Iceman Report

The 2009 Iceman is in the books, headed out to Traverse City with a half dozen or so of the Flyers.....loaded up at 6am and hit the road for the long 7 hour drive deep into the mainland of Michigan.

As you can see by the paper headline......we had great weather, very non-Iceman like weather! With temps in the mid 40's at the start and no sign of the usual sleet/rain/snow mixture.....we were in for a fast race on a packed fast course!

We rolled out on the new start through the city streets of Kalkaska and off to the trails, I started with Russell and we weaved our way thru a bunch of traffic passing close to or more than 50 riders, we hit the woods in decent shape I thought? I stayed with Russell for around the first 10 miles and then realized....I have to back off a little....rather finish without cramps, more on that later.

Hooked up with a couple of riders after losing Russell and just stayed at a nice pace, never really got passed to much and felt like I was doing some passing.....still feeling alright. Right before the big climb was a left turn.....came into that way toooooo hot, straight into the woods, whooops....back on course and off we go. The last 5 miles are the beasty miles, lots of pitch climbs that rip at your legs and must be in partnership with the nasty leg cramps.....with three to go I started feeling them knocking......I just tried to ignore them and keep the legs spinning....it sort of worked?

I was cramping pretty good coming out of the last singletrack and tried to be a man and climb the last steep pitch....OUCH. Came through the campground with some sweet cramping ripping at my legs.....but hey....there was a Leinie's waiting in the fridge and this damn season was about to be over.....yes!

My goals going into the race were to have a good time and just ride as hard as I could, hoping to stay under 2:15......time was 2:14.20, stayed under the time I set and ended up 29th out of 100 in the Expert/Sport Clydesdale class.....not bad. I honestly got out of the race.....exactly what I put into the race, I have gone faster, but I was 12 pounds lighter and had a lot more training in the legs......I'll take the finish with a smile.

Thanks to Russell for the race early on, appreciate it, and thanks to my teammates for a good weekend....good times! And of course my wife and girls for letting me continue to live the dream!

Rest time.

Almost Iceman time.....or WaterMan time?

This shot is not likely to happen this year, temps are predicted to be a whole lot warmer this year when we take the annual pilgrimage up thru the land of Yoopers and then across the big bridge.....good times and good racing await this weekend!

Training has been so-so.....still riding at least every other day, should do fine and frankly with the theme of this season due to outside factors (injury and crashes)....just looking to head over and have fun racing the bike....plain and simple.

Busy with basketball practice (Kennedy and the 5th grade Jaguars), dance (rumor of a X-mas Dad's dance), and just getting thru the days waiting for the weekend! Also see that the Turkey week schedule has been posted.....and should be shredded! Lucky me....three days of working the overnight shift (?), then work on Thanksgiving and of course the day after......WONDERFUL.

When looking for the Iceman picture I came across the last post of 2008, my good bye to Boomer. Still and always will bring some water in the eyes, miss the old fella each and every day.....just keep hoping we get another Lab someday.

Sweeeeet!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YpDTllvDC3k

This clip rocks, gotta love the "Sledgehammer!"

Score!

I get a call Monday from Tom at Team 2.....our former sponsor and the shop I always helped out at.....fill in mechanic when he needed, he had some bike parts left after cleaning out and making the complete transformation to MotoCross!

I thought he had a small box of goods.....more like a couple of small boxes of a lot of everything! Lots of cables and housing, a ton of headset spacers, chainring spacers, brake parts, free hub bodies......a lot of good stuff that will no doubt come in handy! Thanks to Tom for thinking of me and I am glad I hustled in on lunch hours and after work to take care of little repairs for him....good stuff I say!

Hoping to get out tonight after work or possibly a solid two hours on the trainer this evening....likely trainer, my turn to take the girls to swim lessons tonight. Later.

Weekend Wrap......

Little weekend wrap. Friday night we set up the 5th grade Haunted House at a family in the districts home, how lucky is that class that a few parents get together and create a way cool haunted house and party! Very lucky!!!



Saturday was WORS day, Race Directors meetings all day followed by the riders meeting, and then the party...the season ending banquet. Good food and good awards, the team took home the big one in both categories!!!! Year 1 of the Titletown Flyers.....brought home the top spot in WORS, great job to all the Flyers for making it happen!!!!!!

Sunday was sleep in day, watch a little of the Packer game, take Ellie to the Mall and then stop to buy a new Garbage Disposal, go for a training ride, eat, and then install the disposal before going to bed! All in a day.

Today, we have figured out how to scare you all even more! Today's installation of the Swine Flu Scare is a warning to be careful when you dip your hand in the candy dish....there could be swine flu hanging around on the packages of candy.....BE AFRAID, BE VERY AFRAID! Why do you we do what we do.....what is the news coming to anymore???

Time for 3 on 3 hoop practice tonight, of course I am getting scheduled to shoot HS Football on the days when we have practice and tourneys.....nice! I always forget that in this business we are NOT allowed to have a life outside of the station......especially with your family.

out.

The Weekend Update......

Working backwards......I love these pictures, we got one a couple of years ago when she performed at the half....and today was just a smaller part for the girls as the Packers needed 120 young ladies to hold banners and stars.....Barb's got the call and the girls were awesome!

The special part of the day was being on Lambeau field with my daughter.....so of course we had to get a photo......in November Ellie also performs.....so we can get a shot of the three of us!!! Very cool.


Now back to Saturday.....after a late night shooting HS Football, I got the family up early and headed south? The purpose was to put the camper in storage for the winter since Ashwaubenon schools were closed due to flu....our Saturday camp was also cancelled....so we took the opportunity and hit the road a little before 7am.

Why so early.....just happened to be a cyclocross race in Verona....like 100 yards off the highway....bonus!


After fighting Badger game traffic the entire drive to Madison......we just made it in time for me to get in the first race of the day.....the Masters 40+ Cat. 4.....truthfully I was looking at this as an opportunity to train at high intensity....and it was!

Good racing action up and over the barriers, long laps that took too much time in my mind? I think of cx as a shorter more intense and not so spread out type of race....this had almost 2.5 mile laps which really stretched out the field.....tough lap!

I finished some where mid-pack or who knows where, I rode the rigid Bianchi with the 1x7......ran out of gearing on the hills....up and down? Good race and great chance to get the heart rate up, iceman training.

The major disappointment......Russell did not make it in time to HECKLE.......heard lots of cow bell but no heckling from the Shedmaster.....he must have been sleeping off a few 40 ouncers!

Leadville documentary Thursday night.

Little Cyclocross Action!

Hit up the Wednesday night Cross action at He-Nis-Ra Park last night, a sweet little course set up by Nate of other Flyers...Big Ring variety. Half dozen riders showed themselves in the almost darkness and rode some laps working on barriers and just opening up the engines.....good times!

Schindel had the camera and a couple of flashes out experimenting, couple of cool shots to prove a big guy can make it over the barriers :) If the little knee issue is not too bad I may hit the Verona race Saturday morning since our girls basketball camp was cancelled due to the Flu outbreak in Ashwaubenon....so we are passing thru to drop the camper in D-town...may as well go early and get a race in before the Iceman

Post ride chat.....the chat is about.....we are planning an underground "TurkeyCross" for Thanksgiving morning....little underground.....so unless you receive the flyer.....well you know? As we said, its just going to be a bunch of riders enjoying the city parks.....you know....not an official race! Wink wink! Stay tuned.