Train.Ride.Race

Rain + Mud + Bike = Problems

2011-10-06T12:21:00.002-05:00

It has been almost 2 weeks since Mud fest '11 and I am still working to get everything sorted out. When the skies over Bear Paw opened up at noon (just in time for the Comp/Elite waves to go off) the rain did not let up and the course turned into a slippery slurry of mud that was nearly impossible to ride in. When I spoke to riders in the waves before they said the mud was shedding of the tires instead of sticking to them and there was still some traction out there. They were right about the tires staying clean, but my tires just did not have the tread to ride many of the technical areas of the course. I decided to just take it easy on the course and have fun with it. Riding was a blast, but the aftermath was pretty ugly:

I was covered head to toe with mud, but worse was my bike (especially the drive train).

Thankfully they had a hose on site so I was able to get most of the mud off right away. In fact, my bike got its bath before me! When I got back home, I made sure that I got everything dry and put some more lube on the chain. Unfortunately, I did not pay enough attention to the BB, because when I got around to pulling it apart the bearings had seized and the chain had a new bright orange sheen to it. Better yet was the fact that I made this discovery yesterday and Sheboygan is now only 2 days away.

This morning I was pleased to call Jeff at JB to find out that he has exactly the BB I need in stock, so I will be taking a detour up to Green Bay tonight to get it replaced and hopefully have the bike ready to roll for SheVegas. If not, I am picking up the trusty Epic from my parents as a backup. Although Green Bay is a long distance from Milwaukee, I am happy to make the drive up on such short notice.

Why? I have yet to find a shop like JB (and many of the other Green Bay area shops) that takes care of it customers and provides Service with a Smile! Out of all the shops I have tried in Milwaukee including W@#$%&S*()& and C$@%k D@**%s, I have yet to find a shop that is friendly to its customers and does not judge them based on what they look like or what they buy. So Kudos to Jeff at JB and any other shops who take care of their customers, your service keeps customers like me loyal to your shop(s).

-Andy

Too Much Power!

2011-10-01T10:16:00.000-05:00

Been a while since the last post, but I figured this was worth a post on its own. I got out for what was supposed to be a 30 mile ride around Holy Hill. About 15 minutes in I was climbing a short hill and started to hear a clanking from the rear of my bike. I thought it was just some slack in the chain making noise, so I kept on climbing. The noise got worse and I was feeling some tension in the rear wheel so I decided to investigate. It was pretty obvious that I blew a spoke, but less obvious was what happened since the spoke remained in tact. A little more investigation showed that one of the flanges on the hub cracked and pulled away allowing the spoke to escape!

So unfortunately the wheel was not ride-able and I had to walk/wait for a ride to get back home. Now I am just hoping that this is covered under warranty! Next up will be some TLC and cleaning of my mountain bike after last weekend's race (also known as pushing the bike through mud all day) and getting ready for the last race of WORS in Sheboygan!

-Andy

Work In Progress

2011-03-14T19:43:00.000-05:00

Been a while since my last post so I figured I should get one out here. I'm finally getting settled into the new place in Franklin and am really liking the area. Work has been incredibly busy which has made working out and riding difficult on good days. The transition to a desk job has been tough for many reasons, especially dealing with the temptation to eat and drink the free snacks at work. It is clear that I am burning fewer calories now compared to 10 months ago, when I was walking around on campus and always on the go.
More recently, I have been working to get into a rhythm of working out and eating a better diet to try and shed some of the excess weight gained over winter. Part of this motivated me to write an article for the company newsletter about the dreaded "off-season" and working out in winter (I may try to post an abridged version here). I have been getting a good 1-2 hours of working out after work 3-4 nights a week and am really trying to get those numbers more consistent as spring is coming fast. My workouts have included a lot of weight lifting and I have been doing much more cross-training than in years past. I really want to strengthen my knees to the point where I can go for a run and not have pain for the next 2 weeks. Hopefully, the weights will help me with some of the power and positioning problems I had last year as well.
Looking ahead to this year's season, I am very excited, though not sure what to expect. I will have a lot of weekends free, but I will need to make a lot of conscious decisions about when and where to ride and which races are going to take priority on my calendar. This year it looks like I will focus primarily on the WORS series and will not be doing the Iceman although it is a lot of fun. The jury is still out on the other races around the area, so we will see where the year leads. I know that I want to race Comp again this year and am hoping that I will be more prepared for the races than before. The one thing I know for certain is that I am happy to be riding with the Titletown Flyers again this year and am looking forward to seeing everyone back on the road.

-Andy

The Joys of Moving

2010-08-17T20:32:00.000-05:00

I found it ironic that after my last post, the race in Franklin was rained out. I can not imagine how much water the trails were covered in. The good thing is that I was able to use that weekend to get a much needed head start on moving from my old place in Milwaukee to my new apartment not far away from Crystal Ridge in Franklin. I am getting closer to having all of my stuff moved and unpacked with a little work to do in the kitchen and then moving my new couches from Green Bay down here to the new place.
The hardest thing has been finding time to get out for rides while moving and still working full-time. The last three weekends have been spent unpacking, cleaning, and arranging everything in the apartment with almost no time spent riding. Complicating matters is trying to find places to ride on the road especially due to the trail conditions at Crystal Ridge (wet). Thankfully, I am getting into a rhythm now and have found a good route in the Menominee Falls area where there are lots of big hills (think Scray's Hill or bigger for those of you in the Green Bay area). Maybe this change of pace will be just what my training needed for some much needed mid-season conditioning.
This weekend will be the Reforestation Ramble back in the Green Bay area. It sounds like Shawn is doing a great job again this year and will have a great course to ride on. Not sure what my plans are for the race yet this weekend. Unfortunately, my rear wheel on the mountain bike is getting a lot of flats. I sent it in to the shop to have it looked at - it looks like some sharp metal burrs, fused on the inside of the rim, were puncturing the tube even through two layers of a thick plastic rim strip! If things are not all fixed, I will probably volunteer for the entire day and skip the race.
Should be an interesting week to see how everything will unfold. More to come soon!

-Andy

Don't trust the weather man.

