Endless Things to Write About

My guess as to what's going on here: Max and Hanna found a washing machine that fell off of a delivery truck. M is deciding whether he can time his jump just right to skip across the top of the machine and clear the fence. Kevin is telling them to lift with their legs and the weight is all in their minds. Katie is wondering if all of the kids laundry will fit in one load. Or, everyone is helping deliver a new washing machine to Hanna's apartment. Can't really figure it out.

Before the washer antics ever got under way, M was on flashing his 3rd place podium style with the other South Side kids at the Queeny cyclocross race.

I was in no danger of tripping over a podium step, that's for sure. But I did have a great race, at least I thought so. It was hilly. It was hard. I dropped my chain, although it didn't effect my placing in any way. And I had a victory though: I didn't wear any base layers, tights, or other cold-weather wear. I raced naked, if you will. We all know I could've done a race on a day like today dressed like the Michelin man. Or that kid in A Christmas Story.

I did mention that it was hilly, right?

Remi came along. As a bonus for the kids who know and love him, he played the "drag a kid around the cyclocross course" game. Fun for kids of all ages!

Birthday Delicacies and my other Peeps

 

The Beautiful Mrs. K turned 29 again this year, and with that momentous event came the goods. Cake-style goods. First up was the Black Forest cake from Kishia. Oh, let me tell you. There was chocolate. And some kinda alcohol was used, like, Rum or something? Anyway, it was something else.

Normally, I brag about the cupcakes that Flannery whips up for us. This time, she brought cheese cake. But again, there was chocolate. Game changing chocolate. I didn't mean to, but somehow I ate more than my fair share of Mrs. K's cheese cake. I actually ate the last few pieces. Definitely a party foul. But maybe Flannery will make more?

I joke with Hanna that she only works out in the finest gyms. We have a good laugh about it. But yesterday I got a text with this photo. I mean, does this look like a gym that Rocky Balboa would work out in?? No, it doesn't. It looks like a gym that Apollo Creed would wear his American Flag boxer shorts to work out in.

Brett and Lauren moved to Bentonville this past summer and left a big hole in the South Side empire. Good for them, as that place is a bike rider's paradise. But it sure was nice to see them today while they were in town for a bike polo tournament. I have the best time goofing with these two. Hoping to get down to visit them in Arkansas soon.

I got a great Facetime call this afternoon from Eli. He was riding up Beech Mountain in North Carolina. His goal was to climb a vertical mile (5280 feet). In his neck of the woods, That comes in 30-ish miles. While we were talking and he was pedaling, he asked me what my maximum climbing in one day was. I told him roughly 5800 feet, the day I climbed Mt. Lemon in Arizona in 2016. A little while later, he sent me this gorgeous photo of the sun setting, as he had reached the top of Beech. And, he ended his day with 6080 feet, in 36 miles.

Summer is Kinda Still Here

The warm temps just keep rolling here in the 314. That's the St. Louis area for you outta towners. We've seen 70's and 80's to go along with our fall colored trees. And it finally rained after a month of dry, scaring some people into thinking the party is over. But nope. In the 70's again today. Hanna celebrated by flashing us the bicep. 

And to prove that it can't rain all the time (despite some very bizarre flooding), my favorite rainbow appeared opposite the shop. It happens often over there. Must be a pot of gold. I'll look into that.

Before any of the rain hit, we raced Cyclocross at one of my favorite venues, St. Vincent County Park. Loved the course. Loved it! But I was a little off the pace, really just my last lap. I had a bad hip day and it just got me. However, I'm still pretty happy with it. Thanks to Carrie Zukoski for the lovely photo. 

And Eli was still here for St. Vincent. He raced his mountain bike, and did two races. His South Side skin suit is much, much more flattering than mine. Again, a Carrie Zukoski photo.

And then I drove Eli to Memphis to meet his room mate so they could travel back to North Carolina to school. They only have a short time left there, so it did seem pretty silly to me for them to have to travel back. But, it's almost over. Now I have absolutely no business (nor interest) in a Bass Pro Shop. Especially one housed in a faux glass pyramid. But I did go in after the boys left. I had to use the bathroom.

And lastly, someone who truly enjoys cyclocross, my nephew. He's getting really good on a bike, having just finished his NICA mountain bike season. He raced Faust Park today and braved the mud and soft grass that I blessedly avoided by riding on the road. I'm not even going to mention that if he had a cyclocross bike, he wouldn't have to lift it like a sack of potatoes over the barriers.....

