National Championships!!! 2007

Hello! from icey Kansas City, Kansas! There is about an inch of ice over everything!!! It's crazy!!



So yeah I know I've kinda fallen off the face of the earth as far as my blog goes but I've been getting my butt kicked with school staying up intill the early hours of the morning studing for classes and I just got done with finals yesterday! And I think it went reasonably well. Then stayed up all night getting ready for Nationals and then was on a plane all day to get here. Where is here.... check it out I donno if any of you have heard of a Great Wolf Lodge but it is this huge hotel with a indoor water park in it. Crazy hun??? I'll get some picks of us hittin the slides tommorow. Gotta go to bed but also check out the team blog if you get the chance.

http://radblog.radracingnw.org/

LB

Seattle Cyclocross #5

Another Weekend another cross race. ... SWEET! So this week has been a a really hard week of training, a lot of hard efforts all week. It felt good and it was a good mid season build up for the rest of the season to keep the endurance high and form good.

Oh and I got to ride with a Tour de France champion on Wendsday. Greg LeMond came out to cross workout in Seattle. It was kinda cool to meet him, you know he was a lot bigger around waist than I figured but he still has some of the biggest quads and calfs that I have ever seen, (no Dale they weren't bigger than yours) So that was that.

Ok so now to today's race. Because of the hard week I kinda expected to be a little stale and tired but I woke up and was still really sore. So I came to line with one thing in mind.... don't blow up and finish the race take a top te live to race another week. Well plan went well from the start, There was a huge group of us all together, like 7 of us at one point. But it was windled down to about 5 of us that was a little spred out, I did a good job at staying towards the front, and I kept trying to break away and get a gap but everytime I tried the legs would go for about 5 sec and then just settle back into a steady pace no matter how hard I tried. So I stayed near the front until that is I hit some invisible root which sent me spinning all the wat around and slamming my knee into a rock and doing something to my shoulder which both hurt really bad right now, but I got back up still on the back of the big ol' group until I started having Mechanical issues, WTF! So now I had to run, sprint, about 1/2 a mile to the pits where I picked up my other bike after slipping and falling on my butt trying to slowdown and get my bike, after drilling it for a whole lap after a chase and a run I was somked and just lipped home, bummer, that sucked, I felt like I could have won the group sprint or at least pulled away at the end. Oh well I know I was going good and you always have some bad luck at some point, this was mine. Fort Flagler is next up, a double weekend on the coast, and my favorite races of the year!! There will be no mercy next weekend I am looking for a podium!! Wish me luck.

Luke

Seattle Cyclocross #4

Quick update on the race yesterday. It went kinda lame, I was looking forward to a good showing this weekend but I just didn't have it. I had a great start 2nd to the dirt and the first half lap and made the selection for the first lap but then, after the first 2 laps I just had nothing and fadded really fast and watched my great start go down the drain. Then I rode with with dale for a while, got around him and preceded to crash a couple of times, then finally with 3 laps to go started feeling ok and gaver all I had but then preceded to not be able to stay on top of my bike... i donno what was up with that. But I finished 7th which was good. The funny part is that if would have gotten that result last year I would have been estatic, but I really should have been top 5 at least so I am a little dissapointed in that.

On a funny note, yesterday was Dan Nortans birthday, and for those of you who don't know Dan he always wears a mustache. So in his honor someone brought fake mustaches for anyone who wanted them. I got mine, it was pretty cool. here's a couple of pix of it. It might look like I am leading the race in the pics but I am second, which is still pretty cool.

Computer Software

I hate computers!!! I just got done spending hours trying to install this AutoCAD supporter software. I am taking this CAD class that we are using this Surveying software which works with CAD and I got a copy of the software so I can work on my homework at home....what a concept. So I got this program last night and it was the most convaluted install process I have ever seen! First you have to install the program then you have to go into the program and get into the lists of the program and insert the program into the lists themselfs, or something along those lines... anyway I started yesterday around 6 pm worked on iy until I went to a dinner and a movie with my mom at 8:30 or 9pm. I got home about Midnight and worked on it another hour before I went to bed. But then I couldn't sleep because it was bothering me that I couldn't get the stupif thing to work!!!! So I was up again at 6am and back on it, and finally after, what was it, 6 hours I finally got this stupid thing going!! YES! Luke-1 Computer-0. Wow I had messing with this stuff becasue I totally have better things to do but I have to say it feels good to concor this inatimate object. Well I figured I'd brag about it a little, so there it is.
In other news I am racing tommorow (even though I'd rather be racing today and tommorow in Kuntucky with the GP's) The race is at Fort Stellicom, this is always a hard course, no rest with a huge run up. I Love the run up but hate how flat the course is, I never seem to have the power on the flat courses but the run up might be my saving grace. I'll let you know how it goes, I didn't get much sleep so I might go back to bed. Late.

Luke

Oly Rads

I did the Olympia Cyclocross training session today. It was my second of the season, the other one I went to was when they were just learning the ropes of Cross now they are ripping it up out there. I forgot how cool the course at LBA park is. We got kicked out of there a couple years ago but I guess we are ok to go back know. I think I am going to go there more often especially right before the workout because there was no one there.

The boys leave for Kuntucky tommorow for the First GP's I wish I was going, but I'll be able to hit up the two stops in Portland and Then I'll go to Natz. I wish the Jrs good luck, Steve had a killer race last weekend so he is having good form going into the race, and Ian and Eric have been ridding really strong also. Well I gotta drive Chris to the airport tommorow morning so I gotta get going. Late

The Past Week

Ok so I know its been a week since I wrote in this thing but I have been massive busy!!

But I will start with last weekends race. It was at Evergreen High School which is a super fast course all grass with a couple of run ups. I was sick all the week comming into the race so I was feeling a little stale going in. I had a horible start, back in the 20's somewhere and just started methodically working my way through everyone. I definetly didn't feel good but I was not losing any ground while on the bike, but gaining gobs of time on the run ups. So I jsut started picking guys off and ended up with 2 laps to go riding with Eric fighting for 8th and 9th place. He got me and Ended up 9th. Top 10 I'll take it.