2010-07-20T20:39:00.000-05:00

It has been a pretty busy month so far which always makes riding tough. But I think I can say a second major reason has been working in rides when the weather is nice outside. The forecast says sunny all day and into the night - what happens? Rain. The radar looks like rain and we get sunny and 75. This month seems to have been especially bad in regards to forecast accuracy where the weather has literally been the exact opposite of the forecast. So what does one do when cross-checking the weather between 3 sources is not working? Plan rides opposite to what the weather says.
This weekend offered a great opportunity to ride at Franklin, what better than to follow it up with a long road ride on Monday after work. Check the forecast and everything looks great, especially given the rain and thunderstorms forecast for Tuesday. While at work the weather was pretty nice all up until about 4:00 when clouds started moving in. The forecast still says no rain for the night and the radar is inconclusive. When I got home just after 5 I look at the sky and it says something very different from the forecast. I look one last time at the computer and the radar shows green all around Milwaukee. Decision time - ride with a chance of getting wet or take it safe and ride later. Looking at the forecast for Tuesday, I saw rain predicted all day. For some reason I decided to hold off on the ride and wait for Today.
While the forecast said rain all day, and the radar seemed to agree, there was hardly a cloud in the sky. Strangely, the forecast was finally changed to reflect the current conditions - Sunny and Gorgeous! By 4:30 a few clouds rolled in making me worry about postponing the ride to today, but I stuck with my original plan to ride tonight. I hit the road at about 5:30 and was greeted with some clouds in the sky, but by 6:00, the sky cleared up and the sun came out for some great riding weather! After being graced with beautiful weather and a good 40 miles tonight, I am feeling refreshed to finally get a good ride. I have also come to one conclusion - don't trust the weather man (in fact, sometimes you should do the opposite of what they say!)

Now to get some rest tonight and prepare for a fun race weekend in Franklin!

-Andy

Mid season check up (Whoops)

2010-07-17T09:50:00.000-05:00

I figured I should at least get a quick post up to let everyone know that I am still alive...
I was going to put up an epic length recap, but after some thought on how long that will take to write (and to read) I will save the gory detail and give you all the abridged version.
All the way back in May, I Graduated from the University of Wisconsin Milwaukee with a major in Management of Information Systems. Literally right after graduation (about 5 hours later) I was on a plane to Florida to attend the annual convention for SAP (a huge software company). The conference was a cool opportunity that I was nominated to attend by the University. I found out that I was only 1 of 8 other students from the US to attend this conference, which was pretty cool! After that I have been working full time in Milwaukee at a consulting firm that deals with SAP so that conference was a big help.
More recently, I found a new place to live in Franklin (just southwest of Milwaukee) and will start moving in there next week. I have been trying to fit riding into my new schedule and now I just need to get into a good rythym. Racing comp this year has been a blast so far. I am finding the races to be very demanding, but very fun at the same time. Not that getting lapped by other riders is a good thing, but seeing the pros fly by on the trail is pretty cool. It really is motivating me to step up my game and get faster. The races I have done so far have shown me a big gap in my training this year was strength. I don't have the power I had last year and that is starting to hurt me a little in the races. My plan is to try and incorporate some strength and power specific training into my routine and use my newly free weekends to get in some quality long rides. I think today I am going to head out to Crystal Ridge in Franklin to ride the race course and get some good hill repeats in.
In the meantime I will try to start updating with race pictures and more of the exciting things to come.

-Andy

Ready to Roll

2010-04-29T18:15:00.003-05:00

I have now spent the last few months in what I will refer to as 'Top-secret Super-fast Training.' Some of this time has been devoted to preparing and riding my new weapon of choice- a 2010 Specialized Stumpjumper Expert 29'er.
Each week I have been trying to ramp up ride frequency and time as much as my schedule would allow (about 3 rides per week). The rest of the time has been spent in school, at work, and finding employment for after school. The good news is that I am nearing the end of my education and Graduation is nearing quickly. I have also taken a full-time offer at a local consulting firm which is going to begin shortly.
Given the huge time commitments to work, school, and other activities, my training is not where I would hope, but I am excited to start the season. This weekend marks race #1 in WORS 2010 and I will be doing my first race in comp, which should make for a painful, but interesting weekend. Tomorrow I will probably finish cleaning my bike and make sure it is in shape for the weekend when Don says "Gooooooo!" I am very excited for this year and I am happy to be racing with the Titletown Flyers on a new 2010 Specialized!
-Andy

Morning Coffee and a Blog Post

2010-01-24T09:24:00.003-06:00

Well, it has been a long while since I last posted. Even with no classes, things have been busy, busy. Training is not going quite as planned, but I am finally catching up on everything. I think I will begin weights this week and really start getting organized with my training plan. Heather got me the "other" Bible for Christmas and I am planning to make some major changes in my training plan (or lack thereof). If you have not read this, I am going to highly recommend at least skim reading it. The book is like drinking from a fire hose, but there are some great ideas within.
In other news, I am working to get my final semester at UWM in line. I have 3 classes left in order to graduate, but I need one more to stay full time. Add in trying to work a full time job and that means schedule fun-ness! Also in the works is trying to get back to Green Bay to finally order the new bike!
I think that the next two weeks are going to be really busy, but it should be a lot of fun. Hopefully more updates to come soon!

Andy

Pain

2009-11-18T10:04:00.003-06:00

The Iceman finish photos are up... I know now where my leg cramped:

"Ouch!""Yeah, that hurts!""This isn't going away easily..."

Just thought I would share this with everyone.
In other news I am still off the bike getting some much needed rest. I am planning to start weights and base miles just after Thanksgiving (or maybe a quick ride before dinner to aid digestion).

Andy

Iceman

2009-11-13T23:14:00.003-06:00

Last weekend was the official end of my 2009 season. Looking back, I am pleased with how everything turned out. My main goal for WORS was to finish in the top 3 for my age class. I ended up in 4th, but only by a small margin. Yes, if I had more time I could have focused my training a little more and done more of the races - but that was not what was planned for me. Even though I did not place in the top 3 for Sport, I am giving serious consideration to moving up to Comp. I am feeling less fatigued after races and am having a lot of fun while also posting results. If I stay in Sport one more year, I have a good chance at winning or placing high. At the same time, I feel as though I would not be giving myself a challenge (as if racing is not already challenging). In Comp I am thinking I will be able to really push myself and maybe in a year or two put up a good result. At least I have plenty of time to think everything through before I make the decision final.

