Nimrods Around the Nation

Just wanting to add a little to the blog that has now become a website at www.nimrodsracing.com. We are growing in Nimrodity around the U.S. Our ranks include ambassadors in Texas, Colorado, Northern California, and soon the United Kingdom! Word of mouth and between friends is how this friendship is spread. Join us! Ride with pride and Flail harder than you've ever Flailed before....

Can you hear the marching band??!!

Today starts a new chapter in NimNation! Gerry, Mark, and Dave rolled out the new KIT! and made a statement - WE ARE NIMRODS! Their pride and allegiance bore upon their shoulders with the mark of the "i"!


Ride strong, flail big, and smile if your going down.....and hope a shutter-bug captures the moment!

THE NEW AND IMPROVED NIMMY KIT!

Well my friends, it has happened, the all new Nimrodsracing Kit has arrived! Not only is it uber sexy, it has a slimming effect but POPS to the eye. If you ordered one, you are going to look fab and I believe you will increase your power output by hundreds or less (individual outputs will vary - consult with your healthcare provider before wearing anything proclaiming to enhance your energy...yadda..yadda..yadda) But seriously, just holding the kit made my broken clavi mend and allowed me to don the new kit to my wife's dismay and the fearful screams of my children. My wife received a phone call yesterday that there was a Nimrod sighting on PCH! Crazy how fast the love spreads.....

New Rig?

So here I sit broken hearted, trying to work, but I'm jonesing on a what to buy for my next bike. I have been looking at the Leopard D1 and CL1 but for frame and fork their pricing is a little high for an online bike situation, I am leaning towards a Van Dessel - the frame and fork are a bit heavy compared to my S-Works but it sure is a nice looking rig and the pricing is pretty sweet:

Check out the reviews at:www.roadbikereview.com and www.bikeradar.com!

Just a pretty picture....

Can you say.....OUCH! 5x fast?

The Nimrod Standard!

We have all probably been wondering...what makes a nimrod a nimrod? and why do I gravitate toward being a member of such a high status level "Team" AND finally - What does it take to "BE"? Well I'm here to shed some light on "The Standard": To begin to understand the commitment one must have a Baseline to work from, a benchmark. I would like to show you exhibit A This is me, Nimzero, after a solo crash while riding in what I thought was a straight line at the El Dorado Crit I was closing a gap on the back straightaway looked over my shoulder and veered left into the parking blocks that line the street - I really don't know how I did it- but I did it well - hit the block - flew into a superman landed on my head and left shoulder felt the bone crack as I tumbled to a stop...grabbed my shoulder and clavicle and knelt as if saying a prayer as the gang sped by...racing. What a bizarre occurrence. Here is my bike:
Here is a picture of me 3 minutes after the morphine shot (my wife asked me to open my eyes all the way) - I told her "they were"!The medication worked well, I don't remember much of the evening, but I'm glad I didn't take anyone out with me. Here I am day 2: I am setting this event as the standard because of how extremely lame it was...I am sooo flippin' embarrassed about it, but it is the standard we must live up to - I guess. But no more broken bits please.....

Bacon

Photo provided by Jeff Sipper - www.jeffsipper.com

So - there is this guy, he is pretty mellow, doesn't say too much, BUT, can turn a two-wheeled turd into a dream rig without breaking the bank. His name is Bacon. He works at Adrenaline Bikes. He is second in command under Jim L. (If you need a rig he can build you anything your heart and debit card desires.) If you have not seen Bacon yet, you can't miss him - He is the smiley bearded hairy dude telling you that gold wire nipples are all the rage!

Sipper Photography Bacon - aka - Jesse B.

Over the Hump!

Mark Scott - Over the Hump
Have you ever thought you were good at something and then came to find out you suck? Well, welcome to Over the Hump!, cross country mountain bike series at the Irvine Lake. What a terrific venue and what great sponsors! The atmosphere was awesome. Good people, good beer, good Gawd it hurt! So, to make a long story short...I went out with Mark in the Sport Class (I'm thinking it is only fair that I don't enter beginner because I have a brief history of racing 12 hour and marathon races/rides) So off we go....I'm mid pack (in my class) Mark shoots off ahead, cuz he can, and I catch him at the top of the first climb! (He is caught because he snapped his chain.) He is about 1/4 mile away from the start line so he walks back, gets his chain repaired by the fine folks at Surf City Cyclery, heads out again, catches me, passes me, and finishes 5 minutes ahead of me. Humbling is an understatement. I could not hold the wheel of guys 10 years my senior! All in all the race was bitchen and I can't wait to do it again! Next Tuesday!