Last week was crazy at school, I had tests on back to back days in Statics and Multiveriable Calculus plus a bunch of homework to finish and by Wendsday I was smoked and ready for the weekend. The Statics test went super well and aced that, the Calc test not so much but the grade won't suffer too much. I'll do better next time.

As of last Friday Ris and I had been dating a year and a half. Wow that's a while. So she took me out on this really really cool dinner cruz around Lake Washington and Lake Union. It was so awsome, It was just us and a couple other people on this huge boat with awsome food and awesome views. I am so Lucky! Definetly a night to remember.

Ok now to Yesterday's race. It was at a normaly muddy Kelly Creek Farm, but it wasn't so muddy. The ground was just wet enough to feel really heavy. I had an awesome start made the lead group and settled in for a couple laps until the attacks started going off then couldn't hold on and settled into 5th and was a high as 4th at one point but I faded late and my teammate Steve had a killer last 2 laps and got pushed back to 7th with 4th-6th in sight. Bummer. It's another top 10 but dissapointing about how close top 5 was though. We'll giver another try this weekend at Stelicomme.

This weekend is also the first USGP of Cyclocross, which is the National series for Cyclocross, out in Kuntucky. Pretty bummed I am not going, I went to all the GP's last year on bad form and I am on good form this year and not going to any........ how did that workout? So I am pretty bummed this week, hopefully I can take it out locally and put in a good showing here. Thats all for now gotta go study. Late.

CrosstoberFest

So Saturday was CrosstoberFest, it was pretty cool, none of this UCI course regulation stuff. The course was awsome! probably the most fun race all year, and even though it wasn't part of any series racing a bunch of people came out. Even internatoinal stars like Joakim Parbo the Danish national Champ, and Adam McGrath gaced us with his presence seeing that he just so happened to be in town. But the racing was really good. I had a pretty good start up into the top 10 and settled in behind Dale, then it was a group of three in front then a chase group of 3 then Dale and me, and the Eric who had a killer race catching us and then dropping us and bridging to the chase group, with about 3 laps to go the chase blew apart and Dale bridged up to Sean but I couldn't follow and no matter how hard I tried to get back I couldn't. I am still happy about the result I think I was 8th or 9th no results are out yet, but definetly top 10 and I felt decently good. The next couple of weeks are going to be hard races for me, Evergreen and Kelly Creek, not my favorite types of racing but they should be good and hard and there is no let up of the rain in sight so they should be good and muddy also.

Late

Racing Tommorow!!!

Today's Friday which means tommorow we race. I am pretty excited to back on the race course and have a good showing with no mechanicals and throw down a good ride. This week has been pretty chill as far as training goes and pretty crazy as far as school is concerned. But I got through it with lots of power naps and late nights, (gotta love college). spending a lot of time in front of the computer montior seeing as all of my classes have some sort of computer aspect to them. I think I spent almost 6 consecutive hours in front of a computer the other day... that's rough on the eyes, but my AutoCAD class is really cool, we kind of got thrown into it but it comes pretty easy once you get to know it.

I hope this weekends race is as muddy as last weekend. I wish I had pictures, not that there was much to see except brown blurs, but it was still pretty cool. Like 50 deg and raining, perfect, and super deep mud, but I St. Ed's park drains a lot better than the school of last week, it will still be raining and still be muddy just not as bad, but colder so it should be good. I'll try and get Riss to snap off some pix even if it is post race.

Oh yeah and here is a pic of our new bikes this year. They are so cool. Super light! I think about 17.75 lbs. SWEET! I got another one that looks exactly like it just with a couple of different little heavier, less expecive parts. They rock and ride super well. They are fast now the engine just has to get fast. Anyway I'll update tommorow after the race. Late.

Luke

Seattle Cyclocross #1

The first Seattle series cross race was yesterday, and usually that would be the big story that I would have to tell about yet that seemed to be the smallest part of my day, mostly because my car broke down on the way to going up to the race, Lame! I broke an alternator belt and of course no one was open to buy one so my lovely girlfriend Clarissa picked me up and we managed to fit both my bikes and all my stuff in the her little car and I made it to the race, with only 45 min till race time! Ahh. And when we got there it was raining pretty good and it was pretty cold too, but the best part was lots and lots of mud. It was awsomly muddy out there and unfortunetly I had some more mechanical troubles in the race, first lap I slipped and landed on my seat really really hard and slammed the nose of the seat down to teh point where I could bearly ride it especially in the mud. but I switched bikes and got on my #2 bike started making up ground when that bike started make funny noises, like metal on metal which turned out to be that the tolences in my frame from the cranks ended up that my cranks were rubbing on my frame ouch but there was really no harm done I just jumped back on the other bike which Joe Mike and Chris, the rockstar mechanics, fixed up for me and got back on the gas. Not sure how I did, maybe top fifteen or something, hopefully results will be out soon. I am kinda bummed because I was feeling good and know I could have put up a good result minus the mechanicals, oh well that's bike racing for you.
Now back to my car. So I managed to roll the car into a rest stop to park during the race and I had my mom meet me there with a belt and some tools, so we got there and unfortunetly we had the wrong tools so I asked around and no one had anything I could use the after my mother making a couple trips to the store we got everything we needed and got back on the road about 2 and a half hours later for a 20 min job .Oh well it was just one of those days.....

Cyclocross Season!!!

Ok so it's been a while but it's cross season so I might actually have something to write about again. Last weekend were the first 2 races of the year and they were doosies. First was Starcrossed, a party just as much as its a bike race, it starts at 8 pm under the lights, there are a million people there, everyone comes out and the beer garden is right in the center of the race course. This year it was a UCI race so all the big names came out and even some guys from Europe came out it was huge, like 80 guys in the race. The race was super fast (as always) and I felt pretty the race went well but I faded toward the end. I still managed 35th overall and was 5th best Espoir (Under 23).

Sunday was the Rad Racing Grand Prix one of the hardest fastest races in the country with a run up that would kill anyone! 80 meters of beach sand, steepness fun. Sudany I just couldn't get going and struggled most of the race, but I made the lead lap and took 25th overall and 4th in the U23's. Check out these pix from my buddy Joe Sales he takes some awsome pix and helped a lot to put on the race, he's one of those crazy Canucks and is really cool.

