That’s right! Finally! Tampa is going to have a week day training race again. John Gissal and I are reviving the once prolific Tampa Training Crit that used to be one of the best ways to get your race legs on, stay in shape and have fun on your bike during the week.

Once run by BBC leaders Dave and Sheri Stedje and crew, this race helped produce lots of local talent and provided a great community building, grass roots cycling development. It’s our goal to continue that tradition and help further develop cycling at the local level.

The driving force is a desire to have a good week day training race to help sharpen everyone’s fitness, help mentor newer riders to racing and build community. Come one, come all and bring your friends. Spectators and volunteers welcome. It is sure to be a great time for all.

For all of the info, stay tuned and check out the Crit Page at http://www.endurofit.com/Events/Tampa%20Training%20Crit.html

Visit and become a friend of the event at Wed Night Training Crit on Facebook and follow our Twitter feeds at www.twitter.com/@coachjeb

See you at the race!

~JDS

Here’s an off-season cross-training activity for those of you in need of a new adventure this winter. It is already on my life time ‘to do’ list. Check out this madness.

http://vimeo.com/1778399

~JDS

It’s official, I’m addicted…to ‘cross, that is! Yes, I’ve finally succumbed to the call of the phenomenon that is cyclo-cross racing, and boy am I glad that I did.

Who’d have thunk that riding your bike around in the cold, wet mud would be so much fun? Heck, that’s what I spent most of my child hood doing, so why wouldn’t it be?

Between playing on a muddy obstacle course, being out there with 1,200 others doing the same thing, cheering for my friends, drinking coffee and eating polish sausages, what’s not to love about an event like this?

While it may be too early to tell if I have found a new love, I can say without hesitation, that I will be giving it a go many more times this fall and having a lot more fun!

Hugh & Jeb smile it up after ‘Cross Crusade #1.

See you in Wilsonville next weekend!

~JDS

Last week, Endurofit athlete and friend, Jennifer Urich, summitted Mt. Kilimanjaro in Tanzania.

Never one to back down from a challenge, Jen headed to Africa after a successful season to accomplish one more goal and explore the continent. Making good on her intention, Jen reached the summitt of the mountain at 6:30am on September 18th. 

“Kili” just so happens to be the highest peak in Africa at 5,895 meters (19,340 ft). Now that’s some serious altitude!!!

Be sure to check back in next month to find out more about her adventure and see the photos from her journey.

Congrats on another goal acomplished and amazing adventure Jen!

JDS

With many photos to come soon after I retrieve my newly purchased laptop after a crashed mother board I plan to add them from some of the races I have attended so far to watch many of the women that we got to know last year while putting on women’s cycling clinics, supporting the ladies’ record setting RAO ride and through my wife being on the Sorella Forte Cycling Board of Directors.

I was doing what we all do when we’re supposed to be working (fortunately for me, this actually counts as work…well, sort of), I was trolling through the weekly local racing results (don’t worry folks, I’m not in them so I’m not hunting my own kill) when I came across some pretty amazing stuff.

First off, I was not surprised by the fact that friends and regular seekers of knowledge Colleen McClenahan rocked a 4th place finish at her first go at Tabor and 6th last night, with an unfortunately dropped chain on the finish, and is now sitting in 4th overall. Of course, newbie to the track Kim Rueter, but Cat 3 on the road is winning every track event she enters over there. (I can’t wait to be a cat 5 again too, I just hope I don’t get dropped!).

Of course, newbie to the track , but Cat 3 on the road is event she enters over there. (I can’t wait to be a cat 5 again too, I just hope I don’t get dropped!).But what really caught my eye and blew me out of the water, was how many of the women who came to last year’s clinic series are either winning or placing in the tops of their respective fields or have upgraded and hanging tough.

Abby Jenkins, Jan Moss and Sarah Tingey are consistently winning or placing in the top of their categories, and Libby Evans & Kaytee Petross just upgraded and are killing it already top contenders regularly, Jen Urich has PR’d in every duathlon and running event she’s entered this year and Shana Sturtz is riding strong as well and it just made my heart sing to see this, (especially during a week like I’ve had). Flo Liebowitz’s TTT team lost by 3 minutes without anything aero over a 27 mile course w/ 4-person teams (you do the math!).