As far as the Iceman went, I am feeling great after a good weekend and a great race. I started the weekend with a 2 hour drive to Green Bay on Thursday night. Then 6 AM on Friday I head to Shawn's to begin the 7 hour drive to Traverse City. We put in a warm up, got some great food, and rested for the next day's race. Looking back at the morning, I found that I ate too little for breakfast as we got everything ready to go. My start was at 10 and I figured eating less would give me a better start. This year I found the line on time and was able to be in perfect position for the start. The weather was also a very welcome change from last year. I estimate the start was about 20 degrees warmer than last year (my computer said 57) I think is was easily 50 degrees outside!
As we rolled out, a group of about 7 formed a pace-line and literally took off running. It seemed like only a few minutes passed before we started catching traffic from the wave 5 minuted ahead of us. Some of the guys in the group were really pulling hard as I frantically tried to stay in contact with the group. Once the trail got a little bumpy and sandy, I lost the wheel in front of me and watched the line pull away. A few others were in the same boat and we got together to gain time back. The next several miles were spent fighting to gain time and also get around the countless riders from waves ahead of us. I was feeling very strong - though a little foolish for losing the group - but strong none the less. Our chase group eventually broke apart and we were on our own.
About 13 miles into the race I realized I had not been eating and that my breakfast was too small. I was able to get a good shot of gel, but the effects were already setting in. I hit a fast gentle descent, where I put it in high gear and pushed as hard as I could. As the grade turned into a shallow uphill, my effort caught up with me and I blew up - my heart rate peaked and I lost all my power. Eventually I found a wheel I could hold and fought my way up the hills to come. About this point I thought to myself, 'I do not remember there being this many hills'. I was able to get into a good rhythm and push ahead, each hill taking more out of me. I knew I needed to eat more and I was happy that I packed some cliff bloks as my gel flask ran empty after only two shots. Each mile started to hurt more and more as I pushed harder that ever before.
The last five miles of the race contain some of the hardest hills out of the entire 29 miles. On Friday's pre ride, I felt great on the hills and I did not think about saving my energy for these last five miles - Big Mistake! Even in low gears, I just could not produce the power to efficiently move up the hills. Somehow, I found something deep down to get me up each hill. As I neared the finish stretch I knew everything I had to do: Descend the switchbacks, climb the wood chip hill, and sprint. I checked each one off as I pushed ahead. Each hard effort I felt my muscles spasm and I worked to fight off the inevitable cramps. Finally, I look ahead to see the finish line and give it everything I have. I gritted my teeth and pushed. I went over the timing strip and stopped pedaling. My right leg hit the bottom of the pedal stroke and instantly cramped. I found myself experiencing amazing pain and inability to bend my leg, yet a sense of satisfaction because I knew I left everything on that course. After a while of working out the cramps and stretching I felt a little better and went to check my results and celebrate 9th place in my age group with a time of 2 hours, 13 minutes. I can honestly say those last five miles were some of the most painful I have ever felt, but it was great to see how my body responded to the efforts I put in on the trail. The final event in the weekend was some great food at the Red Mesa Grill in Traverse City. If you ever want to have a great burrito (and margaritas), I would definitely recommend it!

Overall, the 20th Iceman Cometh was a huge success for me and all the guys who raced and a great finish to the 2009 mountain bike season. I want to thank everyone who has made this season such a success. Specifically, I want to thank Shawn for all his hard work with getting a new team started. The Titletown Flyers have become a great team and I look forward to riding with them for many years. I also want to thank all of the team's sponsors who help provide all the best gear to have a successful season. I want to thank God for giving me the ability to race and my parents who have always been supportive of my racing. Finally, a big thanks to my girlfriend Heather, who has been supportive of my addiction to racing and is always on the sidelines to hand off bottles and cheer me and the guys on!

I look forward to the 2010 racing season, until then it is time for a short break before winter training starts!

-Andy

Yes, I am alive and well.

2009-11-03T10:50:00.003-06:00

Hello Blogger,
it is very nice to meet you, it truly has been a long time...

So the answer is yes, I am alive and yes, I am well. After my nice vacation in Door County things ramped up fast! To sum it up briefly, this is my final year at UWM and along with that is coming a ton of responsibility and work. This is by far the hardest I have had to work on school (even with taking the minimum 12 credits to stay full-time!).
WORS finished off just the other weekend with the team taking first in both the points and participation category and I took 4th overall in my age class. My goal for this year was to get in the top three, but given the circumstances I am very pleased. At this point I am considering the upgrade to comp for next season.
Next on tap is the Iceman Cometh in Traverse City, MI this weekend. It looks like I'll leave Milwaukee late Thursday night and Hit the road with the team at 6:00AM on Friday. Then race on Saturday, possible cross on Sunday??? and head back to Green Bay and then Milwaukee.
I am both excited and nervous about the race this year - the temps will be much higher than last, but my training has not been as consistent as I originally planned. For the race I will hope to beat my time from last year and get inside the top 10 (5?). Is that do-able? I guess, we'll see!

-Andy

Vacation

2009-08-09T06:57:00.002-05:00

One 8.5 hour shift separates me from a week-long vacation in Door County this week ending with a race in River Falls (Hopefully). I am really looking forward to being able to unwind and decompress a little before school and all the fun things that come with it. Hopefully I'll have some pictures to post next week. Until then, give me a call if you are heading to Fiver Falls instead of Race the Lake!

-Andy

Race Report: WORS #7- Alterra Coffee Bean Classic

2009-08-02T17:48:00.005-05:00

The last few days were pretty incredible; my new roommate moved in on Friday, I turned old Yesterday, had a going away party for my current roommate and of course raced today. To rewind quickly, Friday was pretty crazy with trying to figure out how to let my new roommate (Alex) in without being at the apartment and also finding room for my current roommate to move his stuff into the living room for the next couple weeks. Thankfully, all of that went smoothly and now Alex is moved in (for the most part) and I think I speak for the two of us when I say I am excited for the coming year.
Last night, I went out to Botanas for mexican with my old roommate James and a bunch of friends to wish James success as he moves to Iowa to pursue Higher-er education (PhD).

