The 2014 Season was a season that I was hoping for some big results. I put in a solid learning year in 2013 and was ready to attach 2014. I was stronger and improved my bike skills. There was some big plans in the works for the summer. Goals and expectations were high for myself.
With school being crazy busy in the Spring 2014 semester I had little time to ride the trainer. I did some running but overall I had a fairly weak indoor training season. The first race of the year would be Barry-Roubaix in March. This race did not go very well but it was still very early in the season. The next race would be Mud Sweat and Beers in early May. This was my first race on the new bike and first true test of the season. This race went well and things seemed to be looking positive. A week after this I went to Brighton for a Tailwind Series race. For me this was to qualify for nationals. This race went fairly well. There was some fast riders in this group. It was still early in the season so I knew things would keep getting better if I played it smart. Toward the end of May I completed the Hanson Hills 100 Challenge. This was a very hard race and it was different from the type of racing that is normal for mountain bike races. It was much much longer. For me this race was something that was on the bucket list and it happened to fall on my birthday so it was special to complete this long race on that day.
Right after HH100 I did not take the time off like I should have. I started putting in the work and keeping my speed up. Three weekends after HH100 I raced the Chain Drive Festival in Houghton-Hancock, Mi. The week leading up to this race I felt different and was a little off on my speed. The race went OK but I knew something was wrong. That entire next week I tried to rest up and figure out the problem I race a 5k foot race that weekend and actually ran a PR. The next Monday I went to the doctors and I was diagnosed with the Epstein-Barr virus. This virus is a form of Mono and it takes a lot out of your system. During this time I was starting to get some coaching help. The day I got diagnosed with the virus was about 3 weeks before the USA Cycling Mountain bike Nationals. I was advised to push through it all and then take time off after to get it out of the system. Nationals came and went. That event was an experience even though I rode horrible
A month or so after Nationals I was cleared to start training again. I was very cautious about doing to much to quick. I started with some easy running and got on the bike a few times a week for short amounts of time. I was advised to worry about putting in miles instead of speed workouts. The time leading up to the Copper Harbor race was a joke. I did little training that was not organized at all. Right after Labor Day weekend in Copper Harbor I sat down and made a legit plan. That included all types of rides that I was advised to have. I started doing longer road rides on the weekends and within a few weeks of this plan my riding improved. I was putting down times on the speed and hills that I had never done when I was healthy. My confidence for Iceman was improving and I was feeling great about what was to come. I had about 5-6 weeks of solid training before Peak2Peak and Crystal Cross. That weekend was a warm up for Iceman and for me it was a speed test to see what my legs could do. That weekend went pretty well. The following three weeks leading up to Iceman were a challenge. The weather in the Soo was very wet and school was starting to control my life. I did what I could with the training and tried to be fully rested for Iceman. Iceman was hard this year. I did not race a smart race and it cost me in the end.
Overall the 2014 Season was very challenging. It really shows that even when you think you are looking to have a solid season, one mistake can haunt you for the rest of the season. Once I got the virus it gave me time to think over what I was doing with my life and why I was doing all this training. I couldn't answer some of the questions that I once was able to answer without thinking. Racing bicycles is something that I am so blessed to be able to do and I wouldn't change my experiences for anything but there comes a time when one has to rethink about why they are doing something. I don't know if it was the illness talking or what but there was a good two or three months that I was really sick of training and doing all the work that comes along with bicycle racing. Now that the season is done and I can take time off the bike it is time for me to be away from the sport for the winter and enjoy the challenge I put in front of my self.
All summer I had the idea of trying to run track and field again at the collegiate level. Well this is happening. The Monday after Iceman I started track practice as a team member for the first time in 4 year. I'm not expecting much from this other than getting in some quality off season training and learning new things that I could add to my cycling training if I choose to continue for 2015. As of now I plan on racing in 2015 but I am not sure how much. I will try and hit the bigger races like Iceman, Ore 2 Shore, Peak2Peak and a few others. Next summer I will be completing my internship and depending on that will depend on what I will be doing for 2015. I'm getting things lined up for next year with the mind set of racing.
I need to thank everyone who helped me throughout the 2014 season. Between my sponsors, family and friends this season went smoother because of you all. I wish I could say I had a killer season but realistically it was a very tough season in every aspect.
Thank you all:
Breakaway Bicycles of Muskegon
Thank you for your continue support when I live 6 hours away. You guys helped with any bike problems I had and get me set up for every challenge that I faced this summer
Mom and Dad
I could have not done any of this without you support. You both allow me to continue me to chase something that many other would see as a waist of time and money. After all the years of racing motocross and running you are both helping me do this racing thing. I can't even begin to repay you for any of it. Love you both so much.
Squeak
You are my cheerleader at all my races. Even though I don't get to see you much I appreciate all the support you give me. You keep me training hard because I don't want to let you down. I hear stories about how much you brag about me and I need to live up to those stories.
Hammer Nutrition
Thank you for all of your support this season. The feedback after each race report was encouraging and I am so happy to be supported by such a great company who support grass root athletes like myself.
Friends (to many of you to single out)
You all have helped in some form or another. Buddy has came to all three Iceman's I have raced and been there through all types of weather. Huge thanks to you all.
Crank Brothers
Your pedals lasted all summer. Such a great product. They got put through all types of riding and never disappointed me. Thank you for the support in 2014
Schwalbe Tires
Your tires are the best on the market and they have helped me become a better rider. With your tires on my bikes I have more confidence and I feel like I can attack all types of course without having to worry about flats. Thank you for your great support.
Wednesday, November 12, 2014
Monday, November 10, 2014
Iceman 2014: Mudman 2014
The 2014 Iceman marked the 25th year for this historic race. This year was a special one for all 6000 racers who traveled to the area. With the race being a week later this year the weather was on everyone mind. Was there going to be snow or will it be like the past when its been fairly nice weather? Well mother nature had something special for the 25th year. All week the weather predictions keep changing and everyone was preparing for the worst or at least they thought. When sitting in my hotel room in Kalkaska the night before I looked outside to find it snowing. Was this going to be a legit Iceman this year? I was praying for snow the entire week. The little dusting of snow was quickly followed by rain that night and the all race day
The morning of the race I felt fairly relaxed. In the past I would be so nervous it would make me sick but this year was different and I didn't know how that was going to play out. After making eggs on my flat top in the hotel room, we got everything packed up and headed to a parking spot that I went to last year to get everything ready and warmed up. I sat on my trainer for about 10 minutes then got the final prep done with my riding gear to make sure I would stay some what dry. I then jumped back on the trainer for another 10 minutes to keep the legs loose. During this warm up time a reporter from the Record Eagle out of Traverse City was taking pictures and asking question about the race. Normally I would prefer to listen to music and get into the "zone" but this guy was friendly and I was happy to help him out. On my warm up I felt fairly relaxed. There was a calming feeling in the air.
Sitting in staging the nerves started to come and I was finally in the zone I was wanting to be in. It was in the low 30's, windy, and raining steadily and increasing as time went on. This year I was in wave 4. As the race took off everyone was fighting to stay out of the wind but without getting the splash from other riders. The opening roll out was very cold. I fought my way to the top 4 and was the first one to hit the dirt. Once we get the first couple of k done in the woods the pack shrunk to 3 riders and we worked off each other to fight the wind. I had my strengths in the singletrack so I took the lead during those sections when I could and sat in the draft in the other sections. Once the pack started to catch the first few waves we made quick work of them and made passes in places that shouldn't have been passing lines. Thankfully I was comfortable riding in the slop and I took some risk in the tight sections and on the descents. The small 3 rider pack stuck together for about half the race but once traffic became a problem I found myself in front of the pack and just started working off others and passing people when I could. I didn't want to settle into a pace that wasn't fast enough. My bike computer didn't work the entire race so I was unsure of the pace I was riding at. I felt good and was riding smooth. I took a huge risk that ended up biting me in the last 10k of the race. My hands were so cold and muddy that it was hard to reach back and grab gels or even water from the bike. I pulled a rookie move and didn't take in anything other than grabbing the water bottle 3 times. Every aid station was packed with slower riders so I just flew through these sections. The last 10k of the course is the most challenging parts of the course. There are some famous hill in this last section of the course and the include Anita's and the Icebreaker. I blew up hard after Anita's and really tried my best to ride it in to the finish. I had a few chances to push but it wasn't anything to make up time I was loosing. I struggled with the last 2k just worked to get to the finish in one piece. I crossed the finish with a time of 2:27:15. I was not happy at all with this but I finished.
I ended up finishing 15th in the Men's 19-24 age group. This was my best placing in the 3 years I have done this event. So on paper my results looked OK but the reality is that I rode like a rookie and I pulled a huge risk that probably cost me a top 10. On the plus side, I finished. My bike lasted the muddiest conditions I have ever raced a bicycle in. A lot of top riders had to DNF or fix the problem on the side of the trail and crossed the line with horrific times. The only bike problem I had was a very common problem for everyone and that was loosing my rear brakes within the first 10-15k of the race. I can't be to upset with my actual time because the course was so nasty and everyone had fairly bad times this year. The logging sections that everyone dreaded was a single file mess that looked like a swamp and not a bike trail. For me there are some mixed emotions about the entire event. I'm happy with the placing but disappointed with how I actually rode. I'm happy that the 2014 mountain bike season is done and I can walk away from what had been a very rough season in one piece and with a decent result. Two months ago I would have questioned the ability to get a top 15. Even after the warm up race at Peak2Peak I was questioning my fitness. So to finish the season like this is something I can live with. I will be back again for 2015 for another shot at it. 2014 was a huge learning year and I'm excited for 2015. Now it's time to spend time off the bike and transition to something else that I have kept quiet for some time. You can find the answer to this when I do a write up on the Entire 2014 Season.
I couldn't have done any of this if it wasn't for the support of some amazing people in my life. It has been a roller coaster of a year and Iceman is always a race that people bring their A game to. I had a lot of great people pushing me and encouraging me to keep pushing when things seemed like they were done. I couldn't thank you all enough for the support and love.
Thank you all for everything
Mom and Dad
Squeak
Buddy Kurjiaka
Breakaway Bicycles of Muskegon
Hammer Nutrition
ESI Grips (esigrips.com)
Spy Optics
Schwalbe Tires
Crank Brothers
The morning of the race I felt fairly relaxed. In the past I would be so nervous it would make me sick but this year was different and I didn't know how that was going to play out. After making eggs on my flat top in the hotel room, we got everything packed up and headed to a parking spot that I went to last year to get everything ready and warmed up. I sat on my trainer for about 10 minutes then got the final prep done with my riding gear to make sure I would stay some what dry. I then jumped back on the trainer for another 10 minutes to keep the legs loose. During this warm up time a reporter from the Record Eagle out of Traverse City was taking pictures and asking question about the race. Normally I would prefer to listen to music and get into the "zone" but this guy was friendly and I was happy to help him out. On my warm up I felt fairly relaxed. There was a calming feeling in the air.
