Season of surgeries

Instead of racing our bikes this year, Forrest and I have spent our time on the sidelines due to injuries and surgeries. First, surgery for my ACL and recently, Forrest had surgery on one of his hands for carpal tunnel which has been bothering him all summer. Next week he gets the other hand operated on. 

And now, the team's very much admired, Dave Blomme is the next orthopedic patient. We sure are bummed to hear that news and hope for a lightning fast recovery Dave!!
Hopefully next year we can all be back in the swing of things with our repaired body parts!

-Shelley Smith

Watch those slippery leaf piles!

dblomme
While on a quick road ride the day before the Thanksgiving feast (wanted to be ready for the last half of CX season), I wiped out on some slippery leaves and dislocated my left forearm from my elbow – not good. Been a rough week. I go in to the OR tomorrow to see if I’ll need surgery. Either way, I‘ve got some months of recovery ahead of me. I’ll still ringing the cow bells and talking smart, so race hard!

Masters Champs!

TMT members picked up a bunch of awards tonight at the WCA road banquet,
including the Masters Team Championship - nice work team!

How to Win, by Greg Ferguson

Submitted by Mike Meteyer...

Last year in the WCA 45+ races it was the same old story where JW Miller would walk away after the first lap and win, Greg would chase and finish in second solo, and third was up for grabs.   This year after the first 2 races, the race has been up for grabs with  2 to 3 guys together going into the last lap.  Estabrook was no different, but for the 6th time it has ended the same. Ferguson wins. 

I have been around racing of various types most of my life.  There are some people that know how to win and Greg is one of those guys.  He has the knack.  It’s been great experience to race with him this year and to see him make it happen on so many occasions.  That has really been fun and motivating for me.

The following is my race report on the 45+ race at Estabrook. Greg and I have been employing team tactics or at least attempting them in cx this season.  Our pre-race conversation was the same as it has been all season.  And it goes something like:

Greg – Mike, I think we should try and get you the win this race.
Mike- sounds good to me.
Greg- I’ll get the hole shot, you be on my wheel.
Mike- sounds easy enough (not)
Greg – I’ll need to slow down after the first lap,  you take over if you are there; if you are not, I’ll make JW work to catch me
Mike – ok
Greg, you understand that you need to be on JW’s wheel or whoever is chasing me down?
Mike – understood, I’ll be there don’t worry
Greg – thinking to himself – wonder how many crashes he’ll have to recover from or if he’ll get clipped in at the start, or have air in his front tire, …..
Greg - once we get to 2 laps to go  attack / counter attack until the end
Mike – ok
Greg – be in front before the corner on the ball field.

Gun goes off, Greg gets the hole shot.  I’m not on his wheel but I’m sitting 4th going into the first corner … until some other really tall dude cuts the corner and pushes me into that mud hole on the outside of the first corner.  In a heartbeat, I was sitting about 10th place and several sets of groups behind Greg and his chasers. 

After a couple of laps, I eventually  caught up to JW in second place and sat on his wheel until he caught up to Greg.  Greg with 2 laps to go (I think) attacks.  It takes JW the entire lap to close the gap just at the start of the last lap.  I counter attack just before the first left hand turn and get a good gap with Greg’s help. 

JW pulls me back and passes just before the spiral and gets around lapped traffic coming out of the spiral that ended up in our way briefly.  Had to go like hell to get back on his wheel just prior to the barrier in the woods but my left cleat didn’t release and I found myself on the ground. I thought it was over and was settling for 3rd.  I also thought Greg would not get to JW and our streak of winning all the 45+ (except the one neither of us attended) was coming to an end.  

Well, Greg had other ideas and bridged up to JW and attacked him and dropped him before the corner on the ball field to win his 6th WCA 45+ race this season.   His experience and knowing what to do is part of it.  But there is a huge gap between knowing and doing. He just knows how to find a way to make it happen. Impressive to witness up close. 

Greg, thanks for ANOTHER learning opportunity.

Estabrook Cross - A Lesson Learned

I am beginning to like these Milwaukee-area cross races.  Get up, get dressed, ride to the race.  It couldn't be simpler, except of course for the fact that one actually has to race.  The Saturday race at Estabrook Park proved something of a challenge for me in that regard.  I ended up finishing the Masters 35+ Cat.4 race in 10th place, which would not have been a bad result if not for some tactical mistakes that cost me about 4 spots.

The day started well enough, though cold. The ride to Estabrook was a good way to get an early warm-up started.  I did not have a chance to pre-ride the course, but managed to ride nearly the whole thing outside the caution tape.  The course was fast and flat with a couple of long sections where you could open it up and go all out.  The County opened up the Estabrook Park beer garden for the race and had a German polka band for the occasion.  Though difficult, I managed not to enjoy a liter of Hofbrauhaus before race time.  The Hampshire team had ample course marshals and ran an organized event.  

After registering and warming up, I felt pretty good going into the race.  At the start I managed to stay with the front pack and was in 6th position for the first lap.  When I hit the straightway to the finish line on the back of the first lap, I realized the unpleasant fact that my warm-up was inadequate (too casual).  I blew up and could not keep up with the pace on the long, fast flat section.  On the road, I am usually a strong rider on the flats so this was particularly demoralizing.  I lost a couple of spots but managed to stay with a group of three riders and was in 9th place.  We ended up catching a rider from our age group at the first set of barriers on the second lap, but I took a spill when I didn't get my left foot out of the pedal in time.  Second week in a row.  This has to stop.

After the barriers, the three riders I had been with pulled away.  The rider we caught stayed tantalizingly close, never getting out of my sight.  By the third lap I seemed to recover and managed to pick off two riders who caught me shortly after my crash at the barriers.  On the last lap, I actually put a significant gap into these two and started narrowing the gap to the 9th place rider.  I went full gas on the long back stretch and finally felt like I had some power in my legs and executed a flawless mount after the run-up, but there just wasn't enough time to catch him before the finish.  

I cannot complain too much because I was outside on my bike racing in a classic setting along the Milwaukee River.  That being said, it was frustrating to feel like I was physically capable of a much higher finish had I been adequately warmed up before the race started.  I am learning that cross is markedly different from road racing in that regard.  Cross has no pack in which to hide while you get your legs and lungs comfortable with the effort.  I noticed that the second lap was just a gut-wrenching disaster because I had to work through the final stages of my warm-up on that lap.  Once I recovered I went pretty well and finished the last two laps faster much faster than the second lap, and felt strong at the end.

I stuck around for the Cat. 4's, but was unable to stay for the rest of the races.  Hopefully any Trek Midwest Team members who raced did well.  I for one learned a valuable lesson, if nothing else. 

Patrick Callahan

Halloween Cross

Getting an early jump on the cross season, I raced for the first time yesterday at Washington Park in Milwaukee.  I love this race primarily because the start line is less than a mile from my front door.  If only every race were so convenient.  The race went well for me and I ended up with a sixth place finish in the Masters 35+ Cat. 4 despite some on-course gaffes.  The weather turned out to be beautiful as well which made the race even more fun ('fun' being a word I can now use to describe the experience because I no longer feel like my lungs are going to explode out of my chest Alien-style).

