From Frazzled to Five Timer at The Fat Tire

WOW - Can't be much happier than I am right now after the weekend up in the Northwoods.  I think I race well up there because its so relaxing.  It's just my kinda place...

3 bikes - 1 cross race???

 2 weeks ago my cyclocross bikes started to arrive.  I was pumped and thought I would be able to get them together in time for a local race before the real season starts.  In short...I did, but I didn't and it was really really frustrating.  Lots of small issues turned into a major cluster of a day, however I managed to throw 3 bikes on the roof and make it across town for the first WCA race which was luckily in Sheboygan.  I won, but it was one of my hardest efforts of the season.  I had issues with both cross bikes(this years and lasts) and had to switch to my mtn bike for the finish, but even had issues with that after building it that morning from Grand Junction.

Lk G rock drop

After the ugliness on Sat I wasn't that confident heading into Sundays WORS race.  I had fixed the issues with the MTB(saddle about 1" too low) and was ready to give it another go.  I had a good start and mentally was back in the game.  Physically however I wasn't in top form.  I was already dehydrated from Saturdays cross race in the upper 80's and although the temps were low at Lk Geneva I was drenched in sweat from the humidity.  I was riding well technically, but the legs were starting to cramp.  Tristan attacked on the last climb and with CHEQ looming I was not willing to go too deep and risk major cramps.  I settled for 2nd.

I think the craziness of the weekend forced me to realize I really needed to rest up for CHEQ...my 7th weekend in a row of racing.  During the rest something flipped mentally and I became hungry for the win!  I dropped everything and was fully focused on doing it right.

We drive up Friday morning like always.  The lady at the Phillips Subway coughed on my sub...it freaked me out.  We arrived and joined up with Tyler G and crew for a pre-ride.  All standard.  We stayed in a new hotel, but it was much improved of the traditional place we used to choose.  I shined up my Superfly 100 after the preride, we had a homemade meal Andrea cooked and brought up with us.  She is awesome.  All was perfect.


Race morning was also pretty standard.  Some coffee, some oats, some granola.  I tried not to eat as much as normal...my stomach was a little full at the start of Grand Junction and I didn't like that feeling.  Had a great warm up with Trav and told him I was mentally ready.  He said something like - sometimes that what it takes...you just have to will your way thru things -  Awesome that it worked out the way it did...

Cheq Start - Calm before the Storm

The race started pretty standard until the quads took off around corners number 1 and Cole House stood to accelerate and broke his chain.  Of course mixed emotions going thru my head already.  Cole is a great rider and for sure was my biggest competition.  I hated to see him go out, but at the same time I was already mentally preparing for drastically different race tactics, and was now putting even more pressure on myself to win.

RACC Rocking thru Rosies

Things were slow thru Rosies field.  That was fine by me.  I stayed at the front and stayed safe.  I finally looked back after the first few rollers and realized the lead group was 150 guys...uh oh.  So I put in a hard effort and followed by Jason McCartneys hard effort we were down to 12.  Pretty standard from there across OO and then it got crazy.  Around a right hander on the Birkie Trail a quad high sided and took out 4 or 5 guys including Trav and Michael Olheiser.  I couldn't beleive it...I was pretty mad because earlier in the race the quads were screwing around on the leadout....totally not cool.  We slowed things up and let the guys who crashed latch back on, but then immediately another crash.  Then I got scared.  Something weird was happening and I needed to get to the front and go a little to avoid this section of carnage.

By the time we hit firetower I'm guessing the lead group was 8 or 9 guys.  I climbed pretty good up firetower.  Started in 5th at the bottom and finished the top in 3rd wheel.  I was ready for the birkie, but was getting some cramps.  Not good.  Luckily when we started pedaling hard they went away.  JMAC put in some short attacks, but nothing ever snapped the group too bad.  5 Over the top of the Birkie, but guys were latching back on down Telemark Rd.

Cresting the final climb.