Sitting in staging the nerves started to come and I was finally in the zone I was wanting to be in. It was in the low 30's, windy, and raining steadily and increasing as time went on. This year I was in wave 4. As the race took off everyone was fighting to stay out of the wind but without getting the splash from other riders. The opening roll out was very cold. I fought my way to the top 4 and was the first one to hit the dirt. Once we get the first couple of k done in the woods the pack shrunk to 3 riders and we worked off each other to fight the wind. I had my strengths in the singletrack so I took the lead during those sections when I could and sat in the draft in the other sections. Once the pack started to catch the first few waves we made quick work of them and made passes in places that shouldn't have been passing lines. Thankfully I was comfortable riding in the slop and I took some risk in the tight sections and on the descents. The small 3 rider pack stuck together for about half the race but once traffic became a problem I found myself in front of the pack and just started working off others and passing people when I could. I didn't want to settle into a pace that wasn't fast enough. My bike computer didn't work the entire race so I was unsure of the pace I was riding at. I felt good and was riding smooth. I took a huge risk that ended up biting me in the last 10k of the race. My hands were so cold and muddy that it was hard to reach back and grab gels or even water from the bike. I pulled a rookie move and didn't take in anything other than grabbing the water bottle 3 times. Every aid station was packed with slower riders so I just flew through these sections. The last 10k of the course is the most challenging parts of the course. There are some famous hill in this last section of the course and the include Anita's and the Icebreaker. I blew up hard after Anita's and really tried my best to ride it in to the finish. I had a few chances to push but it wasn't anything to make up time I was loosing. I struggled with the last 2k just worked to get to the finish in one piece. I crossed the finish with a time of 2:27:15. I was not happy at all with this but I finished.
I ended up finishing 15th in the Men's 19-24 age group. This was my best placing in the 3 years I have done this event. So on paper my results looked OK but the reality is that I rode like a rookie and I pulled a huge risk that probably cost me a top 10. On the plus side, I finished. My bike lasted the muddiest conditions I have ever raced a bicycle in. A lot of top riders had to DNF or fix the problem on the side of the trail and crossed the line with horrific times. The only bike problem I had was a very common problem for everyone and that was loosing my rear brakes within the first 10-15k of the race. I can't be to upset with my actual time because the course was so nasty and everyone had fairly bad times this year. The logging sections that everyone dreaded was a single file mess that looked like a swamp and not a bike trail. For me there are some mixed emotions about the entire event. I'm happy with the placing but disappointed with how I actually rode. I'm happy that the 2014 mountain bike season is done and I can walk away from what had been a very rough season in one piece and with a decent result. Two months ago I would have questioned the ability to get a top 15. Even after the warm up race at Peak2Peak I was questioning my fitness. So to finish the season like this is something I can live with. I will be back again for 2015 for another shot at it. 2014 was a huge learning year and I'm excited for 2015. Now it's time to spend time off the bike and transition to something else that I have kept quiet for some time. You can find the answer to this when I do a write up on the Entire 2014 Season.
I couldn't have done any of this if it wasn't for the support of some amazing people in my life. It has been a roller coaster of a year and Iceman is always a race that people bring their A game to. I had a lot of great people pushing me and encouraging me to keep pushing when things seemed like they were done. I couldn't thank you all enough for the support and love.
Thank you all for everything
Mom and Dad
Squeak
Buddy Kurjiaka
Breakaway Bicycles of Muskegon
Hammer Nutrition
ESI Grips (esigrips.com)
Spy Optics
Schwalbe Tires
Crank Brothers
Wednesday, October 29, 2014
ESI Grip Review
In my year's of racing motocross I have found grips that I found a liking to. In the last few years I took a liking to the Renthal half waffle grip. So when I transitioned from the motocross scene to the mountain bike scene I found out that Renthal made lock on mountain bike grips. After a year of racing with these I wasn't very happy with the feel. They became slippery when they got wet and they wore out very fast. The grip didn't allow me to have the feeling on the bar that I would have liked. I found that my hands would slip off more than I would like and the overall comfort wasn't to my liking.
When getting ready for the Hanson Hills 100 mountain bike race I looked for a grip that would not only provide a sticky grip but also something that was soft and wouldn't spin on my. A few friends advised me to try the ESI Grips. After looking into them I was very impressed what they provided and how cheap they actually were. I bought a pair of the racer's edge grips. The 100 mile race was not only my first race on the grip but also my first ride with the grips and I was beyond impressed. They provided a sticky feeling that I was looking for, even when my hands were wet from sweat. Since switching over to ESI Grips I have bought a few more pair and they will be on my mountain bikes for as long as I keep riding. For 2015 I will try the RCT wrap for road bikes. Since my road bikes are in need of new tape I will give it a try and if they are anything like their famous mountain bike grips then I can't wait to try them.
For more information on ESI Grips check out their web site.
http://esigrips.com/
When getting ready for the Hanson Hills 100 mountain bike race I looked for a grip that would not only provide a sticky grip but also something that was soft and wouldn't spin on my. A few friends advised me to try the ESI Grips. After looking into them I was very impressed what they provided and how cheap they actually were. I bought a pair of the racer's edge grips. The 100 mile race was not only my first race on the grip but also my first ride with the grips and I was beyond impressed. They provided a sticky feeling that I was looking for, even when my hands were wet from sweat. Since switching over to ESI Grips I have bought a few more pair and they will be on my mountain bikes for as long as I keep riding. For 2015 I will try the RCT wrap for road bikes. Since my road bikes are in need of new tape I will give it a try and if they are anything like their famous mountain bike grips then I can't wait to try them.
For more information on ESI Grips check out their web site.
http://esigrips.com/
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| 2014 Bell's Beer Copper Harbor Trail Festival |
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| Both Bike's rocking out ESI Grips for the 2014 USA Cycling XC Mountain Bike Nationals |
Monday, October 20, 2014
Crystal Cross October 19, 2014
The 2014 Crystal Cross
is a race like no other this season. It falls the day after Peak2Peak at a
great venue. The 2013 Crystal Cross was my favorite race of the X the Bay
Series. It has short laps that have plenty of challenges. Between the stair
section to the tight switchbacks that include small climbs makes the course
flow and room for a lot of good racing.
This year the course
was slightly different but still a very great one. They put a challenging sand
wall in the course that proved to be a challenge for everyone. The fastest way
through it was to ride it but you had to put the power to the pedals hard
during the short run up to it.
Last year I won the B
class riding my hardtail mountain bike. This year I chose to ride my full
suspension mountain bike because the hardtail was shifting funny after the mud
race the day before. So I went with a bike that shifted smoothly even though it
put me at more of a disadvantage because of the weight.
The morning of the race
it was in the high 20’s. By 10am it was slowly getting warmer and the sun was
out. As the B class lined up it was noticeable to see who could be heavy
hitters. My warm-up was very short because my legs were trashed from Peak2Peak.
I wasn’t expecting much as far as speed. I would have been happy to make it
onto the box but realistically I didn’t think it was a possibility. As the race
took off the paved walkway I put myself toward the front. I made some time up
on the opening stair section and pushed hard riding the wheel of Jacob Ellis.
After racing with Jacob last year I knew how fast he was so I tried by best to
ride his wheel as long as I could. I knew I had no chance in pulling time off
him so I rode his wheel to
open a gap up on 3rd and 4th
place. It was fun riding toward the front for a few laps. After about 15
minutes of the race my legs decided to give up and I just tried to maintain
solid lap times and continued to open up a gap on 3rd place. Jacob
took off and opened up a huge lead that I couldn’t bring back even if I had
fresh legs. This race was full of lappers and that almost messed me up on lap
14 of 16. It was a slow lap and I lost another 10 seconds in the short lap. The
last two laps I just rode it in with solid lap times to finish off 2nd.
Congrats to Jacob for winning it this year.
After the B class race
there was an hour for me to recover for the A class race. I decided to ride the
A class just to put in some more miles and get my money’s worth out of the
race. Plus the course was so fun I just wanted to put in another hour worth of
laps in. I rode this race easy. I tried to put in as many laps hard as my legs
allowed but after 20 minutes my legs gave in and I just tried to maintain a
solid pace and not look like too much of a fool. The best part about the A race
was the awesome spectators. The PBR and Twinkie hand offs were so fun. The beer
hand off people were offering beer 10 minutes into the race and when I passed
them one lap and didn’t take the beer I got heckled and just laughed it off. The
next lap came around and they offered me a beer again and I missed the grab but
the guy ran across the course to the next corner and did a great hand off. I put
down half of the can and continued onto my race. That morning I planned on
taking the B race serious and do the A race for fun.
Overall it was another fun Crystal Cross. The guys at Einstein Cycles put on a fun race. Big shout out to Cody Sovis for his awesome announcing during the B race. Made the 45 minutes even more enjoyable. Racing two days in a row like this is something that proved to be a challenge but it was well worth it for the great experience. Cyclocross is a fun type of cycling and I enjoy doing them. The next three weeks are going to be dedicated to preparing for Iceman to hopefully end the season off with a bang.
Great job to all the racers who raced either of the days or both days at Crystal Mountain.
Thank you to all of my sponsors and people who support me.
-Mom and Dad
-My Sister and Niece.
-Breakaway Bicycles of Muskegon.
-Hammer Nutrition
-Crank Brothers
-Spy Optics
Overall it was another fun Crystal Cross. The guys at Einstein Cycles put on a fun race. Big shout out to Cody Sovis for his awesome announcing during the B race. Made the 45 minutes even more enjoyable. Racing two days in a row like this is something that proved to be a challenge but it was well worth it for the great experience. Cyclocross is a fun type of cycling and I enjoy doing them. The next three weeks are going to be dedicated to preparing for Iceman to hopefully end the season off with a bang.
Great job to all the racers who raced either of the days or both days at Crystal Mountain.
Thank you to all of my sponsors and people who support me.
-Mom and Dad
-My Sister and Niece.
-Breakaway Bicycles of Muskegon.
-Hammer Nutrition
-Crank Brothers
-Spy Optics
2014 Peak2Peak October 18, 2014
The Peak2Peak mountain bike race is held at Crystal Mountain Resort in Thomsponville, Mi. This was my first year doing this race. For most people its a great test before getting ready for Iceman in a few weeks. This year the weather was playing a huge factor in the outcome of the race and it was the talk of the morning as the beginner and sport classes took off early.
For me this race was going to be a test to the work that I have put in 5-6 weeks after the Copper Harbor Trail Festival. With Iceman coming up I wanted to use this race as a test to see what the legs were going to produce. Since I ride 100% by myself up here in the Soo I had no way to judge my fitness besides off of past rides.
