The Wah Report

Loving Portland winter

2012-01-28T16:57:00.001-07:00

Ready for the Portland rain. Rain bike ready for commuting

2012-01-22T19:28:00.001-07:00

I had to try the spicy chicken feet... Not a fan

2012-01-17T20:49:00.000-07:00

In chinatown San Francisco

I missed this little girl

2012-01-16T19:34:00.001-07:00

world championships

2012-01-14T20:46:00.005-07:00

Not the weekend that I was hoping for, but it was all worth it to see my teammate win a bronze medal. I never thought when I started the Crossniacs that we would get a rider on the world championship podium.

My weekend was a qualifier that was a mud-fest and today was mud and ice and the key was to try to stay up. I think everyone went down a couple of times. As I was warming up I flatted a tubular, which was my best mud tire. Strike 1. So I had to grab the front wheel from my pit bike and put a non-mud tire on my pit bike. Pitting bikes was crucial today because of all the mud. Riders would go to the pit every lap and swap bikes to get a clean bike. 3/4 into the first lap I crashed into a wooden stake and thankfully didn't get hurt, but it broke my front brake on my A bike and I rode a 1/2 lap without a front brake on mud and ice. I pitted and grabbed my B bike with the tires that I didn't want to ride and couldn't pit because my A bike had a broken brake. My bike got super clogged and added a few pounds of mud to it. Frustrating, but cyclocross is a heart breaker. It only takes a bobble or a mall mechanical and you're race is done. The courses due to the weather didn't suit my riding very well anyway. I've raced her in dry conditions and it suits my riding style, that's what I was hoping for.

Next year will be different. I don't know what yet, but things will change on focus.

Thanks for all your support

Happy end of season Duchesse De Bourgogne

2012-01-14T20:08:00.001-07:00

day 1 qualifying at Masters Worlds

2012-01-12T18:24:00.002-07:00

The term epic gets thrown around a lot, but when you have to run 1/4 of the course and the mud is everywhere it gets close. I ended up finishing 15th in my qualifying race which will put me in 4th row for the World Championship race. Which is good enough of an opportunity.

Portland Monthly Story on Masters Nationals

2012-01-03T17:35:00.001-07:00

Portland Monthly Story

2011 Year In Review

2011-12-31T15:35:00.025-07:00

2011 was a busy year with lots of changes. The biggest event was the new job and the move to Portland. If you told me in January we were going to up-root and move accross country again I wouldn't have believed you.

January

I started working on full-body workouts with kettle bells, box jumps and P90X. Being a cyclist makes you one dimensional. It really paid off and made me more well-rounded and stronger on the bike.

February

A great trip to the place we both love, Breckenridge, Colorado. With the move to Portland we decided to rent our condo out for the year. Along with a winter trip we went to Nama's by the Ocean in Florida. Along with finishing off my 1/2 sleeve.

March

A great trip to the interact event of the year SXSW. It's an amazing place to be for social media geeks. Also a birthday for Peggy.

April

We headed back to Breckenridge for snowboarding and the Imperial Challenge.
I wrote an article on How to Effectively Use Social Media in Regulated Industries

May

I decided to buy a sports bike and go to motorcycle racing school. Triathlon season started and my parents came for a visit....and my 42nd birthday.

June

June was the big month where I gave my notice at Risdall Marketing group and accepted a job with Webtrends. It was a touch decision, but a great career move. Peggy ran a 1/2 marathon. Bike racing was in full swing with crit racing. We took our annual memorial day trip to Mantrap Lodge.

July

I started to commute to Portland for work. I would head there every other week for 4 days and stay in a condo downtown. Peggy came for a great weekend in Bend and a trip to the Coast.

August

Built up the new Colnago for cyclocross season, packed the house in MN and soaked in some final memories of Minnesota and new memories in Portland.

September

Cyclocross season started..we moved across country and I finished 2nd in the largest dualthlon in the world. It was great to finally have the family together again after commuting since July. We went to NY for a few days and my parents came through Portland to spend some time with us in our new home.

October

Cyclocross racing and my first win of the cross season.

November

Yea..you guessed it, more cyclocross racing.

December

More cyclocross racing and an amazing 2 week trip to see my parents in Cali and to see the coast of Cali.

