you can't fix stupid

SEASON

2009-09-14T13:28:00.000-07:00

Man it's been awhile since I posted anything! My racing year has been hard and filled with flats and bad condition and mud and just not a whole lot of fun racing! 12 hours of Lil Sac race was this weekend (9-12-09) in Springfield my old stomping grounds. The major players raced at Castlewood. So with those guys being gone I was able to get a win in the solo class! More on the details later. Good race.

RHETT'S RUN

2009-06-08T16:54:00.000-07:00

Man.....are the flats ever going to end!!!

Marathon class starts at 11am, I get to Columbia about 9am. Pull in Cosmo and it starts pouring rain. If this was not Nate's place I would have headed back to STL. Got to BS with Dwayne, Mitch, and Nate some did a pre-ride....course looked pretty good! I was kinda getting in my own groove after people spread out on the start...first lap was slick, really slick! I did my best AMA flat track moto impersonation on a grassy turn...no harm! Second lap started to feel even better, passed Dwayne....yes I passed Dwayne....he was down with a flat but it still counts!!!! Right after I got started on the 3rd lap I flatted...stan's would not seal. Put a tube in, half mile later flat! This is around the time that I thought about leaving my pump(and more tubes) in my camelback....me being so smart went with bottles on race day........done deal!! About that time I see Dwayne walking. We made a deal to walk the course all the way so we would not get DNFs. You know we had a blast shouting at people and giving Split times to the experts. Man that race was fun to watch. Congrats to Dave B. on a huge win, that guy was laying it down!

And Nate thanks for the signs man....I about wrecked I was laughing so hard.

St. Joes coming up NO MORE FLATS!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

CHUBB

2009-05-17T18:30:00.000-07:00

Rode Chubb today....I don't get out there to often. I forgot how much fun that place is. Climbs are killer. I need to make a point to get out there more often. I could use the extra climbing to get in shape for the CANAL LOOP 24 HOUR race that I signed up for on July 11 & 12. No backing out now!!! It's gonna be hot as hell I bet. I think Dwayne and Mitch are going to do it to, now I gotta get Nate to sign up and it will be a party!!!

MUCH BETTER

2009-03-29T18:28:00.000-07:00

Got my 3+ in at Lost Valley.....not sure where I could have finished if I would have been able to ride at the pace I did on Monday. I don't really care, it just feels better knowing that I could have rode strong to the finish.

On another note for those who don't know we added GRIFFIN AAROD to our family on 2/13/09! Everybody is doing great....just not much sleep!!! Kellen is an awesome big brother so far...it is so cool to watch him be nice to his little brother and try and help us out with him.

LOST VALLEY

2009-03-22T13:36:00.000-07:00

Man...first MTB race of the year!! I had not rode my Turner since January 1st at the Ranch ride. I have been getting some rides in to work and back, but I really did not know what to expect. At the start I pretty much just let the fast guys go and rode my own pace in hopes that I could just get in a good 3+ hours. Well that all went out the window about 5 miles in when I sliced my front tire...the instant flat kind, and before I could even stop BAM back tire slice...huge slice!! I could boot the front one but there was no fixing the rear. So I ran and walked the remaining 7-8 miles back to the truck. I want to thank all the racers that offered help, pumps, tubes, kind words!!! The way I see it that is all my bad luck for the whole year right there!

I am going to go ride Lost Valley again in the morning if we don't get to much rain...I'm going to get my 3+ hours in damn it!

in shape.....not so much

2009-02-12T02:14:00.000-08:00

This will no doubt be the worst condition I have ever started a MTB season with. Not that I ever started a year feeling great! Number one I HATE winter....I am one of the few people who would rather ride the trainer or not ride than get out and be cold. Number 2 with the baby coming we have been getting everything ready and I just don't feel like riding a lot. So I will just roll with the punchs I guess. Hope I can get motivated after the baby comes and it warms up outside. What I really want is warm and dry so I can get out on the MTB bike.

?????!!!!!!

2008-12-05T02:03:00.000-08:00

It's 18 degrees outside......4:00am......I'm getting ready to ride to work......the only thought that keeps going through my mind is "WHAT HAPPENED TO GLOBAL WARMING?" I'm thinking that tonight I'm going to take all the money out of my saving account and go buy a case of hair spray and set them off in the front yard to help speed up this warming thing.

