It's Like That!

My inspiration.....

Can anyone name this mullet sporting superstar from the 80's/90's?

I got the cut on Saturday...too bad my camera is heading to Kansas City without me....

I bought I disposable for Sunday's Packers game....it is being developed at Walgreens as we speak!

Laying Low

Haven't touched the bike since last Sunday....still feel pretty blown out....it was really busy here this morning....andrea was on call 2 nights last week....the pager blasted at 1:45am last night....she refers to it as "we" are on call....the thing sounds like pearl harbor reincarnated....going here tomorrow......really pumped.....thinking about waxing the skis....more snow is on the way....selling a bike or two for some friends...picture of the week....mmm...the off season!

Silver Bells

State CX Championships -

Hales Corner, WI -

Snow, Mud, Rain, Wind -

What more could you want for the CX Grand finale in WI? I could have asked for a little more power in the legs, but it didn't happen. I was going for the 3-peat, but Marko rode away from me on Lap 1. Starting lap 2 he had about a 10 second gap. I started taking some risks on the corners and went down. Lap 4 I went down again really hard on the pavement, but by then Marko was long gone. I finished off the last 2 laps with the super fans cheering me on to a Silver medal. I had some bad dreams last night from the super fans screams "Mario" "Frenchie" "Mustache Ride?"

I even grew a Mustache before the race in a feeble attempt to intimidate the darkness.....it obviously didn't work so i shaved it off last night....the mullet will follow soon....

Andrea raced her first Pro Womens cross race on the Merlin....I think the wide mtb tires were slow in the mud....I even think the XL 34c Hutchinson's on my XO2 were pretty wide....she needed a few Sparks hand ups...but she finished.

Elicia had a solid ride in her first sloppy CX race finishing with a Bronze Medal while sick...watch out for E- in Kansas!

Anodized Archives

That's Me! Merlin Ti 1995






















And that's my ride from 1996

From The Rear

Starting in the rear is not that cool. I guess the main reason I went to Iowa is so I won't have to start in the rear ever again! Mission accomplished in gaining UCI points on both days of racing.

Tristan and I arrived Fri night after scoring some free bread at a Panera like place in Beloit. It was a pretty good score. Saturday morning was breakfast at the Village Inn. Multigrain Banana Pancakes with some fresh Strawberries mmmmm.

My call up was last row....bummer....I actually had a good start in Saturdays race and made it to the top 12 by the end of 1 lap. Unfortunately the lead five were out of sight by the time I made it up the the group. I did all I could to bridge up the Bergman midway through the race. I made contact but went to hard and couldn't hold his wheel. Finished 8th.


























Here is a picture of the bike shattering descent that was part of day 1. Day 2's race had us running up the bike shattering descent. I was able to hop the barriers at the bottom and pedal up in the pre-ride, but never attempted to ride in the race because I was in a group of about 6 the majority of the race.


























My start on day 2 was horrible and it took me about 2.5 or 3 laps to catch the group of 7th - 12th. I sat on recovered and went by them gapping them over the log barriers but the next long dragstrip I had 6 guys on my wheel into the headwind and I knew I wasn't bridging the huge gap to 6th place. I sprinted for 7th but didn't have the gas after the slow start. Finished 9th.

I was dissapointed that they didn't do call ups different on Sundays race. There was only 4 guys with UCI points and with so many different ability levels in one race they should have gone by UCI points and then results from the previous days racing....with a front row start I think I could have scored a top 5....but oh well.

Highlight of the race: taking money out of Hollywood's rear on the Mt. Krumpet run up.
Quote of the weekend, Marko "You never know where Hollywood's ass has been."
The secret tip of the weekend...Hy-Vee Grocery Store...a great place for breakfast and post race pizza...Mmmmmm

Happy Thanksgiving

GO PACK GO



GO PACK GO







I hope everyone has a good Thanksgiving. Just in time for the holiday season here is the secret new bike set-up! Peace on Earth! Let it Snow, Let it Snow, Let it Snow, and Let it get muddy in IOWA!

