Monterey

2011-12-29T18:58:00.000-07:00

Highway 1

2011-12-29T18:01:00.001-07:00

Highway 1

2011-12-29T18:01:00.000-07:00

It's mating season

2011-12-29T15:31:00.000-07:00

Good morning

2011-12-29T10:01:00.001-07:00

Dessert

2011-12-28T20:11:00.001-07:00

Sky on the beach

2011-12-28T18:28:00.001-07:00

Sunset Pismo Beach, CA

2011-12-28T18:25:00.000-07:00

Hollywood

2011-12-28T18:07:00.002-07:00

Hollywood

2011-12-28T18:07:00.001-07:00

Hollywood

2011-12-28T18:06:00.001-07:00

LA Ink

2011-12-28T18:06:00.000-07:00

LA Ink

2011-12-28T18:05:00.002-07:00

LA Ink

2011-12-28T18:05:00.001-07:00

LA Ink

2011-12-28T18:05:00.000-07:00

The Sunset Srtip

2011-12-28T18:04:00.002-07:00

Wonderland

2011-12-28T18:04:00.001-07:00

LA Ink

2011-12-28T18:04:00.000-07:00

Viper Room

2011-12-28T18:03:00.001-07:00

Rodeo Drive

2011-12-28T18:03:00.000-07:00

The hour climb on the bike has its benefits

2011-12-27T11:39:00.000-07:00

Sky decided to wear her new sunglasses inside today

2011-12-26T19:00:00.000-07:00

hanging with my girl by the fire

2011-12-24T20:59:00.002-07:00

Merry Christmas

2011-12-24T20:58:00.002-07:00

Palm springs Xmas

2011-12-23T20:35:00.000-07:00

Happy Birthday

2011-12-19T19:31:00.000-07:00

The dream of the suburbs is alive

2011-12-19T17:27:00.000-07:00

Xmas in palm springs

2011-12-18T17:32:00.000-07:00

Xmas in palm springs

2011-12-18T17:25:00.001-07:00

Palm Springs Xmas

2011-12-18T17:20:00.000-07:00

More pics from USGP in Bend, OR

2011-12-12T19:51:00.003-07:00

USGP in Bend

2011-12-11T21:45:00.003-07:00

The training was put to the test today. I've did the homework that coach gave me so I knew going in that I've done everything I can. But, apparently it's not good enough anymore. I've been racing cyclocross since 1995 and have watched it grow and grow year after year and the fields get stronger and stronger. My goal for USGPs are top 20...not a very lofty goal as they were in the past, but I got to hold on to something. Saturday I came close with 23rd and today I was riding well and then went down and finished 31st. Yesterday I was 3 mins off the leaders, today 4 mins. All it takes is one mistake when the course is super fast and you have 10+ guys roll by you.

I head to Palm Springs on Friday for 2 weeks of training before the World Championships. I'm doing the work, but I think with a racing age of 43 in a 35+ field I'm on the wrong side of the medium.

But..it's still fun and I feel like I can still mix it up.

