Vasovagal Syncope

Maren had her cardiology testing today, and her problems were diagnosed as Vasovagal Syncope. Her symptoms appear to be brought on by dehydration.

They did say if she ever faints during a race again, do NOT finish the race.

New Record - 66 Races

This weekend marked a new record for me in number of races in a year. I did 65 races in 2007. Madcross Day 2 was my 66th race of 2008. Keep 'em coming.

Each race Jordan does for the rest of the year is a record for him too. He stands at 58 so far.

Madcross Day 2

Jordan finished 2nd overall again in the juniors, 1st younger junior. The winner of the juniors both days was Aristotle Peters, the 17 year old who took 2nd in this years Chequamegon Short and Fat.

Jordan doubled up Sunday, and raced the Cat 3's too. He finished 25th of 42 racers. Super Rookie was quoted as saying "slow down" as Jordan caught and passed him during the race.

I had a better race today, on a faster course. However, I did manage to pile into the barriers once. No damage. I finished 16th. Dewey Dickey won the masters 40+ again, with Casper staying upright today to finish 5th.

Madcross - Day 1

Jordan had another phenomenal performance. He finished 2nd overall in the Juniors 10-18 race at the UCI Planet Bike Cup. The 17 year old winner was 2nd in the Short and Fat last week.

During his warm-up, he flatted his brand new tubular on his racing wheels. Luckily, our gracious hosts, Gordy and Diane loaned us a fast wheel. They are so generous.

I did my first cross race, the Masters 40+. I started dead last, and then picked off riders as they blew sky high. It is a much easier tactic for me than battling for position with other riders that will blow in a lap or two anyway. I know my place in cross. I'm not going to place in the money, so why deny others the pleasure of going for it while I sit back and watch the fireworks?

I finished 22nd out of around 40 riders. Dewey won the 40+, and Casper bounced off the ground and a tree to take 5th place.

Linda Sone finished 9th in the Elite Women. Bjorn finished an impressive 3rd in the elite men. Fun races to watch.

I wish I knew how to quit you

In case you hadn't noticed, Mclovin is back.

Pork Chops and Applesauce

Identical Twins

Jordan rode his first cyclocross race of 2008, while I decided to take a pass and enjoy the great food and atmosphere of the race.

Jordan rode a phenomenal race and finished 3rd overall in the C Race. The front 3 traded places a few times during the race, with Jordan even leading at one point. What a breakthrough performance, especially considering he did both a TT and Road Race the day before.

Donimator did his first cross race in over 10 years. He suffered in the heat, just like everyone else, and finished.

The A race was fast and furious with Jeff Hall and Bjorn Selander taking an early lead. Dewey bridged the gap, and the 3 traded places several times before Dewey was able to get away for the win. Bjorn out sprinted Hall for 2nd. With the exception of those 3, everyone else looked completely spent from the heat. Sorry I skipped it?

Start of the C Race

Ray and Kristy

Jordan carving a turn

Juniors 10-14 Podium: Nels Boberg(2nd), Jordan (1st), Paul Dahlen(3rd)

Donimator Pre-Race

Donimator During Race

Front 3 in the A Race: Bjorn Selander, Jeff Hall, and Dewey Dickey

Pmax pushes it too far

Did I mention you missed out?

If you didn't make it to WISPORT Worlds this year, you missed a great event. Mark Brone and the Brone's team chose an excellent venue, and provided a great atmosphere. The sunny weather was an added bonus. Thanks to Brone's for putting on 2 great races on the same day, plus hosting the banquet afterwards. I was definitely worth the trip down to Waumandee.

WISPORT Series Awards

For the second year in a row, Jordan won the Juniors 13&under Road Race and Time Trial series awards. He also won the White jersey for best young rider 19&under for the series.

I won the 40-44 TT series, and finished 2nd in the Road Race series to tough rival Jim Moore. I also won the tie breaker against Dave Goetzinger to take home the cruiser series award for 200+lbs riders.

Wisport Worlds Road Race

Jordan and I both did the Cat 1/2/3 road race at WISPORT worlds. The 50 miles race was 3 laps, with a challenging 1.5 mile climb each lap.

At the start, I told Gordy that I was going to sit in, ignore any breakaway attempts, and wait for the climb. That lasted about 2 miles. Todd Kinart and Dan Borgenheimer had a gap, and I saw the opportunity to bridge. I figured I'd just go across and sit on, hoping to get a head start on the climb instead of my original plan.

Todd and Dan did not like my plan, and eventually talked me into working with them. Back in the field, no one chased, and our gap was 1.5 minutes by the base of the climb. Todd set the pace and a moderate tempo. I was able to follow, but Dan popped a little towards the top. I took the lead on the downhill, and Dan chased back on no problem.

I wasn't feeling great, and I was sure things would come back together. Todd and Dan were doing most of the work, with me pulling through very little. At the end of the first lap, we could see 2 riders coming across the gap. It turned out to be Lance Niles and Rich Settergren. They took a very short rest, and joined in the rotation.

