Super Rookie’s World

It’s Go Time!

The biggest game of the season for the Minnesota Thunder is here. Tomorrow night (Tuesday) they take on the Kansas City Wizards of Major League Soccer in a US Open Cup Match. The US Open Cup is the second oldest* national soccer tournament in the world after the infamous FA Cup in England. It pits teams from all levels against one another to see who is the true champion regardless of league/level in the country.

The Thunder have had some magical runs in the US Open Cup in the past and are hoping to pull off an upset against the Wizards who reside in America’s top league. The game starts at 7:35PM and is shaping up to be a magical one as Kansas City has opted to keep some of their top players at home. Could this open the door for the Thunder?

Sure, the Thunder have had a tough start of the season, but they ARE OUR team and if you like soccer you should come out to the NSC to support them as they take on a team from Major League Soccer!

For more information on the US Open Cup click here.

Game Time: 730pm

Tailgating Starts At: 300pm

*I don’t know if this is true. It sounds cool though.

The US ended up losing to Brazil in the final. I wish they would have been able to hold on all the way through to the end, but Brazil proved to be the better team. Yet, I like the fact that the US was able to hang in there and, at times, take the fight to the soccer super power. Good times.

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I broke a spoke on a ride yesterday. First time I have had any problems with my HED Bastognes that I won in a raffle at the Synergy Time Trial over three years ago. I think that is a pretty darn good track record for a set of wheels. Props to Mike Knudson who made my wheels, that dude is amazing and one heck of a nice guy.

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The Mt. Kato mountain bike race is a fun one. I decided to skip it since I haven’t been able to get any soccer games to referee in the past week or so. Since the amount of racing that I get to do is directly related to the amount of referree opportunities I get it is getting a little light on the racing. This sucks, but I find myself riding my bike more than ever now! That is always a good thing.

Hoping to get some more games in so I can do the WORS race in Eau Claire on the 5th of July.

Fingers crossed.

I am still excited about the US National Team’s destruction of Spain yesterday afternoon. It was an awesome game to watch and confirmed my theory that this team is the Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde of international soccer.

No joke.

It is a great feeling to be a fan of the underdog team. Especially in a nation that could care less about soccer and is filled with Euro Posers that support teams that are not even their own nation. I can’t stand anything more than those Eurosnobs that associate with a team that they have zero connection to over their own national team. Just saying.

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Did anyone else see the story about Jean-Christophe Peraud winning the French National Time Trial? The best part is that he is a mountain biker and upsetted all the big names, including Sylvain Chavanel. Awesome!

This mountain bike thing is getting cooler and cooler by the day.

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Did a road ride today. Got yelled at by a guy in a yellow convertable. I have yet to get yelled at while on a training ride on some trails. Perhaps this is another reason that I am starting to like it better. I don’t have to deal with jerks. Yeah, that could be it.

I am getting soft in my old age.

Oh, not racing the track tonight.

Not getting enough ref assignments to afford multiple races and Mt. Kato wins out!

Summer has been going nicely here in the basement apartment. Sarah and I have settled into our groove and after celebrating her grandparents 60th wedding anniversary we have gotten back into the swing of things.

• Getting up early for bike rides has led to an increased level of fitness and excitement for the day. It is great being able to get out on the roads and put in a nice 40mile ride relativelly easily. The route is usually to the east, but it is always fun and I see other “racers” out there as I move along.
• Plugging away at homework for my two classes. I am over half-way with one of them (an online psychology course) and just beginning the third week of a Middle School Literacy class (I hope it helps with my grammar and comma usage) which is ending up being more work than I like, but can’t do much about it.
• Trying to make some money being a soccer referee. I really enjoy this job, but I can’t seem to catch a break and get good games assigned. Perhaps I will send an email and get some better games. While it is one thing to get beat by a 12year old at the BMX track (I very humble feeling) it is another to have a 14year old calling the center of a U16 girls game as you stand idle on the sides calling off-sides, but getting overruled by the Encyclopedia Brown lookalike.