Crossniacs VIP parking

2011-12-11T11:43:00.001-07:00

23rd today at USGP in Bend

2011-12-10T22:12:00.001-07:00

Gunning for top 20 tomorrow

Tim Johnson's disc cannondale

2011-12-10T11:39:00.000-07:00

Dinner in Bend with my ladies

2011-12-09T18:13:00.000-07:00

Birthday party

2011-12-09T13:28:00.001-07:00

The truth hurts

2011-12-08T08:44:00.001-07:00

Cycling Explained
by: nofinishline

3rd place overall Molly Cameron Grand Prix

2011-12-06T21:07:00.000-07:00

It's the little things that keep me stoked... The little victories

derailleur hanger magnet

2011-12-04T22:09:00.004-07:00

I don't know what it is but I seem to be the magnet out there for guys to put their wheels into my derailleur. Today was WinterCross at the motocross course. I was interested to see if the hard training was going to pay off since I haven't raced for 2 weeks. I got a great start and sat 3rd wheel and when we hit the fist hairpin turn someone from behind decided not to slow down and plowed into the field and of course my derailleur and bent it. 30 seconds into the race and my bike is messed up. The gears were skipping away and the other riders were riding back. I had to to a hole lap to get to the pits. I put it in a gear that wouldn't skip and finally made it to the pits and grabbed my B bike. The goal now was to see how many people I could pass. Lap after lap I felt good and dropped guys here and there and finally made it to see the leaders. 2 laps to go and I was sitting 4th after moving up from the back. I stuck on rd place with 2 laps to go and was waiting for one lap to go when we get close to the finish and they say you're done and 3rd stomps it and it's over before I knew what was up. That stupid 80% rule in effect again. We didn't even get passed by the leader of the 1/2 race. At least I know the fitness is coming around. I felt great today. I'm hoping my bad luck with dudes crashing me out is over, because it sure it getting old and the big races are coming up with USGP Bend next weekend and Masters Worlds in January.

Xmas Tree

2011-12-03T20:48:00.001-07:00

Happy early birthday

2011-12-03T19:49:00.001-07:00

Original Starbucks

2011-11-30T18:38:00.003-07:00

Pike place

2011-11-30T18:38:00.001-07:00

PIR run tonight

2011-11-26T18:43:00.001-07:00

Portland Xmas Tree

2011-11-26T17:48:00.000-07:00

Macy's Portland Parade

2011-11-25T10:25:00.000-07:00

thankful for the only thing consistent in my life since 1995

2011-11-24T16:47:00.001-07:00

Because sometimes the kitchen is the best place to mount tubulars

2011-11-22T22:15:00.000-07:00

I think we've hit the raining season in Portland

2011-11-22T13:40:00.002-07:00

Our roof was leaking this morning because of all the rain... Good thing its a rental and we are not responsible for getting it fixed.

Oregon State Champs

2011-11-20T20:43:00.000-07:00

5th place

Looks like its going to be a muddy one today

2011-11-20T12:57:00.000-07:00

All those people who love super muddy races, you're more than welcome to clean my bike

after crashing at Cross Crusade PIR

2011-11-16T14:00:00.002-07:00

How "we" as Gen-Xers "did it" how millennials & younger "did it"

2011-11-15T21:25:00.000-07:00

Thanks to Challenge and Bill Marshall

2011-11-14T18:56:00.004-07:00

Super stoked to try the Limus in the mud of Portland

Challenge has been an amazing sponsor to the Crossniacs

From top 10 to 29th in an instant

2011-11-13T20:50:00.006-07:00

Cross is a heart breaker.. I've been coming into form and could feel it yesterday doing can-openers to get ready for today's Cross Crusade. I just felt fast yesterday. Today was the Portland International Raceway race. This is the same course as the USGP the past 2 years. It doesn't really suit me since it is super muddy and not open or hard enough for true fitness to shine. But..I was feeling fast

The start was crucial as we went from road to dirt rapidly. I got a great start and was 4th wheel and the race was on. We hit the mud and I lost a few spots but held on and continued to feel "fast".. but then I went down in a slick corner and my brake started to rub. Shit! I was way to far from the pit to grab a quick change and I couldn't get it to start..1,2,3...10+ riders kept coming by. Finally made it to the pits but my race was over at that point and I just made it a good workout.

Oh well..there is always another race. Cross Crusades have been my Achilles heel this year. I can't seem to put one together.. and unforutanely today was the last one of the season.

80s

2011-11-13T13:13:00.001-07:00

Electric parking in Portland

2011-11-11T19:40:00.000-07:00

Skating in NYC

2011-11-09T19:47:00.001-07:00

Times Square

2011-11-09T19:15:00.000-07:00

NYC

2011-11-09T17:02:00.000-07:00

Chickenfoot in NYC

2011-11-08T20:25:00.000-07:00

Cross Crusade Barton

2011-11-07T16:34:00.002-07:00

A picture tells a thousand stories

another weekend

2011-11-06T19:49:00.006-07:00

Molly Cameron Grand Prix Saturday - Apple Core Cross

Saturday was I pictured Portland cross to be..... Leg sapping mud. The race was at ab apple orchard and the sections that went through the trees were brutal with all mud. The down hills you would just hold on and let your bike go where it wanted to go in the mud and try to keep it upright..then when hill would rise a little there were times that my back tire just spun and went nowhere.. even with the Dugast Rhinos the mud was like peanut butter. I'm not used to the mud so I was doing the best I could sitting in 6th place and with about 4 laps to go people's bikes were blowing up everywhere. The grass and mud covered your bike and all moving parts. My bike started skipping gears and I only had 2-3 gears left with 2 laps to go but was riding alone with nobody in front or rear so I didn't bother to pit since I didn't want to have to clean 2 bikes. 2 guys in front of me the bud took out their derauillers so I ended up 4th.

