WNR #13

Attendance: Myself, Benson, Doug, Sherry, Kerri, Rob, Matt, and Scott.

Weather: Sunny and warm.

Trail Conditions: The trails that they haven't logged are in really good shape, but there is a fair amount of sand here and there. We could really use some rain.

The ride was nice, and we had a good time hanging out afterward with some cold beverages. Next weeks ride is back at the HQ, and I'm hoping to talk Sarah into making some homemade pizza crusts for us. I'll be in touch early in the week with food assignments for the regular riders. Part timers that wish to contribute can give us a call on monday. Have a good weekend, and don't forget to get out and ride your bike.

The Calm After The Storm

I've endured my 16th fourth of July holiday extravaganza at the store. It cut into my ride time a little last week (I only clocked three days in the saddle); and while I'd like to think of it as extra recovery time after the last race, my legs don't feel a whole lot better than they did the day after the Lumberjack. It must have something to do with running around like a chicken with it's head cut off and carrying heavy boxes to and fro. Anyway, I got back in the saddle yesterday. I rode the old commuter in to work at 6:30 yesterday morning, and it actually felt really good. Traffic was light at that hour, and I saw an abundance of wildlife on my trip in. After work I needed to run some errands in Petoskey, and so I rode my bike around the bay. I hit up the hearing aid lady, and found out that my unit is fu**ed. On the upside, I do carry a rider on my homeowners policy for it so I'm not out the $1200 for the new one. Then I stopped at the RiteAid for a few odds and ends. My last stop was the AT&T store for some new headphones. By the time I rolled up the driveway just before six, I estimate my days mileage at a hair under forty miles (for free). Today I'll be driving (boo) south to continue my NCT exploration along the Jordan River Valley. Riding new trails is fun. WNR @ Boyne tomorrow. See you there.

WNR # 12

Attendance: Myself, Hugh and Denise (on a tandem mtb.), Benson, Rob, Matt, Brian (Matt's buddy from Chicago), Scott, Mitchell, and Bruce.

Weather: Cold. 54 degrees and cloudy.

Trail Conditions: Things out on the Loop are just about perfect. If I can get down to the creek for a little more raking, they'll be 100 %.

Good ride, and a good dinner afterwards. Thanks for coming out.

Next week's WNR @ Boyne. Have a happy 4th. I'll be working.

Interweb @ HQ

The weather is still shi**y, and it's early in the day so I have nothing very interesting to report. But wait, there's this: thanks to my trusty iPhone and Matt I now have access to the interweb from my laptop here at the HQ. Matt gave me the heads up last week on how to turn my iPhone into a tethering device. I don't know exactly how all this works, but it does. With only two little bars of cell signal, my laptop is able to bluetoothily use said signal for surfing the interweb at speeds a good deal faster than dial up. Now I don't really care how long it takes for DSL to show up, I'm in. Have a happy tuesday.

Blah Monday

Weather is crappy today. Cold, windy, and a steady rain. I didn't ride to work this morning because of it. I got a ride with Sarah instead. Perhaps if it clears up a little this afternoon, I'll get a spin in on the 1X1. If not, I'm off tomorrow so I'll I get a ride in regardless of the weather. WNR @ HQ this week. So far the menu is burgers on the grill. Scott's bringing the buns (that's right Scott), and we'll have the burger and cheese. Call if you'd like to contribute, and I'll give you something to bring. Hope to see everyone out on Wednesday.

WNR #11

Attendance: Myself, Sarah, Jesslilyn, Sherry, Doug, Benson, Matt, Seth, Kurt, Rob, and Hugh.

Weather: Almost unbearably hot. 86 degrees, but sunny.

Trail Conditions: The NCT trail crew has been through bushwhacking between Stutsmanville and Brutus Roads. That particular section of trail is in the best shape that I can remember. Beyond that, the trail was a little sandy, but it was still nice to be riding on the singletrack after a couple of days on the road.

One of, it not the biggest group of the year so far. We could have hung around a little more after the ride if it weren't for the fu**ing bugs. Anywho, not much more to report from the WNR front. Next week's WNR @ HQ. May still be Founder's Pale on tap. If not, New Holland Mad Hatter is up next. Have a good weekend.

LBJ 110 Race Report

Lap 1: 2 hours 14 minutes. I felt about as good as can be expected going into the first lap. It's hard to get too amped up when your alarm went off at a quarter to five in the a.m., and you're getting ready to race 100 miles of singletrack. But at the same time your legs feel good, and so you want to put the hammer down right out of the gate. I've made that mistake before, and I was determined to reign in the pace for a nice easy first lap. After the initial big hike-a-bike climb, I settled into a nice pace behind someone in a red Specialized kit. I rode behind him with about half a dozen other guys for most of the first lap. It worked out perfectly because his speed was just a hair below what would be my normal race pace. Things were rolling along well until he pulled off at the last aid station. This left me at the front of the train; and while I tried to keep a lid on the pace, I felt my heart rate creeping up from time to time. I just had to keep reminding myself that it was early in the day, and it would be downright to stupid to ramp up the pace. Rolling into the pits after Lap 1 I was feeling good, and I only stopped long enough to change out my bottles and head back out.

