HOW MUCH TIME HAVE I LOST?

Got the free pass to ride the Tuesday Night Worlds last night for the first time in over two years.

Here is how it went wrong.

1. Rode a cross bike with 48x38 when everyone else was rocking either Specialized, Guru or Trek rockets.
2. No one to ride with once I was shelled.
   
3. Ride #5 for 2008.

Here is where it went right...

1. Realized I just don't like road riding.
2. TT training and road riding are polar opposites.
   
3. Recognized big packs still suck and people cannot ride in pacelines / echelons / or pace consistently.
4. Admitted I just don't care about the roadie scene.
5. Got home early for quality family time.
6. Know I want to do Taco next week before summer school starts!

This sort of conversation happens quite a bit - where you balance the alternatives and recognize where time and resources are best spent. My time is too valuable to waste for over three hours of travel and handlebar chewing. If I spend it wisely - I will be a much happier, and faster camper in what matters and that is 75-135 minutes of swimming, biking and running.

Great News After 23 Days of No Posts!

Since I finished my MBA MIS class this spring, family time has been a big investment. That is the thing I'm most proud of - besides surviving a weekend in Silver Dollar City, y'all.

I'd like to say that I'm more motivated than ever to ride, run, swim and race this summer, but it is seriously waning at this point. I still haven't signed up for Hy-Vee Triathlon or any of the local Copper Creek Triathlon.

Why?

1. Haven't run with any intensity since Friendly Sons 10K (39.12 PR).
2. MIS 534 had a final, final presentation, final paper and two papers due in the last week.
   
3. Swimsuits have been hanging in my office since March.
4. Work has been stacked.
   
5. Branson, MO is not built around fitness. It is a drive-by city. No bike or run allowed.
6. Malcolm still doesn't sleep.
   
7. Four bike rides, two flat tires.
8. Teaching 40 minutes a week of YMCA spin and pilates is good, right?
   
9. Grillin & drinkin' is protein and carbo-loading, right?
10. Desire just isn't there.

When the desire isn't there and life is stacking up on you - don't force the work. Spend the time on quality endeavors - family then everything else should fall in accordingly. Keep a mind to fitness, get a few sessions in when you can, eat right (most of the time), and enjoy life.

P.S. The Fujina still hasn't been re-cabled since I bought the parts over a month ago. Should have had Fry-guy do it. Ugh.

Choose Your Battles... Win the War...

Runners World outed my philosophy a few months ago. Pick races that no one does and you'll look and feel great. I learned this at the annual Blueberry Festival 5K in South Haven a few years ago, and took the philosophy to other local races like Race for the Egg, Dirty Duathlon, and the Des Moines Winter Games Snowshoe race. It may not be the prettiest philosophy... but at least you can run your own race and earn some props and schwag along the way.

After completing the trifecta for the Egg, I was harassed into doing a real race instead of "looking for races that no one else knows about." C'mon... I thought everyone snowshoed last winter!I ended my "mini-taper" per Tony Stewart with the Friendly Sons 10K in West Des Moines. After breakfast, cleanup, Mandy's run and play with the kiddos, I suited up and rode the Fujina Tri Machine down to 63rd & Grand to sign in. Said 'hi' to everyone, then rolled over to Mike & Jesse's to leave my rig and swap to race gear. I jogged over to the start to hear the announcer say '10-9-8-7-6-5-4-3-2-1!"

I queued right in with the top twenty through the first turn, passed mini-Melinda and shouldered up with Pat Riley. JJ Bailey was already down the road with X-man Louis DeWild. We covered the first mile in just over 5 minutes... er, 5.30... mebbe 6... because they had three markers out. Grrreat. Into the crosswind, I burned a match to go with the purple shirt dude, which was stupid.

I should have stayed back with Pat. He passed me going into the residential section off of E.P. True and left me for dead. At least Tony found me and got a good picture.

Turning into mile four, I accidentally ran off course, as I was summing up my courage and mental stamina to bear down for the last two miles. Unfortunately, breakfast had another opinion and was trying to make it's way back to the top.

Pulling through Vine, I was passed by Jesse, on her way to do taxes, who yelled I was in the top-10. On Grand, I made the deal that I'd hold constant through the final rollers and pick up at the top of the hill, sprinting downhill. Don Wells caught me at this point and made some unintelligible comment about youth, so I picked it up and left his old-man butt for dead.