Great job ladies! Maybe we actually did do something that made a difference and  helped the sport Adnan?

Either way, I’m just glad to see women’s cycling going strongly, and growing as quickly as it is, and to the overall development I see going on in every arena of cycling as of recent. If we were to only allow the press to determine our perception on reality and provide our sense of hope in any area of our lives, we would have all quit years ago, and now look what has happened!

The Cross-Crusade, (a legendary, local cyclo-cross racing series), is now getting over 1,100 entrants in most of the races. Many of the fields have almost doubled in size as have the number of people coming out to training races weekly. Erik Tonkin and his Sellwood Bike Repair, Kona Bikes and River City Bikes sponsored ‘cross clinics reaching similar numbers  It’s awesome to see what could be perceived as something that is “bad” easily get turned into something very, very good!

Leave it to Portland to lead the way in just about everything. Although, it doesn’t take a jack-ass to realize that if you’re not only thinking about ‘you’ all of the time that life tends to get better for all, starting with you oddly enough! (Ranting sort of stops NOW!)

I am truly grateful to be a small part of it and I look forward to witnessing even more of it in the future. Things are headed in a good direction and I love what I am seeing.

Keep up the great work everyone!

***Photos coming soon!***

-JS

Due to my being busier than I care to admit and the fact that I am usually just not up on the latest news, I hope that I am not giving you guys info that you already have. However, there’s a new spin on this presentation, so you’d better read the fine print if you want to partake in any of the fun!

However, I’m not sure if anyone has actually posted a copy of the Ronde flyer on the web so I am going to do that as a part of my contribution to this year’s event since I won’t be ripping it like Bettini on crack. (God, I love the way that guy rides, but that’s another point no one cares about).

So, for those who haven’t seen it, or just want to see it again, but on the best web site in town (next to the Oregon DMV’s, of course), then here it is, but you didn’t see it here, get it?

I predict the following on this ride, and while I’ll likely be about 85% wrong, I’m going to make them anyways. Here goes:

1) Satlzman is going to look like a prison break on bicycles.

2) Hugh finishes 1 hour faster than he did last year.

3) Brad drinks a beer before 10am.

4) There will be at least 2 dozen people dressed up in ridiculous outfits. Some will make me laugh while others will make me cringe. I’m taking photos of them all.

5) Adnan complains about something if he’s on the ride or even if he’s not.

6) Eric V. rips it like the hard-man classic rider he ought to be. Too bad they don’t have a cat 3 division at Paris Roubaix.

7) Keri makes the front group that dropped me last year.

8) I go hoarse yelling for everyone while getting disliked by many.

9) At least 50 people get lost at some point during the ride.

10) A great time is had by all.

***VERY IMPORTANT INFO***

Prizes are available for those who accomplish the following oddities performed during the ride courtesy of yours truly and Endurofit.

*The first man and woman after College and Brynwood that says “nice job jerky-lips”, wins an Endurofit T-shirt, and it will not even have been worn yet!

**The first person I see on the ride in an outfit other than a cycling kit will receive a copy of The Next Level, Strength Training for Endurance Athletes DVD whether you want it or not.

***The first one to make it up College and Brynwood out of the saddle w/out doing the paper-boy weave wins a 6-pack of Pabst Blue Ribbon, the Schlitz of beer flavored water. (Must be either documented on film or vouched for by reliable sources).

****To be eligible for any of the above prizes you must not have received one of these before or the prize will go to the next eligible person to accomplish the feat or do the stupid thing, which ever the case may be.

*****Check back at my blog 1 week after the ride to see how many I got right. Contact me to claim prizes at info@endurofit.com.

And w/out further ado (notice I put it at the end so that you’re more likely to read my tangential ramblings), which is why most of you read this inane post after all.

(Read it and weep)

-JS

I swear, this “not-a-ride”, ride has quite the ground swell to it this year. Too bad I’m not in “surfing” shape this season.

However, I am in snot-dripping, mouths agape, gasping for breath, walking your bike, top of the hill, photo-taking shape.

So look your best my fellow Rondites and don’t forget to smile when I say…CHEEZE!

Check out the Ronde comments and smack talk going down on
 Bike Portland: