Up Nort'

WORS # 4 went down this weekend...I also went down

after leading 4 out of 5 laps I tangled with a lapped rider and lost contact with Jesse...He proceeded to kill it putting 1:30 on Marko and I in the last lap. It was a little painful for a while trying to catch him, but soon I realized he was gone and went to damage control mode to make sure I could get 2nd. It came down to a sprint that was kind of easy to win considering Marko was on a ss. A short lap did make for a lot of lapped traffic at times, but overall one of the better challening mtb courses on the WORS circuit.

Speaking of challenging courses...Ican't wait to hit some of those downhills in Marquette this weekend. I might be a little tired by the time the mtb race rolls around considering I haven't done a 100 miler all year, and haven't raced even 2 days in a row nevermind 3 but it should be pretty fun to rally the best downhill in the Midwest. I saw the circuit race doesn't start until 11:15 so maybe I could do both and get 4 races in over the weekend!!!

Here is a sweet one from MarquettePhoto.Com from last years SBF

Race Prep

In The House

Over the weekend I did some training and went to Madison for a wedding, When in Madison I had to go watch the ss bros at work in the West Side Store and check out the new madone. The thing looks sweet. I can't wait to crank one of those down Lakeshore Dr.

It was a sweet wedding, but by the time I was back in Sheboygan Sunday I was 100% Blown Out. Monday it was back to work.

Lunch Break was the best part of the day! Hopped on the scooter and cruised down to the new Highland House in Sheboygan. Highly recommended...Great Food, Sweet View, plus they are a proud sponsor of PCW. Gotta check it out

That's it for today....time to start the prep for WORS # 4 in Phillips!

rambling man

After watching 24 SOLO I had to get my hands on a copy of Off Road To Athens...it was not quite as good as 24 SOLO, but still pretty sweet. Any movie of mountain bikers going for it through the mud and rain with overly dramatic music will get my blood flowing...unfortunately this movie left me with a real bad taste in my mouth....USA Cycling...

I know the point has been made, but c'mon. What are these guys doing? Back in the 94, 95, 96 era mountain biking was huge...tons of people walking around the pits at a Norba, Fans at the farthest points out on a course in full power screaming like it was the finish line, and huge numbers of racers....10 years later and USA Cycling seems to kill the sport... In between I had some fierce battles with USA Cycling and the officials...

I remember battling w/ Stefan Girard as a U-23 rider trying to make the national team, I remember an official telling me I should have raced faster after finishing in the top 20 in a short track when they bombed the results in West Virginia, and I know I was a part of many more battles...

But If I had been battling for the Olympics and lost becuase of a lame procedure and horrible communication I would be really really mad.....

At least Don Edberg has his shit together! Props to WORS and theire huge success, hence my willingness to compete and support in the WORS series.

In other news Mighty Ducks win Stanley Cup....Stanley Cup has to be one of the best ways to finish the season and the best celebration of the 4 major sporting events....NHL, NBA, MLB, & NFL........

Now I will be watching Basketball....my parents lived in Cleveland for 4 or 5 years so GO CAVS!

W - Take 2

It's hard to update a blog from work....craziest thing....customers keep coming in and interuppting me...dang

Anyway it's been a week since the last update....the worst thing about vacation is getting back to work and picking up the missing pieces....

The best thing about vacation was not being at work for a week and I only got 3 phone calls from work while I was gone...not bad

The real best thing about vacaction was mtbing here and here.

Lots of relaxation, good food, read a sweet book called 'Population 485' about Wisco. Also did some brutally painful VO2 intervals in a rain storm on thurs.

We cut home a little early because we weren't sure what to do with Rosco during the race. So it was home Friday, prep Sat, Race Sunday.

After all the rest I was ready to go for WORS # 3 Marathon style.

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The start looked like that....Doug, Jesse, and I sharing the workload....

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Then we finished Lap 1 it started raining and we lost Doug...it looked like that....

End of Lap 2 Jesse throws down a big attack....Mike Phillips is there, then gone, then back again, Chris P and I bridge the gap.

Lap 3 gets really muddy and fatigue starts to settle, we are catching lots of lapped traffic. I take some pulls through some singletrack. A lapped rider crashes into me, I get up pass him, then hear Chris or Jesse battling with the same guy... I pop out of the and go to TT mode...

Last lap is painful but I kept going faster and faster to take my 2nd Wors win of the season.

I was blown away when Marko finished 2nd only 1:00 min back...he must have been killing it or maybe not cause I found this picture....

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To me it looks like my wife yelling, "On your right" while in the big dog and passing Marko in the mud...maybe not though....

here are some HR numbers, wind speeds, lap times, temps, and maps to study for the tech geeks from the Garmin

Props to Andrea for getting 2nd overall in SPORT after graduating from Nursing School and not really riding for 4 years.