I think I had a box of matches hiding in my shoes, because the Mizuno racing flats were on fire... still surprised to this day there were no blisters. I cut the line at 39.12, good for 12th.

I haven't run a road 10K since college, so this is a new PR by over three minutes, I guess. I'd have to look it up, but my 5K PR from South Haven, MI stands about 17.49. Some work to do to pick up the speed again, but this was still March...

Lessons on the day:
* 10K is longer than 5K... so run accordingly and burn the matches later. Build a fire the last mile.
Get to the damn starting line before the pistol is in the air. I was barely out of the porta-potty at South Haven before the gun went off last year.
* Stretch after the race and get some food and drink in the body. I think I waited too long for all of the above.
* Enjoy the mini-peak... which I did... time to get back to work, finish the MIS class, buckle down at work, then get some endurance and speed built up in April.

Apparently JJ didn't finish. Too bad.

In other news - Nick Frey (www.nfrey.blogspot.com) got a heckuva shout-out in this issue of VeloNews. He got props for his Sol Cycles brand in the online version a few weeks ago. I wonder if Iowa native Kevin Hankens had anything to do with that...

Choose How To Race: Stupid, Cocky or Smart?

There are three ways to race, stupid, cocky or smart. I'll offer my analysis of the Easter Lake "Race For The Egg" as an analysis.

Stupid: In 2006, I was just getting back into running and thought an early-season race in my old neighborhood would be fun. I didn't know the competition, nor did I really care, so I just set out to run my own race. I took off at the start at a good pace and ran behind the four-wheel Gator on the two miles on the road, then lead the race through half of the trails before getting passed by the eventual winner, then marathon-mom phenom Robin Freedman, and her husband Brian. I was able to stay with Brian through the finish and sprinted around him at the finale.

I didn't have any expectations with the race, so finishing so high was cool.

Outcome: Emu Egg, 2nd Place Overall

Cocky: 2007 was a little different, as I felt confident I could improve on the previous year... I mean cocky. We started off on the road again, Robin was on my shoulder and we entered the trails with a kid from East High. He took off up the trail and Robin went with him. I continued to run at my pace, but was passed with about two miles to go by another runner and couldn't keep the pace, or close the distance by the line.

I was lucky this time - I had some shape, but not enough to hit the goal I had set to win.

Outcome: Rhea Egg, 3rd Place Overall

Smart: I had no expectations this year. I was sick and off training the first week of March. Second week I was in L.A. at a conference, so got some mileage in, but ingested more smog than I had hoped to. Upon my return, I was nailed by a sinus infection and allergy reaction to the snow dissipating. Ugh. Luckily, my doctor said I could do as I felt... race if I wanted to, sleep if I needed to.

Having no expectations, I planned on running to work on pace - steady, then pick it up in the last two miles. At the last minute, I decided to make sure my gear was smart. I switched from my Pearl Izumi XC trainers to a new pair of Bowerman XC racing flats, removed my windpants and switched from wearing a wind vest to a baselayer and technical shirt. I'd be a little cold on the open road with the wind off of the frozen Easter Lake, but I'd be faster in the trails by losing a ton of weight from my feet in the soft, loamy soil.

Outcome: Ostrich Egg, 1st Place Overall

So, I guess per my previous post, that "March means nothing" is bunk. You never know when you may surprise yourself with a little bit of unplanned tapering.

March Means Nothing

When the winds of spring blow through Iowa, the athletes get super-excited to throw down in a big way. I've learned over the years that March means nothing. I'm still in the base period, getting into a few intervals, and generally enjoying the work.

Since I came down with the cold two weeks ago, I took a week of rest, recovered, hit a conference in LA. Luckily, I was able to get three days of quality running in on the fabled Sunset Boulevard on the UCLA campus and the multi-million dollar mansions in the hills.

With the renewed confidence and excitement to return home, I got nailed again with a sinus infection. The crud was back. This time antibiotics were necessary and I'm taking it easy this week. March means nothing.

So, being said, it looks like the Easter Lake Race for the Egg 5-miler this Saturday is a bust. I doubt I'd be able to defend my 2nd & 3rd place overall eggs from previous years. March means nothing.

Getting back in sync means focusing on solid runs, good rides, and returning to the pool. June is where it happens with the new Pleasant Hill triathlon and Hy-Vee. We'll see what the rest of the year holds - whether another half-Iron distance, an attempt at Boston '09, or qualify for XTERRA Natz again. Heck, maybe even KC Cx Natz '08.

