Year in Review

Aside from an hour or two this afternoon on my skis, below are the final numbers from 2007 (margin of error +- 5%):

Run: 6.2 miles/1hr16min35sec
Ski: 180.6 miles/39hr53min05sec
Bike: 2475 miles/284hr26min51sec
Yoga: 40 classes/60hr

Overall, I'd say I had a pretty good year. There were definitely some obstacles and more than a few low spots, but such is life. As Hugh would say, what doesn't kill you makes you stronger. Since I'm not dead, I guess that means I've gotten stronger. It sure does hurt like hell sometimes though. Happy new year everybody, and thanks for reading.

Happy Holidays

Well, I got my wish for more snow last night. We probably ended up with 8 or 9 inches of fresh, light powder. Tim called last night and wanted to meet up at the tower this morning, and Sarah and I told him we were definitely in. JT joined us up at the tower around 8:30 this morning and we set off into the woods and down the hills. Unfortunately, I had to work at 11 so we were only able to get in an hour and a half, but the snow was awesome. I think I'm going to meet Hugh tomorrow morning to do some classic skiing at Birchwood before work; and if I have the energy, we may head out for some more backcountry tomorrow afternoon. Winter is officially back, so get out and ski.

Sarah has had some time off for the holiday this year, and so she's undertaken a complete makeover on the downstairs bath. it's almost done now, and it looks awesome.


JT testing out the AWD on his Subaru.


Would you look at that pretty snow.


JT ripping a turn.

WNS (Cancelled again)

It was 40 degrees yesterday. I couldn't imagine anyone would be up for skiing in that weather, but I was up for it if anyone called. Nobody did. We need more snow desperately. There is still just enough in the woods and on the road to make biking a very unsafe proposition, and this makes me very unhappy. On a brighter note, there is snow in the forecast for the next few days, and I got some wonderful presents for chrismakuh. Keep in touch, and have a safe and happy new year.

WNS Report

JT and James came out last night for a little tour in the woods. Unfortunately, the f**king snowmobilers have ridded all the way to the bottom of the BodhiSized trail now which really sucks. We ended up bushwhacking around for about forty minutes which, while far from ideal at least got us out of the house for some fresh air. I rode my bike for an hour beforehand and did some work on the stability ball so all in all it was a good workout. However, next week we're going to meet at the MVSC on Wednesday night in order to avoid the aforementioned snowmobiles. We'll plan on skiing for about an hour and then tailgate with some light appetizers afterwards. The current weather forecast is calling for rain tomorrow and Saturday, but then snow on Sunday and Monday. I'm planning on getting out on Sunday for sure so give me a shout if you want to get together. Take care out there and have a happy holiday.

P.S. I signed up for the Lumberjack 100 yesterday.

MVSC @ Fisher Road

Just a quick video I put together from our Sunday afternoon ski adventure. Enjoy.

Big Ski Weekend

I felt much better by the end of the week, and so I put in an hour on the bike before work Friday morning. It was nice to get the legs moving after my three days of inactivity and self pity. Just spinning the pedals around for a little while has a very calming effect on me which is just what I needed. As nice as it was to get on the bike again, the weekend was all about skiing.

Saturday was a little chilly, but I headed out to Nub's in the afternoon anyway to get some turns in. The snow was pretty good for the most part. It was just cold and windy. Sarah was out at the same time getting a telemark lesson with Josh. I kept my eyes peeled, but I didn't catch a glimpse of them until the very end of their hour and a half. They were coming down Smooth Sailing, and I'm pretty sure I saw Sarah make a few good turns. Her legs were toasted, and I was cold so we headed home to fire up the sauna....and fired up it got. 170 degrees to be precise. That'll take the chill off. It also makes any sore muscles feel so much better.

Sunday morning I headed into town for a classic workout on the Birchwood Trails. Conditions are the best I've seen them in a while, and I skied the whole system of loops for a total of 7.8 miles in 1hr.31min. I was trying to concentrate on my technique and breathing, and for the most part I did a good job. It's really hard to keep your heart rate out of the red zone when you pull on some tights and click into those skinny little skis, but it's an important skill to learn if you want to be able to complete marathon length events (more on that later). I was able to keep my avg. h.r. just below 150, and that's right on the edge for me. Ideally it would be in the mid to low 140's. But hey, it's only the middle of December. There's plenty of winter left to practice. I left the parking area at Ridge Rd. and headed into the store for a sandwich. It was 12:30, and we weren't supposed to meet JT and the crew at MVSC until 2:00. Back in the car my phone started beeping with a missed call. JT left me a voicemail that we were going to meet at Fisher Rd. instead of Middle Village Rd. We would also be meeting at 1:00 instead of 2:00. Okay. I hurried home and exchanged my sweaty ass clothes for fresh clothes and backcountry gear. Sarah drove while I ate, and we rolled in behind JT, Mage, Tim, and Wiley at just after 1:00. We started out by climbing all the way up to the tower on top of Stuts. From there we worked our way up and down a great series of valleys and ridges for close to two hours. We got some great turns in for this early in the season, and I'm thinking it's probably time to start wearing the helmet on these Sunday afternoon excursions. I'm currently unable to upload data from my GPS due to some serious software glitch in MotionBased that has something to do with the new Mac operating system. I'm going to try out some new software that is Mac specific and supposed to be even better. I'd really like to get a look at our elevation numbers from yesterday. So I ended up with 3.5 hours of good quality ski time yesterday without lift assistance. The turns feel so much better when you earn them.

I've decided I need to up my motivation level over the winter in order to build a better base for the bike season. The ski races I've done over the past couple of years are great, but they're no longer a mystery. I know how it feels to do a 30 km classic race. It really, really hurts. I'm now very familiar with that level of pain, and I know that my mind and body can handle it. Now I'm wondering what it feels like to do a 50 km classic race. How much does it hurt? I don't know, but it can't be that bad can it? I'll let you know. I'm doing the VASA 50 km classic race this year in Traverse City on Feb. 9th. Anybody want to join me? Come on, it'll be fun.

WNS: On for sure this week. JT, Scott, James, Sarah, and I are confirmed. Bring something to throw on the grill, and I'll do something for a side and a salad. We'll plan on skiing out around 6:30. Don't forget your headlamp.

Sorry for the rambling, but I think it's directly proportional to how much fun I had this weekend (a whole ton). Thanks for reading.

WNS (cancelled)

I came down with a nasty bug Sunday night that left me virtually immobile and without food Monday and Tuesday. I felt quite a bit better yesterday, but considering I had only consumed a bowl of cereal and two pieces of toast in the past two days I felt another night of rest would be in order. I wanted to make sure I had it licked before illness ruined my weekend. Anyway, sorry to have had to bail, but we'll definitely try and get back on track next week. I'm feeling good today, and I will try to get back into my routine with a yoga class tonight. I'm up for getting outside Saturday morning or anytime on Sunday so give me a shout. Otherwise, we'll see you Wednesday. Have a good weekend.