I knew it was coming down to the last few climbs.  I stretched things out on one of the final descents.  Trav came around and attacked to the final few climbs.  He was leading into the last climb and ripped that left hander to instantly gain 10ft.  I was pumped and thought he would win.  I was following JMAC ready to counter if JMAC bridged to Trav.  Half was up the hill JMAC dumped 3 or 4 gears and had to sit down.  I went around him and sensed a swarm so pedaled hard.  Trav must have been fading on the top half of the climb because I went around him pretty fast and instantly knew win #5 was in the books. Chequamegon Winner again!

After the finish I was pumped to hear that Momentum Endurance riders also went 1,2 in the short and fat.  Won the short and fat single speed.  Then we watched Chloe come across the line in 1st and Andrea in 10th.  Couldn't have been any more perfect for me!  Super impressed by Trav's never give up ride of the day!

Again very proud of Andrea who had been having a killer season.  There are some really fast girls up at CHEQ and for her to score a top 10 two years in a row is pretty great.

Chequamegon Victory  #5 

My 29er!!!  Superfly 100 was flawless all day.  It's definitely the right bike for the race.

Next up:  CHINA!  Ha - Can't believe that one...better get to work.

Grand Shenanigans!

A variety in the schedule and fun was the name of the game this mtb season and I have to give huge props to Epic Rides out of Tucson for making this happen.  It started early in the season with the Whiskey 50 and this past weekend I raced in the inaugural Grand Junction Off-Road aka the Grand 40. 

Gand Junction is cool.  The Grand 40 is cool.  Here's why:  Epic Rides puts on a race that reminds me of the old days of Norba when there was a buzz in the air, an excitement about the races.  The entire community is involved, people are stoked, and race courses are not dumbed down.  You travel to new MTB destinations and race on real MTB trails for big prize money.  Its the way a pro racer wants it to be, its the way a supporting community wants it to be, and its the way Todd Sadow from Epic Rides wants it to be.  It just works for everyone.

The race for me started with a Thursday flight from Appleton - MSP - SLC - Grand Junction.  We arrived at the airport and had a sweet Ford Aerostar limo and hilarious driver back to the hotel.  Friday morning we woke up and walked down to Main Street Bagels for a cup o Joe to get the weekend started. 

Once awake Chris and I went out to pedal around and pre-rode the 15 Grand race course.  This allowed us to see the first 7 miles of our race course and the last.  Definitely some techy stuff!  Like I said before REAL mountain biking. 

Friday evening was the Fat Tire Crit.  A way for the racers to give back to the community by putting on a good show and race circles downtown while the spectators drink beer and listen to live music.  Definitely a festival type atmosphere.  The race doesn't mean much to the racers except for a call up on Sundays XC race and some sponsorship exposure.  Some take it serious and others try to save there legs for Sunday. 

I was feeling pretty good about 15 minutes into the race.  Troy Wells and Ben Sonntag were off the front.  I was ready to go for the win and was marking Carl Decker as the guy to beat.  With a lap and a half to go I had a good feeling we were not going to bring back the 2 leaders and I settled in for the field sprint.  I jumped on the high speed backside straightaway and was able to rip the last 3 corners to win the field sprint and finish 3rd!  I was pumped and feeling good about Sunday.

Saturday was the hardest day.  A full day of not much going on.  Its hard to kill that much time in a hotel room, but important to stay rested.  We did a little more recon of the course on Saturday and then went into chill mode.  Chris and I did a Indiana Jones marathon and then went for a dinner with Trav and Chloe.

Sunday morning it was nice and early to avoid the heat of the day.  We were on the start line at 7:30am.  And then we were off.  40 miles of serious MTB action.  What scared me a little was that 25 miles were unknow and somewhere in there was 1:00 hour of climbing and 1 hour of some serious descending with some big drops and open exposure.  Turns out the descents were pretty awesome.  After the first 30 minutes of racing/climbing I was letting the leaders go and trying to stay below the red line which is important for a flat lander to do while at altitude.  However I was ripping the descents pretty good and was able to hook up with Carl Decker and at the bottom of the 45 minute descent we were a group of 6 battling for the win.  Ben Sonntag, Sepp Kuss, Chris Baddick, Carl, Kris Sneddon, and myself.

