Busy busy

I can't believe it has been over a month since my last post, since then I have switched back to Comp Clyde and competed in the Subaru Cup in that category. I was leading the XC race when my master link came apart on a rock strewn downhill. I dug around in my camel back looking for that master link that is supposed to be in there and it was nowhere to be found. So I pulled the chain out after Bob Phelps passed me and started to run it in. luckily it was my last lap and I only had 2.5 miles to go. I kept looking over my shoulder for any of the other clydes but I did not see any. After coasting down the last section of single track I ran through the finish for second place. Third was still another 3 minutes behind me. On Sunday was the short track and Super D. I was in the last wave of the Cat 2 races and lined up in the front row for the start of the hurricane of pain. When Don said goooooooooo I new I had to drill it for the first 4-5 laps and stay at the front. I managed to stay in third then fourth spot for the first 4 laps and started to fade a bit. When my teammate Bryan caught and passed me I dug in a little deeper and closed the gap. By this time half of our wave had been pulled form the course because they were about to get lapped and I was fading fast, but managed to finish the entire race and took 1st in my group and 8th overall for my wave. Finally it was time for the Super D. The organizers did away with the Lemans start and were lining us up in waves of 10-12 racers. I got on the bottom of the list and had to line up in row two, not a good place to start when you have a 75 yard sprint to the trail. I lined up behind a fast sprinter and elbowed my way to third just before the woods. The first guy bit it in turn one and was on his back headed for the trees. I kept half wheeling the guy who was now in first but could not get around him in the downhill single track. When I broke out in to double track at the bottom he put in a little attack and had about a 30ft lead. Then as I was making my last ditch effort he looked back and attacked again. We crossed the line with him beating me by .2 seconds. Not a bad weekend of racing

Half a Chicken

Another Sunday, another long ride. Met up with Ryan and Bryan in Denzer and headed out for a three hour ride in southwest Sauk County. We were being circled by ominous clouds all morning but managed to stay dry. Made a pit stop in Plain to check out a possible Brefixt Ride spot but they are not open on Sunday, oh well I guess it is back to Marthas in Lyndon Station. We finished up the ride with a great chicken dinner at the Denzer town Hall.

The Double

Wausau, race number three on the WORS schedule. After a ten day rest week I was finally feeling good about riding my bike again and was going to try a new approach to the race. the day started as usual with Monica heading out for the Citizen Youth race. after not seeing her come through the finish and waiting forever I finally saw her in the woods heading our direction. There were three possibilities as to why she was so far back, one-she had a mechanical, two she got off course, or three-she crashed. When she came by I shouted my usual words of encouragement and then I saw the muddy tears and the blood running from her knee to her ankle. Usually the dust and dirt crusts over the wound fast in a mountain bike race, but she was still bleeding. I would like to thank Rick Walls and John Holcomb for getting her to the finish line, after discussing how to get back to the chalet they told her the fastest way was to finish the race, and that she did. When I got her to the first aid we found that her shorts were full of sand and gravel, she had gravel rash from her shin to her hip and a puncture wound to her knee and palm of her hand. She said she cried for about 5 seconds and stopped because someone might see her. She is one tough cookie.
Then Chasity went out and cut 21 minutes off of her time from last year and finished ninth, by this time it was about 90 F out and getting hotter. I decided to take a measured effort to the race this time and not go out so hard at the start. Everything was working as planned as I made my way through the field. I was taking turns working with Russel Jobs and was feeling good, on the tail end of the second of three laps I got slightly off line in the rocky single track and hit a razor sharp rock that was pointed at me. Psssh there goes the front tire, psssh there goes the back tire. The double flat, as far into the 8 mile lap as I could get. It took me 35 minutes to get back to the finish and register my first and hopefully last DNF for the year.

The Double

Well the first WORS race of the year was fast and fun as always, I do not think I was mentally or physically ready for it though. After doing the Circut of Sauk road race the day before I did not have enough left in the tank. I should have just did one race instead of two if I wanted a good result at either, but it is hard to turn down a race that is only 15 minutes away. I think I will try the double again next weekend with LDL Saturday and Rhinelander Sunday, just won't expect great results at either of them. The Wildside Velo team had a great turnout for Iola with 14 racers competing and it was good to reconnect with all the other racers after the winter lay off.

Another Fine Weekend

Got in almost 6 hours of riding this weekend. Saturday was 45 miles and 4000' of elevation. The hills seem a lot bigger at this time of year but riding with the group sure makes it a lot more fun. Made it up Freedom, Denzer, and a few others before turning back for home, had a party to attend for Dog Boy not smoking for four years. Monica got to ride her boy Milky way for 1 1/2 hours, funny how he has bucked five people, but when his girl shows up to ride him he is like a big Lab. Sunday was a nice relaxing tour of the flats around the Muck Farms and Levee road, made it through the Dells and over to Mirror Lake before heading for the barn doors, got a few extra miles in, riding with B-Rad home and then headed back south. Finished up with a mighty fine steak at Outback Steakhouse.
Even though it is early you still have to make a big effort for those stop ahead sign sprints.