I have to mention the wisdom of cross guru Greg Ferguson, which I unfortunately did not follow and which in turn led to the on-course gaffes.  As the cross season approached, I asked Greg for some advice about training for cross races.  He mentioned doing shorter intervals and getting used to the sprint being at the beginning of the race instead of the end.  In addition, Greg advised me in perfectly clear and understandable terms that practicing cross skills is critical to cross success (genius, right?).  This was the part I did not hear so well.  As a result, I spent a lot of time on the cross bike but never practiced dismounting, running over barriers, and mounting.  My training, or lack thereof, came shining through yesterday:

• I failed to completely unclip on one dismount and became acquainted with the ground
• One attempt at a mount resulted in a gash to back of my left leg (smooth performance and only slightly less embarrassing than a chain ring tattoo because it is not obvious what caused the laceration from its appearance)
• At least two attempts to mount that resulted in both feet not being able to click in right away requiring me to ride for a bit on my heels, which had to look ridiculous.

Overall, the race was great despite my lack of barrier skills.  Unfortunately I could not stick around to see the other team members race.  I hope everyone who raced did well.  I have to say that I am hooked on cross and will remember Greg's sage (and what should have been obvious) advice to practice the skills you use in the race when I am out training this week.  

-Patrick Callahan

Sun Prairie Cup

We were spoiled with both a beautiful day and race event!

Let's play two!

Hey Mike!
That was so much fun, as Ernie Banks used to say, "Let's play two!"

ET Twilight Cross 45+

Fun times at the ET Twilight Cross.
Slapped together some photos/videos that Heidi took while spectating the 45+, 55+, and Women's Pro1,2 race; right after sunset, under a full moon.
Hope you find something in there entertaining!

Race recap:
I drove the pace for about a lap and a half. Then Mike attacked, I blocked, forcing Tedd to pull. He dragged us back up to Mike, who unfortunately fell on the slippery infield "sand" just as we were about to get back to him. Tedd attacked, I followed. I ran past Tedd at the barriers and blocked for half a lap, hoping Mike would be able to close it to us...then attacked coming out of the infield on the bell lap, got a gap and held it to the end - going through one male and 3 female racers right before the finish, at the barriers, with Tedd hot on my tail and Mike oh so close behind him...fun race!

Thanks to Ron and Ellen and everyone who helped put on the race.
Thanks to Lester Quitzau for the "Rollin' and Tumblin'" music!

USGP #1

I forgot how much it hurts to Cx race averaging 175 for the 45 mins or so.  I haven’t seen that number for a while.

 

Lined up at the back of the bus for the M123 race on Saturday with a number 73 on my back out of 82 I believe, nice.  That’s what I get for registering late. 

 

This was my first go on this course so I really didn’t know what to expect except for the “techy” section that I was able to inspect after the previous race.  Being a mountain biker the “techy” section suits me better anyways.  Overall the course was pretty sweet and fast. 

 

As is always the case we had a fast and furious start and on one of the early corners I leaned too far in and washed out, dang, a bunch of guys went past.  Get back on, head down, and the field was pretty spread out by this time.  I got in behind another racer and we started to pass a bunch of guys and kept making our way forward for a few laps and then crash again! I again leaned in too far, washed out AND dropped my chain.  I was able to hold position for the last 2 or 3 laps and finished in the middle-back somewhere but 7^th for the Cat 3’s.  I’ll take it for my first race of this year.

 

Looking forward to the East Troy night race…

 

-Sanjay

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

cyclocross motivation

good luck to everyone who's crossing this season - I'm with you in spirit.

t. hooyer

Cheq Fat Tire 40

Jarred and Matt on Friday's warm-up ride

Last weekend was my second trip up to the Chequamegon Fat Tire 40 mountain bike race.  They claim it's the largest mass start mountain bike race with 1750 racers toeing the line in Hayward, WI.  It was a gate system this year to get everyone in order.  It seemed to work out much better than the system that was used in years past, which was basically the race before the race to get your bike down in a good starting spot.

I had a pretty tough go at the race last year, after spending a week in Germany at Eurobike.  Despite the cramping, I ended up at 2:35:41.  It was slower than my 2:30 goal, but considering the lack of riding, I knew I could get to 2:30 this year.  And I was also hoping to get into the top 150.

I did have a trip to Norway in early September, but I tried to minimize the time off the bike.  I was feeling pretty good before leaving, and got right back on the bike as soon as I got back.  Hopefully, it would be enough to have a better race than last year.

On Thursday night, Jarred and I headed up to the Eau Claire chain of lakes northwest of cable.  We have an awesome host who puts us up in their boat house and is extremely hospitable all weekend long.  On Friday, we headed out for a warm-up ride.  I found myself with a flat tire about 1:15 into the ride.  Luckily we weren't too far away and Jarred rode back and picked me up.  Not the idea thing to happen pre-race, but I was able to find myself another Bontrager tire and get it mounted up before the night was over.

Despite the gate start, we got to the start line early to put our bikes down.  My time last year put me into gate 3.  I was able to get a great spot in the second row.  Knowing that the guys in front of my all had good results from previous years made me much less worried about the start than last year.  As the race got underway, it was clear on the 3-mile road lead-out that the gate start had done it's job.  There were of course people moving forward and backward in the group, but for the most part the start was really smooth.

As we headed onto the Birkie trail, I found my self on another TMTmate's wheel.  It was Sanjay, who had gotten into gate 2 just before the start.  He started to move up through the people and I followed.  We got into a group on some of the gravel road sections; he was up front and I was happy to sit on the back of the group.  We rolled like this for most of the race.  The group would shrink and swell, but I would just hang on the back with Sanjay more animated up front. 

I came around Sanjay before the Seeley Firetower climb, was able to get a clean line and ride the whole way up.  Sanjay must have too, as he came around me right after we crested the hill.  Around mile 35, I found myself with Sanjay and 2 other racers.  We all took our turns on the front, pushing towards the finish.  With about a mile to go, Sanjay rode away from the rest of us.  I rolled in about 30 seconds behind him, but it was good enough for a 2:24:54 time!  Much better than last year and will bump me up to gate 2 for next year's start!  It was also good enough for 133 place, so both goals for this year's race were met.

Already at the finish when I rolled in were Sanjay, Dirk, Doug, and Seth.  They had had some great results!  Jarred came in shortly after I did with close to a personal best time as well.  Here's the round up of TMT results:

Dirk: 2:18:57 (Top 100 overall and 1st place singlespeed)
Seth: 2:19:54 (Top 100 overall)
Doug: 2:20:04 (Top 100 overall)
Sanjay: 2:24:27
Matt: 2:24:54
Jarred: 2:42:05

Excellent results for the team and a great weekend in the northwoods! 

