tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-49694082813583061962024-03-19T04:12:28.917-05:00Ride hard, keep the wheels downAaron Swansonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06518166114584819554noreply@blogger.comBlogger196125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4969408281358306196.post-47763572409501911872019-09-11T11:22:00.001-05:002019-09-11T11:22:33.975-05:00Copper Peak Trails Fest 2019<span><div style="-en-clipboard: true;">
<b>Copper Peak Trails Fest 2019</b></div>
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There's a string of communities between the Midwest MTB triangular meccas of Cable, Duluth & Marquette/Copper Habor that have some unique trails & great community MTB races each year. One being my hometown of Ashland WI, where every 3rd weekend July for over 20 years has hosted the Mudrutters Off Road MTB race. A challenging, not completely typical MTB race but something for everyone & always memorable for some great stories afterwards. </div>
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The other being more newly formed race in 2017 at the Copper Peak Ski Jump area on the western Upper Michange border near Ironwood. The dedicated organization known as SISU Dirt Crew over the past half dozen years has created a most delightful trail from the top of Copper Peak to the base of the hill near the Black River & back up. They have somehow magically transformed 600 feet of topographic vertical diversity into a playground of fun for riders of all ages & abilities. The downhill of the trail is ear to ear grinning great & mind boggling long given the seemingly small area. The climb back up while significant is laid out well, gets one to the top soon without a leg-tearing-off bad gradient. </div>
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I certainly haven't hit all the trails of the previously mentioned Triumvirate Midwest MTB Meccas, but in near blasphemy I'd say what Copper Peak has rivals or exceeds the best stuff those well known areas have to offer. </div>
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Saturday September 7th on what could only be described as a near perfect prescription for fall MTB race weather, SISU Dirt Crew put on their annual Copper Peak Trails Fest - a collection of MTB races (long & short) and trail running races. Having gone to the inaugural race in 2017 I was hooked on this race like a grandma baking chocolate chip cookies. I've found riding the trails at recreational speed is fun but racing them brings that whooping good time to a whole new level. </div>
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I had a buzz filled day ahead of me having to split time coaching soccer that AM in Hayward, then rushing over to Ironwood for the 12:30 race. Fortunately arriving in plenty of time for registration, I got in a quick warm up spin on the access road that makes up the starting climb of the race. This years start area was a plethora of good time family activities & eats. First class efforts in making it a great event. In truth, I was eyeing up the bouncy house as a viable alternate to hitting the start line, but the inflatable slide was a biggest draw to my oversized 8yr old inner self.<br /><br />
Alas one must turn a blind eye & go to the start line. As always, I'm looking for new & familiar faces at any race to see long time friends & fellow competitors. This year it'd be once again that strong brute from Iron River Casey Lajoie, his better half & more charming wife Ronnie (heck of a racer too by the way), Nikolai Anikin of Duluth, Jason Rouesch of Medford and a host of others that would start getting the list a bit long. <br /><br />
The 16 mile expert race kicked off with host of racers jostling for the front on the pavement lead out, with Casey eventually throwing down a hard surge & making the rest of us submit to his driving force. Once the opportunity came for a hard right turn onto the two track off-road portion of the race I did the ole slingshot around Casey & edged up the pace on the steadily increasing grade of a semi wet at times sloppy slope. Glancing backwards there was band of merry travelers in single file, steadily holding the pace. Not what I was expecting. So at the next turn upwards on a gravel section I amped it up just alittle more. At which point things behind started to sputter a bit & gaps formed. At one point, I heard an exclamation behind me, no doubt from Nikolai, it was along the lines of "Uh, Aaron, my legs are starting to hurt now, you can quit that any time". Thanks for the tip Nikolai.</div>
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Shortly thereafter the riders behind me went into a more desirable pace while I pushed on to the first single track knowing many of them likely had a weight & skill advantage over me when it came to the next 2 1/2 miles of sweet luscious downhill corners, berms & jumps. <br /><br />
Feeling like I put in a very hard effort I arrived at the top of the hill almost 10minutes into the race, albeit without the luxury to enjoy the amazing view one deserves. The consolation wasn't bad though, it was into the downhill portion of the race. 1.5 miles to the parking lot/start area to the cheers of the spectating crowd & then another mile plus to the Black River bottom. It was self interest & pure joy that I was doing everything in my skillset to pin it around the corners. Dropping the outside foot, staying balanced over the bottom bracket, keeping my vision up, elbows bent. Everything I'd learned from a Ride Better downhill riding clinic I'd taken years before. Can't say I wasn't feeling rusty, ok alot rusty & that I almost smoked myself over a corner or two, but both bike & I made it to the bottom in one piece. </div>
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No idea as to the gap behind me but safe to assume Casey & Nikolai weren't far behind I keep up the effort to best of my ability & reasoning. I figured the ensuing uphill would be to my advantage so I pressed harder along the way back up from the river bottom to the top of Copper Peak again. This was an effort that would need to be repeated 3 times. By the 2nd time through the course though I'd gotten a better feel for the corners & speed at which to take them, I was paying a price for my overzealous starting efforts & fatigue was setting in. However the gap back to 2nd place was fairly significant now & since I'm one of those nutso MTB-ers who actually love the quantitative side of it My power meter & cycling computer were my guide & self contest for the remainder of the race. Something to compare to previous years races.</div>
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Upon racing to the Peak the 3rd & final time there's this great sense of elation. That though the race isn't over the hardest physical effort part is done & now its time to rip some wicked trail to the bottom & stay upright the whole time to the finish line. I didn't entirely manage the staying upright as my giddiness & fatigue had a falling out of understanding with each other, but it resulted in no blood drawn. So I dusted myself off, got back on & road smoothly to the finish. <br /><br />
A 16 mile event might not seem like that long of race to some, but in bike racing it's about the amount of time it takes. I came across in just under 1:30hour while behind Casey & Nikolai had a great battle going on. Casey getting passed on the final climb but being able to hold onto Nikolai through the mile & half decent & positioning nicely for a sprint finish. Though unfortunately those best laid plans came undone with less than 100yards to go as big man Casey dropped the hammer to go around Nikolai so did his narrow wide chainring do to his chain, so Nikolai came away with number 2 spot and Casey in 3rd. His spouse Ronnie despite taking a bee sting to the forehead & wondering throughout the race if she was going to get choked out by an anaphylactic shock took 1st in the womens category & 9th overall. Result can be found at <a href="http://superiortiming.com/">Superiortiming.com</a> </div>
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Again thanks so much to SISU Dirt Crew and the fine job they do at the Copper Peak Trails fest and for a monstrously fun trail they've constructed over the years. It's a great event for a great cause. In your travels of the Midwest MTB Triumvirate, be sure to stop in & checkout the unique gems tucked in along the way.<br /><br />
Aaron Swanson</div>
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<a href="http://www.aaronswanson.blogspot.com/">www.aaronswanson.blogspot.com</a></div>
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<script src="http://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" type="text/javascript"></script></div>Aaron Swansonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06518166114584819554noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4969408281358306196.post-82121374762934031862017-10-03T10:01:00.002-05:002017-10-03T10:01:39.678-05:00Deerfly Chase 2017....<div>
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<span><b>Deerfly Chase 2017.....</b></span></div>
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<span>This event has some kinda golden rainbow over it. 7 years running and never it seems the weather is anything less than near perfect for MT Bike racing. It's an event held near New Auburn WI at the Hickory Ridge Trail system at end of September A collection of hard working individuals pull together under race Director Noah Michaelsen for full event of high quality mixed terrain racing (singletrack, gravel, cross country ski trail) and an excellent post event gathering of eats and awards. It's expanded to a Long race, a Short race, along with a Middle school & High school categories and running distances as well. </span></div>
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<span>How did it go this year? Personally, rather phenomenally and as a whole it was top knotch. </span></div>
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<span>Registration was probably the biggest surprise of all. The demand was a significant increase over past years, so much so that the race start needed to be slightly delayed and yet took nothing away from the day.</span></div>
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<span>Arriving early with the family, I got registered & looked for friendly faces as well as who might be out for a good fast time of racing. My season up to this point I hardly could ask for better one. Several wins and high placings in big events. What most any competitive racer wishes for in a season. It was went tempered expectation I entered the Deerfly, having won the event in '12 & '13, it'd been a tough go the past 3 yrs there, missing out on opportunities, not having the legs or strategy to get to the top step again. And now after almost 2 months of great racing & so much good fortune and fitness. There was every reason to hold in check expectation. Yet I couldn't help thinking "man, if today goes well...." But many have experienced where fitness can & will eventually run it's course and being MTB racing anything from mechanicals, to getting off course, to crashing can alter an otherwise good day. The nerves were sorta killing me, I just wanted to get down to racing!</span></div>
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<span>My legs the day before felt decent, but the race warm-up was very so-so. But here's how the front of race went down....</span></div>
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<span>--<b>The Start</b>: It's a 1 mile 4 wheeler lead rollout, with fireworks starting in mile 2 on a modest gravel climb. From my perspective, there had to be at least 5 to 8 quality racers duking it out. Each one at some place or time had bettered me some type of racing. All with different strengths & weaknesses. You had perennial big power output guys like Ryan Fitzgerald and Matt Muyres. Gravel extraordinaire Drew Wilson. In my mind singletrack pheonoms like Matt O'Meara & Dustin Marsh. Dave Christianen was in the bunch. Another guy whom I hadn't met but looked certainly very capable as well, all driving the pace. </span></div>
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<span>In those early miles what would seem like a convincing 2-3 man break away, in no time was back to a group. I picked and chose when to drive & when to back off. I just wasn't gonna be passive & wait for someone else to do it though. It seemed given the caliber of racers it certainly wasn't in my interest to haul 7 guys into the single track. Having gonna have guys breathing hard was the goal. If the pace backed off I went to the front to bring it back up. Being their forte, Ryan & Matt M were instrumental in keeping the pace up along with myself and a mystery guy with a BMC jersey.</span></div>
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<span>--<b>The Singletrack</b>: The early miles were a combination gravel road, ski/4 wheeler type trail. Soon enough though the miles & miles of singletrack would be coming up. This BMC jersey guy I didn't know from Rochester MN took up the lead just before the single track & went in first. I followed behind him. For some reason we got a few bike length gap on Ryan Fitzgerald & Drew Wilson. I kept talking to the guy asking him to push it faster, keep the gap up. He had game & skills & was doing fine however pretty soon I asked for a pass as I wanted to see if a gap would stick over Ryan, Drew & co. held. On the front I was at my limit for long range output efforts. In switch backs I would count back & see if anyone was in the rearview mirror. It'd be 10 seconds & eventually 20 seconds. I kept thinking as long as gap didn't get shorter, the longer into the race the harder it would be to close. They were some solid good racers behind us. </span></div>
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<span>So just humming along going good, almost too good,..... as I clock a inward leaning tree on a left handed corner and did the obligatory 180 degree spin wipe out & crash. Oh my god, that did not just happen was my first thought. Did some vodoo evil singletrack Gnome just come out and pop me off the bike?!? I could not believe I just did that! Rattled, I scramble to get up, told the racer with me (later found out it was strong endurance guy Danny Whipple) to get going as he checked if I was ok. Losing 5-7 seconds to the guys chasing, banged up fingers and front brake lever twisted ugly underneath the handlebar making proper front braking a practice worthy of making a carpel tunnel rehab therapist cringe. Danny carved out a good 7 or 8 seconds on me and didn't appear to be letting up so I drove hard where I could to latch back on which took a 1/4 mile or more. </span></div>
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<span>The race continued to cook along and eventually I wanted back in the front on the tougher/tighter single track that was coming up. I wasn't necessarily an kind of expert on that trail section but it's trail that being familiar with gifted you with seconds or being unfamiliar cursed you by taking them away.</span></div>
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<span>I only looked down at the cycling computer a few times and at 85minutes in I was starting to feel the efforts. For those into power stuff my output was a modest avg of 274watt avg, but pedaling effort was 337watts. Danny & I had worked well together, there hadn't been a time he shook me off or I him. He likewise suffered a Evil Trail Gnome issue. Apparently two trees were too close together for Danny's liking and he went carbon handlebar lumberjack at 'em. Resulting score - Trees-1 Danny-0. Knocked down he got back up and caught back on.</span></div>
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<span>Sensing this type of effort, the on/off of single track racing, wasn't gonna let me have the steady cadence "forever legs" like at the Cheq 40 two weeks earlier. Later I prudently let Danny take some time at the front when he requested and at the same time the trails we were slightly less technical & easier to ride along with several gravel & ski trail interludes. I didn't know how he was feeling but neither us seemed to give away any inordinate amount of weakness or fading. </span></div>
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<span>With 6 or 7 miles left we exchanged friendlies, chatted, conceded that we likely had an adequate gap, decided to put it in slightly more of a cruise control mode and chatted about family/kids for a bit. Though we backed it off it still felt like we were going at a decent clip and the legs weren't necessarily any feeling better, they just weren't feeling any worse....</span></div>
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<span>--<b>The Finish:</b> The final 2 1/2 miles of the race. This is where you exit the majority of single track. It's onto gravel roads and ski trails with a short section of single track 1/2 mile before the rolling ski trail finish. We road even or Danny pulled a bit more on the gravel.</span></div>
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<span>Once on the ski-trails we were in for a surprise. The Race Director had cryptically texted me the night before these 2 words - "Think Cobbles". WTH? Well, on the race course there was a problem -- a section of trail was deeply rutted up with recent monsoon rains & logging operations. The logger had promised Noah to clean up the mud before the race. Well, he did... sorta. There was something like 1/4-1/2 mile of 3"-5" rock dumped on the ski trail. Mind you, it was mostly rock squished into the mud, uneven and very bumpy, true to the nature of "Cobbles" and at subsequently also had leg draining soft areas where small rock & gravel was placed. I think both Danny & I laughed with an "oh boy" in dismay at what we were going to have to go through. </span></div>
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<span>I lead through that section trying to find the <s>best</s> least worst lines and as we approached the final single track I found enough in the legs to up the pace so Danny didn't come around me on the final single track section. The single track was only about 1/4 mile or less before the final 1/2 mile rolling ski trails to the finish. I eased back riding the single track figuring I'd better stay with my bread & butter power on the ski trail for the finish. </span></div>
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<span>I jumped immediately upon exiting the single track -- it would be the final 2 1/2 minutes of the race.... I drove it hard for about a minute over a rolling section or two. Danny was obligatorily there right on my wheel. I wasn't losing Danny..... so, I slightly eased up as we crested the next roller. He then wisely & prudentally jumped & took the inside line, drove past me like the wind & dodging an asteriod belt of the racers finishing the Short race. That dirty dawg what an Excellent move on his part!! My legs really weren't liking me & didn't feel good but I sucked it up and went with what I had to follow him, hoping the finish wasn't too far...</span></div>
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<span>He maybe got 2 bike lengths on me as we started on the final incline before last 75 yards flat to the finish. Unlike in 2014 against Nate Lillie, I recognized where we were and knew I had to bury it with everything I had. Just before the crest I was able to pull even with Danny and he let out an expression only a fellow competitor could love, that had me realize he didn't have any more to give and I pulled away, glancing over my shoulder I kept a couple bike length distance. And perhaps for my first & only time I gave a race celebration. Crossing the line a second ahead of Danny in a fantastic well fought MTB battle! Good, good stuff. What a race, what a season to have.</span></div>
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<span>Our chasers weren't that far off rolling in less than 2 minutes back Drew held off Ryan for 3rd, with Matt Muyres taking 4th, followed by Dustin, and Matt O'Meara passing Dave Christiansen shortly before the finish. </span></div>
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<span>Many thanks to Noah and everyone that assists him to pull it together from Doc, to Bob Schwartz. The support he gets deserves much appreciation & our gratitude. It's an event and a good time that deserves consideration on anyone'</span>s season ending calendar.</div>
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<script src="http://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" type="text/javascript"></script></div>Aaron Swansonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06518166114584819554noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4969408281358306196.post-60256989794248741732017-09-11T19:52:00.000-05:002017-09-11T19:57:03.778-05:00Copper Peak Trails Fest Race 2017....<div>
Copper Peak Trails Fest Race 2017....</div>
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This might come as a surprise & delight for many that travel on thru to the Central U.P. for excellent MT Biking but Marquette Area & Keweenaw Pennisula isn't the only part of Upper Michigan that's got game with MTB trails. On the eastern edge of the U.P. the Ironwood area has an association that's quietly putting in some great trails. Known as the Sisu Dirt Crew, they've utilized terrain around the famous Copper Peak Ski Jump & created some very high quality single track trails that even the most discerning connoisseur of dirt trails would have a hard time not getting some big grins out of.</div>
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With enough distance of trails in place it was time to show case the gem they've been working on by hosting an inaugural event this past Saturday Sept 9th. </div>
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When I got word of new trails & a MTB race in less an hour drive, living in Northern Wisconsin, it's hard to pass on that opportunity. So to the chagrin of some buddies I passed on the Chequamegon 40 pre ride slug fest & opted to head to the Copper Peak Trails Fest.... </div>
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I'd pre road the trails the Weds with my son after a day or two of rain & I must admit some sections had me wondering what it would be like in time for Saturdays race but mother nature came thru with some sunshine & wind & made from some perfect conditions on Saturday.</div>
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Arriving for the 10am start I saw a nice crowd of riders, registering & warming up. Even a saw flashback from the past, as all around accomplished endurance athlete Scott Chapin was there on his plus bike back from a 9 year racing hiatus. </div>
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Soon it was time to line up & let the rpm's rip. Organizers very wisely constructed a level rollout followed by a long gravel climb to string things out before starting the single track to the top of Copper Peak. </div>
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I went to the front near the beginning of the climb followed closely by Casey Lajoie with Scott & others following. All was humming along pretty well up the climb until some robot drone-like killer bee got in behind my glasses & started stinging my lower left eye lid. Wow! That'll wake you up, I swatted my glasses aside, stopped & tried to collect myself. I couldn't open that eye & it just kept watering something fierce. Casey went by, asked what happened. I told him & he acknowledge having a similiar experience a few weeks back. Hoping no anaphylatic shock kicked in I remounted with a one eyed grimace that even a nasty Chequamegon 40 pirate would be proud of.</div>
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Eye watering & nearly to the single track entry point I make a push past Casey & hope that sometime soon I'll be able to use 2 eyes & get some depth perception before heading down Copper Peak hill. Casey brought some serious game as he held a respectable distance to me on the uphill where I thought my weight advantage would be most helpful and though I got a gap he came screaming down the front side of the hill through berms & swoopy turns like he didn't know what brakes were for. So whatever gap I managed on the uphill he effectively was closing me down on the descent. </div>
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We went thru the start/finish area fairly close to the lower trails that come near the Black River and no gap I could make would stick as Casey was never fair from sight on a switch back. </div>
