Where it all began Part 2

My weight at the end of 2009 was hovering around 230 and I knew I needed to drop a few. Unfortunately I didn't take the off season seriously enough and only dropped 10 pounds by the first race. I was weight lifting 4 days a week and hitting the trainer twice a week for a couple months then the trainer was down to once a week, then once every two weeks but I did stay lifting until spring when the weather was nice enough to ride outside and then the bug hit me. I was riding 7 hrs a week and averaging 100+ miles.

 2010 Racing season starts
I thought I was gonna rock at the first race. Needless to say I took 5th and wasn't too happy with my fitness. I did even worse at the Big Ring Classic in taking 14th. I was pretty dejected at this point, I had figured everyone had passed me by in fitness and I had ended 2009 so well.....


TreadHead Cycling:

I knew I needed training help and I joined Tread Head Cycling out of Lake Geneva. Mike Gorka whom I had met through the WORS forums helped me out with this, the best single cycling decision I had made to date. I had just bought a used Trek road bike from Tyler Welnak. I found the bike on Craigslist and go figure if it wasn't a fellow WORS clyde (comp) rider selling it. So with new Bike (well new to me) in hand I showed up for me first road ride with the gang... I started off pretty good and was starting to get a little cocky. But after I figured out we were just warming up I knew i was in a bit of trouble. So when the fast group broke off to get an extra 5 miles in I stayed with Gary and Shannon to meet up with the fast gang ( Lance , Krista etc..) down the road. This is the point in which I was hoping a cow or horse would hit me. I was dieing a slow painful death. I was dropped so often I thought I would be the first guy there ever had to fire from a cycling club. Thanks to Butch for dropping back to save me on many occasions. I am now educated in lack of proper training and the effects of it......

Things are starting to improve:

The next 2 races I get two podiums. 2nd place at Sunburst (the race I bailed on my first year) and the WORS National race Subaru Cup. In this race I blasted out to a big lead and held it for most of the first lap. I ended up with 3rd that race but I knew I was getting close. The hard work was starting to pay off. The next race was the Border Battle and again I took the lead and was only followed by Scott Krueger. I had started to pull away and felt very strong and I suddenly no body was behind me. I could feel it, was this the one. A small power climb was coming up and there was another racer off to the side with a broken chain and I felt bad for him and as I powered hard up this climb  "BAM" I exploded my chain. RACE OVER!!!!!

Enter the new ride:

Reforestation ramble: I knew this wasn't a race style I was going to be good at so I tried to start easier then my new normal ground and pound and I payed for it. The single track (my savior) was almost 2 miles from the very long starting shoot and I entered it about in 4th. it took a mile or two but I had got my wind back and was flying through the single track and the leaders where in sight, I was getting excited. I could catch them at the big climb. NOT!!! here comes the first timers entering the trail right in front of us and I get caught up behind them for the next 4 miles. Needless to say I finished 3rd only 40 seconds away ( Side note. Thanks to Jon Holcomb for the awesome racing that day, and if he hadn't flipped his ride he may of gotten 3rd)

Alterra Coffee Bean Classic:

Second time racing this course and I felt it all weekend, I knew this was my chance for my first win. I blasted as hard as I could from the start and entered the single track all alone. I rode my ass off and never really tired. The entire time out there I never did see another Clyde and I was getting very nervous that something would break or a flat. Never happened. First Podium WIN. Wire to wire.........

Tread Fest:

Wow the pressure was pretty intense. I had just won my first WORS race the previous weekend and I was with a few points of taking over 1st place in the points series. By the way it was also my home course. I couldn't eat that morning the nerves were killing me. I knew my game plan. Attack the first two climbs and get to that single track first but don't blow up doing it. With my nerves about wrecked and heart rate at the line was 105 sheesh... Well I took off and got the hole shot first up the short climb and first up the long climb. But it was on the long climb were I took a break 80% of the way up after I gave a quick glance back and saw everyone in a single file. I was trying to save some for later and then I noticed someone pulling up next to me and I figured it was someone in the 40-49 group. So I wasn't too worried until I noticed it was Paul, the guy currently a couple points a head of me first overall. HOLYCRAP!!! I turned on the burners again and told him Hi Paul...Gotta go.. He just sighed and hung his head. I was first to the single track. Paul stayed in 2nd the entire race and I just kept a close eye on him while just making sure I didn't make any mistakes or burn out.