Biking Is Social

Last night I was riding home from work, getting a few extra miles, and fully decked out in TMT gear (of course).  I came up on a guy riding a very trick titanium bike with an internally shifting rear hub.  I rode along side him and mentioned the fact that his bike was very trick.  We ended up riding together for 10 minutes chatting about the merits of internally shifting hubs, fixed gear bikes, commuting in winter, and the joy of not having to take a car to work.  After we parted company, I couldn't help but think that this interaction between strangers on the way home from work could not have occurred anywhere but on bicycles.  For whatever reason, cycling is a communal activity that breaks down the natural barriers we put up between ourselves.  I know that I was a better person yesterday because I decided to ride my bike. 

Master Nationals Interviews

Below are two interviews of Arrietta and Diane following the National Championship races:

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Riders Go After Multiple Stars and Stripes Jerseys
By Amanda Miles in The Bulletin

Arrietta Clauss picked the perfect day to win her first road race.

A 57-year-old Madison, Wis., resident, Clauss dropped the only rider still with her inside the final 10 kilometers of the 84K women's 55-59 road race and held on for victory on Friday, the third day of the USA Cycling Masters Road National Championships.

“In Wisconsin, we don't have any masters, so I'm always racing against women a lot younger than me, so if I finish in the top third, that's really nice," Clauss explained. “And out here racing against women my own age, it's really interesting. It's really fun."

Clauss, finished the race in 2 hours, 52 minutes and 1 second, defeating Matthews, N.C., resident and runner-up Marianne Holt by 1 minute, 4 seconds. Clauss has been one of the stars of the 2012 masters nationals thus far. She picked up her third consecutive stars-and-stripes jersey (reserved for national champions) in the time trial in Prineville on Wednesday. The rise to the top of the masters age group ranks has been a quick one for Clauss, who works on the editorial staff of the Journal of Chemical Education. She fell in love with cycling in 2004 on a seven-day cycling trip to France with her husband and five children but only seriously took up the sport in 2007.

“Each year, I learned more, matured with it, gained both mechanical understanding and mental understanding," Clauss said about cycling. “And still, I think my mental understanding is a little weak, and that's why I was so proud to win the road race, because in a time trial you're a very constant speed. It's very difficult, but you're in control. However, on a road race, somebody else controls it, so you go very fast, you almost redline it, and then you have to realize that that's going to be over and you can continue. So that's something I've had to learn."

Clauss will be racing in her division's criterium, scheduled for Sunday in Bend's NorthWest Crossing neighborhood. Clauss is one of four riders, along with Paul Tetrick (men's 80-84), Melinda Berge (women's 65-69) and Lisa Campbell (women's 45-49), who have won their respective time trial and road race events at these championships and could sweep the races in their respective divisions. Among the four, only Campbell is not listed on the masters nationals website as being registered in the criterium.

Even if Clauss does not win, she likely will not be too crestfallen, as cycling means much more to her than that.

“I'm lucky because I'm winning, but I've met so many wonderful people by doing this," Clauss said. “The workouts ... any time you feel a little down about your life, the endorphins kick in, you feel great. Learning how to tune my bike and putting it together has just been empowering as a woman. So there's been so many positive aspects. Winning is sort of icing on the cake, but cycling is good for anybody that wants to do it."

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Final day, first win, Denver cyclist claims first title at the Masters Road National Championships in Bend
By Amanda Miles in The Bulletin

Diane Ostenso saved her best result for last. The diminutive Ostenso, of Cottage Grove, Wis., came flying out of the pack in the finishing straight to take the women's 55-59 criterium. Ostenso, 58, spent some time at the front of the pack early in the race before her Trek Midwest Team teammate in the race, fellow Wisconsinite Arrietta Clauss — who had won the women's 55-59 time trial and road race earlier in these championships — moved toward the front late.

“Crit racing is a lot more technical, and I'm really good at technical, so with these corners, I feel most comfortable being in the front," Ostenso explained. “I can take my own lines, and so I just felt more comfortable at the front. But then I know I need to rest a little bit. I can't do all the work the whole time, so (Clauss) helped me rest when I needed to rest for the finish."

This year's masters nationals made for a triumphant return to Bend for Ostenso. Among her several national titles, she won the women's 55-59 division at the 2009 USA Cycling Cyclo-cross National Championships, also in Bend, but missed last year's road nationals while recuperating after breaking her ankle in a cyclocross race the previous November. That injury required 15 screws and two plates, but Ostenso, who has been racing bikes for nearly 30 years, is back now.

And good as gold once again at masters nationals.

TMT Women Sweep National's Masters 55-59!

The Trek women won all three events at the USA Master National Cycling Competition at Bend OR in the 55-59 age group. Arrietta won the time trial and the road race and Diane won the criterium.

The time trial was a 20 k course with some rollers and an intense, but short climb in both directions. Arrietta was able to win with a 8 s margin over tough competition from two northern CA women who just aged up.

The 84 k (52 mi) road course started with a 10 mi descent. There were no sharp corners, but the speed built up. Diane lead most of the descent setting a good line for Arrietta to follow.  At miles 20-27 there was a climb and descent. The group stayed together and neutralized any breakaways. Everyone was saving their legs for the 22 mi uphill to the finish. There was a steep climb at mile 42.4 that broke the group into two. The lead group worked together to gain some separation on the false flat. The steep 1.6 mi climb started at ~47.5 mi and splintered the group. Arrietta and Marianne Holt (from NC) rode off the front of the group and then Arrietta rode away from Marianne. Arrietta pushed through a headwind to put more separation, climbed another steep 0.3 mi climb, and rode solo to a 1:04 min win.

The 1 k crit course had 7 corners and corner 5 was the site of many accidents. Most races had accidents that required medical attention. Our race had to be shortened to make up time as we were starting 1h late. Diane led the crit for the first half and was able to take all of the corners smoothly and keep the pace high.  Arrietta tried to block when Diane and another rider made a break, but other women came around.  During the second half Arrietta was able to come to the front and twice was able to slow the pace down and give Diane some recovery.  Arrietta lead the last lap and Diane sprinted for the win, with Arrietta taking third.

This was a very successful showing for Trek’s women’s team!
Thanks for reading,
Arrietta

Road Season Recap

Now that the road racing season is officially over, time for a brief recap of our stellar team performances!

Masters Nationals (in Bend, OR)

- Arrietta Clauss kicked butt!  She is the National Champion in the time trial and road race, took 3rd in the crit, and took the overall best rider title!!

- Diane Ostenso is the National Champion in the crit!!

- Gordy Paulson took 4th in the time trial and 8th in the crit!