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Once getting to the Black River the trails once again begin the ascend 600 feet up to top of Copper Peak. Here the time of incline played more to my favor & started to get bigger margins on Casey as well as Scott. </div>
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We raced on for 3 1/2 laps, scaling the mountain & descending back down. Each round had it's share of painful climbing but pure joy on the descent as you got to be more & more bold with the cornering, berms and jumps. Justly rewarded is how it felt. </div>
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Though only 16 miles in distance, it was harder than that as finishing times were 90minutes plus. </div>
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It was nice to come thru with a win but more importantly some super fun riding and hard efforts in preparation for next weeks Chequamegon 40. </div>
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The Sisu Dirt Crew had a nice post race awards program & post race party. One note on the podium I can reassure you no one in the entire WORLD will have you stand on a higher one -- huh? Well, they sent us up the chair lift to the ski jump tower. From there we took the elavator, then the stairs to the very top for pictures. Holy moses that's the toughest part about winning the day, that's one crazy high tower and to dudes that ski jump competitively -- whole new found appreciation.</div>
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My hats off to Sisu Dirt Crew, you guys did a super job on your trails & a very smooth run first event, hope to see you grow your event and trails. </div>
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And for those travelers going thru the U.P. take a stop on the eastern edge and visit Copper Peak Trails -- the sight is amazing and the trails are equally good!</div>
<div class="blogger-post-footer"><a href="http://twitter.com/Swanson_Aaron" class="twitter-follow-button" data-button="grey" data-text-color="#FFFFFF" data-link-color="#00AEFF" data-show-count="false">Follow @Swanson_Aaron</a>
<script src="http://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" type="text/javascript"></script></div>Aaron Swansonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06518166114584819554noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4969408281358306196.post-60314581122529521652017-09-04T11:49:00.001-05:002017-09-04T11:49:56.750-05:00The Grind...Giants Ridge: 2017....<div style="background-color: white; font-family: "times new roman", "new york", times, serif; font-size: 16px;">
<b>The Grind... Giants Ridge:</b></div>
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The Grind? Huh, what can that possibly be?</div>
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I recall last year, sometime after the fact, there was some MTB race up in northern MN over labor day weekend.</div>
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So this year, the weekend arrives having family plans for the remainder of the weekend... what options did a I have? Well, the forecasted rain of <span class="Object" id="OBJ_PREFIX_DWT217_com_zimbra_date" style="color: darkblue; cursor: pointer;">Sat</span> AM kept some would-be partners from doing a Chequamegon 40 hammer down prep ride, the thought of doing it myself wasn't so appealing but late <span class="Object" id="OBJ_PREFIX_DWT218_com_zimbra_date" style="color: darkblue; cursor: pointer;">Fri</span> afternoon I got to thinking.... hmmm, what about this Grind thing? Giants Ridge? Heard of it, where the heck is it? Google maps to the rescue. Ok, less than half distance to Copper Harbor MI for their race and still quite abit shorter than Maplelag (Callaway MN) for the Richard's crew much heralded MN MTB series weekend. So I sleep on it overnite, knowing the weather was the unknown. </div>
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I slept in til 6:30, the rain is pounding down in Ashland. I check the forecast for Giants Ridge though - huh, little to no rain. Excellent, what the heck let's give it a go! In one my fastest pack jobs ever I got my breakfast made & training bike in the van & hit the road by 6:50. Must have rained steadily for first 45min of my drive, but I'm trusting the Underground Weather App that somehow further west & north, MN has sunshine.</div>
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Enjoyable drive. On my way up checking in with different guys, one being Tim Andrew who did race last year gave me the "Yeah you'll like it, it's your style, you'll do well." Solid. Now to see if that's true. I arrive much to the dismay of ALL that know me, with more than 10minutes to spare. A rather leisurely 45minutes in fact. So I registered, found my power meter battery was dead, dangit - no data from this effort. Got tires pumped, chain lubed and then noticed.......oh boy there's alot of standing water around this place! Prudently leaving mud fenders front & rear installed as might come in handy.</div>
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Scoping things out as who may have come to play <span class="Object" id="OBJ_PREFIX_DWT219_com_zimbra_date" style="color: darkblue; cursor: pointer;">today</span>? In a short spin around I see gravel racing extraordinaire Drew Wilson the Cyclo-carbon wizard, Sam-I-Am Olson of Duluth among others. When you're used to arriving at the last minute, must admit it felt like a lifetime for the race to start. But got a reasonable warm up & it was soon national anthem time & a ready, set, go with 120 other racer ready folks.</div>
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The race started with a 1mile controlled roll-out with a few guys politely leading the charge. With an short incline approaching & 4 wheeler lead out moving aside. Matt Lee lays down a rocking acceleration waking up the crowd, and Sam Olson stealthily sliding in behind. I figure might want to be getting with this as things start to stretch out. Soon 4 wheelers peel away & it's "go time" over the top of a tight left corner, followed by a downhill right turn off wet pavement onto the promised punchy XC ski trails that start the race. The wet pavement & quick turn... not a great combo. Following Sam & Matt I slide out slightly but stayed up right, however behind one or two others weren't so lucky with sounds of clashing bikes the hitting the deck.</div>
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Matt kept drilling it pretty solid at the front from one punchy climb to the next, followed by Sam, then myself. With a 4th rider doing some yo-yoing on each climb & descent. I noticed I was breathing much harder than I would have desired but knew it was best to hang in there until I could confirm who all was going to make this front group. Once confirmed it was in fact Sam & Matt, pleasantries were exchanged, we began a steady effort working together and the 4th rider was in the distance. </div>
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The XC trail rollers provided opportunity to speed thru the descents and gain momentum for the ensuing climbs. It extended for some time but eased in pitch. Whether the pace changed or I was finally settling in & feeling much more comfortable I stayed to front frequently with Sam coming in to take turn. At some point Matt seemed to be getting distanced. I yelled back for him to get back with us, but post race I found out he started dealing with cramping issues and sticking with us was no longer in his game plan. </div>
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Sam & I continued on eventually hitting the middle of the race, characterized by gravel roads, 4 wheeler trails of various composition rocks, dirt, etc.....but all holding a very common variable -- water! For the mentally prepared this had to be one of the best parts of the race. We got to play/ride in the worst kinda-bike-hating-riding conditions. Mud holes that you hit square on that went axle deep. A full quarter mile of riding with 6"-12" deep water & simply no where else to go. The trail was completely underwater. Paradoxically then be treated for a few miles of smooth bike path pavement, it was bizarre but cool going from heinously to heavenly riding. </div>
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At just over half way mark in the race we were circling back towards the resort on some really rocky 4 wheeler trails, loose rock combined with bed rock and off course the constant obligatory overnight "stream crossings" that frequented the course. I noticed Sam falling back alittle, he's technically superb rider so I wasn't sure why. Post race I found out he's still working himself back from a broken wrist/arm earlier this summer and from personal experience '14 I know how painful that can be on certain sections of trail. </div>
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Sam got out front again shortly afterwards & said something to the effect "let the pain begin - we've got 3300 feet of climbing in this race". Honestly, My first thought? How to make this upcoming pain stop.... Slow down? No? I didn't feel up to that point we'd done that much climbing so I thought oh boy this race is gonna make up for it at the end as advertised. That's when we headed into why they probably call this race The Grind. I start to get my answer. The organizers set up the last 15+ miles of race with loops that weave & circle the vast area of ski hill terrain.</div>
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The race went vertical at that point. While I found a combination in the back cassette with a 40 tooth chainring in the front that worked, soon I was in heated front derailluer shifting mode. Sam & I started the climb together but after a short while I noticed he was back a few bike lengths & then some more & more. I yelled back to get back up to me again so we could ride together but the climb was really long & the pitch was not easing up & the distance between Sam & I would yo-yo.</div>
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Now, for those there, they know this wasn't a normal XC ski trail climb. You had not only constant, but perpetual soggy wet areas with frequent streams of gravity assisted water crossing the trail -- finding it's way downhill after the multiple inches of rain the area had the night before. This began the hilarious game of "find the best straightest line" -- think of it like this -- following a recently beheaded chicken running uphill. Everytime you thought you had firm ground, it was squish or mud or water, zig across the trail to find something better. Only as soon as you thought you had "it", it was back to the other side. Relentless. Matt Lee after the race said quite accurately he perhaps put in an extra 5 miles doing so. Fortunately seated pedaling kept for the most tire traction and I found a really comfortable cadence and kept pushing it, eventually getting 20 seconds and 40 seconds on Sam as we did battle up the hill. One climb would just lead to a switch back downhill corner that took finesse to stay upright before climbing again.</div>
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It came to a point you thought you might be in the Himalaya's as the climbs never seemed to stop, but then it popped out to a long moderate descent that sweep into the 2nd loop/start/finish area. I shot down the hillside with a decent gap on Sam. Passing the resort where the announcer was in full form entertaining the crowd and racers as well as we went by. The course was mark fairly well but there was some uncertainty as to the direction of the 2nd lap. That was probably my frantic moment of the day. I thought this must be what it feels like to be Jesse Lalonde sometimes when he out front & gets off course. Feel for you bro. Seeing what I thought might be race course 4 wheelers to guide us to a second lap & I follow them shouting out "Where's the course?" A shrug back & a "I don't know!" answer & things for a bit weren't looking good......So it was wait here til Sam catches back up or Lewis & Clark this thing & find the trail again. Fortunately my short pre-ride gave me a clue where to go & I got back on track, losing not more than a minute and no Sam in sight behind.</div>
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With probably 8 miles left in the race I was still feeling fairly good, hadn't unnecessarily punched any of my red zone tickets and it was out for the final loop. Well, this lap was gonna bring Narly to the already too wet party. Most memorably part of the race course for me was on this loop. A highlight was a loose rocky pitched climb had become a flowing downhill river. Sorry sustainable, Starbucks singletrack loving IMBA folks, mother nature is pretty forgiving & self healing so sometimes you can afford to cut loose and tackle what is there. This being an old jeep/4 wheeler trail she could take some tough love and I for one loved every minute of her. By the top of that climb, Sam had road himself back into sight though approximately 2 minutes down at the bottom. Amped up my efforts for a bit but measuring each ensuing climb, finding hills that required going full granny (26x36) to just keep moving. I started feeling more confident but knew I couldn't let up nor go too hard & take the chance of blowing up -- because at one point or another all the hard climbing was gonna catch up to a guy. </div>
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I looked at the clock and after 2 hour mark & no end in sight I thought there was a chance of things slipping away on me, maybe Drew was coming on strong, or Matt recovered or Sam's decending would get him back into it. I started asking the course marshall for the remaining distance but the answers came back varied and I wasn't trusting the GPS. So it became a serene steady effort the final miles with a joyous alleluia when I popped back out on the downhill straight that lead 1/2 mile back to the finish area. Man that felt great, legs were good but ready to be done. Came zipping through the finish area to surprise of the crowd & announcer. Little did I know but the hurt was on everyone behind with Drew coming in 2nd 9 minutes back having passed Sam in final 2 miles who cramped up but got 3rd with Matt holding on to 4th. Itiming.com has results or website <span class="Object" id="OBJ_PREFIX_DWT220_com_zimbra_url" style="color: darkblue; cursor: pointer;"><a href="http://www.racethegrind.com/" style="color: darkblue; cursor: pointer; text-decoration-line: none;" target="_blank">www.racethegrind.com </a></span></div>
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Great time had post race. Music, food, entertaining announcers. Swapped stories with Sam, Matt, Drew, Tim Wilkie and many others -- hearing of the carnage The Grind had left people in on this memorable course & conditions. Also in the evening was a night time party & cyclocross race. Of additional note funds raised from the race went to support NICA student league of MTB racing. Overall among the best organized events I've participated in. Glad to have it as an option on a Labor Day weekend stacked with great riding and racing opportunities.</div>
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<script src="http://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" type="text/javascript"></script></div>Aaron Swansonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06518166114584819554noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4969408281358306196.post-21700345455760059882015-10-05T13:07:00.003-05:002015-10-05T13:07:39.369-05:00Deerfly Chase 2015....It’s been one interesting year for me in the mt bike racing world. Not a lot
of posts (if any) but always something on my mind to share --perhaps as training
time winds down it’ll get out there.<br />
<br />
Anyways, if I can say nothing else this has been a year of things not going
according to plan and yet having the perhaps the best collective race results
particularly in the “bigger” races.<br />
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I love however the past 5 years I’ve been able to wind down the MTB season
with what’s becoming a standby venerable MTB racing event. The <a href="http://chippewaoffroad.org/events/deer-fly-chase" target="_blank"><span style="color: #473624;">Deerfly Chase at Hickory Ridge Trails</span></a> just outside of New Auburn, WI. <br />
<br />
This years edition went unconventional & pushed it’s date on the
calendar into the first weekend of October, but the same fantastic weather
conditions that have blessed the now 5 time event in the end of September hung around as well.<br />
<br />
Fortunately due to some fitness, skill & a healthy dose of luck I’ve had
a front row seat to the previous editions of the event going back to 2011. I
was hoping that this year that streak could continue going into
Saturdays (Oct 3rd) event.<br />
<br />
A concentrated effort on being prepared & to the race ahead of
schedule would surely throw off my would be competition, who knows all to well
my lack of timeliness & the regular squealing tires of the Swanson
minivan as it’s known to slide on two wheels into the closest parking space for
any given race. <br />
<br />
Well, this year didn’t play out much different… still the last to sign off at
registration, 15minutes before the starting horn. Hey, I’m thinking it’s all
about marginal improvement year over year. Maybe by the time I’m 80 I’ll have
gotten to the point of arriving an hour early.<br />
<br />
As I regretfully digress …. back to arriving this year, brought the whole fam
along, van deck out in bikes inside & out. Unstrapped & unloaded,
checked for tire pressure & Stages power meter signal & it was off for a
pre-ride of the last 1/2mile of the course. Alittle snafu last year in not
knowing where the finish was likely caused my demise to a single speeding demon
Nate Lillie for the victory & an attempted threepeat. <br />
<br />
Got a good look on pre-ride, saw some new single track that replaced former
ski trail finish & headed for a last minute bathroom break & to the
line. Looking around…. Hmmm…. many of same cagey characters from previous
editions. Robo-leg Lillie, Mr. Universe Ryan Fitzgerald, Matt O’meara, Kevin
Roytek, only to name a few. Others missing but replaced with new fresh faces
ever eager to get rolling into the mix. The line of races was 125 deep on the
pavement rollout behind the two 4 wheelers. Race Director Noah, gave timing
extraordinaire Bob Schwartz the high sign & off for a pleasant mile or so
rollout. The rollout is a nice touch for how this race starts before
unleashing the hounds….<br />
<br />
I don’t recall what Noah calls it after that mile rollout but there’s a sharp
left hand turn onto some Gorilla Gravel road climb. I know the race is only
5yrs old but had to be going big time at this point as there was a helicopter
drone, probably straight out of Jeffrey Bezos, Amazon black ops garage filming
us, trying to get the secrets of what makes this race so special &
spectacular…. look for your Youtube posting, I’m thinking this stuff is somehow
gonna get leaked by some Edward Snowden looking type…<br />
<br />
Well, the race takes off in earnest this point with Fitzgerald taking to the
front at a nice pace. I’m happily settled into 3rd or so behind Nate Lillie.
The climb this year had a Prime of untold value on it, only I couldn’t get Noah
to confirm if it was <a href="http://cdn.movieweb.com/img.news.tops/NEPKG3z7GB4xSX_4_b.jpg" target="_blank"><span style="color: #473624;">Optimus</span></a>
or not.<br />
<br />
A few racers whom I didn’t have the pleasure of knowing opted to raced to the
front & collect ahead of Ryan, Nate & myself. From there it’s a nice
rolling gravely section that has good speed & stretches the race out
alittle. So we tooled along that for awhile with Ryan, Nate & myself taking
turns at the front. <br />
<br />
Noah has a nice breaking point in the race as it detours over what appears to
be old logging roads. I find this part of the race course one of my favorites
as it’s rock hard fast terrain but with parts to still be mindful of. One can
just power down hard, so when Nate looked over at me on the left hand corner I
assumed & correct me if I’m wrong Nate -- it was “go time?” I may have
had a devilish smile as my legs were aching to drop the hammer & so they did
as I started drilling it, later easing up for Ryan to take the lead on the next
incline. This was enough to stretch out the race for good as Nate & Adam
Tripp brought in the troops from behind.<br />
<br />
A quick transition of some single track where I took to the front again
& I had a gap over everyone, but knowing it was a long race opted to ease up
as I assumed we’d regroup for the next gravel section. Only the pace put all
but Ryan in the hurt locker & we had a 30-50 yard lead coming out of it.
Looking behind a few times, we hmm’d-haw’d over keeping up the pace or easy
off. Without trying to pull away or ease up the gap stayed & it was
appearing it’d be a 2 man race for all the marbles. As we could only later see
Nate & Adam working on catching but not closing the gap. <br />
<br />
Then an early race agreement was struck between riders, Ryan opted to make
his efforts on the gravel & open sections, allow me the pleasure of taking
the lead in some of the most fantastic single track the state of Wisconsin has
to offer. This stuff holds a cherished place in my racing heart a close second
to the Seeley Pre-fat race course trails. Tight, twisty, not all the artificial
man made jumps & bumps from machine building & the ever growing
“Starbucks singletrack” IMBA world. Rather it’s more like real world, ducking,
weaving, corning, diving, twisting& turning thru the woods. (Ok, ok,
sorry for the Starbucks/IMBA comments, I like that stuff too. Just wish
EVERYTHING wasn’t starting to look that way.)<br />
<br />
The first hour of racing went by so fast, had to have pretty high
concentration, I was definitely pushing the pace, out of pure enjoyment more
than any kind of racing savvy (more on that later). Ryan would drop off the
pace at times but then like some yo-yo or a damn piece of chewing gum stuck to
your shoe come screaming back up to me. <br />
<br />
I shouldn’t speak for Ryan but I think we were having a good time. We’d get
out on the open stuff he’d do a nice strong pull even on some shorter single
track when I didn’t get around him fast enough. <br />
<br />
In the later third of the race, in talking to Ryan figured we’d finish with
at least a 4 minute lead. But this is also where the trails wander in all sorts
of directions and in that same moment our thoughts of a comfortable lead come to
a screeching halt as we first saw Adam Trip thru the trees… what the!? Where
did he come from! Later realizing maybe he wasn’t as close as first thought.
Next it was a another switchback around a hill & there was Nate Lillie!
Dang, we’re pounding it on the trails & keep thinking these guys must be
catching us, what kinda horse power is Nate driving in that 27.5 bike of his?
<br />
<br />
Time splits were starting to be given to us and we heard 35 seconds, almost
in disbelief, perhaps we heard it wrong. So much for the 2-3minute gap I
thought we had. About this time I get out of the blue a twinge in my leg. What
the heck is that? I don’t cramp, this is not happening. Dangit! I also know
what this means, a bonk is on it’s way & I’m not near enough to that finish
line. So I put on a higher cadence effort & conserve at every opportunity
and like waves my energy level would come & go. I was now hoping the
repeated efforts Ryan had been making earlier to stay close in the single track
maybe was having a fatiguing effect on him as well. <br />
<br />
We navigated the multitude of long race/short race junction points, made it
thru boulder heaven and a mud bog that flat out stopped our bikes faster than
some gooey campfire cooked marshmallows. <br />
<br />
In the final 15 minutes I started to go really flat, energy wise, not
mechanically. Like the life force is being sucked out my body through my
eyeballs. I started the early phases of blacking out, for real. I had a
serious bonk coming on. My vision started to get darker & gray. I’d blink
hard thinking it’d go away. Na-uh, wasn’t gonna do it.<br />
<br />
I hung with Ryan on the final gravel section & open ski trail section
with only a mile or two to go. Noah added a new near 180 degree turn onto
single track & in my near unconscious state I bobbled that & let Ryan
off to the finish on his own. <br />
<br />
I pushed in that final mile seeing the friendly faces of my wife Kate &
son Marshall (11) to finish 2nd on the day. Happy for Ryan to have had such a
solid race & it was a fantastic time riding as hard & fast as we did.