3 TRAILS SUNDAY

2008-11-24T02:56:00.000-08:00

Sunday I put a little plan in motion to do 3 trails I have never been to, but have been hearing about for awhile. I have been fighting this death cold that makes my throat feel like it is wrapped in barbed wire and my sinuses like lit matches are being shoved though them! For the fun of it I rode my 30 pound SS GT.

Indian Creek-Brommelseik-Bangert Island. Man these are all some cool trails. The backside of Indian Creek was a riot. Both loops at Brommelseik are very fun. Bangert Island is "smiles all the way" kind of ride. Three trails I'll be riding more in the future since they are pretty close to my place.

If you have not been there go to GORC website and get directions and go ride. You won't regret it.

RAPTURE IN MISERY

2008-11-15T02:50:00.000-08:00

I know that my posts are all out of order but what the hell! I signed up for RIM 12 hour solo this year at Landahl....really fun place to ride for anyone who has not been there. Got there and set up my pit area and I picked a great place because Dwayne G. parked one car down... cool. All I really recall about the race was being super happy that it was so long into it before Dwayne lapped me! It sounds stupid but that is a gauge I can use because he is super fast. Things were going really good.....until.....my front tire "burped" going down a rock drop off corner thing...and the bike just stopped. Turning me into a lawn dart!!! I tried to be calm and get air in the tire and get going, by the time I got done my left shoulder and hand were starting to hurt. Thought it might loosen up once I got going, but it only got worse. It got to the point over the next 2 laps where I could not hold on tight enough with my left hand to ride good...and I was holding on so tight with my right hand that I was getting blisters! So I stopped at about 10pm. I think I got third in my age group, Dwayne got first. Had a really good time over all. A race I'd like to try and hit next year for sure.

BTEPIC

2008-11-05T02:58:00.000-08:00

WOW! What a race! First let me say thank you to the promoters! This race was top notch. I had a feeling going into this one that I 'd be suffering a lot. I was not wrong. I think I finished 42 not what I wanted but really about what I got all year.....mid-pack. It will be hard to step-up next year. For anyone who reads this and does not know our family is expecting another boy in feb. So my year is gonna be very busy. I sure would like to do better. I guess the only way to do that is to train smarter since my time will be even less than know.
Anyone into bike riding should try and ride the BTEPIC race or tour. It really is epic and they are wanting this race to get known nationally, I think thay have a good shot.

Burnin'

2008-10-15T03:00:00.000-07:00

Hello all! Don't know what the problem has been with posting on my blog but maybe it's gonna let me this time!
Burnin' at the Bluff....man what a good event. The racing is good....the trail is good! The friends are what really make it fun though. Hangin' with my team Nate and Todd was a blast and never a moment of not smiling or laughing. And our campsite also had Fish, Nolan, and Jan, it was great to meet you guys and thanks for making this a helping make it fun. Seeing Dwayne, Mitch, Cale, Bob, Chris, Wes, Ralph.....and countless others have fun and ride their asses off was cool.
If this works I'll write a race report soon.

MO. NORBA #2 LOST VALLEY

2008-03-17T07:46:00.000-07:00

We had race # 2 in our series this weekend at Lost Valley. The area had bad rainy weather for most of the week leading up to the race....I really thought that it would be called off! But I did want to race and was totally pumped up when I read on stlbiking.com that the race was a go!!

Showed up sunday signed up and chatted with Dwayne about racing and the season...seems he has been riding 100 milers every weekend since last season! I think anyone who puts that much work into it and still has fun should get all the props in the world! He is a hell of a good guy on top of all that.

Mesa gets a "thank you" from all us racers for sticking to their guns and holding the race!! The course was in very good shape...only a couple of short muddy areas. The rest was primo!!

I felt pretty good the whole race getting pretty tired at the end...as anyone racing should!!! I did one more lap than last year so that is killer! 3hrs 24min. 39miles 11.5av. speed. I got 9th place, at first I was bummed about that, but then when I thought about it and I realised that I did way better than last year that is all that matters! I was outside riding my bike, my favorite thing to do! Congrats go to Dwayne! 1st!! 6laps!!! 14.2av. speed!!!! SMOKING FAST....WITH A SMILE THE WHOLE WAY!!!

