I will post another blog about the 3rd Annual Remember Big Timmy ride later this week but I wanted to post about the ride last night while it was fresh.
Last week I rode the typical loop around Little John lake and had my fastest average speed which was a massive 18.1 mph. Fast huh..well...for a 250 pound guy....I will take that average all day long. So after talking Jeff he wanted to go out and kill that loop too. I wasn't sure how my legs would respond after riding so much on Sunday but we headed out for what would be our fastest ride of the year.
The loop is pretty easy...only 400 feet of climbing and around 18 miles. Running sub 1 hour is fun because I usually average under 17 mph for a road ride. Jeff started fast, just like I though he would. I knew he would gap me because I don't start fast, takes me a few miles to warm up. About 1.5 miles in he put a gap on me on a small climb. I knew if I could keep him close that I would be alright. About 4 miles in I closed the gap and passed him. We were heading straight into the wind but I found a comfortable pace and just hammered along. He dropped in and we were averaging well over 18 mph.
As we turned south onto the section with a few hills I knew he would gap me again. I just kept him close but still managed to set a PR on that 2 mile stretch by 2 whole seconds. Ha. We turned back east and Jeff says "i have it figured out, you power the flats and I will climb the hills" as he hard pedals and gaps me again. This time I hard pedaled too and dropped onto his wheel. Time to return the favor. My legs were torched and we still had 5 miles to go. He put another gap on me a bit further down the road when a truck pulled out in front of him. The jackwagon in the truck pulled out really slow and Jeff had to unclip. Then the guy continued to drive slow and Jeff was on the shoulder right next to him. No harm done, I started to reel him in again.
Home stretch: about 2.5 miles to go and I was shooting for a fast finishing section. I buried myself on the downhill and Jeff passed me on the next uphill, then I blew past him on the next downhill and he passed me on the next uphill. I went into the drops and sprinted to Thomas street and then had to back off some, but kept the pace hard. Jeff caught me and passed me about .5 miles from home. As we turned onto our street I sprinted past him so I could say that I "won"....but I guess I never told him we were "racing". oops. ha.
Overall, 18 miles in 57 minutes. 18.9 mph average. Kickass.
Tuesday, August 20, 2013
Sunday, August 11, 2013
Sore legs...for sure
Well, since last weekend I have been really busy....but what else is new. So, I will start with last weekend:
Saturday: Headed to Yankee Springs to take Jeff for his first ride. I always think this trail will be worse than what it actually is. The rain in the week leading up to the weekend helped pound down some of the sand that Yankee is so well known for. Jeff and I headed out and we had a good ride. We were discussing focus when Jeff made a slight bobble and wrapped himself around a tree. He went over the handlebars and never touched the ground, just caught himself on a tree. The rest of the ride was good. I made all of the climbs again and had a lot of fun. We only rode the 11 mile loop but our finish time was reassuring when put in relation to my race times from the past few years.
Sunday: Jeff, Zack and I headed to Custer to meet Dan after he closed the shop. At the trailhead we met up with Briana and headed out. Zack is getting better every time we go out but I was glad to have tired legs from Yankee so he had an easier ride. Towards the end of the Red loop I started to close on Jeff and I hear him say "go away Sean"...which prompted me to go a little harder. I was closing in on him a little at a time and when the trail turned flat I knew it was my chance. Dan moved over as Jeff went blasting around him and I was not far behind. I heard Dan say "go get him" as I was slipping past. We were ripping down the last section of Red with on right hander to the trailhead. I was in position to take him on the outside but he went a little wide and took away my angle. I gave up at that point...but it was a good battle none the less! All in all it was a 14 mile ride and was a lot of fun with friends.
Wednesday: Chelle was taking the girls to see a movie so I headed down town to meet up with my frieInds Ron and Barb who are starting a group ride here in my town. Their son-n-law Brendon was there as well but no other takers so we headed out. Always good to ride with people that I don't normally ride with because I have no idea what to expect. It was a fun ride. Ron and I rode out front while Barb and Brendon stuck together. It felt good to ride another 34 miles on some unfamiliar roads. We then rode around Lake Allegan and then everyone headed home in their respective directions.