Only weeks earlier on a Chequamegon 40 pre ride we’d had a sorta flip flop of
events. That’s the great thing about bike racing you can never tell how it’s
all gonna play out. <br />
<br />
After I came thru the finish, we chatted for a bit and waited to see how
things played out behind us. Nate came in for 3rd, a super effort for a great
guy. His first race back from a major broken leg in March. Goes to show we as
capable of coming back from pretty big problems & to never give up or feel
like you can’t get back. Just gotta put your head down & keep trying.<br />
<br />
It was a rush of riders after Nate, all with some good stories & tales to
share. <br />
<br />
Did a cool down ride with my 2 favorite girls, Hope (9) & Grace (7) &
then off to the Deerfly post race party of eats, drinks & awards. Noah
& his leadership have put together an extraordinary event with a feel like
none other. I personally greatly appreciate all the efforts that go into
making the Deerfly Chase possible and a huge thank you to all the volunteers and
incredible trail builders who have made the Hickory ridge trails the very
special ones that they are. <div class="blogger-post-footer"><a href="http://twitter.com/Swanson_Aaron" class="twitter-follow-button" data-button="grey" data-text-color="#FFFFFF" data-link-color="#00AEFF" data-show-count="false">Follow @Swanson_Aaron</a>
<script src="http://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" type="text/javascript"></script></div>Aaron Swansonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06518166114584819554noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4969408281358306196.post-81930110583956459692014-10-17T11:59:00.001-05:002014-10-17T11:59:01.027-05:00Old guy with crazy powers….<p>Yeah, gotta love defying conventional wisdom.  Take 11 years of training and keep breaking thru to new peaks.</p> <p>It’s been post season power testing the past 2 weeks.  Despite all the personal challenges and adversity of this past year.  Cranked out some awesome power tests.  </p> <p>Any cycling athlete that trains regularly with watt measuring power device, knows of the sometimes dreaded 20minute Threshold test.  Personally I hadn’t worked on one in awhile.  </p> <p>At almost age 42, most people are gonna say… “eh, you know getting up there.”  I say, bullshit, our abilities are driven by many factors not just age.</p> <p>Here’s a reference, much loved cyclist Jens Voight, last month set the <a href="http://www.bloomberg.com/news/2014-09-18/jens-voigt-sets-record-for-farthest-distance-cycled-in-hour.html">world 1hr TT record</a>.  He did it targeting a power output of around <u>370watts</u>.  Does that effort hurt? Um… yes.  Will there be faster guys that ultimately break his record at higher wattage out put. Sure.</p> <p>Now I wasn’t going for a world 1hr TT record but I was going for a personal best 20min effort.  I’m happy to say I landed just 11 watts shy of what Jens did for an hour.  Could I have kept that up for another 40 minutes, hell no.  But maybe 340watts, less than 10% off the world record holder?  That’s actually not so far fetched. </p> <p>Power is relative to weight on hills  -- and frontal body surface on flats.   Jens’ at 168lbs has got me by 3-7lbs on any given day.</p> <p>I’ve got a point in all this.  Don’t believe all the conventional wisdom.  Wisdom that says after 10yrs of training you’re maxed out, you can’t possibly get any faster.  Guess what?  In 11th year and I just put 3% gains on my 20min threshold ability.  Oh, you’re almost 42, you’re past your prime.  Eh?  Well, if that was the case it wouldn’t be a new peak right?  </p> <p>Maybe this is not true for everyone, but my point is don’t give up, try different strategies and approaches.  If anything the worst that happens you still maintain a very high competitive form of fitness…</p> <p>Some of my favorite athletes as a kid were the older ones.  They inspired others as to what was possible.  Yes, there’s a lot of things in life and we can’t do everything, but if you have a desire for something don’t give up.  Believe in the unconventional.  World record 1hr TT holder is 43, winner of 2013 ground tour Vuelta a Espana 41, even Olympian’s like Dara Torres can be in their 40’s.   Pursue it as long as it’s of interest to you and you have desire.  You might just end up amazing yourself…</p> <div class="blogger-post-footer"><a href="http://twitter.com/Swanson_Aaron" class="twitter-follow-button" data-button="grey" data-text-color="#FFFFFF" data-link-color="#00AEFF" data-show-count="false">Follow @Swanson_Aaron</a>
<script src="http://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" type="text/javascript"></script></div>Aaron Swansonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06518166114584819554noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4969408281358306196.post-90197694314102939782014-10-10T10:43:00.001-05:002014-10-10T10:43:55.265-05:00Phat Bike Friday…<p>Fat bike Plans & Parties…. for this Fall & Winter, read on..</p> <p><a title="http://www.evernote.com/l/AHZ9zBp6R61FxZ-BPAEczJq416JSKkCMZkQ/" href="http://www.evernote.com/l/AHZ9zBp6R61FxZ-BPAEczJq416JSKkCMZkQ/">http://www.evernote.com/l/AHZ9zBp6R61FxZ-BPAEczJq416JSKkCMZkQ/</a> </p> <p>New Fatabulous Fat bike getting some love & assembly… </p> <p> </p> <p><a href="http://lh4.ggpht.com/-GZi6F8gKNXU/VDf-rnnurmI/AAAAAAAAKIM/ISNAJKemMg4/s1600-h/2014-10-10%25252010.40.30%25255B4%25255D.jpg"><img title="2014-10-10 10.40.30" style="border-top: 0px; border-right: 0px; background-image: none; border-bottom: 0px; padding-top: 0px; padding-left: 0px; border-left: 0px; display: inline; padding-right: 0px" border="0" alt="2014-10-10 10.40.30" src="http://lh4.ggpht.com/-z0PsjM468q8/VDf-tqo27LI/AAAAAAAAKIU/JKvnSDtcCB0/2014-10-10%25252010.40.30_thumb%25255B1%25255D.jpg?imgmax=800" width="374" height="214" /></a></p> <div class="blogger-post-footer"><a href="http://twitter.com/Swanson_Aaron" class="twitter-follow-button" data-button="grey" data-text-color="#FFFFFF" data-link-color="#00AEFF" data-show-count="false">Follow @Swanson_Aaron</a>
<script src="http://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" type="text/javascript"></script></div>Aaron Swansonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06518166114584819554noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4969408281358306196.post-54913140689570930202014-09-29T12:54:00.001-05:002014-09-29T12:54:13.082-05:00Deerfly Chase 2014–close but….<p>What is it with this beautiful weather last weekend in September the past 4 years?  Some say good luck, I’m thinking it’s the Deerfly Chase MTB race…</p> <p>September comes around in MTB season and there’s sometimes this letdown after the Chequamegon Fat Tire Festival.  Fortunately, the DeerFly Chase MTB race at Hickory Ridge 30 miles Northeast of Eau Claire has been a perfect event to wind down the MTB season the last Sat in September.</p> <p>This year was no different.  Having broken my left hand in mid August it really put the damper on my racing season in what’s normally a higher priority time .  I struggled thru the Chequamegon 40 in a lot of pain but finished as solid as I could, it was nice to have a shot at another MTB race.</p> <p>Now the good fortune of racing an end-of-the-season-burnt-out Nathan Lillie like last year wasn’t in the cards, if anything the odds were tilting the other way as I came in on a still healing fractured left hand that was about as appreciative of downhills, drops, roots and rocks as a blade of grass is to a trampling herd of buffalo.</p> <p>Never knowing who might show up also puts some wild cards into play.  Rumors of this particular racer or that swirled in the weeks leading up to the race.  As it stood, a race fit, fresh off an outstanding top 30 Chequamegon 40 finish, Ryan Fitzgerald dropped in join the foray as well.</p> <p>My best laid plans of getting to the race early evaporated with a late nite project the night before and a swirling household of busyness consumed my morning.  Didn’t help I misjudged the time it’d take to get to the race either.  So I’m peeling into the makeshift hayfield park lot as the line up of racers on the rollout section is 100 deep with 5 minutes to go.  Oops!</p> <p>I get the obligatory & deserved heckling from follow racers, as Noah Michaelsen, race director extraordinaire is helping me tie on my #1, defending champ racing plate before the starting gun goes off.  I don’t know if he was laughing or incensed by it. </p> <p>So I pop out with the “special weapon” I’d worked on setting up until midnite the night before.  My up to this point completely unused 2014 race bike, sometimes a rookie mistake to do, but my still mending hand desperately needed the best suspension it could find.  </p> <p>Without warmup, I’m got to line & 60 seconds later we’re off, trailing Noah, & Brian Kelley on the lead out four wheelers.  Fortunately, it’s a controlled rollout for mile & half that would have to constitute my warmup.</p> <p>The 4 wheelers let us loose at the gravel turn off and the rpm’s kicked up.  The first to lead the charge up the first hill that splits up the race was ever affable Matt O’Meara with engine as good as ever,  just carrying more on the racing chassis.  Following Matt things stretched out abit and two quasi lines of racers formed.  An ensuing descent and more gravel dwindled things further but still a group of 8-10 including top 4 female finisher at the Chequamegon 40 Rebecca Sauber riding strong.  </p> <p>I knew within a short distance we’d finish go off road to some ski trails before hitting the first short section of single track.  I was itching  to get things rolling, yet trying to exercise restraint knowing my legs hadn’t had a chance to get warm up yet.  However I let my need for speed override any other decision making capabilities and hit the off road section mix of ski trail & single track at an earnest pace.  Seeing if anyone would struggle abit.  The result as I turned around was I had gaps, Nate Lillie was off several bike length and then at least 4 to 6 racers behind him. </p> <p>I felt alittle winded coming off that effort and knowing we had more rolling gravel sections, I held up and waited for them to join again.  I could tell it wasn’t gonna be a super day, but if I road smart I should hold my own.  The single track had my left hand twinging at the pain  but the new bike suspension was helping to tame it as good as was possible.</p> <p>On the open road, Ryan Fitzgerald went to the front and lead our group for a bit after me and he & I exchange that lead for awhile.  As best as I could tell, it contained Ryan, myself, Nate Lillie, I believe Matt Zak and this other guy I couldn’t identify at first.  </p> <p>The race eventual becomes a domain single track race interspersed with ski trail and gravel road riding.  My guess is 15-20minutes into the race we finally got riding the Hickory Ridge single track, Nate Lillie took to the front and had a controlled pace.  With me trailing, followed by who I later found out was the up & coming Logan Schlough.  I’d know of him racing from seeing result over the years, the kid is getting fast.  I tip my helmet to his efforts.  With Ryan Fitzgerald bringing up the rear of our fearsome foursome. </p> <p>My inclination was to pick up the pace while the single track was tight, rougher in the beginning and we could get gaps but Nate backed it off ever so slightly to pace his single speeding efforts.  We continued thru the single track ebbing and flowing the lead group as conditions warranted.  The trails had dried up substantial since I pre-road on the Thursday before, so the same level of caution I thought was gonna be needed could be thrown to the wind.  </p> <p>Hickory Ridge trails a quite the gem of trails that don’t get the press they deserve.  Really a substantial & diverse set of trails for all levels riders.  It presents timely and adequate challenges.  </p> <p>It’s there that’s where the first break in action at the front of the group happened.  After navigating a bridge or two, we then hit a longer “skinny” serpentine bridge over a wet area.   Nate cleared it fairly easily, I took a funny line onto it but stayed steady enough to cross, from behind I could hear Logan didn’t exactly have the same luck.  I could hear him go off, and correspondingly I was guessing Ryan wasn’t gonna make it either.  </p> <p>I told Nate we got a break, to put it down.  Not sure if he heard me very well, but he picked up the pace abit for a short distance and the sounds of racers behind us disappeared.  I’m thinking, “Ah, good, now it just down to Nate & I, a rematch of last year.”  Little did I know, but Logan was able to pick himself up and hammer back as he steadily kept creeping back up closing the gap.  I still didn’t know it was Logan at that time, so I thought -- crap we’re really going have to go hard somewhere later in the race.   Ryan in the meantime had a harder fall wasn’t coming back into the picture.</p> <p>With about 11-12 miles to go, and Logan almost back on, we transitioned thru a short uphill ski section at a hard effort, on top of his chase back, it was just enough to hold him in check from getting back to us, then later I heard him have a bike issue and he was off the lead for the remainder of the race having used up a lot of proverbial matches to chase on.</p> <p>Nate continued to ride the single track smoothly on his Pivot Singlespeed 36x17 gearing.  I had a few hand issues happening and was working my own pace staying close when I wanted to and dropping back some if it felt right.  With just under 10 miles to go we got back out on the rolling gravel roads and Nate had a 6-8 second lead and hit the first climb putting more time into me.  I’d started to have some cramping in my hamstrings, the last thing I needed was to go over my limit when I knew I should be able close a lot of the gap on the ensuing downhills.  Sure enough, weight helps and hurts both ways.  Climbing makes for a harder effort, but as I like to say “the fat man wins the race to the bottom of the hill.”  Being that there’s a 30+ lb weight difference between myself & Nate that’s the yo-yoing we did as I caught back up.</p> <p>With just over 5-6 miles left we hit our final single track section of about 2 miles.   Some new parts are really super well designed and other more challenging, only in respect to the copious amounts leaves that had fallen.  Making the single track line difficult to follow.  It was here I was starting to get gapped not by choice, Nate built up a gap of over 12 seconds and my cramps were getting more profound, I was braking more, my hand was taking a beating and I was on the verge of letting him go when we exited the final single track and began the final romp home thru gravel roads and cross country ski trails.   I kept thinking, gosh, this race has gotta get over soon.   It was longer than years past due to course changes and my body, legs and hand weren’t appreciating it.  </p> <p>But much like the prior section of gravel, we yo-yo’d the up and downhills, but being that gravel riding is very familiar to me from training I seemed to get a renewed strength and felt like maybe, just maybe I’d be able to get back into this race to make a decent go at the finish….</p> <p>Once I caught Nate at the next climb and corner back onto ski trail I rolled to the front pretty hard, not sure if I’d be going over my limit but I was willing to take the chance.  I lead out a good share of next few miles and Nate would do his best to stay like glue to me.  </p> <p>Though I hadn’t pre road the final miles of the course, I figured I’d be able to remember enough of it.  In years past, it seemed endlessly long, this year it was the opposite.  After awhile I let Nate take the lead again & kept looking for familiar signs we might be near the finish but holding back slightly because I kept thinking we had another 1/2 to full mile to go and it would be unwise to cramp up before then.  That would prove to be most unfortunate.</p> <p>In what seemed like a blink, we rounded a left corner on the ski trail and Nate stood up and started pedaling really hard.  I looked further up, and oh my goodness, there’s the finish line!! I jumped on it then and in what seemed like slow motion I kept coming further & further around Nate as he angled towards the finish line, only to run out of real estate to get around him before crossing the line and going thru the finishing gate.  </p> <p>It was an awesome finish, giving the spectators some excitement.  Slight body & bike contact and Nate squeezing me out by a foot.  The win couldn’t have gone to a better guy.  He worked hard, road smart and deserved it for sure. </p> <p>Had a great time afterwards catching up with follow racers.  Organizers have a nice party afterwards with food, beverage, awards and prizes.  Besides the tale I shared I’m sure there’s a bunch other great stories from other racers and their experience at the Deerfly Chase both the race and the event afterwards.  </p> <p>My many, many thanks to Noah Michaelsen, Brian Kelley and volunteers for all the support and efforts they put in to make the Deerfly Chase happen each year and to make the Hickory Ridge trails one of the best kept secrets out there.  Do yourself a favor and consider checking it out both sometime…</p> <p>Full results and info here…<a title="https://www.facebook.com/events/926845487341829/" href="https://www.facebook.com/events/926845487341829/">https://www.facebook.com/events/926845487341829/</a></p> <div class="blogger-post-footer"><a href="http://twitter.com/Swanson_Aaron" class="twitter-follow-button" data-button="grey" data-text-color="#FFFFFF" data-link-color="#00AEFF" data-show-count="false">Follow @Swanson_Aaron</a>
<script src="http://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" type="text/javascript"></script></div>Aaron Swansonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06518166114584819554noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4969408281358306196.post-82966756749105619612014-09-22T11:21:00.001-05:002014-09-22T11:21:55.305-05:00the Secret..…come check out -- the Deerfly Chase–Sept 27th 2014<p>Ok, probably when one of the quiet moments of life occurs, I might just catch up on a great season of stories and adventures in this blog.  </p> <p> Nasty crashes, Broken left hand, knocking at the door in big races, … and lot’s of good friends and people that make a summer of cycling and mt bike racing so much fun!!!</p> <p>Quick note out to fellow racer Devin Curran, dude took a monster crash at the <a href="http://www.cheqfattire.com/">Cheq 40</a> the other weekend.  Details aren’t my speciality on this one, but when you end up taking a helicopter ride because your body & head has bounced off the pavement it ain’t the best.   If you know Devin keep him in mind, we wish him well.</p> <p>Speaking of the Chequamegon 40, don’t think it’s the last time in the season to get out and use that fitness you gained or to have some fun racing bikes.  There’s one race in now it’s 4th edition I’d say serious consider checking out.   Head over to the Bloomer/New Auburn area (approx. 30miles NE of Eau Claire)  and check out the Hickory Ridge trails.  </p> <p>Noah Michaelson, race director of the Deerfly Chase does an awesome job of putting on a great race and a race atmosphere that is perfect for end of the season race.  Here’s the details…<a title="http://chippewaoffroad.org/events/deer-fly-chase" href="http://chippewaoffroad.org/events/deer-fly-chase">http://chippewaoffroad.org/events/deer-fly-chase</a> </p> <p>Whether I’m nursing up the broken hand & taking pictures & sipping a beer or strapping on a number and racing hard I’m gonna be there enjoying a wrap up to a great season.  Hope to see many of you there!!</p> <div class="blogger-post-footer"><a href="http://twitter.com/Swanson_Aaron" class="twitter-follow-button" data-button="grey" data-text-color="#FFFFFF" data-link-color="#00AEFF" data-show-count="false">Follow @Swanson_Aaron</a>
<script src="http://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" type="text/javascript"></script></div>Aaron Swansonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06518166114584819554noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4969408281358306196.post-66782245280749426632014-07-14T22:55:00.001-05:002014-07-14T22:55:24.600-05:00Upcoming races…<p>Life’s been on a roller coaster since my last post.  Probably the reason for not getting in any posts since.  I keep thinking to myself… someday, someday….</p> <p>In a nutshell, training is coming along, there were some low’s but last race at the Chippewa Valley Firecracks (<a href="http://www.wors.org">www.wors.org</a>) confirmed maybe, just maybe this change of routine is working.  More on that later….</p> <p>On a personal note - Our 3yr old son, little Aaron, he’s made some amazing progress from his near drowning accident in May I last wrote about.  Situations like that should never let you look at any day of your life the same, no matter how back to normal things can get.  Both the accident and the recovery can be considered blessings as strange as that may sound for what they bring to your life.</p> <p>It’s really profoundly changed some belief’s I’ve held.  </p> <p>Now on the lighter side I’ve got all kinds of amusing little race stories and other cycling tales to share.  Hopefully all in good time and shortly.</p> <p>And lastly if I can put in a shameless plug for a local races in the communities here……should any of you find yourself in the northern reaches of Wisconsin July 19th or July 26th.  Consider taking in Ashland’s own Mudrutters MTB race.  <a title="https://www.facebook.com/photo.php?fbid=10152211981662876&set=a.481575512875.259134.321400402875&type=1&theater" href="https://www.facebook.com/photo.php?fbid=10152211981662876&set=a.481575512875.259134.321400402875&type=1&theater">https://www.facebook.com/photo.php?fbid=10152211981662876&set=a.481575512875.259134.321400402875&type=1&theater</a></p> <p>and Washburn own Brownstone Days MTB Race</p> <p><a title="http://washburnchamber.com/?110770" href="http://washburnchamber.com/?110770">http://washburnchamber.com/?110770</a></p> <div class="blogger-post-footer"><a href="http://twitter.com/Swanson_Aaron" class="twitter-follow-button" data-button="grey" data-text-color="#FFFFFF" data-link-color="#00AEFF" data-show-count="false">Follow @Swanson_Aaron</a>
