Halloween Girls Night Out

Each year, the Halloween GNO ride has been a big hit. The Hot Hostess (otherwise known as the Beautiful Mrs. K) has grown the Thursday Night GNO rides into something everyone can enjoy. 

I normally put my 2 cents in by setting up snacks and drinks for the riders return. For the Halloween ride, it was probably on 1 cent, because Mrs. K herself shopped for Halloweeny stuff and I just arranged it. And Tyson put up the decorations. So I guess I just stood around and looked pretty.

But there were so many eye-catching things lurking around, it was tough to notice the pretty guy guarding the drinks. I mean, just look at these people. I feverishly scanned the news reports for any escaped lunatics.

This one took a double take. A triple take, actually.

Before liftoff, I managed to get a signature panoramic photo. I wish you could see some of the costumes better. You'll just have to trust me, they were good. We had a raffle and a costume judging when everyone returned. I'm sure everyone was sad to see GNO hibernate until the spring, but we're hoping for a mild winter and strong legs in March. Thanks to all that came out this year, because there is no GNO without you.




 

You TOTALLY can't tell We're Not Real Otters

 

You just never know what you're going to see at a NICA race these days. Especially at "NICA-ween", the official Halloween celebration. While there were many, many better costumes than these oversized, hot, and very itchy otter suits, I think the Beautiful Mrs. K and I embodied the spirit of NICA-ween really well. I wasn't smiling very well because I had Skittles in my mouth.

Birthdays, Baseball, and Grabbing the Leaders Jersey

I feel like I need to prove that we do things other than ride bikes. Or sell bikes. Or talk about bikes. Something, anything, other than bikes. And we do. This past week, we celebrated a birthday. Deanna's mom just turned 40, so we had a fantastic dinner. And in true Zimmer fashion, they played cards. Oh, and there was cake. Mmm. Cake.

The Beautiful Mrs. K went to a Cards game with the fam. I should have gone. But sitting at home in the peace and quiet won out over the chaos of a baseball game. Man, I must be getting old.

Somehow, you knew this was coming, right? We traveled to Jefferson City for the 2nd race in the Missouri NICA mountain bike race series for Eli. We had to go a day early (Friday Night) because there were horrendous storms forecasted for Sunday. So the race organizers opted to race Saturday instead. We had a beautiful Airbnb on the edge of the Missouri river. Great morning view before we had to pack up quick and head out to Binder Lake for the mountain bike race.

The first race of the day is always the Varsity Boys. Eli and the other points leaders get called up, total professional style, to the starting line first. This photo is so great: these guys ride, race, and train together. They're fantastic young men, talented and real role models for the hundreds of kids that participate in these things. 

After a blistering fast race, Eli came second. I figure that my fine readers know that the most stressful times of my life are when my kids are competing. Watching him power up the climb to the finish line took an enormous weight off of my chest.

That second place finish was enough to put Eli in the coveted Leaders Jersey. Every kid that puts their tires on NICA dirt wants one. After his first year of racing in 2021, Eli has been shooting for this. It can change hands again at the next race in the series, but he has worked very hard for this and it's his for this precious moment. 

Bad photo because the light was fading and the skies were getting stormy. Happy to have caught this shot of Eli's best girl putting his 2nd place medal on for his days finish. 

Another bad shot, but I couldn't leave out the podium pic. I shouldn't be surprised by these guys being at the top of the class because I've raced them myself and I know they're awesome. But it's just so darn cool that this group is at the top of the heap at the moment. 

Resplendent in his trusty swim trunks and fresh Leaders Jersey, Eli couldn't be happier. I couldn't be happier, either. I'm so pleased that he's reaching the goals that he set for himself. The best thing a person can do is to accomplish things that are important to THEM. 

Also very impressive: The South City Otters and the Metro Panthers. I'm lucky enough to watch these athletes improve and grow and constantly ride their bikes better and better. They were second in the team competition, which is no easy task. Way to go, Otterpants!

And just when you thought that I had lapsed right back into writing only about biking stuff, we get this photo. I would like to think that I had some kind of influence on this. Pep talks, maybe? Some genetic support, perhaps? Or is this just typical Hanna tenaciousness, putting in hard work and making hard work part of everyday life? The latter, I'll say.

Jam Packed Fall Schedule

It's hard to sit down at the computer and sort photos to tell the story of what has been going on lately. The store is busy and there is so much racing going on. Nica season has begun, so that means we are racing and traveling every weekend for a while. Flannery Alison captured a moment for Eli and I that I won't forget.

Cyclocross has started in our area and the first races are always run in the Alton area. The Superprestige series is a great time. Last week there was a distinct lack of women racing. Just a couple showed up. This week? They rallied up a LOT more and had a strong showing for the wonderful course at Belk Park.