How's that for old school? ~Ringle~

WCA RULES

Angel Park CX:

Saturday Night 1:00am, after going to bed at 9:00pm, I was up with the head in the toilet...body temp felt like 110 degrees and I was dizzy as can be. Back to bed...

Sunday morning still not feeling the greatest...something wrong with the stomach....lots of trips to el bano. Some pepto bismol and a walk around the hood with Rosco for some fresh air and I was feeling better.

I almost bailed on the race, but I'm glad I didn't....A quick 2 hour drive with lots of blaze orange scenery and we arrived at Angel Park (one of the better WI cx courses).

The parking lot was full of fast racers...I was pumped that some competition showed up from MN and from IA. Maybe it was the $180 First Place prize money.

I took the wholeshot and made it safely around the first lap. K. Refsnider soon took over to set the temp for the next lap or 2....then it was Bergmans turn and the gap opened when Refsnider went down.





























I followed Bergman watching his lines and looking for some weakness. Coulnd't find it though and then I almost lost it.... As we were approaching the beer tent we lapped a rider....Bergman went by him pretty close and I think it scared him....the guy started going down and pushed me about 15 feet off of my line and almost took me out as he hit the ground. I thought he was going to lean on me and keep it upright, but he went down and I pulled the sweet save. Soon after Marko took charge.

I followed in 3rd for the next few laps again waiting to make my move but worried I was running out of time.

With 3 to go I went to the front in the technical section and gapped Bergman. It was enough so I continued to accelerate hard out of the corners and ride smooth. I was worried about Marko on the last run up but managed to stay ahead of him.

The last half lap was pretty fast and hard to pass....I kep it upright and came in just ahead of Marko for the win. Next up YMCA Turkey Trot? Jingle Cross? State CX? One day at a time at this point in the season! Thanks to Mad Cross for the photos.

Rain and 40

It's Good when the guys from the Midwest can get a little love. I have raced all over the country and the Midwest Talent Pool is huge and the respect is pretty much zero. Major props have to go out to Don and the Triple Crown race promoters.


For more Iceman stuff you can check out the video of the race here or some official race photos at David Ditzler Photos.











Doesn't that set up look crazy? After riding that 29" front wheel I'm not sure if I will be able to go back to a 26"???? At least I won't have to worry about it for a while because it's back to cross for the rest of the season. Here is a picture of the ride....





















Cross practice in Sheboygan has been going strong every Thursday. We moved the time back to 3:30 PM now that it is getting dark earlier. This past week was another classic. Bill "Street Player" flats within .5 seconds of dropping in to Vollrath Park. It gets dark way to fast and we only bust out 5 or 6 laps of a really good course. After it is too dark to see we decide to do some sprints across the bottom of the park. After a few it was again too dark to see so we drop the bikes and do some hill sprints on foot. After 2 sprints up the hill Bill "the Puker" Street was at it again....mumbling something about a cheeseburger in between heaves. The first time I met Street he was spewing in here.

It was as classic as the bunny hop session at Evergreen Park last year when Bill "Air" Street continually punded his shoulder/bike/head into the ground and released "HuuuH" after "Huuh" when trying to clear the 12" barriers.

Tomorrow is Sun Prairie Cross. We'll see what happens. I put some new brakes on the rear in case it gets muddy. With a lot of time off the bike this week I was able to clear out the closets and put some stuff for SALE.

Time to go get in a warm up ride....Rain and 40...perfect for Cyclocross!

ICEMAN!

What a weekend.....Hi Score Pacman arcade at the pizza place, Packers win, Steelers win, and I got win #2 at the Iceman.

I'll start from the beginning.....


Andrea, Tristan and I roll out in the Hyundai and arrive in Traverse City, MI at 4:30pm Friday Night. A quick preview of the last 8 miles of the course, an awesome dinner with my dad at Travino's, and an excellent nights sleep at the Grand Traverse Resort.


Saturday Morning: Some coffee, a bagel and a morning conversation with Ned "THE LUNG" Overend. Andrea went for a run out on the golf course while my dad and I put down some French Toast and then rested up for the 2:30 pm start. It's always hard waiting around until late afternoon to race.