This weekend is a Seattle series race up in Snowhomish it should be awsomely muddy! sweet!

Sickness

Well this sucks, on the last day we were in Hawaii I came down with a little cold, I think I caught it from Clarissa becasuse she caught one on the plane ride over, but I thought I was good to go yesterday I felt about 90% better and went out for a longer training ride came back and last night it started to come back!!!!! So frustrating I am so ready to start training and really motivated but I have to hold back and get well.
Some of the Rad kids and Dale are going up to Crystal Mt. and doing some long days in the saddle on the MTB, well I guess I kinda need a MTB because FedEx broke mine.. I gotta figure that one out. Well I am going to get back to doing nothing. Late.

Luke

Home

Well I am home, spend pretty much all day yesterday traveling. Although we had this awesome breakfast at this amazing place called the Gazebo. Its this gazebo that sits on the water that serves really good food. It was really cool, then we packed the car and headed towards the airport and got there early so we headed out to the beach one last time and found this beach where they were doing Kite Boarding lessons and there were a bunch of really good guys doing it too. So we hung out there for a while then headed to the airport, got on the plane and made it home about midnight. It was an awesome trip, and I'd like to really thank my aunt Susie for showing us an amazing time, she really made the trip a lot better. Thanks!

Luke

Hawaii Day 5

Sorry for the lack of a the update yesterday, I have actually come down with some kind of cold that hit me like a ton of bricks and after I got home from surfing yesterday I was out for the count. But we still did some pretty cool stuff. The Girls Danielle and Sarah took surf lessons yesterday and I took out just a board. The waves sucked though there was a lot of waiting around but there were a few good ones, the coolest part was that they ran out of soft top longboards, so they let me take out the short board sweet! They are a lot different and cooler if you ask me. They are much harder to actually catch the wave but once you do its like a sports car and its faster and an turn much easier. The girls took their lessons with the "cute instructors" I donno if they spent more time flurting or surfing??? But each of them got up and did awsome and had a good time. That's all for today still feeling a little rough but its off to the airport now see ya. Late.

LB

Hawaii Day 4

Surfing TODAY!!! It was awesome!! Riss and I took some lessons and rocked it. She did awesome, I think it only took her 2 or 3 times to get up and surf. We were out for 2 hours and caught a bunch a waves got to hang out with a lot of cool people and it was just an awesome morning. We are back for some lunch then we are going to take the body boards and hit the waves again. Gotta Fly. Late!

Oh yeah and a big shout out to Benny!! Nice Work Winning the V. Park crit on Sunday!!!

Hawaii Day 3

Today was a see the Island day. We basically drove the whole thing. We drove to the top of the valcano Haleacala (might have spelled that wrong but you get the picture) and there were all these bike tours that would drive you to the top give you these funny wind proof suites and full face helmets (AWSOME!!!) and take you down the hill.

Check out this Aero Tuck

After the valcano we took a trip to Kula and got to meet this really cool guy, Brad Dugan. He used to be a professional surfer and then was a surfing judge. He lives on this hill that overlooks the whole island he can look out his window and look to see all the best surf spots to see which one is best before he goes out. Also he has a two acre piece of land and has a huge garden on it with all sorts of good stuff gowing out there. He's also an awsome cook, he made us these strawberry crapes and they were awsome.

This Guy was in Brad's Garden

After the awesome food we went to the North Shore of the Island and hung out on the beach right next to the surf spot Jaws and watched a bunch of windsurfers and kite-boarders and surfers for a while. Then we had lunch in Paia and I had this amazing Mahi Mahi sandwhich, Then we headed to Big Beach and hung out there for the sunset. good day lots of pix, Check it!

PIX!

Riss and I in the Condo

Fun Getting Leied

Hawaii Day 2

Check out these pix from the condo, these are basically from the front door, and right outside over the wall there are a bunch of Sea Turtles, they are huge, we have tryed and failed on the whole picture thing, they are always 90% in the water and the pix just look like a black dot in a bunch of blue water or a funny colored rock under the water.

So this morning we all got up really early, because of the time change and got to the beach by like 9 am where it was.....raining nothing heavy but enough to be annoying. But Riss and I just walked down the beach and in about 10 min were out of the rain into the sun. COOL. So we packed up our stuff and moved south to a nice sunny beach and busted out the snorkel gear. I have never been snorkeling before and it was awsome, we saw loads of fish and a couple eels, after being there for a while we headed back to the condo for lunch, and Riss and I couldn't help ourselves but to throw back on the snorkel gear and head right out side our hotel and see if we could find those turtles... the snorkling is awsome out here too, no turtle sightings today but we still have 4 days. Riss has a water proof camera so I'll try and get some of that good stuff up too.

After lunch we went down to Airport Beach and grabbed the body boards and hit the surf, it took a while to get the hang of it, and find a spot that was deep enough that we weren't scraping across all the toxic coral like my sister and Sarah did. Ouch. But after a while we were getting waves pretty regularly. After a couple hours of that we came in to find everyone was, on some part of their body, sunburnt!! Pretty badly too. That spelled the end of the day on the beach and the start of the mass, aloe vera massage session. It's gonna be a long night. Oh well. Off to dinner now. Check out the pix!!

We'er There!

We made it to Sunny Maui, Hawaii about an hour ago we took a short trip around the Island and just got into the condo. Its pretty sweet check out this view.

Off too Hawaii!!

From the Start of the MTB National Championships in Mount Snow, VT

I head out to Hawaii tomorrow! I am so stoked!! Its going to be awesome. I am going with my mom, sister, my sisters friend Sarah, Clarissa and I. We are going to visit my Aunt and Uncle on Maui. Nothing is planned but I will have my computer and my camera and if I have internet I will do my best to put up some pix.

Chris took me on this killer ride today. About 55 miles and really fast, we went with Derek who is a really fast awesome rider in his own right. Those guys definetly rung me through the ringer, but it felt really good, it's nice to ride with guys that are faster than you and push you to get better, hopefully I can with them again soon. But I ain't gonna think about it until after Hawaii.

Oh yeah on a sour note I got my bike back from FedEx today and guess my luck they cracked my frame. Looks like their going to take care of it hopefully it won't take too long. Check out these pix!