Friday: Well, Friday was not a good day at work....very stressful. The family was supposed to head to Indiana and I really need to burn some stress off. I decided I would ride to Indiana and if I ran out of time I would have them come and pick me up. Off I went for what I thought was about 60 miles that in reality was more like 75 (which I didn't make). I headed straight south through Gobles, Paw Paw, Lawton and finally into Marcellus. I stopped to get some fluids and a reeses peanut butter cup....energy you know. I texted Chelle and told here where I was and that I was doing good. I checked the GPS and realized I had 33 miles to go but it was getting late. It was about 7:30 and I knew I wouldn't make it there by dark. My step-mom was freaking out a bit too so they headed out to get me. Overall I made it 51 miles with a moving speed of 16.5 MPH. I will take that for sure riding solo with a slight headwind the whole way.
Sunday: I had originally planned on riding Saturday morning but my partner bailed and I was not in the mood to ride anyway....way too tired. So I got up Sunday morning and headed to Cannonsburg Ski Area. Haven't ridden there since the State Games race a few years ago so I was pretty excited. Upon arrival the parking lot was pretty empty, just a few cars. I geared up and headed out. Unfortunately, I took the wrong route due to the sinage that pointed to the LEFT when I knew the trail went straight. My legs were super tight and hurting in the first few miles. I stood to stretch and the pain went away, thankfully. Since the lap was already messed up I took the connector to Cannonsburg SGA. When I hit the road I turned around and headed back to the Ski area. I finished up my lap and headed to the car, then back out for my second lap. The second lap was better because I went the right way. This trail is a blast once I get past the first climb. It is fairly short so I like to do multiple laps. I was going to do another but duty called at home so I headed out.
Good week of riding. Basically 120 miles since last Saturday. Legs were sore today but I have been hydrated. Can't wait to see what this week brings!
Saturday: Headed to Yankee Springs to take Jeff for his first ride. I always think this trail will be worse than what it actually is. The rain in the week leading up to the weekend helped pound down some of the sand that Yankee is so well known for. Jeff and I headed out and we had a good ride. We were discussing focus when Jeff made a slight bobble and wrapped himself around a tree. He went over the handlebars and never touched the ground, just caught himself on a tree. The rest of the ride was good. I made all of the climbs again and had a lot of fun. We only rode the 11 mile loop but our finish time was reassuring when put in relation to my race times from the past few years.
Sunday: Jeff, Zack and I headed to Custer to meet Dan after he closed the shop. At the trailhead we met up with Briana and headed out. Zack is getting better every time we go out but I was glad to have tired legs from Yankee so he had an easier ride. Towards the end of the Red loop I started to close on Jeff and I hear him say "go away Sean"...which prompted me to go a little harder. I was closing in on him a little at a time and when the trail turned flat I knew it was my chance. Dan moved over as Jeff went blasting around him and I was not far behind. I heard Dan say "go get him" as I was slipping past. We were ripping down the last section of Red with on right hander to the trailhead. I was in position to take him on the outside but he went a little wide and took away my angle. I gave up at that point...but it was a good battle none the less! All in all it was a 14 mile ride and was a lot of fun with friends.
Wednesday: Chelle was taking the girls to see a movie so I headed down town to meet up with my frieInds Ron and Barb who are starting a group ride here in my town. Their son-n-law Brendon was there as well but no other takers so we headed out. Always good to ride with people that I don't normally ride with because I have no idea what to expect. It was a fun ride. Ron and I rode out front while Barb and Brendon stuck together. It felt good to ride another 34 miles on some unfamiliar roads. We then rode around Lake Allegan and then everyone headed home in their respective directions.
Friday: Well, Friday was not a good day at work....very stressful. The family was supposed to head to Indiana and I really need to burn some stress off. I decided I would ride to Indiana and if I ran out of time I would have them come and pick me up. Off I went for what I thought was about 60 miles that in reality was more like 75 (which I didn't make). I headed straight south through Gobles, Paw Paw, Lawton and finally into Marcellus. I stopped to get some fluids and a reeses peanut butter cup....energy you know. I texted Chelle and told here where I was and that I was doing good. I checked the GPS and realized I had 33 miles to go but it was getting late. It was about 7:30 and I knew I wouldn't make it there by dark. My step-mom was freaking out a bit too so they headed out to get me. Overall I made it 51 miles with a moving speed of 16.5 MPH. I will take that for sure riding solo with a slight headwind the whole way.
