WORS #3

Really missing the creativity this morning as the cloud has settled into my head!  Post race, gotta love it.  Good thing it is so much fun to ride our bikes to make up for it!  Yesterday did not disappoint again.  How crazy to end up in a sprint finish again!  That is not good when you weigh in at 140 pounds and you are going up against someone who has seen about every situation in the book over the years of racing.  Either way, I would take that any day over someone just riding away, thats no fun!  So the race started out interesting.  Darrin went to the front and with me going down in the first corners during preride, I was much more timid taking the turns and Darrin ended up with a bit of a gap, so I just set on the front and let him go. Nathan finally recognized what was going on and came around me and started pulling.  I set on him through the first section of single track till he took a bad line and flatted.  I then took over and felt like I was on the front almost the entire race.  I just controlled the pace and started putting in small digs to test the waters.  I did put in a hard attack on the 3rd lap when I turned around and noticed that I got a gap through a section of singletrack.  I thought I almost had it then burped a tire in section #12.  Suck.  I rode it low fr the rest of the lap and  the start of the 4th before stopping to put air in it.  I ended up back on and Brian and I started fighting it out in some of the singletrack, sorry Brian for the wide elbows but I was cramping a bit and wanted to control the pace.  I then stayed on the front to keep the pace high enough just to keep Brian and Mark'O from wanting to attack and leaving the sprint to Darrin.  When we came out of the singletrack I attacked to try and soften Brian's legs and hopefully help Darrin out.  Also to see if I could get away? Then when we rounded the last corner I went wide to give Darrin the best line and rolled in for 4th while one of the craziest sprints I have seen unfolded in front of me.  When all the dust settled, Brian took the win, with Darrin 2nd, Mark'O 3rd, and myslef 4th. 

For the rest of the team, most were hung up in the wrong turn but still had good races.  Ryan came in for 7th overall, Scott 20th overall, and Todd 19th.  On the girls side, Lisa came in 5th and Michelle for 7th.  I think I remember Mark telling me he rolled in for 6th in his age for the comp class.  Good Racing to everyone!! I twas loads of fun!

Next up?  Scott, Mark, and I are headed to the Mohican 100.  Michelle and Sarah are going down to the Road Race State Championships, and the last I heard the rest of the team is going to take a little break.

Before this weekend though, Michelle and I are about to chamois up for a commute from Amherst down to the Dells to her parents house so that we can hang out on the boat and eat bad food!  Sweet!  Happy Memorial Day!!

Animal run ins.....

So mother nature has it figured out that the weather usually does not stop me from riding bikes so now she is up to some other tricks.  This weekend on the trip home from Rhinelander she decidied to hurl a 4 legged brown animal in front of my car!  Stupid deer.  I never even saw it and hit it with the cruise still set at 70 mph.  Luckily we just caught the front drivers clip of the car, spun it around into the door, and after it did over $4000 of damage sent it flying into the ditch!!  I did take some fur for a souvenir. 

Ryan and fam were following me and got front row seats to the whole show. 

My next run in was yesterday.  I had a recovery ride so I decided to ride into work.  I was on a downhill section and doing maybe 25mph or so and a bee flew right into my face and decided to lodge itself into my left nostril!  I frantically tried to get rid of it but not before it released all of its make me swell like a balloon juices into my upper lip. The things is still al swelled up and uncomfortable!  I usually never have a problem with bee stings either, at most I might get a bump that looks like a mosquito bite, but not this time!

So now I am hesitant to see what else she has in store for me!  I still have my bear whistle from doing BC Bike Race, maybe I should start carrying it along?? 

On another fun note, I have been riding my new road bike!  This is the first new road bike in 6 years and I am super excited.  This is the only pic I have so just a teaser for now, but the bike is awesome!

I will work on getting more pics and post them.  The thing is super fast and looks sweet. 

#2 in the books....

What a fun weekend!!  I think the Rhinelander course is the best course WORS has to offer and I always have fun racing/riding here.  The results:

Lisa 2nd overall
Michelle 8th overall/1st in age
Me 4th overall
Darrin 5th overall
Ryan 7th overall
Scott 27th overall
Mark 61st overall/10th age

For the mens race:  The start was pretty chill with myself needing to take a couple risks to get to the leaders due to my poor race at Iola, but settled into 7th as we entered into the singletrack.  The first lap I think Darrin and Tristan traded pulls a couple times before Darrin decided to put a little dig in on one of the doubletrack sections on the first lap.  Once the group brought him back I then tested the waters a bit just to see how everyone was riding.  I think this gave Darrin the confidence to attack the entire group on the road section past the start finish shoot.  Ouch!!  I knew this was going to hurt cause I would need to cover any counter attack and sure enough it was Wicks then said I am done playing games and I am checking out!!  I tried to go, but could not hang on!! After blowing myself apart I calmed back down and waited for Tristan and Brian to come up to me.  Tristan then did a majority of the pace making and seemed to be more comfortable at the front.  Finally on the last lap I tried to go in the back singletrack section but both Brian and Tristan were glued to me!  We came out the other side and onto the double track with me pulling them to the line before they both attacked.  I did what I could to go with both legs cramped up.  What a fun day!!  Darrin settle din with Mike Andersen for the 2nd lap after blowing the race apart and ended up rolling in for 5th. Ryan also had another great race and came in for 7th.

Nest up for a majority of the team is WORS #3, except for Scott who will be at the inaugural Chequamegon 100. 

Waterlogged

Please show me some sunshine, cause after riding for 3 days in the rain I need to dry out!

Enough Already Mother Nature!

Rhinelander this past weekend, first race in the snow, EVER! I have been doing this for 13 years and it happened in May!

Then it just keep coming!

Gone Racing!

Should be fun/interesting...............

Iola Update

Sorry I am running a bit behind.  Was really not feeling the best and pretty much spent my entire Monday in a fog cloud. 

So The WORS start has come and gone.  All the hype and wonder of who has done the work is set and the with the dust now gone the 212/Specialized Team occupied some good podium positions.  I think the girls took this round with 3 top 10s!!  Lisa in 2nd overall, Di in 3rd overall, and Michelle 10th overall!  Freak'n sweet! 

The guys did not dissapoint either with Darrin able to recover from the ludicrous speed start and roll through in 3rd overall.  Ryan, after not getting the call up that he earned last year, had to do ludicrous speed plus one gear to get back to the front of the race and ended the day making the elite 8!   One of the old guys on the Team, TSP, also known as Todd McFadden came through in 14th.  Scott rolled through in 25th spot and I came through in 41st. 

Nice start to the season and it was awesome to see everyone again!!