Not much has transpired since the Lumberjack 100.
I have been eating ice cream bars and getting the ghetto pool ready for the hot summer.
I will kick in the miles to prepare for the my favorite race, Ore to Shore Hard Rock.
Couple of things on the mind:
1. School
2. Ride Around Torch
3. Ore to Shore
4. Home improvement
Draw your own conclusions!
Blogs are lame!
-Chad
Wednesday, July 01, 2009
Sunday, June 21, 2009
Lumberjack 100!
It is finished!
Here is a mini race report:
-55 out of 175 racers
-9:50:57
I went into this race well prepared. However, it seems I was totally thrashed by the second lap. After that it was survival mode! Many times the DNF demons were pressuring me to quite.
Not much else to say!
This was my last Lumberjack 100 race. I decided in January of 2009 not to do it again. 5 years is enough for me.
My TSB teammate Brad finished very well in the single speed class. Much respect goes out to him because he beat the Master and finished the race on a rigid 29er. He was smoking fast when he passed me. I worked with him for a while, but I could not hold his pace! Way to go, Brad! Sorry I could not hang out with you after because my family had plans that evening!
-12th place SS out of 47 riders
-9:01:06 finishing time
My son did an awesome job as support for the race. He had everything ready for Brad and I for each lap. Not bad for a 10 year old. I have trained my Patowan learner well!
Next race, Ore to Shore Hardrock!
-Chad
Here is a mini race report:
-55 out of 175 racers
-9:50:57
I went into this race well prepared. However, it seems I was totally thrashed by the second lap. After that it was survival mode! Many times the DNF demons were pressuring me to quite.
Not much else to say!
This was my last Lumberjack 100 race. I decided in January of 2009 not to do it again. 5 years is enough for me.
My TSB teammate Brad finished very well in the single speed class. Much respect goes out to him because he beat the Master and finished the race on a rigid 29er. He was smoking fast when he passed me. I worked with him for a while, but I could not hold his pace! Way to go, Brad! Sorry I could not hang out with you after because my family had plans that evening!
-12th place SS out of 47 riders
-9:01:06 finishing time
My son did an awesome job as support for the race. He had everything ready for Brad and I for each lap. Not bad for a 10 year old. I have trained my Patowan learner well!
Next race, Ore to Shore Hardrock!
-Chad
Sunday, June 07, 2009
A Little of Everything!
I am glad do close out the week. Many things happened this week that were emotionally and physically demanding.
I had some issues with my side of the family that drained me emotionally and physically. All is good now.
I did manage some riding this week. I set the Quiring 29er up for the Lumberjack 100 by dumping the 1x9 and going back to a 2x9 set-up. Novemeber of last year I had the Q hooked up with a 38 tooth ring in the front with a 11-32 cassette for the Iceman. I finally switched to a 42/32 ring set up with a 11-34 cassette. I need the lower gearing for Lumbersmack on June 20th.
I also sealed up my Kenda Karma's on the Mavic Crossmax wheels. The front took a while to seal up, but eventually everything was good. I love riding the MTB with a tubeless set-up. Nice and comfy at 28 psi!
Sunday I went for a long, hard road ride on the Roubaix. I pounded out 62 miles with a climb up Wayne Hill at the end of the ride. I was smoked by the time I got home. The hard rides will be reduced as I taper for Lumberjack.
All is looking good for Lumbersmack! Keep the fingers crossed for good weather!
Photos of the Lumberjack version of the Quiring later.
-Chad
I had some issues with my side of the family that drained me emotionally and physically. All is good now.
I did manage some riding this week. I set the Quiring 29er up for the Lumberjack 100 by dumping the 1x9 and going back to a 2x9 set-up. Novemeber of last year I had the Q hooked up with a 38 tooth ring in the front with a 11-32 cassette for the Iceman. I finally switched to a 42/32 ring set up with a 11-34 cassette. I need the lower gearing for Lumbersmack on June 20th.
I also sealed up my Kenda Karma's on the Mavic Crossmax wheels. The front took a while to seal up, but eventually everything was good. I love riding the MTB with a tubeless set-up. Nice and comfy at 28 psi!