Thanks to Rusty for the photos...

The sad part of the day was when Michelle Tim's wife watched me ride by in the lead, said nothing, then proceeded to cheer for Mike and Chris...2 non pcw racers....heartbreaking...

W

I scored a Win in Wausau for the first of the Marathon races, It was raining. muddy and I had it in the dog a lot. Full race report tomorrow....now it's off to the utility tub to clean muddy clothes...

24 - SOLO

No I'm not doing it....watching the movie was sweet enough for me.....

I highly recommend any mountain biker with any sort of passion for the sport go out and by this movie....it'll motivare you for sure.

There were some scenes from the 24-9 race in Wausau that has me thinking about this years race...

In other news....

Wings Lost...no more hockey, no more mullett? I know it was a weak attempt, but you know who is giving me a hard time....

My shoulder is wasted from crashing in Geneva....I though for sure now it would be better, but it only seems worse....

Secret training over the hoilday weekend followed by a week of vacation....Eagle River here I come....until next time

may the schwartz be with you

Back To School

Well the big party weekend is over....Andrea is officially a Graduate Nurse w/ a BSNRN....unfortunately she is already back in the classroom. What a drag to graduate and then a day later be forced in the classroom for 40 hours of Mandatory NCLEX review...I guess one more test...the state boards..then its official.
























I also went back to school this weekend....it was a sharp learning curve too. WORS at Lake Geneva w/ Mom & Dad in attendance...I was feeling good, maybe a little tired from the graduation party, but ready to rock. I heard good things about the course and was pretty pumped. Lap 1 was fast...I was behing AJ in the first singletrack and a little gap opened to the top 3 of Jesse, Tristan, & Mike....I rode hard to close the gap and was feeling pretty good, Marko was chasing me but couldn't quite get my wheel. By the end of lap 1 five of us rode through and started the climb back on to the course. Tristan was riding like a girl so I took charge on the climb, a few minutes later, I was riding like a 5th grader and couldn't stay on two wheels. I crashed and Jesse and Tristan were gone. Mike was just in sight and I managaed to catch Marko's wheel. Then it got slippery, I crashed again, then it got slipperier.

I composed, started chasing caught Marko saw Mike in the woods with a flat, but I knew Tristan and Jesse were gone. I think I crashed in front of Marko about 17 times....I think he crashed in front of me 13 times....it was pretty rad for a while...I should have let out some air pressure, but didn't want to flat on the rock garden. Finished up 4th on the day. Great day for Trek / Fisher on the podium! The day after and I feel like I got my ass kicked in a hockey fight from hitting the ground too many times...

Wings lost a heart breaker...do or die tomorrow night in Anaheim, series is 3-2 Ducks

Go WINGS!!!

back to work now....

go time

vo2 intervals, work, parents in town, el camino, red wings, work, ride, dinner, graduation sleep, ride, clean bikes, party, race, relax

a lot going on in the next couple of days....

GO WINGS

My Garage

It's like I'm a poster child for Trek & Crank Bros......wait a minute

So here is the status of the garage / basement of a one time pro / really fast local guy with Trek 2 hours drive away




The Road Bike: 6.5 SSL w/ Crank Bros Ti Quattro & Select Wheels w/ Hardcase Tires * 105 Cassette





























The Race X Lite Wheelset ready for the road...

Andrea's Madone 5.2 WSD w/ Crank Bros Quattro

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The Fastest Bike Ever new Fuel 9.9 w/ 4 ti egg beaters...freshly cleaned after the WORS "W"

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Andrea's Fuel 98 w/ Crank Bros Candy Pedals

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The Secret Weapon (Lightest Mountain Bike I have ever Raced) Elite 9.9 w/ Crank Bros 4 Ti Egg Beaters .... in the works....

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But w/ this fork or that fork....


































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The 9.9 Race X Lite Wheelset ready for the mud !























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The XO transformed to a winter bike.....w/ Select wheels 105 Cassette 2Ti Egg Beaters Hardcase Tires w/ close to 7000 miles on them...

























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The X Lite Wheelset waiting for more cross....





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The Merlin!!!! Old School... This thing has been through it all....4 versions of XTR, Sport Class Fun Promotions Races, NORBAS, WORLD CUPS, Wors, and Breakfast Rides galore....It has seen the 24 speed era, 27 speed era, was once a single speed, and is now set up as a 1* 9 with slicks...the slicks double as Andrea's Fuel's Road Wheels


































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And what kind of garage would it be if there wasn't a 700C Disc Wheelset for cruising the MTB'S

Big Time

You know you made it big time when you are on the Fisher Website and your riding a Trek. At least big time in my little world of blogs and bike racing

No intervals this weekend....going back to quantity to get ready for SBF.