<script src="http://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" type="text/javascript"></script></div>Aaron Swansonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06518166114584819554noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4969408281358306196.post-16124608609873672312014-05-11T12:34:00.001-05:002014-05-12T05:46:00.750-05:00Biking aside….family news…<p>Been a pretty rough week  -- and I would do anything to say it’s because of training.  Unfortunately it’s not the case.  </p> <p>My family experienced a terrible incident last Sat the 3rd.  One of the worst a parent or anyone for that matter ever wants to experience.  Prior to preparing for a family bike ride, our youngest (3 yr old Aaron Cooper)  fell into a pond when playing.  He was down for an undetermined period of time.  I jumped in & pulled him from the pond, he was unresponsive as I rushed him to the hospital 1 1/2 miles away.  </p> <p>The ER team worked incredibly hard performing life saving measures and brought his heart beat back after about 35minutes and he was life flighted to Duluth, MN St. Mary’s Pediatric ICU.  </p> <p>Its now a week later.  It’s been both the fastest & slowest 8 days of my life.  There has been so many ranges of emotions, from gripping fear to elation, even writing now the mind floods with trying to get my head around it.  </p> <p>Besides the initial shock, there have been advances and setbacks that have been equally challenging.  It’s so surreal most days.</p> <p>I shared something earlier in the week with friends & family to try & comprehend things for our little guy…..</p> <p> <em>People may wonder what it is like?..... so I've pondered ways to share.  From the scientific to the spiritual.  But maybe a story is best...</em></p> <p><em>Well, like any little boy might be, little Aaron is undoubtedly scared and he's still very deep in the woods.  But I like to think he's got a backpack on his journey, one that's full of love, hope, determination & prayers. The way home is found with a compass guided from the thoughts, energy of so many.  I'd like you all to know we believe every last one of you & your families help with that.</em></p> <p><em>And the voices of prayer are those whispers he can hear in the wind blowing thru the trees for courage & strength & even a light hearted moment from time to time. (As he picks up a stick along the way to play imaginary games with... & believe me, we've seen him in the real woods, this is what he does :) )  He has some really big hills yet & logs across his path to climb over. </em></p> <p><em>Whatever part of your day you have a moment to think, feel or express your love & support.  Do so.  Do it in how you care for others as well, love is an energy that radiates, that benefits everyone around & makes for a stronger draw for that little boy in the woods to keep moving forward...</em> </p> <p>In the days that have since passed, he traveled thru standard protocol of keeping the body temperature down for 48hrs, warming him up slowly but keeping him sedated while the major physical challenges relating to his cardiovascular system, lungs, heart & blood pressures where worked on.  </p> <p>Those struggles have minimized and his breathing tube removed.  While it initially feels like a milestone, it’s only part of that journey.  The most nerve wracking is to see his status coming out of sedation.  What level of consciousness he regains.  It feels every bit as difficult & emotional as bringing him into that ER last Saturday.  </p> <p>There’s has been an almost overwhelming support from so many people, well wishes, support & prayers.  We are nothing short of blessed for all that people have shown.  How to put it all into words is very difficult.</p> <p>My wife, Kate has made it thru a birthday & a mother’s day this week and is somehow still standing thru it all.  I’d love to believe her strength will work to forward the steps Aaron makes.  </p> <p>Those of you who have known of this and sent your prayers & thoughts, I can’t begin to tell you how supportive & connective it feels.   Our most heartfelt sincere thanks  go out to you.</p> <p>Maybe the last thing I’d like to share is this -- & it’s what Kate & I wish onto all of you.  Take your moments and enjoy them all, hold them precious.  The support we’ve seen shows profound amounts of caring and love people are capable of.  Please, please don’t extend that to just the tragedies and challenges in life, but look for moments to express it in your <u>everyday life</u> with your family & friends.</p> <p>Updates on Aaron’s condition we post on <a href="http://www.caringbridge.com">www.caringbridge.com</a>.  If you’d like to read or stay in touch, you can search Aaron Swanson, the PW is aaroncd </p> <p>Thank you again all so very much,</p> <p><a href="http://lh3.ggpht.com/-USFcvS3omM0/U3CmZDxW4fI/AAAAAAAAF3w/vasjgBXBy9U/s1600-h/2014-05-10%25252011.36.08%25255B2%25255D.jpg"><img title="2014-05-10 11.36.08" style="border-top: 0px; border-right: 0px; background-image: none; border-bottom: 0px; padding-top: 0px; padding-left: 0px; border-left: 0px; display: inline; padding-right: 0px" border="0" alt="2014-05-10 11.36.08" src="http://lh6.ggpht.com/-nkyxkOyqKbQ/U3CmZspHIkI/AAAAAAAAF34/YTHgh1oZ7Kc/2014-05-10%25252011.36.08_thumb.jpg?imgmax=800" width="207" height="244" /></a></p> <div class="blogger-post-footer"><a href="http://twitter.com/Swanson_Aaron" class="twitter-follow-button" data-button="grey" data-text-color="#FFFFFF" data-link-color="#00AEFF" data-show-count="false">Follow @Swanson_Aaron</a>
<script src="http://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" type="text/javascript"></script></div>Aaron Swansonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06518166114584819554noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4969408281358306196.post-63865284918720387232014-01-20T12:55:00.001-06:002014-01-20T12:55:56.809-06:00Getting around too…recaping ‘13<p>I used to have a standard to try & blog no less than once a month… I think that got blown to bits in 2013.  Different training, lot’s of different stuff going on in life and most of all lot’s of writers block.</p> <p>Not to say I didn’t get out some fun musings on a few races.  But still so many other good stories to share that I missed telling.  </p> <p>2013 started pretty rough actually, a miserable about of illnesses & colds that seemed to be a regular weekly occurrence.  I missed the ‘cross nationals in January, but leading into them there was something missing in my fitness & when I got the full blown influenza a week or two before hand.  It wasn’t gonna happen.</p> <p>I’m both a veraciously competitive person yet also laid back at times.  I did a lot of thinking in the spring about where I’d been, and come from in terms fitness, skills & racing a bike.  It was a long slow steady climb.  I had the great fortune of working with some great coaches over the years.  Initially I worked with CTS and had a really fun experience with Josh Powers who later started his own coaching at <a href="http://www.powersendurance.com/home/">PowersEndurance</a>.  The guy has a wonderful sense of humor and very smart at what he does.  </p> <p>Eventually for a few reasons I wanted to try to something different, I’d heard great things about local Wisconsin coach Gordy Paulson (Peaks Training), he brought an ever so different philosophy to his way of training and with his coaching of <a href="https://twitter.com/SchoutenTristan">Tristan Schouten</a> .  Gordy is one of the most excellent, not only coaches but human beings I’ve ever had the pleasure of getting to know & work with.  In working with him 2011 & 2012, I saw my greatest short term power/wattage gains.  </p> <p>While those numbers made great for bragging rights, they still left something missing when it came to racing the bike.  The biggest struggle I still had was being able to hold my wattage on a bike for the duration of most races.  In training jargon it was the challenge to translate my solid “threshold” power into long efforts.  </p> <p>I figured after some 8 years of doing similar things --- lower mileage, high intensity just wasn’t creating the adaptation in my body to race the distances I was doing.   Now that’s not true of everyone, some people can substitute intensity for duration and have great results.  Tristan from my understanding is one of those guys.  Hats off to him.   But we are all biologically just that much different in how we metabolize our energy stores and how our “energy systems” work.  </p> <p>I decided I had to consider a different alternative.  Which is hard to do when you are indoctrinated into a belief or philosophy – harder/faster is better.  So I took a step back, said “hey, it’s not entirely accomplishing what I’m trying to do, I’ve got nothing to lose to try something different”.</p> <p>So in April I began a different program, unconventional for the typical racer, but one that focused on long rides, and very specific targets and wattage zones to ride in at specific times.  At first glance I’d look at the absolute wattage targets & always think, “Oh, boy, this is gonna be an easy day!”  But what I failed to consider was the duration that was required…. and even a moderate output can be extremely difficult if the training ride is long enough.  </p> <p>Skeptical that it would work?  Yup.  But soon after I found myself feeling like I had stamina that I didn’t have previously.  The first race of the season, the Strada Fango spring classic, was my first hint it might be working.  A 4+hr race that early in the season would have normally had me unglued 2hrs in.  This year, except for late race misdirection on my half, had Nate Lillie & myself leading it up to the finish.</p> <p>The second race of the season, the Cable Off Road Classic was the first time I’d gone into that race with only a handful of rides going at or above race pace.  Now due to the prolonged winter weather conditions, the race was revised & was a distinctly shorter race.  Even so, the longer training didn’t hurt as I was able to come thru for a much celebrated win in a race that holds a special place & lot’s of memories.</p> <p>I'll do on average 12-15 races a year.  It seems to be the right amount for the time, effort & energy required living where I do & my life situation.  So as the early part of summer arrived I was doing workouts that would have previously shocked me.  I wasn’t racing as well as I would have liked or getting the progress I wanted, but at the same time I wasn’t having any endurance issues.</p> <p>Had a s0-so Mt Borah Epic, the 30 miles of single track race.  Efficiency on a bike matters quite a bit.  And without any time on singletrack to get in a groove, I’d waste a huge amount of energy where more natural & fluid racers could conserve.</p> <p>To some degree the same could have been said of the Keweenaw ChainDrive, but in that case.  I learned that expending a great deal of energy going for a prime, will cost you later.  There’s no getting around it.  Just like in a car or truck if you constantly punch the accelerator at it’s max, it’s gonna have less in the tank than if you keep it steady.</p> <p>The late June/early July Chippewa Valley Firecracker has always been both fun but a huge nemesis to me.  I love riding the trails they have there, but at the same time.  That race & the results I get there never show me much love.  My endurance work paid dividends as I’d survived the race better than in years past, & though short of my top 20 goal I’d gotten pretty close.</p> <p>That lead into the July races….</p> <p>The Duluth Great Hawk Chase, if there was 2 other races I wish I would have blogged about it, that would have been one of them.  I’d started to reduce some of the volume of my training but came there without any expectations & having drilled a hard workout the day before.   Starting in the back row & getting clogged behind riders in the long climb up the hills that start the race.  I slowly worked my way thru more & more people. Within a lap or two I’d moved from 40th to 5th.  Riding nearby was Todd McFadden & Mason Basco  along with some other bozo.  Now, I don’t normally say that, but seriously?  This dude was.  Mtb racers tend to be in my experience some of the best people to race with, even if it’s intense they are polite and cordial.   He broke that mold.  Riding a single speed, he felt it was everyone else’s job to make his life better.  He bitched at lap traffic and other riders.  When I slide out on a corner on a bad water handoff on the start of the third lap (of 4)  his profanity laced tirade sent me over the edge.  I’d gone down, had to run/walk the bike into a position to get back on.  In the meantime, I’d lost Todd, Mason & this guy.  They were up the trail & out of sight.  Ugh!! I was so mad.  I managed to get thru the single track that then lead up a long climb & I just found energy where I never had it before.  I brought back 100+ yards.  I road past Todd, (with Mason & the bozo) further up front, cursing under my own breath some along the lines of killing that S.. …well, let’s keep this blog polite.  And say my fierce competitor switch had kicked in.   Todd later said, he’d never seen me so mad. Oops, oh well, just human.</p> <p>I soon was on “the bozo’s” tail as he was getting gassed and I flew by him with a direct mention to him of working on being more polite to his fellow racers.  (Maybe I didn’t say that kindly, but that was my intent).    I worked to try to catch up with Mason, but to no avail and then in the final lap that hard effort was costing me just alittle & Todd caught back on & used his familiarity with the single track there to pull away.  But a 7th place finish was by far the best race result I’d had in either a MN or WI MTB series race and was pretty happy.</p> <p>Later that month I had a really interesting experience – something that told me duration/endurance focused training maybe didn’t necessarily take away top end fitness.  There’s this small local MTB race in Washburn, WI – called the Brownstone days race.  It’s only 10 or 11 miles but still cool & challenging.  I raced it in ‘12 with a PowerTap power meter & in ‘13 with the same Powertap meter.  Since it’s a short race with a long climb, it’s gonna have a higher power output profile and theoretically the advantage should go to someone who has specifically been training for those high wattage efforts with intervals.   And in ‘12 that was the case with me, I had all kinds of intensity.  For numbers sake, here’s how they stacked up….</p> <table cellspacing="0" cellpadding="2" width="400" border="0"><tbody> <tr> <td valign="top" width="133" align="center">Peak power</td> <td valign="top" width="133" align="center">2012</td> <td valign="top" width="133" align="center">2013</td> </tr> <tr> <td valign="top" width="133" align="center">20min avg watts</td> <td valign="top" width="133" align="center">338</td> <td valign="top" width="133" align="center">336</td> </tr> <tr> <td valign="top" width="133" align="center">30min avg watts</td> <td valign="top" width="133" align="center">309</td> <td valign="top" width="133" align="center">321</td> </tr> <tr> <td valign="top" width="133" align="center">40min avg watts</td> <td valign="top" width="133" align="center">298</td> <td valign="top" width="133" align="center">306</td> </tr> </tbody></table> <p> </p> <p>To me one validation that I’d not lost my top end even though endurance had been my focus.</p> <p>August ‘13:</p> <p>That lead to an up & down month of racing.  <a href="http://www.oretoshore.com/">Ore to Shore</a> wasn’t the race I was hoping it to be, after getting in the front group(s), I lost my mojo towards the end & with it the chance of a top 20 finish.  It was my 1st or 2nd highest priority race of the year & a long time goal.  With little more than 2 miles to go I was gassed and couldn’t hold onto my position.  Did however come away with a sweet bike in the raffle…</p> <p><a href="http://lh5.ggpht.com/-jKtizjleBj8/Ut1xHralTVI/AAAAAAAAF2A/6dzH_5H3dXo/s1600-h/2013-08-11%25252017.53.51%25255B3%25255D.jpg"><img title="2013-08-11 17.53.51" style="border-top: 0px; border-right: 0px; background-image: none; border-bottom: 0px; padding-top: 0px; padding-left: 0px; border-left: 0px; display: inline; padding-right: 0px" border="0" alt="2013-08-11 17.53.51" src="http://lh4.ggpht.com/-i1QMFAZQLu4/Ut1xJCxuRoI/AAAAAAAAF2I/4JAZBiBCHSw/2013-08-11%25252017.53.51_thumb.jpg?imgmax=800" width="139" height="244" /></a></p> <p>and a great time riding Marquette’s single track with Hope, Grace & Marshall..</p> <div id="scid:5737277B-5D6D-4f48-ABFC-DD9C333F4C5D:2c599b91-9bbf-4c41-bae1-a7e9d1bf240c" class="wlWriterEditableSmartContent" style="float: none; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-top: 0px; padding-left: 0px; margin: 0px; display: inline; padding-right: 0px"><div id="53f76f90-0971-4bc8-bf53-2db3ed163d70" style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px; display: inline;"><div><a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=t45mTpIJkHI" target="_new"><img src="http://lh3.ggpht.com/-J2U2Ud42jy4/Ut1xJ5hK_cI/AAAAAAAAF2Q/mJ19v37or9Q/video50a38bf83b56%25255B49%25255D.jpg?imgmax=800" style="border-style: none" galleryimg="no" onload="var downlevelDiv = document.getElementById('53f76f90-0971-4bc8-bf53-2db3ed163d70'); downlevelDiv.innerHTML = "<div><object width=\"448\" height=\"277\"><param name=\"movie\" value=\"http://www.youtube.com/v/t45mTpIJkHI?hl=en&hd=1\"><\/param><embed src=\"http://www.youtube.com/v/t45mTpIJkHI?hl=en&hd=1\" type=\"application/x-shockwave-flash\" width=\"448\" height=\"277\"><\/embed><\/object><\/div>";" alt=""></a></div></div><div style="width:448px;clear:both;font-size:.8em">Grace cornering the rails..</div></div> <p><a href="http://lh4.ggpht.com/-uPjSCz-G9pU/Ut1xMhO0AcI/AAAAAAAAF2Y/KkP1xkbERt4/s1600-h/2013-08-11%25252013.49.27%25255B3%25255D.jpg"><img title="2013-08-11 13.49.27" style="border-top: 0px; border-right: 0px; background-image: none; border-bottom: 0px; padding-top: 0px; padding-left: 0px; border-left: 0px; display: inline; padding-right: 0px" border="0" alt="2013-08-11 13.49.27" src="http://lh5.ggpht.com/-c9_j1ieUYPE/Ut1xOJCnHFI/AAAAAAAAF2g/ogST4EnNaCQ/2013-08-11%25252013.49.27_thumb.jpg?imgmax=800" width="139" height="244" /></a></p> <p>August & September both wind up  & wind down MTB season.  Ore to Shore’s race should have been a clue.  Once July rolled around I’d cut back on my endurance riding, in lieu of more intensity and for the next 3 races I’d “pop” at just about the same time, just under 90minutes into the race.    The Duluth Dirt Spanker, still a good race, finishing 6th overall, but dropping two spots on 4th & final lap of 2hr race.  Next the Seeley Pre-Fat, another race like the Cable Off Road Classic I like to gear up for.  I’d done everything as perfect as I maybe could.  Pre-road the course a ton of times, confidence was very high.  Only in my pre-ride I severely crashed my wheel & need to perform trail side Flintstone mechanics.. “Bam, Bam”, whacking the wheel against the ground in an attempt to bring some trueness to the wheel or at least so it could go thru my fork without hitting the sides.  Even so I road the best race I could, but clearly my endurance “Bug” had come back.  </p> <p>Lot’s of rest and some great 3x20min intervals & I thought I’d be set for Chequamegon 40.  The other race I really wanted to share the story about.  It may have been my best & easiest 28 mile race ever… the only problem?  Oh yeah, it’s 40miles.  I road both strong & smart early on,  felt confident.  Was riding in the top 15!!  And not feeling taxed.  It’s pretty huge in race like the Chequamegon 40.  Only it wasn’t too last with 12 miles to go, the proverbial wheels came off, another endurance failure.  </p> <p>With only one MTB race to go, the Deerfly Chase, it was decided with me & my new coach, that endurance had in fact been lacking & my body went back to it’s old ways of doing business (more on that later).  So I hit up a very long ride between the two races, managed to ride a smart race &  hold my endurance to the finish, narrowly edging out Nate Lillie at the end for the win.</p> <p>Oct:….</p> <p>With MTB season over & no compelling motivation to pursue cyclo-cross, I entertained running the Whistlestop 1/2 marathon.  Wisely, I opted not to.  Just not enough time to swap over my biking legs for running legs even if my cardio system could handle it.</p> <p>I did pursue a few ‘cross race.  The local BayCross race, even had my dad there cheering me on.  That was really cool because it’s been years since he’s been to an event.  Was able to win again there.</p> <p>My next race wouldn’t be til Nov 23rd. A last minute decision to race the <a href="http://upcross.net/">UPCross championship</a> – most horrible race of my season.  And exactly zero explanation for it.  I nearly passed out mid way thru the race.  I’d just done a hill run up, I started seeing stars & my vision was starting to tunnel & get black on the sides.  I wasn’t otherwise feeling overly taxed in the race.  Maybe is was the stupid cold 15 degree temps??!  Anyways, it was unfortunate, but Colby Lash who won it was having a great day & he earned it.  In hindsight, it would have been a good idea to have a ‘cross race effort in my legs leading up to it.  Sometimes the best training for ‘cross racing?  Is ‘cross racing.  </p> <p>Because the following weekend, I showed up in Eau Claire for the Princeton Valley Cross race and had a great race to finish the season.  Holding my own but still coming in 3rd overall behind two pro level racers in Issac Neff & Corey Stelljes.</p> <p>Since then?  Winter?  Can anyone say a lot of it!?!?  Holy cats!  My plan was to get off the bike, and rest, rest and rest some more.  Maybe not get fat.  It was nice to put cycling on the back burner, pull out the weights, do some running and go back to being very amateur in my fitness.  </p> <p>It was hard to do mentally, as I never like to “let go” of top end fitness, but my coach was pretty adament that I shouldn’t worry about it.  He asks that I get in some running, snowshoeing(good Lord there is enough here!!), fat biking, srength training.  </p> <p>For 2014, instead of battling winter & not enjoying training, we’re gonna target marginal fitness and start seriously later.  Maybe not even til March or April when I’m fully rejuvenated & motivated.  It’ll be a year of some big miles that hopefully finally crack the code to my racing endurance.  Hope to share more next time on some specifics and get around to that conversation about “Watts it Take”…</p> <p>Till then keep those big ole’ fattie snow tires rolling……</p> <div class="blogger-post-footer"><a href="http://twitter.com/Swanson_Aaron" class="twitter-follow-button" data-button="grey" data-text-color="#FFFFFF" data-link-color="#00AEFF" data-show-count="false">Follow @Swanson_Aaron</a>
