Bottoming Out

Back in the Ripon College minivan again, returning from a long weekend trip to lovely Indiana. We just crossed the border from Illinois to Wisconsin, and, as usual, I’m full of joy to be back in my home state. There’s nothing like Chicago traffic and the wretched, rugged piece of desolate terrain known as the Illinois Tollway to give one an appreciation for their cheesehead roots. It’s been a long weekend, and I think the team is more than ready to be back on campus.

This weekends race was put on Butler College, and we competed in Cross Country at a the tiny city of North Vernon, and then we had short track in Indianapolis today (Sunday). The trip down on Friday was pretty brutal…traffic was as thick as maple syrup during dog-sledding season, and we didn’t get to our hotel until midnight Indiana time. This wouldn’t have been so bad if we didn’t have to drive an hour and a half to get to the race on Saturday. Ugh.
Morale was pretty low when we arrived at the mountain biking battleground, but we suited up, balmed our chamois, and saddled up. The race started out rather intensely, and I was excited to find the single-track to be paved with hard dirt, and the winds and turns all flowed together. At least they did for the first two miles until I careen into a rock and blew out the tube in my back tire. Brilliant. Not having a spare tube, I had no choice but to trek back to the start, which was a short walk because of the direct hiking trails. With my steed out of commission (no, I didn’t shoot it), I got to relax and watch my other comrades go through the course. Bryan suffered a similar fate as mine during his final lap, but he chose to walk the last two miles so that he’d have a recorded finish. Tiffany, on the other hand, took solid first place on the women’s B race, and Christa placed sixth. The lady’s definitely did the representing for the Redhawks this weekend!

Today's short track race was probably the most brutal competition I’ve done yet. If you remember short track from previous posts, it’s essentially an all out race around an off-road circuit for fifteen minutes, plus an additional two laps after time is up. This particular course was relatively short, but featured a significant climb along the side of a grassy slope. And because the course was short, it meant we had to do the hill a lot. We pre-rode the course to know what we were going to be dealing with, and I took a pretty hard fall going down a treacherous dirt descent, which gave me a some cool abrasions on my elbow and some scratches on my back from broken glass (a great thing to have a on a bike trail…). So knowing that this was going to be my undoing, I promptly fell at the exact same spot during the first lap of the actual competition, giving up a solid starting position. I’m not sure how I finished, but Bryan definitely lapped me, so not that well ;) I did fall one other time, but that was because I was taking a drink and I hit a hidden stump and went flying off my bike.

Tiffany out performed the competition again on the short track and took away second, and I think Christa got seventh. We stayed a little while longer to watch some of the upper echelons compete. It’s amazing how skilled some of the people are! It definitely gives me something to aspire towards. Well, the winner of men’s B’s (I race C) knelt down and gave forth a Technicolor yawn after his victory, which isn’t really a goal for me, but they were fierce ☺ The winner of the women’s A league lapped everyone on the field. Incredible!

And now we’re almost back, thank God. One more race next weekend, which will be bitter sweet. It’s been a good season, but I need some time for me, now, especially considering it’s my senior year! Sorry for the sporadic postings, but the past few weeks of school have been really challenging, and I’m finally getting caught back up.

All my love,

Jon

I biked forty miles today, what did you do?

Dear reader,

It's been a couple weeks since last I took time to write in my blog, and I hope you haven't given up on my writings as a source of entertainment. School comes first, I guess...or my girlfriend, who will be moving to California on Monday. Silly girlfriend...

She can't distract me here, though, because I'm two hundred seventy miles away from her right now in God's Country...back in the Northwoods, at Cable, WI. Along with three of my other Red Hawk Teammates, I road in the Chequamegon Fat Tire 40 mountain bike race, a forty mile event of quite some distinction in the realm of the sport

We drove up to Cable yesterday mid-afternoon and established our headquarters at our bad-ass townhouse of Valhalla #12, a four bedroom beauty with a kitchen, fireplace, and electric frog the ribbits when you walk by. Somehow, by the grace of God, this place has wireless, which I don't understand because my home in Eagle River is more urban (if you can say that), and our internet connection depends on how hard the wind is blowing on a given day.