Cross Crusade Barton Park - Sunday

With my decent results the last 2 Crusades I thought maybe by bad luck at Crusades was over. I got the call-up to 2nd row and was ready to rip the course since it was a little roadie and hard some hard sections. My kind of course. 30seconds....GO. 10 yards into it someone in the front row goes down right in front of me and takes out the whole right side of the field. I run over him and somehow get my right glove caught on a bike and it's gone..My race is over. One mistake, especially at the start is tough to make up. At this point I'm maybe sitting in 40th place. I think the rage of the moment kicked in and I rode my heart out picking off rider after rider and attacking and making up huge ground on the road sections and power sections... lap after lap I passed and dropped groups. I rolled through and ended up finishing 11th. I would have killed for a 11th at a Crusade at the beginning of the season..who knows where I would have finished if I didn't have the crash to deal with. After the race a photographer shot some photos of me for a piece that Portland Monthly Magazine is highlighting me in about going to Masters Worlds.

for some it was so dusty they didn't see the barriers

2011-11-01T22:32:00.000-06:00

A dusty day on Saturday...this was the first dusty section

2011-11-01T22:26:00.002-06:00

Bend Cyclocross Weekend

2011-11-01T15:09:00.000-06:00

Bend

2011-11-01T15:00:00.002-06:00

gotta love @smithersmpls

2011-10-31T22:36:00.001-06:00

Cross Crusade Weekend in Bend

2011-10-31T22:23:00.004-06:00

Great weekend of racing in Bend. This is one of our favorite places in Oregon. This weekend was quite a difference then racing Nationals last December. The course was super dusty compared to mud and ice in December.

The start on Saturday was insane. 80 guys riding into a dust storm with zero visibility was crazy. You just cruised through the dust hoping that you didn't run into anyone or anything on the course.

After 2 laps the dust settled a little and it was game on...I finished 11th on Saturday. This was my best result in a CrossCrusade.

Sunday was costume day for the racers. Most everyone was dressed-up, even 1/2 of the A racers. I chose not to as I was there to race. The heckling every lap for all of us not in costume was crazy. The Oregon cross scene takes their Halloween cross races seriously. They ran the course the opposite way on Sunday which helped with the dust. I had my best race and finally finished top 10 with a 9th place.

A little dusty today

2011-10-29T15:42:00.000-06:00

Road tripping

2011-10-28T18:05:00.000-06:00

Road tripping in the party van on the way to Bend, OR

2011-10-28T17:47:00.000-06:00

The End of Us and Them

2011-10-27T21:49:00.000-06:00

The End of Us and Them: SI Newhouse School of Public Communication

View more presentations from edward boches

Cross Crusade

2011-10-24T09:56:00.003-06:00

Had my best one yet...got 13th.. goal is now top 10 by season end.

Hotel Crescent SF

2011-10-23T23:42:00.001-06:00

My 2nd home of late

2011-10-23T23:35:00.001-06:00

Union Square San Francisco

Living the dream

2011-10-22T21:48:00.003-06:00

another weekend of racing

2011-10-17T09:44:00.003-06:00

brief update.. Grand Prix Molly Cameron on Saturday Ninkrossi race. Great course for me with some ups and downs.. I've been focusing a ton this year on my technical skills escpecially cornering and I'm opening gaps on guys this year with that..so that is good. I ended up 4th today. Not bad with a bigger field this week.

Sunday Cross Crusade at Portland International Raceway. I've yet to have a good race at a Cross Crusade, but today's dirt crit suited me and I was determined. I got a good start and got into top 10 or so. The race went on and I was starting to feel stronger by mid-race when I hear the familiar the nasty noise of a rear wheel going into my rear deraiuller.. really I'm 2 for 3 with this happening at Cross Crusades. I continue for 2 laps and deal with the skipping and then it happens.. Chain into the spokes. I frantically get it out and lose a few spots just as I was about to bridge to top 10. I get to the pits and grab the B bike and the gap is gone and I'm in no-mans-land and finish 16th.