By far the best part of summer is getting to hang out with friends and doing things that you enjoy. Sarah and I have been making an effort to having some fun this summer. So far things have been going great.

• We finally have started to drink the Trader Joe’s Kool-Aid. We went to a Trader Joe’s a few months back and were panic-stricken with the hundreds of people on that Saturday afternoon, but the decision to go at around 8pm was a wise one and we found all types of deals and have been ridiculously impressed with the quality and prices of the place.
• Sarah’s little garden is taking off. She decided to reuse a bunch of buckets and make her own little planting boxes and things seem to be doing really well. I am very impressed with the speed in which these things grow. While it isn’t as big as a garden at the old place in North East it is still a perfect size for all of our vegetable needs. Plus, Sarah gets to live a tiny bit of a dream (being a farmer).
• The mountain biking is a ton of fun. I am slowly getting better at it, but an awesome experience was being able to take my mentee biking the other day on some trails in the South Metro. He is a natural talent and I am hoping to bring him along to some races this season.
• The best part about living in a basement apartment is the natural air-conditioning. While everyone else was complaining about the 95degree weather we had it nice in cool in the apartment. Perhaps this is the trade off for little natural light and some bugs every now and again, but it could be worse.
• The Star Tribune ran another article on the Minnesota Thunder. This time the article is about a fan experience at the game. Naturally, the writer migrated over to the area that Sarah and i stand in and took in the game. They seemed to have a great time and I was even mentioned in the article second-hand as Sarah and I were part of the half-time show.

It is back to finish some homework in time to go and watch the USA vs Spain game at the Confederations Cup in South Africa. I was a little amazed that the US was able to back into the semis the way that they did, but I am always up for some surprises. I will be watching the game with some friends over at the Sweetwater Grill. The Sweetwater is located inside the glorious Kelly Inn off of University Avenue. It is a real happening place.

Lots of exciting things going on this weekend in Timmytown.

Starting things off today was a secret mountain bike race out in St. Croix Falls, Wisconsin. The little known race, Wooly Race, was a real treat and I more than got my moneys worth racing through some singletrack, double track, bike paths and people’s back yards. In fact, when I stopped racing alleycats a few years ago I figured I was done riding my bike through yards, and dead-end streets, but this race happily proved me wrong!

I was way undergeared for a race that could be done on a cyclocross bike, but I still was able to get near the magic 50% percentile. I was hoping to crack it, but after the first lap I knew it would be tough as I was unable to keep up speed on the flat bikepaths on my 32×20 gearing. Nonetheless, I was able to beat some of my “markers” that have beaten me in the past at other races and my technical riding was getting a lot better through the windy sections. It is coming around and I am cutting weight like crazy (1lb away from my wedding weight!).

The best part about the race was getting cheered on and support from Tom Hagerty. He is a great guy and he is one heck of a massage therapist (and keirin racer)!
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My eldest cousin, Terry, just had a baby boy. My newest second cousin, Dean, has one hell of an awesome name! I couldn’t be happier for Terry and her husband Jamal. Good for them and I can’t wait to meet Dean someday. I don’t know the reasoning behind the name, but I am sure that it didn’t hurt that my grandfather Big John lived at 47 Dean Ave in Johnston, Rhode Island.

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The neighborhood is packed with fancy old cars for the Hot Rod show at the State Fair. They are crawling all over and I have yet to see an Edsel. While it is great to see all the cars I can’t help but think that individuals driving PT Cruisers are feeling a little inadequate in their P.O.S. retro-designed car while seeing cool looking automobiles. Just saying.

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I am off to Staples-Motley early tomorrow morning as Sarah’s grandparents are celebrating their 60th Anniversary! It is going to be an amazing time and the party will be epic. I can’t wait to see some of Grandpa Art’s favorite polka band, The Night Owls, perform in the barn.