Eli put all of his training to the test in Warsaw the previous weekend. He has so much competition in the Varsity class, and that mostly comes from his riding buddies. They fought tooth and nail, and he came out with a killer sprint finish for 3rd place. This is going to be an awesome series for them all. Another great Flannery Alison capture.

Proud dad moment. 

With local mountain bike racing over for me, I raced 'cross at Belk park. This is the first time since 2013 that I attempted to use an actual cyclocross bike. Man, what a difference 10 years makes. So much control, so much fun. I still have never won a cyclocross race on an actual cx bike, but I was darn proud of my 2nd place. Thanks to the Mileski's for the photo. 

I was very proud of these two. Eli won his Junior's race, and Mrs. K had a much better race than she will admit. Funny thing: We all lined up together to race in the same race, which will probably never happen again. Another Mileski photo. 

The next time I post, I hope to include our other kids. Hanna has an amazing new job in Dallas and I don't get to see her enough. She'll be visiting in a couple weeks and I'll catch up on all that is Hanna and I will have photographic evidence of that! Tyson has taken to riding mountain bikes again and has been riding a cx bike as well. Photos are promised for some of that, too.

Onward and upward!

 

Heartbreaker Mountain Bike Race at Creve Coeur

Wooo doggy, it was a hot one Sunday at Creve Coeur. Eli and I (along with 200 other people!) raced the last event in the United Federation of Dirt's series for 2023. Here you can see the old man getting out a little quicker on the "GO!". 

These things start fast and never slow down. I was battling it out with a fast young dude from Spain...lucky for me he wasn't taking the heat well.  That good battle kept me on the gas for the first 3 of 5 laps. I was feeling a little sassy with the heat so I unzipped my jersey quite a bit and the crowds went wild. 

Eli was behind me but he wasn't slowing down. He could see me ahead of him on the last two laps.

He caught me right after this photo. He didn't taunt me or call me names. He did tell me to get going, which I couldn't. He blazed past me on the last climb before the finish and put about 40 seconds on me. 

I was suffering at the end, but it was a solid race anyway. I felt like I was racing instead of just pedaling around a mountain bike course. Two hours total in the blazing heat was plenty for me, anyway.  I don't know why I always make such goofy faces while I'm racing. 

Eli really gave it all he had. Lucky for him, he had his number one girl to keep him from falling over at the finish line. I'm glad I could push him that hard!

He gave me a big hug to make sure I wouldn't cry after our race. He's such a good kid, even if he does really like to beat me in races. I still paid for Subway on the way home, so obviously I harbored no ill will.

A big thanks to the Beautiful Mrs. K for setting up the South Side Cyclery tents and getting drinks and snacks for everyone on the team and in the SSC club. We had such a nice crowd there and they all appreciate the hard work Mrs. K does. And she cheers and taunts us, too, so there is no slacking while she's around.

These great photos and many more come from our biggest fan and great supporter, Flannery Allison. 

 

Biking can be a Family Affair

There are a lot of things families can do together. Watch Sponge Bob. Buy matching "I'm with Stupid" T-shirts. Go (gasp!) camping. Not us. We ride bikes. Tyson recently joined Eli and I in getting a new Cyclocross bike. His is substantially taller than ours. That's the best way I can think of to make sure no one borrows his bike. Photo courtesy of Eli's BeReal.

The Beautiful Mrs. K got into the off-road action this past weekend at Indian Camp Creek. Thumbs up! Ride ambassador, mentor, coach, cheerleader, friend. Do not believe her when she says she only wants a sip of your soda. Trust me. Photo courtesy of Dan Singer Photography.

Eli raced ICC, too. We are very proud of his steady rise in the off-road ranks. We are more proud of his growth as an awesome person. Dan Singer Photography took this photo.

I raced ICC. And after 44 years of this stuff, you'd think I'd know how to smile for the camera. Instead I did my best interpretation of an old man experiencing a cardiac arrest while riding a very cool bike. Thanks again to Dan Singer Photography.

This is the only one of us that was missing this weekend. I know, I know, this is not a photo of Hanna riding bikes. But I wanted to sneak in this little powerhouse to show that she's not slacker just 'cause she's not riding with us right now. She could probably bench press me and my bike. Photo courtesy of me.

 

Rainbows and Hound Dogs

After a hard race today, we wanted to go to Ted Drewes to get some not-ice cream. The sun just peeped out enough on our way over there to make a cool rainbow. You can actually see the ghost of a second rainbow there, too.