Today was pretty insane. I can't think of any good word to sum it all up in one. I woke up and got ready to race in Franklin. I caught the Citizen and Citizen Youth races and then began getting ready for my own race. To start my warm up, I did a quick climb of the uphill start to get the heart rate up. At the top I began to hear a ping from my back wheel. Instinctively, I look down to see my rear wheel shimmying from side to side.
Upon further inspection I see the culprit - a broken spoke on the drive-side of the wheel. I felt my heart sink a little as I entertained the thought of spectating at a race I was supposed to be in. I checked with numerous people and at the shop tents and found no one who had a wheel I could borrow. I watched as racers started going off thinking today was just not meant-to-be. As Don was calling up the series leaders for my age-class, I bumped into Diana from the team who happened to have a wheel I could borrow! I swapped the wheels and ran to the Parktool tent to adjust my brakes. As I flew to the bottom of the hill and into the start, Don was calling all other riders to the line. I was not in the ideal starting position, but I was thankful to be in the start shoot at all!
As we climbed the hill I was feeling great, but I could feel my chain skipping gears. As we hit the course lead-out, I was able to make a quick fine adjustment on-the-fly which seemed to fix things. The tight single track proved to be a problem as I was stuck behind a group of slower riders with no passing opportunities. As we got further into the lap, I was able to make a couple small passes but nothing substantial. Finally, I saw a spot in the trail ahead and yelled, "LEFT!" as I flew past the riders. I came into a section of fast single track called the Alpha Trail which helped me to bridge the gap to the next group of riders. As I neared the steep switchback climb up the back of the ski hill, I passed a few more riders and started seeing more guys from my age class. Climbing the start hill into lap two, I spotted Wenzlick and knew I was back in the race. I grabbed his wheel through the lead-out and into the single track. As we moved through some single track, I saw an opportunity to pass Ryan and the guys ahead. Ryan made the first move to the right and almost went down with another rider, as I went to the left to avoid a crash and was able to get ahead of the group. I admit that was not the nicest move I have ever made, but I was able to get in front of the group and onto the switchback climb first. I knew I was in the finishing stretch, so it was all or nothing. I found myself flying through the single track and pulling further ahead. I came through the last section of single track with no problems and turned onto the finish hill. I heard the announcer saying "places will be won and lost right here..." right then I looked back to see two guys on my wheel getting ready to make a move. At this, I stood up on the pedals and gave it everything I had left to get to the finish line first.
I could not believe that things worked out so well! It was truly a blessing to run into Diana at the last minute to borrow her wheel. When I checked the results I was excited to see I had managed to recover from a poor start to take 4th place in my age class with only seconds to spare!
Overall, I would say this was purely an amazing race and I definitely owe it to my team for being there in a pinch. A huge thanks to Diana from the Titletown Flyers for allowing me to use her wheel!!!

-Andy

Going out for a ride in the woods

2009-07-30T22:55:00.003-05:00

On Tuesday, I took Heather out to the Southern Kettles for a little biking of the mountain sort. We had a little lunch and headed out for a total of 8 miles in the woods. Heather did very well, especially for being her first mountain bike ride this summer! Even on the intermediate trail she did very well with the hills and single track sections. We did stop a couple times along the way and in the process got eaten alive by mosquitoes, but never for anything too serious (except for her slowing to a stop and falling on her butt, then sitting and laughing for a while about it).
I'd say she was feeling pretty good after being out on the mountain bike.

-Andy

Air Show

2009-07-26T17:39:00.007-05:00

Friday morning I was sitting in the apartment watching the tour before work. In the distance I hear a jet and think nothing of it until suddenly the apartment shakes and a loud boom echoes through the air. Over the next few minutes I hear the same thing over and over again. My first thoughts were 'what in the world is happening!' I look outside and see an F-15 circling the area and shooting off towards the lake shore. It was a pretty cool way to find out that Milwaukee was going to have an Air and Water show this weekend! Saturday morning before work I decided to stop down for a couple hours - Boy, was it worth it! I was able to see several stunt planes performing things I never thought an airplane could do (rolling tail over engine mid-flight).

I also got to see the F-15 that was making so much noise on Friday morning and plenty more!
On the schedule for the week is some more riding and getting things ready for my new roommate to move in.

-Andy

Sunburst/Update

2009-07-23T21:33:00.004-05:00

So it has been a while again, so I'll start with a quick recap.
I was riding very consistently until just after Wausau, when I started having knee pain on the bike. Due to lack of time and a desire to let my knee recover I took a three week 'vacation.' Unfortunately, the vacation was from riding and not from work; quite the opposite in fact. I was (and still am) putting in a ton of hours at work. After a long recovery, I went back and took a good look at the measurements on both my mountain and road bike and found what I believed to be a good fit for the bike. I did a short 15 mile spin to test the new fit and thankfully I had no pain. The next day I put in a good 50 miles and felt even better. Subsequent rides came with some small pain, but more of the "I have not been riding" kind of pain. With less pain in my knee I picked up my training regime and started getting ready for Kewaskum with some good focused efforts (including some top secret training in the mountains of De Pere a.k.a. Scray's Hill).
As race day came nearer, I was nervous but feeling good about where I stood fitness-wise. Race day started well, I had a great warm up on the hilly roads in the area and in the start shoot I was feeling good. Not my best start from the line but after the short lead out, I was sitting near the front. I hit the climbs and I saw my 'secret training' take effect. I just put the power to the pedals and flew up the hills. I took a corner a little fast towards the end of the first lap, but otherwise nothing major. As the end of lap three came, I was feeling tired and worried that I was falling back, but I pushed through the pain and came through the finish without losing any ground. After cooling down, I got the good news - third place! Needles to say I am really excited about the result and looking forward to finishing the series strong.
Up next is the Alterra Coffee Bean Classic right here in Milwaukee!

WORS #2: Rhinelander

2009-06-01T20:21:00.002-05:00

This past weekend was pretty busy, but things went really well. I put on some good mileage (on the car) heading to see Heather back home from Ireland, to Green Bay on Saturday to get the fork on my bike for the race, to Rhinelander for the actual race, and then to Prairie du Sac for a surprise 50th birthday party for Heather's mom.
I was happy enough to just get my rebuilt fork back on the bike and still arrive in Rhinelander with enough time to get a ride in on Saturday. Ryan, Scott, and I headed out for a quick lap on the course though I ended up taking a solo lap as Scott's chain was not playing nice with his cassette. I felt really good for the first half of my lap, though as the miles passed, my legs just did not seem to have the power they had on Monday at the camp. I decided to finish the lap and focus on recovering for Sunday's race. Sunday morning came quickly and I felt good (both mentally and physically). I packed up some of my gear and then set out for a warm up. I was amazed at how many flyers jerseys I saw during my warm up and as I entered the staging area. Seeing that many people at the race really got me excited for this season!
19-24 was the first group to set out on the course, and in it were myself, Ryan, Scott, and Ethan. I felt great on the lead out, sitting in the top 10-15. As we headed out, I narrowly escaped a crash that took out Ryan and was able to stay with the lead group. As the race went on, I could really feel my training in effect and I was feeling great! I just kept on the pedals and did not lose sight of the guys in front of me. Things were going really well. I must say that over the years I have seen some strange things in mountain biking, but never before have I seen or heard of this... As I am riding along I feel a strange sensation in my right eye. Suddenly, my eye tears up and as I blink, my contact falls right out! Thankfully, my glasses kept hold of the lens and I was able to pull off the trail and get the contact back in. The disappointing part was watching as five or six riders shoot on by as I realize that I am going to need to make up some ground. Again, my training paid off, as I was able to get back in the race and keep going. Going into lap two, I was still feeling good and moving quickly through the course. That is, until my eye got that funny feeling again. Once again, my contact popped out and I needed to pull off the trail and get it back in again. After this second time, I really did not have any more problems-other than the fact that the guys I had worked to pass were just in front of me. As I neared the last part of the lap I heard noises behind me and began to panic as I feared more guys from my age group were nearing. I was partially right. Among the riders back, I faintly saw a Flyers jersey with a bright helmet. I knew it was Ryan. Immediately I panicked and tried my best to put riders between me and him in the single track. Soon enough, Ryan was on my wheel and passed by. I swallowed my pride, and took his wheel as we both were now fighting to get to the front of the race. I pushed harder on the last few miles of this race than I have ever done before working to get back with Ryan and finish the race strong. I knew that not more than 30 seconds in front of me sat the top 5 in my age class and I just could not catch them. The race finish was bittersweet. I was mad that something as simple as a contact could hold me back in the race and that Ryan caught me, but at the same time, I saw that Ryan got his legs back and that I was able to push so hard in a race an still feel so good afterwards.
The results show the whole story with Ryan in 6th, me 20 seconds back in 7th and only about a minute spread between 3rd and 7th place! With WORS #2 in the books, it is time for me to rest up and little and then gear up for another great race in Wausau this weekend!