We started the long climb out of the river valley and 3 guys attacked.  Carl and I were in 4th and 5th and Sneddon was fading.  By the top of the climb Decker was 10 seconds up on me.  On the following high speed descents I was really letting it rip trying to close the gap, but in doing so got off line a few times.  Sneddon caught back on and then proceeded to drop me up the super hard 1.5 mile slick rock climb.  15 minutes of brutal exposed, sun beating down on you, steep climbing.  I was now in survival mode and limped to the finish line in 6th place.

Overall super happy I made it out to GJ.  Big Thanks to Chris Peariso for twisting my arm.  I'll definitely be back next year.

4 down 4 to go

Preparation for the next race starts as soon as you cross the finish line - It'll be a miracle if I can pull off 8 weekends in a row of racing.  Probably not the smartest, but its whats on tap.  4 down after this weekend.  Sunburst, Ore To Shore, Franklin, & Suamico.  Up next Grand Junction, Lk Geneva, Chequamegon, & China?  Yup China!  More details to come on that one...so first its Sumaico.

The weekend started like most - cleaning up the bikes from the previous weekend.  It was nice.  Just me and Oscor hanging out in the front yard on a perfect day making some bikes shine.  Not much looks nice than a freshly cleaned Shimano drive.

Current WORS Champs passing down knowledge!

Saturday morning we hit up the Farmers Market before heading up to Green Bay to coach the WIN high school mtb clinic.  Pretty awesome so see 21 kids registered and amped up on MTB racing.  Can't wait to see how WIN plays out over the next few years.  It for sure is going to up the level of WORS competition.

We did an hour of skills and drills and then headed out on the course for a pre-ride, talked tactics, and tackled a few tricky sections on the course.  All in all a great day. 

Sunday it was another trip up to GB for the WORS race, but overnight somebody plugged in the hair dryer and forgot to turn it off.  There was a stiff wind blowing from the West bringing in some pretty warm air.  Unfortunately the course was pretty wooded and there was no air flow back in the woods.  It was sweltering.  With the heat and a big race next weekend I wasn't eager to go all in on lap number one.

Cole took off in the first singletrack, but Nathan jumped between us and Cole was riding away.  I didn't feel quite as good on my bike as the previous weekend and even stopped during the first lap to try and let some tire pressure out.  It helped a little but not a ton.  After a lap Cole was up 1:30 and I went to the front to start to close things down.  I whittled the group down to just Tristan, Tyler, and Darrin, but only took about 15 seconds out of Cole's lead.  I got a little help from the other guys, but every time they went to the front the pace slowed a little too much.

Starting lap 3 I hit it pretty hard into the first bumpy singletrack and it was down to just Tristan and I chasing Cole.  About half way thru the lap somebody yelled something about Cole, but it was really mumbled and Tristan and I both missed it...turns out it might have been key.

Tristan and I were both suffering a little and just wanted to make it to the finish and jump in a lake, my hands were hot, my feet were hot, and my head was hot although I wasn't cramping at all.  I kept on the gas and felt little gaps opening, but only to be closed due to lapped traffic.  Finally at the end I had a little gap and realized Tristan was happy with following me to the line.  I think it was enough for him to wrap up the overall points series.  Little did we know that Cole had crashed out and we were battling for the win.  Its not often that you cross the line in first and have no idea you won until 20 or 30 minutes later.  Oh well....

Time to go clean the bikes again...they look about as nasty as my legs did at the finish.  Another solid race for Andrea in 4th.  Just lost out on the sprint for 3rd.  Next up The Grand 40!  Big Thanks to XTRPhoto.com for taking some great pictures of the WIN Clinic and all the WORS races.

Figuring it out for the win

The week started like most cleaning up from the previous weekends races.  Red dirty bikes and iron stained laundry was what I spent most of the day Monday doing, Tuesday things were a bit more exciting.  I woke up early in the AM and headed West!