Sunday: I had originally planned on riding Saturday morning but my partner bailed and I was not in the mood to ride anyway....way too tired. So I got up Sunday morning and headed to Cannonsburg Ski Area. Haven't ridden there since the State Games race a few years ago so I was pretty excited. Upon arrival the parking lot was pretty empty, just a few cars. I geared up and headed out. Unfortunately, I took the wrong route due to the sinage that pointed to the LEFT when I knew the trail went straight. My legs were super tight and hurting in the first few miles. I stood to stretch and the pain went away, thankfully. Since the lap was already messed up I took the connector to Cannonsburg SGA. When I hit the road I turned around and headed back to the Ski area. I finished up my lap and headed to the car, then back out for my second lap. The second lap was better because I went the right way. This trail is a blast once I get past the first climb. It is fairly short so I like to do multiple laps. I was going to do another but duty called at home so I headed out.
Good week of riding. Basically 120 miles since last Saturday. Legs were sore today but I have been hydrated. Can't wait to see what this week brings!
Thursday, August 1, 2013
Dumped...TNR
I was finally able to make the Tuesday night ride with the Velo City group in Holland. Last year the ride was a lot of fun and I knew it would continue to be this year. There were a lot of new faces but the route was the same. I jumped into the Medium group and off we went. Right away I got pushed to the back of the group. I forgot how fast a group can accelerate on road bikes. I have been riding my Defy with the CX tires on it so the acceleration wasn't as fast. The rubber band effect was killing me because I had to accelerate so hard just to hang on.
A few miles in I got dumped out the back on a small climb. The group was just hammering away and my heart rate was sky high. I did what I could but once the gap formed they were getting smaller and I was maxed out. Thankfully the road tipped downhill enough that I hooked back up after about a mile. I moved up in the group a little bit and was a lot more comfortable with the rubber banding.
The rest of the ride was fairly uneventful. What I mean is that I was pretty relaxed and just found a wheel to ride behind. 25 miles in I was feeling good and the group just cruised back to the shop. There was pizza waiting for us when we got there, so I grabbed a slice and talked to a few people.
I figured out that I am not in as good of shape as I was last year, but I am also about 10 pounds heavier. I am not sure if it was just being slower or not used to the group aspect of the ride, but I was confident other than 2 hills. Thankfully the group waited for me before taking off or I would have been all alone.
Good to be back riding in a group that fast! Dang it was quick. ha.
A few miles in I got dumped out the back on a small climb. The group was just hammering away and my heart rate was sky high. I did what I could but once the gap formed they were getting smaller and I was maxed out. Thankfully the road tipped downhill enough that I hooked back up after about a mile. I moved up in the group a little bit and was a lot more comfortable with the rubber banding.
The rest of the ride was fairly uneventful. What I mean is that I was pretty relaxed and just found a wheel to ride behind. 25 miles in I was feeling good and the group just cruised back to the shop. There was pizza waiting for us when we got there, so I grabbed a slice and talked to a few people.
I figured out that I am not in as good of shape as I was last year, but I am also about 10 pounds heavier. I am not sure if it was just being slower or not used to the group aspect of the ride, but I was confident other than 2 hills. Thankfully the group waited for me before taking off or I would have been all alone.
Good to be back riding in a group that fast! Dang it was quick. ha.
Monday, July 22, 2013
A little of this....and that
Weekends are usually busy for myself and my family. We are constantly on the go...and this weekend was no different. Saturday I got up bright and early and headed to Fort Custer for a lap with Jay. Even though there was a trail day we figured we would ride and remove what we could while out to cover more ground. We saw the beast of a tree in the trenches right away and called it in. Everything else we pulled off the trail as we went. Got a nice upper body work out in while riding...so that is good.
After riding Jay and I headed to the Custer Cyclery Niner Demo. It was going from 10-3 and we offered to help. Bill, Brian, Doug, Lisa, Jay and I all did our turns signing people in and swapping out pedals. I want to say about 30 people test rode the different offerings. One guy didn't have a good ride as he broke his collar bone shortly down the trail. Possibly will need surgery. Yikes.