WIsconsin Cup Series

- The Trek Midwest Team is the Wisconsin Cup series winner for the Masters Team competition

- Glen Jones is the Wisconsin Cup series champion for the Masters Cat 3/4 55+

- Jim Merrifield took 2nd in the Wisconsin Cup for the Masters Cat 3/4 55+

- Dave Studner took 4th in the Wisconsin Cup for the Masters Cat 3/4 35+

- Mikle Meteyer took 6th in the Wisconsin Cup for the Masters Cat 3/4 45+

- Greg Ferguson took 7th in the Wisconsin Cup for the Masters Cat 3/4 45+

- Eric Knuth is the Wisconsin Cup series champion for the Masters Cat 1/23 45+

- Gordy Paulson took 3rd in the Wisconsin Cup for the Masters  Cat 1/23 55+

- Doug Bailey took 6th in the Wisconsin Cup for the Masters Cat 1/2/3 35+

- Heidi Ploeg took 4th in the Wisconsin Cup for the Women Cat 3

- Arrietta Clauss took 5th in the Wisconsin Cup for the Women Cat 3

Wisconsin State Championships

- State Time Trial Champions:  Curtis Bice (Cat 3), Eric Knuth (Masters 50-54), Gordy Paulson (Masters 60-64), Diane Ostenso (Masters 55-59), & Arrietta Clauss (Women Open)

- State Road Race Champion:  Gordy Paulson (Masters 55+)

- State Crit Champion: Gordy Paulson (Masters 55+)

Nice work everyone - looking for more of the same for the cyclocross season!

photos

for the blog entry below

Great week of biking

Last week I had the opportunity to catch the Colorado Pro Challenge and get in some mountain biking near Salt Lake Utah making for one of the better bike weeks of the year. The highlight was riding the penultimate stage of the CO Pro Challenge with my buddy Ed Stroup who recently moved to Boulder. We started the day riding up Boulder Canyon to Nederland despite my concerns of heavy traffic. Given that there were plenty of other folks doing the same thing it wasn't too bad. Once we hit Ned we scooted up the Peak to =Peak highway and manged to watch the riders go by just past the feed zone near the town of Ward. Little did I know that this was the place to collect water bottles if you wanted any. The only one I kept was thrown a few feet away by either G. Hincappie ..... or was that C. Evans. We then headed toward Boulder down Left-Hand Canyon with many other bikers until we intersected the race course. We felt a little bit like rock stars since the course was closed to cars and there were literally 1000s of (drunk?)people waiting along the course. I was bit surprised that so many people would turn out to watch the riders zip by over a period of about 10 seconds. Boulder is even more bike-crazed than Madison.

The following day we headed to Salt Lake City, Utah where my brother and nephew tortured me with some mountain biking. I forgot that it actually takes some skill and fitness to ride a mountain bike at altitude...... something that I've been lacking this year due to a newborn child. The highlight was doing a 27 mile ride near Park City where we climbed nearly 3500 feet over three hours. This probably doesn't seem like a lot but it felt difficult for roadie like myself. Hmmmmm - I wonder what 10,000 vertical in a day feels like? Hopefully I'll never know.

For the first time in many years I'll miss the WI cross scene since I'm residing in CA through the new year. Hopefully I can do a few races out here to keep the skills sharp for nationals.

t. hooyer

Trek Trails

I rode the Trek trails yesterday with David Blomme, my brother, and a friend.  The trails were spectacular and it felt great to get off road.  It certainly whet my appetite for cross season.  I have to give a huge thumbs up to our sponsor, Smith Optics.  I used the pink mirror lens on the Pivlock V2 and was totally impressed with the visual clarity they provided.  Shadows were not an issue and going from light to shade to partial shade, etc. was hardly noticeable in these glasses.  Overall, the frame/lens combination made the ride more enjoyable.

Ore to Shore

One of my favorite races of the Summer and I think I like it better than Chequamegon:

-It is not as crowded

-You do all the hard stuff first and the rest is a gradual downhill back to Marquette

-I like the varied trails, there is even a bit of single track.

Had a good start on the road lead out for a few miles and was able to make my way towards the front.  Made it up the first stair step climb and my heart was screaming but settled into a line and recovered a bit but that is when my troubles for the day started.  As I am riding in the line a rock shoots out and of course it collides with my rear sidewall and I hear that sound as Stan’s proceeds to shoot out the side.  Get off and attempt to give it a blast of my Big Air and dang liquid shoots out!  What the…One of my friends comes by and throws me his CO2 ( yes I know can’t take assistance like this), gave the tire a shoot of it and was able to get it sealed.  I was able to continue on and by this time a couple of minutes had passed.  I ride for a few more miles and had to stop again to give my rear another blast of air and was fine until we reached a bit before the mid-point and the most technical part of the race.  I make it through this section and as we made a right turn onto the pavement I was flat again and now I had no CO2.  I throw my tube in and hope that one of the cars parked along the side of the road had a pump.  Was able to find a pump and fill up.  I continued on and was able to finish the remaining 25-30 miles. 

Weight weenie tires in the trash….

-Sanjay

CX at Badger Prairie Park today - plus - Wednesday CX practice info

dblomme
Badger Prairie Park – home to cyclocross nationals! – was where we had our first cx practice today. Thanks for setting it up Greg.

Don’t forget Wednesday’s at 5:30 are also cyclocross practice nights. Hope to see everyone there, the more the merrier!
Here’s the info from UW Cycling club:
This years west side CX practice will be run by the UW Cycling club to be held every Wednesday night just like before. The course will be set up each week to give riders a taste of the upcoming WCA races on the following weekends. Since the first few practices will be held before racing starts, the courses will be set up to work on specific skills such as running, tight cornering, high speeds, and barriers. Below is a link to the location, just in case you've never been there. Feel free to invite your friends out who are interested in trying cyclocross, these practices are the ideal place to test the waters!
Garner Park Madison.

Honor Ride

You know how some days you come home from work, and it might seem like it'd take a beer or three or a long bike ride to feel "normal" again? Well, imagine coming back from work in places like Afghanistan or Iraq. I can only try, feebly, to imagine some of the challenges of coming home from work in such "strange", far off places; and after doing the difficult work that our armed forces do for us.
If there are any things that we can do as citizens to help returning vets feel more at home and return to "normal" back here in America, well I figure it is our duty to try to do those things, however simple. Even if it is just going out and riding your bike, and chatting away.

Ride2Recovery's mission:  Ride2Recovery is a national non-profit organization working directly with troops returning from Iraq & Afghanistan who have sustained mental and physical injury while serving their Country. Ride2Recovery uses the sport of cycling to help facilitate mental and physical rehabilitation for our nations healing heroes.

Thanks to Saris for putting on the Honor Ride, out of Middleton this past Saturday.
We had a nice route, with ample food/water stops, and a motorcycle escort draped in the American flag, Dane County Sheriff's controlling intersections for us, and at several spots along the route there were even folks cheering us on. When we crested the rise on Pioneer Rd on the way home and saw the massive American flag and the POW/MIA flag draped out over the road with the fire department ladder truck, it was a moving experience. Truly it was an awesome ride. It was like a double file social ride, with a police escort - and some serious meaning, too. For those folks able to stick around after the ride there was a healthy lunch and cold drinks. Then we were invited in to the American Legion Department Convention, and they had us ride our bikes into the convention! Crazy.  They showed a short film about Ride2Recovery, about their help for vets from Afghanistan and Iraq. Sal, who had been on the ride with us, gave a nice speech.  And then it was time for thank yous and goodbyes.