I can't forget my pal Mike for coming out and racing with the new-be class and hanging out until I got done! They tried to give Mike 3rd place but really got 5th. He was totally worried that he was ripping someone off! They got it all figured out in the end. But I'm saying "you rock Mike", you showed up (unlike some other people) had fun, went home happy and hungry, with great memories! I really hope to see you at more races!

Fun times...good course...good friends!!!! See everyone at the next one!!!!

MO NORBA #1....RIDING IN APPLESAUCE

2008-03-06T02:59:00.000-08:00

So the first Mo. NORBA MTB race was held at St. Joes off road park march 2nd. I had long ago put it on my list to race. Leading up to he 2nd it had been wet, cold, and nasty....making everyone wonder what the trails would be like or if the race would even happen. I new going in that I would be in survival mode from being out of shape but I got a boost when my good friend Nate Means from Columbia, Mo. came in to race.

Race day it was 78 freaking degrees making the course really soft with some fairly brutal mud. I was amazed by the amount of people who showed up...very cool! MIA was Dwayne G. but he had told me it was his sons birthday (HAPPY B-DAY LITTLE MAN) so he did the right thing and celebrated with his family. At the start Nate left us in his wake and just kept on pulling away...as I predicted!! I felt pretty good and was hanging in 2nd with some guys right with me. Flats suck!!! That is what went through my head when I got mine! Got it changed and rode on. I made a mistake and rode too hard to make up time and blew myself up! So coming into the 3rd lap I was just hanging on...I stole a Cliff bar from Nates cooler, that was a life saver. Started feeling stronger again by the end of the lap. Crossed the finish line in 6th at 3hours and 17min. Congrats go to Nate for taking us all too school and being the ONLY rider to get 4 laps!

Looking forward to Lost Valley........hold the applesauce please!!!

What did you do?

2008-01-07T09:40:00.000-08:00

If you did not get out and ride a bike, go for a run, ride a 4-wheeler, play with a kid, or anything outside on 1/6/08 and 1/7/08 in St. Louis then go back and read the title of this blog!! Went to Castlewood both days...GOODTIMES. 70 degrees in January.....global warming kicks ass!!!!!!

older? smarter?

2007-11-17T03:03:00.000-08:00

Over the last couple of years I have noticed I have become slower on singletrack and downhills. Why is that? When I first got into MTBing that was my strongpoint. Now I catch myself hitting the brakes everywhere, which just creates this vicious cycle of bad lines and more hitting the brakes! It's easy to use the old "I have to make it to work to pay the bills" excuse. But that really is just a lame ass excuse. I hate crashing but I think in a way finding that edge is sometimes what keeps it new and fun. So my goal from now on is not to crash but ride like water....flow! Pick good lines. Smile. Feel like a kid. Do not worry about going to work and paying bills. Maybe even pop a couple of wheelies along the way!!!

Congrats....part 2

2007-11-01T03:09:00.000-07:00

So my friends the Cottons' headed to Florida last weekend for "Animal"(9 year old intermediate) to race his BMX at a 3 day ABA national. Big time riders for all over the world. Will he fold? Will they go out in first round? No chance!!! The kid goes out and makes every main...5th in class and 7th in open friday, 5th in class on saturday, and 6th in class on sunday! Great job. Could we be lookng at World #1 in another 8 or 10 years?! You can bet I'll be watching!!!

Congrats!

2007-10-14T03:08:00.000-07:00

Congratulations to my good friend Bryan Hulsey on winning the 2007 4-wheeler state title! I'm told he has worked for years to get this done. He did in style too....goes into the last race tied in points....holeshots.....wins the race!! Great job to the man in 2nd, David Hicks another part time MTB buddy. I heard he did most of the race with possible broken toes, and still got 2nd...tough! Now you guys park the 4-strokes and let's get into crank strokes!!!!

On a personal note. I worked about 60 hours this week....and was going to work today...hell with that I'm going riding with my pal James and maybe Hulsey at Lost Valley. Since I had to work Saturday I missed the last race of the MO NORBA at Spanish Lake. Can't wait to here who did what and who won. Sorry I missed it.

virgin

2007-10-12T03:09:00.000-07:00

This is my first post on my blog! I'll be adding pics and stupid stories soon. Hope everyone gets a laugh out of it.