Dinner in SF

2011-10-16T22:37:00.001-06:00

Sky is race ready

2011-10-16T13:00:00.001-06:00

Sky's cross bike is racked up

2011-10-16T12:59:00.001-06:00

I think I need a tattoo today

2011-10-14T22:17:00.001-06:00

tattoo collecting

2011-10-10T23:02:00.003-06:00

I fell into an amazing opportunity this week. The tattoo convention was in town and I've been looking to get a tattoo for Skylar. I just finished Kat Von D's 1st book. In the back are recommended artists. Shawn Barber was one her recommended artists because of the amazing paintings that he does. I checked out his website and followed him on Twitter. The next day he tweeted that he was going to be in Portland and taking appoints at Art Work Rebels. I instantly shot him a message and got an appointment.

I've come to the point in my tattoo "career" that I'm only getting good tattoos and doing the due diligence on the artist. I tried to get an appointment with Grime, but he is booked up for 3 years.

The good artists are booked for months and even years. I just happened to fall into this amazing opportunity to get in with Shawn Barber. I chose to do black and grey for a timeless piece.

Getting a tattoo on your sternum is probably one of the most painful places you can get a tattoo. It was extremely painful for 4 hours, but worth every ounce of pain when I got home and Skylar said "it's beautiful"

For my Skylar

2011-10-10T21:51:00.002-06:00

You'll always be on and in my heart

You're only as good as your last race

2011-10-09T22:43:00.003-06:00

The Cross Crusades have been my nemesis. They are big and there are a ton of people and I've yet to have a good race at one. Maybe I left it all out there yesterday getting 2nd, cause today I didn't have it. I finished 22nd place when the guy I was battling with yesterday finished 3rd today. The course was fun and tough with mud and some killer climbs. It reminded me of the tracks in Belgium.

Oh well....I guess I've got some room to move up at the Cross Crusades.

Here's me getting lapped by Molly Cameron

cyclocross...it's like crack..You get a taste of the good stuff and you keep coming back

2011-10-08T22:01:00.003-06:00

Today was the MCGP Heiser CX. These races are held on Saturdays while the Cross Crusades are on Sundays. As much as I like the big races and the circus of Cross Crusade, these races have been more like races to me. The fields are smaller so you aren't forced to battle 70+ guys at the start. I had a tough week of training thanks to JBV Coaching. This has been the fist year in over 16 years of racing that I decided to completely focus on cyclocross season. I was taking it easy in the winter and doing base in the spring and finally started ramping it up in June.

Ok.. back to the race. I got a decent start and settled in around 5th and could always see 1-4. After a couple of laps 1st and 2nd had a significant gap and I got into a group with 3,4,5. At that point I thought I was going to be racing for 3rd. But I was riding the technical sections as well as the flats and climbs faster than the group, so I opened it up and got into the infamous "no-mans" land with a gap in front and a gap in back. This is a scary place to be doing lap after lap as hard as you can with fear of getting caught and anticipation of trying to close the gap to the leaders. With 3 laps to go, one of the leaders flatted and I went past him and was closing on the lead and giving it everything I had turning myself inside out. With 2 laps to go the leader went into crux mud section and dropped his chain and I made the catch. I went to the front and drove the pace and tried to get away, but nothing was working so I tried to recover. With 1 lap to go, the battle was on. He went to the front and drove the pace. I couldn't drill it any more and was cooked from making the catch and with 1/2 lap to go I had to ease up. So..I rolled in 2nd. He is the series leader, so I knew I was riding with the top guy today.

It's races like this that get you hooked. I was ready to hang it up a couple of weeks ago and then got a win last weekend and 2nd today....I guess that means the "crack" is working.

Tomorrow brings the circus of Cross Crusade.

Sky got a tattoo

2011-10-08T10:59:00.000-06:00

T-ball

2011-10-08T10:50:00.000-06:00

Kiddie Portland Marathon

2011-10-08T10:45:00.001-06:00

Every bike rack in Portland is always full

2011-10-07T19:22:00.000-06:00