It was truly an honor to ride with the folks from Ride2Recovery.

I hope to have the chance to do it again next year.

Rapha Lunch Ride

dblomme

Rapha joined us on our lunch ride last Monday at Trek. Great guys – great ride.
They’ve got a good gig sweeping the US of A searching out cycling related events throughout the year.
And yes, I was rip’n it with the new Madone 7 Series – sweet!
Rapha Mobile Cycle Club
Rapha Lunch rides

Cross Eyed

dblomme
I’ve never been able to clear the blues with alcohol. If anything, it just makes me destructive when I’m in that mood. Riding, and riding hard has always helped clear my mind. The last two weeks have kicked in a good transition. I’ve been mountain biking most every day, finding trails that I forgot were there, and even threw on the squishy shoes and started to run again. One of the cool things about cyclocross which is similar to mountain bike racing, is that on some level, it is more of a solo effort. In a road race or criterium, your other teammates are relying and depending on your effort and smart tactical racing. Cross, not so much. I’ve missed some key races this summer with travel to Europe (not complaining because the trips were awesome), so cross season is going to get a serious punch in the face. I’ve got a couple cross seasons in me and upgraded, so I plan to be ready. We should have a strong team for cross this year - I’m shining up the cowbells and already looking forward to it even though it’s 6 weeks away!

Alterra Coffee Bean Classic at Crystal Ridge

Hot and hot and dust and more dust was the call of the day sitting at the bottom of the Elite start shoot waiting to for Don’s GOOOOOO!!!!!!

Had a good start heading up the right side but the left side seemed to be a mess as all I could hear was complaining and swearing.  Make it to the top and settle in the line on the way down to the first set of singletrack feeling pretty good and keeping a fast pace.  I’ve ridden the singletrack at Crystal Ridge a million times so it’s more or less a good place to recover while those that don’t ride there often tend to slow down given how tight it is.  A few passes on my way to the Alpha Trail until we reach Craters of the Moon which is littered full of rocks, ruts and an occasional piece of junk stinking out.  Make it to the top and hammer again to the next section of singletrack and back out towards the top of the ski hill and the Elite climb which is the steepest of the all the climbs we do but not as long.  One 40 foot section and then a quick cruise along the top to another 10 foot or so quick climb, not as steep.  Make a right and then left down to the switchbacks which are again a bit rocky, rutty, some junk but really uneven.  A couple of sharp fast turns and down into the intestines or “Marty” track as we call it with some really sharp turns that you have to really slow down to.  Make it through that and end up at the bottom of the gravel road which is the climb I hate the most, but it’s a steady climb and you just need to get in a good rhythm.  Climb to the top and the lap.  Repeat 3 more times and 28^th place for the day out of 60+.  That’s good for me J

Sanjay Ganju

Self Portrait

Sometimes when your logging miles you decide that it's a good time to take a self portrait. Then maybe edit a little using Photoshop Express & LEGO Photo (my kids introduced me to LEGO Photo)

Anybody else have a self portrait they want to share?

 

j.cassady

Hot N Tasty

Dblomme
Yeah it’s been hot! But riding, racing and fresh fruit is definitely in season.

Fitchburg "Fast and Furious" Criterium

dblomme
Very fun day of racing as a team in all categories.

Blur

I took a pretty big break from racing this summer.  A whole month.  As relaxing as it sounds, it was actually fairly stressful.  However, all the stress came to an end on June 16th.  After over a year of build up, Calli and I were married in Waunakee.  The ceremony, reception and pretty much everything about it went off really well.  The day we had planned for, for more than a year, was here and gone.

One of the more random parts of the day was during photos.  Teammate, and Waunakee resident, Dirk happened to ride by while we were having pictures taken.  We were at the covered bridge off of Brookside Lane when a few riders were looking to come through.  We stepped out of the way and sure enough, Dirk rolls by!  The photographers had us pretty busy, but he stopped quick to say hi.  Just another great part of our awesome day.

After the month away from racing, I knew that racing at TOAD was going to be a challenge.  I went to Waukesha for the first Sunday of TOAD.  I should have known better, but I didn't get there early enough to take a lap a race or two prior to mine.  I thought it would be no big deal to take a lap prior to the start of my race, especially on a course I had never raced before.  After riding the course, I rolled up to the start line in about the 10th row.  Not good.  As the race started, I was hanging in the pack but finding it hard to move up.  Lots of corners, a big bunch, and some Cat 2s in the mix with the Cat 3s didn't leave much room to move up.  I made a couple of big efforts to try and get to the front, as the acceleration in the pack were starting to take their toll.  However, with about 8 laps left, I just couldn't hang on anymore.  It could have been the hot day, the faster pace, the tough course, the slight hangover, or any combination of those.  I'm sure the month without any real hard efforts didn't do me much good either.

I skipped doing any of the mid-week races (saving some vacation days for a honeymoon later this year).  A wedding on the day of Downer's was not exactly how I wanted to be spending that Saturday, but it was fun.  I was pretty motivated to finish Madison.  I got a second row starting spot and was able to hang towards the front of the pack most race.  Again it was a very fast pace, but I could carry speed through the corners and maintain a position towards the front quarter of the bunch.  I was able to avoid a last lap crash and come in for 24th, a slight improvement on last year's finish.  Not great, but all things considered, I was happy with it.

Getting the fat tires out this weekend for the first MTB race of the season.  Good luck to all of those headed to state crits! 

Trek Midwest Master 3/4 are heating up

Our win at the Fast & Furious crit on Sunday was a great team effort and I tip my hat to my teammates for helping me capture my first road win. The guys did such a great job of helping to keep the break away. Bike racing is so much frick’n fun when the team work happens and it works!  I was getting info from a fan on the guys were working to keep us away and that just fed my desire to suffer and make it work.    Kudo’s to everyone for making it happen. 

Here’s how it went down from my perspective.