WNS Report

This picture was actually taken last Sunday morning, but since I forgot to bring the camera on Wednesday night it's gonna have to do. I'll try and remember to bring it along next week for some night photos. All in all, the first Wednesday Night Ski outing went well. Scott, Matt, and Marcus joined me on a quick jaunt down to the swamp and back. It was so nice to be out in the woods again after a long hunting season. After the ski we fired up the grill for some fabulous brats and a few beers to wash them down. We'll be doing it again next week so come on out. I've got a couple of people from the yacht club interested, and Sarah will also be skiing next Wednesday. Let me know by Monday or Tuesday if you're going to come out so I can plan accordingly for food. Also, we're planning on having a little afternoon tour out at MVSC on Sunday afternoon. Call Saturday for more details. In the meantime, I'll be skiing till my legs fall off this weekend (especially if they get the track set on the xc trails at Nubs). Have a good weekend everybody, and we'll see you soon.

Alternative Triathalon Sunday

Leg 1: Barely get the car out of the driveway due to a foot of heavy wet snow in order to get to Nub's for fresh tracks. Tele ski for just over an hour and a half in same heavy snow. Get your ass kicked in second run attempt of Smokey (multiple crashes). Ski the remainder of time more within one's own ski level. Drive home and get ready for leg 2.
Leg 2: Remove snow from driveway and around house using snowblower and shovel. Due to snow conditions, this takes over double the normal time and work. One hour and forty-five minutes. Rest.
Leg 3: One hour of indoor biking. Thirty minutes on the rollers, thirty minutes on the trainer. Average h.r. 141.

I was supposed to have a long day of training yesterday, and I think that just about got the job done. We got more snow last night, and it's still coming down right now. So today might not be much of a day off after all. I'm planning on a WNS out at the house if anyone's interested. There's plenty of snow now, and they're saying cool temps. all week. So bring out your ski's and a headlamp Wednesday night. Let's try and roll (stride) out about 6:30. See you then.

WNR Report

I rode alone upstairs. 20 min. rollers/40 min. trainer. It was awesome.

Stormy Tuesday

Boy was it windy yesterday. I Had to go to Petoskey in the morning for yoga and to run a few errands, and the wind was actually strong enough to move the Passatt around in some places. We lost power out at the house in the afternoon for a few hours so I decided to hike down to the beach for my afternoon workout and check out the waves. It was absolutely wicked down there. I took my mittens off; and in less than a minute, they were numb. I've gotta try and find out where those crazy dudes go to surf around here. I'd really like to get some shots of that. Anyway, I just took this clip to try and do a little practicing with iMovie on the new computer. Check it out, and I'll check you later.

Freeheel Weekend

Considering they only had two runs open, the skiing at Nubs Nob this weekend was incredible both days. I got out right at nine on both days and skied until after eleven. John, Tim, and I even found a little fresh powder on Saturday morning to the far left side of Snow Pro (that's right, fresh powder on Snow Pro). It's amazing how much snow that crew can make in a short period of time if it just gets cold enough. The weather service is calling for a chance of snow everyday all week, so next weekend I'd think they'd be able to open the whole front side. Sunday morning John and I were able to hook up with Marcus, and we skied together all morning. I don't get to see Marcus very often; but when I do, I always have a great time. Between biking and skiing, we have an almost endless amount of things to discuss.
My legs were feeling pretty trashed after my reentry to ski life, but I forced myself onto the bike yesterday afternoon. Got in a good hour and a half, and the legs actually came around after a little warming up. I'm feeling pretty good these days, and I'm planning on closing out the year with some real solid training. I want to be ready when the xc trails open and the racing starts. I'll have to sit down and figure out my ski racing schedule soon, but to be honest I'm already planning out my bike season for next year. More on that later. Until next time, take care and ski well.

Surprise, Surprise.

All week we've had no snow, and Nub's Nob was predicting an opening day of Dec. 1. Well it got cold over the last couple of days, and they were able to fire up the guns. That and the 3-5 inches we've gotten last night and through today means they're going to open up tomorrow and Sunday. I'm meeting up with John and Tim right at 9:00 tomorrow for a few runs before work. I'm really excited, and if this keeps up we'll be able to start cross country skiing soon.
On the bike side of life: New record on the trainer yesterday, 1hr40min. My legs are finally starting to feel good again after the month of little activity and massive beer consumption surrounding the wedding. I'm skipping the cross race downstate again this weekend due to holiday traffic concerns and the fact that I can go skiing. The picture below is Niko making some unauthorized phone calls when he was over for dinner yesterday. He is a nonstop flurry of activity. Hopefully, he'll be able to channel that energy in to the pedals before too long. Hope everyone has a good holiday weekend.

Sunday Morning Ride

It was sunny and almost 40 out by 11:00 yesterday morning. So I decided to brave the elements instead of riding in front of the t.v. for the third time in a week. It was definitely the right choice. I previewed the route Scott and I are planning to ride Wednesday night this week. It's a good mix of dirt and pavement, and the roads should be almost entirely deserted after dark in the middle of the week. So we shouldn't bother too many people with our lights. Anyone else interested? I'm not even sure why I ask anymore. It's hard to find riding partners in November, but at least Scott's still hanging in there. This cabin is one of my favorite houses along the shore. Hope everyone has a good week.

NASCARGOT

This one's for you Kevin.

Rolling

Finally had to bite the bullet and start riding inside this week. I've got my old Trek 8000 set up on the magnetic trainer with a rear slick, and I've got my rollers set up in the doorway of the guest room with my road bike. In order to alleviate some of the boredom, I'll start off on the rollers (with ipod) for 20 minutes as a warm up and then switch over to the trainer (in front of a tv) for 45 minutes in the endurance zone. I'll cool down for about 5 or 10 minutes and then do a little stretching. And Voila! I got a good solid hour + on the bike and didn't go anywhere. All in all, it's not that bad of a workout, but I'd really rather be out cross country skiing by now. Hopefully we'll get some snow soon.

Race update for tomorrow: I'm not going. I've had a mild nagging pain in m right knee all week, and I don't really think sitting in the car for most of the day tomorrow to race for an hour is going to make it any better. Hopefully it'll be cleared up by next weekend because I'd really like to give this cross thing another chance before the end of the season.

Below: I was really trying to capture the thrill of riding indoors for everyone. Unfortunately, I don't know how to set the timer on my digicam for longer than ten seconds. So, I had to push the button while the camera was propped up on the dresser and then run back across the room and hop on and clip in before the flash went off. Sadly, out of 3 attempts this was the best.

Iceman Cometh, Iceman Goeth

Made it down for the Iceman over the weekend and had a grand old time. A guy from Wisc. named Brian Matter won the Elite/Pro race followed by Simonson of the Bell's squad and JHK to round out the podium. I stole this picture from the Bell's site. I'm pretty sure that's JHK on the floor and Simonson heading for the line. A new addition to the event this year was a beer tent at the finish. They had kegs from Short's, Bell's, and Founder's. That was an awesome, and at the same time dangerous addition to the race. So now the party is officially over. I ordered a case of OldMill N/A this morning. I need to begin supplementing my regular beer intake with some n/a. Not that I'm going to quit the beer all together, I just need to cut back and get back on some sort of structured training plan. WNR at headquarters this week. Last ride before the men with guns enter the woods. Take care, and have a good week.

