Texas Stadium...a real nice place....riiiiight!

Spent the last three days down in big "D," very easy to see why Jerry Jones wants and needs a new shack for his team to play in. Before arriving at the place, mass confusion getting to the stadium and then getting in the lot was a train wreck...follow that up with people parking where ever they please! Once inside, a hole...reminded me of the old SilverDome where the Lions use to play, minus the trough of sewer smelling drainage water around the outside of the playing surface. Not impressed with the underbelly of Texas Stadium.

Once on the field though, a different story in some ways. It is one of those places that you can just feel the greatness throughout the place, to see Emmitt's retired number banner and the names around the ring below the box seats, you just felt the history...kind of like Lambeau. Trip was good, game could have been better, Packers just did not seem focused in my point of view.

As I arrive back in the real Titletown, one word.....COLD! Temp was 11 degrees and there is some major snow on the way, hey, if we have to have winter there better be something to play in and do! While some say yuk to the snow and cold, I say time to put the studded tires on the old mountain bike and hit the roads and trails!!!! Exactly what you were all thinking....right!

Dance recitals all weekend and then 2008 training kicks in gear beginning tomorrow, the 1st of December.

Pictures of the 1st snow ride sometime after the weekend, gonna be some fun, get out and enjoy the wonderful white stuff!

Thanks for reading and have a good weekend.

Tis' the season and 20 Year Re-Union?

As tradition has it, the family loads up in the Jeep and heads down the road to Pilsen every year on the weekend after Turkey Day, time for the tree! We have been going to the same place for the last 5 or 6 years, great people with a real nice operation! The girls do their job...finding the perfect tree, and at the Aissen Tree Farm they name all of the trees. Of course we get a girl tree, this year we chose "Kelly!"
Dad's turn, get down and dirty and wrestle this fir to ground, or simply grab the saw and cut it down. Tree down and on the roof, head home, in the stand and it is all on the girls from that point, let the decorating begin!!!!!
Mom does the lights and supervises the ornament placement, after a short time Kelly is ready for the Holiday season!

Also had the 20th class reunion Saturday night, great time! It was really good to see some of the old peeps, been 20 years since I last chatted with the majority of them, good times. Arrived in time for a few beverages, ate some tasty food, had a bunch more beverages and lots of catching up from the last 20 years. I am pretty sure everyone had a blast, thanks to Judi for the planning and all of the hard work involved, let's do it again in 5 years!

A signed book, and now we raise some money!

Friday was the day, I was finally able to meet up with Deanna and get a copy of her book signed, she is truly one of the nicest and coolest people to talk to! I was able to slip in before her book signing at the Pro Shop, all worked well and there it is, how cool is that!

So, I have been saying all along that there will indeed be a fundraising portion of the "Pink Bike Project," so here it is with two options for you all.

Option one, donate money to the Deanna Favre HOPE Foundation based on the number of miles I raced aboard the Pink Trek Bike this season....that total....265 miles raced. Example, if you were able to donate 1 cent per mile = $26.50 would be your donation amount! Pretty simple, 1 dollar = $265 dollars, you get the picture.

Option two, any amount you prefer, all donations excepted in any amount you would like. Your choice, both extremely important, both will help the HOPE Foundation provide funding for un-insured or under-insured women and allow everyone the treatments they need and deserve!

How do you donate, I would prefer this method, you send a check to my address made out to the Deanna Favre Hope Foundation. I would like to collect checks for a month or so and then personally hand them over to Deanna with the bike on location, great photo op and with my media connections...maybe some coverage and another chance to raise awareness for the cause.

One more time, choose either mileage raced on the Pink Bike or just any amount you are comfortable with, make the check out to the Deanna Favre Hope Foundation, and send it to my home address. I do have the tax ID number for those that may need it, when you send your donation, put a note with your email address and I will email you the number.

It has been an incredible year, to be honest...a humbling year, I never imagined so many people would be touched by this project, simply amazing!!!! From relatives to friends, to people I have never met, this blog has never dropped below 140 hits in a week. The count is normally well over 200 and usually close to the 250 mark, the high was 427 hits in one week...unbelievable.

From the racing end of things, in 16 years of taking to the start line, this was the absolute best! I was able to get my first WORS win, something that I have been chasing for 16 years as I am one of a handful that have raced in at least one race in each of the 16 WORS seasons. The high point for me, 29th overall at the Short and Fat (834 competitors), part of the Chequamegon Fat Tire Festival. My previous best a number of years ago, 225th, it may have been the shorter race, but it was one of the best races I have had in my career.

Thank you to my sponsors and to those that have supported the cause, this would not have happened without you all jumping on board and believing in my efforts, I thank you very much!
TREK/Bontrager, Chris King, Hayes/Sun Rims, Rock Shox, Crank Brothers, and Maxxis Tires...thank you all for the parts and components that helped make the pink bike...the "Pink Bike!" Special thanks to Tricia Burke at Trek, without the frame, nothing else would have been needed or possible!

The most important Thank You, my 3 girls! You 3 were the inspiration for "Pinky" and you 3 continue to share your Husband and Daddy with his bikes, it is your unselfishness and support that allows me to continue training and competing on the Pink Bike!

Any questions please email me at stadiumbikeracing@yahoo.com, the mailing address that you all will need:

Shawn Hauser
1010 Chantel Street
Green Bay, WI 54304

You all send away and I will begin the 2008 season bright and early tomorrow morning, time for the weight training! Have a good week.