I was covering a bridge attempt. The break had several strong guys in it including David Studner.  When we got to the break at corner 1 the guys sat up and looked to be giving up on it.  I jumped it right away just prior to the group being caught and just prior to the head wind section.  I encourage Doug (independent guy who’s been really active in our races) to jump on and he did.  Initially,  it seemed impossible that it would work with just two but I was feeling good and was committed to it.  My confidence was rocked a little when I looked at the lap count and it was only at 7 minutes into the race.   With more than 40 minutes to go, I knew I was going to need my mates in the pack to help me stay away – and boy did they ever.  I tried not to think about how much further but instead focused on resting when Doug was pulling up the home stretch and pushing my pulls into the head wind section.   We sorted out that rotation really quickly since Doug was telling me he was uncertain how much and how long he was going to be able to work with me.   With each time gap report growing slowly and with the time ticking down it became more and more feasible that it was going to work…if I could keep the pressure on.  Doug thought he was going to pop several times but I kept encouraging him to hang in there for one more lap….since that was running through my head over and over…just one more lap.    The toughest section was from  laps 10 to 5 to go.   I rested a little extra around 7 to 5 laps to go thinking that we were going to have to hold off a pack that would be hard for my teammates to control.  We had about 35 seconds at that point.  At 5 to go I worked extra hard on that back stretch and extended my pulls up the home stretch.   At about 3 laps to go Doug told me he was not going to contest the sprint.  Up until then, I really tried not to think about how I was going to muster up something extra to deal with Doug for the win.  I tried to focus solely on being committed to my maximum sustain effort and make the break work was my only priority.  Around 5 to go I started thinking about it. I was not going to leave it to a sprint since I could tell that he was really struggling to hold on and I really don’t know what kind of sprinter I am –  estimating somewhere between mediocre to poor –  certainly inexperienced.  The plan was to jump him after his pull at 2 laps to go just prior to corner.  Actually, I don’t think I had it that well planned out but that would have been the best plan.   

Thanks again,  it felt great to deliver knowing how much abuse and hard work my teammates put out.  

Mike Meteyer

Ps  I wont be trying to bunny hop any more curbs until cross season.   So the header I took after the race to go see my daughter and friends who were cheering for me will not be any sort of post-race tradition.  

Congrats to Mike Meteyer on his win the Masters 3/4 race at the Fitchburg crit!

It was a great team effort, all the way around.
And Mike sealed the deal with the win out of the break.
Awesome!

View from the back - race reports

Jim Merrifield

For not having much to show in terms of results, I can not remember when I worked harder. But hopefully it helped my teammates. The first Saturday in June was the Lake Geneva RR - a gently rolling course thru the country side. The course was not going to thin the field but the winds could make it tough. In the Masters3/4 race, Greg F and Mike M were active early. Greg was off the front late in the first lap (if I recall correctly) when Mike M bridged up to him and much to the surprise of David S, Glen and myself, the pack let him go. So the boys were off to the races. David, Glen and I did our best to disrupt and discourage any attempts to real the boys in. David and Glen were very smooth about getting into the pace line and just not pulling thru. I spend some of the time further back waiting for someone to want to do something and then quite a few times, followed them up. Saw quite a bit of elbow waggling and hand waving up there. Sorry, not pulling thru but thanks for bringing me to the front! At about 3 laps in, one guy bridged up and I hoped that would be enough to let Greg and Mike finally move outta sight and mind but the winds kept them in check and in sight. So we kept throttling back the pack. A few times, I felt I needed to move up, usually on the windy side of the pack, to discourage the boys by half wheeling to lead rider, pinning him to the yellow line and keep the second rider from moving to the head of the line. It worked very well to slow the pack but cost me a lot of energy. With about a lap to go and some boys at the front driving into the head wind and gaining on the break, I decided to play that trick again, hoping that discouraging them just one more time might do the trick. And stayed up there, keeping the dogs in check as long as I could but the break was caught - and I was hosed. If someone had countered, I am not sure if I could have worked back into the pack. But I recovered on the downwind section and fought to stay in good position in the front, hoping to help Glen, David or Greg or Mike if they had any gas let in the tank. Or at least try to soften up the competition by forcing one or two to ride in the wind coming into the final corner. As luck would have it, all but Mike were on the right side of the pack while I was on the left and when I told Mike to get on the wheel, he said he was gassed. So I was kind of a non-factor at the end, wrong place to help but it was a fun race, trying to keep Mike and Greg away.

The next day was the Sussex crit and we (Glen, Patrick, Greg and I) got together before the race to talk about the plan. We would all get to the front with 2 or three to go and then I was to bring us to the front early in the last lap for as long as I could, giving over to Patrick, with Greg then taking Glen to the line. It was another windy day and while it was unlikely that a break was going to go anywhere unless it was 3 - 4 people, I decided I would patrol the front, just in case. A few solo efforts but nothing to speak of. And like clockwork, the boys all got towards the front with the laps winding down. And then sand started to get in the strategy gears. With a couple laps to go, NO ONE wanted to be in the wind and the front started to get crowded. Patrick decided to keep it fast and went to the front but taking the pack into the head wind took its toll. I then took a turn at the front, more to keep from getting swallowed as much as anything, trying to save something for the final go. And then fought to stay close to the front. I could feel there was no leadout in my legs but hoped that I could grab an early wheel up the side and then go strong into the final corner, hopefully bringing Greg and Glen along. I came around the final corner in the top 4 or 5 and then BOOM. Time to move to the side because the only thing that was going to get me up the final climb was knowing my spare wheels were in the pit. Glen however was 4th, getting overtaken just before the line, thanks to Greg bringing him forward. And despite the suffering, another fun race working as a team.

Hot Weather Racing - What Fun!

What a weekend of racing - the Tour of Galena on Saturday and the State RR Championships on Sunday.

First up, the Tour of Galena, a three-stage omnium (6.7 mile hilly prologue time trial on Saturday morning, a hilly road race on Saturday afternoon, and a downtown crit on Sunday) - it is a really nice event and I expect to see more TMT riders there next year! The prologue went well (I finished second), but I could tell just from the morning temp (already about 80 degrees) that the afternoon's road race was going to be brutal! Finishing up the prologue by 9:30 am and the road race not starting until 3 pm made for a long day of sitting around - luckily I happened to park across from the local "air conditioned" library, so I hung out there most of the day catching up on the latest issues of People magazine! Mike M joined me for the road race - race conditions of temps in the low 90s and windy, perfect for racing (note the sarcasm!). Shortly after the gun a Team Mack rider (they had 4-5 guys in the race) and another guy roll off the front, and I decide "why not" and bridge up to them (I thought it might be a good way to get the legs warmed up for later efforts). About 15 minutes later we hit the first moderate hill, and my two break away partners are falling back already, so I decide "what the heck" and decide to motor on without them. I continued to build a significant lead and soon the pack was nowhere to be seen, and since I was catching riders in the categories who started in front of us, I thought that could only help too as they pack would not know where I was. And Mike also was having a nice free ride in the group. Well fast forward to about 10 miles left to race - the heat, wind, and the effort of riding solo for the past 1.5 hours was beginning to take its toll. My right leg was starting to cramp up and my effort was beginning to drop as a result - on one of the steeper hills I actually thought I might have to walk the last 100 meters! Now I was at the point of having to unclip every so often and shake my leg around thinking that will help delay the onset of a cramp (like that will help!). With about 5 miles to go Mike and another guy (who ended up winning the omnium) caught me - my dream of fame and fortune from a solo win quickly faded and now it was survival time! I watch the two of them disappear and I am now hoping my leg does not seize up and leave me laying by the side of the road! Finally, the 500m to go sign, but now I see two Team Mack guys coming up quickly behind me!! I start my one-legged sprint, but get caught by one of the guys at the 200m to go sign and I roll in for fourth. Mike had a good race and finished second and also learned a valuable lesson - preview the finish!