Saturday morning found us slowly getting moving to head over to Hayward, where the race actually started. We packed our things, checked it twice, and nonetheless I left with the nagging feeling of having forgotten something. Which turned out to be true, for when we arrived I realized that I, Asthma Boy, had left my inhaler on the bathroom counter. Score. Fortunately Christa brought her canister of breath-giving goodness with her, and I was able to ride in full respiration thanks to her forsight. She, on the other hand, almost ran out of air half-way through. Thanks for taking it for the team, girl ;)

The start of the race was pretty sweet....1700 bikes all rolling out at once through downtown Hayward is quite the spectacle. But I have to say...the end of the race was so much better. Suddenly you pop out of the woods, and there's a wide open field sloping down a big hill, and there's thousands of people all around the chute, milling about, cheering, taking pictures, and having a good time. It's the feeling of having accomplished a feat of physical fitness and endurance. I never expected to be able to do something, and I can't explain how rewarding it feels to have done this. I'm stoked.

The race in and of itself was surprisingly uneventful...it involved a lot, a lot of pedaling, lots of hill climbing, and was pretty damp. Mother nature decided it was time to water the lawn, I guess, and it drizzled off and on throughout the day. I took one spectacular fall today...I was flying down a dirt road, hit a patch of loose sand, and lost control. My bike careened wildly from side to side until finally it hit critical mass and discharged me over the handlebars. Fortunately the same soft earth that grabbed my front wheel kept me from having an uncomfortable landing, so I collected myself and went back on my merry way.

All right, that's it for today. I'm exhausted! I send my best regards. Oh yeah, I finished 1193, for those of you who care, at a little over three and half hours. Not too bad :)

Respect,
Jon

Back again

Once again I’m using my MacBook mobility to write for my blog while we are underway. The bike team picked up anchor at about 11:30 this morning to set sail back to the majestic prairie plains of Ripon, WI. We had an interesting and entertaining time in Missouri, but I think we’re already to escape the high heat and incessant cicadas and settle back into our familiar routines at school. For this leg of the trip I’m riding shotgun in the team van, with teammate Christa at the helm, Cameron “Big Poppa” Arndt, Bryan and Tiffany take up positions in the southern seating section. I’ve created an 82 song playlist on my iPod to provide aural sustenance for our journey, and I’ve been alternating between reading my Physical Chemistry textbook and napping to pass the time.

Missouri the state was hot and relatively uninteresting. There was nothing spectacularly visually stimulating, although it is amusing when people with southern drawls say that we have funny accents. Probably the most exciting thing that happened that was dependent on our location was the appearance of praying mantises both mornings before our races. That was pretty cool….I’ve never seen a mantis before!

Oh yeah, races, you’re probably wondering about that. Saturday morning we got up nice and early at our fine La Quinta lodgings to indulge in a continental breakfast (including biscuits and gravy ;)) and then embarked from there to the not-to-distant state park where our event would be held. I had donned my utilikilt for ease of changing at the grounds, which had the added benefit of airing out the bad boys after the intense race. The registration process was a little silly…we were supposed to have collegiate cycling licenses with us, but a few of the members forgot them. Once again the versatility of the MacBook came into play…coach used the screen capture to take pictures of the internet versions of the licenses and we used those to register the perps.

By the time we were registered, equipped, and suited-up, we didn’t have the appropriate amount time to do an adequate ride through of the course. We managed to check out the final hill and the first leg of narrow single-track, and then we were made to line-up for the start. The other boys and I were all signed-up for Class C, the entry level of the race hierarchy, and we took time to scope out our competition, which included participants from across the lower Midwest, including some people that were seriously underdressed and under-equipped. The countdown begins, we settle into the zone, and the race begins….

…and almost immediately stalls out as we all come to a sandy bottle neck where a few of the racers had lost control. It didn’t take too long to regain momentum, and soon enough we were tearing off through the woods. The training our team had done on hills really benefited me in this race, for I moved up a number of positions by passing people on the small climbs littered throughout the course. It wasn’t too long before I found myself alone out on the track…I had separated myself from everyone behind me and ahead. I had no idea what place I was, but I kept pressing on. This trail had some interesting twists too it…there was a creek we had to cross at two different points. I dominated successfully on both my laps, but fell each time as I got to the other time, including one instant of particularly graceful poise when I took a low hanging deciduous branch to my face and upper-torso and toppled over.