I'm ready for the white stuff.

As far as I'm concerned, it can start snowing anytime now. I've got the snow tires on the wagon, and it's been real cold out for some time now. I'm even having vivid, technicolor skiing dreams. Last night I was cruising down a freshly groomed set of cross country ski tracks. Maybe tonight I'll be ripping some tele turns in a foot of fresh. I keep forgetting that I still have three bike races left, but they're all below the 45th (they never get much snow anyway). Just wanted to let everyone know I'm ready for winter proper. That's all.

WNR Report

Scott and I were the only two riders last night, and I can't say that it came as too big of a shock. It was 32 degrees, snowing lightly, and dark. Still, we managed to get a pretty good ride in on the North Country Trail. 10.5 miles in just over an hour. After the ride, we all (Kathryn, Scott, Mitchell, Sarah, and I) sat down to a wonderful dinner of Lasagna. We only have six days left until the guys with guns start wandering around the woods shooting at shit for two weeks, so hopefully we'll get some good riding in this weekend.

In other breaking news: Chris got a good report from his doc yesterday. No more brace unless he's driving, and physical therapy starts Monday. Hopefully he'll be able to join us out on the skis by the holidays (if we have the snow). At any rate, it's great news, and we're excited to have him almost back to normal. WNR at headquarters next week with a 6:30 start time. Have a good weekend everybody.

Kisscross #5

Well, I've got my first cyclocross race done and in the books. I got to the venue about 1.5 hours before the start of the B Race. After signing in (for the low, low price of $15), I got changed and started to get warmed up. I did about 30 minutes on a dirt road, throwing in some short hard efforts. The course opened up after the C Race, so we all had a chance to got out and do a slow lap on the course. I ran into Joe Slonecki from the Founders Team (he was there for the A Race), and it was nice to have someone to chat with. It definately helped take my mind off the fact that I was minutes away from entering the great unknown. 60 people lined up for the start of the B Race (there are no classes or age groups). I was expecting to suffer from the gun, but I soon learned that I didn't know what real suffering was. The pace is absolutely insane. Keep in mind that you're riding a road bike with skinny knobby tires on singletrack, with sandy corners, barriers that forced you to dismount and haul your bike over, and hills to run up (or walk as the race wore on). The course was just over 2 miles long, and the B Race was 6 laps. Somewhere near the end of the 3rd lap I was able to start embracing the pain. Part of becoming a better bike racer is simply increasing your capacity to endure all different kinds of pain and suffering. Once I started to look at the race that way, it actually started to feel like fun (in my own twisted way). The last three laps were just as hard as the first three, but I was able to keep up the consistent redline pace. I finished the 6 laps in 55 minutes for 43rd overall: 12.3 miles/Avg. sp. 12.7 mph/Avg. H.R. 177. Next race is in 2 weeks, and I'm already planning on putting up some barriers in the yard to practice my skillz. Joe S. finished up 9th overall in the A Race. I'm looking forwward to seeing him in the Pro/Elite class at the Iceman next weekend. WNR in Cross Village at 6:00. Bring your lights. Thanks for reading.

Daylight Savings

Don't forget to turn your clocks back this weekend. It'll be nice to get an extra hour Sunday morning when I hit the road for G.R.. Other than that, I'm pretty ambivelant about the whole falling back thing. WNR report: nada. Matt bailed, and nobody else called for a start time so I didn't go, and yes... I know I'm a pussy. It's getting to be that time of year where it's hard to get motivated for solo rides. Maybe getting back into the racing scene this weekend will rekindle the fire inside. But to be honest, I'm starting to think more and more about the upcoming ski season. I've been checking the dates for all the races, and I'm ready for a change of pace. I'm just hoping we get some good snow this season. As much fun as it was to ride over the christmas holidays last year, I'd rather be freeheeling on the snow. Talk of a nightride tomorrow, call if you're interested. WNR next week: 6:00 in Cross Village for Scott's birthday (lights will be mandatory, and i might be able to round up a loaner if you don't have one). We'll probably head to the Crow's Nest for pizza afterwards. Have a good weekend, and stay warm.

Sunday morning ride

Scott mentioned earlier in the week that he'd like to do a long ride on Sunday morning...so we did. It was a bit chilly, but once you got moving it was actually quite pleasant. Sunny, mid 40's, and still a few leaves left on the trees. I've attached a map below if you'd like to view the details. I'm going to try and get out this afternoon to practice dismounting my cross bike at speed and then hauling it up onto my shoulder for short little runups. I figure I might want to try it out a couple of times with no pressure before my first race this Sunday. It looks like it might just be Matt and I for the WNR this week. Scott will be trick or treating with Mitchell and inspecting apples for razor blades. The only other person I can think of with lights is Marcus. So if you want to go give me a call sometime Wednesday morning, and I'll let you know what time we're planning on setting out. Have a good week.

We've made it two weeks

Here is the long awaited one wedding picture for the blog. It was a wonderful day, and everything went perfectly. While I certainly can't speak for everyone, I'd like to think that a good time was had by all. If you'd like to see more pictures from the big day, give Sarah a call and I'm sure that she'd be more than happy to share.

This was our apartment in Asheville. It had everything we were looking for, and then some. The density of fine eating establishments in the neighborhood surrounding our place was astounding. We even found a place that may be better than Sweetwater in Marquette. If you know me, you know that's saying a lot. Sweetwater has long been at the top of my all-time favorite resturants. The new contender is Tupelo Honey Cafe. Words cannot describe the culinary delights to be found within those walls. They even serve Bell's Two Hearted.

Here I am getting ready for my assault on Mount Mitchell (the highest peak east of the Mississippi) just off the Blue Ridge Parkway north of Asheville. The ride was a tad harder than I anticipated. 27 miles with 5,001 ft of climbing. My average heart rate was just below race pace for just over 2.5 hours. And here I thought I was on vacation. Once you exit the parkway at mile 22 it actually get's steeper for the last five miles, but I was pleasantly surprised to find that I didn't manage to misplace all of my fitness. A group of five guys showed up behind me right at the bottom of this last climb, and one of them rode up to me for a chat. They were from some college team in the area for Nationals. I didn't expect to stay with them for long, but I did. The guy chatting with me took off about half way up, and I wasn't able to stay with him. But when I turned around to see who was going to make the next move, they were all gone. I was able to keep the guy in front of me in sight, and we ended up beating the rest of the group by a couple of minutes. It was a good day. I've definately got the itch to start training and racing again. That's good timing because my first cyclocross race is one week from tomorrow. That should be a real hoot. WNR at Boyne this week, and you'll want to bring a light. Take care everybody, and thanks for reading.

How y'all doing?

