Snow Anyone?

Today was to mark the last day of school for the fall semester with my last final at 10:00 AM. This morning I woke up to the sound of snow blowers and lots of commotion outside. Looking out my window, I saw what I had feared; 12+ inches of snow and more on the way. I was hopeful that my exam would not be canceled, so I checked the computer and yep, exams are delayed due to the snowstorm... As a kid and even now, I loved snow days and always looked forward to them. Today is different, I really wanted to take this exam and get the semester over with. Now I need to try and get off from work tomorrow morning so I can go back to school and take the exam 24 hours from now... Not fun. In the meantime, I guess I will study a little more for the exam and have a lazy day watching all the people that have real jobs try and get to work.

Exams and Winter

Only three days, four exams, and two assignments separate me from the end of the semester and a month of so of time off to hopefully get in a ton of training. My day today has been spent in front of the computer working on typing code for a project due tonight and a little of that time was spent studying for my two exams tomorrow. (I love this time of the year...) But really, after tomorrow, the end of the semester is ever closer and some good time away from school and work is ahead. Things on the training front are still in slow motion, but that is quickly changing. Thursday, I am heading to our athletic center to get in with a personal trainer and soon thereafter a nutritionist. This last weekend I had Heather bring down the old XC Skis. They need a lot of work, some new boots and possibly new bindings, but I think they will offer a great opportunity to get outside and get active. (Not that I hate training indoors) I have also been giving thought to trying out rollers instead of my Fluid2 Trainer. The problem with the trainer is that is is big and noisy, two serious flaws when living in a small apartment. I figure rollers will be smaller, quieter, and will offer something a little different as far as indoor riding goes. So here is where I ask everyone who reads this... If you have a set of rollers I could try that would be awesome. Maybe a little temporary trade (my Fluid2 for your rollers).
In the meantime the season will likely begin with some good core weights and cardio in the gym. That is if these exams will ever be finished.

The End of the Off Season

If is has not been obvious, I decided to take a little hiatus from the blog and most things cycling. Eating the food I know I shouldn't, taking time to sleep (yeah right...) and having a lot of extra time... Well at least I was eating what I shouldn't have and not riding for a few weeks. The off season was good for the most part though. The extra time from riding and training was quickly eaten up by school work and the like and I found myself busier than ever. Right now I am in the final stretch of the Fall semester and seeing the end of a mountain of non-stop work. With that end nearing and so much time off, I am ready to get back on the saddle for some indoor training. Most days my legs feel like they are just dying to spin and lift weights for hours on end.
Once the semester is officially done, the plan is to seek out the help of a professional nutritionist and a personal trainer. Depending on what they have to say the tentative plan is to get in the pool and lift weights a few times each week and also spend plenty of time on the spin bike too. The 2009 season hopes to be the biggest for me yet, hopefully adding in some road races, crits, and plenty of mountain bike racing. There may also be a new steed in line from one of the teams newest and oldest sponsors.
It may just look a little like this.

In other news, the snow is falling and Christmas is definitely in the air. Tomorrow night, I head back to Green Bay to see a little Christmas music performed by none other than the Trans-Siberian Orchestra. If you haven't been to one of their concerts, I highly recommend it. The show is great for all, young and old. And the special effects are like nothing else I have ever seen in a single show.
Now, off to get some more work done so I can prepare for 2009 riding for the Titletown Flyers presented by Extreme Photography and Specialized!

Election Day

The day we have been waiting for has arrived. Soon, dirty campaign ads will be gone and a new leader will emerge to take the reigns for the next 4 years.
If you have not already, take the time to vote today. It is our privilege, our right, and our responsibility to vote. It does not matter who you vote for, just that you vote! Tonight, we find out who the next President of America will be.