Mike and I then decided that racing in the heat and wind on Saturday was so much fun that why not do it again on Sunday at the State RR Championships! Neither of us were feeling too good about our chances given the fatigue we both were feeling from Saturday's race, but you never know how things will go. Halfway into the first lap Chris Halverson attacks with two other guys, and by the time I bridged up, Chris had already dropped the two of them. The three of us chase for a lap (as the pack is chasing us as well), but we fail to close the gap to Chris and the pack finally catches us. Chris is gone and solos in for victory (he is a beast!). A few attacks from the pack here and there, but Team Velocause (with 8 or so guys) seems to want a pack finish, so nothing gets away and it comes down to a pack sprint up the finishing hill at the end. Wish I could say that Mike and I saved it all for the end and we smoked the field up the hill, but alas that was not the case! The team did have some success: Gordy is the new state champ, Glen finished 4th, and Diane finished 3rd - excellent work!

Results from Senior Games

2012 Senior Games at Mankato, MN  June 2-3  Arrietta Clauss

I qualified for the National Senior Games in Cleveland OH, July 21 – August 1, 2013 in the 40k RR and 10k TT.  The quantifying event in WI is September 11 and 12 in Menomonee Falls (http://www.wiseniorolympics.com/w/index.cfm). You must be 50 years or older to compete.

40k RR

Rectangle course with 3 right turns.  Basically flat with a few small rollers. Some wind, temp in 60s F. ~28 racers; only 4 women.  Men and women started together.

I had a poor start as I was in the wrong gear.  When will I learn!  The first 3/4 of the first lap was at a moderate pace (20 mph) as people were getting used to each other. Coming into the last right turn on the first lap a guy went off the front of the pack and I followed. We rode about 20 s in front of the pack for 3.7 miles, but did not increase the lead.  Finally we decided to let the pack catch us.  I rode with the pack for another lap, resting, watching, and deciding when to make another move. On the third lap, the same guy asked if I wanted to make a break on the corner before the finish leg.  I was fine with this strategy as I had decided to go at that point already.  Curtis and I went off the front again (poor move as went directly off the front and just increased our speed), took the last corner at our own pace and line, and then started to work together.  When we crossed the finish line Curtis slowed down and sat up.  I told him that we had once more lap. Curtis dropped back 5-10 yards (I think trying to figure what was happening).  I slowed down and waited for him.  We had over 6 miles to go and I thought that two people were better than solo.  Again we only had about 20 s lead in front of the pack, but the pack did not appear to be working together. Curtis and I worked together with me taking more pulls.  After the last corner on the last leg I could see a group of 3 closing on us but was confident that we could hold them off.  At this point I concentrated on beating Curtis. I had carefully scoped out the finish and knew exactly where to sprint.  I was tired, but beat Curtis by a second.   That was a satisfying finish.

 

10k TT

One lap of the same course. Start at 8:03 am the next day

I had a good warm down after the RR race and did 1 hour of yoga and had a good warm up before the TT, but my legs felt heavy.  My start was good: correct gears and clipped in.  After about ¼ mi, I knew that my legs were tired and were going to be tired for the whole race.  I wanted to do well at the TT so I muscled my way through it.  This was not a pretty race for me.  My cadence was too low, but I shifted when my cadence fell below 80rpm.  I tried to cut the corners, but I did not ride the white line.  I did not concentrate on my form: flat back, helmet touching my back, hands together.  However, on the plus side, I was mentally tough and kept myself together.  I won the TT in 14:21.

Head Games

A bunch of “head games” is how I’d describe my summer thus far as.  It all started well and I had high hopes for my first year in the road scene – indoor training began and then awesome weather lead to lots of early outdoor riding.  And I even was lucky enough to take a Trek Travel Ride Camp trip to Mallorca Spain!  But then the day before the first race of the year, I caught an edge during a group ride and sliding across the pavement I went.  Ouch.  The exterior wounds have since healed but I am still left with the internal ones.  You know… THOSE ONES.  The ones that are a bit harder to heal.  And being new to road riding in general, I was already a bit scared to draft a wheel or ride in a group.  So crashing the way I did is not helping, but I’m working on it.  It’s baby steps with the pavement and I these days...

 

That said, sometimes you just need to go back to the beginning to see how far you’ve come. 

 

I spent much of the summer of 2010 on two wheels also, but far away from the pavement.  It was the “summer of the mountain bike” I called it.  And quite a summer it was – I did my first race which lead to 7 more in the WORS series, a 24 hour race, Chequemegon 40, as well as tossing in a vacation to 3 continents, my first road ride ever after being in the business forever, and a couple of 5K’s among other things.  All that for the girl who just wanted to get better at mountain biking and to check out what racing was all about.  I’d say I did ok that year. 

 

So back to the fat tires I went this past weekend and raced WORS #3 – Big Ring Classic up in Wausau.  All and all I’d say I did not too shabby – 2^nd in my age group and 5^th overall.  Huh.  I never placed in a race before and I got me a well needed “mental boost”.  Like I said, sometimes you just gotta go back to the beginning…

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

                                                                                                                                                        

Motorpacing

Motorpacing

Now that the bike racing season is upon us Diane's turning to her 'secret weapon'-- motorpacing. Using a small moped/motor scooter as a training tool helps her work on speed and high tempo endurance. The scooter doesn't get tired, so it can maintain a high speed effort much longer than a rider. While some folks mistakenly think the idea behind motorpacing is to see how fast they can pedal their bike, the real purpose for the use of the motor scooter is to simulate having a fast rider or peloton to draft. Realistic race speeds are more useful than pedaling at 50 miles an hour. The moped can also provide a 'resting' spot' when she is practicing maintaining a high speed out in the wind. For these uses it's not necessary to have a big motor cycle; in fact, it's counterproductive. We use a small, 90cc, moped with large wheel so that the moped is roughly the same size and height as a bicycle.

A typical motorpacing workout involves bringing  Diane up to speed of about 25-31 MPH. She'll spend some time behind the moped simply staying in the draft and maintaining a constant, high, speed. This aids her ability to turn a big gear with a high cadence so she can stay with a fast moving rider or pack. As she develops the ability to do this behind a motor, she'll be able to do draft at high speed in a race for longer than her competition. Usually in our motorpacing workouts she'll also do some efforts where she pulls out of the draft behind the moped and pedals in the wind for as long as she can. When she starts to fatigue, she pulls back behind the moped and 'rests/recovers' in the draft. Another workout involves having her pull out from the draft of the moped and sprint past the moped, then fall back in behind to prepare for the next sprint.