...but that ain't none of my business. :)

 

Fall of 2024 has been a Challenge

It really has been quite a fall so far. Besides the usual hectic end-of-season event schedule (races, rides, events, sales, etc.) the big news around here was Eli returning home. His school was heavily damaged in the recent hurricanes, pretty much ending his collegiate mountain bike season. At the same time, our talented daughter moved back from Dallas...having a successful work-from-home job pays off in so many ways! The beautiful Mrs. K and I took them out to Cafe Nova for a bite.

The Girls Night Out (GNO for the cool kids) ride wrapped up last week with the annual Halloween ride. There are some crazy folks out there, let me tell you. Their energy and love for the ride makes it worth doing week after week all year. Here's to more growth and more fun for 2025!

I've been hitting the cyclocross races most weekends. I had some success in the lower classes, and by my own edict was forced to move into the top class. Man, I hate losing. I really, really hate it but honestly I FEEL fast. I do plan on doing all of them, but I seriously won't race in the mud. Some cyclocross racer I am, right??

Since Hanna has endured a couple of really hard training rides with me, it seemed only fair that I join her at the gym. Now I'm no stranger to gyms, as I grew up quite the meat head. But in my golden years I've only worked out in the basement. So sticking my nose into a real life pump-you-up facility was a bit of a culture shock. But I did enjoy it, and I'm amazed at how strong she is. I am planning on joining the gym with Mrs. K so we can get totally buffed.

Right about the time we get used to having Eli back, he's heading back to Banner Elk to finish out the school year. I'm skeptical about him going back for two weeks, having Thanksgiving break, then going back for the final two weeks. Seems like a lot of back and forth for something he could probably finish online. But, let's get it done, I suppose.

I was also skeptical concerning the condition of my Hound Dog's innards after finding two large Fortell's Pizza boxes strewn about the kitchen the other night. Just how much pizza was left in those, I asked out loud.

Two old guys, still kicking it. One of my oldest friends, Doug keeps racing the big boy races just like me. But more than just back markers, we do get to pass on our wisdom to the younger crowd. If they'll listen, that is. I remember being 20 years old, showing up at my first non-bmx bike race. I would have NEVER listened to two old dudes like this. I was too hard-headed to recognize the value of 90 years of experience between these guys on two wheels. 

And on top of all the things that The Beautiful Mrs. K takes care of, I can't forget to mention the BIG THING on the agenda for 2025. The South Side XC U23 and Junior Development teams. It's a project that is very dear to us and she has gathered an amazing group of people to make it happen. Sponsors, coaches, and riders...all top notch. The idea is to take riders who are committed to be the best mountain bikers they can be and help them GET THERE. Stay tuned, it's going to be awesome.






 

Cyclocross Madness at Queeny

The only thing I got going on these days is cyclocross racing. I work, I ride some, work some more, and hopefully race cross on Sundays. And it's been going good for the old man. The Alton races went well (shout out to the Cyclery crew for an amazing series!) and today marked the first of the Bubba Series. Mike from Big Shark has been pumping these races out for what, 20 years? As you can probably tell from the photo, I won the race at Queeny today. It's a B category win, so I'm not shouting from the rooftops. I'd get waxed in the A races, although that's what I'm shooting for this season...trying to get better so the spanking in the A races won't be as bad it could be!

The Beautiful Mrs. K captured the pain and suffering. She said I didn't look bad, but she wasn't watching the heart rate monitor that I was watching. And another thing...I just look so blah on a bike. You know those people who look fast just cruising by? Yeah. No. Not me. Like here, I look like I'm peering down at my handlebars like they're crooked or something. I want to say to my racing photos "Dude, are you racing or getting ready to fall over?"

 

Family Weekend at Lees McRae

The Beautiful Mrs. K and I drove the Grandparents and Eli's main squeeze to North Carolina this past weekend. It was Lees McRae's Family Weekend and a Collegiate Race Weekend on their home turf. The home course on the school property is no joke. Here we are posing with the man of the hour, in his fresh and minty new LM kit. And he got a hair cut!