Mustaches

Some of you may have seen the facial hair, here is the reason...
A couple guys and I decided to grow out mustaches for a big event this last weekend. The following is a photo story of the mustache...
Before:
And another Before Shot:
Step 1: The first cut
Step Two: Begin the 'Fumanchu' (Yes, the FUMANCHU)
Step 3: The 'Fumanchu' (This would have been great if my hair could fill-in)
Enter, 'the Mustache'
Finally, the Head Shot...

Believe it or not, I only some-what look like the creepy used car salesman down the street... Good thing this was only for the weekend. Not go ahead and leave your "why..." comments.

WORS 2008 and Shvegas

WORS 2008 is coming to an official close. Just over a week ago was WORS #12 at Sheboygan and this weekend marks the official end of the season with the WORS Banquet.

Shvegas was great. I had 4th place pretty much locked in so I just needed a solid finish. Out of the start, I was feeling good. I sat back a little and watched the boys battle over their preem money and kicked it into gear in the single track. It looked like Wenzlick and one of the shop guys from Stadium were on my wheel for a while in the leadout, but in the single track I flew away. One of the Sheboygan locals was right up with me and stayed there for almost the entire race. I was with a pack of five or so guys coming into the Equilizer, and knew there would be no succesful climbs today. I hoped off and Cyclo-crossed it all the way up and back onto the bike. We hit the slock rock and then we were out for lap 2. The 4-5 guys I was with were holding their own on the double track, but they were pretty slow in the single track, so once we hit the preem parking lot, I made my move, and shot past all of them into the single track where my goal was then to solo it and bridge the gap to the leaders. I was really flying, but I was using a lot of juice. about halfway in the Sheboygan and the Stadium guys caught up with me. We were working together until two 30-34 guys flew by. I missed the move and watched as the Stadium guy pulled away on their wheels. I worked hard, but just couldn't get up there. The rest of my second lap and my third lap was spent trying to get up front. Every here and there I could see some of the leaders, but I did'nt know quite how far off they were. I was pretty tired and knew I spent a lot of energy on my own durring lap 2. Eventually I recovered, and used what energy I had left to make a strong finish. I hit the line and felt exausted, but after a couple minutes of cool-down riding I felt great. My finish was great. I took 4th (again) in 19-24 and 23rd overall in Sport. I was technically the second fastest Stadium Rider (but the shop guy really doesn't count for me) and 7 minutes back from taking a win.

Next race is the IceMan up in Traverse City! Time to do some training and see where I end up. See everyone out at the Banquet this weekend.

Shvegas

Is it really time for the last race of the WORS Season? Apparently the answer is yes. It is pretty crazy how fast the 2008 season has gone by. Sheboygan is one of my favorite courses in the series and I am excited to hit the course again this weekend. Though it is the last race of the WORS series, it is not the last race of 2008. For the first time, I am adding a post-season race to the schedule. Yes, that means the Iceman Cometh is part of the racing fun this year! Maybe next year i'll pick up a cross bike and add even more races to the calendar, but for now the Iceman is fine.
So on to Shvegas this weekend to gauge my fitness level, then onto training like crazy for the Iceman and Beyond!

School, Bugs, Colds, and the Occasional Bike Race

So many things have been going on, I have absolutely no idea where to begin. The last couple weeks have been filled with work, fun, sickness, and things that are just plain wrong. Obviously school and work are constant pressures of the fall season. Unfortunately my training frequency has started its turn towards the winter season. It is nice to give the legs some time to recover, but I am getting that itch to get back on the road for some good training miles. Just the other week, I received a nice surprise at work; I found that I was scheduled for 40 hours. All I can say is that working 40 hours added to 16 credits of school, training, and sleeping is really fun. The week went by pretty well, and at the end I wanted to reward myself with some good food.
While cooking my breakfast I found hundreds of little bugs in my food.
Upon investigation of my food cabinet, I found even more of these tiny bugs eating through boxes and contaminating all of the food.
Needless say, I spent the afternoon cleaning and tossing food. This process continued through the entire weekend, killing all of my free time.