The Gambler

Anyone that has rolled Foodpark over the past year+ knows who The Gambler is. On the second of July I was the unfortunate recipient of a phone call from the Gambler..."I'm going to roll to FP, want to join me?" was the message...before I could say "Hellz, NO!" I said - "Yes." So I slept very poorly on the night of the second of July. I woke up extra early after finally falling asleep at 2:30 a.m. I felt as if I were in a nightmare the sun was not even up yet! Sucks to be me...So I leave the house and meet up with The Gambler at the San Gabriel River Mouth. The torture was about to begin...have you ever awoke from a bad dream only to be caught in another...

He "rolled" at 23 into a stiff headwind and dragged my weary ass for 20+ miles down to the Coffee Bean in Irvine, which is the start of the infamous Foodpark Ride.

What happens next is a blurrrrr.....Then the ride is over and we head home....
So you ask, "What is it like to suck wheel after a long ride to a grueling group ride, while "rolling" with the Gambler? (Who just happens to ride up to the wheel of an equally large Moose-Tri-Racer...

So above you see Kenny rolling with a Tri-guy and judging by my distance behind them and the fact I am carrying a camera in my right hand taking pictures, I win as the biggest idiot! Oh,yeah, this was our cruising speed...after Foodpark!

The 2010 Kit is ordered!!!!!

Well it has been a long time coming, but the new and improved Nimrods Racing Kit is now going to production! For those of you that ordered your kits, thank you for being Ambassadors of Nimrodity! For those waiting in the wings, oh well...bummer for you (just kidding) depending how the kit is received I believe there will be another order in September. We have Nimrods in San Fransisco, San Diego, Orange County,Alta Dena, Santa Clarita, Long Beach, and Los Angeles!

If you find yourself on a biking vacation, road, mountain, skydiving ...snap a pic and send it in to www.nimrodsnim0@gmail.com and I will post your pictures - add a blurb so I don't add my own caption!

This is Hoverhawk about to cross the Golden Gate Bridge last spring with Hippstar! Remember to have a cold one in memory of Chris Hipp - Captain Nimrod! R.I.P July 14, 2009 and send happy thoughts to his wife, Lorraine. We are thinking about you!

Looking forward to seeing you all out riding and racing! Long live the Nimrod Nation!

Tres Amigos

One of the greatest pleasures post bike ride is sitting with friends sipping on a coffee or tea and chatting about how much of a Fred the other guy is, attacking his bike skills, laughing at his lack of fitness, and intercepting his efforts at meeting someone new....Here is a shot of Ward-o-licious (Crazyleggs), Gerraldine (Nim1), and Simoni (Nimzero) chillin at the Corona del Mar Starfarts after Food Park on Saturday, happy, happy, joy, joy!

The Speed Weapon!

During a recent pilgrimage to the OC I came across a man considering altering a perfect bicycle. I approached him and offered huge bank for the bicycle in its "as is" condition. There was confusion in the gentleman's eyes and he countered my offer with a higher number. To his lunge I parried with a direct blow to the middle ground and the deal was set. My new love, a serious endurance strength building rig that would surely catapult me into the stratosphere of cyclings speed and power elite! I shared this beauty with my pal, Tim, at Crankbrothers, he was dumbfounded, befuddled, mesmerized and left in stitches laughing at my new love....he did ask to ride it, though:

Great Park Circuit Race Cat 4/5

So yesterday I rolled out to the GPC and thought I was going to roll in the pack and get a nice bit of speed training.....lap 1 and one half - Pop! (and I'm not talking tires!) I suck. I got caught out in the wind and couldn't get back in. Ultimately, I was lapped. No ridicule or heckles...that would be saved for someone worth the breath. So I just rolled around the track and tried to avoid getting caught by my bunch. I was sooo far behind I was ahead of them! They swallowed me up and again, spit me out the back - at this point humiliation would have been a mighty step up the racing ladder, however, I just rolled in, looking down, avoiding the eyes of the spectators that were, of course, looking at me and clapping...everything was in slow motion. (I blame the whooping cough for this stellar performance!)

Confirmed Sighting......

I have heard of a mystical beast, part man, part animal, fueled by bier (beer) and laughter. This creature has not been seen for years, in fact, most don't even believe it exists, but I, Simon while waiting for a road wheel to be trued at Adrenaline Bikes, saw it! It was hiding behind a beverage near the pedals:
What a find! Hans has agreed to be the latest addition to the Nimrod family AND be the guinea pig for the Nimrods Racing Diet Plan! Check back for his progress in late July! It is great to see the Hansinator back and itching to hammer the warriors of the peleton. On a side note, it was actually Jesse of Adrenaline Bikes that was wearing a Nimrods Racing t-shirt that caught Hans' eye and he roared, " I know those guys!" The rest will be history...I feel like sobbing, its such a happy moment being reunited with a racer of his magnitude! Any body looking to buy an Aston Martin - talk to Hans!