That's how people talk down here, for real. You even hear that southern drawl out on the trail which just seems double weird. Well, we made it through the first week of married life, and all is well in Asheville. The riding has been great so far. The loft we've rented is wonderful. It's located right downtown, which means it's way too close to all sorts of fabulous resturants and tasty beer. I'm real interested to get on the scale when I get home to find out how much damage control will be necessary to get back down to fighting weight. We rode out at Tsali today, and it was just as I recalled....Awesome. It's a paradise for mountain biking, and I'm lobbying hard with the wife (that's still a little weird) to go back on Monday to ride the two loops we didn't ride today. Out on the road bike tomorrow for what is supposed to be a killer hard 25 mile ride to meet Sarah, Angie, and Dan at the top of Mount Mitchell for a few beers. They're going to drive up and go for a hike while I ride up. Should be fun. See y'all when we get home next week.

Back in the Day

WNR report: The weather was far from cooperative last night, and I think that had something to do with a low rider turnout. It was in the upper 40's and raining steadily when six of us set out on the Loop just after six last night. It was like a blast from the past in some respects with Sarge, Marcus, Scott, and Mike in the group. I can't remember the last time the five of us rode together, but I know it's been a number of years. Hugh was the sixth rider to join us in the rain. Going out for a ride in the rain is always tough mentally, but once you get started it almost always turns out to be a good ride. It's not like you're going to melt or anything. All things considered we had a good ride (even if it was getting a little to dark to see by the end). At least another dozen people showed up for the post-ride festivities and to catch up with Sarge. A special thanks goes out to Hugh for putting in my new headset and fork before the ride. It was nice to get back on the singlespeed with a fork that has more than 2mm of travel. I'm loving 80mm now, thanks. Got the wedding in two days, and so far the weather looks good. No rain and a high of 55 for Saturday. Then it's off to Asheville for a little vacation. Hope everyone has a good weekend. Thanks for reading.

Back in the Saddle

Got back on the bike yesterday after a seven day hiatus, and it felt pretty damn good. Taking the time off was so hard psychologically, but knowing that it was only a week made it tolerable. I know now that I will never be able to quit biking. It's like I was able to stay off smack for a whole week before finally surrendering to the craving. I felt like a junkie yesterday morning getting ready for my ride. Mixing my bottles and checking tire pressure was exciting. Getting dressed for the ride was much the same. Once I actually clipped into my pedals and started to roll down the driveway.....forget about it. I had every intention of making it a nice easy ride, but that intention vanished about five minutes in. I felt great, and so I decided a 25 mile ride with a buch of hills sounded like more fun than dodging leaf peepers on 119. It was. Also, new max. speed for Pete: 48.7mph. Anyway, I'm back on track and ready for some good riding this week. Sarge and Mike are both confirmed for the ride this week, and hopefully Marcus will be able to make it out as well. Remember: The road to success is always under construction. Take care.

Bring It On Home

I busted out the camera last night to capture a little WNR magic for posterity. This little video is of Scott, Hugh, and Matt finishing up the Loop. Sarah and I rounded out the small crew, but we should have a much larger group next week. We'll be riding at headquarters again, and we're hoping everyone can make it out to ride/hang out with Sarge. He'll be making a guest appearance along with Mike Bodt. I'm looking to get back on the bike for some easy road riding tomorrow or the next day. I think this little break was just what I needed. My legs feel better today than they have in a while, and the idea of a nice easy ride actually sounds like fun.

End of the Road

My mountain bike racing season is now over. I'll be skipping the race this weekend for a variety of reasons (excuses). The fact that my knuckle is still bleeding a little is top of the list by far. I'd really like for that to heal up so that I can ride with my boys coming into town for the wedding next week, and racing three laps at Boyne seems like a bad way to help the healing process. Aside from that I'm just downright tired. My legs have been so sore for the last few weeks, and now my hands and feet are beginning to join in the protest as well. A couple of days ago my teeth even started to hurt. I've been sleeping a ton and taking naps, but I'm still tired. So, today marks day three of no biking. I am sitting around waiting for my yoga class to start this morning, but I'm operating under the assumption that this will help get me back on track. I've never quite felt like this before, but I'm going to try figure out what happened in order to avoid a repeat. I'll do short little ride on the cyclocross bike tomorrow night (WNR at Team Headquarters this week and next), but then I'm planning on not riding until the weekend. That will be the longest break I've had in I don't know how long. Hopefully that'll do the trick, and I can start getting ready for the honeymoon riding and cross season. Take care and be good.

WNR(un)

I managed to take a large a chunk out of the knuckle of my right hand at work on Tuesday. This means I will be unable to bend it for a few days so that it stops bleeding....i.e. no mountain biking. I went for a run last night instead, and as scary as this sounds it went really well. I'd rather be riding, but it is one hell of a workout. I'm going to try out the road bike tomorrow and see how that goes with the immobile digit. A little birdie told me that Marcus was planning on making a surprise visit last night. Sorry to have missed you Marcus, we'll have to hook up for a ride once I'm done bleeding. We'll see how I'm doing next week as far as the WNR goes. Until then I'll be running and road biking. Everybody be careful of sharp things (like electric slicers) this weekend, and we'll see you later. Thanks for reading.

Wilderness State Park

Had the rare treat of two days off in a row this Sunday and Monday so I decided to take a little mini vacation up to Wilderness State Park. I figured that was close enough for Sarah to be able to drive to work on Monday while I went out to explore some new mountain bike trails. I'd always heard great things about the rustic cabins that are for rent up there, and everything turned out to be true. They're rustic, isolated, and damn near perfect for us. It's a a great old log cabin with two sets of bunkbeds and a woodstove (we didn't really need that since it's still pretty warm out). Outside is a hand pump well, an outhouse, and a firepit. I don't really need anymore than that as it turns out. It's a little wierd not to have electricity (no way to charge the laptop). But at the same time it's amazing how quiet it can be without the usual sounds of home: stereo/tv, dehumidifier, washer/dryer, dishwasher, etc. We had a great time with a little too much wine and beer, but what are you going to do when you're on "vacation".



My ride on Monday was pretty nice. I rode some old trails I'd ridden before, but I also found some sweet new singletrack that I can't wait to ride again. I could certainly have explored a little more, but it was damn hot out. So 1hr45min and 18 miles was enough for me. I'm really hoping to come out of this riding funk soon. I just haven't felt good on the bike for a couple of weeks now, and it's really starting to piss me off. I'm trying to take it a little easier, and I've even dusted off my geared mountain bike to help me keep the pace down. We'll just have to wait and see. WNR at Boyne again this week. Be there or be square.

1/2 Century on the Singlespeed

With the way my legs were feeling last week and Hugh bailing out to go to Marquette (I wish I could have gone too), I was not optimistic about the big ride yesterday. Tim F. agreed to meet me for part of the day, but that would be my only riding partner. At least I was out in the woods, and the weather was terrific. I think I've found out how to show a link to my GPS people so you can view the ride on a map with all the numbers. In case it doesn't work: 52.84 miles in 6 hours, just shy of 7,000 vertical. Funny, almost the same time as last Sunday with almost the same vertical, but half the distance...what that mean? WNR at Boyne this week. Hope to see everyone there.

