Pre Fat Race

Three weeks out till the season finale, the Chequamegon Fat Tire Race. So it is always fitting to see where you are at condition wise by struggling through the Seeley Pre Fat race. The course is 25 miles with a mixture of ATV trails, ski trails and some serious, technical single track that they loop you through twice. When I say technical I mean technical, tight, rocky, stumpy, full of roots single track...which was awesome

Nikole, my parents and I ran up to Seeley on Friday to register and grab an awesome fish fry at the Sawmill Saloon. I registered for the "expert" race which I often times wonder what in the world I'm doing in the expert category and this race was no different.

Saturday greeted us with perfect weather. Lower 70s and partly cloudy. A perfect day for the racers and spectators. Nikole was able to watch the start, go across the street for an espresso, relax in the sun and be there for the finish.

You know the Pre Fat is a popular race when you end up parking next to Jeff Hall, professional racer looking to be named to the 2008 Olympics and TJ Woodruff from Tucson, AZ. You can only imagine what I was thinking while I was putzing around with my bike next to Jeff Hall who was calm, collective and eating a bannana.

The race, in a nut shell, was fast and awesome. I felt really good throughout the race and was slowly taking down rider after rider. I was able to sit back with a couple of riders from the Cities who set a good pace and closed up gap after gap. The second round of single track was tough and I could feel my body giving out at certain points but to my surprise I was still feeling remarkably well.

Our last climb out of the single track I started to feel twinges in my legs. I thought to myself that the race better be over sooner than later because cramping was coming on. So up until now things were going smoothly until two miles out I nailed a rock and things didn't sound right after that. I ended up bending my wheel to the point that my tire was rubbing on my frame. Needless to say I rode the last two miles with my bike making a horrible noise. It felt as if I was biking with the brakes on.

Ouch..that is not what it's suppose to look like!

I only lost four spots but I was still disappointed in that I ended up having mechanical problems that in the end is costing me some cash! Oh well...I guess you'll have that whether you are in the front or in the middle of the pack. Over all it was a fun race and I am pleased with my results. I ended up in 55th place out of 105 riders. You know it...right in the middle!

On a side note...the timers were a bit confused at the finish. Nikole informed me that when Jeff Hall and TJ Woodruff came in they announced my name right after. How sweet is that I was 25 minutes behind them on the trail but they announced me as if I finished 5th. Someday...hey!

Single Track On

Sturgie

Many Asked...Few May See...

This weekend we are heading up to Hayward for the Pre Fat Tire Race in beautiful downtown Seeley. Check back on Monday and I will give you the perspective of the race from the middle of the pack!

I've been training hard...Nikole has been getting ready for school to start...and we are trying to get up to Hayward as much a possible. But in the meantime...enjoy the wedding pics that so many of you wanted to see! Call us for some mojitos and pictures if you want.

Should we sign the license?

The new in-laws!

And my wonderful sister in-law!

Single Track On

Sturgie...and Nikole

It's Why We Live Here

Pounding out many miles and hours on the bike has been the main focus for the past two weeks. I've been concerned with getting the pedals turning over and bent on getting my legs back under me. I'm skipping the Ore To Shore race in MI this weekend. Instead I will be heading up north to Hayward to grab some miles on the single track trails up there and spend some quality time with Nate at his bachelor party.

I'm planning on racing the Pre Fat Tire race on the 24th. Hopefully by then I will have the legs back and my conditioning will be good enough to get me through the 24 miles of tight single track! Anytime you are in E.C. give me a holler and I will show you some sweet trails that we got!

Here is what I've been capturing these past few weeks! Enjoy the beauty of living up north!

What's not to like about the northwoods when you have Lowes Creek single track trails in your backyard!

New this year! Drop is larger in real life!

You can't live in E.C. and not participate in one of the four music festivals. Only problem is...if you don't like country then your up a creek. And who is Bon Jovi?

Notice his wife's underwear that he is sporting? If anything, watching stuff like this was worth the price of admission!

Mice On Roids

First week on my bike consistently. Its amazing how you can be off your bike, out of your running shoes, or off your skies for a week or two and before you know it you have a lot of work ahead of you to get back to the fitness level you were weeks before.

Well, my last Tuesday group ride was the first part of June, right before our wedding. Its been a while and now I've got some work ahead of me so that by Chequamegon Fat Tire I will be ready and fast.

Every Tuesday night a group of guys gather at Spring Street Sports for a 43 mile ride. Throughout the evening there are points where sprints take place, bragging happens, and the better of the riders shine. Most guys are wanna be, middle of the pack bikers like myself. However, there are a couple riders on Tuesdays who have bragging rights, rightfully so.

Some are state champions, others are former pro riders, but most are middle of the pack riders. The evening usually goes like this: everyone hangs on throughout the first two sprints, after the third sprint riders start dropping off one by one, an hour into the ride the whole pack has blown up and the pros are out front, a few riders hanging on for dear life, and the rest are taking county roads back to Chippewa Falls, a little humiliated.

Right before I got dropped!

It basically ends up being a wild chase of cat and mouse. Middle of the pack riders, like cats, are vehemently thrashing and frothing at the mouth trying to catch the riders who never find themselves in the middle of any pack, the mice on roids.

My last group ride in June I had finally conditioned myself to the point where I was staying with the leaders and finishing, barely holding on. Last night I was chewed up and spit out the back of the group at the half way point. Tristen and Mike Johnson thought it would be fun to not let up after each sprint. So when most of us needed to recover, they thought it would be fun to pour it on. By the time I was dropped we were 26 miles into the ride and averaging 19.8 mph. Ouch!

Chasing the mice on roids.

For some reason I enjoy the pain and the humiliation of riding with the Tuesday night crew. Tuesday nights are one of those nights that I get to rub shoulders with the guys I strive to ride with. Guys who will never experience the middle of the pack and who every avid rider strives to be like! We will have to see how next Tuesday goes.

Bike On

Sturgie