<script src="http://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" type="text/javascript"></script></div>Aaron Swansonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06518166114584819554noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4969408281358306196.post-69656565864030826952013-10-02T10:24:00.001-05:002013-10-02T10:24:42.647-05:00Deerfly Chase 2013…<p>Almost forgot how to blog this season… more miles in the legs, more demands in life, work & family, & so funny that’s what seems to happens.</p> <p>Despite the lack of updates, the season has been a good one & with plenty of stories.  Most recently the Deerfly Chase.</p> <p>With the <a href="http://www.cheqfattire.com/">Chequamegon 40 & Fat Tire festival</a> in the rearview mirror, the MTB race season for many takes a different tone.  Ok, maybe not for everyone, but certainly for myself.  You work hard all season long trying to eek out that extra watt of fitness for big races, then for a few weeks afterward, with just an occasional hard effort, you get to reap the benefit of riding fast but feeling well rested too.  Plus mentally it’s just nice to be riding & racing solely for the fun of it.</p> <p>A race that just seems to get just right & offer some post Chequamegon Fat Tire MTB racing opportunity, is the annual <a href="http://chippewaoffroad.org/events/deer-fly-chase">Deerfly Chase MTB race</a>.  Held the last weekend of each Sept at Hickory ridge trails, 30miles northeast of Eau Claire.  In it’s 3rd year, growing by leaps & bounds, race director Noah Michaelsen & crew have put together an event that encompasses a great trail system, an inviting atmosphere, a diverse race course & a great post race event afterwards.  </p> <p>One element that sets this race apart is the pre-race “conversations” that start a month ahead of time.  Generally someone will start some congenial group email that will evolve into some of the most creative, pre race good natured smack talk to behold.  It takes a season of MTB stories & personalities to weave a tale so good.  Find someone with the thread on it & you’ll find yourself quite amused  -- if MTB’ing doesn’t work out for some of these guys a stand up comedy routine would.  You know who you are…</p> <p>So Saturday (28th) rolls around.  Rumors about who’s gonna show…will some of MN top MTB series racers cross the river & join the show, will it be first year Deerfly Chase champion Chad Sova be coming back to try to regain the title he relinquished.  Will the secret late season training done by 2012 one year wonder Matt O’Meara come thru… Will the 2012 Deerfly chase 2nd place finisher, the man possessed, Kevin Roytek trade in running Nikes 26 miles… for turning the pedals a 26 mile bike race. </p> <p>Does Nate Lillie’s mid season form come back around where he levitates uphills on a single gear, leaving others looking like they are dragging along their lucky piano’s…</p> <p>As it turns out, a cast of characters both old & new were there at Hickory Ridge trails  start line ready to get rolling.  Among them the aforementioned, Kevin Roytek, former stellar MTB racer Jesrin Gaier, Nate Lillie, Matt Zak, Spring Street Sports Big crushing Mike Johnson, and not to forget last seasons midwest standout & my cross racing nemesis… Trevor <strike>Cross,</strike> I mean Koss to name just a few.</p> <p>Having duked it out with Roytek last year & edging him on the final ski trail hills to the finish for the win, I was getting my own ribbing about how the race was gonna go in my favor.  However, having struggled with premature engine failure in the <a href="http://www.seeleywis.com/lionsprefat/">Seeley Pre Fat</a> & <a href="http://www.cheqfattire.com/cheq40.html">Cheq 40</a> -- any race lasting over 90minutes held a slight bit of concern that I’d fizzle before the any sizzle.</p> <p>The start was a rollout of a mile or so, before we were turned loose on a gravel road.  Mike Johnson & Nate Lillie were quick to the front, until the first hill when Trevor <strike>Cross</strike> Koss came marching up the right hand side of us thru the soft sand on the edge of the road, (does nothing stop that dude?)   By the way, Dan Hansen had the helmet cam on -- can check out the early goings <a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Uyzmapiv_tY&feature=youtu.be">here</a> or the <a href="https://www.facebook.com/chippewaoffroad">CORBA facebook website</a></p> <p>Trevor lead for awhile, until we were back on the downhill descent & Mike took over again.   Eventually the lead group would have this bunch..</p> <p> <a href="http://lh6.ggpht.com/-5_MrHO-NUW4/Ukw4mgKDCJI/AAAAAAAAFZY/YJLcq496HsI/s1600-h/image%25255B5%25255D.png"><img style="background-image: none; border-bottom: 0px; border-left: 0px; margin: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; display: inline; border-top: 0px; border-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px" title="image" border="0" alt="image" src="http://lh6.ggpht.com/-27CkbNoH-2U/Ukw4ojL3UiI/AAAAAAAAFZg/DFXCa_aKrpc/image_thumb%25255B1%25255D.png?imgmax=800" width="244" height="173" /></a></p> <p>Pulling to the front before a hard left turn off the gravel & onto forest roads, I started to turn things up alittle, it wouldn’t drop anyone, but strung things out.  Fun fast slightly downhill where you could rip some speed & watch the random sticks on the flying this way & that.  Mindful to not launch one into the drivetrain but if it’s stuck a competitors wheels… hey, just one less guy to have to outlast.</p> <p>With Nate close by followed by Trevor, Dan Hansen & Mike Johnson the group stretched out, it took a short single track section to further thin things down further before getting back on a gravel road section. </p> <p><a href="http://lh4.ggpht.com/-jMF-S-YK18M/Ukw4sic1wpI/AAAAAAAAFZo/31KupB7k4u8/s1600-h/image%25255B9%25255D.png"><img style="background-image: none; border-bottom: 0px; border-left: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; display: inline; border-top: 0px; border-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px" title="image" border="0" alt="image" src="http://lh3.ggpht.com/-75MXt4Uw3cE/Ukw4ucExGAI/AAAAAAAAFZw/XXviv06ZC74/image_thumb%25255B3%25255D.png?imgmax=800" width="303" height="117" /></a></p> <p><font size="1">(Tongue out & to the right? Code for “Oh yeah, it’s go time..” Mike apparently didn’t get the memo & Trevor is like “Dude’s -- whatever.”)</font> </p> <p>Once back on the gravel road, I looked back only to see Nate nearby, Trevor had fallen 30 yards back or so & the front of the race appeared to be set.  </p> <p>Just the Coyote & the Roadrunner – at least that’s what I mentioned to Lillie as he pulled up next to me spinning like a madman on his single speed.  (Come on you know what I’m talking about – Roadrunners legs in the cartoon?  </p> <p><a href="http://lh3.ggpht.com/-z_l-fXITagw/Ukw4vS8Z4_I/AAAAAAAAFZ4/-qyb_0PfmEA/s1600-h/image%25255B18%25255D.png"><img style="background-image: none; border-bottom: 0px; border-left: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; display: inline; border-top: 0px; border-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px" title="image" border="0" alt="image" src="http://lh3.ggpht.com/-_6TjsxxlvMk/Ukw4wUtlnSI/AAAAAAAAFaA/BNzktRSkap8/image_thumb%25255B8%25255D.png?imgmax=800" width="72" height="55" /></a></p> <p>First thought after seeing Nate pull up alongside).</p> <p>I thought it was pretty appropriate, the two of us, Nate & I began our season together this way on a two man breakaway at the <a href="https://www.facebook.com/StradaFangoSpringClassic">Strada Fango</a> in April that it would close that way as well.  Life comes full circle.</p> <p>Needless to say I was almost premature in that thought as Mike Johnson poured it on time trial style on the gravel & came from way back in the single track to pass Dan & motor on -- eventually catching up to Trevor & dragging him up to our shirt-tails on the final section of gravel road before hitting the first serious section of single track.</p> <p><a href="http://lh6.ggpht.com/-t_JML1xBUkE/Ukw42GzxVNI/AAAAAAAAFaI/D3-sV4nRIOQ/s1600-h/image%25255B22%25255D.png"><img style="background-image: none; border-bottom: 0px; border-left: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; display: inline; border-top: 0px; border-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px" title="image" border="0" alt="image" src="http://lh3.ggpht.com/-0iOwZ7E8Vog/Ukw43gAsHxI/AAAAAAAAFaQ/12LlLiwEXkQ/image_thumb%25255B10%25255D.png?imgmax=800" width="247" height="166" /></a></p> <p><a href="http://lh3.ggpht.com/-mW4aS4cnG7s/Ukw49S451YI/AAAAAAAAFaY/wntM7_yogyQ/s1600-h/image%25255B21%25255D.png"><img style="background-image: none; border-bottom: 0px; border-left: 0px; margin: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; display: inline; border-top: 0px; border-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px" title="image" border="0" alt="image" src="http://lh3.ggpht.com/-rXCNU3a_Ey0/Ukw4-pLIx6I/AAAAAAAAFag/9deSepS8ofc/image_thumb%25255B9%25255D.png?imgmax=800" width="244" height="165" /></a></p> <p> </p> <p>Nate would hit the singletrack first, riding it smoothly causing collateral damage, applying torque so dominantly to each pedal stroke of his single speed that had he struck any rocks with his pedals the sparks may have ignited Hickory Ridge into a forest fire.</p> <p>I needed to keep the concentration up as even the slightest lapse on my part & he’d have 4 or 5 seconds on me.   Taking advantage on the decents he’s pull ever so slightly away weaving thru the trees.</p> <p><a href="http://lh3.ggpht.com/-CHsHexaQ2QY/Ukw5CSwxLiI/AAAAAAAAFao/KmizEAV_GJY/s1600-h/image%25255B25%25255D.png"><img style="background-image: none; border-bottom: 0px; border-left: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; display: inline; border-top: 0px; border-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px" title="image" border="0" alt="image" src="http://lh4.ggpht.com/-1EB0WCmTpug/Ukw5ENR7sBI/AAAAAAAAFaw/R2OWGeDjROQ/image_thumb%25255B11%25255D.png?imgmax=800" width="197" height="244" /></a></p> <p> </p> <p>On the inclines I’d put in a harder effort to close things back up again.  Eventually I would trade places with him to avoid eating the rocks & splintering tree roots he was kicking out at me.</p> <p>A few points in the race we’d catch site of Trevor on some switchback section, never too far behind & keeping us pushing the pace.</p> <p>Much of the race went back & forth between Nate & I trading out leading different single track sections.  Around the half way point some rougher trail had Nate’s hardtail rattling his dentures loose & his <a href="http://www.google.com/imgres?imgurl=http://bicyclesaddlery.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/10/Tioga-Spyder.jpg&imgrefurl=http://bicyclesaddlery.com/tioga-saddles/&h=427&w=712&sz=54&tbnid=4omfWDd3iV_C-M:&tbnh=64&tbnw=106&zoom=1&usg=__TA3cCSjNwj86HuoSvs2-UvH4Sws=&docid=A1nGcmH7I0KGkM&sa=X&ei=uzZMUp-IAoL8qAHg9YGIBQ&ved=0CDMQ9QEwAQ">next to zero gram spiderman webslinging saddle</a> even with all it’s flex still wasn’t enough love for the guy.  All the while I’m seated pedaling behind thinking whoa… that my man, does not look like too much fun.</p> <p>Despite the tight single track & reduced riding speeds -- drafting was still part of the race when we’d hit open lakeside sections of trail where the 15-20mph gusts of wind would be blowing thru the forest understory.</p> <p>On some of the newer machine built trails they build this year, Nate continued to impress with his handling skills taking on the hucking jumps, while I’m doing the dreaded reverse back tire wheelies, testing the full squish of my front fork & tire.</p> <p><a href="http://lh6.ggpht.com/-Q4kKrNSJK3Q/Ukw5IcMcFSI/AAAAAAAAFa4/AzcUpxftBzA/s1600-h/image%25255B29%25255D.png"><img style="background-image: none; border-bottom: 0px; border-left: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; display: inline; border-top: 0px; border-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px" title="image" border="0" alt="image" src="http://lh5.ggpht.com/-_nt6ARxB_Tg/Ukw5J5tVIBI/AAAAAAAAFbA/Kl9RZdIVGDE/image_thumb%25255B13%25255D.png?imgmax=800" width="195" height="269" /></a></p> <p><font size="1">(Some of the new machine built trail at Hickory ridge, great flow & speed to it).</font></p> <p>At times I think both of us were finding our limits.  I was working on moderating my efforts as to not blow before getting to the finish.  Unlike hanging on for dear life last year against Roytek & swearing under my breath, I was alittle more comfortable with the pace this time around.</p> <p>The final section of single track present a interesting challenge, that the very recently fallen leaves created.  At the speed we were going, I was at the front & kept talking back to Nate… “hey where’s the trail?!  You might not want to follow me…”  Just the perfect conditions to disguise it, actually made it really fun, as you’d have to make some very snap decisions to just stay on track.</p> <p>Finally into the final 20minutes of racing, we’re back on gravel roads & a mix of forest roads & ski trails.  </p> <p><a href="http://lh4.ggpht.com/-8eoeN_tk5bs/Ukw5QmDd10I/AAAAAAAAFbI/APQC2giAIWM/s1600-h/image%25255B52%25255D.png"><img style="background-image: none; border-bottom: 0px; border-left: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; display: inline; border-top: 0px; border-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px" title="image" border="0" alt="image" src="http://lh4.ggpht.com/-czIpCO1W9uo/Ukw5TMQTS7I/AAAAAAAAFbQ/zRSevOLAwxA/image_thumb%25255B24%25255D.png?imgmax=800" width="437" height="248" /></a></p> <p><font size="1">Tell me me it’s not the camera, but Nate’s got some glowing super powers emitting from his legs.  Ah, weren’t onto your secret now Lillie!!</font></p> <p><font size="1"></font></p> <p><a href="http://lh3.ggpht.com/--oUIdso-8Pk/Ukw5artsUJI/AAAAAAAAFbY/T9N0MEu4nuo/s1600-h/image%25255B33%25255D.png"><img style="background-image: none; border-bottom: 0px; border-left: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; display: inline; border-top: 0px; border-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px" title="image" border="0" alt="image" src="http://lh6.ggpht.com/-ODkmgJ4sHbo/Ukw5dRgAAzI/AAAAAAAAFbg/gxhSprkflek/image_thumb%25255B15%25255D.png?imgmax=800" width="437" height="273" /></a></p> <p>I’m at the front & Nate is glued to my rear tire sniffing the Caffe Latex in my tires, looking for an explosion to happen.  In my legs, his or both…</p> <p>I really wanted Nate to have a good race too & should some mechanical still pop up for one of us I wanted all the hard work we put in to still pay off.  So we rolled the ensuing gravel roads taking turns at the front & working together holding a steady pace.</p> <p>I knew at some point we’d turn onto a bunch of rolling pitched ski trails for the final finishing section.  The part I didn’t recall was just how long it that section would be….</p> <p>A mile & half or two out, I’m thinking it’s less than a mile, and I’m anxious to get this thing finished.  Looking at the race time on my cycling computer it gave me an idea we had to be pretty close.  I pushed the pace just alittle bit harder believing I had to hold it together just a few minutes longer, telling Nate to hold on.  With most of my training is on open & gravel roads, I seem to have another gear I can tap into on that type of terrain.</p> <p>After a few rollers Nate was struggling to hold my wheel, I yelled back again for him to stay on, but he wasn’t able to respond & catch me on the next decent. </p> <p>I decide to try & finish the race strong at that point, again thinking the end was closer than it was, so when I was just about out of gas we go by some dudes in lawn chairs saying “ Hey way to go, good luck, 1 mile to go!”  Ugh,  I was hoping for a 1/4 mile.  As I conjure up in my mind just how long a mile is after 1:45hr of racing.  Looking back Nate’s 10-15 seconds back so I try to steady out my efforts again & hold the gap.</p> <p>Nate to his credit kept inching back but I crested the final climb & coasted in with a 9 second gap for a repeat victory for the second year.</p> <p><a href="http://lh6.ggpht.com/-TEPGCPVb7Xs/Ukw5hiS_9JI/AAAAAAAAFbo/4V_NXe4u-XA/s1600-h/image%25255B64%25255D.png"><img style="background-image: none; border-bottom: 0px; border-left: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; display: inline; border-top: 0px; border-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px" title="image" border="0" alt="image" src="http://lh6.ggpht.com/-MUEmMg7rKj0/Ukw5jchseAI/AAAAAAAAFbw/HGXCXZ1sSqo/image_thumb%25255B28%25255D.png?imgmax=800" width="176" height="244" /></a></p> <p> <a href="http://lh6.ggpht.com/-ADpctfADZA4/Ukw5n_XS6MI/AAAAAAAAFb4/T_rUnpo-N1o/s1600-h/image%25255B67%25255D.png"><img style="background-image: none; border-bottom: 0px; border-left: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; display: inline; border-top: 0px; border-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px" title="image" border="0" alt="image" src="http://lh5.ggpht.com/-l5AaWp5_Ifk/Ukw5pEoU11I/AAAAAAAAFcA/zka4v2fEsCY/image_thumb%25255B29%25255D.png?imgmax=800" width="168" height="244" /></a></p> <p>The rest of the race had Mike Johnson catching back up with Trevor on the gravel section but with nothing left in the tank to hold on the rest of the way.  So Trevor got 3rd, Mike 4th, the rest of the results are probably on the website, posted some below as well.</p> <p>With the cloudy weather & pending rain overhead most everyone made it in before the rain dropped down in the afternoon.  One of the best parts of  the event is the post race party afterwards.  Cookout, eats, beverages, awards & give aways.  Most of all getting to to meet new people & visit with old friends, hear the stories of the race and season.</p> <p>Can’t think of too much of a better way to spend a fantastic fall day wrapping up an otherwise great MTB season.  A big thanks Noah Michaelsen & every last person involved in the process to bring this event together. You know who you are, my gratitude & appreciation goes out to you.  Not easy, a lot of work, but you have many, many happy participants in this years Deer Fly Chase that thank you for it.   And to my friends, acquaintances & fellow Deerfly Chase racers, thanks for coming out adding your spirit & enthusiasm, as well as challenges, stories & struggles.  It’s all part of a really good shared experience, it makes me proud to be racing with each & everyone of you… </p> <p>Til next year, wait & listen for the whispers of smack going down yet again & the good time that ensues in Deerfly Chase 2014…</p> <p><a href="http://lh4.ggpht.com/-SxnYfBas4fU/Ukw5tQm6vnI/AAAAAAAAFcI/Ik64xtYM6hM/s1600-h/image%25255B75%25255D.png"><img style="background-image: none; border-bottom: 0px; border-left: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; display: inline; border-top: 0px; border-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px" title="image" border="0" alt="image" src="http://lh3.ggpht.com/-8ugc51Tpbp4/Ukw5v0hjugI/AAAAAAAAFcQ/O34QL0KW2BA/image_thumb%25255B33%25255D.png?imgmax=800" width="320" height="408" /></a></p> <p> </p> <p>Other pics & comments….</p> <p><a href="http://lh4.ggpht.com/-sJW7ACPZqD8/Ukw5x63kWEI/AAAAAAAAFcY/9vxL-lp2HPc/s1600-h/image%25255B79%25255D.png"><img style="background-image: none; border-bottom: 0px; border-left: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; display: inline; border-top: 0px; border-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px" title="image" border="0" alt="image" src="http://lh5.ggpht.com/-5w_-gtx5SkQ/Ukw5zaqPB1I/AAAAAAAAFcg/kvmGPN9fJuE/image_thumb%25255B35%25255D.png?imgmax=800" width="364" height="302" /></a></p> <p><a href="http://lh3.ggpht.com/-00yboACbBXk/Ukw56Ug9w0I/AAAAAAAAFco/AVMZ9UVjT3I/s1600-h/image%25255B37%25255D.png"><img style="background-image: none; border-bottom: 0px; border-left: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; display: inline; border-top: 0px; border-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px" title="image" border="0" alt="image" src="http://lh3.ggpht.com/-hXqtKWWdA5M/Ukw58xW_q5I/AAAAAAAAFcw/XdPM2mJuZn0/image_thumb%25255B17%25255D.png?imgmax=800" width="357" height="304" /></a></p> <p><font size="1">Gee Professor Mike, didn’t know they made bifocal Oakleys?</font></p> <p><a href="http://lh6.ggpht.com/-uX5VTi2ZghU/Ukw6BUKoFOI/AAAAAAAAFc4/ALOXP2MYs90/s1600-h/image%25255B41%25255D.png"><img style="background-image: none; border-bottom: 0px; border-left: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; display: inline; border-top: 0px; border-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px" title="image" border="0" alt="image" src="http://lh3.ggpht.com/-xf0fTaZirVs/Ukw6DuPIVhI/AAAAAAAAFdA/gNleUfWDdrw/image_thumb%25255B19%25255D.png?imgmax=800" width="269" height="353" /></a></p> <p><font size="1">Adam, don’t let the single track lull you to sleep… there’s a lot of race still left…</font></p> <p><a href="http://lh5.ggpht.com/-82jIW3-dAmc/Ukw6H9qJddI/AAAAAAAAFdI/k8aOlDsfbu4/s1600-h/image%25255B45%25255D.png"><img style="background-image: none; border-bottom: 0px; border-left: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; display: inline; border-top: 0px; border-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px" title="image" border="0" alt="image" src="http://lh3.ggpht.com/-L9erU7UNV10/Ukw6KDpC4kI/AAAAAAAAFdQ/EUVZmFnTdrg/image_thumb%25255B21%25255D.png?imgmax=800" width="267" height="334" /></a></p> <p><font size="1">Ain’t quite like it was last year, eh Kev?</font></p> <p><a href="http://lh5.ggpht.com/-de3gwSCX6qs/Ukw6NwftKhI/AAAAAAAAFdY/MOx9K3Q9P9A/s1600-h/image%25255B48%25255D.png"><img style="background-image: none; border-bottom: 0px; border-left: 0px; margin: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; display: inline; border-top: 0px; border-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px" title="image" border="0" alt="image" src="http://lh5.ggpht.com/-5XsIEsJzcAg/Ukw6PM-8_fI/AAAAAAAAFdg/Blpg5RLlmbg/image_thumb%25255B22%25255D.png?imgmax=800" width="139" height="244" /></a></p> <p><font size="1">Scared!  I think I’m not feeling so good…</font></p> <p> <a href="http://lh4.ggpht.com/-XITLQm7tKwk/Ukw6VTBGJ7I/AAAAAAAAFdo/bfdMJq-Yigg/s1600-h/image%25255B55%25255D.png"><img style="background-image: none; border-bottom: 0px; border-left: 0px; margin: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; display: inline; border-top: 0px; border-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px" title="image" border="0" alt="image" src="http://lh3.ggpht.com/-z_yCakGChNA/Ukw6Xcn9uCI/AAAAAAAAFdw/9JOgeQtADh8/image_thumb%25255B25%25255D.png?imgmax=800" width="244" height="226" /></a></p> <p><font size="1">Get out of my way rodent.  I’m gonna run you down…</font></p> <p><font size="1">Really?  Anyone ever see Gaier with such a serious look on his face & his mouth not open & talking while riding?</font></p> <p><a href="http://lh5.ggpht.com/-WwWMAVCEUtg/Ukw6cp76zYI/AAAAAAAAFd4/bYf6Ze4DUXs/s1600-h/image%25255B58%25255D.png"><img style="background-image: none; border-bottom: 0px; border-left: 0px; margin: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; display: inline; border-top: 0px; border-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px" title="image" border="0" alt="image" src="http://lh6.ggpht.com/-ZgxW5EbiG8A/Ukw6evGDYaI/AAAAAAAAFeA/k8zNVcZNUZk/image_thumb%25255B26%25255D.png?imgmax=800" width="222" height="244" /></a></p> <p><font size="1">Mild mannered Jesrin……I’m gonna take that camera & break it over your head!</font></p> <p><a href="http://lh5.ggpht.com/-tXg--W0xEjI/Ukw6h0vBgcI/AAAAAAAAFeI/NnfNQF32rOw/s1600-h/image%25255B61%25255D.png"><img style="background-image: none; border-bottom: 0px; border-left: 0px; margin: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; display: inline; border-top: 0px; border-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px" title="image" border="0" alt="image" src="http://lh6.ggpht.com/-7HXYBS6xzKE/Ukw6jQ2EY-I/AAAAAAAAFeQ/zCRstfZ32Ns/image_thumb%25255B27%25255D.png?imgmax=800" width="157" height="244" /></a></p> <p><font size="1">Yep, Kevin, definitely not the same as last year… still great to see you out there though.</font></p> <p><a href="http://lh5.ggpht.com/-ibetHe9u3hQ/Ukw6rSYvCrI/AAAAAAAAFeY/gw78Y0y0QNQ/s1600-h/image%25255B71%25255D.png"><img style="background-image: none; border-bottom: 0px; border-left: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; display: inline; border-top: 0px; border-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px" title="image" border="0" alt="image" src="http://lh6.ggpht.com/-ZRQTa5KuoaM/Ukw6thx_iQI/AAAAAAAAFeg/kj27nzj2MzA/image_thumb%25255B31%25255D.png?imgmax=800" width="364" height="238" /></a></p> <p><font size="1">Dude, What’d she say?  What’d she say?  -- You’re not gonna believe this, she’s gonna run the entire race with her front fork locked out.  Man,…. blondes.</font></p> <div class="blogger-post-footer"><a href="http://twitter.com/Swanson_Aaron" class="twitter-follow-button" data-button="grey" data-text-color="#FFFFFF" data-link-color="#00AEFF" data-show-count="false">Follow @Swanson_Aaron</a>