-Andy

A Busy Weekend in Green Bay

2009-05-26T18:20:00.003-05:00

This weekend I was able to finally get back to Green Bay for some time with family and friends. Sunday was spent working on the bike and later at Celebration in De Pere with some old friends. Monday, I frantically put the bike together with a fork from another bike (because my good fork was still in the shop) so I could get out to the camp for a couple laps with Ryan. Running an hour late, I was able to meet up with Ryan and we did two laps at the camp. Being my first ride on the mountain bike for the season I was not sure what to expect, but I quickly got into a rythm and we both put in two good laps. With less than a week until Rhinelander, I am feeling pretty good about my fitness level and am now more concerned about getting the correct fork on my bike in time for the race on Sunday. Hopefully, I can get in one more good ride before the weekend and then it is "Goooooooo" time!

-Andy

Great Ride Tonight

2009-05-21T20:11:00.003-05:00

I got out this evening for a good 40 miles and it felt great! Yes, I did have a headwind/crosswind most of the way, but somehow I just hammered through it all. I think my average was near 20! Not bad for feeling terrible just over a week ago. It looks like I will have a day or so off to get back to Green Bay this Sunday through Tuesday Morning. Hopefully I can get the bike together and ready to ride for the following weekend and better yet - get in a ride at the camp. In the meantime, I think I am going to eat a good recovery dinner and clean up! Give me a call if you want to ride at the camp this Monday!

-Andy

It's Official: School is out!

2009-05-21T08:00:00.002-05:00

As a student, the last exam is sort of like the end of the semester. Suddenly, there are no more commitments such as studying and working, but there is still a cloud lingering overhead as if it really is not all over. This metaphorical cloud is of course the grades from the semester. I seem to check every day until each grade appears in the table for the semester. When they finally come in, I can relax and know that everything is in the books. Most of my grades came in quickly, but as luck would have it, I had to wait the longest for the grade I was most concerned about. I could have predicted all of my grades (except for this one) weeks before they were in, the problem was my finance class. This semester I had the pleasure of being taught finance between 5:30 and 8:15 one night each week by an adjunct professor (a person hired for one semester to teach a class - i.e. not a true university professor). To say the least, I sat by as a good class went from bad to worse. I will spare the gory details, but at the end of the semester I found myself fighting just to pass the class. After a long semester and after taking all the exams, I had to sit and wait just a little longer to see what the damage would be. After more than a week, I had the answer. I watched as my cumulative GPA slid nearly 2 tenths of a point from one class. The good news is that my other grades helped to keep my GPA up and hopefully still on the Dean's List.
Better yet, school is now officially over and I can focus 100% on racing this summer. I think I may just celebrate by doing a good 40 miles tonight after work!

-Andy

Weekend in Green Bay

2009-05-20T16:27:00.003-05:00

This last weekend came and went very quickly as I headed back to Green Bay for Heather's graduation and her trip to Ireland. Sunday was her actual graduation from St. Norbert College and then Monday morning, we took her to the airport so she could leave for two weeks in Ireland. Once she took off, I spent the rest of the day working on getting my mountain bike back in order. The fork is in the shop for a rebuild, the bike got stripped of everything and given a good deep clean and polish, I replaced the bottom bracket and started cleaning the other components. After the fork is finished, it will be time to put it all back together and hopefully get in a couple rides before Rhinelander.
On the training front, I am quickly regaining my fitness and I should be ready to go for Rhinelander. Overall things are feeling good, but the knees have been feeling a little pain after a ride. Looks like that 3-D Fitting with Rebecca at the hub will not be too far in the future. For now, I have been making small changes and trying to isolate what is causing the pain so I can keep riding.
Last but not least, I just wanted to give a shout out to all the Flyers who represented the team in Iola. Hopefully we can see this sort of showing to every WORS race this summer.

-Andy

Have You Seen My Fittness?

2009-05-14T19:53:00.002-05:00

With my last exam complete as of Wednesday night at 7:30, I am officially finished with another semester of school and onto summer. The last few weeks have been rough as far as riding and I knew it was not going to end well. Classes picked up and I watched as my time disappeared before my eyes. After a rather long break, I was able to enjoy the beautiful weather this afternoon and get out for an easy ride. Quickly I felt it. I had lost all I gained over the last months of hard work and training. After a cool 40 miles today I am thinking it is not too far gone and with some careful planning, I should be back on track.
I think it is time for a little more recovery food, then later I'll be back with some details of my road season.

-Andy

Where am I?

2009-05-11T15:20:00.002-05:00

All I can say is that school is crazy nuts. Three exams to go starting with one tonight at 5:30. Then one tomorrow afternoon and the last one Wednesday night. I'll head to Green Bay this weekend for Heather's Graduation and to take care of important things like getting my mountain bike ready to ride for one more season. Then Heather leaves on Monday for 2 weeks in Ireland and I head back to Milwaukee to start working and hopefully getting in some more ride time. I am sitting in a much better position (fitness wise) now than I was last season, but that is not saying much. I'll be sure to post a little recap of the collegiate road season as I gain time. Until then, it is time for me to dive head first into more studying for my exam in t-minus 2 hours.
-Andy

Iceman, Training, Racing

2009-03-07T09:29:00.002-06:00

Like I said in my last post, I really underestimated how much work 12 credits could be. Especially with three night classes, it seems like my workload effectively doubled from last semester where I had 16 credits of classes. To say the least - work and school are kicking my butt. The good news is that I have been able to get in some workouts about every-other day right now. Yesterday also offered some beautiful weather to get out for a good long ride on Lake Dr. I put in 34 miles, feeling like I could do more; though my small amount of food and water along with my schedule would just not allow for more.
Besides training, I have been working to figure out my racing calendar from now until November and it has been no easy task. As some of you already know the Iceman Registration was just nuts and still is. I was lucky enough to accidentally log in and register before registration was actually open (maybe this is part of the reason they were having problems?). So I am now officially doing the Iceman, though we shall see who else from the Flyers get in! Collegiate racing started Feb 28 in Kentucky and there is another race today in Indiana. Between the sheer number of races and the fact that I will be in Florida from March 13-23, work will not let me do any races in March. Right now I am hoping to be able to do a couple races in April still before regionals. So it looks like my collegiate road season for 2009 will be 2-3 race weekends. I guess the up-side is that no matter what, I will be in better shape for summer racing and a little closer to moving up a category this year.

