Eki and I rode the Heck of the North course on Sunday in full conditions

My intrepid training partner, Tim Ek, and I rode the Heck of the North course on Sunday in conditions way more interesting than those @ WEMS La Crosse, a couple weeks ago. WEMS decided to cancel their race due to less than perfect conditions, of course we never considered whether to go or not to go...In advance, having taken the time to write up the copious paperwork justifying the need for mechanized transport and thus ultimately securing a variance from the DBD Honor Board allowing limited use of my car to pick up Eki and then secure coffees from an all-night gas station, we started the ride at 5:00 a.m. near the shores of beautiful Lake Superior. With virgin cue sheets in hands, amid full conditions including strong winds, rain, and lighting, our hearts soared as we embarked on a reconnaissance of Jeremy Kershaw’s opus number one, The Heck of the North!

Seven hours and twenty-two minutes later amid rain and wind we returned to our starting point satisfied that we had experienced a true work of art. A course that reflects both the remote beauty of the back roads of the Northland and the commitment of a creative man’s need to express his love of two-wheeled adventure. Among other non-compulsory organs, Eki and I have both had our tear ducts surgically removed to save weight and to steel our emotions, but even so, upon the conclusion of this practice ride we experienced incomprehensible trickles of saline solutions leaking from our eye sockets. The sensation was both troubling and euphoric.

At the onset, I mentioned that the sky was full of electric power which caused Eki to respond, “No worries, we are on rubber.” The primary goal was to test the course for accuracy and potential problems or concerns using the cue sheets. It was an epic ride with full on torrential rain and strong winds. We rode at a good/steady pace and never really took any breaks. As stated above, it took us seven hours and twenty-two minutes. I'd guess that the top guyz will be able to do it in around 6.5 hours, if good weather, but it will take many riders nine or even ten hours+.

The course is primarily gravel in nature, intermixed with a nice complement of asphalt, and it does not hold any big hills (although it is not an easy course). There are three sections of ATV/snowmobile trails that represent tough challenges. One point-0f-interest is only about 50 yards long but it is a full on muddy swamp with itch weed, other long grasses, crazed horse flies, etc. forcing us to wade through it with the water up near our shorts and bikes on our shoulders!!! The experience had the effect of causing us to reflect upon the Golden Age of mountain biking when there were no man-made bridges and thus men were forced to often carry their bikes across natural barriers. It was a wonderful memory. The second section also comes before the half way point and involves two miles or so on the North Shore Trail, it had sections of very high grass (grass up over the bike and some swampy ATV ruts). This section is mostly rideable. The third section comes near the very end of the course and involves about a fifteen minute effort through a renegade ATV trail that is very rocky, grassy, hilly, swampy, and full of other stuff just waiting to rip off somebody's derailleur or cause a flat. So in total, there is probably only about 5 miles of off-road but I would advise racers to go slow through these three sections and be prepared to get generally wet and feet soaked. I am SURE that the fastest times will involve 'cross bikes with skinny cross tires, but in full conditions (like yesterday) a 29er would not be a disadvantage. Also the course would not be prohibitive in terms of being near the front for a strong guy on a single speed equipped with a stout gear ratio.

Through out the ride Eki and I marveled at the seemingly remoteness of the course and the obvious creative work that Mr. Kershaw has dedicated to this fine course and endeavor. We both proclaim with heartfelt gusto: BRAVO Jeremy, Long Live Kershaw, HOORAY Heck of the North!!!

Postscript: There are those that will claim that by pre-riding the course, Eki and I now enjoy a significant advantage. To these detractors, I say…”Well, that maybe true, but at least we are not a bunch of socialists!!!” Also it is noteworthy that Eki, a true White Knight, refused to take a ride in my car at the course conclusion in that he was convinced that the DBD variance was only for the start, thus did not include permission for a return trip, and consequently by excepting a ride would be tantamount to a compromise in DBD dogma. He road his trusty steed home whilst I drove my car in guilt. His purity is an inspiration to us all…

Get your entry work in NOW!!!!!

Crossed the Rubicon as I sent in my entry fee to the nice folks at Single-Track Productions for inclusion into the 24Hrs @ Seven Oaks, Sept. 5/6

Ἑλληνιστὶ πρὸς τοὺς παρόντας ἐκβοήσας, «Ἀνερρίφθω κύβος», [anerriphtho kybos] διεβίβαζε τὸν στρατόν.

In other words, Caesar declared in Greek with loud voice to those who were present 'Let the dice be cast' and led the army across the Rubicon.
– Plutarch, Life of Pompey, 60.2.9

The word is that itz a tough one... If I don't make it back, know that I went with a smile on my face!

Mean people snub others...

There is no such thing as a justifiable snub, but the snubbee must take into consideration the context in which he or she was snubbed...Often times there is more to the offense than a simple "in-your-face-disgrace" snub.

Itz always tough to get snubbed, but I have grown somewhat immune to being snubbed by tri-athletes and even top runners. Given their slight physiques and tendency to "skip" rather than to run, fast road runners are a nervous lot and by definition “run” away from other athletes (and motorcycle gangs), so being snubbed by a true runner may indeed be just an instinctual survival response that has evolved over time to protect the timid runner, rather than a premeditated snub.