For this race I was racing the 18-29 Expert Class. For the Elite and Expert Classes we had to do 3 laps on a 12 mile loop. The race is called Peak2Peak for a reason. The course takes off at the base of the mountain and then travels on a flat ground for 10 mile of the loop before making a very steep mile long climb to the highest point of the hill then making a fast switchback decent to the finish or on to the next lap.
My wave took off at 12:33. As the race started the pace was very high. After a short road section the race hit its first dirt section. This is when there was a big crash. I just seen bikes flying in the air. Then as the race proceeded the pace was high. This entire race was like a road race but in the dirt. There was no room for error and no room to rest on a decent or through some technical single track. I made it through the first lap in a decent time. I new I was feeling a little off today. The long hill at the end was getting to me and the fast paced race wasn't what I'm use to after racing in the U.P. I worked off of groups and tried to hold a solid pace for all the laps and tried to have solid lap splits. With about 4ish miles left my legs blew up. I tried my best to bring it home with a solid finish. I finished 6th out of 15 in my age group with a time of 2:33:28.
Overall I'm not thrilled about my race but I rode a smart race and did what I had to do. I just didn't have it in my legs. It has only been just over 2 months since I got over the mono and I've only put in solid training for about the past 5 weeks. So to end up the way I did in a hard class there is nothing to complain about and I just need to take this as a learning experience and get rested up for Iceman.
Thanks to all of my sponsors and family
-Mom and Dad
-Breakaway Bicycles of Muskegon
-Hammer Nutrition
-Crank Brothers
-Spy Optics
For me this race was going to be a test to the work that I have put in 5-6 weeks after the Copper Harbor Trail Festival. With Iceman coming up I wanted to use this race as a test to see what the legs were going to produce. Since I ride 100% by myself up here in the Soo I had no way to judge my fitness besides off of past rides.
For this race I was racing the 18-29 Expert Class. For the Elite and Expert Classes we had to do 3 laps on a 12 mile loop. The race is called Peak2Peak for a reason. The course takes off at the base of the mountain and then travels on a flat ground for 10 mile of the loop before making a very steep mile long climb to the highest point of the hill then making a fast switchback decent to the finish or on to the next lap.
My wave took off at 12:33. As the race started the pace was very high. After a short road section the race hit its first dirt section. This is when there was a big crash. I just seen bikes flying in the air. Then as the race proceeded the pace was high. This entire race was like a road race but in the dirt. There was no room for error and no room to rest on a decent or through some technical single track. I made it through the first lap in a decent time. I new I was feeling a little off today. The long hill at the end was getting to me and the fast paced race wasn't what I'm use to after racing in the U.P. I worked off of groups and tried to hold a solid pace for all the laps and tried to have solid lap splits. With about 4ish miles left my legs blew up. I tried my best to bring it home with a solid finish. I finished 6th out of 15 in my age group with a time of 2:33:28.
Overall I'm not thrilled about my race but I rode a smart race and did what I had to do. I just didn't have it in my legs. It has only been just over 2 months since I got over the mono and I've only put in solid training for about the past 5 weeks. So to end up the way I did in a hard class there is nothing to complain about and I just need to take this as a learning experience and get rested up for Iceman.
Thanks to all of my sponsors and family
-Mom and Dad
-Breakaway Bicycles of Muskegon
-Hammer Nutrition
-Crank Brothers
-Spy Optics
Tuesday, September 2, 2014
2014 Bells Beer Copper Harbor Trail Festival
This race was held on Labor day weekend up on the famous Copper Harbor Trails. This would be my first race since Nationals in mid July. Like I have mentioned in the previous post, I had a flair with Epstein Barr starting in early June. After Nationals I took some time off to rest up like I should have been all through June and July. Long story short, I was cleared to start training again about 3 weeks after nats. Going into this race weekend I had only a few weeks of easy training. I was running more than biking early on then slowly started biking again on and off for a few weeks. The week going into this race weekend I focused on the bike and started to incorporate intervals again.
I went over and stayed in Houghton, Mi a few days before the race to chill after a 5 hour drive across the U.P. I spent the Saturday before the race checking things out in the town and on the MTU campus. Since I'm part of helping start an outdoor recreation center on campus of LSSU, I wanted to see how a school like Tech ran their center. So I spent some time talking to students who work at the their outdoor center. Later on that day I came across a pair of 1983 Trek road bikes sitting on the side of the road for free. Of course I couldn't pass this opportunity up. I've been looking for bikes like these for a few months now. The rest of the day was spent relaxing and working on these old bikes that I picked up. Later on in the afternoon I went out for a ride with a few friends who go to school in that area. He showed me the awesome flow trails on the MTU campus and then we rode over to Hancock and rode the flow trail there. Normally I don't ride much the day before a race but this was different. We rode just under 2 hours. Nothing to hard but still a longer ride for me at this point in my training.
The next morning we went up to Copper Harbor for the race. I had to sign up and get everything ready. Since I haven't been training that long going into this race I decided to race the short (17mile) race. Normally I do the longer race but racing the short one was a smart choice.
As the race started everyone took off at a good pace. Most people knew what challenge was up ahead. This would be of course Brockway Mountain. This climb is a few miles long and has some very steep sections. Going into the climb I got up to second then once the climbing started I got passed by a big group. I wanted to attack this climb smart and play it safe. I attacked the climb while holding back some. Once the course went into the single track the group was very spread out. I attacked the single track sections. I was feeling good with my technical riding abilities and had more confidence about riding on rocks and through fast twisty sections. I made up a lot of time in the first section of single track. I passed one rider and caught up with another at the end. For some reason during this race I struggled to push on the open areas. It was probably due to being a little out of shape and still weak. The rest of the race was rode at a solid pace and going back and forth with another rider. I would catch him in the single track and he would catch me on the climbs and through some open areas of the course. The last section of single track was pretty technical. I don't normally ride this kind of trails and I had no prior experience with theses specific trails before. I felt like I was able to get through the sections smooth. I was happy to not crash and not have any major slip ups. I came across the line in 8th overall, 6th in the division (2 single speed riders ahead of me) and 2nd in the Male 19-24 age group.
Overall I am pretty happy with this result. It was a good speed check to see where I stand with my training. I now know I have A LOT of work to do in the next coming months before Iceman. It was a fun weekend riding some of my favorite trails in the state and to spend some time in a different area of the U.P.. It was also a great way to get one last vacation in before school get really busy. I am looking forward to pushing for the next few months to see if I can gain back some strength I had back in May. With the help of my family, friends and sponsors I know I can make some smart choices leading up to Iceman and then put it all out there to end the season in November.
Thanks to all my sponsors and the people who help me out the most
Mom and Dad
Breakaway Bicycles of Muskegon
Crank Brothers
Schwalbe Tires
Hammer Nutrition
Spy Optics
I went over and stayed in Houghton, Mi a few days before the race to chill after a 5 hour drive across the U.P. I spent the Saturday before the race checking things out in the town and on the MTU campus. Since I'm part of helping start an outdoor recreation center on campus of LSSU, I wanted to see how a school like Tech ran their center. So I spent some time talking to students who work at the their outdoor center. Later on that day I came across a pair of 1983 Trek road bikes sitting on the side of the road for free. Of course I couldn't pass this opportunity up. I've been looking for bikes like these for a few months now. The rest of the day was spent relaxing and working on these old bikes that I picked up. Later on in the afternoon I went out for a ride with a few friends who go to school in that area. He showed me the awesome flow trails on the MTU campus and then we rode over to Hancock and rode the flow trail there. Normally I don't ride much the day before a race but this was different. We rode just under 2 hours. Nothing to hard but still a longer ride for me at this point in my training.
The next morning we went up to Copper Harbor for the race. I had to sign up and get everything ready. Since I haven't been training that long going into this race I decided to race the short (17mile) race. Normally I do the longer race but racing the short one was a smart choice.
As the race started everyone took off at a good pace. Most people knew what challenge was up ahead. This would be of course Brockway Mountain. This climb is a few miles long and has some very steep sections. Going into the climb I got up to second then once the climbing started I got passed by a big group. I wanted to attack this climb smart and play it safe. I attacked the climb while holding back some. Once the course went into the single track the group was very spread out. I attacked the single track sections. I was feeling good with my technical riding abilities and had more confidence about riding on rocks and through fast twisty sections. I made up a lot of time in the first section of single track. I passed one rider and caught up with another at the end. For some reason during this race I struggled to push on the open areas. It was probably due to being a little out of shape and still weak. The rest of the race was rode at a solid pace and going back and forth with another rider. I would catch him in the single track and he would catch me on the climbs and through some open areas of the course. The last section of single track was pretty technical. I don't normally ride this kind of trails and I had no prior experience with theses specific trails before. I felt like I was able to get through the sections smooth. I was happy to not crash and not have any major slip ups. I came across the line in 8th overall, 6th in the division (2 single speed riders ahead of me) and 2nd in the Male 19-24 age group.
Overall I am pretty happy with this result. It was a good speed check to see where I stand with my training. I now know I have A LOT of work to do in the next coming months before Iceman. It was a fun weekend riding some of my favorite trails in the state and to spend some time in a different area of the U.P.. It was also a great way to get one last vacation in before school get really busy. I am looking forward to pushing for the next few months to see if I can gain back some strength I had back in May. With the help of my family, friends and sponsors I know I can make some smart choices leading up to Iceman and then put it all out there to end the season in November.
Thanks to all my sponsors and the people who help me out the most
Mom and Dad
Breakaway Bicycles of Muskegon
Crank Brothers
Schwalbe Tires
Hammer Nutrition
Spy Optics
Tuesday, July 22, 2014
2014 USA Cycling XC Mountain Bike Nationals Mens U23
Like stated in my Pre-National Blog http://jonstuder.blogspot.com/2014/07/pre-usa-cycling-xc-mountain-bike.html the 2014 USA Cycling cross country mountain bike nationals was located at Bear Creek Resort just south of Allentown PA. This was the second year for this location. I decided for this race I was going to race the U23 class. As mentioned in the previous blog, I was diagnosed with Epstein-Barr which is a form of mono a month before the race. I was advised to back the training off just a little the weeks before the race and just power through the race. So the weeks going up to the race I didn't do much speed work. I just rode typical rides. Some rides has some short sprints through the single track but most of the time the rides were laid back.
I raced on July 18th which was a Friday. The U23 classes and Cat 1 junior classes rode the pro course. I was able to put in a lap of the course on the day before. I should have done more laps but I needed to save myself for the following day and realistically more time on the course wouldn't have done much good. This course was very challenging. It had a lot of climbing and a lot of rocks. After the lap on Thursday, I went back to the hotel and made a few bike changes and just tried to relax for the race the following day.