-Andy

What's been happening!?!?

2009-02-09T11:18:00.002-06:00

I am officially back. I think I am going to call the last two months, the true off-season. Obviously school finished and winter break came and went quickly. Lots of things have been happening over those two months. Over break, I spent a fair amount of time trying to get my old XC skis in working order only to find out that there is a place down here that rents skis for no cost other than the annual membership... Sold! I was able to get out to do some cross-country skiing through the Urban Ecology Center at least a few times over break. I was also happy to get a fair amount of weight-lifting in. Over the last two weeks I have been doing more cardio on the spin bike and a little running on the indoor track (much to my knee's dissatisfaction...). Thanks to the weather over the weekend and decent temps this morning, I finally got outside to get in some real saddle time!!! Meetings for Both the Titletown Flyers and the UWM Cycling team have started and collegiate road racing starts on Feb 28th, though my first race(s) are likely to be March 7 and 8th. Besides training and such, school is now entering week 3 of the spring semester, though I can hardly believe it. My schedule consists of about 4 classes, Monday through Wednesday and work 5 days a week. My biggest challenges are without a doubt my 3 night classes from 5:30 to 8:10 each Monday, Tuesday, and Wednesday. It's pretty hard to get used to staying attentive at night instead of in the early morning. The nice thing about the night classes is that I get a lot of time Monday and Wednesday mornings to get in a long ride or workout before classes start.
I'll have more to come, as I am making some (hopefully) big purchases over the next month or so, and as training builds towards collegiate road season!

-Andy

Snow Anyone?

2008-12-19T08:40:00.002-06:00

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

2008-12-16T22:24:00.002-06:00

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

2008-12-09T10:49:00.007-06:00

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

2008-11-04T09:40:00.007-06:00

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

2008-10-21T15:55:00.010-05:00

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

2008-10-21T15:34:00.005-05:00

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

2008-10-09T13:19:00.002-05:00

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

2008-10-02T11:11:00.006-05:00

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.

2008-09-09T22:03:00.002-05:00

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)

2008-07-28T19:22:00.002-05:00

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

2008-07-23T20:13:00.003-05:00

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

2008-07-13T07:45:00.002-05:00

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

2008-06-29T08:27:00.002-05:00

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

2008-06-19T15:36:00.002-05:00

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

2008-05-30T22:42:00.003-05:00

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.

2008-05-28T11:36:00.002-05:00

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

2008-05-13T12:22:00.005-05:00

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.?

2008-05-03T23:04:00.002-05:00

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

2008-04-12T10:08:00.010-05:00

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

2008-03-28T10:32:00.003-05:00

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

2008-02-06T12:20:00.000-06:00

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.

2008-01-28T21:27:00.000-06:00

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

2008-01-14T11:08:00.000-06:00

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.

Ride Before the Storm

2007-12-01T13:03:00.000-06:00

I guess, I was being a little closed minded in my last post. I somehow forget that I live in Wisconsin. (If you don't like the weather, wait five minutes and it'll change), or in my case, wait about 30 hours and it will change for the better.
I got out of bed this morning thinking I really want to go for a ride, but I kept thinking about Thursday's ride. Finally, I jumped online to look at the weather because it looked nice out. To my satisfaction, weather.com showed 21 degrees and 2 mph winds... Not bad at all. Excited to get out again, I started cooking some good 'ol pancakes and getting stuff together, got dressed and off I went.
The weather was great! I knew there was a snow storm on its way so the plan was to go past the hill on Silver Spring Dr. and turn back. On the way out I was amazed. I stayed warm and didn't get the feeling of fluid in the lungs like last time. I hit Silver Spring and then the long hill just a little further. As I hit the hill I could feel my body starting to struggle a little, but I kept at it and worked to keep my breathing slow and steady. As I reached the top, I realized I am still at a good fitness level, given I have not been on the bike much and have not raced in... almost two months.
I went a little further up the road and turned back. I realized all to quickly that the wind was mostly to my back the whole way out, so it took a little effort to get moving. As I came back through Silver Spring the snow began to fall and the winds picked up. Thankfully the snow did not get worse until the last five minutes of the ride. As I look out my window now I am quite happy to get out this morning. Over the last hour the snow has really started to fall.
Here we see the progression of snowfall between 12:10 PM and about 1:20 PM. Again I say, I am happy that I got out this morning.

The End of the Outdoor Season?

2007-11-29T14:06:00.000-06:00

Well today may just be the end of the outdoor season for me this year. Temps have plummeted and the winds have picked up making rides outdoors difficult. The one nice thing is that the winds changed directions, so now I have a slight tailwind on the way back from a ride. With that said, I hope the weather cooperates for a few more rides; but it is almost December, so I may be breaking out the trainer. Of course this also brings me to another point... I need to find a quiet way to use a cycleops trainer on the 3rd floor of an older apartment building.

Taking a Stand for the Environment

2007-11-13T13:55:00.000-06:00

Water is essential to life. Clean water is also important. Many of us choose to stay healthy by drinking purified water, which normally comes in easy to carry half-liter bottles. I drink about 4 of these bottles daily, and the same is true for many others too. Little do we know, while trying to stay healthy by drinking bottled water, we are actually depleting natural resources and hurting the environment. According to filterforgood.com, "Americans used about 50 billion plastic water bottles last year. However, the U.S.'s recycling rate for plastic is only 23 percent, which means 38 billion water bottles - more than $1 billion worth of plastic - are wasted each year." This is just one of the many facts about using bottled water. Even if the bottles are being recycled, plastic bottles waste the limited resources we have.

The bottom line is that you and I do not have to be part of the statistics. I am making pledge to stop (or at least limit) my consumption of bottled water as part of the Filter for Good Campaign found on www.filterforgood.com.