Even though it was raining last night Sarah and I “cowboyed” up and got in the car to head to the Minnesota Thunder game. With traffic a little intense we decided to make a quick exit on County Road D and grab dinner at Barley John’s Brewpub in New Brighton. The night got even better when Justin and Megan gave us a call and decided to meet up with us at this fine little establishment.

If you haven’t been to Barley John’s I highly recommend it. They are located just west of 35W, but for those in Minneapolis it should be known that County Road D is the same as 37th St. NE. So, if you are like Skibby and love being a vegetarian head on over to have some tasty beer and good food. They have food for meat eaters as well, but I really like how they seem to have gone out of there way to provide some meals for vegetarians and vegans alike. Good move on their part. Oh, did I mention that they brew there own beer? Yep! They have growlers for sale as well.

After the fine meal we continued on to the Thunder game. The rain never stopped and we got a little wet, but our giant umbrella kept us dry for the most part. The highlight for me was watching the Thunder put together a complete game and win 4-0 to set up a HUGE game against the Kansas City Wizards of Major League Soccer. Sarah will probably say that her highlight was beating me and winning the half-time competition. Good for her.

The Thunder have won three straight games and have finally started to score some goals. The best part about it all is that my friends continue to keep coming to the games without me having to pester them to show up. My guess is that they are really enjoying the atmosphere (beer garden) and the hijinx that ensue. In fact, last night had some of the best improvised songs I have heard in a while. Major props to those that continued the madness!

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Sarah and I are planning on getting to the June 30th game against the Wizards at around 3pm to set up a nice tailgate and having a ton of fun before the game starts at 7pm. I hope that you join us as the tickets for entry are only $10 and you will get to see the MLS Kansas City Wizards come to town!

There are a lot of great things going on right now.

Sarah has developed a killer recipe for hummus so we have been eating like kings and healthy to boot. In conjunction with the hummus discovery we have been working really hard on eating healthy and cutting out the excess calories. This has led to me being able to cut some more weight and get to win a few pounds of where I was last year and they are continuing to drop like flies. It is a good feeling to step on the scale and see some numbers you haven’t seen in a while.

The bike riding has increased measurably. While I was limited in my ability to ride earlier in the season because of work and school things have opened up and I have been able to get a bunch of riding in. The fitness is coming around and I should be able to hit August and all of my goals at full steam. Hell, I might even be able to race cyclocross well and if I get my act together I will be able to post some good results that some may be shocked to see.

Outside of pretend bike racing things are also getting a ton better. The Thunder (pretend soccer team) have won two games in a row and if they beat the Chicago Fire PDL team tonight they will host the Kansas City Wizards of MLS on the 30th of June. How awesome is that? I am getting damn stoked to see how they will be able to continue their play.

Positive attitudes all around.

When I realized a few months ago that there was a mountain bike race in Duluth on the Sunday of the amazing Stillwater Criterium I was a bit conflicted. I decided to play it by ear and figure out which I was going to attend a week or two out depending on how my experiences with mountain biking were going. In the end I decided to skip the criterium and head up to Duluth with my teammates, Megan and Jeff. It was a tough decision to make as heading to Antique Central has been a tradition for the past six years. Yet, in the end, despite missing an ‘epic’ race on the mighty Chillikoot Hill for the stage and overall, I couldn’t be happier with my choice of heading to Duluth.

The course was quite a bit more technical than anything I have ever done before. I lost major time in the singletrack sections on lap one, but the second lap went a lot better as I was able to brake less and carry more speed out of the turns. The beginning of the race went well, almost too well, as I was the 4th or 5th person to eclipse the opening climb only to get bogged down on a small run-up a few minutes later. At that point quite a few people flew past me and I worked as hard as I could despite the crazy roots and rocks that littered the course.

