10 Day Ticking

View from the MOOTS tent. 

It's been almost 10 days since my tick-borne illness took hold. I've got one pill left of antibiotics to take in the morning. Then it's off for the 12ish hour drive to Emporia. The past 2 weeks have gone by way to fast. Seems like just yesterday (it was) the MOOTS van showed up in town to hang out, demo bikes, and ride.

Weds night Crit series at LP Field. 

MOOTS Factory Racer Corey "Gun Show" Piscopo on the attack. 

It was a short but great time hanging with Corey and all the cool titanium bicycles he's carting around. We got to show him a little of the riding in the area and introduced him to the fine art of the livestock sprint and how to properly use the "I was in the wrong gear" excuse when riding with singlespeeders.

Go go Nago

Lightest 200 miler pack yet. 

Tomorrow we pack into the car and head West. It'll be a long day in the car leading up to an early morning and long day on the bike. Current condition: low grade fever, chills, watery eyes, and sore throat. It should clear up by morning. Right? Stupid ticks.

Going light on light.

Over the years my pack has gone from requiring a trailer to a small pack mule to fitting into a custom sized Revelate Designs race bag. I'll carry food in my right jersey pocket. Spare tube, mini-pump, co2 pouch and multi tool in my middle pocket. Map, compass, camera(?) in my left pocket.

Added extra mojo just in case. 

Light batteries, patch kit (including needle & thread), emergency iPod pain cave deafening device, and a few other small items travel in the Revelate Designs bag. I'll be using 3 Camelbak Podium Chill bottles, 2 x 21oz and 1 25oz big chill on the down tube. It won't keep the water ice cold, but works pretty well at keeping it cooler than air temp. Who likes drinking 90 degree water anyway?

Pearl Izumi Sun Sleeves will cover my doxycycline induced super sun sensitivity laden arms (testing has shown they're not excessively heat inducing in 90 degree and muggy temps) to help prevent blistering. A tube of 50+ SPF will accompany me for the ride to be applied at any and all times stopped.

I'm not feeling overly confident but I'm forcing all the negative thoughts and doubts out of my head, or at least trapping them into a quiet corner of my brain. I'm looking forward to getting back out to Kansas, riding Texaco hill again, riding through the wild mustang territory, and exploring new gravel treasures. Good luck to all my DK200 friends.

Farm Life

Wednesday and a Welcome

He likes the RSL best.

Another too busy to compute week. The tick-ness still has me on the soreness and fatigue fighting side, but I'm starting to actually want to try to ride a bike, so I must be on the upswing. Aside from that it's been a good week getting out to a few events, seeing friends, some sweet bikes, and a Moots shopping Cicada.

Weds Night Crits: Pro/1/2/3's about to start.

SVMIC's Kurt Page pulling back the leaders.

3 to go.

MOAB/SVMIC racers chat with bossman Dement.

Jim's welcome.

"But there's Nothing left on the plate {stand} but Gristle and Fat" - The Great Outdoors

Grant's MootoX DK200 Gravel Setup.

Ticked Off

We're about 11 days out from the start of the Dirty Kanza 200. This race has been getting better and better every year. The promoters and the city of Emporia have the right attitude and spirit towards the event and making sure racers, tour-ists (my class this year), and family members have a top notch time enjoying everything Kansas has to offer. This year they've stepped it up a week or so early.

Typically we get these types of informational goodies the night before at the pre-race meeting, but this year they've sent it out early in order to help us all plan our visits to the fullest. Maps of the area, coupons, informational and tourist information. Several other goodies and a special Emporia Gazette focusing on the Dirty Kanza 200.

Emily "Honey Badger" Brock

This year they've included some DK200 trading cards for fun and to help drum up some support from the locals. Several friends/accomplices have cards in this years edition. Two of my closest ones not only rock in their own unique way, but apparently share another common trait of many of my closest cycling friends: Always maintaining a close proximity to liquor.