 TREK WORLD.  Always an exciting time!  This year was no different.  Lots of sweet new bikes and on my radar was the new 27.5 Remedy and Slash.  I spent the majority of the day ripping on the different models with some of the Trek product managers and even did a few hot laps with Moto Cross legend Ricky Carmichael!  Pretty rad.

What was most exciting about Trek World was the new Trek Cyclocross Bike:  Welcome the Crocket!  I'm really pumped about this bike.  The new geometry is getting great reviews and the option for disc brakes are what I've been waiting for a long time.  The bike at the show was spec'd with Shimano CX specific electric/hydro shift break lever.  That's right...DI2 shifting and hydraulic brakes!  Completely sealed shifting housing and brake housing.  No mud messin' with this bike!  Can't wait....time to get the race schedule dialed.

Then we took a quick trip up to Eagle River for some secret training!  OK Secrets out...its not really about the training up there but the rest and relaxation.  Sure we put in some miles, but it was nice to just unplug and enjoy fruits of the Northwoods.








From Eagle River to the Rock.  WORS #8 at the new bike park at Franklin Ridge.  Most of the race course was the same, but there were some changes that I thought were for the positive....with much more potential for the future!   I was pretty tired for some reason the morning of the race, but once they said go I knew I had great legs!  I ended up attacking middle of the 2nd lap of 5 and my gap grew each lap!  I soloed in for my first WORS race win of the year.

I have been playing with my position a bit on my bike and I think I finally have it dialed.  After 6 months of adjusting to riding the 29er I finally found its full capabilities Sunday!  Can't wait to let it rip again!

O2S

Another Ore To Shore is in the record books and another 2nd place finish.  Next year I'll have to get that Number 1 plate back!

Ellie Schouten little rockin'

This race was very much like many of the others, but at the same time different.  I think this is roughly my 10th or 11th Ore To Shore!  I've seen it played out many times many different ways.  This year was different yet the same.  A chaotic start on the paved lead out.  A mad scramble to the bottom of the luge climb.  But then things changed up a bit....the past few years we cruised up the luge climb in a neutralized fashion, but this year Cole was taking the bull by the horns.

I crested in the climb in seconds but then ripped the next descent and was half way across the gap and thought Cole and I could ride away from the beginning of the race.  The chase was on hard though and we were all back together through Ishpeming.  TJ Woodruff was the next to go and got a significant gap, but it might have been a little early in the race.  The gap was diminishing parallel to the tracks and then closed up the Power Line Climb.  I led the Power Line climb and had things stretched out, but again too early to go.

Then the big slow down happened and everything regrouped.  Seemed like there must have been 50 guys in the lead peloton.  I felt the pace slow even more after a slight descent, but didn't hit the brakes and took and inside line with some speed and happened to roll off the front.  I looked up and recognized the climb so I just went with it to carry some speed.  What I didn't know was around the next corner was a super hard sand section where I really wanted to push the pace.  So when I had a small gap and saw the sand I pinned it and really started stretching things out.  Fast on the descents and smooth on the climbs.  The Superfly100 was killing the entire sections of sand, bumpy grass, exposed rock, and hidden mud pits all the way to Misery Hill.  I looked back and saw a huge train of guys, but stayed on the pace.  To my liking Cole was coming across the gap solo up Misery Hill.  I was still within myself so over the top took a huge pull with Cole sitting on to allow him to recover.  Soon enough I knew he was good and he took a huge pull on the first section of dirt road and we were gone.

Cole takes his 2nd O2S

Bike Path Warrior post race

The rest of the race was Cole and I.  Very Very evenly matched.  He tried to drop me on a few descents, I tried to drop him down the sand pit, but we were pretty even.  He was definitely the stronger in the sprint.  I'll take another 2nd and some motivation for the next stop on the Triple Crown!



Andrea had her best race ever after a little chaos with a train loading, backing, and then taking off in the middle of the course.  Kind of crazy, but that's racing.  She finished 6th after a really good battle with Lisa Krayer from Adventure 212.  Again really impressed and very proud of her racing this year.