A nice shot of two stellar Nimrods! Clang-Clang!

Now here are two buddies that know how to enjoy a Saturday and represent the finest group of powerful, yet covert, riders in the country! If you don the Nimrod kit you have reached a state of harmony within your universe and inner chi (monkey). Captain Nimrod Chris Hippstar Hipp and to his left, Dave Hoverhawk Worthington. Friends always!

Victory at The GREAT PARK!!!!

So chalk one up for the Nimrods! Mark was out in full colors blazing a trail that - it appears - no one could match! He took a solo VICTORY at Thursday nights CBR crit race and did it in exceptional fashion! He has enough podiums under his bib to make even the most core roadie green with envy! Of course, it takes more than one powerful racer to win a race .....so thanks to the boys (and/or girls) that gave shelter to the victor and reigning ....."fastest Nimrod within 200 yards of a white chalk line" - MARK SCOTT!

Da Bear

 

Here is a shot of the crew that went to Big Bear for the Amgen! Beautiful conditions for a ride!!!!

Nimrods Altitude Training Camp!

So would you believe, the Amgen Tour of California chose the same weekend to be in Big Bear as the Nimrods Slacker Team?! Yes, our annual high altitude training camp was scheduled and we arrived to the mayhem of tent building and barrier erecting

We managed to propagate a couple of signs:

The hot tub was steaming, Kenny took first dunk, but Steve was itchin to get in

So camp began with a mountain bike cruise to the top of Summit via fire roads and a single track and fire road decent! Wicked fun! Upon returning to the base camp/Wardo's bitchen cabin, we donned the nimrods t and walked over to the Amgen Tour festivities!

Surf City Cyclery

So Friday, March 19th, 2010 was the VIP Grand Opening celebration for Sean Flynn's new Specialized Concept Shop - SURF CITY CYCLERY. What a killer event! AND he invited a Nimrod! What a charitable guy. The evening was full of insane eye candy from the yellow S-Works ridden by Fabien Cancellara in the 2009 Tour de France


to the unbelievably stealth Specialized Shiv
There was incredible food provided by The Avanti Cafe (Vegetarian) and an open bar with select reds and whites with the Surf City Cyclery Label! Sean hooked all that were in attendance a shwag bag with t-shirt, water bottle, and a pair of sweet CapoFormasocks. I rolled out from the house Saturday morning looking "Pro" in the Nimmy Kit and the new 4" white Surf City Cyclery socks. Yes, I'm a flippin' rockstar in my own mind! Three cheers for the new shop! Hip-hip Hooray! x3

Fueling

To be an elite athlete you must be completely in tune with your body. Everything you do is purpose driven, there are no half-measures, no "days off". To this end I invite anyone who is interested to look into Hammer Nutrition. They are quite an amazing company. My family was assisted into this world by the mother of Brian Frank -the owner of Hammer Nutrition! (By assisted, I mean my wife's midwife was B.F.'s mother, she caught my kids!) I never knew this until she dropped an issue of the Hammer Nutrition Journal off at my house and told me that her son and former husband started Hammer years ago. I was blown away! Anyhow, I got to go to Whitefish Montana and tour the facility and let me tell you it was beautiful. They have an amazing compound and super modern offices AND a trampoline in the front! Back to fueling...I spent weeks researching the ways to fuel pre-ride, post-ride, on recovery days etc, then my partner in crime showed me how a Nimrod fuels:

Buurrrito anyone??????

So it ain't the berries!

Well, 4 months and counting and the berry on the left is still out of service. I think the Cremaster muscle theory is out the window now. My new theory is a jacked nerve in my back that is firing off through my hip and sack. Again, sucks to be me! I have been out on the bike and spend two days off of it with IBU and an ice pack, in fact I'm sitting on one now. Sitting causes a flare up it seems, especially when I get into my car. Standing is great, maybe I just need to ride out of the saddle? At least I feel better than I did two months ago. Slow to mend, but thankful.

The 2nd Coming...

Okay, so the 2nd Generation Nimrods Racing kit has begun production and we are gathering sponsors/ad space. Thus far we have a carpet company, geotech company, a roofing company, and a music group...we are hoping to get MotorTabs to join and "hook-a-brotha-up!" We will wait and see. I was looking over the biblical references for "Nimrod" and found in Genesis 10:8 and Genesis 10:9 some kick ass references and explanations. Nimrod = "Let us Rebel!" - Now that is straight-up perfect. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qMAJf-hf1Zk crazy crashes (view at your own risk - I haven't yet.)