I continued to sit on, and pulled through maybe once on the way to the 2nd time up the climb. I watched as Dan kept driving hard, and wondered how he would make it up the climb with all the work he was doing. Sure enough, we hit the climb, and Dan popped almost immediately. I had to bury myself to maintain contact with the other 3. I got gapped half way up, but clawed my way back.

I continued to sit on the back, while Lance and Rich did a majority of the work, with Todd pulling through as well. I think I pulled through maybe 2 times before the last climb. I just wasn't confident enough in my climbing.

The last time up the climb was actually easier for me than the 2nd, but I knew someone would attack near the top. Sure enough, Rich amped it up towards the top, drawing away Lance, and leaving Todd and I behind. We tried to catch them on the decent, but we were both cooked.

Todd and I decided to keep pushing, and try not to get caught by the rest. It was a tough slog, with both of us very tired, but we made it. I didn't contest for 3rd place, since Todd did so much more work all day than I did. It was only fair.

Jordan finished in the main field behind us. They were all talking about how well he rode, and how strong he was on the climbs. I was so proud, and the best part is he got to see first hand how a race develops, and how tactics are played out. Way to go Jordan.

Jordan catches and passes Jimmer in a TT

Yep. The day came sooner than I thought. Jordan beat me Saturday at the WISPORT Worlds TT in Waumandee, WI.

I rode Donimator's TTX, but the rear brake clearance with my Renn disc was really tight, even with the caliper all the way open. In hindsight, I should have loosened the cable.

Anyway, I started and I just couldn't get my speed up over about 25mph. After a while, I was having trouble going faster than 23mph. My HR looked fine, but it was a flat course, and normally I'd be cruising between 28-30mph. I came to the sad realization the the brake was rubbing. It turns out, my disc has a little play in the bearings, and my breaks rubbed every pedal stroke. No excuse, I should have noticed it during my warmup.

Jordan started 2.5 minutes behind me, and I was averaging about 22mph by the turn around. Sure enough, by that time, he had closed to within less than a minute. At that point, I had lost my mental focus, and figured all I was good for now was as a rabbit for Jordan to chase down. He caught me about half way back to the finish, and then pulled another 30 seconds out of me to boot!

He rode Donimator's Zipp 999's, and needless to say, he wants a pair now. Whoops.

Feed the machine

Maren finally got into the doctor Thursday, and they suspect it's nutrition based. This is based on her being "shaky" and "lethargic" during hard efforts. She needs to learn to eat more (of the right stuff) the day of the race, especially at lunch and a hour or so before her race.

She still needs to go back for an EKG. If it is cardiac based, her inhaler could be making it worse, so no more of that for now. They did allow her to keep running and racing.

Thanks for every one's concern. I'll keep you posted. Her next meet is next Tuesday.

The time has come. Boat for sale.

With mixed emotions, it is time to part ways with our boat.

Maybe it's not psychosomatic

Maren blacked out and fell unconscious late in Tuesday's cross country race. She woke up lying on the ground after about 30 seconds and finished the race. She's been struggling this year, and at first we just thought it was a mental thing, but looks like a doctor visit is in order. Hypoglycemia? Heart Arrhythmia? Hopefully we can determine what is going on.

Ladies and Gentlemen, She's Back

400m to go

Strong finish!

After a couple miscues in the early part of the cross country season, Maren finished her first race today in Menomonie, WI. She was so exhausted at the finish, she literally collapsed in the finish chute. Once she recovered, she was her normal happy self, thanking and hugging everyone. I got pridefully choked up.

She's been having trouble with pacing, starting too fast, and then dying. Today's course was especially challenging with several tough climbs, and wet conditions. She decided to start easy, and pick up her pace throughout the race. She did exactly that. She started way at the back, and slowly worked her way up during the entire race. She looked exceptionally strong on the toughest hill on the course.

Carla and I are so proud of her tenacity. Battling you inner demons is a tough part of endurance sports, and she is winning the battle now.

Breakaway at Cleghorn

Photo complements of Jim Blodgett.

First cross practice session

Went out after work to do some nearby trail riding. Jordan led into the woods and dropped me. He comes back for me and says "Where did you go?". I responded "Where did you go?"

After about 20 minutes, my bike needed some adjustments, and I had no tools. I decided to bag it. Jordan asks "Can I keep riding?" I gave the go ahead and went home. I had time to sit down and eat dinner when I notice a rainstorm roll in. Turns out Jordan was on his way home before the rain came, but he didn't quite make it, and got soaked.

Jordan Wins Cleghorn 21 Mile Road Race

Winner, Winner, Chicken Dinner

Jordan won his first WISPORT race today in Cleghorn, WI. There were 2 races held at the same time. The heavy hitters opted for the 42 miler, where Jordan and I opted for the 21 miler. Jordan was 4th last year in the 21 miler, and I won the 42 miler. After racing hard yesterday, I opted to ride domestique for Jordan and try to get him the win.