New Post Old Video

Well I guess the video isn't that old. Matt took this clip of a unicycle finishing up the Ore to Shore back in August. I think he only did the 28 miler, but that's still pretty badass. I wasn't really motivated to get out training this week, and I felt like crap on the WNR. I'm thinking it had something to do with H100. Anyway, I took the last two days off in preparation for the big ride tomorrow. I'll report back on Monday. Take care, and have a good weekend.

Hugh's Humongous 100

Hugh had a new course option this year for completing your 100 miles. A 4.8 mile loop containg the brutal Wasson's Grade climb is the new offering. If you ride it 21 times you get your 100 miles. I was the only rider that thought this sounded like fun, and so I set off alone at about 7:45 yesterday morning. I put a bag at the end of my driveway (which just so happens to lie along the new route), it was stocked with 8 fresh bottles full of Perpeteum and Heed along with a wide assortment of easy to consume foodstuffs. I was hoping to use the ride to develop a long term pacing strategy. My current strategy of riding really fast until I get tired and then slowing way down doesn't seem to work in 100 mile mountain bike racing. So my goal for the day was to ride consistent laps with enough left over to really hammer the last 2 or 3. I also tried to eat and drink steadily. It must have been a good plan because I still felt good enough at the end to put in two of my fastest laps. I know this won't translate directly to 100 miles of dirt, but I felt good all the same: 100.2 miles in 6hr12min with 7,088 ft. of climbing. I anticipate much more pain and suffering next weekend when I go for the 100 miles of mountain biking on the singlespeed. WNR at Kipp this weeek so bring your climbing legs.

Changing Gears

I'm in the process of changing quite a few gears right now. First and foremost has to be that Sarah and I will be getting married in a little over a month. A close second is that I recently made my singlespeed a couple of gears harder. Rounding out the top three is the end of mountain bike racing for the year. My last race will be the state championships at Boyne Mountain on Oct. 6th (only six days before the hitching so I'll be extra careful). It's time to start getting ready for my first cyclocross season. Towards that end, I've entered into a very light trail running regiment to prepare me for the runups. It's crazy I know. I've got to get back to work....more updates to follow after Hugh's Humongous 100 this Sunday. Until then, take care and ride like the wind.

Schedule Change

So last month my Grandma (Nana) fell and broke her hip. It was not nearly as bad as it could have been, and she'll make a full recovery. Bill wants to go and visit her the same weekend as the 12hr. race at Hanson Hills. I'm pretty sure he had no idea that I'd planned on racing that weekend, and I'm not going to bring it up either. He's been working seven days a week since Memorial Day, and I've had three whole weekends off for racing (not to mention a handful of Thursdays as well). It would be totally selfish and unfair for me to ask him to go see his 90 year old mother with the broken hip some other weekend, and so I won't. To make up for not doing the 12hr. race, I've got a new plan. Hugh's Humongous 100 is on Sunday Sept. 9th, and I will ride it all. The next Sunday (the 16th) I will ride another century....off road and on the singlespeed. Hugh's up for it, and anyone else is more than welcome to come along. We haven't quite got the logistics mapped out yet, but plan for a 10:00 am start time. If anyone's interested give me a call when it get's closer to the date, and I should have the details hammered out. WNR is at the Bartley House this week. Be safe out there everybody, and ride well.

Sturgeon Bay

Got out of work right at 3:00 yesterday, so I was able to make it up the SBYC by 3:30. I got in an hour and a half of intervals on the North Country Trail riding the 1X1. That is such a nice trail, and we're all really lucky to have it so close by. Dinner on the beach was splendid as always. We had a fresh cucumber and tomatoe salad courtesy of Madge and Mike. Our main course was grilled chicken served with wild rice and grilled carrots. A nice 2003 Pomerol rounded out the dining experience beautifully. For those of you that don't ever eat dinner on the beach, give it a try sometime. All you need is a little portable grill and the same food you'd be eating/preparing at home. Trust me, everything will taste better. And you can't beat the view

Drought Conditions

I don't even remember the last time we had any meaningful rain round these parts. It's been a long time though. The trails are sandy, and the grass is brown. All that didn't stop us from having a good old time on the WNR last week. Had nine riders including myself for a tour of the Boyne trails. I got a good hour in before the group showed up, and it felt good to be back on the singlespeed. Hugh and I went out for a 25 mile spin this morning on the road, and we both feel like there is still a little residual soreness in the legs. Hopefully that will work it's way out by the end of the weekend. I've got to start getting ready for the first half of September. As the schedule stands I'll have Hugh's Humongous Hundred to tackle the first Sunday after Labor Day with the 12 hrs. of Hanson Hills only six days later. I'm really looking forward to the 12 hr. race. The trails down at Hanson Hills are super fun, and it sounds like there will be a fair number of local riders down there which will be nice since Sarah won't be attneding. That's all to report for now. WNR on N.C.T. from Stus. to Kipp and back this week. Bring on the hills. That's all for now, thanks for reading.

p.s. Matt was showing us this YouTube clip last weekend, and I thought it was so funny I just had to put it up here for you all to enjoy.

Ore to Shore Report

Another Ore to Shore has come and gone. It was the hardest edition that I've participated in so far. The sand was relentless. My day started off well enough. Hugh, Doug, Will and I were able to secure great starting spots before warming up on our road bikes for about an hour. The gun went off, and Hugh and were able to maintain our spots in the first 100 or so for the first hour. Things began to unravel a bit at that point. I was cruising along paralell to some railroad tracks about two spots behind Hugh when I went down and landed on the railroad ties. It wasn't a bad crash, but by the time I got up and going again Hugh was nowhere to be seen. I was still feeling okay when Doug caught up to me, and we rode together until the start of Misery Hill. I was still feeling good at the end of those powerline climbs, but it wouldn't last for long. On the next section of road I noticed a serious drop in power, and I was having a hard time even drafting in small groups. By the time we hit the dirt again I was out of food and down to less than half a bottle of Heed with just over 15 miles to go. Needless to say, this is not the ideal situation to be in. Both my legs began cramping at this point. It got so bad that I would unclip one foot and pedal with one leg until it started to cramp and then switch to the other leg. I could do this a few times until they both got so bad that I'd have to get off and walk for a few minutes. By the time I got to the last aid station I was a complete wreck. I pulled over and asked them to fill one of my empty bottles. I also consumed a cup of some energy drink, two cliff shots, a donought hole, and a couple of orange slices. I don't even want to think about what would have happend if that last station hadn't been there. The rest of the race was still a perfect picture of agony with the continued cramping and unrelenting sand. I crossed the finish line, rode over to the group, let my bike fall to the pavement and collapsed (see attached photo). I was just coherent enough to tell them I didn't require medical attention. I stayed down there for a few minutes, slowly summoning the strength to sit up. I came around after a little while with the help of a nice recovery drink and rode my sore ass over to the scoring tent to see how poorly I did. Suprisingly, I was only 5 places short of my goal: 25th in the 30-34 group, up from 33rd last year. Considering how crappy the race went, I was quite pleased with this. The rest of the team all had way better rides than I did. Hugh dominated his class with a 2nd place finish. Doug had his first mechanical free O2S in I don't know how long and ended up beating me by something like 15 minutes. Rob completed is fist 48 mile race in just a hair under four hours. Matt had a good old time in his first time out racing. Sarah is actually starting to race now. She was talking about looking for places to make up time and really pushing herself when she was feeling good. I ran into Scott Q. after the race. He was riding the soft rock pacing his girlfriend, and one of the first things he said to me was how impressed he was with Sarah's descending skills. All in all, the team was able to represent well despite the fact that one of our own was stuck in the hospital. I called Chris after the race on Saturday, and he sounded like he was in good spirits. They'd moved him out of the ICU, and hopefully he'll be home by the end of the week. WNR at Boyne this week. Until then, ride well and be good.