A Little Mud on the Tire

Two days of mountain biking in a row. The Dells trails are open and clear, Brad even had a new trail to deal with the new construction. Saturday we had 6 riders for about 1:30, it started to rain just as we got back to the cars and we finished up with Black Betty and BBQ Pizza at Moosejaw. On Sunday we were going to head out to the Kettles but decided to try Blue Mounds for the first time. Spencer, Chasity, and myself rode the trails while Monica and Julia hiked. Definitely not for the beginner, very technical. We did most of the loops, the only trail we missed was Holy Schist, I guess we had to save something for the next time. After 2 hours of riding Spencer and I arrived at the car with a few rain drops on our backs, loaded up and headed for the Grumpy Troll in Mount Horeb. Another delicious ending to some delicious trails.

Christmas in March

The Kenda and Crank Bros orders arrived today. Not free, but pretty darn cheap through the rider support programs.

Been a while.

Finished the Shamrock Shuffle with Bryan in record time for me this year. Also ran with Chris Pitts and Chris Lemke. Legs were sore for three days. The Tuesday night rides have begun. They are not the leg burners that will be coming in the next month but they are a lot of fun. Monica has her new ride put together and went for her first ride of the year tonight. Can't wait until we start hitting the mountain bike trails

In the basement

Been spending time with the mill and the trainer in the basement, and trying to line up new sponsors for the team. We scored another local bar, Captain Bradys' Showboat Saloon and Kenda has the team on the Rider Support Program for 2010. Moosejaw Pizza and Dells Brewing Company are still on board. Mark has been supporting the team since he owned Pump House Brewery, that makes this year number 12 for him and his business. Pete and the guys at Wildside Adventure Store are title sponsors again and we hope to win more shiny plaques to hang in the shop this year.
So far I am ahead in my training from last year. The watts are up and the weight is down, unfortunately I am still a clyde. Have two more months of hard work before I stop worrying about the weight and focus more on the racing. Signed up for my first event, 10K Shamrock Shuffle, still up in the air about Berry Roubaix.

Shot Time

The first real road ride of the year and I definitely can feel it in the legs. Managed to get three full hours in and see a bit of the Sauk County country side. I have been offered a shot during rides before but this was a first for a non pub crawl ride. We were about 5-6 miles from finishing up at the Krayers when some nice fella stuck his head out of the door of a bar and yelled " do you want a shot of peppermint?" I think he was kind of shocked when we all turned around and said "heck yeah". He proceeded to get a bottle of peppermint schnapps and glasses. He was just as equally surprised to find out that the lycra clad bike riders Ryan and Lisa were his neighbors. What a great ride, I hope offers of food and beverage keep coming as we pass through the little towns and villages of the state this year.

Snow biking

For the second Sunday in a row I have ventured out on the snowmobile trails of Sauk County. We start at the Krayer's and ride from their home in Denzer to the trail that is just down the road. The first week it was through Leland and west of there. This rout had a fair amount of elevation change and we ended up on a high ridge overlooking the Leland area. This week it was towards Sauk City and the recent snow made for a lot of work, this ride was a bit harder than week one. We would hit areas that were drifted over and not as packed in as the rest and the bikes and riders had a hard time negotiating the trail. We only cover about 7-8 miles of trail each way so we do not get a lot of mileage but it is made up in effort. We have started sprinting for the stop ahead signs just like our summer road rides but you can't get much of a sprint on with 10lbs of air in the tires and three inches of fresh snow. It has been a blast and reminds me of the days in Houghton/Hancock of riding on the trails with Matt and Jeff. Oh to be a college student with not much in the way of responsibilities again. The local people on there snow machines have given mixed but slightly positive reactions. No one has yelled but the waves or thumbs up are outranked by no response 10-1. Hopefully we will be back out again on Sunday, it beats the heck out of the basement trainer.

Ringing in the new year

The annual New Years Day ride was a pleasant 15 mile ride on the snow covered roads today. It was a small turnout this year compared to last, but the weather always plays a roll in the amount of people that show up. If the temp is below 20 it cuts the number in half just by itself. The eight of us ventured out at 2:00 p.m. sharp and road for about an hour. It seems that every year we have grand plans to ride every weekend in the winter, we will see what happens on Sunday when we are supposed to hit the Sauk County snowmobile trails.