Yesterday, I felt good enough that I went over to Lawrence to watch many friends and team mates race the 360 Cup Cross race. First of all, I realized that I was bummed that I wasn’t suited up and racing. It was a nice day to race cross, temperatures in the mid 50’s and sunny. It was funny how cold that 54 degrees felt to me standing around.
A big surprise was the my team mate, Brian Jensen and his wife, Michelle, were at the race. I guess Brian was doing some wind turbine work north of Lawrence and is going to be here until Wednesday. Then back to Colorado.
Brian was a big surprise, but the biggest surprise was that USADA had two tents set up and had been doing drug testing the whole day on most of the categories. This is a first that I can think of this happening. This was a pretty small, local race. I know that USAC has this new Race Clean program going now, but I can think of a lot of events that might prove more productive.
I’m wondering if that USAC was there for one guy? Seems like they have been pretty good at catching riders that are pretty obviously taking drugs to race. I don’t know that guy here. I very much doubt they are going to catch someone. I know just about everyone that raced and not one of them is on my radar screen.
Anyway, I’m not against USAC showing up. The more testing the better. I think all the amateur guys that are doping to race aren’t nearly as advanced as World Tour guys, so the chances that USADA cleaning up the local and regional scene is much higher. It just really surprised me this is the event they picked.
I was only there for the Elite 1/2 race. And even though I was only gone from home for 3 hours, I was done. It was the longest I’ve stood up in the last 5 weeks. It is amazing to me how out of shape a person can get for normal daily things in such a short time.
The race was good. My team mates all rode at the front the whole race and all finished great. I’d loaned my set of race wheels to Joseph Schmalz, and after getting a mediocre start, he eventually rode to the lead and won the race. So at least my wheels are getting to race some this fall.
The course was tricky with a lot of tight turns that demanded acceleration after. I liked the course a lot. I raced the event last year and finished 2nd to Joseph. It was a bigger course, more open, but still tricky.
Anyway, I’m going to try to go to more races on the weekends, if I have the energy. I need to get out more. I walked 2 miles last night before going to bed. I find that if I walk, or ride the ergometer, after dinner, I have a much higher chance of sleeping over 5 hours. These head injury deals are peculiar.
I’m heading to KU Med, in Kansas City, in a couple hours for a ton of appointments. My first appointment there is a MRI at 10:15 and the last is with my neurologist at 3, so I’m going to be beat again. Hopefully I get some more answers to a slew of questions that I have. I tried to get the answers on the Internet, but TBIs are hard to get specific answers about. I’ve really improved a ton, at least feel better, the last two weeks, so I’m hoping that makes my doctors happy. It makes me.
Shadd, Joseph and I before the start.
Brian, Trudi, Tucker and I.
Joseph running the logs.
Garrick running the logs.
Shadd, Finn’s dad, riding the logs.
And here is FInn, who showed up everyone. He won the Junior State Championships and is a super bike handler.
The podium – Joseph Schmalz , Garrick Valverde, Shadd Smith, , Brian Jensen, and Britton Kusiak.
Tucker met a new friend, Max, at the race.
He was as done as me last night.
The Wizard of Oz was on last night. I love that movie.
Good deal on the drug testing, hopefully they are back for the Tour of Lawrence!
I never understood the excitement over CX. Ride slowly through mud,get dirty, break your bike, repeat. Whoopee.
Brian – Yeah, Tour of Lawrence would be one event that might have been a better choice.
euro – I’ve always been attracted to cyclocross. I’m not sure if that if because I was naturally good at the bike handling or what. But, even if I throw that out, I still love cross. It is first a rider against the course race. I love bike racing where specific skills can give a rider an advantage. And 2nd, it is a very good spectator sport. Watching cross might be my favorite cycling discipline. Plus, it is very hard. There is no easy bike racing off-road. Adding all that up, I love the sport.
I suspect USADA will catch the pot smokers more than the cheats. I’ve heard pot can enhance performance to some degree (while actively using), but the remaining bits in ones system from a few nights before the race can get someone a suspension.
If you were to test positive for marijuana (just marijuana), would that land you a USADA ban?
For a guy with a cracked melon, you look better than I thought you would.