THE BIKE SETUP


Trek 6.9 With a last minute tip from the single speed world champ I decided to do something a little different. Last year I ran a rigid fork at the Iceman and suffered a little on the descents. This year I decided to go big and ran a 29" Bontrager Race X Lite up front on the Elite 9.9 with a 26" Switchblade fork. With a 2 X 9 Drive and a Fast Fred rubber in the back along with the 4 Ti Crank Brothbers Egg Beaters the bike weighed in at 19.5 lbs. The 29er up front rolled good through the sand and allowed me to descend full speed ahead.


The Start:






















What a front row! World / Norba Champion, Olympian /Norba Champion, and 4 Iceman Champions. 2nd row also pretty impressive with multiple National Champions.


Before I knew it we were off.....I got the wholeshot....turned left through the fence and let the Monster do his thing....I settled in for a few 30 mph plus pulls behing JHK and Mike.


The next 15 miles were a blur...everyone was riding smooth Mike and Jeremy controlled the race....I took a few pulls in the first 5 miles just to stay in the game. It was a while befor I could look back and see the lead group was down to 6 riders. Mike, Jeremy, Myself, Tristan, Jesse, and Ned. Williamsburg road came faster than normal with the perfect trail conditions.

The early move....somewhere around mile 17 or 18 I felt good....on one of the climbs I found some extra power and let loose the first attack of the race.....I stayed away for a couple of minutes....as soon as I was caught Tristan countered and I instantly got a huge smile on my face....I had visions of attacking for the next 11 miles on every hill of the Vasa.

As soon as Tristan was caught I let another one rip and got a huge gap instantly. I put my head down turned right on the Vasa and went into TT mode. Over the next 11 miles a lot of thoughts went through my head. A lot of what if's, a lot of flashbacks of cramping at Sheboygan, but the heavy chase behind me mostly kept me occupied. Check out the GPS around mile 17.5 and you can see my HR spike just before the right hander onto the VASA Trail. The group closed the inital 30 second gap down to arounf 5 seconds on a few climbs and I kept telling myself "your bike is really light" " don't death grip the bar" "recover on the descents" but the occasional "i hope i don't cramp" I hope I don't crash" I hope I don't flat" "JHK and The Monster trading pulls I better go back and sit in" Continued to invade my brain until I saw Steve Brown at the 1K red flag. He called me an animal or something like that....I relaxed and enjoyed the finish my with hands in the air!






















One of the best parts approaching the line was knowing my Dad and Andrea were there waiting for me. I wish my mom could of been there....but that gives me some motivation for the future. Did a quick interview for the Traverse City Record Eagle before making it over to the podium. Full Results from the local newspaper here.


You can watch the race here or you can watch the finish on You Tube.


























The awards ceremony was pretty cool. Jeff and Ann Buerman (above with my dad) from Pinckney, MI run Michigan Youth Cycling and basically intorduced me to racing. Jeff raised over $2,000 in scholarship money to give to the fastest Jr. racers and asked my on stage to help present the awards. Congrats to Sara and Mike for bringing home the Schoalrship $$$$.


























Then we loaded up the Ice Trophy and headed to the post race party! It was pretty sweet....arm wrestling, beer drinkning, and lots of air guitar....we even hit up the infamous "Argasm" party bus.
























Thanks to all who made the Iceman happen. Thanks to PCW for supporting me throughout the long season. Thanks to Momentum Endurance for great coaching advice. Thanks to Oakley for keeping the eyes protected from the constant sand spray. Even Bigger thanks to Tristan for throwing down some attacks and making the other 2 guys pull....wish you made the podiyum with me. Biggest Thanks to Andrea...she's the best!

Heavy Hitters

The big names are nothing new to the Iceman - Tinker won it 10 years ago!

+ Marko, Ned, and Rad Ross, Simonson - Adam, Travis = Stiff Competition

I love the big races....lets hope the legs show up and the bike stays together!~

Secret Training

I couldn't decide what to do over the weekend...race? rest? train?

I opted for the combo of rest and train then Andrea and I drove north until we could find next weekends race conditions. Found some cool MTB trails to ride.