The following week started off pretty well, I had fewer hours at work, classes seemed to be going well, and I even got a few rides in. Of course this was too good to last. By the time the weekend came, I had a bit of a sore throat and by Monday, I had a full blown cold. Things ran their course and I rode out yet another busy week, this time with a cold. This brings us up to this last weekend and Race #11 in the WORS Series: The Wolf River Rendezvous.
Going into the weekend I felt alright, I knew the race would depend on how I was feeling on Sunday, so no big expectations other that just to finish.
In the start shoot I was feeling pretty good, I had my call-up and I wanted to go. Coming out of the shoot I could not clip in and watched as most of the wave passed me on either side. Once I clipped in, it was time to catch up to the lead group. I think I did pretty good for having a cold. I had a few more troubles with un-clipping, but nothing major.
I felt surprisingly well throughout the race with minimal trouble breathing. As I came into the finish stretch I looked at my time and realized I did alright and came in close to my estimated time of 1:17! Results showed 5th in the age group and 40th overall. And surprisingly 1st out of all the Stadium Boys!
Obviously I was pretty happy with the result. No podium, but still a better finish than some of my earlier ones. Now, I need to get rid of this cold, get back on the bike, and give it all at Shvegas!
Also, a big thank you to Heather for taking pictures at the race!

Lance is Back.

After a long while away, I will try to get out some updates. In the meantime... How about Lances return to Pro Cycling. Honestly I am not quite sure what I think. Possibly because of some other athletes who recently decided to come out of retirement. All I can say for now is good luck Lance, it is good to see you back. Now you just better be "clean!"

Race Report: Alterra Coffee Bean Classic (WORS #7)

Believe it or not, this is a timely race report! This weekend was full of great racing, good weather, and lots of fun here in Milwaukee.
Saturday began early for me with a 7 AM meeting at work, which lasted until 9:30 or so. On the drive back, I noticed Downer Ave was closed off and there were numerous bikers around. I thought there must be something going on, but decided to head back to the apartment without finding out. My day shifted gears from work to pre-riding the course in Franklin. I met up with Mike from the team and we shot around for a couple laps on the course. I had a mixed first impression of the new course layout, but I warmed to it. I saw a couple problem areas, but nothing major. The reversal of a few sections, primarily the switchback climb, were the biggest things of note. After the pre-ride, Mike mentioned going to superweek in Milwaukee. I was surprised to find the race was going on all day Saturday, but I was able to make it back for the Masters, Cat 3, and Pro races. The Pro Race was pretty cool, especially with a $7000 (Yes, that is 7-0-0-0 US Dollars) Preem! Rock Racing was in full force taking both the win and the $7000 preem.
Sunday came quickly as did anticipation for the race. I was feeling pretty good about the course and very happy that I pre-rode it! At the start my foot slid off the pedal which put me about halfway back in the pack, not where I wanted to be. I did my best to move up in the leadout and saw Edens up in the distance. Once we got to the switchback climb, I caught Edens and stayed with him until the climb starting the 3rd lap. The third lap went by quickly and I felt more powerful than I have in a while. I nailed the final single track section and came out trying to get ready to make the long gravel climb once more. As I emerged from the single track, I realized that the finish stretch was up a grassy climb instead of on the gravel road, a blessing for me! I Stood up and hammered it home for a strong finish. After the race, I set out immediately for a little cool down on the roads which seemed to help a lot.
My final results were some of the best I have had so far! I took fourth in my age group, about 4 minutes behind first place; and 38th overall, about 6 minutes back from first overall!

The only thing that could have made the weekend better was a bigger turnout from the team. The six of us who were there can say the course and weather were awesome! I Hope to see everyone out at Kewaskum in two weeks!

