Arizona Sun

This is a look over "24 Town." The makeshift gypsy village that results from the thousands of racers and spectators that descend upon this tract of desert land for the 24 hours of Old Pueblo. I had thought that 24 hour racing was dying. And in fairness it still kind of is. But, not this race. Although I was in town for Spring Training camp I managed to make some time to get out and spectate. I had some extra incentive to see some good friends from Kansas who were down racing as well. They did pretty darn good and had to overcome some crashes and injuries.

Also managed to sneak out for a ride up Mt. Lemmon. One heck of a climb and beautiful views. Only climbed to mile 12 of 27 before turning back and avoiding descending in nightfall.

Just Training

Not much to report here. Just a lot of training. A lot of watching friends back home racing. Certainly giving me the itch to go race. In fact, it might just be enough to spur a small group of Coloradoans to make a drive down to Texas for Mellow Johnny's. We'll see!

Yep, I'm back

Ok, I won't start in with the why I've been absent for a few months. It just got easy being an observer and following along with what everyone else has been doing. So, let me give you a quick update of the past few months in case you didn't already know.

1. Moved to Colorado and now work at Carmichael Training Systems
2. Broke my collar bone, yep again.
3. Went to Costa Rica, it was amazing.
4. Ride my bike in the Rockies daily.
5. Life is Good.

Now that you are up to speed, let me dive right into a hot topic. I recently heard that the UFD is implementing some changes with regards to race categories for 2012. Age groups are being condensed to simply 39 under and 40+. I originally put the following on Aaron Elwell's blog, but I thought I would share it here as well.

"Gonna share my two cents on this, because it is something I am passionate about. Everyone needs to buck up and put on their big boy pants! This is racing. This isn't "everyone gets a medal just for showing up." An expert is an expert regardless of age (and so on). I supposedly "benefited" from the previous format because I was guaranteed a podium at any race I attended. That's because I was often the only Cat 1 20-29 there! Nobody wants to race or "win" like that. And as a race promoter it is a losing battle when you have to payout or give medals/prizes to essentially every rider that shows up! Anyways, I could go on and on and rant forever on this. The bottom line is the point of racing is just that. To come out, have a good time, push yourself to the max and beyond, and enjoy the heck out of riding your bike. Whether you were 1st or 30th. Then crack open a cold beverage and enjoy the company of your racing community. Congrats to the UFD for implementing this change."

Hey, I've been beat by many a 'seasoned' veteran. These guys are smoking fast. Competition will only make us all that much better. I cannot stress how much easier this will make it for race promoters. Anyways, that's how I feel about it, everyone is entitled to their opinions on the matter! What do you think?

Game on!

Hey everybody!

I hope you are still dead set on putting some fat tires (or shoes) on the dirt this weekend. The 5k trail run and mtb race is set to go. The weather is perfect, for mountain biking, not for cross. In case you guys forgot, cross racing is meant for the winter. ;)

So, come on over to Melvern this Sunday and keep the mtb operating for a few more weeks before hanging it up for the season. As promised there will be sweet prizes for all categories and cold hard green stuff for our Expert Men Cash Class and Expert Women. I can not stress this enough, but the more people you bring, the more money we can give you. So experts, get your fast friends or even first-timers. Load up the car to capacity and bring a crowd.

Race Updates

Ok, here is some much awaited details on the race. But, don't you worry, we are still a good 5 weeks out and planning is coming along nicely. This will certainly be a race that you will not want to miss out on!

Date:

Saturday Oct 1st - IMBA's Take a Kid Mountain Biking Day
(Unfortunately we will not have events planned as expected, however, the chat trails are great for the youngsters and camping is available nearby. Send a message if you would like more information)

Sunday Oct 2nd - 5k trail run and mtb races

Entry Fees:

Beg, Sport, SS = $20
Expert = $25
5k run = $20

Race Times:

5k Run - 9am (mass start all age groups)
Beg Men - 10:30 (2 laps)(mass start)
Beg Women - 10:31 (2 laps)
Expert Men - 12:00 (4 laps)(Mass Start)
Expert Women - 12:01 (3 laps)
Sport Men - 12:02 (3 laps) (Mass Start)
SS - 12:03 (3 laps)
Sport Women - 12:04 (3 laps)
* We reserve the right to combine start times as necessary depending on field sizes!