Every time he got within :20 of me I would just put a comfortable distance between us and attack the climbs. What a fun race, I thought my heart would explode. Paul is such a great competitor and a great guy. Wire to Wire again for my second Win in a row. Felt real good winning at home. Man I am hooked on this WORS thing..............

Wolf River:
I am now within striking distance of Paul in the points chase and all I need is to podium the next race and 1st place is mine and if I win again first place is a lock. Well easier said then done. Nerves were getting the better of me again but I did get the hole shot and lead for most of the first lap but felt gassed and the guy who eventually won was on my tail the entire time. He didn't care if he ran into you or a tree. He was just all over the place. When he passed me he yells out "I gotta pass dude" and then ride into the woods to get the pass and then proceeds to crash in front of me, twice lol... I figured I would just let him go as he will either gas out or kill himself. Well that ultimately didn't happen and he took first and Scottie K got 2nd and I finished 3rd but took over 1st overall in points with one race to go........

WigWam:

Wow Nerves are wrecked at this point. I knew I just need to finish no less then 2 places behind Paul to keep 1st overall. Now the big picture came down to one race. I again got the hole shot but was caught just meters before the Money tent by Nyland and the biggest guy in the race...WTH.. Needless to say Paul was right there and we fought it out for a few miles then he just stayed no more then 10 seconds ahead of me and that's where I felt comfortable. I would have liked to win my Last race of being in Cat 3 but the Point series was more important. I finished 4th and Paul finished 3rd ... ......... Satisfaction!!!!!!



Cliff notes:

• First place overall in Cat 3 Clydesdale
• 2 Wins
• 7 total podium finishes
• Earned a ticket to the ICEMAN Cometh National race

ICEMAN Cometh

Wow was I excited to be part of this huge race. I was riding for the state of Wisconsin in competition with other states. I was also riding the same exact course as the top Pros in the country. But I was also very worried. My longest race to date was 12 miles and this one was 29 miles, in the cold snowy weather none the less. This is also the time when the Tread Head cycling group rides were ending for the year. So I started a new training program and was hitting a 40 mile loop 3 times a week and getting out to the Kettle and doing the 30 mile loop (remember wasn't long ago when the 10 mile loop was a day trip lol). I also started running again this time outside. No treadmill. OMG I ran a non-stop mile, my first since high school and I did it under :12. Thanks god for cycling because with in a month I was running 5 miles.

Morning of the Race it was 18 degrees for our wave to start. FREAKIN BRRRR. I wasn't prepared for this and I thought I was... I started off fine and stayed with the pack for the first 5 miles or so but my feet from the ankles down were completely numb. My hands were frozen and hurting pretty bad. Body was fine though. I slowed a bit to pace myself and to try and warm at least my hands. 3/4 of the race over and I was hurting because of the cold. Fitness didn't fail me until the last 3 miles then I struggled pretty bad. There were a few killer hill climbs near the end that did me in.. Finished 46th out of 121 in the Nation. Not too bad for a Cat 3 rider


Running:
Now I kinda got the running bug going which is good. I have spoken with quite a few of winning riders and most of them talk about running in the off season, so I figured Hmm, gotta be something about the running. So I dove in with the same intensity as cycling. My firs run was a grueling 1.3 mile run and it took 4 days to recover. But after the initial pain fest it got way better. 2.5 on my second run, 3 on the next run then 4 and before I knew it I had signed up for a 10K. What a fun race I started off strong and not knowing if I can run the 6.2 miles which would be my longest run ever. I did finish the race without stopping or walking and finished in the middle of my age group Sweet.... After the race I have been training for longer runs and did complete a long run of 10 miles and now my avg run is a 5 mile run. Since OCT 20th I have racked up 150 running miles and it feels awesome. I am now training for a 1/2 Marathon. I don't know why I want to but I just do.

Cliff Notes:

• ICEMAN Cometh race 46th out of 121
• My first 10K run/race  36th out of 49
• Dropped my weight from 219 to currently 197