Start the day right - get the head in place, fuel the body with the right foods, train, work, study and make it all happen. March means nothing.

Down with the Sickness...

Zicam has been my friend this week. We were introduced by Chris Carmichael and the CTS podcasts. Since last Saturday, I've been nuking my low-grade cold with the swabs every four hours. I was able to run an hour on Saturday, ride for 90 minutes on the Hy-Vee Triathlon course, but lost my voice after returning home.

I haven't trained since, catching up on reading, school, work and family time. It's all good - and the new Fuji Pro Cross showed up today, so better get it dialed before rolling later this weekend. Rad.

Top Seven Things to do When You're Sick.
7. Great excuse to go out for Mexican with lots of jalapenos...
6. Forsake all training because you just feel like crap.
5. WATER! WATER! WATER!
4. Bring on the Chicken Pho!
3. Sleep in and really enjoy that first cup of coffee in the morning while watching Tour de California reruns.
2. Graciously bow out of any impending social engagement...
1. Pray every day to get over it and get back in the saddle...

Why Ride Anything Else But a _________ Cross Bike?

I've been riding bikes since I was a wee bugger. Now, not that I'm much bigger, I've had the chance to sandbox with a ton of rigs on the road, trails and cyclocross. I've only had three bikes previously to race 'cross on - starting with a first-year Surly Cross Check, then an Airborne titanium Carpe Diem, lastly, former national champion Larssyn Staley's Hot Tubes.

The Surly was rad - ugly green with 9-speed Campagnolo parts. It looked great, shifted wonderful and was heavy as a bike made out of pewter, and rode like it, too. I wasn't too broken up to sell it to Fozy. Unfortunately, it was swiped from Fozy. RIP.

The Carpe Diem (a.k.a. Bok Choi) was a clear step up in the world. Once I used a green scotchbrite pad and a bit of WD-40 to get the shine on, the bike looked like a champ with Mavic Helium hoops, Dura Ace 9 and a Wound Up Carbon fork. This bike was made to ride and fast. Unfortunately, though, as all things bike - the relationship wasn't especially long term. I broke up with it last fall and ditched it via e-bay.

The Hot Tubes, well, wasn't meant to be. I didn't measure it right and realized this beaut of a 1x1 was two sizes too big for my small frame. Oops.

So, I've been without a rig for over three months now and been studying for the next generation of cross racer. Hmm... Trek... LeMond... Giant... Salsa... Surly... Ridley... BMC... Vanilla... TET Cycles... I just didn't know which one would sell me on the ride, frame, fork, and kit. I'm not especially discriminating, so really, anything that was reasonably light and had a good spec would be a winner.

The shot out of left field?

Yes... another Fujina...

... more to come

An Open Letter To Michael Ball and Rock Racing:

Dear Rock Racing et al,

Congratulations to Michael Ball's Rock & Republic PR machine. Their focused "PR" efforts on the world cycling community is burning up the web and every cycling-related website and publication is getting taken along for the ride. As we all know, December and January are the slowest times of the year for the sport after the rush of the fall shows and national and international cyclocross races. Ball obviously had this pointed out to him and the PR machine is looking for every avenue to get press and drive up product sales through this season.

It is obvious that Ball doesn't have any knowledge of the sport or long-term vision. From realizing outspoken characters like John Wordin (Mercury/Viatel) may push the sport forward in leaps and bounds, they ultimately implode. Just last year, Toyota United's Sean Tucker deep-sixed his United bicycle program in favor of a relationship with Fuji. Scott Montgomery was and still is a great resource and sponsor from grass-roots to professional at Cannondale, now Scott. Steve Hed is a well-respected individual within the endurance sport community and a long-time supporter of our local athletes and events. It was unfortunate to see him smeared by an unfortunate relationship with Ball.

Aside of all of the egos, it has been fun to read, so bring on the popcorn and let the Ball continue to roll. Let's just hope there is something left of the sport after the wrecking Ball is over.

G-Marco
www.cyclingupdate.com

Spinning round and round...

Getting tired of the base-level riding indoors so far, so after reading an article in some metro-men's mag yesterday, I decided to break up today's workout with 5x30s spin-ups to max with 30s rest in between. Wasn't too bad to watch the heart rate climb and the level of exertion skyrocket.