It takes true grit and an extremely inflated EGO to roll with the www.NimrodsRacing.com group. Case and point...Kelly P. the III as he likes to refer to himself (there are no other Kelly's in his family, but don't tell him this.) He is a MAN among men a real "out there" kind of guy. He is pretty much the Shizzle in his own mind. He has found that compression socks go well with the www.NimrodsRacing.com kit and as you can see...he sports the kit with style and attitude. We were cruising at 14 mph when this shot was taken...wheew! That took a lot out of me. Ride on Mr. KPtheIIIrd. You are one wild and interesting MAN.

Back on the bike....and wishing it was a Trike

So, finally, after far too long sitting on the sidelines I have returned to the bike! Oh, the joy! Then I realized it really sucks.

When you are fit I truly believe we take the fitness for granted. Aside from gaining pounds and hair on my legs (something my wife was very happy about), sitting and waiting causes the mind to embellish what you think you have in the way of strength, power, and endurance. As I drive down Pacific Coast Highway and see the cyclists I SEE myself gaining on them, sitting on their wheels, then gassing them and popping them off the back. Oh, the truth, the truth, is soooo painful once my trusty steed is once more mounted and readied for battle on the tarmac.

I set off feeling the wind whip through the hair on my legs...of course this is the reason I can't top 13 miles per hour! I roll on feeling the heat in my chest rising and the drip of sweat trickling down my man boobs to the pooch of a stomach that was once, dare I say, ripped!??? I carry on each pedal stroke more labored than the previous; each breath shallower than the last - where, OH F-ing WHERE, is a group that I can sit in and suck wheel? I plod along reminiscing of a past so much better, fitter, faster. At last, I hear "On your left..." They whizz by me as if I am standing still, I take a breath (deep as I can under the strain of just rolling along) and bridge up to this group, (my saviors). Oh the GODs must have heard my cries, the gleam of kits, the whir of freewheels, the click of gears, (the f-ing blistering pace!) The joy does not last long. I quickly realize that this 'group' is moving very fast AND they are taking turns at the front. I have absolutely nothing to give - I am spent, I am extra weight, I am certainly NOT ment to be along for this ride. As the front rider peels off and slides back I motion to her to go in front of me and with a snarled lip she obliges ...I am not long for this 'group'. I am once again alone, now gasping, heart racing, sweat dripping, eyes burning, ego crushed. I roll home.

Just a note.

I am working to transfer this blog to Wordpress. I don't know why. I just am. Day two in the berry hammock, everything feels.....snuggly.

Injury sets back bicycling - nimrod sidelined

So since October I, Nimzero, (so named after an accident on the fabled FoodPark ride waaayyyy back in June), have been unable to ride with any degree of consistency since the Marathon 50 at Vail Lake. During a commuting ride to work one morning I "jacked" my groin - I was climbing a little incline on the Santa Ana River bike trail and while out of the saddle, on an upstroke, attempted to stretch my abdominal muscles on the left side. No big move, no pain, but subsequent to the motion I felt a lump in my inguinal channel area. I thought nothing of it. (Jump 4 months.) Pain persists. Moves around my lower left abdominal area, groin, iliac crest, an mid and lower back. I think I've got something big, bad, and deadly. I must interject that I did go see the doctor in October and early December - he said, "nothing dangerous, most likely musculoskeletal in nature" take anti-inflammatory and antibiotics for possible infection in the epididimus. Antibiotics? WTF? I guess that is the answer for everything. I took them, no significant change. I donated my junk to technology for a free ultrasound and it was negative for any abnormalities. I can't rest, still thinking I need to write out my last will and testament. (Crazy! 4 months ago I was the poster child of health and happiness.) So, though I promised myself I wouldn't, I began researching the internet for answers, previously the answers were to get my affairs in order...Now I found Grey's Anatomy and I have been looking at the abdominal region muscles and tendons/ligaments and have found multiple possible reasons for my pain - I am now seeing the inside and realizing how much stuff goes on in the groin. Laugh if you must but I am getting close to believing that I have strained the Cremasteric Muscles of the left teste! Okay, you ask what is the Cremastic Muscle - well, when you pinch off a wizz you use the Kegel contraction which causes the junk to rise, the rise is caused by the Cremaster Muscle. It is a thin section of abdominal muscles that form loops that drop into and around the testes. When you suck in you stomach the Cremaster Muscle is activated and draws in your berries. Pretty kewl, huh. So all my suffering, and I must say most was mental but the physical is very real, is as far as I can tell caused by this little group of paperthin muscles! Sucks to be me. Oh, BTW, there is no "cure", just a jockstrap and a prayer and IBU!!!!!! Hope to see you all out riding sooner than later, not that you've missed me or anything....doooooogh!