The morning of the race I got in a good warm up on the rollers and some riding around on the race bike. I got up the start area once it was time and then the officials proceeded to line us up as we were seated. I was seated 40th out of 45. Not very good but considering 5 riders had UCI points I couldn't be to upset with starting in the back. As the race started the group took off like a rocket. Unfortunately with having mono I was unable to put in the fast pace to keep up with the group. I tried my best to stay on the wheel of the rider in front of me but I just had nothing in my legs. It felt like I was dragging an anchor. Racing with mono is the most frustrating experience I have ever had. As the race went on I just tried to keep the bike on two wheels and not crash. After the first lap I started to get in the groove and just tried to ride hard and finish the race with out any injuries or mechanicals. I had plenty of issues getting through the rock gardens and struggled with the climbs. Normally the climbs are my strong point but the illness truly messed up any chances of having a solid finish. The 4 laps that I did were getting better and better but between the illness and the heat I felt like I was out for a easy stroll through the resort. I have never felt that weak on a bike. I came across the finish 1 lap down and in 35th place out of 45. I was scored of being 2 laps down.
After the race I was really upset with myself. I knew I could have done much better if I was healthy. I felt slightly embarrassed about how I rode. Like most people I am harder on myself that others are so I just was upset with myself for the first few hours after the race. I was upset knowing that I could have been in the top 25 if I was healthy. I put so much emphasis on this race all season long and its what I trained so hard for in the off season and the early races. Since this was my last year in the U23 class I wanted to go off with a strong finish and get my name out there in the sport. I felt like I let people down with my results. On the drive home I was able to think things through and have some great conversations with my dad and friends. They put things into perspective for me. The top riders in that class are some of the top riders in the world cups and are getting paid to ride. I'm just a typical college student who does this out of my own pocket with the help of my parents. I don't get paid for this. I have some amazing sponsors but it's nothing compared to a factory ride. Also a lot of these riders have been riding for year. This is only my second year racing mountain bike and only my 4th year riding bicycles competitively. I really haven't been around the sport that long and to already have my Cat 1 card is a great accomplishment.
The experience I had with this race was amazing. I got to ride a course that had elements that are not even close to the stuff that I ride in Michigan. I got a chance to compete with some of the best U23 (19-22) riders in the country. I didn't get any injures or have any bike problems. I learned so much about how I need to be setting up my bikes. This race was like no other. It really reminded me of the motocross world. You can be one of the top riders in your home state but when you take that to a national level you can be just another rider in the class and nothing special. The opportunity to race in a state that I have never been to was great. I have never got a chance to see that part of the country before so that was an experience in it self. Even though my results were not what I was hoping for or what I know I could have done it I was healthy it was a great experience and I am happy for taking the risk of going out there knowing that I was going to struggle with this illness. I had many thoughts about giving up the trip because I was ill but I am so damn happy that I didn't give that up. It was so fun.
I want to thank those who help me the most. I couldn't do this with out you. From sponsors to friends or family. You are all equally as important to my racing and I couldn't thank you enough
Mom and Dad
Sister and Niece
Cody and Wes Sovis
Eric Statt
Jason Luther
Sault Cycling Club
Breakaway Bicycles of Muskegon
Hammer Nutrition
Crank Brothers
Schwalbe Tires
Spy Optics
I raced on July 18th which was a Friday. The U23 classes and Cat 1 junior classes rode the pro course. I was able to put in a lap of the course on the day before. I should have done more laps but I needed to save myself for the following day and realistically more time on the course wouldn't have done much good. This course was very challenging. It had a lot of climbing and a lot of rocks. After the lap on Thursday, I went back to the hotel and made a few bike changes and just tried to relax for the race the following day.
The morning of the race I got in a good warm up on the rollers and some riding around on the race bike. I got up the start area once it was time and then the officials proceeded to line us up as we were seated. I was seated 40th out of 45. Not very good but considering 5 riders had UCI points I couldn't be to upset with starting in the back. As the race started the group took off like a rocket. Unfortunately with having mono I was unable to put in the fast pace to keep up with the group. I tried my best to stay on the wheel of the rider in front of me but I just had nothing in my legs. It felt like I was dragging an anchor. Racing with mono is the most frustrating experience I have ever had. As the race went on I just tried to keep the bike on two wheels and not crash. After the first lap I started to get in the groove and just tried to ride hard and finish the race with out any injuries or mechanicals. I had plenty of issues getting through the rock gardens and struggled with the climbs. Normally the climbs are my strong point but the illness truly messed up any chances of having a solid finish. The 4 laps that I did were getting better and better but between the illness and the heat I felt like I was out for a easy stroll through the resort. I have never felt that weak on a bike. I came across the finish 1 lap down and in 35th place out of 45. I was scored of being 2 laps down.
After the race I was really upset with myself. I knew I could have done much better if I was healthy. I felt slightly embarrassed about how I rode. Like most people I am harder on myself that others are so I just was upset with myself for the first few hours after the race. I was upset knowing that I could have been in the top 25 if I was healthy. I put so much emphasis on this race all season long and its what I trained so hard for in the off season and the early races. Since this was my last year in the U23 class I wanted to go off with a strong finish and get my name out there in the sport. I felt like I let people down with my results. On the drive home I was able to think things through and have some great conversations with my dad and friends. They put things into perspective for me. The top riders in that class are some of the top riders in the world cups and are getting paid to ride. I'm just a typical college student who does this out of my own pocket with the help of my parents. I don't get paid for this. I have some amazing sponsors but it's nothing compared to a factory ride. Also a lot of these riders have been riding for year. This is only my second year racing mountain bike and only my 4th year riding bicycles competitively. I really haven't been around the sport that long and to already have my Cat 1 card is a great accomplishment.
The experience I had with this race was amazing. I got to ride a course that had elements that are not even close to the stuff that I ride in Michigan. I got a chance to compete with some of the best U23 (19-22) riders in the country. I didn't get any injures or have any bike problems. I learned so much about how I need to be setting up my bikes. This race was like no other. It really reminded me of the motocross world. You can be one of the top riders in your home state but when you take that to a national level you can be just another rider in the class and nothing special. The opportunity to race in a state that I have never been to was great. I have never got a chance to see that part of the country before so that was an experience in it self. Even though my results were not what I was hoping for or what I know I could have done it I was healthy it was a great experience and I am happy for taking the risk of going out there knowing that I was going to struggle with this illness. I had many thoughts about giving up the trip because I was ill but I am so damn happy that I didn't give that up. It was so fun.
I want to thank those who help me the most. I couldn't do this with out you. From sponsors to friends or family. You are all equally as important to my racing and I couldn't thank you enough
Mom and Dad
Sister and Niece
Cody and Wes Sovis
Eric Statt
Jason Luther
Sault Cycling Club
Breakaway Bicycles of Muskegon
Hammer Nutrition
Crank Brothers
Schwalbe Tires
Spy Optics
Tuesday, July 8, 2014
Pre- USA Cycling XC Mountain Bike Nationals
The 2014 USA Cycling XC Mounain Bike Nationals are going back to Bear Creek Resort in Mucungie, PA on July 17-20th. This will be the second year the race will be taking place at this locations. Going into the 2014 season I told myself that if the national race was in PA again for 2014 I would attempt to qualify and go race. This year is the last year I am able to ride the U23 age group and I know if I want to get my name out there going to Nationals is a great opportunity. Once I found out that the race was going to be going back to PA for 2014 I started getting everything around to start planning my season. I had help from friends that gave me information on how to qualify. As stated in my previous blog http://jonstuder.blogspot.com/2014/05/lake-island-induction-may-10-2014.html, I qualified fairly easy.
The past few months I have been doing races that I know would help me get in shape fast and be ready for this big race. Hanson Hills 100 was the exception. That race was just something I've been wanting to do for a few year's now. Starting off the season strong at Mud Sweat and Beers and the Lake Island Induction was a great confidence booster after a disappointing off season. The week leading up to Hanson Hills 100 I started getting really tired and the weeks to follow that long race I was sleeping a lot and just not riding as well as I would have hoped. Of course I didn't realize this till a week or so after the Chain Drive Fest. After my roommate pointed out to me how much I as actually sleeping during the day and after a rough hill workout a few weeks ago I got the feeling something was wrong. I first thought that I was having an anemic problem so I went in and got a blood test. I got tested for mono and that came back negative so they took some blood to test. A few days later I was called about the results. The test came back saying I have the Epstein-Bar virus. At this time nationals was only a month away. Of course the doctors didn't give me much instruction on how to deal with this besides to sleep and hydrate. They told me to get some pills called "Under the Weather". I also got on a supplement diet of Multivitamin, fish oil and iron supplements. Thankfully I have very helpful friends who have been through this. So after a handful of tips and trick to beat this virus and be able to power through nationals I got a good idea on what I need to be doing.
So going into this race that is next week I have a good idea on how I can perform. I'm working on getting in the mindset and making sure I'm rested up and ready to perform. I took a week off the bike because of the crazy week of work I had last week and just to give myself a break to get recharged and re motivated. I am also getting both mountain bikes ready to go. Both bikes have fresh Schwalbe tires on them and all set up with Stans No Tube system. Both bike have fresh or fairly fresh matching ESI grips. I got back on the bike this past Sunday and Monday to test out the tires on each bike to make sure the glue would stick and I had no leaks in the rims. I know the level of competition that I will be facing at this race and I'm excited to race against these types of riders to see how I will do. Having this virus is not ideal and I wish I was healthy but there is not much I can do at this point. So my expectations for this is to go out and ride like I know how to and just have fun with this experience. My goal for this race back in February was to go out and get my name out into the mountain bike world. I know the training I have has up to this point is fairly solid so the goal is to go race hard and have no regrets. From what friends have told me about this course it is rough and rocky so to come out safe.
Here is a preview of the course
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xQCMxr6-z-0
Thank You to all my sponsors and the people that have helped me get to this point
Breakaway Bicycles of Muskegon
Mom and Dad
Hammer Nutrition
Schwalbe Tires
Spy Optics
Eric Statt (LSSU Exercises Science Professor)
Cody and Wes Sovis
The past few months I have been doing races that I know would help me get in shape fast and be ready for this big race. Hanson Hills 100 was the exception. That race was just something I've been wanting to do for a few year's now. Starting off the season strong at Mud Sweat and Beers and the Lake Island Induction was a great confidence booster after a disappointing off season. The week leading up to Hanson Hills 100 I started getting really tired and the weeks to follow that long race I was sleeping a lot and just not riding as well as I would have hoped. Of course I didn't realize this till a week or so after the Chain Drive Fest. After my roommate pointed out to me how much I as actually sleeping during the day and after a rough hill workout a few weeks ago I got the feeling something was wrong. I first thought that I was having an anemic problem so I went in and got a blood test. I got tested for mono and that came back negative so they took some blood to test. A few days later I was called about the results. The test came back saying I have the Epstein-Bar virus. At this time nationals was only a month away. Of course the doctors didn't give me much instruction on how to deal with this besides to sleep and hydrate. They told me to get some pills called "Under the Weather". I also got on a supplement diet of Multivitamin, fish oil and iron supplements. Thankfully I have very helpful friends who have been through this. So after a handful of tips and trick to beat this virus and be able to power through nationals I got a good idea on what I need to be doing.