Here is how it works:
Buy a reusable water bottle and a filter for at home. Simply filter the tap water that comes to your house and fill up your bottle. Now you can enjoy clean, refreshing water with a lower impact on the environment. I have been doing this for a couple days, and even Milwaukee water tastes great when it is filtered. Personally, I bought a new "Filter for Good" Nalgene Bottle, dusted off the one I currently own (for a backup), and bought a Brita Filter. All I do is fill up my bottles in the morning, refill the filter, and put it back in the fridge for later.

I really think this is a great way to stay healthy and to help the environment. Who knows, maybe I'll use these filters at the races for my bottles so I don't need to bring as much water along!

If you want to know more, check out the website at: www.filterforgood.com and take the pledge.

Reason #5280 to Ride a Bike: No Parking Tickets

2007-11-02T11:51:00.000-05:00

Well, I knew it would happen eventually. Especially with the number of "parking checkers" in the area. Everyday I watch as the little Euro Jeeps run around ticketing for anything from parking to close to a driveway to expired meters. Last night I decided to drive to campus and park on the street as usual. I plugged money into the meter and was off. I learned last night that the police check parking until 9:00 PM not 8:00 PM as I had originally thought.
As I walked back to my car at 9:20 PM, I saw it. A cute little envelope sticking out of the hood of my car. The paper said, "City of Milwaukee Parking Violation." I think the moral of the story should go something like... "Always pay until 9:00, not 8:00 PM"... More realistically it might say... "Ride a Bike to avoid $20 parking tickets."

Lesson Learned.

Wind: Good for Some...

2007-10-30T20:52:00.000-05:00

As the afternoon came, so did some warmer temps. So I decided to get out and put in a few more miles. As usual I headed North on Lake Dr. and turned around at the lions to head back south. The weather reports I read before I left said 3 MPH Winds... Yeah Right. Nothing like a pure headwind to greet the return journey. I knew that this happens every time so I just bit the bullet, hit the drops, and hammered. It was nice to see all of the other cyclists gliding along with the wind as I pushed as hard as I could up the hills. If anything the wind has helped me with some strength training. I have been pretty surprised what regular riding can do for the legs. As I came back into town, I took a turn through Lake Park and Down to Lincoln Memorial Dr. As I took the right turn onto Lincoln Memorial, it was like someone put the blowers on full. The wind coming from the lake was intense. About a mile down the road there is a beach and out on the water were five or six sails way up in the air.
As I neared the beach, I could see wind boarders (Or whatever it is called) out on the lake. The wind may suck for me but for them it was perfect.
So I pulled into the parking lot and decided to take a quick break and a few photos. It is really amazing to look at how much air these guys get. One by one, they took turns blasting towards the shore and catching some huge air. From where I was it looked as some of these guys were getting 3-5 feet out of the water.
So after I get sick of riding (Yeah Right!) I will take up wind boarding!

A Nice Day for a Ride

2007-10-23T16:06:00.001-05:00

Today, in an attempt to keep on the bike, I got out for a beautiful 22.2 mile ride on Lake Dr and Lincoln Memorial Dr right off of Lake Michigan. The sun was out and shining, the wind was calm, and the temp was a little cool at 61, but that is perfect riding weather in my book. The legs are feeling really good. I think the break after Sheboygan was just enough to let my body recover. I am sure not having a strong head/side wind helped too, but I think it is mostly the recovery. For the ride itself I headed down Lake Dr to the lions and then back in towards the apartment, but I felt really good, so I headed in through the Lake Park entrance and cut down onto Lincoln Memorial Dr. That was probably the best move I have made yet. There was a bit of a wind from the lake, but otherwise the sun was shining bright and the view was awesome! So, I rode around a little bit and headed back home.

Hopefully, I can get another ride in on thursday too, the forcast looks a lot like today's and the week is looking to be a lot less stressful than last week. No Midterms and only One Paper due!

2007 is in the books (Officially)

2007-10-22T16:13:00.000-05:00

This Saturday was the WORS Banquet, the official end to the season. Heather and I headed up to Steven's Point to the fine Sentry World Golf and Conference Center for a buffet style dinner, awards galore, and of course the huge raffle! A bunch of the guys from the team showed up for a good time and good eats. We had a good number of top overall places in both the marathon series and the cross-country series as well. The team ended up second in the team points and competition this year, but now it is on for next season. Also a huge shout out to Mr. Devroy taking an overall in his first year of racing!

Busy with school but still on the bike

2007-10-18T14:42:00.000-05:00

School has been pretty crazy since Sheboygan, but alas I had some time today for a short ride and to get around to updating the blog. I guess I should mention the last race of the WORS season...

Sheboygan went pretty well. I went in with about 100 miles of training and feeling decent other than feeling a little sick. I found out just a little bit ago that the Banquet Pot Pies were recalled for salmonella, so I am putting two and two together and linking my nausea to the little pies that I ate that weekend.

At the start line I was feeling pretty good, as usual I was surrounded by day racers and the top 3 guys in my age class decided to hang out too... At the Goooooooo! I was to the front half of the group and stayed about there to let the others battle it out for the 20, 10, and 5. As we came through more of the course my predictions were correct, most of the guys killed themselves, and I mean Killed themselves. As I passed a few more riders I caught a glimpse of what could be my chance at a podium for the first time in sport... one of the top riders, had dropped out of the race with a technical. and a little ways ahead were the other two I was worried about. So I grabbed a wheel and hung on pretty easily. I could tell right away that I was in great shape for this race, and if there was a chance of getting on the podium this year, this was it. The equilizer did its magic on the first time around. I was set to climb it, but everyone else was not, so I took the bike and ran it. I got back on the bike and caught back up with one of the guys in my class. The second lap went pretty well, caught plenty of guys and was still feeling great. Came up on the equilizer this time and got most of the way, but just could'nt find that extra push I needed so I hopped off and ran again. Going into lap three, I was still feeling great. I was still right behind one of the guys in my class, but I was starting to get the feeling that I could be doing a lot more. I held off for a little while and then up ahead was a good opprotunity to try and put him behind me. I got set and looked for just enough room in the single track and put it in high gear. I came around from the back and passed 5 guys like nothing even happened and took off as quickly as possible. I shot through the creek crossing and came around the sharp turn and then I catch a glimpse of the guy I was trying to loose. As we left the single track he was gone. I was feeling a little tired from that last attack, but I pushed hard and caught another wheel. As we neared the equilizer I knew I would have to really push it to get ahead in this last leg. I gave whatever I had and hammered up to the equilizer. I sped about halfway up the equilizer and ran. At the top I did one of my best running mounts ever and struggled to get back in the race. To my disappointment I saw that another 19-24 guy was just in front of me. The race was on. I heard the Fat Cats guy yelling 4 minutes to go and I knew it was now or never. I gave it everything I had left and held onto to the wheel in front of me all the way through the finish line.
Final race results show that I was 9th place in my age group, only 6:45 behind the winners (about 3 day racers). I am definetly happy with the result though. I think with a few better move I would have done a little better, but that is for next year.