National Championships

Ok so i know I said I would update with results like a week ago but better late than never right? Well actually there wasn't much to tell. As far as the race went I was rocking, going really really fast on track to score a top ten!! That would have felt really good, but about 1/2 way through the race I had a flat tire which I could not fix I put a tear in the sidewall of my tire and without a new tire, especilally on this course, the tire would just keep flatting, so I had to pull out of the race, which was really hard to do concidering I was on the best form I had ever been on. But good news my team mate Eric Emsky won his National Championship race, so big congratz to him!!

On Sunday I raced in the Semi-pro short track race and had a solid ride for 14th nothing special but a soild race.

Now it's finally time for a break brfore the big build for Cyclocross season. I'll try and to better with the updates but no garentee. Late

MTB National Championships Day's 1&2

I set out on Tuseday to go to the mountain bike national championships, first stop was in Las Vagas to meet up with Matt and head out to Hartvard we got in at like 1am and had to take a cab out to our hotel which we thought was 7 miles away but actually turned out about 20 miles in the opposide direction we wanted to go. Then Sean, Eric and Eric's dad Peter, came down an picked us up and we headed out to the course at Mount Snow, Vermont. , and even though we are 3000 miles away it feels, alot like home because its pouring rain here everyday. It seems to rain consistantly until about 5 pm and then start to clear up. So with that said the course is super sloppy. We rode this after noon and yesterday and it has been super slick, and technical , its Awsome!
Oh man and I have to give a shout out to Jon Berlinger and the Mavic boy's they hooked us up today. New spokes for Eric and bearings for everyone. This mud is just killing all of our equiptment, we all had to check our brakes to see if we had anything left.
Well the race is tommorow, a late one at 5pm which for us will be like normal time. So I gotta fly I'll update tommorow with results. Late. I can't put up pix but I'll have some when I get back.

White Boys Racing In Idaho

Riss and I packed up the good old Tempo and headed out to Cour'd Alene Idaho this weekend. It was an awesome road trip. We took off saturday morning and drove to Spokane and I dropped her off at her friend's house, she's from Spokane so she knows a bunch of people there. While she hung out there I made my way out to Newport where Ashley lives and where Matt's car decided to poop out on him. Yup he got all the way to Newport before she broke down but it did. A huge bummer. Because that ment that I had to drive all the way to Newport pack Matt and Liz's stuff into my little car, and by the look of it you would have thought they were on a 2 week trip they had so much stuff. We couldn't even fit it all into the tempo! Wow. So we packed the car full and headed down to the race course, got there but by that time it was already 6:30pm. And I still had to drive back to spokane for dinner with Riss, and then back to our host house. A Big Thanks to Joe and Lori for setting us up for the night. I really appriciate it! Not to mention they made us a killer breakfast the next morning.

Race day after a early breakfast we picked up Matt and Liz at their host house and went to the race and when we go there we went into the parking area..... The parking area just so happened to be a over grown feild with one lane cut down the middle then to pick your parking spot you just pull into the 5 foot tall weeds open your doors stomp around for a minute and flatten out your area and there you are. It was awsome. The race was awesome too! A epic one Long 25 mile loop that was really good. Long climbs, short climbs, long desents and short steep ones, a little bit of everything even a couple of trails that I definetly thought I took a wrong turn on but I stayed on track and it was a awsome race. I had a really good race and took 3rd. Sweet. Here are some pix from the trip.

Old Friends

Wow this has been a crazy week I am hearing from all my old California Nevada City/ Rough and Ready friends. I've been riding all week with Chris and Hollie (who should come out and ride today) McGovern, and it looks like they might be moving up here. That would be awsome! They are really cool people plus Chris can really take it to me on the bike. I hope it works out.

Erin Got back form Iraq about a week ago its nice to hear she is home. Although I haven't heard from her in a while so Erin, you should give me a call if you read this.

Oh and Last night a awesome friend of mine Sondra called me I don't think I've talked to her in years. Its crazy how in just one week you hear back from all your old friends from the past.

Yup I just just got out of a Physics test and am just wasting time waiting for my next class to start. Mass Media woo hoo! I hate that class. I'd rather do physics or calculus any day. But its my last class of the day and then Chris and I are going to take on trail 30. Sweet! Its nice nice to actually have someone to ride with.

Riss and I leave for Courd'e Lane (that's probably not how you spell it but its French so what'd ya do) There's a race over there on Sunday. It's a national Qualifier so wish me luck I am hoping it goes well. Matts comming up to with his girl so it should be a good ol' time. Anyway gotta fly to calss. Late.

LB

Too Ride or Not to Ride

Something was trying to tell me not to ride yesterday. I had the day off school so I got up and went to go for a ride but, first I couldn't find any clean kits, then when I finally got to my bike I had a flat, fixed that. Then just had this feeling as i left that i was going to have to call someone to pick me up. I got through 97% of my ride and was on the home strech maybey 8 min left when it happened I shifted down and bang! Rear Deraillure into the spokes and no more spinning wheel. LAME! But I got picked up and all was well. Stuff happens I guess.

Work was pretty cool though. We got this new guy, we'll see how he works out, and we got off early! Sweet! But I gotta go back today...more like right now more later.

LB

Epic Moutain Biking

Wow the last two day's have been epics. Yesterday Jim and I went out to ride the Super D course that is going on in a couple of weeks except we were actually going to ride up and down instead of just down. We started on one side of the mountain and road all the way over the top then back down! About 4:30 worth. Thats a long MTB ride.

Today I went out with Chris and Hollie McGovern. It was awsome. I haven't seen those guys in too long. We had a awsome 3:30 ride. We got derailed by a couple of logging project. Bummer they are taking out a bunch of the good trails. Not to mention there were a lot of people out there killing beer cans. But we actually didn't run into many people on the trial. They are in town for the next week or so. I hope we can get out again and go riding.

Gonna go hang out with Riss. Gotta make my self look good, I got her Senior Pictures so I'll try and get those up. Late.

Luke

Long Time No Post!

Ok so yeah I am pretty good at this whole blog thing.............or maybe not. Its been a long couple of weeks, ok almost a month. Lots of school and racing and working. Its kinda like organized Kaos! School, Work, Ride, School, Ride, Work, Plane Flight, Race, School, Work Ride. It is crazy.