So going into this race that is next week I have a good idea on how I can perform. I'm working on getting in the mindset and making sure I'm rested up and ready to perform. I took a week off the bike because of the crazy week of work I had last week and just to give myself a break to get recharged and re motivated. I am also getting both mountain bikes ready to go. Both bikes have fresh Schwalbe tires on them and all set up with Stans No Tube system. Both bike have fresh or fairly fresh matching ESI grips. I got back on the bike this past Sunday and Monday to test out the tires on each bike to make sure the glue would stick and I had no leaks in the rims. I know the level of competition that I will be facing at this race and I'm excited to race against these types of riders to see how I will do. Having this virus is not ideal and I wish I was healthy but there is not much I can do at this point. So my expectations for this is to go out and ride like I know how to and just have fun with this experience. My goal for this race back in February was to go out and get my name out into the mountain bike world. I know the training I have has up to this point is fairly solid so the goal is to go race hard and have no regrets. From what friends have told me about this course it is rough and rocky so to come out safe.
Here is a preview of the course
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xQCMxr6-z-0
Thank You to all my sponsors and the people that have helped me get to this point
Breakaway Bicycles of Muskegon
Mom and Dad
Hammer Nutrition
Schwalbe Tires
Spy Optics
Eric Statt (LSSU Exercises Science Professor)
Cody and Wes Sovis
Sunday, June 22, 2014
Summer Solstice 5K Fun Run June 21, 2014
This race was located only a few miles from the house in Sault Ste Marie, Mi. It started at 8pm. A few weeks before the race the head track coach at LSSU, Jason Davis, talked me into running this race. At that point I was just starting to run consistently. I like to do some small amount of running during cycling season to get the heart rate up and to shake the legs out in the mornings.
The weeks going into this race I was only running 15-25ish minutes at a decent pace. It was about three weeks of running low mileage and the week of the Chain Drive Fest I only ran a few days that week. I was only doing this race because it was a local race and it was something different from the mountain bike races. My roommate, friend from MTU, and the head track coach were all running this race so I figured it would be fun to run a random 5k during summer. Since cycling is my main focus and running is just something I do as cross training, my prep for these races weren't as serious. This past week I was realizing why I have been sleeping so much and have been unable to push the pace during workouts and last weekends mountain bike race. I have had friends in the past few years go through very similar things and after they got their blood tested it came back that they were anemic. So unknowing what was going on yet I didn't think the race was going to go well. I was just going to run it for fun
The morning of the race I got up at a normal time (7am) and went out for a short shake down run since I didn't run the two previous days because of work and feeling ill. My 12 minute shake down run was painful. My knee that has been hurting the past week was acting up and I just felt sluggish. After the run we all just chilled and took the day easy. Including a 2 hour nap after after lunch was a good way to stay relaxed. Once 6pm rolled around we left the house for the 4ish mile drive to Sherman Park. We all got our number and talked to some friends. Around 7pm we hooked up with Coach Davis to do a warm up. I was only planning an easy 15-20 minutes. We were all ready to go before the start. I was feeling decent. I didn't do any race prep like I usually do the week going into a race. I took some Hammer Endurolytes pills a few hours before the race like usual and that's about the only typical thing that I do. I wasn't even that hyped up for the race. I was in a relaxed, chill, uncaring mode and didn't really care what happened. I figured I could go sub 18 min.
We all lined up for the race on a tight start line. Like usual I started just off the front to hold myself back from getting out to hard. As the race started and turned onto the street I got into a solid pace and quickly started working my way up to the front. Coach Davis took the lead from the start and took off. I got myself into third and ran the heals on the second place runner. I ran with him for the first 1.5 miles as we swapped positions. My friend Zach wanted to hit an opening mile of 5:40 so as I passed the first mile I went through at 5:41. As the course hit some gravel road I slowed down my pace because of the slippery road. I wanted to keep a solid pace from mile 2 to 3. Once I got off the dirt section and back on the pavement I picked the pace back up. The entire race I had coach Davis in sight which was a surprise. I went through mile 2 at 11:30ish. I started to freak out about not breaking 18 minutes. Once I got back onto the final section of the course I started to open up my kick. At this point I was in 3rd overall but I knew a runner was closing in. The last mile I didn't even look at my watch so I had no clue what my estimated finish time would be. I ended up getting passed just before mile 3. As I made the turn for the final section of the course I had no clue what the time was. There were people blocking the clock so I was just guessing I would be in the high 17's. As I crossed the finish line I looked over at the clock and seen the time. The time on the clock was a huge surprise. It read 17:15. At first I thought the time was wrong because there was no way I ran that fast. I have never ran a 5k that fast and the last time I even came close to that time was when I ran a 17:18 two years ago the the Sault Ste. Marie Chamber Chase. I ended up finishing 4th overall and 2nd in the 19-29 age group. Zach finished 3rd on our age group as well.
It's stupid and funny how things work like this. I had little to no running time in before this race and didn't do any race prep stuff. I just went out and ran the race for fun and ended up taking 3 seconds off my pr. It's funny how this works. Ever since I graduated high school and after I stopped running at the college level my running has been somewhat minimal and since then I have broke my 5k pr 3 different times. 2 of theses times is when I put in a little amount of running in with no speed workouts. It makes a person think what I could be running if I stuck to the running gig.
Final remarks on this race: This was a fun blow off event that when going into it I wasn't expecting much but ended up to one of those epic races. Coach Davis killed it, Zach who has been training for marathons the past few years took time off of his 5k pr, Pj did some quality recruiting during the race, and I did something that I think that shouldn't be done. It was a great event that is low key and fun for a blow off race with no pressure. We all had a great time.
About a few weeks ago I had an idea of possibly running indoor and outdoor track for the final semesters of my college life. Its possibly in the works right now so if this is going to happen once Iceman is done I will be able to take the next month to get ready for the Indoor season and do who knows what. So putting up the time that I did for this race on the little amount of training was a good showing in front of the two coaches that I could possibly be running for this coming winter/spring.
Just a shout out to those who support me
Mom and Dad
Hammer Nutrition
Spy Optics
Schwalbe Tires
Crank Brothers
Breakaway Bicycles of Muskegon
The weeks going into this race I was only running 15-25ish minutes at a decent pace. It was about three weeks of running low mileage and the week of the Chain Drive Fest I only ran a few days that week. I was only doing this race because it was a local race and it was something different from the mountain bike races. My roommate, friend from MTU, and the head track coach were all running this race so I figured it would be fun to run a random 5k during summer. Since cycling is my main focus and running is just something I do as cross training, my prep for these races weren't as serious. This past week I was realizing why I have been sleeping so much and have been unable to push the pace during workouts and last weekends mountain bike race. I have had friends in the past few years go through very similar things and after they got their blood tested it came back that they were anemic. So unknowing what was going on yet I didn't think the race was going to go well. I was just going to run it for fun
The morning of the race I got up at a normal time (7am) and went out for a short shake down run since I didn't run the two previous days because of work and feeling ill. My 12 minute shake down run was painful. My knee that has been hurting the past week was acting up and I just felt sluggish. After the run we all just chilled and took the day easy. Including a 2 hour nap after after lunch was a good way to stay relaxed. Once 6pm rolled around we left the house for the 4ish mile drive to Sherman Park. We all got our number and talked to some friends. Around 7pm we hooked up with Coach Davis to do a warm up. I was only planning an easy 15-20 minutes. We were all ready to go before the start. I was feeling decent. I didn't do any race prep like I usually do the week going into a race. I took some Hammer Endurolytes pills a few hours before the race like usual and that's about the only typical thing that I do. I wasn't even that hyped up for the race. I was in a relaxed, chill, uncaring mode and didn't really care what happened. I figured I could go sub 18 min.
We all lined up for the race on a tight start line. Like usual I started just off the front to hold myself back from getting out to hard. As the race started and turned onto the street I got into a solid pace and quickly started working my way up to the front. Coach Davis took the lead from the start and took off. I got myself into third and ran the heals on the second place runner. I ran with him for the first 1.5 miles as we swapped positions. My friend Zach wanted to hit an opening mile of 5:40 so as I passed the first mile I went through at 5:41. As the course hit some gravel road I slowed down my pace because of the slippery road. I wanted to keep a solid pace from mile 2 to 3. Once I got off the dirt section and back on the pavement I picked the pace back up. The entire race I had coach Davis in sight which was a surprise. I went through mile 2 at 11:30ish. I started to freak out about not breaking 18 minutes. Once I got back onto the final section of the course I started to open up my kick. At this point I was in 3rd overall but I knew a runner was closing in. The last mile I didn't even look at my watch so I had no clue what my estimated finish time would be. I ended up getting passed just before mile 3. As I made the turn for the final section of the course I had no clue what the time was. There were people blocking the clock so I was just guessing I would be in the high 17's. As I crossed the finish line I looked over at the clock and seen the time. The time on the clock was a huge surprise. It read 17:15. At first I thought the time was wrong because there was no way I ran that fast. I have never ran a 5k that fast and the last time I even came close to that time was when I ran a 17:18 two years ago the the Sault Ste. Marie Chamber Chase. I ended up finishing 4th overall and 2nd in the 19-29 age group. Zach finished 3rd on our age group as well.
It's stupid and funny how things work like this. I had little to no running time in before this race and didn't do any race prep stuff. I just went out and ran the race for fun and ended up taking 3 seconds off my pr. It's funny how this works. Ever since I graduated high school and after I stopped running at the college level my running has been somewhat minimal and since then I have broke my 5k pr 3 different times. 2 of theses times is when I put in a little amount of running in with no speed workouts. It makes a person think what I could be running if I stuck to the running gig.
Final remarks on this race: This was a fun blow off event that when going into it I wasn't expecting much but ended up to one of those epic races. Coach Davis killed it, Zach who has been training for marathons the past few years took time off of his 5k pr, Pj did some quality recruiting during the race, and I did something that I think that shouldn't be done. It was a great event that is low key and fun for a blow off race with no pressure. We all had a great time.
About a few weeks ago I had an idea of possibly running indoor and outdoor track for the final semesters of my college life. Its possibly in the works right now so if this is going to happen once Iceman is done I will be able to take the next month to get ready for the Indoor season and do who knows what. So putting up the time that I did for this race on the little amount of training was a good showing in front of the two coaches that I could possibly be running for this coming winter/spring.
Just a shout out to those who support me
Mom and Dad
Hammer Nutrition
Spy Optics
Schwalbe Tires
Crank Brothers
Breakaway Bicycles of Muskegon
Monday, June 16, 2014
Keweenaw Chain Drive Festival June 14, 2014
For the past year I have been told by many friends that the Chain Drive was the race to hit in the U.P. (besides Ore 2 Shore). So for the 2014 season I put it on my list of possible races to do. I know the course would be great because of the location being so close to Copper Harbor.