Recovery at a minimum like that wasn't exactly fun, but it was something to break the monotony. Can't wait until March-April to really open up the legs and cardio with some LT and threshold intervals.

Otherwise, continued the grinder on the old LeMond Fitness RevMasters - not too bad of a bike. We've had them for over three years at the downtown Des Moines YMCA and they're still riding strong.

Nutrition is up & down at this time of the year still. There is no rhythm yet, but trying to keep healthy as best possible. Yogurt with PRC Ana's homemade granola and a banana this morning, lasagne and ciabatta for lunch, meat, bean and cheese burritos for dinner. Can always do better, but am not gaining or losing sleep over it.

Interesting bit on NPR yesterday about dieting, etc. They had a cyclist on who is 6' tall and wanted to get down to 135 for race weight. Apparently he got pretty close to it and his power and speed skyrocketed... but his overall health plummeted because he wasn't putting in the necessary calories to stay healthy. Choose wisely. Health first.

Des Moines Winter Games Part Deux...

Man... the DM Winter Games really should have been this weekend. The snow is back, the wicked north wind returned, and the snowshoeing is epic. I pinged Petey & Pig on Friday night to see when we could hit the powder. Both picked up snowshoes recently and Petey got some good shoeing in at Denman's the other day.

After last weekend's 5k race at the Waveland Golf Course, I really wanted to get back over there and spend some time working the hills. Layering was key, as it was nearly 50 in the sun - with melting snow - but a 30+ mph frigid wind from the north cleaned up the tracks immediately. Helly Hansen long underwear with fleece vest made up the base. My Patagonia jacket, Columbia snowpants, Sorel Pack Boots, Pearl Izumi Lobster mitts and a fleece hat topped it off. This set-up was perfect - even opened up the pit zips after I had warmed up. I realized that my poles are actually a little taller than downhill poles - I thought they should be about XC-ski height, but I guess whatever works.

Headed south from the parking lot over the hills and into the trees next to I-235. Worked the rolling hills back up 56th to University where I took the most insane hill up and nearly cracked. At that point, I stopped, took a drink and switched over from my Competitor's podcast featuring Edmund "Ned" Overend from Specialized to some REM, Black Eyed Peas, Beck, Beastie Boys, Ben Harper and more. I needed the push to track backwards and close out an hour of stomping.

The Oakley Monster Dawgs were perfect to keep my eyes out of the wind in the northward stomp - luckily, I could adjust the tension of the jacket hood to have more peripheral vision and allow the steam to dissipate!

All in all - a great day to stomp and I'm sore as heck this morning as I warm up with a cup of espresso. Dad, Mandy & I are heading out to Denmans later today - sure to bundle up with a FOUR DEGREE forecast.

Maddie wants stovetop oatmeal in a bit... better get on it.

Let it snow... just take the training inside.

Silly me, I left my scarf and hat in the car this morning, so I had to brave the elements to teach the noon spin class at the downtown YMCA today.

Luckily, it wasn't like the deep-freeze of last week, where the 30+ mph winds sweeping over the ice of the Des Moines and Raccoon rivers made my teeth ache from the cold.

Today's class had nine queue up for the workout - yet another endurance test. The meat of the workout was two ten-minute climbs. In the saddle... out of the saddle... hovering over the saddle... slow grind... quick step... all over the place. At least we had a little Ben Folds, Tom Petty and Stray Cats to keep the motivation coming.

Motivation is huge this time of year - it is easy to skip workouts and put off the work to later. The base of endurance from this time of year is irreplaceable, and gives motivation for bigger and better work through the season. Also, the attention paid to health, diet and stress helps lay the foundation for peace of mind while others are sniffling and sneezing.

Keep up the good work. It will pay off shortly.

Q: How do you know if there is enough snow for a snowshoe race?

A: When more than two people show up for it.



The First Annual Des Moines Winter Games was cursed by good weather last weekend. Apparently people called to see if the snowshoe race was on or off due to lack of snow. Well, they had it, but picked out the wrong course to race on.

I'm lucky - I have Mandy's cheap kicks to race on, but if I splurged on a pair of titanium Red Feathers, I'd be pissed. 85% of the course was on either golf cart path or grass.

Alas, the promoters were kind enough to put on the event, and plan for another in 2009. Here is my top to-do list from a promoter, to a promoter.