DL

The team took a pretty hard hit on Monday night this week. Chris was out for an easy spin on his road bike to get ready for the Ore to Shore this weekend, and he touched the floor....hard. Some stupid ass lady hit him from behind going 55 mph on Pleasantview road. He's in the hospital and will undergo surgery sometime today to fix his back. Fortunately, he can expect a full recovery (after what I can only imagine will be a good number of hours at Northern Michigan Sports Medicine for p/t). This whole accident has really thrown me for a loop on a few different levels, I can't imagine how hard and frustrating this must be for Chris. He'd been riding so well lately, and I'm sure he would have made a big jump up the ladder at the race this weekend. My legs have felt pretty average this week, and mentally I'm a little off my game. Last night riding with Scott I was constantly looking over my shoulder for cars (sometimes even in the woods). I'm still feeling pretty good about the race, but we'll just have to wait and see what Saturday brings. Everyone have a good thought for Chris today, and be careful out there. Over and out.

WNR report

We're still riding on Wednesday nights. It's funny how the group dynamic changes from year to year, and even week to week for that matter. We started out with just a few riders in tshirts totally new to the sport. Some of us original riders are still coming out, week in and week out. We just wear jerseys now and ride nicer bikes. This season has seen a little jump in attendance, and a big part of it is a few new riders. Scott has brought Kathryn and Mitchell along to quite a few rides, and Matt has introduced Jessilyn to the wonderful sport of mountain biking (with Sarah's help). In the beginning of the season Doug brought an old motocross buddy Rob to a few rides. We weren't sure if he'd keep coming around or not, but he did. Rob's there every week now. He's looking to hook up for longer rides on the weekend. He'll be coming up north next week for his first of what will hopefully be many Ore to Shore experiences. I think we've got him hooked. If he sells his dirt bike with a motor this winter, we'll know for sure. Matt is also making the trip up over the bridge for his first O2S as well. All told we should have 7 or 8 team members on hand for the race next weekend. I'm really getting excited. I feel like I could have a really good race, but we'll just have to wait and see. Don't count your chickens before they're hatched and all that shit. WNR this week in the village. Until then.

Dopers Suck

I saw this picture on another biker's blog, and I just couldn't resist stealing it for my own. Priceless, wouldn't you say. The tour ended yesterday, and I'm glad it's over. I didn't follow the race too closely this year, in large part due to the rampant use of perfomance enhancing drugs. It's assholes like this one pictured above that have really ruined a sport that I used to take great interest in. I'm not even convinced that the athletes standing on the podium yesterday in Paris were all clean. On a brighter note, had a great ride yesterday in spite of the long work weekend. Hugh, Chris, Rob, and I did a 25 mile mountain ride with 3,214 ft. of climbing in just over 2.5 hours yesterday. My legs felt like complete crap all day.....until I got on the bike. I felt awesome for the majority of the ride, and I was even able to duke it out with Hugh on all of the HC climbs featured in yesterday's route. Day off the bike today for scheduled trail maitenance. Gotta get the trail ready for WNR at Headquarters this week. Hope to see everyone there, the trail should be in great shape.

Ugotta Regatta

For those not in the know, this marks the weekend where a large group of wealthy sailors visit the town to drop off thier annual donations. I've been up at four the last two mornings in order to meet Kate at the store at five. This picture of the moon setting over the water is just about the only good thing I have to say about getting up that early. It was so darn pretty I just had to stop at the Angel Farm for a quick snapshot. I'm doing a three hour ride this afternoon with the boys to replicate the Ore to Shore that's coming up in just two short weeks. This should be a real interesting ride after two back to back 12 hr. days at the office. We'll see how I feel tomorrow. Until next time, ride well and take care.

SBYC

Had a great time at the yacht club yesterday. Chris, Rob, Matt and I did a little mountain bike ride before hitting the sand and surf, and the North Country is in pretty good shape overall. The beach was great. The water was perfect, and there were no bugs to speak of. Curiously, there was not a soul over 40 in attendance yesterday. We'll have to consult the old guard to find out how long it's been since that was the case. I'm willing to bet it's been a while though. Mitchell developed a new spa treatment for the beach. He's calling it the Sturgeon Bay Special, and it is available in small, medium, and large sizes. He fills a bucket with a bucket with a mixture of sand and water. Then he slowly drips the mixture over your feet in whatever size you ordered. I had two large treatments throughout the evening, and it actually feels pretty good. We're thinking next week he can start charging fifty cents a treatment. WNR this week at the corner of Stuts. and Pleasantview. Be there or be square.

Stupid Crap on the Web

It was actually slow enough at work for me to do a little surfing today. I found some funny ass videos on YouTube, and so far this on takes the cake. I can't even really figure out what this guy was trying to do, but it sure looks like it hurt. Take care.

Cyclocross

The idea of cyclocross racing has occupied a space in the back of my mind for some time now. This is the year I'm going to make it happen. The list of pros is just too long to ignore: One, all four races in November fall on a Sunday (we're closed on Sundays in the off season). Two, they are all in the Grand Rapids area which is only 3.5 hours away. Three, the entry fee is only $15 per race. Four, it'll keep me training until I can start cross country skiing. Five, it's something new to do on a bike (always a good thing). I've been scoping out the cross bikes online, and the best deal I found seemed to Cannondale's entry level model. I stopped into Latitude the other day to check out availability, and they just happened to have a 58cm (my size) in stock. The stars truly have aligned. I'm going to take her out for a test drive next Thursday morning after yoga. The best part of all: the bike is a lovely blue.

Getting on with the job at hand

Currently the job at hand happens to be fitting in workouts with my insane work schedule. I've gotten my plan tweaked a little for July, and it looks like I'm going to be able to hold onto my form through to the Ore to Shore. On the WNR (thursday because of independence day) this week I really pushed the envelope for the first time since the Lumberjack, and it actually felt pretty good. Hugh was right on my wheel the whole time though, he just won't be dropped. I really don't have anything interesting to report, so I've just included this video that Scott filmed at the end of the ride last thursday. Side note: He's currently on the injured reserve due to a cruiser bike crash up in the village just over a week ago. Next weeks ride will be in Cross Village at the aforementioned injured riders house. Hope to see you there, and keep the rubber side down.