The day before the race my roommate and I made the 5 hour trip across the U.P. We arrived in Houghton at about 9:30pm. We were staying at a friends house so we first went there and dropped off the bikes and unloaded the truck. Our friend showed us the start sections of the course. We traveled across the bridge that travels to Hancock and around for the first few miles of the course. After looking at the opening sections of the course we made a quick Walmart run for some breakfast food.
The morning of the race I was feeling decent. I had to get up earlier than expected because I still had to get over to sign up early and get all of that stuff done before the rush came. It was a bit chilly outside for being June and the sun was trying to show it self but the clouds were winning that battle. About an hour before the start I started getting things organized. Put on my Breakaway Bicycle kit, stuffed the pockets with tools, banana and a water bottle. I was very unsure what bike I was going to ride till I woke up that morning. I chose to ride the full suspension bike because I know what I will do and I felt a bit more comfortable on it in the wet conditions. The only problem with this bike is that it can only carry one water bottle so I had a bottle of Hammer Heed on the bike and a bottle of plain water in the middle pocket of my jersey. I dislike using my camleback for the shorter races. I started rolling around the parking lot and just tried to get into that zone I always try to get in. I always listen to the Lacrae station on Pandora when warming up for a race.
The start of the race was a controlled start for the first opening miles. I've done plenty of races that include being in large packs but the roll out for this race was different. I wasn't very comfortable with being in the pack. I already forced myself to start further up front from what I originally like to. Once the race started everyone fought for positions, even on the roll out. Some people were up front when realistically they belonged in the back. Here's a tip for all you newbies, EVERYONE CAN GO FAST ON PAVEMENT. Once the cop car pulled off to the side the race was on and the front group shot out like a canon. We all tried to open up a gap before getting into the single track. Once we hit cemetery hill the pack blew up and there were large gaps. The hill was rough but it did what it was suppose to do and that was to break up the pack before getting into the woods.
I was feeling pretty good after the hill and just tried to get into a good pace. I connected with a few riders I recognize from past races and I rode with a group for a good portion of the race. A few of the riders in the group split off for the 16 mile race while the rest of us kept going with the 32 mile markings. The opening single track sections showed what real single track riding was all about. There was everything a rider could ask for, rocks, bridges, tree roots, and short climbs. The group just keep at a good hard pace and we made some passes on people who were having bike problems. The first half of the race was had a good solid pace. Probably about an hour in I made a charge on a two track section and passed a few riders that were struggling in the single track. I would go on and regret that decision. I had to back it off and recharge after the attack. Once I regained my speed the course was getting more and more technical. At about an hour and a half into the race I hit my favorite section of the course. It was a flow section that was full of single rollers, small doubles, and some small step up jumps. Normally on a 29'er I don't like hitting jumps of this nature but the full supension bike made it fun and I couldn't resist to throw a few whips over the doubles and step ups. I felt my motocross skills coming out. I could have rode that section all day but I was racing so I had to continue. I was riding by myself for most of the second half of the race. Within 10 miles to go the course stated to get technical with rock sections and bridges with drop offs on the back sides of them. Within 5 miles to go the course took you down a trail and then into a rocky section that had no true line to it. This led us across a creek that was over the brake rotors.
The last few miles of the race seemed longer than what they should have but that could have been because of being tired. The last section before going into the finish shoot was a gradual hill on the side of the road. I would come across the line in 2:22:05 for 32 miles. I would end up finishing 20th overall and 6th in the Male 19-29 age group. I'm not to happy with the result but it what it is and I can now focus on getting ready for Nationals in the upcoming month. This race was a good race to do because of the challeging course and quality of riders that come to a race like this. This was the first race after doing Hanson Hills 100 so it was a good test to see how my leg speed is and see what I need to work on before the National race. Rocky section, hills and sprinting are some things that are always on the list for training. The next month of training will be a good test for myself to see how much I can improve over a short amout of time and now that I'm giving myself a good size break before the next race it will give me time to focus on training and not having to prepare for a race every weekend. I have a good idea of how to make improvements. I just need to do what I know I need to do and just go all in. I know with the help from friends, family and sponsors that by time Nationals rolls around I will be feeling better and stronger than I have all season.
I want to give a shout out to those who help me along the way and those who push me to go faster and farther.
-Mom and Dad
-Breakaway Bicycles of Muskegon
-Hammer Nutrition
-Crank Brothers
-Spy Optics
-Friends and Family
The day before the race my roommate and I made the 5 hour trip across the U.P. We arrived in Houghton at about 9:30pm. We were staying at a friends house so we first went there and dropped off the bikes and unloaded the truck. Our friend showed us the start sections of the course. We traveled across the bridge that travels to Hancock and around for the first few miles of the course. After looking at the opening sections of the course we made a quick Walmart run for some breakfast food.
The morning of the race I was feeling decent. I had to get up earlier than expected because I still had to get over to sign up early and get all of that stuff done before the rush came. It was a bit chilly outside for being June and the sun was trying to show it self but the clouds were winning that battle. About an hour before the start I started getting things organized. Put on my Breakaway Bicycle kit, stuffed the pockets with tools, banana and a water bottle. I was very unsure what bike I was going to ride till I woke up that morning. I chose to ride the full suspension bike because I know what I will do and I felt a bit more comfortable on it in the wet conditions. The only problem with this bike is that it can only carry one water bottle so I had a bottle of Hammer Heed on the bike and a bottle of plain water in the middle pocket of my jersey. I dislike using my camleback for the shorter races. I started rolling around the parking lot and just tried to get into that zone I always try to get in. I always listen to the Lacrae station on Pandora when warming up for a race.
The start of the race was a controlled start for the first opening miles. I've done plenty of races that include being in large packs but the roll out for this race was different. I wasn't very comfortable with being in the pack. I already forced myself to start further up front from what I originally like to. Once the race started everyone fought for positions, even on the roll out. Some people were up front when realistically they belonged in the back. Here's a tip for all you newbies, EVERYONE CAN GO FAST ON PAVEMENT. Once the cop car pulled off to the side the race was on and the front group shot out like a canon. We all tried to open up a gap before getting into the single track. Once we hit cemetery hill the pack blew up and there were large gaps. The hill was rough but it did what it was suppose to do and that was to break up the pack before getting into the woods.
I was feeling pretty good after the hill and just tried to get into a good pace. I connected with a few riders I recognize from past races and I rode with a group for a good portion of the race. A few of the riders in the group split off for the 16 mile race while the rest of us kept going with the 32 mile markings. The opening single track sections showed what real single track riding was all about. There was everything a rider could ask for, rocks, bridges, tree roots, and short climbs. The group just keep at a good hard pace and we made some passes on people who were having bike problems. The first half of the race was had a good solid pace. Probably about an hour in I made a charge on a two track section and passed a few riders that were struggling in the single track. I would go on and regret that decision. I had to back it off and recharge after the attack. Once I regained my speed the course was getting more and more technical. At about an hour and a half into the race I hit my favorite section of the course. It was a flow section that was full of single rollers, small doubles, and some small step up jumps. Normally on a 29'er I don't like hitting jumps of this nature but the full supension bike made it fun and I couldn't resist to throw a few whips over the doubles and step ups. I felt my motocross skills coming out. I could have rode that section all day but I was racing so I had to continue. I was riding by myself for most of the second half of the race. Within 10 miles to go the course stated to get technical with rock sections and bridges with drop offs on the back sides of them. Within 5 miles to go the course took you down a trail and then into a rocky section that had no true line to it. This led us across a creek that was over the brake rotors.
The last few miles of the race seemed longer than what they should have but that could have been because of being tired. The last section before going into the finish shoot was a gradual hill on the side of the road. I would come across the line in 2:22:05 for 32 miles. I would end up finishing 20th overall and 6th in the Male 19-29 age group. I'm not to happy with the result but it what it is and I can now focus on getting ready for Nationals in the upcoming month. This race was a good race to do because of the challeging course and quality of riders that come to a race like this. This was the first race after doing Hanson Hills 100 so it was a good test to see how my leg speed is and see what I need to work on before the National race. Rocky section, hills and sprinting are some things that are always on the list for training. The next month of training will be a good test for myself to see how much I can improve over a short amout of time and now that I'm giving myself a good size break before the next race it will give me time to focus on training and not having to prepare for a race every weekend. I have a good idea of how to make improvements. I just need to do what I know I need to do and just go all in. I know with the help from friends, family and sponsors that by time Nationals rolls around I will be feeling better and stronger than I have all season.
I want to give a shout out to those who help me along the way and those who push me to go faster and farther.
-Mom and Dad
-Breakaway Bicycles of Muskegon
-Hammer Nutrition
-Crank Brothers
-Spy Optics
-Friends and Family
Tuesday, May 27, 2014
Hanson Hills 100 May 24, 2014
Hanson Hills 100 has been a race that I have been wanting to do for the past few years. Before this race I have never done a century on a bicycle. It has been another thing that I have been wanting to do but for some reason just never got myself to do one. Most people do their first century on a road bike but I like to think of myself as one of the crazy people who go against this and do their first century on a mountain bike.
Going into this race I knew my training was not targeted toward the longer races. My main focus is the shorter type xc mountain bike races that are typically full sprints. I had two weeks between the race in Brighton, Mi and Hanson Hills 100, so I spent this time riding longer and doing my typical hill work through out the week. Of course 2 weeks isn't enough time to switch the training program to fit for an much longer race but I really didn't care how things went. My main goal was to finish and enjoy the experience.
This race held a special twist specifically for me because it just happened to fall on my 22nd birthday. My sister and niece came up to Grayling, Mi the night before and we shared a hotel room. Since my parents were not going to get to the race till after I had already done about half of the race, I needed my sister there to help out with the pit station at the end of each 24.5 mile lap.
The morning of the race was an early start. I woke up about 4:30am to make some breakfast, shower and get stuff back in the cars. Since we had 2 different cars we had to drive to Hanson Hills Rec. area to drop off my sister's car then drive back into town for the start. The weather was pretty cold at the 7am start. Knowing that it was going to get warmer throughout the day I dressed light and put on some arm sleeves and full fingered gloves. As the race took off down through Grayling for the 1.5 mile roll out the pack stayed together at a reasonable pace. Once the group got into the Hanson Hill Rec area it started to spread out. We rode past the finish line to start the first official lap of this 4 lap race. This race included riders doing the 50 mile and 100 mile race. Once getting to the single track the group rode wheel to wheel for about 4 or 5 miles. Riders started to separate as the trail increased in difficulty. I tried holding back and tried to find an easy, relaxed pace. I'm not a fan of riding behind people in single track so I made a few moves on some climbs and got into some clear traffic and started picking people off. I got into a group and then settled into a solid pace. Since the laps consisted of mainly single track it was easy to get into a zone and just ride. I found myself forgetting I was racing and thinking that everyone was out for a trail ride.