Sunday was again the best part of the weekend.  We headed out for a sweet day on the trails with the crew from Border Grill & Quick Stop Bike Shop.  So much fun!  I love trail riding and wish I could have had the Fuel EX along, but the SF100 definitely had both wheels off the ground pretty often!  All in all a great weekend and can't wait to get up to MQT again.  Love the UP.  Next up TREK WORLD!

Sunday Funday

Showdown

Felt good to finally be at home for a while.  2 solid weeks and a full weekend between of solid training, routine rest, no traveling, and no racing!  It was awesome.  Feeling much better and more confident heading into this next big block of training and racing.

 Mom and dad even came for a visit last week and we had plenty of time to go check out some local culture!

Another good battle took place at the WORS Sunburst Showdown yesterday.  This time it was Myself, Cole House, Tristan Schouten, and a dangling Joe Maloney.  Tristan was off the front early after Cole took an early spill and then Corey Stelljes took an early spill that had me chasing for the first two laps.  Finally was able to close the gap at the end of the 2nd lap w/ Cole who then took over at the start of the 3rd lap.  Cole had the pressure on up the steep climbs, but was racing with no rear brake on a tight course so was limited on the descents.

I took over the pace half way thru the 4th lap and starting the last lap.  Tristan and I battled the entire lap, but he had a lead going into the final narrow descent where passing was impossible.  I took a few risks on some hot lines, but couldn't get around him.  I tried for the sprint, but it was just too close from the exit of the singletrack to the finish line.

Can't wait to do it again next weekend!

UP North, Racin, & more UP North

Another whirlwind...it seems like its been a busy summer so far and the party is just getting started with potential races on the calendar all the way thru Chequamegaon/Vegas/SunPrairie UCI week.  OUCH just thinking about it....

So I needed to start things off with a week off the bike.  We went up to Eagle River and did some serious R&R.  Not really though...we ended up staining the cabin while we were there.  It was just what I needed.  Something to focus on, but not on the bike.  On a ladder!

After the awesome week in Eagle River it was back home to prepare for the Subaru Cup.  I only had a few days to get some key workouts in...one of which was about the hardest set of 2 * 20's I have ever done.  Sometimes you just need to flip the switch and go and get the job done...it hurt.

It proved just enough platform to have some solid racing at Subaru Cup.  I arrived to the Cup and it seemed a little crazy.  Lots of stories floating around about wrong turns, missed laps, early pulls, etc.  I was pretty bummed when I saw Andrea and she was one of the wrong turns after having a great race.

Then in the mens XC race another wrong turn...I couldn't believe it for a split second, but then I realized I was at the front of the race and led the entire first lap.  My confidence in my form was not the best, but I managed to fight hard and finish 10th.  In the STXC I had another great start and sat on the back of the lead pack for as long as possible.  With 3 laps to go I was over my limit and suffered hard to hold my position and finished 8th.  Then I decided I had better have a go at the Super D as well and try to score some WORS points, but I was running on E and could only muster a 5th place.

                                 All in all a great weekend with 3 Top 10's at a USPRO XCT.

Sunday night we were home and Monday we were hitting the road again.  This time it was north to Firefly Lake for a family camping trip.  Tuesday was back to Eagle River for a second coat of stain on the cabin, and Wed we headed to the UP for a coaches clinic for the upcoming Womens Weekend in Copper Harbor.  Andrea was invited to be a coach at Womens Weekend along side 9 other awesome female mtb'ers including Lindsey Vories and Angi Weston...two chicks who can shred the trails!  On Wed Lindsey had a coaches get together so everyone could get on the same page.  While they were meeting I was out ripping trails with the dudes!

Thursday we headed up to Copper Harbor and Andrea and I hit up the trails before the clinic started on Friday.  We did one of the most epic rides yet....at the top of the MTN Lodge this crazy storm blew in...black, windy, eerie, but then no rain...so we went back out and jammed more trails!  Then about 35-40 minutes later half way down the FLOW trail the real storm came and we got caught out in some of the craziest blinding rain I ever ever been in and some super loud crashes of thunder.