10. See that the media promoter www.DMCityview.com shows up for pictures, not the www.DesMoinesRegister.com. Ha!
9. Promote that snowshoes would be loaned out on the race day. Boxes of snowshoes... wow, that is a gift!
8. Have a specific notice on www.FitnessSports.com. Steve Bobenhouse runs a great shop and a rich website - put it up for the tons of traffic he has.
7. Email blast to local running groups for promotion. SCRC, DSMTri, etc would help promote.
6. Mark the course a little tighter - I got lost easily.
5. When in doubt, choose a more difficult snow/ice course over an easy grass/pavement course.
4. Thanks for the water! I was happy to see water on the course. Wow, I was thirsty!
3. GET EXCITED! Sell the event to the public through websites, blogs, etc. The race was 2-3 pages deep on the event website.
2. Many thanks for putting on the event. Despite this feedback - the event was a success. The first one is always the hardest - whether two or two hundred people.
1. Run the actual race in the snow. From University, there was a great expanse of shaded areas with substantial snow cover that would have been great for racing. On the second lap, I actually cut the course long to stay in the snow.

Now, back to training and the drawing board.

Training for the '08 season yet? Consider your morning nutrition ritual.

Start your day off right. You have the opportunity to kick-start your metabolism with a quick and healthy meal in the morning. Start with oatmeal.

Oatmeal really is the breakfast of champions. You start with carbs and fiber, add some dried fruits, chopped nuts, ground flaxseed for omega oils, a little honey or real maple syrup, and you're ready to roll.

This stuff sticks to your ribs, as your mom used to say, and guarantees a strong nutritional base for the day.

G-Marco's Super Oatmeal recipe:
1/2 cup organic oats
1 tb Oatmeal of Alford
1 tb ground flaxseed
1 tb honey
pinch of salt
1 cup water

Microwave for 3 minutes, add a handful of cran-raisins and almonds and 'wave it for 2 more minutes. Add skim milk, plain yogurt ~ or full-fat greek yogurt for a little extra flavor.

For the real treat... substitute Nutella, brown sugar or real maple syrup for honey. You can switch dried fruits for in-season berries. Michigan blueberries in July-August are rad.

If you're training for cyclocross (or any other endurance sport), you need two things.

1. A good beer. I recommend Court Avenue Brewery's Honest Lawyer India Pale Ale. Mike the brewmaster knows his stuff on this one.
2. Damn fine pizza. I heartily recommend Orlando's on Park Orlando's Special. Nothing like home-made thin crust, fresh sauce and tasty meaty toppings. They deliver.

Give the big O a call
Orlando's On Park Pizza & Pasta - 4337 Park Ave Des Moines, Iowa - 515-244-3637

You know we'll be serving up each of these local favorites at the www.All9Yards.com Waterworks Park Ominum presented by www.CyclingUpdate.com this spring.

2008 Iowa Cyclocross Sked, courtesy of www.bikeiowa.org

I didn't realize Conn has a Gravel Road Race State Championship. Rad.

September 2008

Sunday	Monday	Tuesday	Wednesday	Thursday	Friday	Saturday
	1	2	3	4	5	6 Gravel Road Race State Championships - Swisher -Conn Day - Too Bee Racing
7	8	9	10	11	12	13
14	15	16	17	18	19	20 Cyclocross - TBA - DICE
21 East Village Cyclocross - Davenport - Mike Zugmaier - Dice	22	23	24	25	26	27 Pleasant Hill Cyclocross - Des Moines - Punk Rock Cycling
28 Pleasant Hill Cyclocross - Des Moines - Punk Rock Cycling	29	30

October 2008

Sunday	Monday	Tuesday	Wednesday	Thursday	Friday	Saturday
			1	2	3	6
5 Webster City cyclocross - Paul Varnum - mwbc	6	7	8	9	10	11 Spooky Cross cyclocross - Des Moines - JJ Bailey MSM Racing
12 Spooky Cross cyclocross - Des Moines - JJ Bailey MSM Racing	13	14	15	16	17	18 cyclocross - location tbd - DICE
19 Psyclofest cyclocross - Bettendorf - Scot Schaar - DICE	20	21	22	23	24	25
26	27	28	29	30	31