The first lap came and went fairly smooth. I felt great and I thought I was controlling my food and water intake. About half way through lap 2 mother nature decided she was going to get hot. Within a few hours the temperature raised over 15 degrees F. The group I was riding with on the first lap started to fall apart throughout the second lap and I ended up riding solo at mile 40. After lap 2 I started to feel the torture that I was putting my body through. I grabbed a piece of bread and switched out a bottle of Hammer Perpetuem for a bottle of Heed at the end of lap 2 and continued onto lap 3. By this time my parents showed up.
Lap 3 proved to be my hardest lap. I started getting muscle spasms on the inner part of my upper legs and I started to cramp up a little. The heat was still increasing and after about 60 mile the water in my camelbak was hot. I had to dump it out and get it filled at the aid station part way through the laps. I really struggled on this lap. I tried to stay calm and just kept focus at the job at hand. I knew if I can get into the 4th lap then I could be fine and finish the race.
Before starting lap 4 I took a quick break while my mom filled my camelbak with ice and water. She also put ice into a bottle of Perpetuem. I grabbed a peanut butter wrap and a few frozen Hammer Gels. Lap 4 was no better than lap 3 as far as pace but I felt slightly better. I stopped at the far aid station for my 4th banana and a few sips of Coke. This aid station was about 15 miles to the finish. The last 15 miles seemed so long.
I came across the line with a time of 8:55:35 for 100 miles. It was not the goal of sub 8:30:00 I was hoping for but I can't be to upset considering this was my first century. I was happy I finished. As soon as I crossed the line I got off the bike, handed it to my mom and walked over to sit in the shade. My sister ran over and gave me a beer. It wasn't good but the fact that it was cold was all that mattered. I was the only one in Male 29 and Under age group. I hate winning this way but I'll take it.
Overall this race was fun. I took three items off my bucket list (1.Ride a century, 2. Race Hanson Hills 100, 3. Win a race on my birthday). I learned a lot about these longer races. I still prefer the shorter races and that is where I will keep my focus for now. I'm happy that I can say that I did a century on a mountain bike before doing one on a road bike. I will probably do one again but I don't see one in the near future.
I couldn't do this without the thanks to those who help me
-My sister, She was so supportive and got my everything I needed for this long day
-My parents, They have always been there and they helped so much with everything
-Breakway Bicycles of Muskegon
-Hammer Nutrition
-Crank Brothers
-Jason Luther, thanks for the tips on this race
-The man above, Thanks for keeping me safe and healthy through this new experience
Going into this race I knew my training was not targeted toward the longer races. My main focus is the shorter type xc mountain bike races that are typically full sprints. I had two weeks between the race in Brighton, Mi and Hanson Hills 100, so I spent this time riding longer and doing my typical hill work through out the week. Of course 2 weeks isn't enough time to switch the training program to fit for an much longer race but I really didn't care how things went. My main goal was to finish and enjoy the experience.
This race held a special twist specifically for me because it just happened to fall on my 22nd birthday. My sister and niece came up to Grayling, Mi the night before and we shared a hotel room. Since my parents were not going to get to the race till after I had already done about half of the race, I needed my sister there to help out with the pit station at the end of each 24.5 mile lap.The morning of the race was an early start. I woke up about 4:30am to make some breakfast, shower and get stuff back in the cars. Since we had 2 different cars we had to drive to Hanson Hills Rec. area to drop off my sister's car then drive back into town for the start. The weather was pretty cold at the 7am start. Knowing that it was going to get warmer throughout the day I dressed light and put on some arm sleeves and full fingered gloves. As the race took off down through Grayling for the 1.5 mile roll out the pack stayed together at a reasonable pace. Once the group got into the Hanson Hill Rec area it started to spread out. We rode past the finish line to start the first official lap of this 4 lap race. This race included riders doing the 50 mile and 100 mile race. Once getting to the single track the group rode wheel to wheel for about 4 or 5 miles. Riders started to separate as the trail increased in difficulty. I tried holding back and tried to find an easy, relaxed pace. I'm not a fan of riding behind people in single track so I made a few moves on some climbs and got into some clear traffic and started picking people off. I got into a group and then settled into a solid pace. Since the laps consisted of mainly single track it was easy to get into a zone and just ride. I found myself forgetting I was racing and thinking that everyone was out for a trail ride.
The first lap came and went fairly smooth. I felt great and I thought I was controlling my food and water intake. About half way through lap 2 mother nature decided she was going to get hot. Within a few hours the temperature raised over 15 degrees F. The group I was riding with on the first lap started to fall apart throughout the second lap and I ended up riding solo at mile 40. After lap 2 I started to feel the torture that I was putting my body through. I grabbed a piece of bread and switched out a bottle of Hammer Perpetuem for a bottle of Heed at the end of lap 2 and continued onto lap 3. By this time my parents showed up.Lap 3 proved to be my hardest lap. I started getting muscle spasms on the inner part of my upper legs and I started to cramp up a little. The heat was still increasing and after about 60 mile the water in my camelbak was hot. I had to dump it out and get it filled at the aid station part way through the laps. I really struggled on this lap. I tried to stay calm and just kept focus at the job at hand. I knew if I can get into the 4th lap then I could be fine and finish the race.
Before starting lap 4 I took a quick break while my mom filled my camelbak with ice and water. She also put ice into a bottle of Perpetuem. I grabbed a peanut butter wrap and a few frozen Hammer Gels. Lap 4 was no better than lap 3 as far as pace but I felt slightly better. I stopped at the far aid station for my 4th banana and a few sips of Coke. This aid station was about 15 miles to the finish. The last 15 miles seemed so long.
I came across the line with a time of 8:55:35 for 100 miles. It was not the goal of sub 8:30:00 I was hoping for but I can't be to upset considering this was my first century. I was happy I finished. As soon as I crossed the line I got off the bike, handed it to my mom and walked over to sit in the shade. My sister ran over and gave me a beer. It wasn't good but the fact that it was cold was all that mattered. I was the only one in Male 29 and Under age group. I hate winning this way but I'll take it.
I couldn't do this without the thanks to those who help me
-My sister, She was so supportive and got my everything I needed for this long day
-My parents, They have always been there and they helped so much with everything
-Breakway Bicycles of Muskegon
-Hammer Nutrition
-Crank Brothers
-Jason Luther, thanks for the tips on this race
-The man above, Thanks for keeping me safe and healthy through this new experience
Thursday, May 22, 2014
Lake Island Induction May 10, 2014
The Lake Island Induction was located in Brighton, Mi. This
race was a USA Cycling sanctioned event that was part of a race series put on
by Tailwind Racing. For most racers there this race was one of the first races
of the season and a good way to shake off the winter rust. For me this race was
a way to qualify for the USA Cycling Cross Country Mountain Bike Nationals in
July. I knew based off of last years results that qualifying would not be that
difficult because of the number of racers in the 19-24 Cat 1 class. All I had
to do was place in the top 15 in my class at any of the Tailwind races. So I
chose to go to their second series race and try and get qualifying out of the
way as fast as possible because the travel to this part of the state is a bit
much for such little races.
After
Mud Sweat and Beers I traveled back to Oceana County (hometown area) and spent
a week riding and getting stuff sorted out for the upcoming races. I spent a
few rides at Owasippe testing both mountain bikes and seeing what I liked most
and getting some time in the woods since the weather in the Soo has not made
the trails rideable yet. I took the time
at home to also relax and catch up on some rest that I had lost during the last
month of the semester.
Thankfully
I have awesome parents who support whatever I choose to pursue. So the family
and I took off on a Friday afternoon and made the 3 hour drive to Brighton. We
stayed in a hotel and just relaxed
The
morning of the race I was not feeling like that energetic. I didn’t sleep very
well the night before and was a tad droggy. Got a decent breakfast then packed
up the vehicles (including all 3 bikes I brought with me that I put in the
hotel room). We made the 20 minute trip to the State Park and started getting
in the grove of things. I checked in at sign up and then proceeded on my basic
routine of getting things ready.
This
course was a 2 lap race with each lap being about 13.5 miles long. My class was
a few waves back. From the looks of the start area there was about 12 or so
guys in the class so if I finished I qualified but that’s not how I do things.
I wanted to race hard and get a good result. The course had a slight uphill
start before making its way into a small roller coaster section that was all
two-track but the fast line was only 1 bike wide. Everyone took off sprinting,
trying to get into a good position before making its way into the
single track. Since I suck at sprinting I
got pushed to the back. The opening miles were lighting fast and the pace
through the single track was awesome. Racing with guys that all had skills on a
bike and could push hard was so much fun. There was some passing when the
single track opened up. I held my zone for most of the first lap. Once we
started catching the single speed racers in front of the pack, they stared to
slow us down but the single track at this point was tight. After a few miles of
following this guy, a rider from behind me yelled at him to move over. Once we
got around him the pace picked back up. I was starting to feel the intensity of
the pace about 3/4th through the first lap and made a bad line
choice and got passed. I soon feel off the pack and had to take some time to
find my second wind. My first lap was about where I wanted it to be so I just
tried to hold on to a solid pace and try to regain some speed toward the middle
of the second lap. After getting passed by a group of racers from a wave behind
me I tried to stay with them and just hooked onto their wheels and found a new
pace. After making some passes and a few
hard surges I found myself with a good group of riders and we all worked
together to push the wind and make it to the finish. I crossed the line in
1:42:08. The results came in and I was placed 5th. It was a better
result that what I thought but still not fully satisfied.
With it
being so early in the season and feeling this strong is a great feeling because
I know how much I can gain throughout a season. By this time last year I was
just slowly starting to ride outside and now in 2014 I have 3 races done and
getting ready for a 4th race before I had only one done last
season. So now that I was qualified for
nationals all I had to do was wait for the results to be posted on the USA
Cycling page and for my name to be on the Qualified Riders list. The results
and everything else was posted a few days later. So now I’m getting ready for a
race that has been on my bucket list for the past few years and once that is
out of the way I can put my focus on getting ready for nationals.
Thanks to those who help me with this great sport:
Mom and Dad
Breakaway Bicycles of Muskegon
Hammer Nutrition
Crankbrothers
Spy Optics
Schwalbe Tires
Wednesday, May 14, 2014
Mud Sweat and Beers May 4, 2014
This race has been on my to-do list for the past few years. Normally I don't like racing so early in the season because school can get in the way of training but with the direction I'm taking this season, the early races are a must. I love riding a bike but the every day grind of training suck and I am a firm believer of racing into shape. I like testing to see where I stand and evaluate what I need to do from race to race to better my riding.