<script src="http://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" type="text/javascript"></script></div>Aaron Swansonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06518166114584819554noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4969408281358306196.post-32722274851334072092013-05-20T14:00:00.001-05:002013-05-21T11:58:54.733-05:00Cable Area Off Road Classic…..<p>Big thanks to the people who put on the event & the ALL the fellow racers that came out & made it exciting this year.</p> <p>It sorta had that old school MTB feel this year -- back to when there wasn’t zillions of miles of single track available.  It was challenging it’s own right and required some good skills & efforts.</p> <p>I’ve tried 13 editions over the years….A lot changes in that time when you reflect back.  My first time?  Way over my head, finishing 241st overall, the bottom 10% or something worse than that.  I recall not bringing enough to drink.  I was dying.  So much so, at the finish, in a matter of 30minutes I’d downed three 32oz bottles of Gatorade, doesn’t seem humanly possible when I think about it now, but it happened.  At the time I was trying to “show off” to the new girlfriend that I was some kind of good MTB racer! HA!!  That sorta backfired on me.  She shouldn’t gotta clue right there.  Somehow though she stuck around though??  12 editions of the race later, instead of being that 28yr old & in a so called “prime” of life -- now 40 yrs old, married, with four kids.  This race Sat had results on the other end of the spectrum, the completely other end.</p> <p>Heavy rain pounded the area late Friday nite & into early Saturday morning.  On the drive to Lakewoods, there were small lakes in yards & the ditches looked like raging waterfalls in parts with rain continuing to come down.   However by the time I got to the race at 9am things had let up, wasn’t any warmer but at least it wasn’t raining.  I’d pre road the course the prior week and was trying to figure just how nasty some parts might be & how to navigate them.  </p> <p>I soon ran into some friendly faces from Ashland in Jamie Sajdak & Brian Hammond, who’d just registered & so we were bantering abit about what to wear in this wet semi cold raining weather.  </p> <p>Though I’d brought both the Trek Superfly hardtail & Trek Cronus cross bike, I was going try my luck on the off road cyclo-cross bike.  There would be parts that I’d be at a disadvantage with but if I could make it thru that stuff, I was hoping other parts would make up for it.  However having pre-ridden the course with both bikes I would have been comfortable racing either. </p> <p>Trying to turn over a new leaf, in getting to races earlier, got in a respectable warmup & soon it was time to line up.  I didn’t feel too out of place with my cross bike as I noticed several guys were on them as well as my longtime <a href="http://baycrossrace.com/">BayCross</a> battling buddy Nikolai Anikin.</p> <p>The race started with the usual pace it does up Rock Lake Road, initially I stayed toward the front but drifted around in the initial miles as different guys took their time at the front.   As I recall Nate Klump took some time at the front, as did a guy on a cross bike.  Scottie KJ did some as well, ultimately it was Nate Lillie who after a few miles who really set the pace for a good share of the race.  Important to note… the guy is doing this on a Single Speed!  One gear, all conditions – flat terrain, uphill or downhill, gravel road!  Impressive, just impressive, I have no other words to put to it.   If some hills would come along I’d work to increase the pace alittle & try to use momentum to make the hills alittle easier.  Sometimes it would drop a few rider other times it wouldn’t.  Each time I turned around though it never seemed like the lead group got that much smaller.  </p> <p>The miles were just ticking off quickly at first soon clipping along the rolling terrain at 20+mph.  Around the 5 to 7 mile mark the group was starting to get noticeably smaller, eventually whittling down to 7 guys – myself, Nate Lillie, Scottie KJ, Mike Bushey, Todd McFadden, Ryan Fitzgerald, Matt O’Meara & every so often we see Nikolai Anikin drifting back & forth.  </p> <p>It’d pretty much remain this way til mile 10 or so when Matt & Nik dropped off & it was down to 6 racers with Nate driving it like a man possessed (but isn’t that what all single speeders look like when racing?  Shoulder rocking, & legs just a spinning) at the front & myself coming thru for an occasional driving of the pace.  </p> <p>I don’t know about how the other 4 guys were feeling but I’d go back & forth from feeling taxed, to not feeling too bad. Some bi-polar racing I guess.  </p> <p>I had my power meter on & heart rate monitor on & would check it.  Didn’t seem like I was going that hard but my heart rate would be quite a bit higher than expected & I’d try to keep it in check.  The average power would be settle into the 280’s(watts).  Later after the race, I talked to Todd McFadden & he was cruising along having no issues & a really low heart rate.  So as the race unfolded, it later that would become more apparent.</p> <p>Just over 13 miles into the race there’s terrain would get rougher, less predictable, larger rocks in the road, bigger mud holes.  It seemed Mike Bushey & Nate pushed it harder through those sections or it was my cross bikes limitations that had me drifting alittle further back.  Once the race turned uphill, a few things just started to happen in what seemed like slow motion.  Nate pushed just a slightly harder pace with Todd right on his wheel that opened up a gap to Scottie KJ, Mike Bushey & myself.  I waited alittle bit for Scott to speed up & close it but when that wasn’t happening, I jump (&bounced on rocks) hard around Mike & Scottie to catch Todd’s wheel & before I knew it we had 6 or 7 bike lengths that grew more as the climb went up.</p> <p>So it was looking like it was down to the three of us with over 5 miles to go.  Just some rocky downhills, mud holes & ruts to squirm through before getting on some pavement & the railroad corridor & finish.</p> <p>I was going to be somewhat at the mercy of the MTB’s for the next two miles, Nate & Todd would get several bike lengths on me & where I could I’d push hard to back to get on Todd’s wheel.  </p> <p>There was this major mud hole at one point where the “race leading vehicle” this truck -- I swear when I saw it looked like it went axle deep or worse going in the hole  Thinking to myself… oh boy, going thru that could end very badly… </p> <p>Nate & Todd went far left (seeing how deep the truck sunk on the right) & squirmed through mostly ok, I sorta remember a line from my pre ride (but not covered in water at the time) that was closer to the middle.  I took that one & shot thru without any problem.  I saw Nate turn around on the ensuing climb with this “ah crap, sorta look on his face” when he saw I made it thru without problems.</p> <p>I did almost take a digger at another mud hole when I had too much weight on the front of my bike giving a loud grunt that had McFadden turning around.</p> <p>Knowing the rest of the course it – there would be just one other majorly rutted out muddy area and it was that way even before the rain.  There was simply no going right or left or finding a smooth line once you got to it.  It was like 50 feet wide, choose your adventure for the next 100 yards.  (This was the pre-ride picture… before all the rain!)</p> <p><a href="http://lh3.ggpht.com/-qa0ZBEjD3hc/UZpy16rdgrI/AAAAAAAAAWo/s4ZZpO2CXvA/s1600-h/image%25255B2%25255D.png"><img style="background-image: none; border-right-width: 0px; margin: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; display: inline; border-top-width: 0px; border-bottom-width: 0px; border-left-width: 0px; padding-top: 0px" title="image" border="0" alt="image" src="http://lh6.ggpht.com/-geDcCEN8J_M/UZpy2yccFvI/AAAAAAAAAWw/hYHLwx1bwv4/image_thumb.png?imgmax=800" width="244" height="199" /></a></p> <p>Nate went in first, sorta scooting from one rut to another, Todd had his go as well.  I could both see them squirm out alittle & start losing speed.   I went slightly to the right of them, actually stayed in a deeper rut & then wheelied into another one when that one ended.  I managed to keep up my speed and motor past both Nate & Todd and decided to put the hammer down.  It was still probably 3 miles to go but I figured why not see what they’ve got left.  I had downhill, smoother road & pavement coming up – how wrong could it go?</p> <p>Well, I initially had a reasonable gap on Todd, but I keep sinking in the soft sand on the road & I think he was floating on it better so he steadily reeled me in.  Nate was trying but not having the same amount of luck & we must have had over 50 yds on him pretty quickly. </p> <p>Finally we got going vertical, like downhill vertical.  Checking my Joule cycling computer later it was almost 35 mph downhill on gravel.  I was just drilling at the front, figured Todd might hang on, but I was pretty convinced Nate, 25-30lbs lighter than both Todd & I – & on his Single speed would be spit out & gone, nothing more than a spec in the horizon behind us  --- spinning like a sowing machine & going nowhere fast. A devilish grin probably came across my face at that moment as well….</p> <p>A mile later, I turn around… W.T.F!?  There he is!!  Right with us!  Oh, my God, how did do that?!  He’s freakishly fast going downhill, on a single speed bike.    It’s crazy.  Legendary.  I’ve seen him do this twice now.   A few weeks back at Strada Fango as well. </p> <p>So anyways, so much for telling Todd earlier when Nate originally dropped that “We might just have one in the bank for <a href="http://www.theskihut.com/">The Ski Hut</a>” (the shop we ride for).</p> <p>Fortunately there’s now 2 miles or so left in the race, we hit the pavement of Randysek road.  Nate goes to the front for a brief moment before I decide to drop the hammer again.  I’m thinking… “it’s only 2 miles, it’s only 2miles.”  Well, that soon puts Nate soon several bike lengths back & Todd’s behind him.  I’ve got a gap again…. but Todd shoots around Nate & works back to my wheel.  We turn off Randysek Road & head west & south again before we transition onto the old railroad grade.  </p> <p>Todd & I work together to keep Nate just fair enough behind, leaving that single speeding menace out to cook himself.   Todd kept saying just keep it steady, yet Nate would yo-yo closing & further from us – agonizingly so.  </p> <p>If we could ride smoothly through the last short off road wet section to the railroad grade it would be mostly a time trial effort the last mile.  I gave Todd the lead to ride that section smoothly & I mostly kept up.  As we hit the railroad grade I caught back on & went to the front, Nate turned on the grade not more than 8 or 10 bike lengths back.</p> <p>It stayed that way with Todd & I taking pulls at the front & Nate dangling, then about 75 yard before the single track transition back to Kavanah Road & 1/4 miles finish into downtown Cable.  I asked Todd to go to the front.  The last thing he needed was me to get slide out on the single track, taking us both out & let Nate catch up.  </p> <p>Todd smoothly road thru but for some reason he opted not to accelerated hard at that point.  I took my time, playing it safe, but I could hear Nate’s squealing brakes just a length or two behind me as I was finally on the single track.   </p> <p>Once on the pavement I worked up to the side of Todd as I wasn’t gonna draft my own teammate.  So we went steady for about 10 seconds before I just started accelerating alittle harder & pulling away.  I think I had more concern Nate would be joining the party if I didn’t. </p> <p>I continued to pull away as the finish line was coming into sight, a bike length or more.. thinking I had a big enough gap I eased up alittle only to see Todd right on me I had to put in a second effort as we crossed the line in almost the <a href="http://itiming.com/raceresults/976-caorc2013_ovl.pdf">same time</a>, just coming across before Todd.</p> <p>It’s a really crazy thought that goes thru your mind when you consider yourself an avid but “ok” bike racer and you win a race that never seemed within your reach after a dozen years.  Wow.  That you could do well at it but never win.  It was really cool & sorta surreal.  </p> <p>I gotta hand it to both Todd & Nate though, as well as the other guys for making it such a great race.  Todd’s a pretty amazing guy if you don’t know him.  I remember one of my first races back in ‘01, the Fat Back Boogie, Todd won that race handily.  I thought one day, wow, if I could only be as good as that guy!  He’s got more top three podium finishes at the Cable Off Road Classic than anyone else in it’s 18yr history.  In his years racing, he’s won the Arrowhead 135 and placed second at a Chequamegon 40.  But as good as he races, he’s a heck of a genuine person & great guy.  Always great to talk about biking with and I know he keeps my excitement up for racing as much as anyone.  Gotta just says thanks for the great day.  And Nate?  Gosh, there aren’t words for how crazy well he’s riding.  He certainly was the most aggressive racer & instigator in the race.  Whatever he’s doing, he should keep it up and he’ll have a great season.  He’s definitely a top pick for winning any single speed category races this year. </p> <p>After the race, great to hear how everything went in other parts of the race.  Ron William piloted his Carver Fat bike to 13th overall & 1st place in the Fat bike spot.  Good ‘ole Tom Gaier nailed 3rd in the Fat bike category riding some absolute monster fat bike with a big ole front shock.  Guys I’m guessing that’ll have later season fitness Matt O’meara, Nik Anikin had decent days too.</p> <p>On the ladies side, Todd’s lovely wife Diana McFadden took home the win on the ladies side with Sara KJ in 2nd.   It was a good day for anyone in the 5th decade of life & riding for the Ski Hut, having placed 5 rider on the 6 podiums spots.  Hey,if Jens Voight is still winning & doing races well as a professional at 40+… why not keep trying.  This years Cable Off Road Classic, was it hard work & effort over time?  Or just too old to know any different….  </p> <p><a href="http://lh6.ggpht.com/-QVC13qOfvY0/UZunwjq899I/AAAAAAAAAXA/XFqTo8c_d8s/s1600-h/image7.png"><img style="background-image: none; border-right-width: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; display: inline; border-top-width: 0px; border-bottom-width: 0px; border-left-width: 0px; padding-top: 0px" title="image" border="0" alt="image" src="http://lh5.ggpht.com/-pmeOG3VJvXA/UZunzFJdC7I/AAAAAAAAAXI/vl_zV5AMl1k/image_thumb3.png?imgmax=800" width="396" height="286" /></a></p> <div class="blogger-post-footer"><a href="http://twitter.com/Swanson_Aaron" class="twitter-follow-button" data-button="grey" data-text-color="#FFFFFF" data-link-color="#00AEFF" data-show-count="false">Follow @Swanson_Aaron</a>
<script src="http://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" type="text/javascript"></script></div>Aaron Swansonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06518166114584819554noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4969408281358306196.post-23424496910416093532013-05-06T07:09:00.001-05:002013-05-06T07:09:58.559-05:00Will there be the Cable Area Off Road Classic 2013 edition….<p>For a lot of the MTB’ers in the northern midwest, one knows the race season has started with the <a href="http://www.caorc.com/">Cable Area Off Road Classic</a>.  </p> <p>This untimely late winter weather has probably got a lot of people wonder… “hey, it’s less than  2weeks away & there’s like 2 feet of snow in the woods still.  Are they gonna do the race!?”</p> <p>Here’s my take on it…</p> <p>One, a lot can happen.  Snow melts fast in May with more direct sunlight, higher temps & any amount of wind.  What Mother Nature bringeth, Mother Nature can taketh away.</p> <p>Two, if conditions are less than ideal for a lot of single track.  I still don’t see them necessarily cancelling or rescheduling the race.  Look for more of a gravel sections & climbing in the race. </p> <p>Announcements on it will probably come later in the week after a week of sunshine and warmer weather starts working it’s magic… to which I can only say “Halleluiah!”….</p> <div class="blogger-post-footer"><a href="http://twitter.com/Swanson_Aaron" class="twitter-follow-button" data-button="grey" data-text-color="#FFFFFF" data-link-color="#00AEFF" data-show-count="false">Follow @Swanson_Aaron</a>
<script src="http://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" type="text/javascript"></script></div>Aaron Swansonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06518166114584819554noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4969408281358306196.post-38176360360951504602013-05-05T22:56:00.001-05:002013-05-05T22:56:39.339-05:00Strada Fango Spring Classic continued….<p>So how did things play out for the first race of the season?  </p> <p>Between the 2013 spring snow storms, none us are going to forget anytime soon , mother nature blessed us with a nearly perfect day for a good hard bike race April 28th.</p> <p>Arrived at the Murphy Flowage Co. Park in Rusk County – east of Rice  Lake a solid 30minutes before the race.  Those that know me can enjoy the humor of that & may find me ruining my reputation for timeliness in 2013… ok, let’s get real…don’t worry, I don’t expect the trend of arriving early for races to continue.</p> <p>The parking lot was full of friendly familiar faces.  Todd McFadden, last years champ, sporting a shiny new ‘cross bike.  Soon after I was greeted by Tim Andrews, then race director, Noah Michaelsen, Nate Lillie, Nikolai Anikin, and a bunch of guys from the Eau Claire area.  </p> <p>Going into the day -- I’ve been battling being sick several times over all winter long, and that day I was on the last days of a cough/cold I’d gotten earlier in the week.  Left home feeling pretty draggy & only modestly better when I got to the race.  I road around once getting there trying to get that sluggish feeling to go away but to no avail.  I was really hoping the start would be easy.  </p> <p>Soon it was 10am & we rolled out.  About 200 yards into the rollout  there was the sound of “starters” gun… in reality?  It had the unmistakable sound of a tire blowing.  Probably not a good omen for that person racing this season.</p> <p>Things started reasonably easy.  Being the first race of the season, everyone is sorta juggling around who should be out front leading.  The default sorta seemed to land on Todd McFadden who blew everyone away at last years Strada Fango, but more impressive & recently winner of the 2013 <a href="http://www.arrowheadultra.com/index.php">Arrowhead 135</a> & 3rd in the <a href="http://www.birkie.com/page/show/607208-fat-bike-birkie">Fat bike Birkie</a>.  If he could translate on to skinny tires what he did on the Fattest ones he’d be the guy to stick with.  </p> <p>Todd did a good share of work at the front in the initial miles of the race but as things continued others came to the front for a while  rotating thru (even a Fat Bike racer – I just can’t come up with his name for the life of me right now).  Nate Lillie stayed like glue on Todd’s wheel.  Mind you Nate was the only one of us in what would later form a lead group on a MTB, but not just a regular MTB,  a single speed (37x??) gearing.  </p> <p>Eventually with a sizeable hill or two the lead group of 6 riders was established.  Myself, Nate, Todd, Tim Andrew, Shawn Miller, Josh – “who I can’t recall his last name.”  It’d stay this way over the subsequent miles that is until we hit “Noah’s surprise”….</p> <p><a href="http://lh3.ggpht.com/-mZtG_xcH_vA/UYcp6o1BJeI/AAAAAAAAAWA/cgL3zlu6dIM/s1600-h/image%25255B3%25255D.png"><img style="background-image: none; border-bottom: 0px; border-left: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; display: inline; border-top: 0px; border-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px" title="image" border="0" alt="image" src="http://lh5.ggpht.com/-jw4kQMNf9ps/UYcp9bjMRJI/AAAAAAAAAWI/y4ycN4Am9c4/image_thumb%25255B1%25255D.png?imgmax=800" width="442" height="298" /></a></p> <p>Innocent enough looking picture,…. but this would be the corner where things got crazy.  Up til this point the course at worst was some soft gravel, at best pavement.  I can’t speak for the other guys  but my eye’s kinda got big as there was crazy shit ahead…</p> <p>Nate happened to be out front, myself in 2nd, followed by Todd.  The course turned off onto a what is best described as a half melted winter snowmobile trail with two 6” wide ruts of running water. Next time your out try to ride a balance beam 6” wide with snow packed 3-5” high on both sides of your tire.  Concentration & skill is less of luxury & more of a necessity.    Of course the other option was bunny hopping on to the crystalized snow & squirming back & forth to stay upright.</p> <p>Nate had joked earlier in the ride how he wouldn’t be sticking with us very long due to his single speed MTB & the rest of us on ‘cross bikes.  He couldn’t have been more wrong that day. </p> <p>His wider tires better floated over the snow & “ice cobbles” than anyone.  I was able to use the ‘ole cyclocross racing technique & hold with him initially.  As this road/trail keep going things begin stretching further & further apart though.  Nate would put distance on me going downhill & after a few hills & particularly more snow laden sections without ruts -- he’d gotten in the grove of riding it & was soon out of sight.  I turned around to see Todd initially 50 yards behind & later closer to a minute back as we struggled, twisted & turned our bikes to stay upright through the most difficult section.  </p> <p>Noah said later that section of trail was only 3 miles but it felt a lot longer.  I enjoyed the challenge & really started to feel better pushing my limits going thru it.  Sometimes when your riding your bike on certain terrain something just snaps in your head & you go on instinct to ride a hill faster or single track smoother.   In my case it was a flashback to cyclocross and I was having the most fun I’d had in a long time.</p> <p>Once I’d exited the snowmobile trail & was back on gravel it was a hunt for that dastardly Nate Lillie fella who so eloquently dispatched the many of us.  So it was around one corner, then another & another… still no Nate.  Then a long down hill… still no Nate in sight.  Finally with a long uphill a mile later I saw him, later discovering he was over 90 seconds ahead.  Behind Todd was probably just over a minute back & no one else in sight. </p> <p>The terrain now really favored the ‘cross bikes once again & I was able to bear down & time trial my way closer & closer to Nate.  I’d do time checks -- over the gravel & later pavement sections I was able to slice into his lead, down to minute, then 40 seconds, then 20 seconds, until 5 miles after initially spotting him I finally caught.  </p> <p>It was at this time, it was back to hilly roads & a lot of gravel.  Initially I thought I had the advantage and lead out for much of it, but catching up to Nate had taxed me more than I thought & it was now Nate, once again pulling away over the soft gravel climbs, at one point over 40 seconds in front of me again.  Eventually I caught up again and by the half way point of the 68 mile race we were stuck together for most of the rest of the way.  </p> <p>Both conscious of Todd being behind & very capable of catching up over long distances like this we pushed it, but still tried to conserve so as not to bonk before the end of the race.  </p> <p>Races like that get feeling pretty long when you’re the only two out front.  You assume it’s a head wind in any of three directions you turn (honestly that day, I think it was true – it never felt like we had a tail wind, ever!)</p> <p>At a midway point Nate had to stop for a water refill, as I kept going, sure enough he caught back on.  Another time I bobbled my water bottle & had to stop go back for it & catch back on.  </p> <p>With one significant out & back hill to climb & turn around on I figured it give us a good gauge of how far back anyone would be.  Though Nate easily out climbed me to the top we came down together with no McFadden in sight giving us probably more than a 5minute gap with 13 miles to go.  </p> <p>I know I was getting pretty gassed at this point & probably Nate as well as I turned to him & said “For two guys that like to talk as much as we do this ride sure has gotten quiet.”  He thought that was pretty funny & so true.  I think the other part was neither one of us could handle another gel/gu.  We’d ate and drank to our capacity.  </p> <p>This story is all good & we getting ready for a great finish, with just one or two turns to make before hitting the home stretch.  Only….. well, let’s just say one of the directional markers was misinterpreted by yours truly.  This being a mostly unmarked, unofficial race there was always a strong possibility of a wrong turn being made.  Nate was considering going left but followed me going right.</p> <p>At one pt we ran into riders going the opposite direction, I’d thought they’d cut things short & were doing a cool down or something, but when we still weren’t at the finish 2 1/2 miles later the next rider we came across told us we were going the wrong way.  </p> <p>At this point I gotta say I became very impressed with the reserves Nate had in store to power back to the course & drive things home to the finish.  Again on a single speed & fast rolling MTB tires -- I think he brought the right gun to the knife fight.  He’s riding really strong, if he keeps it up I see a really good season happening for him.  The 2 1/2 miles to get back on course & 6 miles to the finish Nate led a good share of the way.</p> <p>Spotting McFadden those 5 miles was more than enough for him & Shawn Miller to finish ahead of us.  I think Todd had to laugh just because the same type of thing essentially happened to him last year.</p> <p>We finished up doing 73 miles in 4:35hr.  I’ll be honest these long ones aren’t my favorite but it was a fun day & a great training ride.  After chatting with everyone I made a bee line for the freezing cold river nearby to put my overcooked legs into – that felt awesome.</p> <p> Thanks again to Noah & everyone who played a roll in putting things together.  Had a great time catching up with you all.   (Thanks too to Tim Andrew’s wife Laura for her sense of humor & in particular for the great brats she had to share too).</p> <p>Up next… I’m going to try to some some blogging  installments throughout this year on “<strong>Watts it take</strong>”.  I did a number of races last year & plan to do all of them this year with a power meter.  I hope to offer some insight on what kind of training or racing output it requires to finish races in a given place.  Have any comments or questions feel free to shoot ‘em my way… til then ride hard & keep the wheels down.</p> <div class="blogger-post-footer"><a href="http://twitter.com/Swanson_Aaron" class="twitter-follow-button" data-button="grey" data-text-color="#FFFFFF" data-link-color="#00AEFF" data-show-count="false">Follow @Swanson_Aaron</a>