Then Sunday morning with fresh snow on the ground did some super secret intervals guaranteed to make you go fast. The workout comes from the Jon Mesko - "Two Week Get Fast Training Program" It was 30 degrees and heavy snow fall when I set off for Interval #1. By the end of the one hour workout I was frozen and really wet. A good prep of how to dress for the Iceman although weather.com is showing a mild weather forecast.

The drive home was spent listening to the Packers pull off another victory. Steelers on MNF!

Back to the Big Show

It's been a while since my last trip to a "big" race.... It was good to see some old friends, go to a new place, and get in some fast racing....

I'm sure by now everyone knows the results....29th on Sat and 30th on Sun. Nothing spectacular, but not bad starting from the smoking section. Here are a few sweet photos that my mom and dad took during Sundays race.

A Run Up

Chasing Tonkin up the Green Monster

Race Notables: I was close to Best of the Rest both days. I moved up 30 positions on Sunday. Most Aggresive rider was awarded to Canadian X Doper Chris Sheppard who moved up 15 positions. Fellow Wisco racer Bjorn Selander moved up 47 spots to finish in the top 20 and 4th in the U-23 categoory. Tristan passed up Doug in the ranks and gained the title of the Prairie Schooner. He was also referrenced as the KOM....but I'm not so sure about that one???

Racing is hard work so we had to balance the weekend by having some fun...and LOU-VULL is a great place to do just that...



Home of the Louisville Slugger Bat Factory


































Home of Cassius Clay

































Home of the Churchill Downs Museum & the Kentucky Derby





















Then I saw "IT"....and the rest of the weekend I was thinking about this...

Thanks to all the sponsors, props to Jason from Crank Brothers who was out there ripping it up and had a great ride on Sunday, Thanks to BOB from Planet Bike, and Mom & Dad for driving 4 hours to watch the race.

Ya'll come back now.

BLOWN OUT - oLD SkOoL

CYCLOCROSS: I looked it up in the dictionary and it said, "The Art of Dealing w/ Being Blown Out"

The picture above hurt. The 4 days after the race hurt. I am still hurting today and I'm going to Kentucky tomorrow.

Fortunately I have lots of practice being blown out.

Warp back to 1997 Haystack Campground Mt. Snow Vermont World Cup

Friday Night: 11:00PM

World Famouse Nude Crit......lots of people showing up to the campground....confusion....

Nude Crit is Saturday night???

1000's of people (remember this is 97 Mtbing was cool then)

We need to party anyway right?

We build a fire in the parking lot....build a ramp....lots of beer....next thing you know we are on the local radio station....police show up for crowd control.....

Then this happens at about midnight...





















Ramp looks pretty safe doesn't it....

Jon "Tons of Fun" Mesko was the first to go big.....

I took his advice when thinking about KY....

This was what we looked like after the WORLD CUP the next day...





















Can you say blown out? Nap time....

Needless to say we did it again the Sat. night at the real Nude Crit, pictures might be to inappropriate to post....sorry.

What's Next?

Belt Buckle's for prizes.....what's next cut off blue jean shorts, wife beater, mesh hat, flannel jacket, maybe some camo or blaze orange?....gotta love Wisco!



The Gibbs Lake Showdown went down on Sunday. It was funny because at the WORS banquet Jesse and I were both hoping for a little more competition at the race on Sunday. Cole House and Eric Marcotte showed up and then we both wished it could have been a little more low key....I was blown out from Saturdays race and then the drive to the banquet. It's hard work being famous.

Did you know Jesse is also a world renown Yoga Master?






























The course at Gibbs Lake was a little more hard packed and had a few more corners than the Trash race. I wanted to have a good start and not go so fast through the barriers. Cole took the wholeshot prime and a half lap later I could tell he didn't have it. Kyle Jacobson then took a flyer and I let the gap go hoping Cole would close it....I put in the first big effort to drop Cole and the rest of the field and only Jesse could hold my wheel. A lap later Kyle was gone and it was down to Jesse and I. I did my fair share of work and was starting to feel the pain. With 2 to go I let Jesse go by....Jesse said he was spent...but he still went pretty hard. On the last lap I attacked up the climb and only got a small gap....it was closed on the descent. Around the last few corners I punched it and thought I had the race won....then ding ding ding...last lap bell???? WTF??? I was maxed and didn't want to go around again, but I couldn't stop...I looked back to see what Jesse thought and he kept pedaling...I had a gap a so I put my head down grit my teeth and put it down for another 7 minutes...ouch....but got the victory!