Lap 2: 2 hours 19 minutes. The second lap of the day went much the same as the first except that I was the one leading out for most of the lap. There were a group of 8 or 9 riders right behind me; and whenever I asked if anyone wanted to come around, the response was always "no we're good". I know that drafting doesn't really play a roll when racing on the singletrack, but it was a little unnerving psychologically to feel as though I was pulling them around the course. So I put in a little attack before the last aid station and rode alone for the remainder of the lap.

Lap 3: 2 hours 35 minutes. This was my slowest lap of the day, and it was also the toughest (both mentally and physically). The climbs in the beginning seemed unbearably long, and near the halfway point my legs started cramping up just a tad. I stopped and popped a couple of Endurolytes with an Enervit chaser. I stopped at the aid station for the first time of the day and dumped a couple cups of ice water over my head before finishing up the lap.

Lap 4: 2 hours 33 minutes. Once I had the third lap wrapped up and it looked a sub 10 hour finishing time was well within the realm of possibilities, my outlook on the day improved dramatically. Each time I went up a long climb, I knew that was the last time I'd have to do it (this year). And I felt better than can be expected for most of the lap. I steadily passed and lapped riders that were in far worse shape than myself, and that only improved my mood and pace. I stopped again at the aid station for the cold water over the head routine and a small cup of ice cold flat coke. After that, my body was pretty much on auto pilot until the finish. I knew my time going to into the home stretch from my GPS, but it was still a relief to round that last corner into the finishing stretch and seeing the clock just turning over the 9:40 mark. I crossed a minute later and immediately handed over the bike to Sarah before collapsing into a chair in our pit. I didn't realize how hot it had gotten until it was over (85 degrees in the shade). But it was over. 100 miles of singletrack in 9 hours 41 minutes. When I downloaded the data back at the cabin, I realized I'd only stopped moving for seven minutes the whole day.

In conclusion: I'd like to first thank Sarah for doing such a good job setting up the pit and keeping me fueled and motivated throughout the day. Your help let's me concentrate all of my energy on riding my bike, and it always makes a big difference. Hugh had a great ride, finishing in 8:58. Great job. All in all, this was one of the better races I've had. Toeing the line for these 100 milers is always a bit intimidating. So many things can happen that are beyond your control, whether it's physical, mental, or mechanical. This year I had a plan. I had a slow build up this spring, and I was very diligent in getting in my long rides every week. In the end everything came together. Thanks for reading.

P.S. WNR this week @ the Pleasantview Township Hall.

LBJ 110 Quick Post

I'm going to be brief because my hands are sore, and I've got a tad of numbness in my left hand. No cause for concern, that is to be expected. I did really well. My goals after the DNF debacle last year were to A) finish the race and B) finish in under ten hours. I got em' both. 100 miles of singletrack in 9 hours and 41 minutes (48 out of 175 Men's open). I'm really happy, and so now I will drink Two Hearted until my hearts content (or until I fall asleep which may be really f**king early). I'll write up a full report for the dozen or so of you that check my sh*t out on monday. Have a good rest of the weekend.

WNR # 10

Attendance: Myself, Sarah, Jessilyn, Ginny (from Flagstaff), Benson, Rob, and Seth.

Trail Conditions: The trail is 100 percent open and rideable now. There were a couple of bigger trees down that required a quick dismount up until recently. Sand is definitely an issue, but it constantly amazes me how well the big 29er wheels handle it.

Weather: Sunny and in the low 70's. Bugs were horrible. I even got bitten while riding.

We only rode up to Robinson and back; but the pace was high, and it felt good to get the heart rate up a little bit. I took today off the bike and drove to yoga this morning. Now there's only one ride left after our packet pick up tomorrow afternoon before the big event. I'm feeling pretty good about the race this year. I've been going over my numbers for the past couple of years, and I'm definitely better prepared than I've been in years past as far as time in the saddle goes. My shoulder hasn't been too much of an issue yet (knock on wood). So this may be the last post until after the race. Wish me luck, and have a good weekend. Over and out.

SBYC Tuesday

In an effort to rest up and recover for the big race on saturday, yesterday I did absolutely nothing (or as close to nothing as possible). I did have to work for an hour in the morning before heading over to Hugh's so I could watch him tune up my front brake caliper. Other than that, I spent my morning straightening up the shop, reading, and watching Netflix on my laptop. In the afternoon I headed up the SBYC for some sun and a stand in the mid forty degree water. Mike G. and Bob showed up about an hour after I got there, and we chatted for a little while. I headed back south and stopped in for a pizza at the Crow's Nest. I brought the pizza home, got a beer from the keg, and watched some more Netflix. Then I went to bed. It was tough not to get out for a ride on such a nice day, but I'll be spinning the pedals around tonight at the WNR. Lark's Lake Rd. NCT.

I found a trailer for a movie about that bike ride that Kerri did a couple of winters ago. Check it out.