Age Groups/Divisions

5k
men - 34 under, 35 plus
women - 34 under, 35 plus

MTB
Beg Men - 34 under, 35 plus
Beg Women - Open
SS - Open
Sport Men - 34 under, 35 plus
Sport Women - Open
Expert Men - 34 under, 35 plus
Expert Women - Open

* Remember, if you are an expert male 35 plus you can choose to race down in the 34 under class to go for the overall payout. See post below for more details on that.

Location:

Follow this link for details on course and location:
http://www.kansascyclist.com/trails/MelvernRiverfrontPark.html

Additional Info:

In case you forgot, here is a run down on what to expect. The Riverfront MTB Race and 5K is all about you. More specifically, it is about you having fun. This event will be great whether it is your first time or if you are a hardened veteran of dirt. It is a great atmosphere for first timers and a fun challenging trail for expert riders.

There will be food available for an additional cost (~$5 will get you burger and a drink kinda deal).

We have fantastic prizes thanks to Trek for the top 3 in all age groups. Useful things you will be glad to have! The Expert 34 under and Expert women classes will be the only paid classes. Payouts will be dependent on field sizes. More people = more payback. So, if you are trying to earn some cash it is in your best interest to bring friends!

If anything is unclear, or if you have any questions, feel free to let me know! Hope you can join us!

-LeLan

Save the Date!!!

** Check riverfrontmtbrace.blogspot.com for updated info **

I know what you are thinking, "but LeLan, You said the same thing earlier this year and didn't pull through with the Camp Alexander Race." While that is true, I couldn't bear to host our race the same day as Fancy Creek. Make you guys choose between two amazing events!? Couldn't do it. But, redemption is here as the Riverfront MTB Race in Melvern, KS will be a go (barring weather conditions that would be out of my control!). Here is a little bit of a preview of what you can expect:

Saturday Oct. 1st
* IMBA's International Take a Kid Mountain Biking Day
* A day for the kids. Ride the chat river trail (I would probably say best suited for children ages 5+) with the youngsters. We will have games and other activities available as well. More details on that to come. This day is all about sharing a passion for mountain biking with the youngin's. 

Sunday Oct. 2nd
* 5k trail run - that's right, if biking isn't your thing and running/jogging/walking is, then come join us for a 5k trail run to start the day.
* MTB races - standard beg, sport, ss, expert XC type racing. Sorry, no marathon. Laps are fast on this trail and are great for XC racing, but I would hate to see you go round and round and get bored with it. 
* Sweet, useful prizes compliments of Trek that you have grown accustomed to at these events. I know you love those shiny medals, but let's face it, you can't do anything with them! We want to reward the winners with useful items that are helpful to your riding. Not to mention a chance at SWAG just for showing up.
* OVERALL EXPERT CASH PAYOUT - That's right, we've heard your call for an overall expert payout and we agree. Let me try and explain this simply. If you are familiar with our events you know that there are only two age groups. 34 under and 35 plus. This year the 34 under class will serve as the "money" class. This means anyone over 35 that wants to fight for the cash can do so by racing 'under' their age group. This only works down and not up. That means any expert that is 34 and under MUST race the 34 under class. Deal with it, you're an expert. I won't listen to complaints that one of the older guys beat you. Trust me, they're fast. But, anyone 35 and over can choose to race down for the overall payout. Hopefully that makes sense. 
* I want to give you as much money as I can. I'm not putting on this race to get money in my pocket or even to stock up a club account. It is for you. Therefore I will take the bare minimum to cover my costs and the rest goes back to the riders. This is especially important for the experts. If you want to make more money, bring more friends. It's that simple. Any ability. The more people, the more money and prizes I can give back. I will guarantee paying three deep to the 'cash' class, but could go 5 deep if the turnout is good. 35 plus group will be racing for said sweet prizes above.
* This especially means skipping the cross race that weekend and joining us for a mtb race!
* There will be food there for an additional cost. Don't know the menu, but typically $5 will get you a burger and chips kind of deal.
* More activities for the kiddies (pumpkin painting or something of that sort.) Make this a great family weekend and bring the whole crew.
* Camping is available within 5 miles of the race venue. 

That seems like some good starter info. I will certainly be coming back with more detailed information. If you have any questions be sure to let me know. In the mean time, here is a little photo to peak your interest!

Briefly

I'll give you a small taste of the happenings today. I just haven't posted lately so I wanted to at least give you something. I was able to take the age group win and that also meant I was the KS State Champ 19-29. I was pretty pleased with that, but I did have to stop twice on the first lap as the front tire was wanting to get rid of all the air it had in it. I wanted to be a bit closer to the overall leader. But hey, a great day to be on the bike none-the-less.

Here are a few photos from riding yesterday.