As far as overalls I am locked in at 7th place which is pretty awesome, especially given my schedule this year.

After Sheboygan things got pretty nuts for school. Suddenly I was facing a two-day midterm, 5 papers to turn in for various classes, and a calculus exam too. Needless to say I got on the bike for the first time today since the race (about 1.5 weeks if you were counting).

The ride was a nice and needed break from studies. Yesterday was the momentary end to my stress. Today was a little rainy at first but the weather got really nice just in time for me to head out. I was aiming for a short ride so I went out on Lake Dr. and turned around at the Lions (which mark the end of Lake Dr.). Heading back I found that the wind had shifted, giving me a full on headwind. The gusts were so powerful I thought I was coming off the bike a few times. I managed to keep the rubber side down and got back to the apartment which made for about 19 miles, so not bad at all.

Now It is back to work and waiting for the drive to Stevens Point, Saturday for the WORS Banquet.

Getting There...

2007-10-02T15:56:00.000-05:00

Yesterday was pretty rainy, and this morning the fog was pretty bad, but it got a little better this afternoon, so I thought I would get a ride in. Pretty straight forward normally right. Well today my tire seems to have shed some fibers which punctured my innertube, so I got that done using my spare. Now I have learned that it is ALWAYS a good idea to have that extra tube, so I headed down to one of the shops to pick up a couple tubes (for my pack and another spare for the apt). Apparently... Long stem tubes run more expensive than standard stem tubes. Two Dollars more to be exact! Expecting to pay $6 a tube I brought $14 with me. Well they guy at the shop told me that these long stem tubes are more $$$. Deciding not to argue, I pay the $8 for One 48mm Presta Valve Tube. And set out for the ride.

The fog from the morning decided to stay and the temp was a little chilly, especially near the lake, but still tolerable. I decided to head north on Lake Dr. again and try to do the Concordia loop again, with some 30/30 intervals on the way. On the way out everything was really nice and things went by pretty quickly. As I hit Mequon Rd. I was starting to feel my legs and decided to start back south. Suddenly, I realized why it was so nice and easy to get this far out... the wind was mostly to my back. I don't have wind altering powers so I just bit the bullet and finished my last few sets of intervals and made the best of what I had. Luckily I had plenty of food to get me back feeling good. As I hit Silver Spring Dr. I found my second wind and hammered back home.
Not a bad ride overall though, about 31 more miles bringing my cumulative total to about 100 for the last three rides. I think I am going to do a bit of a recovery ride Thursday afternoon and then on to Sheboygan for the Biggest Race of the Season!

Back in De Pere

2007-09-29T17:09:00.000-05:00

This weekend I headed home to run some errands, get my hair cut, to see my girlfriend (obviously), and to get in some training up on Scray's Hill.

I had no major goals other than doing some power intervals.
The first little bit is pretty easy rolling, winding through some houses and then a steady downhill towards the golf course. I started to notice early on that the wind was pretty strong, I think The Weather Channel was estimating 25 mph. Nice. Moving along pretty well I closed in on my second hill (substantially bigger than the last). Suddenly I wanted to be on the golf course instead of climbing this thing (In the distance).
At first climbing this thing was a beast, but as I neared the top, I was quite impressed with my self. (Especially looking back down from the top.
Thus concludes... my warm up. After a little over 6 miles in I headed over towards Hwy X and Sportsman road to do a few power laps among the giants themselves.

After the about the fourth lap I was out of food and the wind was getting old so I headed back in. Not too bad of a day though, I logged another 32 Miles keeping an average of about 17 mph.
Now onto school and a little recovery.

2007-09-27T15:49:00.000-05:00

Today, I decided to get out and begin preparing for the last WORS race of 2007. This morning I was a little worried as it was raining quite a bit. Luckily, after lunch the roads looked pretty good and I set out for about 40 miles taking a route I was shown the other week, Heading up Lake Dr, doing a little zig-zag on Port Washington, and ending up on N. Lake Shore Dr spitting me out near Concordia University (Just North of Mequon Road if you know the area). (The Route is in red on the map)

This was the first time on the bike since the weekend so I was a little stiff, but I managed to keep the cadence around 85 and an average speed of 19.2 mph.

I did learn I big lesson today though... It is always good to make sure that you will not have to make a ...ahem... stop along the way. I reached the halfway mark just past Concordia and realized I would not make it back. Lesson part 2, if you are on populated roads, you cannot stop and go in the woods. So the dilemma is obvious, but I had to go. I rode around a little bit and then I saw this little trail heading away from the road. Lots of gravel and still pretty open but I was desperate. Long story short I looked twice and took a "nature break" to spend lots of time looking at birds, the trees swaying in the wind, and the house about 100 feet from where I was and more the street that was more like 20 feet away.

With the nature break out of the way, I headed on back. I felt good for most of the way, but about 8 miles from home I was out of food and my cadence was dropping, so it was time to push all the way home. Thankfully I recovered a little and made it home without and issue.

Overall, a pretty good ride. I think this weekend I am going to head back to green bay to do some power intervals on Scray's Hill. I'll be sure to post how that goes.
~Andy

The Beginning

2007-09-25T17:48:00.000-05:00

Cycling has grown to be a passion of mine over the last 7 or so years. It all started when I was young, and looking for things to do. The obvious thing was to take my bike out for a spin. Unlike most kids who hardly rode, I was on my bike as much as I could be. Pavement was OK to ride on, but I found much more enjoyment riding in places "I wasn't supposed to be." I found my first real call to mountain biking while working on the high adventure staff at Bear Paw Scout Camp in Mountain, Wisconsin. There I found some "real" mountain biking trails. So I loved to ride my bike, but what else is there to do? I found the answer I needed at the local bike shop, when I saw their bike team pictures. But for the next two years, I would be too late to sign up for the team. My break came in an unlikely way. I met this guy named Shawn in high school filming football games. As I got to know Shawn, I found that he was active with a team based out of another shop. I told him I was interested and then I have a team. In 2004, I raced in the Phillips Dirtfighter Classic (Part of the WORS Series) for Team 2 Racing, taking 4th place right away. That flipped the switch to high gear and I was hooked. Four years later I am racing for Stadium Bike, and have recently adopted road riding. The bike culture has grown on me enough that I have 4 bikes now (Mountain Bike, Road Bike, Hybrid, Fixed Gear). If I can keep this blog up-to-date, I hope to give people a glimpse into the training, riding, and racing I do.