After Barry-Roubaix my confidence was pretty low, I just got a Cat 1 USA Cycling license for xc/endurance mountain biking and what I showed at that cold March day in Hastings was not what I am all about. I am a much better rider than what I proved that day and I was so pissed at myself for not putting in the work and so flustered by how much this semester's school work was interfering with my training. Yes, school is more important than racing these silly bicycles but its what I have a passion to do and what I sacrifice so much for. To me racing bicycles isn't just something I do to fill the void of not racing motocross anymore. Cycling, especially mountain biking is what I feel at home doing. I feel like I belong on a mountain bike. It's the best possible cross over from the motocross world.
The month and a half between Barry-Roubaix was longer that what it actually was. This semester was kicking my butt. I was taking a much larger course load that I have ever had. The classes I was taking took up a lot of my time and my riding felt it. School was not fully at fault for my lack of training. I will take the blame for being lazy at times and not wanting to get on the trainer or rollers. The semester course load really took its toll at the beginning of April. I did a few all nighters just to get projects done. In the past I would have put projects and school aside to make sure I was training but this semester I needed to setup to the plate and get my grades up and survive this grueling semester.
The week going into Mud Sweat and Beers just happened to be finals week. Unlike most college students, finals week for me was fairly easy. Compared to the two weeks prior, finals week was a chance of me to catch up on sleep and get some minor riding in and get the bikes and everything else ready for the race weekend as well as the week I was going home (downstate) for to train in some warmer weather.
The night before the race I got my stuff together and left the frigid Soo around noon and took off for Traverse City, Mi. Thankfully I have some helpful friends (Cody and Wes Sovis) that allowed me to stay at their house.
The morning of the race the weather was a tad chilly. According to the weather radar there was going to be a big rain shower going over TC at 9am (the start of the Elite racers). Once I got to Mt. Holiday I got stuff organized and ready to go for the race. I had about 2 hours to get things around and warm up. I rode around a little bit before I warmed up just to shake the legs out. With about an hour before the race I started my warm up. I rode the first mile or so of the start and the last section of the race that winded down Mt. Holiday. My parents were coming up for the race so When I got done w/ my warm up they showed up.
9:03 was the start of my wave. I was riding the 18-29 Expert Class. There was 5 of us signed up so I was hoping for a top 3. Knowing that Alex Schultz was there I knew that there was going to be at least one if not more heavy hitters in this class. By time my wave rolled up to the start the rain was coming down. The course was already muddy prior to the start because of the rain that TC was getting all week. As the race started, everyone took off hard like any race I have ever done. I started in the rear of the pack so I quickly made a charge to the middle of the group. Since my training was pretty minimal, I had no clue what my legs were going to do. I got out like I wanted to and just slowly started picking guys off and getting into a good pace. Once the race entered the single track I started making up time and was able to slow down my heart rate. The single track was a tad slippery at first and I was only going to get worse through out the race. I just focused on my race and tried to ride a smart race. This hills on this course were smaller than what I have normally seen at races last year and at Barry-Roubaix. The course was very fast and it was an all out sprint. As the race proceeded the rain got heavier and the course got slippery. You had to be very careful on how you put the power to the pedals. By the end of the race the single track was a mess. If you charged the corners hard enough you could actually feel the bike skate away from you. Thankfully my Schwalbe Rocket Ron's hooked up amazing. The last few miles of the race were very fast. they slightly overlapped the start section. Flying through a sub-division and back into the woods for one last climb before weaving down Mt. Holiday. This finish section is so far my favorite finish section. It was so fast and had a few jumps in it. Since I was racing my Trek Superfly 100 (full suspension), I got to feel how the shock really worked.
Mud Sweat and Beers 2014 was a successful race for me. It was the first race on the full suspension and it was a great race to test out the legs and see how I stood. I took third in the 19-29 Expert class. I know I have a ton of work to do yet but for being early in the season I felt not far off of how I finished last season.
I want to thank those who helped me for this race:
Cody and Wes Sovis
Mom and Dad
Hammer Nutrition
Breakaway Bicycles of Muskegon
Crank Brothers
Spy Optics
After Barry-Roubaix my confidence was pretty low, I just got a Cat 1 USA Cycling license for xc/endurance mountain biking and what I showed at that cold March day in Hastings was not what I am all about. I am a much better rider than what I proved that day and I was so pissed at myself for not putting in the work and so flustered by how much this semester's school work was interfering with my training. Yes, school is more important than racing these silly bicycles but its what I have a passion to do and what I sacrifice so much for. To me racing bicycles isn't just something I do to fill the void of not racing motocross anymore. Cycling, especially mountain biking is what I feel at home doing. I feel like I belong on a mountain bike. It's the best possible cross over from the motocross world.
The month and a half between Barry-Roubaix was longer that what it actually was. This semester was kicking my butt. I was taking a much larger course load that I have ever had. The classes I was taking took up a lot of my time and my riding felt it. School was not fully at fault for my lack of training. I will take the blame for being lazy at times and not wanting to get on the trainer or rollers. The semester course load really took its toll at the beginning of April. I did a few all nighters just to get projects done. In the past I would have put projects and school aside to make sure I was training but this semester I needed to setup to the plate and get my grades up and survive this grueling semester.
The week going into Mud Sweat and Beers just happened to be finals week. Unlike most college students, finals week for me was fairly easy. Compared to the two weeks prior, finals week was a chance of me to catch up on sleep and get some minor riding in and get the bikes and everything else ready for the race weekend as well as the week I was going home (downstate) for to train in some warmer weather.
The night before the race I got my stuff together and left the frigid Soo around noon and took off for Traverse City, Mi. Thankfully I have some helpful friends (Cody and Wes Sovis) that allowed me to stay at their house.
The morning of the race the weather was a tad chilly. According to the weather radar there was going to be a big rain shower going over TC at 9am (the start of the Elite racers). Once I got to Mt. Holiday I got stuff organized and ready to go for the race. I had about 2 hours to get things around and warm up. I rode around a little bit before I warmed up just to shake the legs out. With about an hour before the race I started my warm up. I rode the first mile or so of the start and the last section of the race that winded down Mt. Holiday. My parents were coming up for the race so When I got done w/ my warm up they showed up.
9:03 was the start of my wave. I was riding the 18-29 Expert Class. There was 5 of us signed up so I was hoping for a top 3. Knowing that Alex Schultz was there I knew that there was going to be at least one if not more heavy hitters in this class. By time my wave rolled up to the start the rain was coming down. The course was already muddy prior to the start because of the rain that TC was getting all week. As the race started, everyone took off hard like any race I have ever done. I started in the rear of the pack so I quickly made a charge to the middle of the group. Since my training was pretty minimal, I had no clue what my legs were going to do. I got out like I wanted to and just slowly started picking guys off and getting into a good pace. Once the race entered the single track I started making up time and was able to slow down my heart rate. The single track was a tad slippery at first and I was only going to get worse through out the race. I just focused on my race and tried to ride a smart race. This hills on this course were smaller than what I have normally seen at races last year and at Barry-Roubaix. The course was very fast and it was an all out sprint. As the race proceeded the rain got heavier and the course got slippery. You had to be very careful on how you put the power to the pedals. By the end of the race the single track was a mess. If you charged the corners hard enough you could actually feel the bike skate away from you. Thankfully my Schwalbe Rocket Ron's hooked up amazing. The last few miles of the race were very fast. they slightly overlapped the start section. Flying through a sub-division and back into the woods for one last climb before weaving down Mt. Holiday. This finish section is so far my favorite finish section. It was so fast and had a few jumps in it. Since I was racing my Trek Superfly 100 (full suspension), I got to feel how the shock really worked.
Mud Sweat and Beers 2014 was a successful race for me. It was the first race on the full suspension and it was a great race to test out the legs and see how I stood. I took third in the 19-29 Expert class. I know I have a ton of work to do yet but for being early in the season I felt not far off of how I finished last season.
I want to thank those who helped me for this race:
Cody and Wes Sovis
Mom and Dad
Hammer Nutrition
Breakaway Bicycles of Muskegon
Crank Brothers
Spy Optics
Monday, March 24, 2014
Barry-Roubaix Killer Gravel Road Race
Barry-Roubaix is one of the top 5 bike races in the state of Michigan. This would be my first year going to this huge event. Back in December, when I was starting to plan out my 2014 race season, this race was on my list of races. Some time during January I took this race off my list just because of my large course load and the fact I don't have a cyclocross bike. Some time about early to mid February I started getting cabin fever and I wanted to race. So I facebook messaged a guy I knew has been around this sport for over a decade. I asked Randy Knapp what Barry Roubaix was like and if I would be competitive using my mountain bike. After this conversation I was thinking more and more about this event. It wasn't till about three or four weeks before the event that I decided that I was going to do this race. My training was going OK. Not as good as last year because of my busy course load and involvement in Student Government.
I would like to thank all my sponsors and people who support me
The day of the race I was feeling OK.After driving about 5ish hours to my parents house on Friday night then getting up at 4am the next morning to drive another few hours to the race I was just wanted to get it done. I drank a bottle of Hammer Endurolyte Fizz water on the way down to Hastings. After packet pick up we went to my favorite pre-race restaurant, Big Boy's, for breakfast. My warm-up was a decent one. I put a road wheel on my mountain bike so I could use the trainer. I did a typical 15-20 easy spin. I took some Hammer Endurolyte pills, aspirin and then rode around the start/finish area waiting for my wave to start up. I took a Hammer Gel about 15 minutes before the start.
As my wave took off I got caught up in the pack and got into panic mode and just burned a lot of my legs right away. I wasn't expecting the amount of climbing that this course had and I just rode a stupid race. My tactics sucked, and I just wasn't mentally in it. The course was fun and very challenging. I came across the finish line in 2:22:19. It was good enough for 36th out of 102 in the male 19-29 group. I'm far from happy about my results. Frankly I'm embarrassed about these results. I have to much support from some amazing people to be putting up results like these. If I had to bring some positive aspects of this event I would have to agree that I am injury free and my average mph pace was right were I was at for Iceman last November. I feel like this course was much more challenging than Iceman's course. Plus it very early in the season. My main focus is on getting qualified for nationals and go from there. I have time to fix my program and rebuild. I just need to get off my fat ass and ride for more than what I do. Riding the trainer suck but if I want to have success in this sport I need to suck it up and ride.
The event was a great event and I will probably come back next year because it does show riders what their winter training is doing at this point of the season. For me I can now come back and fix what I have problems with. I know I need to get in the hills more, I know I need to ride longer and push the pace more. I know I need to build a lot more strength in my legs and do some more setting up on the bike to make me more efficient. I have some higher hopes for Mud Sweat and Beers in May.
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| Photo Credit: Rick Borns |
Hammer Nutrition Buddy Kurjiaka
Crank Brothers Mom and Dad
Breakaway Bicycles of Muskegon Abigail Studer (my niece)
Spy Optics Grandpa Studer
Renthal Cycling West Michigan Coast Riders
Schwalbe Tires
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