Wings start in One Hour...I'm at the shop so I'll have to watch the first 2 periods here....

GO WINGS

Best Ever???

I would have to say that Detroit is THE BEST sports town in the country?

Pistons, Tigers, Red Wings, & Lions.....

I know the Lions aren't the best but if they keep drafting wide receivers maybe one of the will catch a few TD passes....

Tigers in the World Series last fall w/ Kenny Rogers, now Gary Sheffield...Wings & Pistons are currently killing it in their respective playoff series....can anyone think of a better town for sports?

I know the Sheboygan A's are pretty tough but c'mon

More sweet training this week, inervals, rain, hail, more inervals!!!! Lovin' It...

Polka Time

I knew it was going to be a good day as we were approaching Iola and I switched the radio station....over the airways came the polka version of the Partridge Family's 'I Think I Love You'


Yah....stranger things have motivated me in the past but this time it was a family band from the 70's.


All the big dogs from Wisconsin showed up for the first Wors race of the year, except for Sova who claims to have a girlfriend???
























A solid warm up, a solid start, and a perfectly tuned Trek Fuel 9.9 had me on my way to the first victory of the Wors season. The new Fuel's are amazing...the rear suspension is so active when it needs to be yet rigid enough to climb like a champ....the lockout is even more impressive and turns the plush fuel suspensin in to a 22 lbs rigid bike with the flip of a switch.


I followed AJ and Mike up the start climb and after a few lead changes on the first couple of climbs I took the lead and never looked back. For a while I could feel the presence of Jesse on the SS and was impressed with his effort. Our perceived exertion was 2X that of the Rockford race, but the different styles of riding the full suspension vs the ss continually had him bridging small gaps and soon I was riding solo.

I'm not sure if it was the power of the Blades, the new Trek, or the Partridge Family, but more likely than not it was the help from www.momentumendurance.com The hard work paid off...

I would like to thank Travis for all his help. Even if you think you are really fast a coach can help you...an outsiders perspective and new found motivation can do you wonders on the bike.

Here is my GPS from the race...consistent lap times and good HR numbers...what more could I ask for...



http://trail.motionbased.com/trail/activity/2669212


























It felt good to defend the #1 plate and I would like to thank a few folks for their support....

PCW, Trek, Hyundai, Crank Bros, Oakley, Bike N Ski, Rusty's Photos, the WORS crew

and of course Mom, Dad, Andrea & Rosco!!!


















































ps - WINGS @ The Shark Tank...Game 6 tonight...I think I saw Simonson @ the JLA when watching the WINGS destroy the Sharks on Saturday...he had a beer in his hand and stood up every time the camera panned the ice...could it be? Go WINGS

Whats Around The Next Corner

Well the race season is officially upon us in WISCO...

This weekend kicks off the WORS series and it is looking like it will be a battle from race #1 all the way to the last race in Sheboygan.

We'll see what happens soon enough..

Also just around the corner is Andrea's graduation from nursing school at Marion College. We have been in the same routine for the last 4 years....we'll see what changes lie ahead once "reality" starts. Maybe a relocation, maybe back to school for me, maybe full time bike racer now that I have a sugar mama!!!

After last weekends race I am feeling pretty good.

Here is a short recap of the Rock Cut race...

Rolled up in fashion with 4 trek bikes on the roof. Was pretty happy to see there was going to be some competition at the race when I saw the Trek Van and the Lalonde bros. You never know what you will get at a smaller local race. The start was hard for me, being the first real effort of the season racing against others...soon I settled in and was of the front in a group of 3. Half way through the first lap Marko flatted. I let Jesse pull the remainder of the 1st lap and then took over the work load for the second lap. At one point I was close to dropping Jesse, but he got a little breather when we approached an injured rider and had to slow down. Soon after that I hit my head on a tree really hard....broke my helmet....gotta keep my head up and watch for those low branches...Jesse said it looked like whiplash. On the last climb of the 2nd lap I pushed the pace and was able to slowly pull away from Jesse. The last lap I felt really strong to roll in for the victory at a time of 2:00. A long race for the first one of the year and it was pretty warm out. Happy ride home to Sheboygan.

After 2 awesome workouts this week I should be primed for Iola...

ps...bloggin is almost like a full time job...lack of updates due to no internet at home and being plenty busy at work...sorry

I Wanna Rock

ROCK



Rock the Mullet (I'm coming for you Spiro)




























Rock The Old School Blades


Rock the Trek Bikes






















Rock Cut State Park - Do The Rock MTB RACE

Rock The Leisure Ride

The 24 Hour National Champs (-AJ) were back to Rock the singletrack!