Using a motor vehicle (never a car) to train must be done very carefully. Both the rider and the moped driver must be knowledgeable about the safety considerations. The moped driver must be familiar with bicycle capabilities and limitations. As an experienced bike racer myself, when I drive the moped I'm aware that the moped can accelerate more quickly than Diane's bike and that it can go up hills with ease that might cause her to lose the draft. I never brake with Diane drafting; first, I pull ahead, and when I have room I brake. We are communicating all the time. Both of us must be on the same page about any changes. I regulate my speed to insure she can draft safely. Our moped has mirrors set up so I can maintain a close watch on Diane as she drafts behind me. We always use quiet roads for motorpacing.

While the moped/bike combination is no different in most respects to two bikes drafting each other on the road, some drivers might not understand how to deal with the combination. While the bike rider must be in the draft of the moped, there's a low fender on the moped which would be contacted by the bike's front tire so the risk of touching wheels from behind is very low. However, both Diane and I must be vigilant to maintain safe distances, alert focus on the road and each other and anticipate problems and avoid them. Done

properly, motorpacing is as safe as drafting a bicycle.

Diane's won 8 USAC National Championships, and many Wisconsin State Championships. This year, I can honestly claim that she's riding the best I've ever seen her ride. After a severely broken leg in 2010 and at a racing age of 59, this is remarkable. I believe she's going to have a fantastic racing season for the Trek Midwest Team. One small reason for her success, when it comes, will be the hours she spends behind a moped.

Gordy

(Photo courtesy of Jackie Arendt) <<...>>

Cycling is a Team Sport

There has been a lot of team email traffic lately discussing tactics and strategies for the various races. Such discussions remind me how much fun it is to race as a team and to have teammates who are willing to work as a team (versus only for individual glory), and when a team works well together, it can really influence the outcome of a race. The team aspect of bike racing is often an aspect of racing that is unseen by the non-racer, the moment-to-moment actions and reactions, the "chess" like planning of moves, ...

Our team results so far this year (both individual and the team as a whole) have been excellent, and they are due in large part to the selfless collection of racers who comprise the team. So not only do we have the sharpest looking kits and bikes in the peleton, but we have the racing results to go along with looking so "pro!"

Looking forward to rest of the season!

WOW race report

I made the journey to Madison two weeks ago to race with my brethren in Wheels on Willy. Even though we didn't have a great race strategy for the M 3/4 race, I was simply there to test the legs since I haven't been racing much this season. You would think that I almost forgot how to race since I didn't even know it was the last lap until the last corner where I was wondering why I was heading backward so fast. Regardless of the mediocre result, it was good to be racing again. The highlight of the day was watching my 2-year old daughter in the kids race. I had put her on a strict training regimen that apparently didn't pay off since she finished last in her heat. It's entirely possible that her placement was a result of not having a Trek and being intimidated by her best friend on a push bike. I can't wait for the day she shames me on two wheels.

t. hooyer

Volunteer

1st things I did this season was volunteer for the Vo2 max study that was posted on the WCA website.  I thought it might be cool to breathe through a hose---well it's not.  The chap that administered the test was Tyler Stein who is writing a thesis titled: DIFFERENCES IN MAXIMAL EXERCISE DURING RUNNING AND CYCLING AS A FUNCTION OF MODE OF EXERCISE FOR TRAINING AND COMPETITION which really just rolls off your tongue, right?  He's looking to earn his doctorate in physiology so that he can get a cool hat that comes with the doctorate.   Currently he's helping coach the UW Whitewater cycling team, but would like to branch out.  So if you need a coach drop Tyler an email at Steintd30@gmail.com maybe you can help proof read his thesis.

 I also built my new team Madone and have been trying to make it to races where my schedule permits.  Also trying to keep my three boys in line Charlie(9), Rex(7), & Tommy(5).  Recently they've all been subjected to watching the Tour of California.  So much that Tommy suggested that I get a Cannondale because of all the commercials.  That's when I sat all three of them down and told them how a little red barn in Waterloo in the year of 1976 changed and shaped cycling forever.......and that's why we ride TREKS!

 

j.cassady

Numb

That is the word that best describes my knee after I've iced it using the Game Ready ice therapy machine some friends have so generously lent me to use. I'm very grateful because it's been a huge benefit to my recovery especially in the first couple weeks with post surgical swelling and stiffness.
It's also the word comes to mind with sitting on the trainer as part of my recovery. Though I'm so glad I can turn the pedals since it's a great sign of my progress, it's so BORING. I mean come on, it's almost JUNE and here I am on the trainer when I'd much rather be on my Madone out in the sun. *sigh*

Shelley Smith

Hill repeats out the front door

Jim Merrifield

A most unusual occurance - neither I nor my beloved were racing over Memorial Day weekend. Jan was planning on doing the General Clinton Canoe Regatta in Bainbridge, NY - seventy (yes, 70) miles from Cooperstown to Bainbridge. For better or for worse, she and her partner decided not to do it. Maybe for better - it was a low water year and she would have likely had a finishing time around 9 hours - a long time to be paddling. My racing options were few and so I suggested "road trip" - go visit some friends in Rochester, NY whom we had not had much chance to see in a while. Rochester is a very nice city near the south shore of Lake Ontario - lots to do, great food, nice riding. It is in the gently rolling section of the state. Not to be confused with the hilly southern tier or eastenr border near Massachusetts or Vermont. I brought my bike with the idea it would be a good place to do a little practicing fot the Lake Geneva RR coming up on June 2nd. My friends live near the top of one of the little ridges in the Rochester burbs. From the base of the street, a little bit away from the Erie Canal to about their front door was about a 3 minute climb in my 34 x 23. In Wisconsin, this would have been called an escarpment or the like and would have had a NAME and would have been a major feature of the Terribly Tumultuos Century or some such. In Rochester, it was just the back way to Wegman's. But it was not windy the whole time we were there!

Racing Something New

I am going to try a new racing venue this weekend: the Senior Games in Mankato MN.  The Senior Games are the qualifying event for the Senior Nationals held every other year. In 2013 the Nationals will be in Cleveland, OH.  There are 4 cycling events: 5k and 10k time trail and the 20k and 40k road race.  I am racing the 10 time trial and 40 k road race.  This is one of the few masters events for women.

Arrietta Clauss, Ph.D.

Asst. Editor, Journal of Chemical Education

University of Wisconsin–Madison

Sing like no one's listening, love like you've never been hurt, dance like nobody's watching, and live like its heaven on earth." Mark Twain

Italy + Novecolli

dblomme
Just got back from Italy and riding in the Novecolli Gran Fondo last week Jessica and Hans. Over 12,000 racers participating. Had fun, met a lot of really nice people and gathered some great insights to take back home. Road cycling and its culture of racing was thick in the air – it’s awesome!

Was able to catch the Ferrari museum as well. The museum itself was a beautiful as the cars.

The first few minutes of this video link are fun to check out

http://www.swissretreat.com/cycling-sportives/nove-colli-gran-fondo

 

Official event site:

http://www.novecolli.it/?Lang=en