Scott "Pass Me A Donut" McConnell

With the event drawing nearer and nearer, I've got less and less opportunity to get out and get mileage in the legs so I guess it's as good a time as any to begin my taper. To injury to insult, I've also been sidelined by a tiny litter bugger: Mr Tick. I probably pull a tick or two off me several times a week. It comes with living on a farm and playing in the woods. This year it happens just walking across the yard. Ticks are very bad this year. Well I got one of the "lucky" ones this time and have been sapped with a tick borne illness. Luckily it's likely not Lyme's disease as it was only a lonestar tick that got me.

Though not carriers of Lyme's Disease, they still can pass diseases to humans. Chances are that I've gotten STARI, but Ehrlichiosis and Tularemia are still outside possibilities. My monies on STARI though which means I should make a full recovery without any lingering side effects. Bad news for me (and for my chances at Kanza) is that the treatment requires 10 days of doxycycline. What's the problem with doxycycline? It has a bad habit of causing severe light sensitivity (like full on blistering awful bad sunburns causing sensitivity). I've been warned of this specifically by the Dr, the Nurse, the Pharmacist, the checkout person at the pharmacy, and by the H.

• avoid unnecessary or prolonged exposure to sunlight and to wear protective clothing, sunglasses, and sunscreen. Doxycycline may make your skin sensitive to sunlight.   

Not cooking like this lucky lobster...

Which means I'll finish up my last pill the night before Kanza starts and, being loaded up with 10 days worth of doxycycline, will start cooking like a lobster from the start of the race.

but fully slow cooked, like this one.

Spoon.

Refound and Newly Met

With Dirty Kanza rapidly approaching this was my one weekend  to crunch in as much gravel as possible. I lose a day off this week to covering for a coworker, so I tried to make the most of my available time while not losing all the rare and valuable "home time."

Parker greeting a new friend.

I'm following the Scott "Monster" McConnell training plan this year -  one week of riding, one week of taper, then race Kanza. So far so good. I've managed to squeeze in 6 rides since returning from PMBAR two weeks ago. That should be just about cover the 1 week of training part and allow me to start the taper week off perfectly.

Out enjoying the weather. Wished we'd seen them crossing the creeks.

I'm a little leery of how my stomach is going to treat me this year at Kanza after the PMBAR experience, though I think I might be learning a helpful "postponement" remedy pulled from info about anhidrosis in horses. It's worked twice so far or perhaps it was the salt lick I wrangled from a field of cattle near the hog farm. Time will tell.

Friday's route included all new to me gravel. Inspired by it, I opted to take one of PTJ's normal routes and tweak it to include a little exploratory excursion to try to finally map out a missing piece of the puzzle. A year ago Parker, gRant and I discovered some awesome new roads that have since been lost to us. Today I was going to finally get it all mapped out. Success.

Hub deep and getting deeper. 

Not only have we added even more creek crossings, but some incredible climbs, descents, and views. I found 3 ideal check point locations and another gem of an unknown road for inclusion in our upcoming and soon to be announced Gravel Adventure Race. And Stanley, if your reading this, you are going to love the climb.

That sinking feeling: With Parker blocking the line, I got stuck in the deep wet sand.

More creeking.

Friday's theme was "bridge out", today's was "tree down."

Adam bleeding profusely.

A hike with the pups at home.

After draining the water from the frame, lubing the chain, and swapping wheels, the Rigormootis is back into dirt mode. Selfish training time is over. I owe it to the pup to get out back this week and run him between babysitting days. And H. has a horse show coming up this weekend after working 6 of 7 days in a row, so the hour or so I get to see her between work is even more precious this week.

Followed by a swim.

I'll make due, just gotta stick to the schedule. There's not much I can do at this point to make any improvements on condition between now and the 4th of June anyway so I might as well enjoy what free time I have doing things that are fun. There is plenty of time for long solo pain cave riding at Kanza.

JD in motion.

Natural log art at the waterfall.