<script src="http://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" type="text/javascript"></script></div>Aaron Swansonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06518166114584819554noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4969408281358306196.post-81350989274646698152013-04-29T21:58:00.001-05:002013-05-05T20:39:15.419-05:00Strada Sno-go… I mean Fango Spring Classic…This past Sunday wasn’t about to missed the revised 2nd annual <a href="https://www.facebook.com/StradaFangoSpringClassic">Strada Fango Spring Classic</a>. In tribute to what some cherish as the hard one day classic races done in the professional cycling early in the season (versus the “Tour” races that everybody hears about later on). <br />
It’s a race that goes out for a solid distance over “hard man” terrain. Take 4-6 hrs to finish. <br />
In the popular culture of Europe it’s races done on semi-dirt roads & those with cobbles (yes, cobbles – bricks, that crappy road material – but hey, who am I to complain, I live in the midwest – asphalt has potholes). Not those glossy races where a ton of guys are speeding along on smooth pavement. Don’t get me wrong those are all good too. I just like those races that require more toughness throughout & less drafting. They are just plain awesome.<br />
Noah Michaelsen served up a good course re-route this year as Mother Nature wasn’t going to take this race off the calendar… it’s go a <a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4r7wHMg5Yjg">honey badger</a> – it don’t take no…, well if you haven’t seen that video you’ll know what I’m saying. <br />
Otherwise just check out the Strada Fango Spring Classic <a href="https://www.facebook.com/StradaFangoSpringClassic">here</a>. No it did not have stone cobbles… but it served up 3 miles of “ice cobbles” to navigate on the “glacier” section.<br />
Unknown to any of in the race, beside the race director that was gonna be the breaking point in the race, 18 miles in on a 68 mile course. Whoever got thru & in what position would be in for a long day of solitude or with any luck help from a friend or foe. Fortunately enough I got to be part of the action as those fireworks started. <br />
Re-cap on that in another day or two with the shout outs & the story line…. stay tuned.<div class="blogger-post-footer"><a href="http://twitter.com/Swanson_Aaron" class="twitter-follow-button" data-button="grey" data-text-color="#FFFFFF" data-link-color="#00AEFF" data-show-count="false">Follow @Swanson_Aaron</a>
<script src="http://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" type="text/javascript"></script></div>Aaron Swansonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06518166114584819554noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4969408281358306196.post-45815635729745952002013-04-24T06:24:00.001-05:002013-04-24T06:24:34.702-05:00Note to God…<p>Dear God,</p> <p>I talked to my physician – Please don’t feel bad about this…. but even an All Knowing Deity after an eternity can suffer from premature memory loss.</p> <p>Just a gentle nudge & reminder… that season they call “Spring”, warmer weather, no snow…. yeah, that one?  Your missing it.  Please begin implementation.  Thanks,</p> <p>Most humbly,</p> <p>Aaron</p> <p>PS – please forgive all those who took your name in vain with the snow shovels… they know not what they do.</p> <div class="blogger-post-footer"><a href="http://twitter.com/Swanson_Aaron" class="twitter-follow-button" data-button="grey" data-text-color="#FFFFFF" data-link-color="#00AEFF" data-show-count="false">Follow @Swanson_Aaron</a>
<script src="http://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" type="text/javascript"></script></div>Aaron Swansonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06518166114584819554noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4969408281358306196.post-10265255430073362972013-03-14T21:47:00.001-05:002013-03-14T21:48:24.820-05:00Product Reviews: Shimano XC50N Shoe & Leyzne HV Micro Pump & Leyzne Dirt floor HV Pump<p>If you spend enough time riding, fixing and being around MTB bikes over time you find things that live up and beyond your expectations; Those that match it;  and unfortunately those things that are exceeding underwhelming.</p> <p>I don’t often write about products I’ve used, but it came to mind as I constantly am out there researching things that might be on my radar to purchase.  I thought to reflect back on some of the better experiences I’ve had recently.</p> <p>MTB shoes – First off, I’ve gotta start with all peoples feet are different.  No I don’t mean some of us have 6 toes & others only 4 (from when a 54” Musky mistook that pinky toe for a tasty treat one summer day as a kid).   But for that standard 5 toe person, different brands, styles and shapes work better than others.  For myself?  Shimano shoes have always had the best fit.  </p> <p>What I like so much about the <a href="http://bike.shimano.com/publish/content/global_cycle/en/us/index/products/shoe_test.html#mens/mtb/1/SH-XC50N">Shimano XC50N</a> is what a fantastic cooler/cold season shoe it is.  It’s pretty shocking actually.  To offer some perspective, at the <a href="http://www.birkie.com/page/show/607208-fat-bike-birkie">Fat Bike Birkie</a> this past weekend.  I tried to take a sampling of what everyone was wearing.  Mostly Lake MTB boots or the 45 North Wolvhammers.  Regardless, it seemed like everyone was in boots.  Me?  At just below freezing temps at the start line -- on what could be a 2 or 3hr race -- I thought “What the heck let’s see what these shoes can do versus the made-for-winter boots”.  Over them I throw on some completely worn out pearl izumi shoe covers and away I went.   </p> <p>Now understand, I’ve got circulation issues or something with my feet so I fought symptoms of cold feet my entire life (marriage included, just ask my first fiancé, but I digress…)  </p> <p>Anyways, these shoes did an admirable job of keeping my feet warm give the 2+hr duration of the race, all with the same double layer of socks I use with my Lake boots.  That was nice to race in shoes instead of the heavier boots.</p> <p><strong>Verdict:</strong> if you’re a late fall cyclocross racer, if you MTB or Snowbike year round.  These are shoes that you can easy use thru mid December & again by Feb for 2hr plus rides.  1hr or less in the 20’s & they should be perfectly find too.  They’ll probably be alittle too toasty for only the warmest mid summer riding.  But they are lightweight and easily compete with the highest end custom fit <a href="http://bike.shimano.com/publish/content/global_cycle/en/us/index/products/shoe_test.html#mens/mtb/0/SH-M315">Shimano M315</a> – at a fraction of the price as both models weight about the same.  (I put both pairs on a scale – there was no way the fit was better or grams less in the M315 to justify spending the money on them.  Maybe I’m just lucky to have an ideal fit, but certainly give the lower price Shimano MTB shoes a try before thinking you should have the M315.)</p> <p>Oddly enough the XC50N’s  block the wind better than my Lake boots and let’s be perfectly honest.  If you had a choice does anyone really like biking in boots when cycling shoes are available?  As the saying goes… if the shoe fits……..</p> <p><a href="http://lh4.ggpht.com/-yi9UPjyQwfI/UUKLmSvsPpI/AAAAAAAAAUY/cw7NHRwCcFU/s1600-h/image%25255B2%25255D.png"><img style="background-image: none; border-bottom: 0px; border-left: 0px; margin: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; display: inline; border-top: 0px; border-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px" title="image" border="0" alt="image" src="http://lh6.ggpht.com/-HlgqdNYUZyY/UUKLnXuGEoI/AAAAAAAAAUg/6vfV2kCkefI/image_thumb.png?imgmax=800" width="244" height="135" /></a></p> <p> </p> <p>Next up: Tires pumps….</p> <p>If you like your once & done C02 cartridges to get you out of a flat tire bind, you can ignore this.   Myself I make a habit of  riding & training with mini-pumps in case of an adverse tire situation occurs.  (Something about calling my wife on the cellphone to come pick me up 20 miles away when I get a flat just doesn’t seem to go over too well.)</p> <p>First suggestion though?  Run tubeless tires whenever you can.  Use Stans or Caffe Latex sealant (in another post I’ll can offer my take on those products more specifically).  The fact if a tires gets a leak or puncture & self seals beats changing out the tube every single day of the week.  That’s not to say don’t carry an extra tube in case the sealant doesn’t do it’s job.  I’m just saying you won’t be pulling out that tube often if ever.</p> <p>Anyways, mini pumps & MTB tires aren’t exactly synonymous with a good time.  Am I correct?  Now stroking something 60, 70, 80 or 100 times ain’t exactly all the fun it’s cracked up to be -- at least when it comes to inflating a MTB tire.  I’ve had my share of mini-pumps over the years – Trek & Bontrager products to Blackburns.  A few years ago I came across <a href="http://bike.shimano.com/publish/content/global_cycle/en/us/index/products/shoe_test.html#mens/mtb/0/SH-M315">Leyzne</a>, a company created by former Truvativ owner Micki Kozuschek.   After several “junk” floor pumps (sorry Planet bike, among others) I got a super solid dependable <a href="http://www.lezyne.com/en/products/floor-pumps/high-volume#!classic-dirt-floor-drive">High Volume Floor pump from Lezyne</a> – L-O-V-E it.  If you’ve been struggle with junk floor pumps, this year spend the money, you’ll be immensely glad you did.  </p> <p>Since I liked their standard floor model so much, when my Blackburn mini-pump finally wore out (regardless of their lifetime warranty).  I decided to give their <a href="http://www.lezyne.com/en/products/hand-pumps/high-volume#!micro-floor-drive-hv-hvg">Micro Floor Drive HV pump</a> a try & haven’t regretted it for a second.  </p> <p><a href="http://lh3.ggpht.com/-5p8F0_BKvyY/UUKLonV6grI/AAAAAAAAAUo/yrN7xI6sniI/s1600-h/image%25255B5%25255D.png"><img style="background-image: none; border-bottom: 0px; border-left: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; display: inline; border-top: 0px; border-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px" title="image" border="0" alt="image" src="http://lh5.ggpht.com/-jkoKi2H6Fso/UUKLpshUDsI/AAAAAAAAAUw/-x0YBQnr9JE/image_thumb%25255B1%25255D.png?imgmax=800" width="78" height="244" /></a></p> <p>I strap it to the top tube or seat tube with  a <a href="http://www.twofish.biz/bike.html">two fish Bike block & strap.</a></p> <p><a href="http://lh4.ggpht.com/-OBSbLA0biYs/UUKLqr3LSGI/AAAAAAAAAU4/R2gBZ914j0c/s1600-h/image%25255B8%25255D.png"><img style="background-image: none; border-bottom: 0px; border-left: 0px; margin: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; display: inline; border-top: 0px; border-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px" title="image" border="0" alt="image" src="http://lh4.ggpht.com/-ADTlTcn3hG4/UUKLro3ffRI/AAAAAAAAAVA/IKNUCuc1V30/image_thumb%25255B2%25255D.png?imgmax=800" width="107" height="88" /></a></p> <p>The secure screw-on valve, the high volume capacity of the pump, along with foot peg to stand it on the ground makes the days of agonizingly & furiously pumping away….… like one would on the classic undersized mini pumps,  a long forgotten memory.  The size of the pump I’ve found to fit conveniently & easily mounted on the bike.</p> <p>Ah, for what it’s worth do remember -- you’ll see in a lot of blogs & product reviews plugs for products & bikes --  all talk of how great they are (many of which are truly good) & how life was never so good prior to their existence.  A few of my good product sponsored friends tend to have obligations to their sponsors to say these nice things.  If advertising revenue comes from them or the nice bike stuff is discounted because of it, the glowing reviews usually lack the downsides.  </p> <p>Fortunately in the case of these products?  No motive, no agenda, no endorsement deals for me,  just an honest assessment from a guy who happens to ride his bike probably too much and has over the years found some companies and products that work well & thought to to share it with the rest of the world in hopes it makes someone else’s ride a little better.</p> <p>Drop a comment if you have any questions, I’ll be happy to respond.</p> <div class="blogger-post-footer"><a href="http://twitter.com/Swanson_Aaron" class="twitter-follow-button" data-button="grey" data-text-color="#FFFFFF" data-link-color="#00AEFF" data-show-count="false">Follow @Swanson_Aaron</a>
<script src="http://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" type="text/javascript"></script></div>Aaron Swansonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06518166114584819554noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4969408281358306196.post-32424740997161212192013-03-11T09:51:00.001-05:002013-03-11T09:51:40.165-05:00$292 glass of beet juice….?<p>So, beets.  The latest greatest research driven, endurance athlete performance enhancing source of nutrition.</p> <p>Does it work, does it not?  The human body is so complex to nail it down exclusively to certain nutritional substances -- in my book can be pretty tough. </p> <p>Needless to say, why not give it try, right?  So, on & off, I’ll go through streaks of including it in my diet when I remember too.  I just use a masticating blender (be very careful how you read that), throw in a few apples, carrots, kale, you name it.  It doesn’t have to taste great, it just has to be good for you?</p> <p>Well, in a sign of how my winter has been going… sickness, bike challenges…here’s how you spend $292 on a single 16oz glass of beet juice.  </p> <p> </p> <p><a href="http://lh5.ggpht.com/-TaBQ1Mtu8M4/UT3vaStusqI/AAAAAAAAATs/Z7m5ouI_7pI/s1600-h/IMG_20130207_130727%25255B3%25255D.jpg"><img style="background-image: none; border-bottom: 0px; border-left: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; display: inline; border-top: 0px; border-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px" title="IMG_20130207_130727" border="0" alt="IMG_20130207_130727" src="http://lh4.ggpht.com/-Qisj1H0FDHk/UT3vbSBB2VI/AAAAAAAAAT0/4W8LomSWYQU/IMG_20130207_130727_thumb.jpg?imgmax=800" width="244" height="184" /></a></p> <p> </p> <p>…nothing like 6 stitches & a $292 Doctor bill.</p> <p><a href="http://lh3.ggpht.com/-Pg6UYs-Vzms/UT3vdbW8MEI/AAAAAAAAAT8/ec8Dn5h1jGU/s1600-h/2013-02-09%25252014.10.25%25255B4%25255D.jpg"><img style="background-image: none; border-bottom: 0px; border-left: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; display: inline; border-top: 0px; border-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px" title="2013-02-09 14.10.25" border="0" alt="2013-02-09 14.10.25" src="http://lh6.ggpht.com/-USXcr_iAqh4/UT3veoGyI6I/AAAAAAAAAUE/UylHlh5BBUk/2013-02-09%25252014.10.25_thumb%25255B1%25255D.jpg?imgmax=800" width="150" height="244" /></a></p> <p>Thanks Doc Brang – you done good though!  If that doctoring thing doesn’t pan out… that needle point craft making stuff could be in your future.</p> <p>Needless to say I was out biking the next day – not sure if the Nitric Oxide content in the beets made up for the blood loss however.   But I’m pretty sure I’ll never use an apple slicer on a beet ever again.</p> <p>Hey, on the happy side, it’s already March, and bike racing can’t be far off even if the foot & half of snow & chronically never ending sub freezing, global warming defying, temps continue.</p> <p>Tackled the 45km <a href="http://www.birkie.com/page/show/607208-fat-bike-birkie">Fat Bike Birkie</a> on Saturday.  Not the most stellar effort on my half.  Congrats to teammate Todd McFadden on a very nice ride for 3rd overall.  And very good to see a lot of bike racing folks I hadn’t seen in a long time.  <a href="http://www.hwoodcycles.com/">Hollywood,</a> Charlie Tri, Ron Williams, Bart Rodbert, Mike Weisphenning, Jon Wheeler, Evan from up in the U.P. Tom “always on fire” Gaier, Rick Cleary, thanks to Tom Meyer & Scottie Chapin for the encouragement & cheering out there too. – Yeah, it was really nice day otherwise too.  Great temps & conditions to ride the trails on the <a href="http://fatbikes.com/45nrth-husker-tire.html">big Fatties</a>.  </p> <p>A big thanks all the sponsors & coordinators of the event.  To <a href="http://www.electricbikeseattle.com/collections/fat-bikes">Seattle E bikes</a> for their support of the event & the unique lineup of Fat bikes that they have to offer.   Really hard working guys there & a company you’ll want to keep an eye on.  They’ve got some good vision on both the traditional bikes as well as electric assist bikes.  Check them out sometime or call & ask to talk to Brian.</p> <p>Hey, you skier folk, thanks for your kind accommodations in “sharing the trail” – support for one another leads to greater things for all.  Much appreciated.</p> <p>Well, back to hunker out the rest of this winter, with tax returns & Roth IRA’s contributions to attend to.  Alas, the <a href="https://www.facebook.com/StradaFangoSpringClassic">Strada Fango Spring Classic</a> can’t get here soon enough… til then ride hard, keep the wheels down.</p> <div class="blogger-post-footer"><a href="http://twitter.com/Swanson_Aaron" class="twitter-follow-button" data-button="grey" data-text-color="#FFFFFF" data-link-color="#00AEFF" data-show-count="false">Follow @Swanson_Aaron</a>
<script src="http://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" type="text/javascript"></script></div>Aaron Swansonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06518166114584819554noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4969408281358306196.post-85361505752972279862013-01-08T11:52:00.001-06:002013-01-08T12:04:21.054-06:00Midwest Regional Championship–Day 2 BadgerCross…..<p>With the first day of racing not having gone down as I would have liked.  It was with a lot of mixed feelings I had about racing the second day.  </p> <p>My motivation for ‘cross racing later in the season just never hit high gear -- be it because of results, mechanicals or frustration with the entire points/call up system.  However I don’t give up on anything easily, even to my own detriment.   The appeal of racing the 2nd day was definitely the conditions….</p> <p><a href="http://lh3.ggpht.com/-AeRoEaXFSUw/UOxct6N3WaI/AAAAAAAAARc/Q_yZrjaK_7Y/s1600-h/image3.png"><img style="background-image: none; border-right-width: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; display: inline; border-top-width: 0px; border-bottom-width: 0px; border-left-width: 0px; padding-top: 0px" title="image" border="0" alt="image" src="http://lh6.ggpht.com/-DK_fMzt6ldY/UOxcwLN59vI/AAAAAAAAARk/DVJpF7LlrSw/image_thumb1.png?imgmax=800" width="369" height="212" /></a></p> <p>  … living as far North as I do I’d been riding & training in snow cover for two weeks already.  It’s a different kind of handling that dry land, power racers will be challenged with.  It makes for a very interesting race.</p> <p>What I didn’t count on, was the need for mud tires vs. all around tires and the fiasco Shimano SPD cleats & pedals are in mud.  Rumor has it <a href="http://www.thejonathanpage.com/">Jonathan Page</a> swears by them, but if so he’s definitely knows something a lot of the rest of us don’t.</p> <p>Got to the start had a good warmup, ready & excited to have a good race.  A fun race.  I wasn’t so sure how well I’d do against the best guys today, but I liked my odds against most everyone else.   The call ups for the start were supposed to go by the previous days results, which would have put me in the 2nd row, however for some reason that wasn’t happening. Ugh.  (Sometimes you just have to roll your eyes).</p> <p>The start was nothing short of going thru 100+ yards of a sprinkler system with water spray coming off everyone’s tires.  The slip & slide started once we hit the above pictures snow field.  I’m comfortably cruising along with others around me fighting the conditions when in an instant it changes, my wheel slips & I go down sliding into tape knocking down several poles.  Once again DFL.  Ugh.</p> <p>Though that would do me no favors it wouldn’t be the first or last time of the day.  I had fun riding in the conditions and pushed it harder than the combination of tires I had for the day (Michelin Mud 2 & Challenge Grifo) allowed.</p> <p>A race like this keeps things interesting & constantly back & forth, as one rider pulls ahead over certain sections, he’s pulled back over another.  Again a similar sized field I managed to get back after a couple laps close to the top ten and was riding stronger than other riders….however, I brought the proverbial knife to a gun fight.  Two hills in the race required me to get off & run because my tires would slip out while the others road the climbs.  Secondly, the aforementioned SPD style cleat/pedal setup got absolutely clogged with mud, requiring a person to bang the soles of the shoes against the pedals several times before the would clip in and one could get pedalling again.  So for every advantage I would take before the hills fell back after them.  All a guy could do is shrug & try harder the succeeding laps, but with that came the increasing frequency of wiping out.  I think I managed four pretty stellar wipeouts in the 6 or 7 laps.  </p> <p>I finished losing out two spots in a spill near the end to get 15th for the second consecutive day.  </p> <p>The guys at the front I’d see at the mid point in the race…a half lap away had some good back & forth racing though, congrats out to Neff & Stelljes, trading 1st & 2nd both days.  And a nod goes to Trevor Koss who  I’ve had some good battles with in the past for finishing  7th & 4th on the weekend.</p> <p>Despite the excitement of slipping and sliding in the race it palled in comparison to my attempted drive home after the race.  A normal 5hr drive, soon turned into what would have been a 10 or 11hr drive if after fishtailing my car & doing a 180 degree spin in the road just barely ending up deep in a ditch.  By the time I’d gotten near Marshfield 4+hrs later I was ready to call it quits grab a hotel room & sit in a hot tub.  Which is exactly what I did & waited til the next morning to get home.</p> <p>With National Championships about a month away,a frustrating season to date & an excitement for experimentation with my MTB training for next season.   It was looking more & more like this might be the end of the season for me.  Sometimes things pan out that way.  It’s said it’s better to take a break, enjoy your sport, hobby, passion or interest than to keep pushing on.  As it turns out the following week I’d end up with influenza & even if I wanted to race Nationals that put a end to it completely.  Getting sick from that can really knock the crap out of ya.  </p> <p>So it’s been starting from square one since Xmas & looking forward to a fun & promising MTB season.  With 2013 now here, hopefully some time with free up to write up some recaps for the bests/worsts of 2012… stay tuned.</p> <div class="blogger-post-footer"><a href="http://twitter.com/Swanson_Aaron" class="twitter-follow-button" data-button="grey" data-text-color="#FFFFFF" data-link-color="#00AEFF" data-show-count="false">Follow @Swanson_Aaron</a>