My bike rode really well and I am happy with how that is coming around. I beat a couple of my “markers” from the past few races so I do see some improvement in my abilities. There is no doubt in my mind that I belong in the Sport Category as I am still to break a top 50% in the field, but today I was in the Top 60% so, I am slowly working my way there. I want to get to the point in Mountain Bike racing that I am getting beaten because of a lack of fitness and not my technical skills. At this point in time I feel that I am getting beaten by about 40% of the field because they can descend, navigate and glide through the trails a lot better than me.

Mountain biking is awesome!

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I got updates about the Stillwater Crit during the Men’s race and it sounded like a real epic ride by all involved including an epic final few laps by Rory Sutherland. I am sure it was a real blast to watch, but I can’t complain about racing just outside of Jay Cooke State Park.

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While driving through Jay Cooke State Park I was able to see the course that Tone had originally had in his mind for a stage of the Duluth Classic. I believe that it also was an old Road Race course back in the day. It had to be one of the nicest roads I have ever traveled on and the climbing would have made for an amazing race. I hope someday we are able to race on it as I would go to that race in a heart beat!

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Amore & Vita presented by Lifetime Fitness won at Stillwater today. It was nice to see them here at the NVGP and supporting their local sponsor. I know that the CEO of Lifetime was in the crowd on Friday and more than likely Sunday. I bet that next year the team is title sponsored by Lifetime and I also bet that they won’t bail on showing up to the NVGP like an other local team.

Going to the Tour de Beauce for UCI points is fantastic. Sending half a squad to a smaller stage race in Portugal? Not as cool. Especially, when you are rocking Gary Fisher road bikes in the second largest Trek dealer network in the country. If I was a sponsor or a seller of Gary Fisher bikes in the area I would be pretty damn disappointed in Kelly Benefits for not showing up to support the local race. In fact, if the rumors are to be believed, if they didn’t show up because a rider failed to locate the turnaround during the opening time trial last year and continue to hold a grudge they should grow up.

The Lifetime Fitness team is my new huckleberry in pro cycling. Even if they are directed by Roberto Gaggioli.
Just saying.

Today was my first ever attempt at working Radio Tour at a professional stage race. Radio Tour is responsible for relaying information from the officials to the team caravan. It is a semi important job as team managers then relay information from Radio Tour to their riders. The beginning of the race is usually the most exciting as you perform radio checks and go over the parts of the course that teams need to know, but then the race begins and it gets real serious.

The women’s race was a ton of fun with a few crashes, but most of the riders were able to continue. Within the first 6 miles 3 riders flew off the back to never be seen again (one after a harsh crash and bike change) it then became a race of constant attacks and small 5 second gaps, nonetheless, it was a blast and I can’t thank “Super Team” Andy Dahl enough for hooking it up.

Tomorrow is the Uptown Crit and I will be there with Sarah walking around having a great time. I can’t wait to see a bunch of people and then it is off to the most important stage of the race (where the win is usually decided) in Mankato where I will be working the radio again.

I wish I could pull this job off at other big races.

Oh, VALUE ACT CAPITAL pulled off the win. I couldn’t be happier for Lisa and her squad. Great, great, great win for them today.

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Where is Kelly Benefits?

Seems like this would be the place that they would show up considering that they are a registered Minnesota club, and race on Gary Fisher road bikes in a rather large and important market for the Fisher/Trek brand. I understand going to Tour de Beauce, but to Portugal? It is too bad that they are not here as they would surely make the racing even better.

The Wednesday night races in downtown St. Paul for the NVGP were the best I have ever seen. I just want to throw that out there. In all of the years I have watched the pros race around the streets of Minnesota I have never seen some of the drama that unfolded in the Mens race. The heartbreak of the Bergman crash. The heartbreak of Tom Soladay getting caught at the line 55min after being off the front. The amazing win by Haedo.

Awesome race.

Best part?

Best seat in the house overlooking the finish line. Thanks to Nate for the beer and photograph.

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Now I am off to work the radio for the women’s road race in Cannon Falls.