Lap number two started off fairly challenging. I was still alone, although I had passed a dude on the last hill, and I had consumed most of my water on the previous round. My heartrate was soaring, and I was practicing breathing exercises so as to not hyperventilate. I crested a few hills before deciding it was time to take a hit of the inhaler and pop another energy gel. The turn around was incredible…I felt immensely restored. The drive continued…I fell more times than I could count, but bounced right back up and pressed on. Slipper rocks and roots on inclines were particularly challenging. When I came to the river crossing, there was coach with the camera to cheer me on. He shouted to me that I was in third place, which provided the thrill and motivation to keep on pushing ahead. Unfortunately, my chain fell off shortly after crossing the second portion of the creek. As I wrapped the greasy links back around the cog, a rider from Missouri who had been trailing behind me caught up and surpassed me. I hopped back aboard my steed and quickly took up my lost ground, again using my hill climbing conditioning to my advantage. I soon passed him and rode on hard in third place.

As I came around a bend, I found Steven, my first Ripon comrade that I’d seen since the start. He was hobbling next to his bike on the side of the trail. I called out to him a few times asking him if he was okay, and he finally said that he had hurt his knee but urged me to race on. I knew that we were close to the end, and I decided to rush ahead dand finish and send someone back to help. With that incentive, I shifted up into the big gears and ripped down the trails to the final
stretch. Soon enough I came upon rider number two, and I politely handed him his ass as we climbed a rutted incline next to each other. Tiffany came down the trails from the opposite direction to check on Steven, and with that reassurance I carried second place all the way to the
finish, which was a tremendous feeling.

It took a while for the rest of my comrades to trickle through the finish. Bryan was next to come through, having lost considerable time after taking a wrong turn on the course. He was understandably disappointed, and probably would have finished quite strongly if not for the unfortunate event. We had to wait even longer for the next rider…or should I say runner, as Big Poppa burst out of the woods carrying his bike across his shoulders with a broken chain draped across his neck. He had ran several miles to finish the race, and even then he hadn’t come in last. Tiffany came back shortly thereafter with the wounded Steven, who had twisted his knee on an unplanned dismount. He was in a fair amount of discomfort but fortunately not in serious pain. Christa was the last rider to come through, and we all cheered her on as she crossed the line.

Race done, we showered quickly with the solar shower, loaded up the gear, and headed off for some much needed food at Shakespeare’s Pizza, a cool pizza parlor in the heart of college town Columbia. Beer and pizza did much to relieve the post-race edge, and we trudged back to La Quinta to get some nappage in.

After a decent rest period, we roused ourselves and headed off to the swimming pool, a tiny little thing (apparently La Quinta is also Spanish for small pool) out in the parking lot. We chilled for a bit, then showered and got ready for the next adventure…more food! This time we dined at a Pub and Brew that had been recommended to Coach by a friend who had lived in Columbia. The food there was delicious, and the beer was incredible. Those of us who were of age purchased samplers that consisted of six different types of beer. Mmmm….beer…

And back to the hotel! Early to bed, early to rise, for we were to race again on Sunday morning (today). I misjudged the amount of time I had to digest, which meant the large breakfast that I ate would haunt my stomach during the trials to come. We made our way to course number two and suited up to do the short track ride. What I’ve been describing has been cross-country trails…pretty much like a hiking trail in the woods. This short track is a much much shorter track in a field with some hills. The group rides for fifteen minutes, and then the next person to complete two laps wins. Bryan dominated the short track and easily took first place. I was surprised at how much I had to exert myself, and after I pushed across the line in third place, I stumbled over to the shade and hunkered down to recuperate. Breakfast threatened to re-enact the second coming, but after my heart stopped pounding I felt much better. We waited to cheer on our women, with Tiffany pulling in a handy second place and Christa dropping out to chest pain related to a previous surgery. And that was it! We were done. Got our stuff loaded, darted back to the hotel for showers and check-out, and here we are on the road.

It’s been a good weekend. The amount of time travelling was excessive (about nine and a half hours to get there), but I had a great time with my coach and teammates. Everyone in our group is a cool cat, and I feel blessed to be a part of this merry band. The physical challenge of bike racing and the satisfaction of crossing the finish line is exhilarating. Joining the team has been one of the best decision of my college career.