<script src="http://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" type="text/javascript"></script></div>Aaron Swansonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06518166114584819554noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4969408281358306196.post-59510916650374835212013-01-06T08:57:00.001-06:002013-01-06T08:57:33.306-06:00Wisconsin & Midwest Championship ‘Cross races…Day one…<p>With the US National Cyclocross Championships, now only a weekend a way.  No better time than now to give the low down on last months <a href="http://www.badgercross.com/race.php">BadgerCross</a> weekend.  </p> <p>The two day event sporting the titles of WI State Championship & Midwest Regional Cyclocross Championship.  Despite some inclement weather in the forecast & waning motivation, on went the pursuit of USA Cycling points for January’s US National Championships.  </p> <p>If  a repeated theme comes through it’s no secret I’m not a huge fan of traveling longer distances for races & the 5hr drive there wasn’t the most appealing (the drive back home was another story…)  Fortunately, the race course at the Badger Cross events is very much a power course over a skills course.  There’s hills, descents, & some twists & hairpin turns but but not so much it gets borderline annoying like some courses I’ve raced.   </p> <p>With a late afternoon start I was able to drive down the day of the Sat race & prep in adequate time (which for me is anything more than 15minutes).  After some failed communications back from the race director earlier in the week on race scoring,  it would cost me a better position in the starting line up.  Unlike last year they raced the Open Pro, Cat 1, Cat 2 race with the Masters (35+) of the same categories.  It was a person’s option of which to register under.  After getting 3rd overall in the master’s race last year I wasn’t there for placement awards.  I simply wanted to do whatever race afforded <a href="http://aaronswanson.blogspot.com/2012/12/recaping-cross-season-first-champ-races.html">the best points possible</a>, looking at the starting line ups & results of those racers it would be close but I opted for the Open race thinking my odds would be better. </p> <p>The race went off in it’s normal super fast “track” start on the pavement that rolls out into an open field.  Last row start wasn’t affording any immediate passing opportunities without being very aggressive and again forgetting what I learned the previous week in the MN championships I failed  to bring that aspect to the start of the race.  In the first qtr mile things had strung out I was riding 4th from last & trying to be patient.  </p> <p>Here’s where in only a few races every year you'll run into that moron the tends to annoy you at every step of the race, until you finally drop them.  I’ll pass on naming the kid, but there’s aggressive racing & then there’s stupid racing, he fit the later.   What transpired after the first hairpin turn with him left me off the back of the entire field in D.F.L.   It’s funny when being in last place early in a race isn’t something that normally happens -- what a crazy feeling it is.  You look behind & see no one.  For me it’s a mixture of laughing & saying “oh crap!”   </p> <p>Even so, the course was hard & very fast, as temps stayed below freezing for the day.  And I was able to work up & pass riders on the successive laps.   There was some 25 riders in the open race & by the end I’d moved up to 15th.  Actually racing the final laps with 4 or 5 guys from lead group of the Master 35+ race (which had started some 30 seconds behind our race.)</p> <p>The last two laps were pretty fun, as <a href="https://twitter.com/smithersmpls">Chris Smith</a> was railing it with a group including Jeff Melcher, William Pankonin, & Andy Hoenisch.  When they came by I knew they weren’t in my race & would have no bearing on the points, but it seemed like as good as opportunity to get some competitive riding it.  I was surprised that Chris wasn’t taking any breaks at the front the entire 2nd to last lap, thinking he’s in trouble for the last lap.  Though he was pushing it hard enough that eventually it would drop Andy.  </p> <p>On last lap, I thought I had no reason to hold back & perhaps I could pay Smithers back, so I went hard the front & as I passed Chris I told him to get on. </p> <p> It had been one of those seasons thus far where expectations, capabilities & outcomes hadn’t coincided.  So you look for small wins against or assistance with your competition as motivations.  For me, having lost out to Andy in a uncharacteristically poor race in Eau Claire to start the season, & seeking some redemption for not finishing off Jeff in an attack I put on him at BadgerCross last season was what I had.  Plus for Smithers with the work he was doing pushing the pace I only felt right he deserved a good lead out to finish off his race.  </p> <p>So I just drilled it from that point, wanting the pace to be high enough guys dropped or couldn’t hold on.  Once or twice Jeff would try to go to the front.  I would counter.  Jeff charged hard to get past me leading into the final turns before the pavement finish.  It was enough to gap Chris & William initially or…. so I thought.  </p> <p>We hit the pavement with Jeff at the front giving me pretty much all the position I would need to pass him.  I looked back & swore I didn’t see anyone within many bike lengths.  The finish being probably 150-200 yards away.  Instead of pushing it really hard I slowly worked the outside way around Jeff coming into the home stretch passing him just before the finish, only to have Chris catch back & swing by me in the final feet before the finish line.  Very nice job on Chris part to come out of nowhere.  Note to self, you can always learn something in a race or be reminded of it.…. do a better job of checking where guys are behind you.</p> <p>The weather forecast for the next day wasn’t looking both good & bad.  Good in a sense that snowfall would make the course nice & technical, bad in that it meant a not so fun attempted drive home.</p> <p>A preview…..</p> <p><a href="http://lh4.ggpht.com/-Ya8DMHVZWPM/UOmQyWnFguI/AAAAAAAAARA/vbXxaE08f0E/s1600-h/image%25255B3%25255D.png"><img style="background-image: none; border-bottom: 0px; border-left: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; display: inline; border-top: 0px; border-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px" title="image" border="0" alt="image" src="http://lh5.ggpht.com/-xvJXgtBOq4w/UOmQ2UCi3vI/AAAAAAAAARI/D-edfFfOhEE/image_thumb%25255B1%25255D.png?imgmax=800" width="412" height="237" /></a></p> <div class="blogger-post-footer"><a href="http://twitter.com/Swanson_Aaron" class="twitter-follow-button" data-button="grey" data-text-color="#FFFFFF" data-link-color="#00AEFF" data-show-count="false">Follow @Swanson_Aaron</a>
<script src="http://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" type="text/javascript"></script></div>Aaron Swansonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06518166114584819554noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4969408281358306196.post-45769153319374506252013-01-02T13:09:00.001-06:002013-01-02T13:09:18.110-06:00MN State Cross Championship recap….<p>Had for the longest time heard a lot of positives on how fun the MN State CylcoCross Championships were.  Figured a nice little drive down to Crystal MN & spend a few days racing some of the best ‘cross racers in the Midwest.   Alternatively, it required me to miss some of the best ‘cross racing to my East.  <a href="http://www.upcross.net">UPCross</a> in Upper Michigan, as they had their State Championship races.</p> <p>They had “category” racing day one, age group racing on day two. (Thank to <a href="http://mncyclocross.com/info/">Chris “Smithers” Smith</a> for putting it together that way, Nice job Chris!) </p> <p>The first day, I didn’t come mentally prepared & aggressively minded to race around & through people in some cases & was stuck in the mid teen’s til what had become a seasonal mechanical theme… a rolled tire. I went on to finish 26th. </p> <p>Day two—if you’ve ever had a bad day of racing, you can go in the next day saying “gee, I suck” & have a repeat performance or go in with a balls to the wall attitude and nothing to lose. </p> <p>I had a nice chat with Barry Tungseth before hand, a guy on any given day can ride with the best of them, on how the different racers excel at the different disciplines.  Someone like <a href="http://www.brendansbikeblog.blogspot.com/">Brendan Moore</a>, who dominates the MTB races in MN, no one really challenged him for a win this past year.  But in a ‘cross race, there’s gonna be guys that he’ll dust in a MTB race who’s wheel he won’t hold in the cross race.  Jesse R., CJ, Chris Fischer will all outlast him.  On the other side, take someone like Pat Lemieux, ‘cross races great, road races maybe even better.  MTB racing with single track?  Just different enough to make him struggle and the above named guys will probably outgun him.  The last top end guy to excel at all 3 disciplines, MTB, Road, Cross?  Very easily <a href="http://dougswanson.blogspot.com/">Doug Swanson</a>, and sure there are others probably not to Doug’s extent to be able to win all three kinds of races in the same season.  Another extremely well rounded racer back in the day I’d even give a nod to is <a href="http://www.hwoodcycles.com/">Hollywood Henderson</a>. </p> <p>So back to the race I chose the later approach. Despite a third row start, I got into the mid teens by the first sent of U turns & once it opened up it I wound up with another drive to get to the front group of 7.</p> <p>Half a lap later, I was playing caboose of this fine company…</p> <p><a href="http://lh4.ggpht.com/-ArPRXm9K1_M/UOSFtVqOWGI/AAAAAAAAAQU/eCrGMRPzOP0/s1600-h/image%25255B4%25255D.png"><img style="background-image: none; border-bottom: 0px; border-left: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; display: inline; border-top: 0px; border-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px" title="image" border="0" alt="image" src="http://lh3.ggpht.com/-fLHTXgOPGeQ/UOSFwsgc5-I/AAAAAAAAAQc/NeJNg7EvrPE/image_thumb%25255B1%25255D.png?imgmax=800" width="446" height="245" /></a></p> <p><a href="http://lh4.ggpht.com/-SWyFTXlXLQQ/UOSF0rHZHmI/AAAAAAAAAQk/1n9Qw1dVY8g/s1600-h/image%25255B9%25255D.png"><img style="background-image: none; border-bottom: 0px; border-left: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; display: inline; border-top: 0px; border-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px" title="image" border="0" alt="image" src="http://lh4.ggpht.com/-W9ugL-Z2axE/UOSF20a4OoI/AAAAAAAAAQs/HvFz-foEsoU/image_thumb%25255B3%25255D.png?imgmax=800" width="447" height="248" /></a></p> <p>Hollywood Henderson, Chris Fischer, Josh Roeser, CJ Faulkner,Jessie Reints, and Belgium's very own Oliver Vrambout & finally Owen Thoele. </p> <p>Here’s where I took a hard lesson in cycling strategy— most races have periods of hard effort followed by lessor effort. The key is to not get doubled up on doing two straight hard efforts. Having to catch up during the “lessor effort” I put in a hard effort, catching them just in time to, only to get put on the ropes by a second hard effort. Being out of sync like that it’s hard to recover & then stay with that group. </p> <p>Hollywood was the first to drop, but considering how well that guy can still ride given the little time he has to train running his <a href="http://www.hwoodcycles.com/">own bike shop</a> it’s always admirable to see him out there pounding nails.</p> <p>I followed MN ‘cross rider of the year Champ Josh Roeser, who looked like he was dogging it until he shot out of a cannon & took a flyer to the front of the group. </p> <p>It wasn’t much later on lap 2 (of 7) through a monster long sand pit that being out of sync with the surging efforts to stay with the group I decided to back it off a notch to preserve a 7th place position & not risk blowing up letting a charging duo of Paul Krumrich & EZ Taylor run on past. </p> <p>The next 3 laps were pretty uneventful, but the LONG Stair climb RUN UP was getting to be more than annoyingly difficult. Normally, I like running & it’s one of my strengths in ‘cross racing, but this run up was double in length & distance of any race I’d ever done. It one of the few times I’ve felt like a course was overwhelming me. </p> <p>But backing off the lead group on those 3 laps offered just enough recover to put in a surge the final two laps to distance the chasers &  catch a fading Josh Roeser to grab 6th on the day. Finally a result closer to where I felt I was capable of racing.  But in the back of one’s mind comes the question of starting position, not having to fight out of the back row, how different does that race play out? </p> <p>My contention throughout this all isn’t that ‘cross racing is inherently screwed up. Rather it’s a system with challenges due to the nature of the sport that make it difficult if not impossible for capable racers in large fields to get a fair go of things. </p> <p>I don’t mean this just in a situation I’ve found myself in, but on a bigger scale there’s an example of it that will occur at the World Championships in Kentucky in the Elite Women’s field, an Olympic medalist, Georgia Gould, at this past summers games -- will end up starting behind racers she’s been way faster than all season – <a href="http://velonews.competitor.com/2012/12/news/cyclocross/without-european-results-georgia-gould-is-expecting-to-start-short-of-the-front-row_268768">simply because she chose to stay state-side racing cyclo-cross rather than racing in Europe where other Americans raced.</a> Wrong, wrong, wrong. Unfortunately, there’s no easy solution.</p> <p>As Sunday’s race ended, CJ & Chris had a die hard sprint to the end with Chris edging it out for the win. Just like he’d said the day before after finishing 6th . “It’s always better the 2nd day!” Congrats to Chris, CJ & Jessie for rounding out the podium.</p> <p>With at least one good race in the bag, the ‘cross season wasn’t feeling lost or a waste.  Traveling to Madison for the WI championships the following weekend would determine in large part how much longer I wanted to push on… more to come…</p> <div class="blogger-post-footer"><a href="http://twitter.com/Swanson_Aaron" class="twitter-follow-button" data-button="grey" data-text-color="#FFFFFF" data-link-color="#00AEFF" data-show-count="false">Follow @Swanson_Aaron</a>
<script src="http://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" type="text/javascript"></script></div>Aaron Swansonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06518166114584819554noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4969408281358306196.post-45128990717597118352012-12-31T20:34:00.001-06:002012-12-31T20:34:34.624-06:00Recaping Cross Season first… champ races to follow..<p>Promptness while always appreciated, ain’t always possible…. I’m lucky to get to the start line on time for a race so posting updates on may take time getting there.</p> <p>With two years of hosting rights for the <a href="https://www.usacycling.org/2013/cyclo-cross-nationals">US National Cyclocross Championships</a> occurring in the Midwest (Verona, WI) this year, along with the <a href="https://www.usacycling.org/2013/cyclo-cross-nationals">World Championship Cyclocross</a> race happening in Kentucky rather than Europe.  If  person from the Midwest wanted to opportune time to race in the Big Shows this would be season to do it.  </p> <p>As such, that was the plan starting last year to make a focused effort on cyclo-cross and see where I could go with it.  As with many things in life, the plans & outcomes can differ.  Despite purposeful  efforts, I had at times the same fortune of getting the traction of a file tread clincher in a muddy cross race.  </p> <p>First gotta make a point about cyclocross competition – for anyone that gets serious about and this applies for the vast majority of racers.   It’s ALL about the POINTS.  Whatdda talkin’ about Swanson?  For the uninitiated, think of it in terms of Preferred Starts or “call ups”.  </p> <p>Get enough people in a race (25+) that isn’t too long (like ‘cross, being only an hour), limit the width of the starting line to 8 riders wide and you can start to visualize the problem of showing up at races of 40, 60, 80 or even 100 racers.   An attempt to solve who starts where instead of a free for all of who can plant their butt & bike on the front row first is done by a “points” system.  USA Cycling which acts a unifying body for rules, etc for many cycling races has created a not too simple but nonetheless a reasonably effective ranking system.  </p> <p>Everyone racing gets a score/points based on how they place, it’s adjusted for the caliber of competitors & the level of importance the race is given.</p> <p>In 2011 I learned the ropes of this system on the fly.  In 2012 it was intended to be a more purposeful effort to ultimately get in the most favorable position possible going into US Nationals & the masters World Championships.  </p> <p>Here’s the problem I faced… cyclocross while growing in popularity… in certain areas of the country still doesn’t measure up to MTB or road bike racing opportunities.  All summer long there’s almost never a problem picking up a MTB race  several weekends each month,  most of which one doesn’t have to travel more than an hour or two.   In ‘cross racing, well… there’s races that close but not ones running under USA Cycling, so it meant strategically mapping out treks of 4hr & 5hrs drives to races in Southern WI or the Twin Cities.  </p> <p>I don’t know how many cycling enthusiasts, even the die hard ones like to travel a lot.  It’s not even just the economics & logistics, it’s the time.  When you like to ride a bike, it more enjoyable to spend time racing your bike than driving the car.  </p> <p>The first effort for points came at round one of the <a href="http://www.usgpcyclocross.com/site/">US Grand Prix of Cyclocross.</a>  That was strike #1 of sorts.  The rules set in place favored starting positions the first day of racing to previous years participants,  point leaders in local cross races secondly & lastly to order of registration.  So with 70+ position start, 9 rows back,  in a 45min race didn’t lend itself to having the opportunity to place well, get the necessary points & move up in ranks.  </p> <p>Now despite a very professional setup, where I will openly criticize the USGP organization is not restructuring the starting order after the first days results.  So if  even if  a  talented racer moves up significantly day one, he’s gonna start in the back row again the second day, instead of being moved up to a more appropriate starting position & getting to race closer to the front as is done in other two race formats.  </p> <p>I happened to move thru 40+ riders and ended up in the twenties day one.  But day two it was back to the rear of the field.  An significant injury took place to one of the racers shortly after the start & it ultimately halted the race.  However decision #2 I don’t agree with is USGP, instead of shifting races back 15-30min & restarting, they cancel the race altogether.  People may agree or disagree with me and that’s fine.  But I think a huge majority of guys/gals that race bikes, if they are the ones that get injured will say if asked say “Yes, the race should go on.  Don’t stop it on my account.”  Never haven been in that position in a bike race, but having been seriously injured in other sports at one point or another – those games were never stopped.  I’d of been P.O.’d if a game/race was ever stopped because my sorry ass got hurt.  Get me off the course or field, get me the necessarily medical help and let the games/races proceed!!  So promoters -- think like the athlete, no one wants the race stopped on their account,  the athletes are the ones who are supporting your event, there’s a respect in carrying on & not going soft.  That’s just my feelings.</p> <p>So trek # 1 was foiled.  Next step, scour the multitude of websites & USA cycling’s website to find the next best place to invest time, energy and effort for possible points.  </p> <p>The next stop, a Saturday MN Cyclocross series race at ElmCreek, a good field, with Bjorn Selander, Jessie Reints & Josh Roeser, but for some reason not the ideal caliber of points in play & an untimely roll of the tire in the first lap never present an opportunity to mix it up at the finish.</p> <p>By mid Oct, after enough research of previous results, the best chance for points I would need for a decent call up at Nationals wouldn’t be at the Sat MN Cross races, it would from their <a href="http://www.facebook.com/pages/Tuesday-Night-Cross/286528901387150?fref=ts">MN Tues night ‘cross series</a>…great, a 4 hr drive on a weekday.    Ok, not ideal but it was the last week of those races, so I gave it a go.  Again another mechanical in the first race, but a rescue & sacrifice from Jeremy Ames (thanks!!) lent itself to a reasonable result in race #2.</p> <p>Had sorta started feeling this sense of disillusionment coming over me in trying to get this “Operation ‘Cross Nationals” to take flight.  I went back to square one & tossed all my eggs into two sets of races in December.  MN Cross Championships & the WI/Midwest Cross Championships.</p> <p>In both cases it would be last row starts, & require a big effort & plenty of luck to get to the front in the first 1/4 to 1/2 mile of the races….. recaps to come…</p> <div class="blogger-post-footer"><a href="http://twitter.com/Swanson_Aaron" class="twitter-follow-button" data-button="grey" data-text-color="#FFFFFF" data-link-color="#00AEFF" data-show-count="false">Follow @Swanson_Aaron</a>
<script src="http://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" type="text/javascript"></script></div>Aaron Swansonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06518166114584819554noreply@blogger.com0