Being snubbed by tri-athletes is also less offensive in that they have lots on their minds and thus genuinely may not comprehend the fact that they are perpetrating a snub. After all tri-athletes, when engaged in the cycling stage of their varied craft, are usually in the extended Superman position, encased in a fully carbonized aero helmet, and focused on a multitude of bio-feedbacks, lofty strategizing, and personal goal setting. Included in these complex cognitive pursuits are: a) attending to their pedaling cadence; b) power meter feedbacks; c) heart rate considerations; d) VO2 max issues; e) proper caloric intake; f) fluid management; g) cholesterol levels; h) current speed of bike; i) GPS coordinates; j) distance traveled; k) distance to be traveled; l) speed going up hills; m) speeds going down hills; n) average speeds; o) maintaining perfect aero dynamic form; p) appropriate wheelset for conditions; q) appropriate tires and tire pressure for conditions; r) appropriate gear ratios for conditions; s) proper breathing; t) wind direction; u) strategies for paying the outrageously expensive entry fees; v) strategies for explaining to the wife the need for purchasing the new “cutting-edge” aero bike, so as to keep up with other local tri-athletes; x) strategies for developing a rationale for purchasing new "Tri-athalon" wet/dry suit; y) and so forth. Thus it is little wonder that a tri-athlete may deliver a snub...

But to be blatantly snubbed by a fellow gravel road rider, as occurred to me yesterday just off Lester River Road, BOY THAT HURTS, THAT REALLY HURT My feelings!!!

La Crosse WEMS race postponed due to weather :(

Jason Buffington and I left the Port City @ 3:00 a.m. for a classic "hardman" home-to-car-to-race-to-car-to-home attempt at the 12 Hours WEMS race near La Crosse, Wisconsin, some four hours+ down the road...The plan included a 2:45 a.m. start, a 7:15 a.m. arrival, coffee break from 7:15 a.m. to 7:45 a.m., hardcore racing from 8:00 a.m. to 8:00 p.m. (sans support crews, etc.), quick victory beers, reserved & modest conversations with defeated rivals, and gracious victory speeches to the throngs of fans from 8:01 p.m. to 9:29 p.m., back in the car by 9:30 p.m. and home to Duluth by 2:00 a.m. for a just under 24 HOUR EFFORT. But alas perhaps the gods were angry with Obama's embracement of socialism so the event was not to be, due to the absurd forces of Zeus including copious rain, thunder, and lighting (combined with the risk of law suits, no doubt)...Even so, I am quite confident in proclaiming with certainty that Jason and I would have tied for First Place as we were loaded, locked, and ready for total "Shock & Awe Victory."....WE ARE CLAIMING VICTORY!!!!! Sometimes great feats of athleticism go unfulfilled, except in the mind's eye...but we would have WON and received kisses from the beautiful podium girls and wonderful prizes!!!!

YES, we did drive all the way down there to the bluff country during the nether hours only to find that it had been cancelled, we then drove over to Levis-Trow and rode those great trails for several hours at first with heavy hearts, but then we forgot about what might have been and instead embraced the day as optimists by definition must do. Jason provided top notch comradeship...I must say that I am impressed with his raw potential...With Tinker aging and Eatough fading, He and Eki are the future of enduro-racing in the Northern latitudes...

Little kids got it right....

The following is a recent conversation (verbatim), that I had with my daughter, who just turned nine years old and is really smart…

“Hey dad, whatz so great about George Washington?”

I sez, “He had rad hair, plus he was the first president of the USA.”

She responds, “Yeah I know all about him being first and all, but didn’t he get us into a war and thatz not cool.”

I sez, “Well I guess one could argue that it was a ‘Just War.’”

“Whatz a ‘Just War,’ I think all wars are wrong, I think killing people is wrong, it is 'unacceptable'” she responds.

I start in on a lecture involving Saint Thomas Aquinas' Just War Doctrine, blah blah blah… but then she quickly cutz me off and sez, “There aint no way that you can convince me that any war where they are killing each other is okay.”

“Well, I am NOT saying that itz Okay to kill people, I am just saying that itz, well, what I mean is...Yeah, I agree, maybe he wasn’t so great, but we as a people like to admire old guyz that get our young guyz to fight and WIN BIG wars.” I sez.

She sez, “How do you win a war, I mean how do you know that you have won?”

I sez, “Well the big shotz, like presidents, get together and sign a treaty when they get sick of the war and that ends the war.”

She sez, “Why can’t they do the treaty before the war?”

I sez, “Thatz a good idea!”

She sez, “Instead of wars, we should make the big shotz race and then the winner of the race could make up the treaty.”

I sez, “Bike race or running race?”

She sez, “Bike race.” And smiles!!!!!!

What a GREAT KID :)

Men will be "reduced" this weekend in La Crosse as they battle the coulees of the Mississippi River Valley

The 12 Hours WEMS race near the beautiful river town of La Crosse, Wisconsin commences this upcoming Saturday @ 8:00 a.m. At last year's event, my good buddy Tim Ek had a break-out race while the Amateur was reduced to a groveling, smallish dysfunctional organism incapable of rationality. The course involves climbing, climbing, and then substantial climbs which represents a challenge in determining a proper gear ratio.

24 @ 9 Mile results suggest yet again that the single speeders (both on fully rigid steel machines) are on to something that the "industry" does not want you to know…as Ron Stawicki and Paddy Humenny placed 4th and 5th respectively OVERALL ( also, Goscinski 9th and Mark Burkholz 11th) . Great job SS Enduro-Brethren!!!!!!!!!!!!!