Around 2pm we were slowing down and I finally couldn't take it anymore. Mark M. from the other side of the state had driven over to ride so I threw some pedals on a RIP 9 RDO fitted with XX1 and we went out for a lap. I will tell you this much...the bike was sweet. I don't think I would want to race on it because of the 125mm of travel but the bike is quick. Keep in mind that I ride a 26" wheeled bike, my first real 29er experience was this $6500 beauty. We rode most of the Red loop at Fort Custer and I was able to power up some climbs easier once I got the wheels rolling. The longer wheel base took me a second to get used to but Mark said I looked comfortable on the bike a few miles in. I really like the XX1 and if I ever win the lottery that will be my drivetrain for sure.
Overall it was a good weekend. Busy as usual but I got to ride and see some friends then spend good time with Izzy before shipping her off to camp for a week. Things are going good....because I choose to find the positive and try to let the negative go. Thanks to Mark for making the trip over to ride. Thanks to Niner and Dan at Custer Cyclery for the demo day. Thanks to the SWMMBA for the hard work clearing the trail. Thanks to my team for your continued support!
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| Big tree down...calling in reinforcments |
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| Niner Demo day! |
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| Niner RIP 9 RDO 5 Star build |
Ride on.
Tuesday, July 16, 2013
Determination
I know it has been a while again since my last post, things are crazy busy as usual. Not an excuse....a FACT JACK! ha. So....if I have been so busy.....here is a recap of what I have done since my last post....
Yankee Springs:
Finally got there for a lap. I managed to clear every hill out there and only put a foot down once because of sand in a nasty corner...but I never stopped. I dabbed and pushed off one time then kept moving. I was feeling awesome. Managed to be faster than my race time from 2 years ago, and I am 15 pounds heavier. Starting to learn how to pace myself a bit. Fun lap.
TK Lawless:
Headed down there again since I flatted and had to walk out the last time I rode...er....walked....er...hiked out of the woods. Lisa P, Bill K, Kevin V and I met for a few laps. First one was brutal. TK is so tight and twisty that I got spit out right away but we would regroup and I would watch them disappear yet again. First lap was ok, but the second lap was much better. I paced myself again. I told the others that I was heading out and that I was sure they would catch me. I made it further than expected before I got reeled in but my lap time was much faster and I was feeling really good.
Last week I went to a Scentsy Family reunion with my wife. I had been training for the 5K that was being done but I strained my calf and was unable to run for almost 2 weeks. Knowing I wanted to run my first ever 5K I gutted it out and ran the entire thing minus stopping for some water at the aid station. Just under 42 minutes. Not bad for a 260 pound guy. I just plodded along and hit my goal!
Kal-Haven:
We got back Saturday and I had a 70+ mile ride planned with some friends on Sunday morning. Jeff and I loaded up and got the trailhead a little before 7. Jay, Brian, Lisa and a few others were there to make us a group of 8. The pace was fast on the way over.....right around 2 hours to the light house. The pace back was more tolerable as we finished with 71 miles in under 5 hours. 14.9 moving average. Nice. That is what I have been up to!
Now....maybe you are wondering what a "Scentsy Family Reunion" is. Well, my wife is a business owner in the Scentsy family. She has three product lines with various products ranging from warmers with wax all the way to fondue warmers with chocolate and cheese. The reunion we went to packed a lot of information into a few days and allowed us to have some fun as well. We saw Kelly Clarkson in concert and Mo$aic (a band that does music without insturments) was there as well. It was a fun time with a lot of fun people. They announced that the Scentsy family will be able to sell in Australia and Mexico. I generally don't use my blog for this kind of thing...but if you happen to read this and want to get in on the ground floor give me and my wife a shout. I will list her websites below so you can look around at the products. But let me tell you this, if you were to start your own business in Australia or Mexico and be one of the first consultants in that country your chances of being successful are super high! Here are her sites:
For Scentsy (aromatic warmers, lotions and buddies)
For Grace Adele (purses, clutches, wallets)
For Velata (fondue warmers with cheese and chocolate)
I am pretty fired up for our futures so I want to be able to share this anyone reading it!