What's been going on

Time flies so fast - over the last 10 or so days there has been a lot happening. In fact this entire month has been busy.
Last week, I spent about a week up in Door County just relaxing and enjoying time away from work. Overall, the weather was good and the rain did not spoil many plans for the week. I was able to take Heather out for a mountain bike ride in Peninsula State Park and a few other trips around the area too. The only sad thing is that the week started just the same way as it finished... me driving (quickly) from Door County directly to work in Milwaukee.
The good thing about being back in Milwaukee is that I am back to getting a lot of riding in. Today, I trekked about an hour South to the Kettle Moraine Forest for some much needed time on the mountain bike. This was my first time out in the kettles and I must say the riding was great. There was a good mix of climbing, descents, and technical terrain throughout the park. I would recommend that anyone who has never been to the kettles gives it a try; it is not as close as the reforestation camp was in Green Bay, but the drive is well worth it!
This weekend, I have an even shorter trip planned to Franklin for some more WORS racing action!

It's Been A While

Yes, it has been quite some time from my last post. Life has been pretty busy with work, riding, and trying to relax. I ended up not racing at Eau Claire and instead decided to celebrate the 4th with family and friends. This week I am heading up North for a week to get away and take a break from work. But have no fear, at least two of my bikes are coming with! Maybe I'll get in a little early morning training going on!
Back in a week!

Race Reports, Long Time Waiting

Well, I finally feel like I have the time to write about the last couple weeks of racing and such. Rewind back two weeks to race #4, the Subaru Cup; my first race back on the bike and only my second time on the mountain bike.
Obviously, not riding the mountain bike is a good way to start off on the wrong foot, but that's what is happening. Sometimes it feels as I am really becoming a roadie; for two reasons. First is that most of the mountain trails are quite far away and gas is expensive. Second, I can get a really good workout on the road, especially with lake drive. The ride has a lot of different scenery and I can go for as long as I want. Sometimes I wonder how far north the road goes... Maybe even to the Green bay area. Another thing that influences me riding on the road is that my mountain bike is living in a different house, 30 minutes from my apartment (45 from any trails).
So it is clear that not riding my bike was not the best way to prepare for a mountain bike race, but I gave it my all. Saturday afternoon came quickly and I was nervous. I did not want to push myself imediately rather start with a strong pace that I could hold for a while. At the start I fell back a little bit, but held my own as we hit the course. To be honest, I forgot about all the details of the race due to the trail conditions. No the course was not wet and muddy or a sand pit. This course had a soil comparable to peanut butter. The ground sucked in my wheel and took away any momentum I was working so hard to find. My race mode fell from winning, to finishing. I was draining everything I had, just to pull an average near 8 mph. Sometime during my second lap I felt a little better and pushed a little harder to make up ground. I passed a few people occasionally and lost a few on the climbs. I have yet to find my climbing legs (maybe due to not riding the mountain bike). By the third lap I was still pushing along, but with some major cramping in my legs. Eventually I found the finish line and came through with my best effort. In my mind, I knew that I was not anywhere near the podium and I had another day of races to go, so I went out for a few miles on the road to let my legs recover and get ready for the next day. I Came back in, changed, and headed to see how I did on the results. Reading from the bottom of the list, I did not see my name. As I neared the top, there I was...
Andrew Wiesner... 4th Place... 77th Overall... Time: 1:52:00.9
With 4th place, I was on the podium for the first time in my Sport Career. Not bad for second time on the mountain bike and with a month off the bike in general.
Day 2 of the Cup was brutal... I woke up and knew that riding would be painful. I tried my best to loosen my legs and get ready for the day's events: The Super D, and the Short Track. The Super D was fun, basically an XC race mixed with a downhill course. Did I mention the Le Mans Start... with the 25 yard run to our bikes? I took the chair lift to the top of the hill for the event. Soon after, Don called my name and I lined up with the Sport 19-34 year-olds (not my usual class... 19-24). At the "Goooooooo" we took off running to our bikes. I was somewhere in the middle and mounted my bike cross style, looking back I was amazed at how many of the fast runners could not get up on their bikes. I began just hammering the pedals and worked hard to get in front of the pack. Unfortunately riding in tight single track does not provide many opportunities to pass. I finished with a pretty strong 7th place, but that was only one of the two events.
Later on was the short track, where no one seemed to know what the race would be. After watching the Elite guys do it, I knew I was in for a hard race. The short track was being run crit style, 10 minutes on the 3/4 mile lap and then one lap. In other words, at gooooo, we go as hard as possible and race until the leader crosses the line after 10 minutes is up, then... a dead sprint to the end. The lap was short, but with a huge climb on the backside, up the ski hill.
I did my best in that race. This picture does well to show how bad I was dying. In the end I took 8th place in the 19-34 class, not bad. The race amounted to 3.5 miles in 18 minutes... The hardest thing I think I have ever done!
At the end of the weekend I took 4th in the XC and 9th in the Stage Race (the avg of all my finishes). Given the circumstances, I think I did my very best in that race and I am quite pleased.