Sunday I went for a long, hard road ride on the Roubaix. I pounded out 62 miles with a climb up Wayne Hill at the end of the ride. I was smoked by the time I got home. The hard rides will be reduced as I taper for Lumberjack.
All is looking good for Lumbersmack! Keep the fingers crossed for good weather!
Photos of the Lumberjack version of the Quiring later.
-Chad
Wednesday, May 27, 2009
Memorial Day Weekend
I kicked off my Memorial Day Weekend early with a no show for work.
I had to take my middle brother to the doctor for some issues after being up for 26 hours with 2 hours of sleep!
Saturday my wife took a vacation day from the family, she needed it. She had her nails done, hairs cut, and did some garage sale shopping with my mom.
Sunday we went to church and had my mom over for grilled goodies. Earlier in the day I did some intervals on the road bike which had me almost puking. 2 1/2 hours of intervals in prep for Lumberjack. We took a trip out to Honor to the Cherry Bowl. The Cherry Bowl is an old school drive-inn. We watched Night at the Museum and X-Men Origins: Wolverine. We were home in bed Monday morning at 3am! Yikes!
Monday we hung out at my brother in laws beach haus on Deep Water Point. It was a relaxing time with my boys playing in the 48 degree water while we looked on. I even soaked my sore ankle in the water. Planting shrubs is a dangerous thing for cyclist! We grilled hot dogs!
Tuesday I had the day off because of the floater holiday for work. I spent the day painting the interior of the house because it was raining.
Now it is time to go back to work. Nothing to say about that.
No riding this week because of a sprained ankle.
-Chad
Saturday, May 09, 2009
Mackinaw Tour Photo Dump and Part 2!
Well, here is part two of my Mackinaw Tour accompanied by photos.
Day 1-Stretch of trail between Cheboygan and Mackinaw City.
Day 1-Lake Huron, getting close.
My favorite transit line to Mackinaw Island!
Day 2-Lunch stop in Gaylord. It tasted awesome!
Day 1-Lunch stop in Gaylord. Double meat footlong!
Day 1-Dixie Saloon in Mackinaw City. Fueling up with whitefish dip/chips and Cowboy burger!
Night stay! Two beds: one for me, one for my gear!
The best sight in the world after a long day in the saddle! Hot tub and a bed!
Day 1-One of two tunnels on the trail from Gaylord to Mackinaw City.
Day 1-This pissed me off! This trail marker brought back memories of a failed attempt on the Mid to Mac.
Day 1-Topinabee Hardware. Looking for carbon grease to keep my seatpost from slipping.
Day 1-Two miles from Cheboygan I find this little guy on the trail. I thought he was dead.
Day 1-Between Wolverine and Indian River. One of two passes under I-75.
Day 1-In Cheboygan the trail was fresh and fast!
You see a lot of these along the trail since it doubles as a snowmobile trail in the winter.
Day 2-Goofing off! Passing the time by taking some action shots. Do not try this at home!
The End, well until next year!
It was a sweet trip. I still grin when I think about it!
Day 2 was a low key affair. My goal for the day was to not stop until Gaylord. Gaylord would be my solid food stop or lunch as I call it. Hey, you can only drink so much Heed and Perpetuem on a long trip!
I made it to Gaylord without stopping. That meant doing everything on the bike in motion such as changing gloves, answering the phone, and digging for jerkey in the pack. I did it and eating lunch at Wendy's was my reward.
A bit of history involving Wendy's. Wendy's is the traditional post ride food stop when completing one day rides on the High Country Pathway! Many a triple combo were inhaled in those days!
A bit of history involving Wendy's. Wendy's is the traditional post ride food stop when completing one day rides on the High Country Pathway! Many a triple combo were inhaled in those days!
After lunch, I shoved off for home. Again, my goal was not to stop until I hit the garage door at home. Coming across C-38 from Otsego to Mancelona was not fun. 20 mph winds out of the west meant for the hardest and longest stretch of my day. 22 miles at 11.2 mph average.