Friday the Womens Clinic started and I didn't see much of Andrea the rest of the weekend, but there was no shortage of people to ride with.  Friday morning I headed out for a loop with Caleb from the Bike  Shop in Houghton and Lindsey's husband Kirt.  If you don't know Kirt do a little research....one of the nicest guys out there who can seriously rip.  Lindsey and Kirt have an awesome story and love to share their passion for MTB just like Andrea and me.  Anyway Kirt, Caleb and  I did a sweet epic ride w/ wet bridges, crashes, and deep water.  It was so fun....what mtb'n is really about!

Saturday I participated in Kirt's Enduro clinic and tried to pick up some skills pointers, and Sunday we all did a final coaches ride at the end of the Womens Weekend which provided even more classic moments!  All in all a great weekend in Copper Harbor...can't wait to go back.

 

Huge Thanks to Clif Bar and ProGold for goodies to hand out to the ladies!  Also huge props to Andrea...current leader of the WORS Series Pro Point Standings!



Its already July???

June was a whirlwind...in fact I don't remember any of it....maybe its because I turned 35 years 'old'.  I feel old this morning.  I think it started horrible with June 1st being the last day of the TSE when I was sick.  That pretty much set me back and I still feel like I'm a little behind the game.....

So July I'm going to start things out right by taking a little time to go up to Eagle River and chill...Haven't been up to the cabin since New Years and really looking forward to it...the In-Laws need some help staining the exterior so we should have some fun with a little bit of work mixed in while we are there.

The middle of June was Jr. MTB Camp and I was pretty tired after that too w/ Keewenaw Chain Dr.  I'm not sure why, but I just finished things up w/ 3 races in the last 5 days.  2 times on the skinny tires at TOAD and then WORS #5 yesterday in Eau Claire.

TOAD - Day 1.  Fon Du Lac road race....this is exactly why I don't like racing on the road.  155 guys battling for every inch of the road with huge crosswinds, different ability levels, cops yelling at riders, and riders fighting with each other.  It was pretty much crazy out there....

TOAD Day 2.  Road America - this is exactly why I like to do one road race per year!  So much fun...tactics, fitness, fun racing, and going fast!  I played it pretty smart for the first half of the race and then I felt the group slow.  I went to the front and went hard for a lap and next thing I know I was in a significant chase group.  We were 5 seconds behind a small group racing for 4th.  In the end I was 15th and in the money.  Mission accomplished...a good day of training and no crashes.

Having fun!

rock drop to river crossing

WORS #5 - Eau Claire.  I usually skip the long drive up to the Firecracker, but this year I had to make the effort if I have any chance of getting in 8 races.  I'm glad I did too...the trails there are really fun and they do a great job of maximizing the little terrain that they have to work with.  Some mud, some rocks, some climbs, some flow...they had it all.  The race was hard, yet easy at the same time.  Each lap our initial group of 8 guys got a little smaller.  On the final lap I finally let loose an attack that shattered the group...Shriver was the only one to hang and as he went by and went even faster it was sure to stick.  In the end Shriver had a little more speed and a little more desire to get the win.  My only hope was he made a small mistake in the end....he almost did, but managed to keep it upright and take home his first WORS win.  It was a great battle.  Superfly SL HT's go 1 & 2.  That bike is FAST!

Best part of the weekend though was hearing that Andrea finished 2nd as soon as I crossed the line.  She has been training super hard for many many years....this year she hasn't done anything different, but something has changed and she has made the jump up one more notch.  I'm really really happy for her watching all the years of good training finally paying off!

Another week at camp!

From camp in PA to camp in the UP!  I truly am living the dream.  And this time it was even better to be able to give back and share my experiences with some up and coming rippers!

Jr. Mtb Camp at Michigan Tech University is now in its 4th year.  This year we had 21 JR's from 4 states!  I am so happy that the camp is growing and more and more young riders get to experience mountain biking and the amazing trails the UP has to offer.  We had a great camp.  2 rides per day, lectures from NCAA coaches, Professional Cyclists, Physiology Dr's, Trek Demo Day, and even a race.