That's all for now, but the race report from last weekend at the reforestation camp is comming soon!!!

Free Time, Updates

Today has been great so far. No work, great weather, and free time! So what better than to get some updates put up on the Blog. I will hopefully get a race report from last weekend up later today and maybe a little pre-race report for this coming weekend.
Lately, I have been getting a bunch of questions about how I am doing, where I have been [for the last few races], and what has been going on. Last weekend was my first race back in action after missing races #2 and 3 of the WORS series. With races complete, I can say that I am feeling great; given that I had a few weeks off of the bike and not getting ANY time on the mountain bike.
Before the winter and over the last few months of training I had noticed my heart rate getting a little high, and my body getting pretty weak at times. After talking to a few people and noting my symptoms at Iola, I decided to go in to see the doctor. After my first appointment, I had some blood work done. One of the tests came back showing I might have mono, thus canceling my next race and training altogether. Luckily, I found I did not have mono and that I needed to get some rest. A few weeks later, I went in for a couple more tests to check my heart and lung function. These both came back showing everything is working properly. After the tests, I spoke with my doctor to talk about what is going on and if I need to do anything. Without going into details, the next step is to refocus my training routine and start meeting with a nutritionist and personal trainer to set some long-term goals for training and racing.
With all the doctor stuff out of the way, I have been getting in rides as close to everyday as possible. When I am unable to ride I have been getting into the gym to lift weights or going rock climbing (one of my hobbies from years ago). I was able to get out to enjoy the beautiful weather today and put in a little over 40 miles on the road. Hopefully tomorrow, I will be able to get another short ride in before work. Then, Saturday morning I leave for Green Bay and another weekend of racing!

Better News Today

As I mentioned in my last entry, I went to see the doctor yesterday for some testing, and today for the results and a follow up. Yesterday I had an EKG and a Spirometry to test my heart and lung functions. The tests went surprisingly quick, I did have to hang around for about an hour between the two, but the actual tests were very short.
Today I went back in for a follow up, and to hear my doctor's interpretation of the test results. Prognosis #1: I have been dead for two weeks... (Yes, this is what he told me. Next he asked if I wanted an open or closed casket.) After the sarcasm we got down to business. The EKG and Spirometry showed my heart and lungs are functioning within a normal range for people of my height, weight, age ect...
Given that my heart and lungs are functioning properly, I am getting the right balance of nutrition, and I don't have anything like mono; the doctor said that I can resume training. Next we talked seriously about improving my fitness level. The biggest things we touched on were getting a nutritionist, a trainer, and working out some long term goals for where I want to be in the next two years.
So with the go-ahead from the doctor, I am good to start my training program at... let's say 9:00 AM tomorrow morning. Unfortunately no go for the race this weekend since I have to work both Saturday and Sunday.

Sad, but true.