Get your rest, take care of yourself…do you have long-term disability insurance?
Just check how many riders are listed as “DNS”… then you’ll know.
Yes.
I caught a little of Oz last night, too. What a classic.
You may already know this bit of trivia, but I read once that at the end of the scene you have the photo of, when the Wicked Witch disappears in a cloud of smoke, the actress is quickly lowered out of sight on a round trap door, with openings that ringed the door to shoot the smoke to conceal her exit. Apparently the heat from the smoke or gas reacted with something in her heavy makeup, so while the remainder of the scene is playing out, she is down below clawing at her face in agony.
Yeah, she was badly burned.
guys that are doping to race aren’t nearly as advanced
The UCI isn’t sanctioning WT riders that dope, that’s all. They have all the authority. Remember that Contador would not have gotten sanctioned if it weren’t for Seppelt’s story. Modern podium potential riders spend much of the year out of competition now and at altitude camps. Just the thing you need to do some safe, effective doping.
There’s a larger historical significance to cyclocross that shouldn’t be ignored. Armies on all sides depended on cyclocross like skills to act as recon and serve as couriers.
http://www.bikeshophub.com/blog/2016/08/08/a-brief-illustrated-history-of-the-bicycle-at-war-part-1-boers-on-bikes/
http://www.historynet.com/us-armys-25th-infantry-bicycle-corps-wheels-of-war.htm
https://www.amazon.com/Bicycles-War-Martin-Caidin/dp/080150614X
You look really good, considering……
That was a super fun race and a great course. Big thanks to the 360 folks!
“And even though I was only gone from home for 3 hours, I was done. It was the longest I’ve stood up in the last 5 weeks. It is amazing to me how out of shape a person can get for normal daily things in such a short time.”
TBIs are known to dramatically sap your energy. All your body’s resources are concentrated in healing your brain. Being out of shape is probably less of a factor here.
It’s good to see you getting out and enjoying cross.
I was terrible at CX but enjoy watching the races.
The Wizard of Oz is so psychedelic… awesome film.
You mean Dorothy’s trippin and Oz is cookin or is it the other way around?
Thanks for posting THAT podium picture. I was trying to smack my teammate Garrick in that picture 🙂
PS. Tilford taught me many years ago not to raise both arms unless you are on the top step.
Steve: You are one bad dude. You damn sure would’ve been a helluva mountain man if born in a different era. Definitely showing some Hugh Glass type resiliency through this challenge. Don’t necessarily agree with all of you non-cycling viewpoints, but admire your spirit brother.
But, if you don’t wear a helmet from here on out, I take back all the compliments. At that point you’re as bad as a fool that ventures out into the wilderness unprepared and deserves no respect or quarter…
Downvote me all you want. Test positive for weed, and you’ll face the same ban as if you’re on EPO.
Radar? There is no obvious profile for today’s amateur dopers Imo.
I don’t think your that naive so I’m guessing you don’t want to accept that riders in your community or team are cheats.
I’ll bet if you tested 10, 3 to 4 would get popped.
Testing has been done in my area twice in the last few years. I know who was tested and have yet to see them listed on usada testing database results…not results but just those tested.
Unless I’m missing something,looks like a lot of vials are simply being tossed. You should all be looking for the same.
Not that there are many people let alone juniors coming into the sport but maybe the ones that should get attention are the successful masters racers who also coach, using their Palmar especially to make their coaching abilities seem more legit…
Jimmy – I understand your thought process, but I’ve witnessed a ton of doping in the sport throughout my lifetime and it is very easy to identify. I ride with most all the guys around here, race with the majority too, and your statistics don’t work here. There are regions of the country where you’re not far off, but Kansas isn’t one of them.
Brian gets solid top five in open but can’t get a top 10 in masters in CO. Huge regional difference in depth.
Carlos-There is a big difference between the courses in Colorado and Kansas. Here it is more grass and less loose stuff. That is unless it is wet, then it is tricky. Brian has a huge engine. Cross is probably his weak point out of all bike racing disciplines. He still does it, so you have to give him credit for it.
Full credit to him. Gotta admire a guy who just loves to race. Still a mystery why the huge disparity between racing scenes.