyclocross (Cat 4 Men)
8th @ Post Oak Lodge Cyclocross (Cat 3 Men)
2nd @ Oklahoma Cyclocross Championships (Cat 4 Men)

The next time you see Daniel, please be sure to congratulate him on his continued success in these races.

2010 Training Plan

About a month ago, I started publishing some posts about building a training plan for 2010.  These posts followed the outline for creating an Annual Training Plan which was provided to us by Joe Friel in "The Cyclist's Training Bible". 

The other day I found Joe's blog and noticed that he was doing the same thing.  So, instead of me trying to pass this information along, I think it makes a lot more sense for you to get this information from Joe.

You really should go to his blog and start reading from Sunday, October 25, 2009.  If you have some free time, you might want to read his other posts as they are filled with nuggets of good information.

On the Way to Work...

I saw the coolest thing this morning on the way to work...kids riding their bikes to school. When I was growing up, I rode my bike everywhere (and especially to school). I don't know if it is because the routes are more dangerous in Tulsa, the threats to our children are greater, or general laziness; but I just don't see kids ride to school anymore. And I feel sorry for them. But today was different. I am not sure what Lee Elementary School was trying to accomplish, but I am all for it. I saw kids of all ages and sizes riding tricycles, cruisers, BMX, and mountain bikes to school (with their parents walking/running alongside them). I also enjoyed the police escort crossing the streets, which was obviously arranged for this event. My only regret is that I didn't get a picture of this event, but I didn't want anyone to think I was doing something inappropriate.

Sick

UrbanDictionary.com defines "sick" as "crazy, cool, insane".  That might be a good way to describe this video.  Of course, the more traditional definition of sick would better describe the nausea I felt by the end of watching the video.  Don't let my weak stomach fool you...this is definitely worth watching.

Cycle Fandango 2009

Last weekend Glenn and Bryan participated in the "Cycle Fandango" ride.  Glenn was nice enough to put together this write-up and send me some pictures for the blog.

The Broken Arrow Chamber put on one heck of a T-shirt ride this last weekend. I had no intentions of going, but was coerced into the journey with some “crazy talk” by Bryan. I didn’t give it much thought, I was a little worried about having to camp, and if there would be food. It turned out to be one of the best supported rides I have been on. All of the volunteers really wanted to be there and were happy that we were there. I talked with several of the riders and found out that most of them were from out of state, some from Texas, Missouri, one from Chicago, even a guy that flew down from New York. Who knew? For those of you familiar with the “old MS 150” the route was very similar using many of the same roads, but camping at Greenleaf State Park was an unexpected pleasure. Our gear was trucked to the site and was waiting for us to set up camp. The camp had dorms for rent, bathrooms with several showers -each with privacy stalls, a large ranch house with dance hall, and the food was provided by a chuck wagon crew that was ready to feed a small army. All of this with scenery added in for ambiance; the back of the ranch house opened up with a down-the-valley view of Greenleaf Lake. Wait there’s more… Eric and the Adams, a local Tulsa band, came out and put on a great show. Did I mention beer? I’m sure I did in here somewhere. This was the first year for Cycle Fandango, and if they have it again next year be sure and put it on the calendar of things you MUST do.

Fenders

I was talking to Marty yesterday at Tom's and he mentioned that he recently purchased some SKS Race Blade Fenders. He seems to be genuinely impressed with this product. After 2 weeks of riding in the rain, I think I am ready to invest in some fenders. Not only will fenders prevent my back side from getting sprayed with cold water and road grime, but anyone riding behind me can do so without being sprayed in the face. You might be thinking to yourself, "if it is raining...I am just going to ride indoors". But often times, winter rides will occur after the snow (more likely ice) has melted. The resulting combination of water on the road, cold temperatures, and salt/sand from road crews can make group rides pretty miserable. The right attitude, good clothing decisions, and some fenders can make winter training rides that much better.

Team Picnic

Team Tom's Bicycles recently had a picnic to celebrate the end of the 2009 racing season and kick-off the 2010 season.  New members were introduced, awards were distributed, new officers were elected, and food was consumed.

Tom Brown and Jonah Panther of Tom's Bicycles were on hand and spoke to the team.  These guys have been a top notch sponsor and we are lucky to have them.  In 2009, sponsoring a race team was as new to them as operating one was new to us.  But I think it was a successful year for all parties involved.  I just wanted to take the time to publicly thank these guys for their generosity, guidance, and support.  We look forward to a successful 2010.

Thankfully, some pictures of this festive event were provided by Robbin and Mike.

Scott reminds us that he used to compete in rodeos.

The legend of El Jeffe was told and an appearance was made.

Some hooligans tried to steal Liz's mountain bike and child carrier.

Mud, Sweat, and Tears

On October 4, Dee and Julie participated in the Mud, Sweat, and Tears Adventure Race.  This race looked like a lot of fun.  Julie and Dee had to do a 4.25 mile trail run, a 17.5 mile bike ride, a 2.5 mile canoe ride, and other games.  There is a great write up (and picture of Julie and Dee at the start) available here.  Not only did they have a lot of fun, but they were the 1st Placed Female Team.  Congratulations!  

Some other pictures from this event are available here.