And that’s it for now…I’ve given you plenty to read, dear reader, and I feel compelled to do something other than stair at a screen throughout the duration of this car ride. Stay tuned for pictures ☺

Respect,

Jon

Veränderungen

Note the changes...there's a cool slideshow dofrackus on the top right corner showing pictures from the distribution of bikes at Ripon, plus some good links on the side, featuring fotos from our first bike meet, the Ripon Cycling homepage (I'm the picture on the homepage!) and the official Cycling blog.

Enjoy!

Jon

On the Way to Misery...er, Missouri

Thanks to the blessings of modern technology, instead of being forced to document my thoughts and contemplations on boring and antiquated pressed wood fibres, I’m typing out my ideas on my sleek Macbook. As I am recording these musings I am riding shotgun to Coach Damm on our trip to Columbus, MO for our second major Ripon College cycling event, a collegiate competition at the University of Missouri. It has been a long ride and we still have a ways to go. At this point we’ve overcome about four hundred miles of mind numbing travel, and according to our GPS we still have about three hours to go. Oi vey!

It’s been a fairly uneventful ride, and I hope it stays that way. There are very few positive ways in which road travel can be exciting. We had one close call with a truck that passed us as we were changing lanes, but Herr Damm rescued us from imminent destruction. The rest of our cadre is following in a college sponsored Chevy minivan driven by our resident bad ass Tiffany Seering, who has now been at the helm for seven hours. Most of our rag tag squad has been napping to endure the tragedy that is central Illinois scenery.

A redeeming note of beauty to the otherwise bland country side: mists rising above still farm fields lit up by a hazy red setting sun. It’s a simple thing, nothing fantastic or breathtaking, but rather something subtle and calming, like a gentle reassurance that something doesn’t have to be awe-inspiring to be beautiful.

Tonight’s dining was an elegant college-sponsored meal at Arby’s, a truly fine American fast food establishment. Of moderately greater interest than the thinly sliced beef and oozy cheddar cheese was McCain’s declaration of a running mate, or rather, running matess, a certain Governor Palin of …. Alaska? Sweet. After having seen part of the Democratic National Convention, I’m curious to see how the Reps roll out. Obama’s impassioned and charismatic speech of last night left with mixed feelings. That man can definitely get people going, but the crowd mentality kind of creeps me out. What will this banner of “Change” bring us? I’m just curious.

Well, I’m going to wrap this up. Tomorrow will find the mighty Redhawk Bike team on the trails of glory, and we shall see who reigns victorious on those sandy tracks. Who am I kidding, my goal is not to die, but I’m loving this adventure. Cycling has been one of the best decisions of my college career. Stay tuned for more updates from our two wheeled endeavors!

Your boy,
Jon

And we're off.

In approximately two hours, I live with my fellow bikemates for our first cycling competition in River Falls. It's not actually a college-sponsored event, rather it's a part of the Wisconsin Off-Road Series, which means that there's going to be a really diverse age group and skill-set present. I will be partaking in the citizen race, which is ten miles of narrow trails through the woods, featuring areas that are only wide enough for one bike at a time as well as some wider paths for passing. I'm hoping to face down the rocks and roots and, well, survive.

We'll see on Sunday how it goes!

Ich bin wieder da...aber bin ich schon wieder wer?

Hi hi guys, I'm back! Back in the states that is...but you probably know that by now. The past few weeks have been a whirlwind of activity, and I've spent a little of time in a non-communicative daze, mostly due to the lack of consistent internet connection at our chateau in the woods. However, I have returned to my academic homebase: Ripon College in Ripon, WI. Am I excited for the school year? Yes. Is it going to be hard? Yes...about 21 credits worth of hard. Do I see senioritis looming on the horizon? You bet your sweet bippy. Am I prepared to kick ass and chew bubble gum? Yes...but I'm all out of gum.

I invite you to join me this year as I venture through my endeavors as member of the Ripon College Cycling team, write theses for German and Chemistry, search for grad schools, and make mayhem. As always, your comments are greatly appreciated.

Respect,
Jon