It has been a while since my last post, and unfortunately with reason. I have missed WORS #2 and soon, WORS #3 will be missed also. I went to see the doctor a few weeks ago about some minor things and had some blood work done. My doctor wanted me to continue training as usual, but with a little more specialization as to the type and duration of my workouts. Of course the next day I go out for a good length ride doing some 5-4-3-2-1 intervals. To say the least I was kicking my own butt, big time.
While I was eating a recovery meal I got a phone call from the doctor's office. The nurse told me that a mono-spot test came back slight positive and that I may have mono. (Great.) She also told me to get some rest and to come in a week later to follow up and in the meantime to take it easy. I asked about riding, and she said I could ride, but with low intensity. After I hung up the phone I thought to myself. Well, that workout was probably a bad idea. Especially if I do in fact have mono. I was making final arrangements to head out to WORS #2 in Lake Geneva, but with that phone call I had to cancel my plans to race.
I went in to the doctor the following Thursday to get some concrete information. As usual there was good news and bad news. The good news: I don't have mono. The Bad news: I am supposed to very slowly increase me efforts and should not race for a week or two yet, especially until I have my other testing done. With that news I saw WORS #3 leave my summer calendar just like #2.
So far things are going alright, it is amazing at how quickly I can fall out of a good training schedule with rides every day or so. I must say that getting rest has made me feel stronger throughout the day and I also feel a lot less tired. So the doctor must know something. Tomorrow, I go in for a couple of tests for heart and lung function and have a follow up scheduled with the doctor on Friday. I am hoping that things work out and that I will have some more information come Friday, so I can get back to training and racing.
In the meantime, I have been doing some other activities such as rock climbing and I have been thinking about doing some weight lifting too. Otherwise work has been controlling the rest of my "free-time."
Good Luck to all the Stadium guys at Wausau! I am hoping to see some big numbers at the race.

High(er) Mileage

Quite obviously time has been moving fast. Only a few weeks ago I thought school would never end, racing would be far off in the distance, and I would have plenty of time to make up for a long winter's rest. One week ago was WORS #1 at Iola, School is done tomorrow, and I should have been riding for months now. But who is counting, right? Other than me, not very many. Today was the day that I finally broke out of my relaxation shell and put on some good mileage. The last few days I have been meaning to get some short rides in, but weather and finals seem to have gotten in the way. Yesterday was my hardest day for exams with both my Managerial Accounting and Spanish (Cumulative) Exams. I think it goes without saying that last night I felt relieved of the heavy burden of school. My two exams tomorrow are not too hard and then I am officially done with my first year at Milwaukee. So getting back to the point of my story, I slept in until about 8:00 and then got out for what I thought would be a 20 mile ride at 9:00. I would have been happy with getting in 20 miles seeing as I have a few things to do this afternoon, but the legs were feeling great and I wanted to do more.
I headed along my usual route and went just north of Mequon. I knew that I would have a headwind/crosswind the entire way back so I turned around short of Concordia University and headed home. Unfortunately I was quite right about the headwind. Suddenly as I turned around, it seemed as if the wind shifted and gained speed too. Still feeling great, I tucked into a nice aero position and pushed it hard to get back. As I neared Silver Spring Dr. I felt the winds die down and got a little energy back.
On the majority of my rides, it seems as if I always find something that is new or interesting and today was no exception. As I cut through a small suburb, I noticed a strange looking animal in a yard. I thought it was a statue, but is was moving. As I rode past I took a triple-take because I could have sworn it was a little black pig or warthog. And to my surprise, I was correct. Here in the yard of a (very nice and expensive) home, was this little black pig with a blue harness for a leash. How about that for a pet! A little further along, I thought to go and take a picture but decided against it. I am sure, at times, it is weird enough having a guy riding a bike in spandex slowing down to look at your pet, let alone having him ride past, turn around, stop, pull out a camera, and take a few pictures of your pet! Maybe on one of my next rides I can have the camera at the ready for a quick shot.
Shortly after the pig sighting, I was back at the apartment for a ride of just over 30 miles. Not bad at all! Hopefully I can keep this trend up and be in good shape for Lake Geneva! Speaking of racing, the Iola report will be up soon! I Promise! (For all of my very loyal readers!)