Although the weather was spectacular for the start of the cross country race, it was damp from the heavy fog. This is at the top of the first climb, right off of the start. OUCH!! There were at least 25 schools in attendance, with an unbelievable number of students racing. 

Good start for Eli in a huge field of riders. The course is treacherous in the dry (I know, I rode it in June) but with the wet roots and rocks it was downright spooky! Eli landed a solid 11th place and no falls. 

After the XC race was over, we had to get ourselves fed. The school cafeteria was a good place to start, with lots of quick options. Of course, I made a snack faux pas and smothered my ice cream with what I thought were toppings.  Turns out, they actually use Cocoa Puffs as cereal in these parts. Who knew?

Later, we took the Grandparents up to see the views on Beech Mountain. I never get tired of this view myself. As you can see, the weather was just incredible. 

Although Eli didn't race the dual slalom, we all went over to watch the races. It's cool how integrated the race courses are. The slalom course fits neatly inside the Short Track course, and actually intersects the school's cyclocross course, too. 

Speaking of Short Track, this was one tough course on Sunday morning. Again, the heavy fog and dew made for some super slick grass and roots. Eli started WAAAYYY far back in the field. 

After one slow-motion slide out in the back field of the course, he made up some spots to finish 16th. The most grueling 25 minutes in mountain biking is a collegiate Short Track race!

Racing done, we turned our focus to family fun stuff. Every time we have visited the LM campus, we have driven past the Alpine Coaster. It's a wicked thing, like a one-cart roller coaster on small rails...that rises a couple hundred feet up the mountain and speeds back down. You have control over your cart's speed, but, no, not really. Here Eli and Kai are getting the down-low from the owner on how to behave while perched on these death machines.

This is the first climb on the cart, just after leaving the start house. I wish the photo could do justice to the steepness and sheer terror that this thing evokes. Well, the terror it evoked in me, anyway. We did three laps. I almost cried.

I had to include this cute photo of Eli with Grandma at the pumpkin patch. We drove up and over a mountain and into the boonies to see the sights and came upon this farm. Eli takes this route on his road bike and wanted to stop. 

And I had to get the love birds, too. I didn't catch them smooching, though. 

Obviously, any weekend trip that I'm going to be a part of involves food. We ate at some great places, but the Pedalin' Pig was a standout. It was next to our fabulous AirBnB, and we passed it several times a day over the course of the weekend. On our last night, we loaded ourselves down with this stuff. I highly recommend! Alas, our visit had to come to an end. We left our young cyclist/college student in Banner Elk again. I have to admit, it's not been easy. He leaves a pretty big hole with his absence. 

 

Still Racing Bikes, in Case you Forgot

The Super Prestige Cyclocross races in Alton are always a nice treat at the end of the road and mountain bike race seasons. There are still a couple events, particularly some of the endurance mountain bike races, but for the most part the start cyclocross signifies the switching off of the others. There are usually 3 amazing courses in the Alton series, and then starts the Bubba Series in the St. Louis area. Today was my favorite in the series, Rock Springs Park. Very technical, with plenty of places to open up. Pretty climb heavy, too. Although Anthony D flat out crushed me, I felt awesome and held off a few fast guys for second place. 

I was by far the oldest man in the race, but I never think about that until afterward. They don't give out awards for the old guy that whines about being old, do they? Nope. Thanks to the Cyclery and Old Man Tom for putting these on year after year. Hopefully, I'll get to do my second favorite course next weekend, Belk Park.

 

Labor Day Weekend Carries Weight Around Here

 

Labor Day weekend has always meant a lot to us. Deanna and I were married on Labor Day weekend 19 years ago. And our kids LOVED the Gateway Cup races, each of them winning quite a few of those Build A Bears. (Aren't Tyson and Hanna just so darn cute??)

It's still a special weekend for us. This time around, we were extra lucky. Not only did our baby boy come back for a quick visit from North Carolina, but he raced the Francis Park crit on Saturday.

Not only that, but Hanna is here on loan from Dallas. She is threatening to come back to St. Louis to stay. (Great smiles from everyone except me. I was eating Cheetos. Even had the bag stuffed in my back pocket for the photo)

If she does, we will work on avoiding the dreaded Cat 5 marks. And we will absolutely have another ride leader for GNO!

And Oh My Gosh, don't they STILL look cute? Labor Day weekend will always bring out the best in our quirky and chaotic household.

Pictures are Enough