Rollin on a new dubs

FINALLY after a good month of waiting I have a new road bike. It showed up at the new shop on Friday and I was not going to go another day without putting it together and riding it. I don't know if it's sad to say but my new bike coming in was probably the highlight of my week up until that point. My choice of bikes has been pretty partial for the last couple of years but that's because Trek is just that good, especially the new Madones. Don't get me wrong I loved my cross bike and would totally recommend buying one for training (especially winter), but my first ride on the new 5.2 Pro Madone was a world of a difference. The amazing smoothness of the ride and the direct transfer of power from the pedals to the wheels was almost disgusting how much of a difference there was from the cross bike to the Madone. I'll ease up on my excitement and talk about the bike before it starts to sound like a Trek commercial. The point is the new Madones are SICK!

The training front has been going well and some definite progress is being seen. Last weekend was our chance to host a collegiate race out in Greenbush. 80 miles of riding with the likes of these guys is tiring but a lot of fun.

This was the last of my base 3 this week and what better way to end a long training block than to put in one last effort in the form of a race. I rode with Brian on Saturday for the weekly breakfast ride for a couple hours in the rain. Funny thing is it ended up being just Brian and myself, everyone else bailed or was busy making cupcakes. Sundays attendance was a little better for the rainy race here in Sheboygan at Evergreen Park. The course is made up of a small section of pavement that loops through the park for about a mile with one steep hill right before the finish. I managed to find a few familiar faces to race with in the 3's which always makes things more interesting. Timmy P. was crushing it as usual and the rest of us attempted to follow for the first half of the race until he and another guy rolled off the front. I had a laps of mental toughness for a lap and found myself off the back pretty far before I knew what really happened. I knew this was unacceptable and proceeded to put my head down and drill it for the next 3 laps until I managed to catch back on. If my memory serves me correctly this is the first time I have been dropped in a race and been able to catch back on, I even surprised myself. The little mental boost I got from catching back on had me ready to keep going and ride off the front but I knew that was not an option. I played my cards smart and sat in for the rest of the race until the last time up the hill for the finish. The new bike worked flawlessly as I hammered on the pedals and clicked through the gears as I hung it all out there to make it over the top first. I created a little separation from the group to make it over the top first to surprise myself twice in one race. The problem was I couldn't really sprint for the last 50 meters due to a loose handlebar. I did keep the gas on and held on for 5th place and my best road finish to date! Perfect ending to this training block and a great way to start a rest week.

I've been logging some decent training hours lately, quality more than quantity but I have plenty of that too. Nothing good from the camera lately or things to really write about. If your not busy this weekend we still need volunteers for our collegiate race in Greenbush. We'll feed you for your troubles and right now the weather looks really good too.

1 MONTH until the first real race of the year!


Don't forget I have a couple bikes for sale. Cross bike and Mountain bike.

24 years young

Not to much to report as of late. I turned 24 since my last post. It was a good birthday celebrated with friends and family. A year older and a year wiser, at least I hope. Started another training block this week which looks to be pretty good. I did my first VO2 intervals on Tuesday and Wednesday. My very first one on Tuesday probably hurt more than anything else I've done in a long time. It felt like my lungs were seriously seered and ready to jump out of my chest. I don't know if it was just a poor warm up or what but they progressively hurt less which was good.

Next week Saturday UW Milwaukee is hosting our collegiate race weekend out in Greenbush. If your not busy you should come check it out. It's an awsome 10 mile loop through the Kettle Moraine Forest with plenty of places to cheer for all the racers. Sunday is UW Madisons crit around the Capital building which is also a great race to be a spectator at.

In other news Sheboygan Bicycle Company is making some great progress with renovating their new shop. I've been in the place a couple times now and the new paint on the walls looks pretty sweet.