In for the long haul

The summer season is now officially in full swing. Traffic/Parking is a nightmare. The vast majority of people that I deal with on a day to day basis now appear to be oblivious to the world around them. This is bad enough when you're attempting to talk to them in the store, but out on the streets it becomes downright dangerous. The only good thing about these two months is that it's only two months. I shouldn't complain too much because the money they spend does allow me to buy shiny new bikes and skis. But I can honestly say that if we were this busy year round I'd be looking for a new job.

I normally have a hard time keeping up with my training this time of year, but I'm really comitted to sticking with it this year. It may mean getting up early and doing some of my rides before work, but I've put too much time in already this season to just let myself go to shit now. I'm thinking that my fabulous new road bike will help motivate me to a large degree. I can't say enough good things about the job Scott did building my dream bike. It fits perfectly. The paint job is beautiful. The Campy stuff works like a charm. If you're ever interested in a custom ride I would have absolutely no reservations steering you in his direction.

Since the fourth falls on a Wednesday this year, the WNR will be on Thursday night at Team Headquarters. Hope to see you all there. In the meantime, take care and ride well.

The Quiring Special

It's here, and it is everything that I hoped it would be and more. I got up around 5:30 Thursday morning for the trek down to Charlotte. I was home with my new baby just a little after 3:00. I put some bottle cages on, pumped up the tires, changed my clothes and was on the road by 4:00. I did a great 27 mile loop with some big climbs and a few northern michigan cobbles thrown in for good measure. I can't begin to describe how wonderful this bike feels. Perhaps after a few more hours in the saddle I'll be able to articulate my impressions a little better, but until then I'm just going to ride. Working with Scott was great, and I'm pretty darn sure this won't be the last frame he builds for me.

Have a good thought for our buddy Doug. He's in Marquette this weekend for his first forray into road bike racing.

Mission Accomplished

It's over, and I guess you could say that I got what I wanted out of the race. I finished it. I would be lying if I told you there weren't plenty of times out there on the course when I seriously considered throwing in the towel. It was far and away the toughest race I've ever done. It was so hot and dusty. But you know what? It could have been a lot worse. I didn't crash, and the Scalpel performed perfectly. My goal for a finishing time was somewhere in the ten hour realm, and I just made it in 10hr49min. I'm really curious to see how many people dropped out. I heard there were quite a few, so just the finishing part feels like a huge accopmlishment. Hugh ended up finishing 5th in the Masters class, and Will finished an amazing 2nd in the Singlespeed class. Congratulations to both of them, great job. In the overall men's class Doug ended up 56th and I scored a solid 70th. Somwhat suprisingly, my neck and shoulders are the sorest part of my body. Following closely in second place are my hands. My fingers are still a little numb even today. Special thanks go out to the pit crew. Sarah, Denise, and Secret Steve did a great job keeping us topped off with all the right food and drinks. All in all it was a great event, and I'm already looking forward to going back next year. Who ever knew that self-inflicted abuse could feel so good? WNR at Boyne this week. I'm looking forward to getting back on the singlespeed. Until then, here's some pictures from the Big MFer (Lumberjack 100).

Chris Eatough coming in for the win.


Hugh psyching out the competition before the start.


In the pits after Lap 2.


Doug and I waiting for our turn in the shower back at the cabin.

I want to be a Lumberjack

Well, race day is less than 24 hours away. Hugh, Denise, Doug, Sarah, and I will be departing the Clock Tower Plaza at appox. 3:00 this afternoon bound for Udell, MI. I've done just about everything I can in terms of preperation, so now I'm just anxious to get started with it. The forecast is calling for a high of 83 with a chance of rain in the afternoon. I guess that will have to do since there's not much you can do about the weather. I'm shooting for anywhere in the realm of 10 hours for a good finish time, but since this will be my first 100 mile race just finishing will be an accomplishment. I'll report back later this weekend or Monday. Until then, ride well and take care.

My New Ride

At long last the project is in the home stretch. Scott got the frame painted this week, and I must say I'm pretty pleased with the way it turned out. I just picked out the shade of blue and told him to fade it any way he wanted to white. I gave him the go ahead for parts this afternoon. I'll be running a Campy Centaur Gruppo (except for the Chorus upgrade on the crankset) with an American Classic wheelset. The fork, handlebar, seatpost, and stem will all be from Ritchey. I cna't wait to see what it looks like all built up. Fortunately, I won't have to wait too long. Scott said he'll be able to deliver it to the Lumberjack next weekend. So no matter what happens at the race, I'll be coming home with a new bike. Yeah.

Hanson Hills Cross Country

So I woke up early (5:30) Sunday morning to head down to the race. The trip went smoothly since I had wisely packed everything the night before. I wanted to get down there early enought to get signed in and have at least an hour to warm up. I did about 13 miles on the road with some hard, but short intervals at race pace to get myself going, and I arrived back at the start with about five or ten minutes to spare. The start did not go as planned. I was last in the line of 15 heading into the first singletrack climb. I started thinking that maybe I wouldn't beat anybody in my group. Then I thought that this was just training for the Lumberjack in two weeks. Then I told myself to shut the f**k up and get your head in the game. We'd only been racing for like five minutes, and I was still right with main group. I passed two guys at the top of the hill and instantly felt much better. The faster of the two would prove to be a big motivator throughout the first lap. Every time I looked behind be, he would be just in sight. I wasn't able to lose him until right before the end of lap one. I was feeling good on lap two and managed to pass two more guys in my group. Right before the end of the lap I got caught by the first place elite female and a couple of expert 40-49 guys. I rode with them for the first part of lap three. Then in a momentary lapse of judgement I decided to put the pedal down and opened up a small gap. That lasted for maybe five minutes. They caught me. They passed me. I didn't see them again until the finish. Right before the finish there is a really steep, sandy downhill. I saw a guy right at the top of it when I was still 30 or 40 seconds away. I didn't know if he was in my group or not, but I decided to try and catch him anyway. I dug deep and caught him right at the bottom of the hill. I stayed right on his wheel while we wound our way around to the finish. Then with about 30 yards to go I went around him and just managed to beat him to the line. When I turned around to see who it was, I was happy to see that he was indeed in my group. That little sprint finish (my first ever) moved me up from 10th to 9th place in the expert 30-39 group. I did a quick 30 minute cooldown ride and got back to the car just as the clouds opened up with a torrential downpour. I felt bad for the sport racers out on the course, but I was oh so happy to be laying down in the back of the Passat with a PBJ and a cold Sacred Cow IPA. I ended up with five hours of riding and just shy of 50 miles on the day. That was my last big day before the Lumberjack, and combined with the five hours on Thursday with Hugh I think I've done all I can in preparation. It's time to taper off a little and just keep the fitness up heading into the big day. The WNR is at Headquarters this week and I have a new route planned so come on out. Until then, take it easy and be safe.