Yankee Springs:
Finally got there for a lap. I managed to clear every hill out there and only put a foot down once because of sand in a nasty corner...but I never stopped. I dabbed and pushed off one time then kept moving. I was feeling awesome. Managed to be faster than my race time from 2 years ago, and I am 15 pounds heavier. Starting to learn how to pace myself a bit. Fun lap.
TK Lawless:
Headed down there again since I flatted and had to walk out the last time I rode...er....walked....er...hiked out of the woods. Lisa P, Bill K, Kevin V and I met for a few laps. First one was brutal. TK is so tight and twisty that I got spit out right away but we would regroup and I would watch them disappear yet again. First lap was ok, but the second lap was much better. I paced myself again. I told the others that I was heading out and that I was sure they would catch me. I made it further than expected before I got reeled in but my lap time was much faster and I was feeling really good.
Last week I went to a Scentsy Family reunion with my wife. I had been training for the 5K that was being done but I strained my calf and was unable to run for almost 2 weeks. Knowing I wanted to run my first ever 5K I gutted it out and ran the entire thing minus stopping for some water at the aid station. Just under 42 minutes. Not bad for a 260 pound guy. I just plodded along and hit my goal!
Kal-Haven:
We got back Saturday and I had a 70+ mile ride planned with some friends on Sunday morning. Jeff and I loaded up and got the trailhead a little before 7. Jay, Brian, Lisa and a few others were there to make us a group of 8. The pace was fast on the way over.....right around 2 hours to the light house. The pace back was more tolerable as we finished with 71 miles in under 5 hours. 14.9 moving average. Nice. That is what I have been up to!
Now....maybe you are wondering what a "Scentsy Family Reunion" is. Well, my wife is a business owner in the Scentsy family. She has three product lines with various products ranging from warmers with wax all the way to fondue warmers with chocolate and cheese. The reunion we went to packed a lot of information into a few days and allowed us to have some fun as well. We saw Kelly Clarkson in concert and Mo$aic (a band that does music without insturments) was there as well. It was a fun time with a lot of fun people. They announced that the Scentsy family will be able to sell in Australia and Mexico. I generally don't use my blog for this kind of thing...but if you happen to read this and want to get in on the ground floor give me and my wife a shout. I will list her websites below so you can look around at the products. But let me tell you this, if you were to start your own business in Australia or Mexico and be one of the first consultants in that country your chances of being successful are super high! Here are her sites:
For Scentsy (aromatic warmers, lotions and buddies)
For Grace Adele (purses, clutches, wallets)
For Velata (fondue warmers with cheese and chocolate)
I am pretty fired up for our futures so I want to be able to share this anyone reading it!
Wednesday, June 26, 2013
Whoops.....its been a while
I didn't realize that is has been over a month since my last post. A lot has been going on. Been riding more and actually running...but more on that later.
Road riding is more common in the past couple of weeks, but Jeff and I did manage to ride Owasippe a few weeks ago. This trail is located on a Boy Scout camp and it closes for the Scout usage during the summer. Jeff and I rode it two days before it closed. This trail is very cool. The builders have done an excellent job utilizing the property. There are some monster climbs and lots of flowing downhills. Click here for a highlight video.
My weight has been dropping a bit in the past few weeks too...so that is good. I started running because Chelle and I have a 5k in July. I was planning on running it, but I tweaked my calf two days ago and I am not sure if I will be able to now. It is rather funny running a mile without stopping. Then the next week running 1.8 miles without stopping. Pushing to 2 miles was the breaking point....I made it....but at a price. All I can do now is rest my calf and ice it. As I type this I have an ice pack under my leg. Bright side? I can still pedal with no pain....which seems strange, but I guess I don't use my lower legs enough. hmmmm.
I have noticed a different mentality recently about weight loss. Perhaps it was the talk I had with my doctor about my weight, or more specifically my BMI. He told me my blood pressure and pulse were fine but that he would like to see me down around 200 pounds. My thoughts were "yeah, me too!!" ha. When he told me that I needed to lose the weight I almost felt relieved. My last doctor told me I was fine....even at 70 pounds overweight. This time my new doctor was honest and carefully told me that I need to lose the weight. I have a new determination about my weight this time. I am cutting back on my food and exercising more.