November 2008

Sunday	Monday	Tuesday	Wednesday	Thursday	Friday	Saturday
						1
2 Iowa Cyclocross State Championships - Newton - All9yards.com	3	4	5	6	7	8 Green Valley cyclocross (illinois) DICE
9 Stevens Park Cyclocross (moline illinois) - DICE	10	11	12	13	14	15
16 Iowa Bicycle Racing Association fall banquet, awards and 09 sked meeting	17	18	19	20	21	22
23 Middle Park Madness cyclocross - Bettendorf - DICE	24	25	26	27	28	29 Jingle Cross Rock - Iowa City
30 Jingle Cross Rock - Iowa City

Event Wishlist for 2008:

• Build on the Rad Rides model from last fall...
• Fun trail or gravel rides for charity, fun & beer
  
• Trail Race at Sommerset State Park, Indianola
• Endurance Trail Race at Seven Oaks, Boone
• Killer new course for fall cross series...
• Uber-cool new sponsorship...

Stay tuned, we're thinking up some sick stuff - our goal is fun, low-cost events within our home turf.

Marc Hollander shouldering the bike over barriers. Photo credit to Stevie Fry (http://fryguyimages.smugmug.com/)

The 2007 All9Yards.com "Cross Out Crohn's" Cyclocross events have been a huge draw for midwest cyclocrossers with big fields, great courses, and a ton of fun. The three races in Newton in 2007 raised over $1,500 for the Crohn's and Colitis Foundation of America, Iowa Chapter (CCFA) in 2007, bringing their five-year total to over $6,500. The CCFA raises funds and awareness for Crohn's and Colitis with the goal of finding a cure for the disease.

The main attraction for the Cyclocross Mafia, lead by Paul Jensen, Rob Versteegh, and Marc Hollander (a Crohn's and Colitis patient since 1999), is the Iowa State Cyclocross Championship races. They are the best-attended for the season and reward nearly 100 competitors with race t-shirts, exciting racing on a challenging course, cheering crowds, and beverages donated by Court Avenue Brewery of Des Moines, IA. Bryan Eppen and Robin Williams (Iowa City Cycling Club / Mercy / Specialized) were the overall winners of the day.

The All9Yards.com Cycling Team, Rasmussen Bike Shop, Donny Quixote Coaching, and Specialized Bicycles were proud to present local cyclists Jeff Anker with a new 2008 Specialized Tri-Cross Cyclocross bicycle and Doug Klahsen a new 2008 Specialized Singlecross Cyclocross bicycle at the Iowa State Cyclocross Championship Races in Newton, IA. Jeff and Doug had the winning tickets in a raffle to benefit the Crohns and Colitis Foundation of America, Iowa Chapter ( CCFA).

2008 Iowa State Cyclocross Championships is Sunday, November 2, 2008 from 10am - 3pm. Location to be announced.

New updates for cyclocross 2007 to come soon!!!

Cyclocross Training: Donny Quixote will be coordinating All9Yards.com Cyclocross Training at Union Park on Wednesday Nights in August and September.

Newton Race Weekend: Mark your calendars for Saturday, September 29 and Sunday, September 30. Details to come soon.

Iowa State Cyclocross Championship: Mark your calendars for Sunday, October 28. Details to come soon.

Raffle for Crohns and Colitis Foundation of America, Iowa Chapter: Details to come soon. Last year we raffled off a 2007 Specialized TriCross Cyclocross Bicycle - what's in store for this year?

The All9Yards.com Cyclocross Mafia has been raising funds and awareness for the treatment and support of Chrohn's and Colitis patients since 2000.

After a great kickoff with our Iowa Cyclocross Championship Series compadres in the Quad Cities and Webster City, we're seeing some great races and fantastic turnouts.

Tomorrow's Psyclofest race in the Quad Cities will be sure to ring in a new series leader (will it be John Olney (ICCC/Specialized) or www.jj-bailey.com (Triton Homes) in the competition for the Category 1-2-3 racers and see if Brian Moritz (DICE) can continue his march of domination.

Join us for the Iowa State Cyclocross Championship Sunday, October 29- Woodland Park, Newton IA as we continue our great season of racing in 2006. Each and every one of you are a big part in the scene help us grow this exciting discipline while raising awareness and over $3900 since 2002 for the Crohns and Colitis Foundation of America, Iowa Chapter.

We're going to be introducing some HUGE announcements from the Crohns and Colitis Foundation of America, Iowa Chapter, Rasmussen Bike Shop, Donny Quixote Coaching, Specialized, Oakley and more for all the racers here in the next few weeks!!!

*** Photo Credit to Jesse Gerlitz (DMOS)