Sneak Preview

Yesterday morning Hugh and I headed south for a little recon on the Lumberjack 100 course. I picked him up around 8:30, and after a few stops we rolled into the Big M parking area around 11:40. Two laps and five and a half hours later we were tired, but the course was not really as hard as we expected. I'm sure that after the third and fourth laps we'll be singing a different tune. I didn't get home until just after 10:00 which made for a really long day. It was well worth it though to put my mind a little more at ease with the big day only two weeks from tomorrow. We're thinking that 2hr45min laps would be real doable. That would leave us with a 30 minute cushion for any mental, physical, or mechanical breakdowns before the cutoff time of 8hr45min for starting the fourth lap. The bottom line is, it's going to be a long ass day in the saddle no matter what. Now I'm just ready to get on with it. I have the Hanson Hills race this Sunday morning, and then all eyes will be focused on the LJ 100.

I just wanted to quickly touch on something else that has been on my mind lately. Sometimes when you start a relationship with someone new, you don't always let your friends know about it right away. This happened to me in the early part of the year when I started working with a coach. His name is Joe, and he lives in Millwaukee. Since this whole situation was totally new to me, I wasn't really sure what to expect or if it would even work out at all. So far things are going well, and I'm really pleased with the progress I've made in my skiing and biking. So that's all. I just felt like it was time for me to introduce everyone to Joe. Take care everybody, and we'll see you out on the trail soon. Thanks for reading.

HOW MUCH PAIN CAN ONE TAKE?

A goal, a coach, and 5 month plan...simple right? Not so.
It all started Dec. 2006, why not try to run a 1/2 marathon. You always have to have a goal, it keeps you moving. Biking wasn't quite cutting it, don't get me wrong, I love to bike, but the racing scene, I will leave to Pete.
I told my friend Denise of this goal and wow was she amazing! In her own free time put together a plan and I mean, spreadsheet and all and started me on a log to keep track of my progress.
Started off great with Denise and I running shore drive in Dec, no snow, clear roads and I was on my way to running a 1/2 on May 26th. Comes to find out we started me out a little to hard, calfs cramped like you wouln't believe. Rested up, stretched, and iced and I was back on the road.
January, feeling ok, doing a little treadmill work, found a new running partner, Denise had to go to France for 2 months, but she left me in good hands with Martha.Martha was always willing to run anywhere anytime, and we had great fun. We ran NCMC track. Comes to find out, even with snow on the road and temps cooling off, the road is the place to run. Getting my miles in, but still not very long runs, I have plently of time.
Feb. comes and so does the injuries! Granted, every time I run, some little twing is there, but my coach said, you know when your in pain and you know when you can shake it off. Well, for two months I am shaking it off, but I think I was in pain and after an amazing 4 mile run with Martha, with a sprint finish at the end, I drove home and got out of my car and low and behold, a sharp piercing pain in my left kneecap. So, next day what do you do, you of course run! Shake it off, get through it, it will go away, feel the pain!YEAH!!!
Nope, put me right down, couldn't shake it off, called in the doctor for a script for PT. Comes to find out, I have what every runner gets, my IT band got misplaced and my patella, knee cap, moved to the wrong position-to the side of my knee. So a little hamstring work out with the most amazing PT gal, Shelly from Orthosport,"she also called me in her free time the night before the race with great tips" she got me running again and gave me few extra exercises for the wedding coming up!
So, on track again, March to April-ran a 5 miler on shore drive, in shortsleeves no less, and my foot started going numb on my left side and after the run, couldn't weight bear on my right hip.....what the $^**% is going on? Why can't I exercise without hurting, at least I am not sitting on my bumm watching tevo and eating McyD's.
I am in so much pain every time I run and the whole foot going numb thing, what the hell!
So, back to the doctor's, othodics guy, tells me my foot is blah blah and my ankles can't flex and he is surprised I haven't broken my ankle and if I kept running, that soon would happen. WHAT? Now I am going to break an ankle from exercising... Come on, throw me a bone.
So, what do I do? I drink myself silly and wallow in self pity and eat all sorts of shit that I can't say because Pete is going to read this. I mean, I woke with hangovers and then had to drink the next night because I knew I couldn't run.
I was makiing it worse and I came out of it somehow and to end this long ass post, I e-mailed Bayshore organizers and said my goal is not going to happen and I had to regretably be part of the 10Kers. Man, was that ever humbling.
In the end I ran the 6.2 miles and comes to find out, I was awesome! I ran it in 1:14:39. 12 minute miles, not bad.
But the best part about this post....found out, I really love to bike...
Ride on fellow riders....
Sarah

Season Opener

This weekend is the official start of the summer season for most of us around here. The holiday weekend gives the summer people a chance to come up and get the cottages (3000 sq. ft. +) opened up for the season. The nicest thing about this weekend is that it means there are only three months until it's over. You just have to view it as a really long ride that you know will come to an end come Labor Day. You just put your head down and get on with the task at hand. I'll be done racing after the Lumberjack until the Ore to Shore, so hopefully most of the summer will be nice consistent training and working. Had another great turnout for the WNR this week. The group has varied quite a bit from week to week, but we've consistently had nine or ten riders which is great. We'll be riding this Sunday around four at boyne if anyone is interested. Otherwise, WNR next week will meet at the Bartley House for a big loop at boyne. Until then, a couple of quick snaps. One, the youngest member of the team practicing his mowing skills. Two, Matt finishing his first ever race last Saturday. I'd better get to work. Over and out.

Race Report

So the 1st Annual Team Terpening 3day Stage Race just finished up yesterday morning, and I'm pretty sure that everyone had a great time. There were a couple of crashes (none too serious), and a couple of people got lost (none requiring search and rescue missions). All in all, I'd say things ran pretty darn smoothly. Speacial thanks go out to Chris for driving me around in his truck on thursday night to finish marking the course for saturday's stage, and to Sarah for manning the aid station on saturday and organizing the kitchen for the party on saturday night. And so, without further ado, the official results:
Stage 1: Friday 6:00 pm 4.6 mile road tt
1. Pete: 14min10sec
2. Chris: 15min7sec
3. Scott: 15min38sec
4. Sarah: 18min54sec

Stage 2: Saturday 4:00 pm 30 mile mountain bike
1. Pete: 2hr1min
2. Doug: s.t.
3. Nate: s.t.
4. Chris 2hr15min
5. Dave: 2hr28min
6. Rob: 2hr30min
7. Ed: 2hr52min
shortened course:
1. Scott: 2hr
2. Matt: 2hr33min
3. Seth: s.t.

Stage 3: Sunday 11:00 am 15 mile cross country mtb. (4.7 mile lap)
1. Doug 1hr15min (3)
2. Nate 1hr17min (3)
3. Pete 1hr20min (3)
4. Chris 1hr21min (3)
5. Scott 1hr (2)
6. Ed 29min (1)
7. Matt 38min (1)

So that's it for now. I'm pretty sure I got the times right, but let me know if I messed anything up. I'm already looking forward to a bigger badder race next year. It'll be the same weekend so mark it on your calendar now, no excuses. Good job everybody for coming out and making it a fun weekend for all involved. I got a ton of great pictures from Sarah and Kathryn, but these four are going to have to do for now. I'll sprinkle more into the blog over the coming month or so. In the meantime, take care and ride well. Over and out.