I just got back from Fontana California, I got to go hang out with my sister and her friends and it was awsome! Well the trip was awsome the racing ...... not so much. I broke my bike on Froday during the XC which was a real bummer... a real bummer.... because I didn't get to finish the race. Oh well that's racing for you. I am working on this whole blog thing... I'll get better escpecilly once summer starts. for now this is all. Thanks for reading. Late!

1 year Anniversary

Wow, As of today Clarissa and I have been together for year. Pretty crazy doesn't seem that long. So we are going to go to dinner tonight but it kinda sux because we both have to be at school tommorow. Oh well. That's the news.

Oh yeah and had a killer Single Speed ride today it hurt real good, but weather was good no rain still a little cold but at least not wet. Might be wet enough to race the Single Speed this weekend..... we'll see. Late

Luke

Sea Otter Classic

Wow! It has been quite a busy past few days. Where do I start..... Well I left for Monterey on thursday and the plane filght there was quite boring and mondane nothing special. Got to CA ok and Matt picked me up and we headed off to Laguna Seca Race track, where the venue was. We ended up rolling in a bit late and we were supposed to find the compound of where our old high school team was camping, but it was about 11:30pm and we couldn't find anyone in the dark and I am sure no one liked it much that we were shining out lights into thier camps that late so we just kinda found a spot that looked cosey and just acted like we belonged hoping no one would say anything about the credentails that we didn't have to camp there.

The next morning we found out real campsite... it was pretty cool there were about 15 of us all camping in the same area and that ment a lot of moms that like to cook really good food! SCORE! So we road the course which was in prime condition came back and watch our buddy Nate score a 5th in the Jr. X Short track! NICE!

It is now Saturday the day of my short track race. Today was definetly not anywhere close to as nice as firday actually Sat. we got terential down pours! crazy winds and just mayhame. So I got ready for a mud fest. The only thing was they kept pushing back our race time! first 11am then 11:40 then 11:45 by the time 11:45 rolled aruond we had gotten to the start line finished out warm ups and ready ready to go....when they announced "OH yeah the race has been postponed until 2:45pm!!" So now we are all ready to go haven't eaten anything and have to wait another 3 hours! LAME! So I spent the majority of that time getting dry and warm from just beeing ing the raing for a total of 5 min. Once the race came around it was just a mudd slog fest and didn't go so well 16th for me on the day.

Suday was the long race. Beautiful day but really windy, but beautiful none the less had a real good start and was sitting pretty high comming into the 2nd of 2 19 mile laps but poped really hard at the end and just limmped on home... oh well.

I'll give more details later I gotta get ready for class. Late.

LB

One Day and Counting

One day until I leave for the Sea Otter Classic in Salinas California. It should be good fun. Getting to see all my old Cali riding buddies is always good. Not to mention Sea Otter is just a sight to be seen, plus it will be SUNNY!! WOW!! For like 3 stright days! I am going to get spoiled then come back to clouds and rain... bummer. I'll try and get a bunch of pix from the race

Oh and I guess I didn't give a race report from the Capital Forest race a couple weeks ago.... it went pretty well. I was battling the whole time and there was only a few minutes seperating the top 3 from the top 15 a really close race for everyone. It was really awesome. Super muddy I had to do a complete overhaul on the bike just to get it to roll again.. Oh and I got 11th.

Well dad goes in to see the doc about surgery tommorow. He's hoping to have it on Monday, but we'll see what the doc says those guys seem to be pretty unpredictable. Well I got a Calculus test tommorow so I gotta get studying. I probably won't get to update until after Sea Otter so wish me luck.

Luke

Race Preride

Rode the race course in Capital Forest today, well at least this weeks. The course seems to be changing weekly but the race is Sunday so I hope this is the last tweak. It was pretty good, the climb is a gnarly one, not unmanageable but hard. it gets real steep at the top probalbly around 19 to 21 deg. slope. The climb will be about 50 min. long. But the way back down is so much fun! One of my favorites in the forest. It just flows really well and you can roll it really fast, but it still has its technical sections. I wish I was in a little better shape going in to the race though but it is just so early season that its not time to start winding it up, when Nationals is in July. I am going to try and get some more pix to post. More later. Late.

Luke

Pops Comes Home

My dad comes home today. Actually I am going to get him right after I get done writing this. So thats the good news. And we are both pretty stoked about it. I think that he is just board out of his mind and tired of having a IV in him, and I can't wait to get off the "cot" I've been sleeping on in the hospital (its more like some springs with a sheet over it). Well gotta go get him. Later.


Luke

One More Day!!

So my dad is doing much better still in a little pain but nothing compared to the other day. We thought he might be going home today but no luck, he'll be home tommorow though. So thats the latest. Oh yeah also he's pretty excited, because he got his 24 hour IV out today and now is only on IV for an hour at a time so he can walk around and get out of his room. So we went for a walk today but we didn't know that we couldn't leave our floor so as we were getting on the elevator we had a nurse running after us telling us that we couldn't do that.Brechwalds causing trouble, something new..... Oh well. More later. Late.

Luke

Hospital

Hey So I have been at the hospital with my dad since yesterday. He was put in at first for appendicitis then after a bunch of test they decided it was a perforated colon. So they decided not to do surgery and he spent the night at the hospital last night and we just waited for word if there was going to be surgery today but good news is that no surgery today there isn't a hole in the colon it is just infected so another 24 hours on IV antibiotics and hopefully we'll be home tomorrow. So he is doing well and we are just watching movies and chillen out.And once the infection is mostly cured he will probably have to go in for surgery, but we are taking it one day at a time for now. Thanks for reading. More tomorrow. Late.

Luke

Spring Break!

Finally! It seemed like it would never get here but finally school is done! For a week at least. And oh man the last day was hard! The Calc final was one of those test that you study everything you can think of and you sit down and forget everything you just studied and struggle through the whole thing. Well at least its over now I can 't wait to start enjoying my break today I have to work all day but tommorow I think we are going to be able to hit the slopes. Hopefully it doesn't rain up there today and we can take advantage of the snow they got on Tuseday. I'll try and get some pix this time.