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Rockin' The Fuel 9.9 on the way to Victory # 1

Andrea Rockin' on her way to the podium!

And only in WISCONSIN........on the drive home...this Harley Babe was Rockin' the Plumbers Crack!

Thinking

Thinking about racing....

For the first time this year I might do an official race...

check it out

http://www.rctrailcrew.org/

we'll see what the weekend brings...but first it's off to Waupaca for a wedding....! To hit the dance floor or not hmmmmm?

Last two days of training have been tough. For extra motivation in the 40 degree temps and rain, I decided to do my intervals in the basement. I hired a clown from Sheboygan Balloons and Gifts, and during my intervals I had it(him or her I couldn't quite tell) cheer for me in foreign languages, jump up and down, and throw water on me! It was fun.

Training Camp

Let's start out by saying I Love Riding My Bike...in really really nice weather!


This past weekend was the annual trip down to Nashville in Brown County Indiana for the PCW Team Training Camp. Friday morning we loaded up the Hyundai and headed south. I drove with Tim Drankus, Tony and his fiancee Brenda and our first stop was pro style at the Golden Arches.

































After a quick detour in Indianapolis to deliver a eBay bike sale we were rolling into Nashville.

Here is a map of our first day of riding...


http://trail.motionbased.com/trail/activity/2542894


we followed up Day 1 with some good food and then another solid ride on day 2


the roads in Nashville, IN are great....lots of hills, lots of curves, and lots of pcw jerseys.
































http://trail.motionbased.com/trail/activity/2542895


After Saturdays ride it was time for the smack talk to end of the men to take to the basketball court...needless to say I couldn't back up my mouth...I'll stick to riding bikes. After dinner and the team presentation it was over to the campfire for amply amounts of bullshit and flatuants.






































http://trail.motionbased.com/trail/activity/2542896


Day 3's ride was followed by a long drive home and the reality of life starts again. It's great that once a year the team can get together and bond. Now I'm back to the grind at Bike N Ski. The Wings are going on the round 2.


Go WINGS

Tis The Season

That's right Stanley Cup Playoffs...the Red Wings are off to a 1-0 start. I am a huge fan and have been watching the Wings as long or longer than Yzerman has been around...that's a long time.

It's also time to start racing bikes...this weekend is the Sea Otter which again brings back so many memories of ripping it up around the Laguna Seca!

Before I start racing it's down to the PCW Team Training Camp in Nashville, IN. The weather forecast looks good, the roads are awesome, and there are some "real" hills.

I might kick off the season the following weekend in Rockford, IL or I might just have to use WORS #1 as the season opener. Until then I will be training hard and recovering watching hockey. At least VS Network has good coverage of one sport I like. GO WINGS!

Ice Age

Yes, It has been an Ice Age since my last update. Yes it feels like we are living in an Ice Age w/ the weather below freezing, and Yes, I did do a sweet ride this weekend on the Ice Age Trail. Due to the frigid temps and the brutal wind speed I decided riding on the road at 20 mph would be really really cold. With 4 hrs planned I was dreading heading down to the basement. Then it hit me...time to bust out the new Top Fuel 9.9 and rock the Ice Age/Greenbush. I loaded up with Ozone warming cream, made some Powerbar Endurance, Sun Tea flavor, warmed it up and put it in the camelbak, and applied ample vaseline to the face. Next thing I know I was rocking the road at 8 mph into a biting wind. I was cold for the first 35 minutes until I got to the Road America climb and was in the safety of the hills and trees of the Kettles. The rest of the ride was bliss. 2-3 inches of fresh powder snow covering the rocks of the ice age trail put the new suspension to work. The bike rides like a dream. After a few laps in Greenbush it was time to head home. After fighting off the bonk I made it mission accomplished 4 hours in 25 degree temps. Out to dinner at a new Mexican restaraunt in Sheboygan called Mr. Sol. Sorry no pictures but you can check out the route at Motion Based...I am still pumped with this GPS thing...

http://trail.motionbased.com/trail/activity/2426446

Happy Easter

Keeping Up

This past week has been all about keeping up and catching up....after being on vacation for a week it was a little tough to fall back into routine. It's really easy to adjust to the life of a pro biker...ride 5-6 hours, eat, rest, eat, sleep. repeat...



Now it's back to work, back to life, back to reality...



Training has continued to go good...beleive it or not I have already done more intervals this year than the last two years combined! This leaves me with two options...get faster or burn out...only time will tell...In exchange for more intervals(see below)












































Any excuse for more Ben & Jerry's is a good one...

It has been busy @ work with the Trek Supersale so I have to get going....really wishing I was at the Norba in Phoenix! I love that place...