Great Quote!

Only those who risk going too far can possibly find out how far one can go.......(T.S. Eliot)

I love that quote, just sums up the way to live life! It reminds me a lot of each race I do, you know at the start line that you are about to enter the hurt zone for the next 90 minutes, the intriguing part is finding out how your mind and body will respond...how far can YOU go or how far are you willing to go.................

Have a great weekend all!

Iceman in Pictures, sort of.

Of course the Pink Bike must be transported in style...with a Pink Mount from www.rockymounts.com. Is that style or what, trust me it is style!
So we pull in to the traditional Wolf Den Greaszy spoon, closed.....WHAT? Down the road we go to the Bayside, um...yah...maybe the Wolf Den will be back in biz next year, please.
Must have picture as we cross the ol' Mack, anyone see the episode of Dirty Jobs when Mike went to the top of the towers to change a light bulb, he walked the entire way up.
And the 10 person stink cabin, whoops, I meant sleep cabin. Yes, 10 guys in that place for two nights, we should not have ate at the Red Mesa Mexican grill. Good times with a bunch of good guys.

Remember, just because the racing season is over does not mean the posting is over, they get really interesting now. Stay tuned as I enlighten you throughout the off-season, I will get philosophical, emotional, and whatever else happens to end up on the blog.

Stay tuned for a special post Friday evening, if all goes as planned it will be way cool.

Iceman Recap

We hit the road early Friday and arrived in Traverse City mid-afternoon, good trip as we took the scenic route through the northern part of lower Michigan, very nice drive. Checked in to the cabin and the race for the bunks was on, cabin was on my card...so I choose first! Pre-ride, change, eat, expo and check in, back to the cabin for some shut eye.

Wake up Saturday for the traditional instant oatmeal breakfast and get ready to hit the road to Kalkaska for the start of the 2007 Iceman Cometh. Decent temps for the start, roll to the line late and get stuck in the back end, not cool.

Go, off we go and I quickly realize that I may just have left my racing legs in Green Bay, the first 5-6 miles were way more work than needed. About 6 miles in I take the beaten path on a left hand turn, you could see the deep sand and you just knew to stay away from the deep stuff and in the worn rut, well everyone except the tandem about 20 feet behind me could tell which route to take. Bam, they try to cut inside of me and knock me right off my bike and off the side of the trail, back = ouch! Jump on and off we go, time to chase again! The next 10 miles seemed to go a little better but I know I could have been faster thru the middle section of the race, I feel like I could have been 5-7 minutes faster for the total race but what can you do, it is what it is now.

After we crossed Williamsburg road I felt some life in the legs, maybe they did come along for the race, I was really glad to feel the legs return because the last 5 miles are the toughest. Up the hills and through the finish, no cramps at all, very good feeling.

The finish was 33 out of 93 in the Sport/Expert Clydesdale Class, not bad placing, had truly hoped for a bit higher and wanted to stay with Reidel...I think the start buried me early. Overall, a bit disappointed with my race, not completely though as it was the fastest time in the race for me personally...just believed I could have and still believe I should have been up higher in the results.

Now it is time for a break, this week, and then start the off season fun. Weights, trainer, maybe a little Yoga...who knows what else...variety is the key this time of the year. Have a good week and I will post the fundraising idea in a few days, I wanted to get the racing completed before I posted that info, stay tuned!

Trainer Day

Going to bed last night and seeing the potential temps for the early morning...I was likely to be on the trainer, I stayed optimistic and decided to wait until the morning before putting the bike on the trainer.

So morning comes and the number is 29.5 on the thermometer, Iceman training or not, with a windchill temp of 19 degrees I was heading to the basement and the "beloved" go no place trainer. I managed to get an hour in while watching the morning news, felt pretty good actually.

Just a few more days until the Iceman, all systems seem to be in the go mode. Almost time to start thinking about what to pack, I am almost sure I have the race day clothing decided, looks to be a great day for racing over there on Saturday...we hope all hope!

Brrrr!

Traverse City forecast, looks like a balmy Iceman, mid 40's for the high! Almost go time, just a few days away, the excitement is rolling. I am looking forward to hopefully continuing the to ride like I finished the season, I believe that I have maintained my fitness and am just ready to take the line. The crew will take to the 7 hour trip early Friday for a full day of driving and then a little ride when we get there...dinner and registration followed up with the night before the race sleepy time!

This year, go till I blow is the theme of the race, all out from the get go! Last year I let myself worry about cramps and rode beyond conservatively, this GOOOOOOOO!

Have a great day, just don't stop by the gas pumps, that will ruin your day in a hurry. 10 cent rise over night, nice.

Still riding (training)

One week to go until the Iceman, training has been consistent, not super long in length but still getting the 75 minute 18-22 mile rides done. I am hoping that my thought process of just staying on the bike and staying active will be the correct recipe for a solid Iceman, anything thing is better than the timid load of crap race last year, just rode stupid last year.

I did get the Pink RockyMounts tray installed on the roof rack, looks pretty good, photos coming in a day or two when I put the bike up for a test fit. Rest of the weekend was spent just hanging out with family and watching the Pack move to 7-1 on the season, very nice!

More later on the final preps for the Iceman, off to bed so I can roll out early and sit on the trainer for an hour or so in the morning...or maybe hit the road before the high winds roll in for the day.