This one is from when we went a couple times ago. It was snowing pretty good and hard, quite a change from last week when we were really hot and got sunburned. Off to work now Late.

Luke

Finals!!

Oh man so I know I have been really lame the past week or two not updating and all but to tell you the truth this has been the last thing on my mind. I have been going all out with school, its finals week this week and last week was the week that every teacher had a test (or 2) and a project due, so to say the least I am a little fried! But today is my last final Calculus. So we'll see how it goes I've done a lot of studying so hopefully it pays off.
I've also been training pretty hard just to get away from the books a lot of riding out in the forest which is awsome. The conditions are pretty hit or miss somedays its not so bad others are filled with lots and lots of snow that usually melts off before a day or two and it goes back to muddy Cap Forest conditions.
Oh yeah and Riss and I hit the slopes last friday. We are hoping to get a couple more days of skiing in. They just got 6-8 much needed inches of snow so we hope to go back Friday.
Well I am going to go cram just a little more for my final wish me luck.

Luke

Its been a while

I am not dead just busy. Its been a long couple of weeks, of work and school but this last week I've got a lot of good training in. Oh man today was a really long day. Started with a flat tire in my car, then a Physics test, then work then a take home Calculus test, and i just got home! wow long day. anyway just lots of riding and lots of school going on here. I'l hopefully get more time to update later. sorry so short but I want to go to bed. Late.

LB

Cold Past Few Days

Wow its been really cold here lately. At least earlier in the week it was sunny. Actually it was really awesome. I've been riding early in the morning, like before the sun comes up. But I have to say there is not a more beautiful time to ride. Riding with the sun rise is incredible!! I was never a morning person but I am getting used to it. You gotta do what you gotta do to get in some training.
Friday we had our weekly shop ride which was very interesting. We got most of the way out to the trails and it started snowing real good. By the time we got out there, there was as good 3 inches on the ground. But we didn't let that stop us. It was a pretty good ride, we didn't even try to get to the peak it was too socked in. But after a broken chain and some cold fingers we got back with a pretty awsome ride. I even got back soon enough to get a little something to eat before class!

Ok so now to today. RACE DAY!! well if you want to call it that. It was more, pay to put a number on your back line up with a bunch of your buddies and get ready to ride and be cold.
The race today was soooo cold we got about 4 to 6 inches of fresh snow on the course this morning, then right before the race started it turned into 33 degree rain. Burrrrr. The puddles on course were like Ice water! they hit your legs and they went stright numb brefore the first mile. I think about 1/3 of the feild pulled out on the first lap them another 1/3 after the second lap, it was really cold! I finished, I got 8th, the only thing to brag about is that I finished, now whether that was showing that I am hard core or just stupid is up for disscussion. I would also like to give a shout out to Ethan, Cathrine and Russel Maier. They all raced and finished! It was truly a great feat to finish today, most people didn't even start. Also Klingle, and Mitch good job starting and there is no shame in dropping out of race like this, Good Work. I would post some pix but I think I was so cold I only got 3 all day so we'll se how those look tommorow for now I am tired so I am hittin the sack, Late.

Ride, Work, Ride, Work

That's what my weekend was like. Wake up around 5:30 strap on the lights and hit the road Sat. morning for a nice not very wet, and suprizingly warm (around 38 to 40 deg.) ride. Then went into work and we were actually busy in the rental shop! Sweet!! The day went by pretty fast but I was in bed really really early like 8pm. Weird.
Got up at 6 the next morning for a very different ride. Hit the MTB up in Capital Forest and it typical C.F. style i hit every type of weather possible. It was sunny at the base about half way up the hill it started to rain not to badly though, but at the top it was just a blizzard of snow!! about an inch fell on the road just while I was on it, and at the peak there was a good 2 inches. The trip down was needless to say chilly but the trails are in awsome shape right now. Just wet with puddles but not too much sticky mud that gets everywhere. I came stright from the mountain to work, I could have really used a shower! My toes were still numb from my ride earlier that morning.
Monday I didn't have to work or go to school! Sweet!!! So I hit the trails again, this time it was supposed to be a shop ride that about 6 of us were supposed to go. But just as I was leaving my drive way Heather called me to ask it I was still in?? Ahhhh why would I miss a MTB ride?? I aked. Well come to find out half of our crue a bailed out due to bad weather... LAME... I hope all of you read this!!!! Ok given it was just over frezzing, rain/snowing, and 7 am in the morning, but still, WUSSIES!!!! So Heather Ian and I shuttled to the peak and rode trail 30 down, a little cold at first but after you get moving you were paying more attention to the gnraly trail than the cold. The trail was in great shape lots of deep puddles good fun. Although but the time we got to the bottom it did start to get a little chilly.....
So now for the trip back up, it got very interesting... We had to fit 3 of us in my car with all of our gear. Also I only have space on the top of my car for 2 bikes and my trunk is barely big enough for maybe one bike w/ the handlebars taken off. But we all fit and got up to the top fine. But then our next issue was that on the way up the gas light on the shop truck came on.... so we didn't know what would happen on the way back down. So we got to the bottom of the hill, and just to add some more excitement, Ian and I (in my car) pulled off so we could follow Heather in the truck to make sure she made it back to the shop. Well as I pulled off I hit a good size bump and what do you know my bike falls off my car!! which would usually be my stupid fault for not securing it up there right, but come to see the whole rack had BROKEN off my car!!! WOW. The metal piece that holds it onto the bars broke! So we take the whole rack off and jam it into the back of my already loaded Tempo. Finally on our way we make it back into town and everyone and everything gets back ok. Crazy. Well thats all for now off to do some homework. Late.

This Week

Wow this week was just as crazy as I thought it would be. But good all the same.

Tuseday Riss and I kinda had our Valentines Day. We hit the slopes and went sking. It was awesome! it was like we had the mountain all to ourselves. No lines ever just skied and skied until we had to head back to get home for our dinner reservations, which we were late for anyway. OH yeah and since Riss just turned 18 when we stopped for gas we both bought scratchers! It was pretty cool, this was my first time too and I won $5 on my first card, WOW! Riss didn't win anything but i was all for kicks and giggles anyway.
We had dinner at Falls Terras which is a really cool pretty nice resturant. We had some really good fish and the best Key Lime pie! It was sooo good!