That is what I have been up to......in a nutshell. Hopefully it won't be this long before my next post! Thanks if you are reading!
Road riding is more common in the past couple of weeks, but Jeff and I did manage to ride Owasippe a few weeks ago. This trail is located on a Boy Scout camp and it closes for the Scout usage during the summer. Jeff and I rode it two days before it closed. This trail is very cool. The builders have done an excellent job utilizing the property. There are some monster climbs and lots of flowing downhills. Click here for a highlight video.
My weight has been dropping a bit in the past few weeks too...so that is good. I started running because Chelle and I have a 5k in July. I was planning on running it, but I tweaked my calf two days ago and I am not sure if I will be able to now. It is rather funny running a mile without stopping. Then the next week running 1.8 miles without stopping. Pushing to 2 miles was the breaking point....I made it....but at a price. All I can do now is rest my calf and ice it. As I type this I have an ice pack under my leg. Bright side? I can still pedal with no pain....which seems strange, but I guess I don't use my lower legs enough. hmmmm.
I have noticed a different mentality recently about weight loss. Perhaps it was the talk I had with my doctor about my weight, or more specifically my BMI. He told me my blood pressure and pulse were fine but that he would like to see me down around 200 pounds. My thoughts were "yeah, me too!!" ha. When he told me that I needed to lose the weight I almost felt relieved. My last doctor told me I was fine....even at 70 pounds overweight. This time my new doctor was honest and carefully told me that I need to lose the weight. I have a new determination about my weight this time. I am cutting back on my food and exercising more.
That is what I have been up to......in a nutshell. Hopefully it won't be this long before my next post! Thanks if you are reading!
Tuesday, May 21, 2013
Understand this...its easy....
I know it has been a while since my last post...and honestly....it doesn't really matter. Where have I been? On the couch? On the beach? On the trainer? In witness relocation? Well...that answer is simple...busy. The typical grind for us in the spring with dance, dance, soccer, and everything else left me with very little time to ride. Well....let me be honest.....I had time...but I didn't take it. I got caught on the downward spiral and rode it to a place I have not been in a while.....deep in a hole.
I can make excuses...but they are all paper thin. I can rifle off all these reasons that don't hold any weight. So I will just cover my absence with these simple words "it is just easier to be lazy". It is...honestly. It is easier to have the kids grab me another piece of pizza. It is easy to tell the kids yes to ice cream and candy bars and cake because they are delicious. It is just easier to come home from work and do nothing. Lazy. Period.
I took a mental hit after Barry Roubaix because I allowed myself to. So instead of getting back on the bike and riding away the anger I harbored it behind pizza and sugar filled foods. Honestly, I always eat food that is bad for me...but if I can limit my intake I drop weight. So, I have been hiding. I raced Custer...but didn't have the gas for a second lap. That's ok....because I at least tried...knowing it was going to be a rough go.
One pedal stroke at a time. That is how I am approaching things now. The funny thing is....cutting back and eating healthier is actually easier than I make it....just have to make the choice. I gave up pop on January 1st...been almost 5 months....just have to make the same commitment to my health. My family will appreciate it.
I can make excuses...but they are all paper thin. I can rifle off all these reasons that don't hold any weight. So I will just cover my absence with these simple words "it is just easier to be lazy". It is...honestly. It is easier to have the kids grab me another piece of pizza. It is easy to tell the kids yes to ice cream and candy bars and cake because they are delicious. It is just easier to come home from work and do nothing. Lazy. Period.
I took a mental hit after Barry Roubaix because I allowed myself to. So instead of getting back on the bike and riding away the anger I harbored it behind pizza and sugar filled foods. Honestly, I always eat food that is bad for me...but if I can limit my intake I drop weight. So, I have been hiding. I raced Custer...but didn't have the gas for a second lap. That's ok....because I at least tried...knowing it was going to be a rough go.
One pedal stroke at a time. That is how I am approaching things now. The funny thing is....cutting back and eating healthier is actually easier than I make it....just have to make the choice. I gave up pop on January 1st...been almost 5 months....just have to make the same commitment to my health. My family will appreciate it.
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