Yes we were non stop action.  A normal day was breakfast in the cafeteria at 8am then riding at 9am.  Lunch at 12:00. Lecture at 1:30 - 3:00 and then PM ride from 3:30 - 5:30 dinner at 6:00 back in the cafeteria and then another evening activity depending on the day.  I think all the JR's had a blast and I'm hoping to see them all back next year!




Yes I did mention a race.  The Keewenaw Chain Drive also takes place the same weekend as camp giving the riders an opportunity to test out their new knowledge and skills.  We had tons of our athletes on the podium!  Luckily for me the coaches got to race too.

Pete and I post race!  Pete attended Camp the first year and now he is battling it out for the podium!

The Chain Drive is a deceptively hard race.  Lots and lots of techie singletrack and a point to point style that features a mostly uphill race course.  With a little weather the night before the race the trails were a little heavy on race day.  Making it harder than the norm.


I was able to take another W in front of all the campers....an awesome feeling.  I scoped out the river crossing with 3 miles to go on our pre-ride and told the campers this was a pivotal spot....it turned out I was right and thats where I made my winning move!


Now its time to get back to some training...I feel like I haven't done a training ride in a month!

Transylvania Recap

When I finished the TSE I definitely felt like this. 

Probably thinking to myself I want to be home and not really even being able to comprehend the world of pain I was in....

Now that I have had some time to recover, get healthy and start riding again I wanted to share my final thoughts. 

I wanted to do TSE this year for the experience.  I wanted a change and wanted to do something different.  I wanted to break out of the norm, go somewhere new, and challenge my limits.

All in all TSE was the place to do all of the above.  The experience was amazing.  I learned a ton about what my body can handle even after 20 years of racing.  The old school mtb feel w/ start lines drawn in the dirt and great atmosphere was just what the Dr. ordered.



The trails were tough, the countryside was beautiful and the memories will last a lifetime.    If you are up for a healthy challenge I highly recommend looking into the TSE.  Tons of new friends, great food, campfires....and plenty of beer if you are into that sort of thing!

Now its on to the next adventure and one of my favorite weeks of the year.  Jr. Mtb Camp at Michigan Tech University in the UP! 

After about 8 days of chilling post TSE I finally hopped back on the bike Monday and Tuesday.  For some reason I wanted to do a power test....it hurt, but at least the blood is flowing again.  About 5% less than my test last year in July.  One month to get really fit!  Hopefully it shocked me back into shape at least a little so these kids don't beat me up too bad!  Feeling Old!

SICK WHAT?

I wish I could be talking 'Sick What' like Anthony Clark, but this was more like what....I've got to puke again.  After dinner Friday night I knew something was wrong.  My stomach was hurting.  I went to bed early only to wake up around 10 in more pain.  I went for a little walk to try to help things out a bit, but to no avail.  At about 2:00 am the party started.  I puked 6 times about every 40 minutes.  When morning finally arrived it was also coming out the other end.  Not good before the final stage.  I barely was able to get out of bed.

I hobbled down to the mess hall and found Drew Edsall and he helped me find the Doc who was on staff volunteering at the camp.  Luckily for me he was there otherwise there was no way in the world. I would have been able to race.  He gave me some anti nausea meds so I could start getting some fluids down without barfing them back up.  He also gave me a couple of Liters of IV fluids.  I've had an IV in the past for dehydration and normally I bounce back and almost feel better than before...this time the doc asked if I felt any better and I had to answer no.  I was still in a world of pain.  I had barfed out all of the previous nights dinner and all the fluids I needed to rehydrate from a hard Stage 6 and the necessary preparations for a final Stage 7.  I was completely totally empty.

After getting the IV I could at least stand up without feeling like passing out and take a sip of water to wet my whistle.  The IV took a while to push through, so I only had a short time to prepare to race.  45 minutes later I was on the start line getting ready to rock my own world.  Any other normal day and I would have been in bed all day long.