Wendsday was my birthday but I had both school an work. But I had breakfast with my dad and Dinner with my Mom and sister. which both were really good. I got an IPod and an IPod movie player they are so cool so I have been playing with those everyfree second I have. Thanks to my Mom, Dad, Danielle, and Brittany.

Yesterday I went to school and took my Physics test. Only 4 questions, easy right.....NOT. I came into the test well prepared ready to go. I got the first 2 questions done I was pretty confident until I looked at the clock it took me 45 min. to do 2 questions!I only have 1 hour to take the test! So I rushed through the last two i think I got but one not the other.
Next off to work then Dad Riss and I went to REd lobster for dinner it was great food and good times. We got homw and I was playing with my I Pod right before i went to bed I was watching this Biking video podcast that was supposed to be a freeride video but they had some clips of a cyclocross race, and I was in it! crazy! So was Ian and Benny and Eric! Pretty cool!

Today I had a Calculus Test. even though this was still a difficult test it didn't seem so because of the physics test yesterday. Now its going to be nice to get in a ride and work on my own bike finally. also Riss is putting on a birthday kindof party her and her family are making me dinner tonight which I am looking forward to. Her and her mom are really good cooks so dinner should be awesome! Thats all for now. Late.

Monday Monday.

Today is the first day of one of the busiest weeks in a long time for me. I have 3 tests and 3 days of work and birthday dinners every night. Yeah well I guess life could be worse. Tommorow Riss and I are going skiing. I can't wait it's going to be killer they just got a fresh dusting of snow and it should be good weather. Long day today, had school this morning then went to work where i found out that a co worker of mine had a nice crash on the shop ride this morning and didn't come into work. I think it was more an excuse than anything, Ryan you pansy!
Oh yeah I got my hair cut today no big deal but it is the first time in like 8 months. I'll get some pix from the trip tommorow and tommorows update will be much more interesting. More then. Late!

Pictures!!!

Ok I am definetly the luckest guy!! Riss just gave me my birthday present (a little early) and she got me this killer digital camera! It is so cool now I can post pix on my blog!

So friday I went on the first weekly friday morning MTB ride with the shop. It was so awesome!! we had an awsome ride, not cold not wet but good and muddy. I was Heather, Sam, Adrian, Jody, Ian and I. Parked at fall creek and went from there. Killer ride and the best part was that we all made it to work or school pretty much on time! I can't wait till next week! I got some pix in here too check it out.

Today Riss and I went XC skiing which was fun conditions weren't great but we still had a good time. We skiied almost everything but had to get back because Riss had to go to work at 7 pm tonight. Oh well awsome time none the less. I got some pics from that too check it out.

Lots and Lots to Say

Well it has been a while so what has happened in the past week.

Last Friday Riss and I went up to crystal Mountain and hit the night skiing up there. It was really aweome, skiiing at night is totally different but just as awesome. Riss is getting really good at DH skiing she'll be hitting the top in no time.

Saturday I went up to White Pass with my mom and Sis and while it was cool to get out with the girls of the family the conditions were not good at all. It was really warm but also wet, like pissing rain. I skied until i started getting wet through my "rain proof" jacket. Other than that it was really awesome.

Sunday was finally a chill day, Dad got home and we watched the Super Bowl just kinda chilled.

This week I just worked, and went to school. Tommorow the employee's at Olympic Outfitters are getting together for an early morning mountain bike ride. It should be really entertaining. I'll let you know how it goes.

Late

Lack of Updates

Sorry for the lack of updates lately. Been really busy Both with fun and work. Trying to get ready for the up coming Cycling season, working a bunch and having some fun in my spare time, Skiing and Boarding mostly. OK time to hit the sack and go to bed. I'll update a better soon, promise. Late

Ski Trip

Yesterday I took Clarissa up the mountain for her first downhill ski trip. It was awesome. A beautiful sunny day, not cold at all the only thing that could have been better id that it hasn't snowed in a week, but that said, it was still great conditions.
Riss is an awesome skier!!! She's a XC skier by trade but she is fearless and just pick up Downhill straight away. Her first time down the mountain she was going so fast, she beat me down the hill! but the only thing was she knows how to go fast, its the stopping part we had to work on.... so when she got to the bottom there is a hole that she promptly launched herself into it loosing her skis poles, skis, I think her hat also. I was even better that it was right next to the lift so there was a pretty good size crowd around. As she gets up she noticed that now everyone was watching gave them all a big thumbs up. She is awesome. So we both skied all day and it was great, we almost got ourselves on a black diamond run, which would have been bad considering she had a hard time slowing down on the easy run. All said we had a killer day, came home lounged around an watch a movie, with a gourmet dinner I made.... Mac & Cheese! It was the prefect end to the perfect day.

Oh man while yesterday was awesome I sure did pay for it today. Super sore and tired, and my test today didn't help. Oh but I did get my Physics test back today, it was an 84 not great but better than all but one of my tests last quarter, so its a good start. I gotta Calculus test Friday better get studying for that. Later.

CROSS WORLDS

The Cyclocross World Championships started today. It is in Belgium this year and it actually looks like ok weather. There were 2 races today the U23 and Juniors. In the U23 race the americans didn't fair so well with a 36th as our top placing with Jamey taking that honor. As far as the Jr's go the US had an awsome result with Danny Summerhill taking 2nd while he was in the 4 up sprint for the win! Awsome work and congrats. To all the boys who raced today, keep an eye out tommorow that's when the big boys and girls, get to go show there stuff. They both should be great races. More Later.

Riss Turns 18!!!

Today was Riss' 18th birthday unfortunetly I had to work all day so I didn't get to go to dinner with her and her family but I did get there for the best part......cake!! It was pretty good, we were over at her grandparents place for a while then went back to her place where we were so tired that we just kinda sat there and tried to stay awake until I left not to long ago. Well I am going to go to bed but I just wanted to let everyone know that it is Riss' Birthday and wish her a happy birthday!!