More than 50 on the line for the 21 mile race, which started just after the 42 mile race. I took the front at the start with Jordan on my wheel, and hammered up the rollers on the first leg, with a tailwind. This gained a separation for 5 of us. I kept the pressure on and drilled the first turn into the cross wind. Only Jordan and Ken Myszkewicz were able to follow, as we distanced the other 2. Ken kindly pulled through to grow the gap and Jordan stayed tucked in.

Our gap was growing when we turned into the headwind, and Ken and I continued to trade pulls. At this point, I was pretty sure the 3 of us were away for good. It would be very difficult for Jordan to out sprint Ken in the downhill finish, so I knew Jordan would need to get away at some point.

Ken didn't appear to have any problem with the 2 climbs on the backside. Jordan pulled up the 2nd longer climb, but Ken stuck to him like glue. Ken and I were talking about intentions. I told him my goal was to get Jordan the win (like it wasn't obvious anyway), and he stated he had every intention of winning himself. No gifts. The way it should be.

Before the start of the race, I previewed the last couple miles of the course. There is a 2 stepped climb about a mile out, and the rest is mostly downhill. I went on the 2nd step last year and it worked, so I told Jordan he should attack there if we are still in a group.

Ken took the front up the first step, followed by me and then Jordan. On the second step, I signalled for Jordan to attack. He came by like a bullet, and Ken reacted quickly. Jordan had a small gap over the top, and kept the hammer down. Ken was now faced with the tough situation of chasing Jordan down with me sucking wheel.

Jordan buried himself, and was able to hold on for the win, with Ken taking a well earned 2nd, followed by me third. The smile on Jordan's face as I caught up to him after the finish was priceless. He rode a good race, and finished brilliantly. I am beyond proud. Hats off to Ken for working hard to keep the 3 of us away, and riding a great race. His wife and son did the race too, and finished together. Great to see a family racing together.

The 42 mile race turned out to be a barn burner with a group of 4 including Dewey Dickey, Mark Brone, Ken Statz, and another gaining a gap on the first lap. Dewey rode hard tempo through the rollers at the start of the 2nd lap, and only Ken Statz was able to follow. The chase group was 20+ strong, and with Brone coming back, Brones Bike shop started helping Gordy Paulson, Matt Muyers and others who had been chasing for the entire 1st lap.

Dewey and Ken worked well together, but stayed in sight of the chase. Dewey drilled it over the top of the long climb on the backside, and dropped Ken. The chase group shrunk to about a dozen over the same climb. Dewey soloed in for the win, and Ken was just able to hold off the hard charging chase. What a suffer fest, too bad I missed it. Congrats to Dewey on the win.

Dewey made winning look easy

Ken Statz just held off Borgenheimer and Settergren

Matt Muyers and Gordy Paulson did a lot of work.

Ride the Rock Wisport Road Race - Fort Atkinson, WI

Jordan and I drove down to Madison for a 50 mile WISPORT road race Saturday. Jordan didn't plan to race, but kept me company.

The weather was perfect, and there were a lot of riders I didn't recognise. Great Dane Velo had a full squad of Cat 1/2's. The course was 3 laps, rolling hills, and some narrow roads.

I rode up front during the first lap, and covered constant attacks from Great Dane riders and Jim Moore. After the first lap, I looked back, and the group was still huge. I decided to rest a while and sat in for most of the 2nd lap. Great Dane continued to launch attacks, with Jim Moore never dropping back farther than about 4th wheel.

At the start of the 3rd lap, there were still around 50 riders in the front group. I moved up towards the front and tucked in. It was difficult to maintain position with people constantly moving up over the yellow line, and the roads on the 2nd half of the course being very narrow.

Coming into the finish, there is a small rise, then a decent, and a right turn to the finish up a gradual grade. At this point, Great Dane had a rider just off the front. I knew the final climb would be tough, but I dug deep, and stayed up towards the front. It was a little dicey coming into the final turn, but I made it through in about 12th position, with the Great Dane rider still just ahead.

I was able to make it to Moore's wheel as he opened his sprint. We came up on some slower riders, and he chose to go left, while I went right. It was a tough uphill sprint, and my legs gave out before the line. The best I could manage was 6th. The Great Dane rider Frank Dierking stayed away for the win, and one of his teammates was 2nd. Moore finished an impressive 4th, especially considering how much work he did up front.

Ready for Cross

Built the Wilier up for Jordan after work. Spacing is too tight to run an inner bash guard, so he'll have to go with a double in the front. Still needs a front derailluer, but as pictured, it's sub-18lbs.

Jordan's New Ride - Mortirolo Cross

Look for Jordan this cross season on his new full carbon Wilier Mortirolo Cross Bike. Donimator made it happen. Many thanks to my fellow clydesdale.

Currently, it looks like it will debut at the Jonathan Page UCI Planet Bike Cup.