I caught a ride back to Sheboygan with Chris Zugel. Thanks Chris. I was dropped off at the In-Laws just in time for dinner...I love when that happens. Andrea and Rosco were there and brought me the rest of the way home. It was almost the perfect weekend...then the Steelers lost on a last second field goal and the Indians squandered a 3-1 series lead. Oh well...at least I got the double.

Thanks to all the sponsors and special thanks to Elicia who cooked up some good food and gave me a place to sleep in Madison. Also busted out a 6th place in the PRO 123 women on SAT and 4th in the PRO 123 women Sunday.





What I learned this weekend: Racing is really fun. Cyclocross double headers with lack of sleep are really painful. Car pooling can save you a ton of gas and $...especially if at the end of the weekend you don't have a car and you have to ride your bike everywhere. Hanging out with family and friends is the best....even if they are a little strange!

WHITE TRASH

The Mullets are rockin' all weekend long. It started off with the TRASH DASH in Whitewater. Bumpy course with a few short run-ups. A loamy slow mo cross race that couldn't leave me feeling really fast with KY on the horizon. I think our avg speed for the cross race was about 12 mph. Racing through soggy fields that weren't soggy enough to be muddy, just grab the back tire and slow you down. I took the lead on the last lap and punched it out of each corner to take the victory.



















After the race it was to Madison and then hooked of with Jesse Marko Amanda and Meghan for the WORS banquet. We showed up about 1:30 late. Missed all the food and had to order burgers from bar across the way. Saw the SOX blast a Grand Slam against the Indians...bummer. A few catergories later we were on the podium for a quick photo shoot, signed a few autographs, got a few props and call outs for the Mullet's and then a late night drive back to Mad Town w/ lots of "Deep Conversations."


I just rode to a coffe shop in Madison on the bike path and I'm doing a blog update on a WIRELESS Network on Elicia's new laptop. Life in the big city...Stuff like this doesn't happen in Sheboygan. Next up is Janesville Cross race...time to go back and load up the car. More pictures and stories from the weekend coming soon.

CULTURE SHOCK

The morning commute on the XO2....cruising through Evergreen park...reliving the WORS race....thinking about USGP in Kentucky....listening to the IPOD.....Genre: Bluegrass.......The sign from above......BAND: SOUTH AUSTIN JUG BAND......Album: SOUTH AUSTIN JUG BAND......Song: THE BALLAD OF EDDIE MULLET.....


For all you Mullet Lovers and Haters...you have to listen to this song. I can't figure out how to link it up to the blog....so go download it now.























Wondering what's going to happen with Iceman being 2nd weekend in NOV. It's been a strong tradition for the ICEMAN to be held 1st Saturday in NOV. My first Iceman was 1993. I think it took me 1/2 year to finish and I was really cold by the end. I have only missed two runnings of the 3rd triple crown since 93. I can remember 4 or 5 that were true to the name.

Here are some photos from Iceman 95....can't find results but think I was 1st Jr. Expert and 11th Overall

But before that happens the real questions is.....2 $40 entry fees, 2 hotel rooms, Gas $, and a $90 UCI license to go to Kentucky. What do you think? That's a lot of $$

Back In The Saddle Again

Just got back from a 3 hour jaunt with Tristan....Riding in the rain and fog w. cow crap all over the roads....It was almost like I was Belgium gearing up for a cross season! ALMOST

The Eagle River vacation was pretty awesome. Really low key...I went 4 for 4 in daily naps.. 2 Hikes and 2 MTB Rides. One 1 hour road ride on the 9.9 w. 700c wheels. Listened to the Packers the entire drive home...makes the 4 hour drive a little less painful. It was frickin' cold in the mornings up there and the fall leaves are all on the ground.