Iola.?

Yes, believe it or not, it is time for the first race of the WORS season; the Iola Bump and Jump. Besides the cool name, Iola is one of my more favorite courses. Usually, I am busy working or just plain lazy and miss this first race of the season, but this year I am doing it. I guess we shall see how I do tomorrow. I have low mileage on the road and zero mileage on the Mountain Bike. Yes, gasp, I have absolutely zero miles on the mountain bike. As I was driving to Green Bay tonight, the thought in my mind was 'can I even remember how to ride my bike, let alone ride it in single track and up big hills?' So thus sets the scene for a long night and a very interesting day tomorrow. I am hoping that all of the other guys either A. don't show up or B. have not put many miles in either... In the 19-24 age class, that is highly unlikely. Especially because they are mostly collegiate roadies. You know, the guy I am supposed to be. But for real, I am a little nervous about tomorrow, but it should be exciting. Like I said, I love the Iola course and can't wait to get back on the bike again. Tomorrow will be what I like to call a "training race."
Now, it is off to bed and trying to actually get some rest before the race tomorrow.

Recent Goings-on

Spring is here! Or is it? The weather of Wisconsin has held true to its name. Rain, snow, wind, sun, warm, and cold. It seems like we are getting hit with everything. Making it even better is the fact that one day is completely different than the day before and the next day too. The original goal was to stay in shape this winter and come spring, I would be in race shape. Well spring is here, and not to my surprise I am completely out of shape. I think my last ride for the winter was in December, and I did no training all winter long. I did some weight training here and there, but no hours on the bike. I brought the trainer down from Green Bay to try and do some indoor riding over winter. Even with the rubber mat and other isolation, the trainer would quickly get me evicted if I decided to use it due to the noise. So that did not help my cause. I recently brought my trainer back home because it was collecting dust and wasting space. In hopes of using my trainer I had installed a cheap tire on my road bike as to not destroy my good tires.
As I went to swap the tires I was greeted by a flat tire on not only the rear wheel of my road bike, but also the front tire on my fixie. Apparently, not riding your bike can still cause flats...
So, part of my spring cleaning was doing a few tire and tube changes on my bikes.
I also thought I would try to re-arrange my bikes next to my bed, so that I would not be so worried about getting oil and grease on my sheets. I quickly realized that this placed the handlebars quite near my head and could cause problems, and I put the bikes back where they where originally.
With the tires changed and bikes at the ready, all I needed was some decent weather. I admit, I was looking for sunny and 50, but that is more or less out of the question.

Finally, I caught some free time after classes and a break in the rain to get out for an epic ride of ... 10 miles... (And oh did I feel out of shape). I took a short trip because the rain was coming fast and the wind was high, so I headed South looking for a route without a headwind on the return trip. I ended up heading into downtown on Lincoln Memorial towards the Art Museum with the sweet "wings."
I took a quick break to snap a few shots and then I turned back towards the apartment because it was looking like rain could hit any moment. Now that I have actually got out for a ride I think it will come easier, especially if the weather does what the "experts" say it will.

Now it is off to address some problems with my car.