The Hound Dog doesn't give a hoot about rainbows. Or bike races. Or green beans. He wanted Ted Drewes. He laid down at my feet and pouted for a bit when he didn't get any. 

 

"Big" Mileage Week

Something worked out well this week. My riding schedule! 140 miles for the week. Not much by many standards but quite a few by my own. Nothing in the way of mountain biking, though, as the rain just kept coming. This morning Eli set out early to get in a big mileage day, adding intervals in there somewhere. I waited a bit longer and surprise! I parked right next to him in the parking lot at Chesterfield. It was dreary and rainy, but pleasant temps. 

By the time I had ridden the CX bike out the Katy, through Lost Valley and Busch Wildlife, the sun had come out. The first half, though, was soggy and soft. Not like a muddy mountain bike day, but the black mark on my left shoe is the actual color of the shoe...gravel splatter makes everything a drab grey. 30 miles of that was plenty for me.

But I wasn't finished. The beautiful Mrs. K wanted to go on a bike ride, too. Honestly, I was tired. We rode about 30 miles on the road and I was glad that was all we did. Upon finishing, we showered and went to eat burgers at Syberg's. Now I think we'll get ice cream. Probably multiple scoops.

 

What a Bad Blogger you've chosen to follow

 

First off, I've been pretty busy. But really, I've been a bit sour. Ok, more sour than usual. I still haven't gained back any weight that I lost during my crappy bout with pancreatitis in May. Still down 10 pounds and feeling like my energy is somewhere in that 10 pounds. It was probably blubber anyway, but it was MY blubber.

However, there have been some great things happening anyway. Father's Day was a big hit around here. My clever children along with Mrs. K made a fine day for me. So I have that going for me.

We were able to make a nice mini-vacation from the 4th of July timing. Mrs. K, Eli, and I made the trip to Bentonville and stayed in an awesome tiny AirBnB. Lots of riding and hanging out with friends. That was needed so, so much. 

I got in a couple more mountain bike races, too. Rhett's Run in Columbia was pretty good, although that pesky teenager of mine beat me by about 20 seconds. St. Joe State Park wasn't so great. Pretty bad, actually. No excuses, but I felt a LOT like I did at Greensfelder in May before this mess all started.

We had a Tour de France Femmes bash at the shop for one of the GNO rides. Lots of fun, along with teenagers in berets and French wine and cheese.  I mean, we're like, so French, right??

And Remi, although very disappointed to have missed the World Naked Bike ride, is still the best Hound Dog ever. That is despite his love for my spot on the bed.

A Tumultuous Month of May

 

Things seemingly started off well, with great weather for the Greensfelder Challenge mtb race. Eli and I started fast (you know this, man!) but neither of us finished as well as we wanted. We both had a bad day. My day got worse when I got home, as I developed a really awful stomach ache and I felt quite bad.

But we couldn't let such things bother us, as we had a Mother's Day ride to go on with Deanna and her bestie the next day. Strangely, I was left as backmarker for most of the ride. But Mrs K enjoyed the day out, and that was the important thing.

I came home from work about noon on Monday and had to lay in bed for the next couple days. By Wednesday, really unable to eat or drink for 3 days and down 6 pounds from my pre-race weight, I had to do something. 

After a bit of back and forth with the blood testing folks, I got in late on Wednesday for a blood test. 

Thursday, after determining that it was, in fact, another bout of pancreatitis, I went for a blood transfusion. Ok, not really. Some IV fluids generally always do the trick to bring me back out of the pain cave. Only, it didn't really do it's thing like it has in the past. I was still very weak and tired to the point of disorientation, which is not normally a symptom that I have when I get an attack. 

I don't think I would have been so stressed about it if I wasn't fearing missing out on one of our favorite events of the year: Wolf Creek. I didn't want to let my teammates down, and I didn't want to let Mrs K and Eli down, either. I made the event and mustered up enough energy for 5 laps. My team didn't win, despite the Herculean efforts by JR and Party Guy. But both Deanna's team and Eli's team won their classes! I'm so proud of them!

This week, eating better and feeling better, I got back on the bikes and things improved. Until a suspension part for my bike clearly didn't hold up to it's 15nm torque setting. Shoulda stopped at 12.

Despite the efforts of my pancreas and my bike to stop me, I made it to Forest City on Sunday for a couple laps. Ironically, I snapped this photo around 11am when I had finished...

...and getting into the car I had a text that Eli had crashed and hurt himself. He WAS wearing his helmet.

But he won't be wearing this one again. He suffered a pretty stiff concussion, as well as some deep cuts around his face and rashing on his shoulders. I won't show those to you, but needless to say we were very worried and are happy that he'll be alright. 

June will be better, I just know it.