Busy, Busy

Oh man I am really running on empty right now. Between school and work I am just about smoked. I am trying to put in a lot of hours at work right now so that when I have to start training for cycling I can ride more work less. Well at least that's the theory.
Work was really long tonight, I started school at 7:00am today and just got home from work at 9:30pm, really long day, not to mention I have a Physics exam tomorrow that I am still going to study some more for tonight. Gotta love Fluids and Orbits.
Tonight after work we had a seminar on mountaineering that was really awsome. It's something that I really want to try. There is club in the northwest that puts on climbs and classes that I really want to take.
I also realized working at a outdoors shop has its ups and downs. Up's, that we have all this cool stuff that we get to work around and sell everyday. The down side, they will never pay us enough to actually buy any of it for ourselves. Bummer.
I am also really bummed becasue I haven't seen Riss all that much this week actually not really at all except the 2 min we might see each other between classes. It really sux because tommorow is her birthday and no matter what I tried I couldn't get anyone to cover for me at work tommorow so I will have to see her that night after work.
Yee Haw, yeah my buddy Ryan sumed it all up really well today when he said this is "Kick Luke in the Balls Week." So thats What's up right now, if I don't write for a few days now you know why, but I'll try. Late.

Monday!!

Man I hate Monday's. Especially the ones after awesome weekends. You know the day's that you really can't do anything right and nothing goes your way. Yup it was one of those day's. Oh well I would trade one bad day for an awesome weekend.
I gotta a call from McGovern today, sounds like he's wupin it up on the XC skiing circuit congrats to him. Sort and sweet today I gotta go eat some food. Late.

Killer Weekend!!!

Went up to Crystal Mountain yesterday just for the day, and it was awsome!! Fresh snow not very cold, had a little bit of sun. It was a pretty good day not the best but still really good. But it got better when on the last run of the day I saw my friends the legends Dale and Ann Knapp along with Sean Wittmer just as they were heading up on their last run. I skied the last run with them and that's when Dale invited me to stay with him at their cabin only 10 miles away and another day of skiing!!! SWEET!!
So everyone went back to the cabin for a killer dinner of nachos and tater tots. YES! Unfortunetly Ann and Sean had to leave to work the next day. So Dale and I hung out watched some Family Guy then hit the sack to get up early for an even better day of skiing today.
Today was sooo awsome!! The snow in the trees was great all day! Hardly anyone on the mountain. and once we actually got up the hill there was no lines all day. We met Lisa , Tom and Scott on the hill and skiied with them for awhile they are all really cool people. Lisa is awsome she is the one running the only real MTB series up here in Washington and I have to thank her for that.
This was an awsome weekend I can't wait to get up next weekend, hopefully Riss is feeling better so she can come with me. Oh man so not looking forward to school tommorow, oh well Play Hard, Work Hard I guess. Late.

9 Months!!

Wow doesn't seem that long. As of today Riss and I have been dating for 9 months. Kinda crazy when I think about. But they have been 9 awsome months. We were supposed to go skiing today but she has been sick all week so it looks like just a movie and some soup, which is fine by me I need a break from all this craziness. But like always I'll be back at it tommorow when I get to boarding for the first time in a month! The snow should be killer too it's been really cold and rainy all week so looks like a lot of fresh powder. SWEET! I can't wait. Well I am already late gotta fly. Late

Being Sick Sucks

I am not sick but Clarissa is. Which is a bummer because we were supposed to go skiing on Friday and Saturday, so it's a no go for me tomorrow but I can't wait to get up on Saturday. I just tuned up my board and put a slick wax job on it and I am so ready to hit the slopes. There are only a limited number of full weekends left before the training for the cycling season starts. And I am getting gitty to start training, the local racers are coming in to the bike shop and getting ready for the races, some have already started training. I can't Wait!!! Looking to put in a really good, solid year and I just can't wait to get started. The race schedules are out and I am ready.
Also I am so ready for a weekend. That's all for now, Late.

Winthrop Rocks

Winthrop is a little town in the middle of nowhere Washington near the Canadian boarder, it's one of those towns that you would never drive through unless you really wanted to get there, and once you get there it is one of the coolest places you'll ever see. The whole town is super rustic. Every shop and resturant looks like it was pulled out of a western movie. It even has a working blacksmith... I had heard a lot about Winthrop and how cool it was, and just by what everyone else said about it I knew I would want to live there someday, and this was before I saw it. And it didn't let me down. You look around and there isn't masses of cars and people, no housing developments, no freeways, your more likely to see an eagle than a city pigeon or a seagull. By the end of my stay there I had already made up my mind that I was going to live there and how I was going to do it.
I was up there celebrating Riss' birthday. We stayed in this really cool little cabin right next to the Methow river and it had some awesome views. Not to mention it wasn't to far away from the killer XC skiing up there. I don't think I'll ever look at snoqualmie the same. We Xc Skied pretty much all day, but never went far from the warming huts. I was freezing up there. At the heat of the day it was maybe 10 degrees, and at night it got down to about 9 or 10 below!! Needless to say the warm shower that night felt really really good.
Oh yeah and another awesome part about Winthrop is that it has this restaurant that makes killer food. A little mix of American and Mexican to delight the taste buds. We ate there a couple times while Riss' mom made some awesome egg burritos and pancakes for breakfast and Lasagna for dinner the rest of the time.
Well I am sitting here taking a little break from trying to write this computer programme for class, so I better get back at that. So until next time, Late!

It's Snowing!!!

Craziness has come upon Oly. We got about 2 inches of snow this morning and school was canceled for some odd reason. I guess a few people were sliding off the roads, like my sister, but Matt and I went to the climbing gym about 10:oo am and the roads weren't even icy! Good times. Actually coming home from work at 9:00 pm tonight was slicker than this morning it's will be interesting to see what the morning has in store. Pray For Snow!! I wish I could go boarding tommorow.......

The First Post

The first post on the new blog. This is for everyone that I would like to keep in touch with but am really bad at doing it. I think there are a bunch of you out there so sorry, but this should help.
So for now I hope everyone's new year is off to a good start, mine is pretty good, it would be better if it wasn't so wet up here. I have been doing a lot of sking, XC and Downhill. But I got snowed out last weekend the pass was actually closed on suday and there was no power on Saterday, bummer. Oh well things look good this weekend, I am going to Winthrop with Riss and the forcast is for sun. It'll be awsome.