Spoiled by warm weather

Well it is back from break and into the real world again. Last week was spent in the warm sunny weather of Panama City Beach, Florida! Yes, I decided to be like the thousands of other college students who head south for their Spring Break. A group of about 30 students from UWM and the surrounding area headed south for the 20 hour drive. When we left on the 14th the weather in Milwaukee was fantastic. Sunny, a light breeze, and temps in the 50's. The first day in Florida wasn't too bad, a little windy, humid, and foggy, but way better than what we were having in Wisconsin! The rest of the week was great, sunny, temps in the 70's, one day of rain, but overall great. I spent a few days doing some body surfing in the ocean and when the red flags were up I attempted (keyword) to do some skim boarding. Apparently, just because I have good balance on a bicycle does not mean I have good balance on a skim board. My last day in Florida was Friday the 21st. I spent some time lying in the sun, desperately trying to get even a slight burn so I didn't return to Wisconsin pasty white. I was given the sad news late Thursday night that while we were having highs in the mid 70's and sun, Milwaukee was to get a big snow storm with 10-14 inches of snow... Not Cool! (Actually very cold, but that's besides the point). We all tried hard to enjoy our last hours of sun and warmth as we packed up the caravan and hit the road. As we neared Indiana, it became clear how bad the transition would be as we got some gas and ran inside for some caffeine (wearing shorts and maybe a long sleeved shirt if we were lucky). After 19 hours, we crossed the border into Wisconsin and sadly back to reality. The hard cold reality of school and snow. Thankfully we have had a few days in the 40's and 50's in Milwaukee to ease the transition, but it is clear that break is now over and I have something like 8 weeks left of school.

Riding on Ice

Saturday night was time for the second kids safety event at the Resch Center. As fans came in for the Gambler game, families found numerous booths with safety related activities. Like last year, the team was in attendance helping with a miniature computrainer time trial and of course to do a little riding on the ice. Yes... ICE. Thanks to Shawn I was equipped with a set of homemade studded tires. These babies were so much better than the set I had last year, granted the other set I had used did not have huge drywall screws for studs.

(Though extremely sharp, drywall screws are good ice tire studs)

The tires held on to the ice very well, as you may have imagined, and they look pretty cool on the bike too. (Especially because I spent three hours before the ride cleaning mud from shvegas.)
Overall we had a great turnout, about 10 riders on the ice and a few more manning the booth and handing out sponge bobs.
More importantly, the team was out in force showing how cool it is to wear a helmet. Events like these are a great opprotunity to lead by example and that is just what we accomplished. (While having fun tearing up the ice at the Resch Center, throwing sponge bobs into the crowd.)

Myth: College Students Do Not Eat Well.

Tonight, the apartment was filled with some delicious smells that seemed to be coming from the kitchen.










Upon investigating the oven and the pots on the stove it was becoming very clear. This is not the average college student's dinner. While some college students eat the stereotypical easy-mac or the infamous pizza, this kitchen seems to be breaking the myth that college students do not eat well. Inside of the pots on the stove we find steamed vegetables and rice.
Even more impressive than the rice and vegetables, is the Alaskan Salmon fillet in the oven which seems to be smothered in some sort of homemade sauce.
As dinner nears the table is elegantly set, like a showcase for this delectable meal.
Yes, it is clear that this college student does not eat like the rest. Perhaps he is gifted with the ability to prepare delicious meals. (Or he is a cyclist with too much time on his hands because he does not want to ride his bike.)

Whatever the answer may be, I am leaving now; I am full from dinner.

Busy Vacation

Not posting for over a month should be indicator #1 that things are quite busy. School ended sometime around December 19th and from that point on it has been a nonstop list of things to do before next semester and Heather leaves for Spain. Obviously the first thing on the list was Christmas and the like. A little last minute shopping through Christmas Eve and getting together with both sides of the family followed by driving back and forth between De Pere, Milwaukee, and Menominee Falls. After Christmas was New Year's at Heather's and a belated Christmas celebration. Soon thereafter Heather and I met with a friend in Chicago to sightsee and pick up Heather's Visa. Then the countdown began as there were only two weeks before Heather leaves for Spain. This weekend was more or less the climax of everything. Heather was all packed and we drove Heather to Minneapolis to fly out to Spain for 15 weeks. Now I have plenty to do, with only one more week before classes start. Getting out for a ride would also be a plus.