Supposedly Stage 7 was an easier day w/ only 3,300 feet of climbing and 26 miles + more dirt roads than last year.    With no food in the system, no desire to eat or drink, and the fear of crapping my pants the entire ride I knew it was going to be hard.  I wanted to have a good start and maybe make it with the lead group to the first enduro segment, but no way...they were gone on the first climb and I was lumped into the group between 20th and 30th position.

I was OK in the singletrack besides the rocks that made me want to barf/crap from all the jostling, but it was the climbing that was really killing me.  I had zero power...I was getting dropped on nearly every climb and suffering at 110% effort,.   I was hoping to ride tempo all day and feel pretty comfy but right away I realized that I needed to go harder because todays tempo pace wouldn't have got the job done.

I was in a group w/ the DUO Team leaders from Canada  and a couple of U-25 riders.  The stronger of the two Canadian riders is a Semi-Pro Hockey player...he used to weigh 220, but now is down 20 or 30 lbs....he was stronger than his partner so on some of the climbs his buddy would grab on the back of his jersey and take a little bit of a ride.  So here I am sick as can be getting dropped on the climbs by a 190 lb Canadian beast with a his buddy dragging him down like a lead weight by holding his jersey.  It was not only physically tough, but it was mentally tough.

Luckily I finished.  With lots of experience I knew when I had to go hard and what group I needed to latch onto to make it to the finish.  I maintained my 3rd place overall by finishing 10th on the day.  After the race I was pretty much asleep all day and all night.  Totally spent.  Full TSE Recap to come soon.

Watch more video of 2013 Trans-Sylvania Epic Stage Race on cyclingdirt.org

I initially thought I must have had some sort of food poisoning, but now I'm not so sure.  I had some deli meat from the grocery store after Stage 6 which was the last food I ate before puking up dinner...I blamed that deli meat initally, but now I am still having some fever like symptoms waking up in the middle of the nights completely soaked in sweat.  So maybe it was a little stomach flu virus not food poisoning.  I guess I'll never know.

All In

Early in the race pushing the pace.

Today I went for it...on the first climb I attacked and got a 40 -45 second gap on Sam.  I went hard and now I am hurting.  Sam bridged up after I went off course ever so slightly and then Justin crashed...it was just enough to get us back in sight. Sam and I throttled each other all day long.  It was 90 degrees with a feels like temp of 97.  By the end of 42 miles I was smoked and still trying to recover now.  I finished the stage 3rd after losing the leaders after swiping for the enduros again.  Time for some podium legs and bed.

Late in the race pushing the pace.

Flat

Sam Koerber and I are in a Transylvania Epic battle.   I flatted today and lost 5 minutes.  Now I am 2 minutes back on GC.  2 stages to go...should be hot.

I lost my laptop...so just a short update tonight.  Amazing trails, amazing camaraderie.   Will be back fo sure!

Watch more video of 2013 Trans-Sylvania Epic Stage Race on cyclingdirt.org

TSE Stage 4 = Enduro = More Fun

Yesterdays Stage 3 more like a cross race battling it out w/ Honey Badger Lindine

Anybody recognize this SS Tucson icon...he kept us entertained on the transfers today.

Watch more video of 2013 Trans-Sylvania Epic Stage Race on cyclingdirt.org

So far I have been having a blast at Transylvania Epic...but today was off the charts.  It was still a long day in the saddle with 4000 feet of climbing, but what goes up must come down.  I busted out the Trek Fuel EX 9....and wow....Just like I remembered it from Tucson...the green machine can rip!  Besides a plush plush ride, the Reverb dropper post and the pure power of the Shimano XT brake give me a ton of confidence on the bike.

Spent the day with the Singlespeeders!  They know how to party!

Sector 4 was pretty crazy and I was really pumped to clear it with all the photogs looking for the classic OTB shot....not from this flat lander!

Tonight I am upgrading to a hotel room to get a good nights sleep now that we are half way thru the race.  Time to go do some laundry...back to the pain train tomorrow.