Not sure what the plans are this weekend with 2 cross races and a WORS banquet. Better get back to work...I have a little catching up to do...

Vacation Time

Tomorrow morning I will be packing up the Hyundai and heading to Eagle River for some relaxation, some Mtn Biking, and then more relaxation! Hopefully there will still be some fall colors although I hear snow flurries are in the forecast. After the race the legs have been in extreme pain from cramping.. I was able to commute to work Tues and today in the rain, but that's it as far as riding goes. This morning I slapped the Switchblade onto the 9.9 to start Iceman preparations. Then I loaded it up with lights and fenders so I can't tell how light it is until race day! I have been working on the Halloween costume, but might not get the key ingredient in time which really bums me out....back up plans in the works.

More stuff for SALE check it out. Also trying to get rid of a couple other things....Anybody need a THULE roof rack. I have the gift certificate from Chequamegon...fits any car and comes with One Thule Peloton tray and locks. Or you can go for a hitch mount rack any model. Anyone out there interested in a super light weight Fuel 9.9!

Like A Box Of Chocolates

But the shackles wouldn't break free.....

It was like I was Forest Gump when he was a little kid with the leg braces and they were yelling "Run Forest Run"

Really it was Rob Boldt and Crazy Karl yelling, "Bend your leg, bend your leg" I couldn't do it....It might have looked painful, but the pain was secondary...I just wanted my legs to bend so I could get back on my bike and pedal to the finish...

If you check out the map player you can see I was stuck on the top of the Equalizer for about 40 seconds while paralyzed from the waist down. I had to walk up the hill with my heels digging into the earth, every muscle in my legs completely tweaked out...I fell over when my leg wouldn't bend and somebody picked me up....

I finally clipped in, but only with my left foot and had to pedal with one leg all the way across the top of the quarry...right leg finally started working on the slick rock....but it was too late....Doug smelled the WIN...

Check out the GPS below and if you play the map at slow speed you can almost see the W vanish on the last climb...

http://trail.motionbased.com/trail/player/view.mb?episodePk.pkValue=4154970

How it all played out.....

Awesome dinner Saturday night with Andrea's sister visiting from NY cooking up a mean Lasagna.

Rolled out the front door at 1:00....15 minutes over to the course from home....to the start line.

Go

Not the greatest start, maybe 8th into the woods....passed a guy....passed Chris P. Tristan leads the group of 5....wait Cole House is of the front....I didn't even know it...

Lap 2....catch Cole, I take the lead, ride hard through the technical sections and start to drop Mike Phillips

Lap 3....Jesse takes over and starts to put the hurt on Tristan....Jesse flats through the river crossing....Doug attacks up the climb after the log jump....going fast Cole takes over after the river....Up the Stairway Climb....Gap opens Cole and I are away....

Lap 4 Riding smooth....opening the gap lapped traffic starts to come into play....out of water.....

Lap 5 Jesse saves the day with a cold BKB bottle...I attack Cole...gap go....maybe a win....Cramping bad up the Stairway....equalized

...you never know what you are going to get...

Every race is different, every race will throw out some different scenarios, luck plays a factor, bad luck is a bummer, you learn from every race you do.....I have been 2nd too many times this year....Doug took a wrong turn at O2S, Simonson crashed out of Cheq, Tristan couldn't race all summer, Jesse flatted, Marko crashed into the river....I love racing mountain bikes!

Andrea finished 10th in the Elite Womens field. She didn't have the best race in the world.

Thanks to all the race volunteers, new race promoter, WORS, PCW, Trek, Hyundai, Crank Bros, Oakley, Rusty

SHEBOYGAN

http://trail.motionbased.com/trail/player/4120178

Here is the new WORS course.......check it out....stupid cloud! If you click Large & Hybrid you can get right in there...

Yep, It's ON! Sheboygan WORS is here again..

In past years I have been racing for the Overall Victory, Jesse has that Title wrapped up so it will be nice to focus on just the one race. The weather could play a factor. I felt good last time I went hard and the cross race....























Hopefully I'm well rested now....it took a little adjusting cornering on the MTB after racing the Cross bike. A commute into work Friday and a warm up Saturday and then it's show time!