I did take a different route home from Mancelona. I took 571 south to Nash Road into Kalkaska. Then from there it was on the dirt roads of Island Lake and Sand Lake. I even rode part of the Iceman Cometh course from the dump point into Sand Lake to Broomhead, on a road bike!
I was glad to be home. After that I showered, dressed, got groceries and took the garbage to town.
Enjoy the photos!
-Chad
Day 1-Somewhere north of Vanderbilt.
Day 1-Stretch of trail between Cheboygan and Mackinaw City.
Day 1-Lake Huron, getting close.
My favorite transit line to Mackinaw Island!
Day 2-Lunch stop in Gaylord. It tasted awesome!
Day 1-Lunch stop in Gaylord. Double meat footlong!
Day 1-Dixie Saloon in Mackinaw City. Fueling up with whitefish dip/chips and Cowboy burger!
Night stay! Two beds: one for me, one for my gear!
The best sight in the world after a long day in the saddle! Hot tub and a bed!
Did I mention bikes stay for free!
Day 1-Turkey vultures hoping I would drop dead! Dream on freakin' ugly birds!
Day 1-One of two tunnels on the trail from Gaylord to Mackinaw City.
Day 1-This pissed me off! This trail marker brought back memories of a failed attempt on the Mid to Mac.
Day 1-Topinabee Hardware. Looking for carbon grease to keep my seatpost from slipping.
They had sandpaper instead! It worked.
Day 1-Two miles from Cheboygan I find this little guy on the trail. I thought he was dead.
Little did I know he was catching some warm rays. Went back to remove what I thought was
a dead snake carcass, only to have him jet away off the trail!
Day 1-Between Wolverine and Indian River. One of two passes under I-75.
Day 1-In Cheboygan the trail was fresh and fast!
You see a lot of these along the trail since it doubles as a snowmobile trail in the winter.
Day 2-Goofing off! Passing the time by taking some action shots. Do not try this at home!
The rider thinks he is a professional!
The route on Saturday morning to Mackinaw City:
The route on Saturday morning to Mackinaw City:
The End, well until next year!
Wednesday, May 06, 2009
Mackinaw Tour Report
I had a terrible night of sleep going into Saturday morning.
Thursday of the week I sliced my thumb and index finger on the potato slicer which required a trip to Urgent Care to stop the bleeding. While there I had a Tetnus shot. Who can remember when the last one was!
Speed up to Friday night, the eve of the Mackinaw Tour. While at work I started to feel like I had the flu! Fever, aches, headache, and upset stomach! Great I am getting sick. It is either sickness or weather that dooms a big ride around here.
Well, my symptoms were from the Tetnus shot according to the nurse at Urgent Care. I went home to get sleep. My sleep was interupted by soaking sweat and chills. By 5 am I was alright and slept for an hour before getting up at 6:15am for my 7am departure for Mackinaw City.
The trip up was non-eventful. I rode up to Gaylord on the back roads of Northern Michigan. Once to Gaylord, it was time for some crushed limestone rousing!
The North Central Trail is a great piece of trail. Well maintained and groomed. The Roubaix was born to ride this terrian. The Kenda Kwick Roller 28's rolled smooth without any flats or other issues.
Once in Mack City, I had dinner at the Dixie Saloon. Actually it was the only place open for the season. Once the food was consumed I headed back to the hotel for some hot tubbing. The hot tub was a great thing. It helped me recover for Sunday's jaunt home. I sat in the hot water for 45 minutes soaking it up. I was in bed at 10 and up at 6:30am for the return trip to Williamsburg.
Ride time: 8:16:29
High HR: 175
Up at 6:30am, breakfast at 7am, and on the bike at 7:45am. I told myself I would not stop until Gaylord for the day. So off I went on the trail and put Mack City behind me. I did have some difficulty getting the body going for the first 5 miles. Nothing wanted to work and then my six Ibuprofin kicked in and all was well.
I made it to Gaylord around 1pm. I did manage to talk to my wife on speaker while riding somewhere around Indian Lake. That was nice for passing the time.
Once in Gaylord, I made a food stop at Wendys! Wendys is the traditional food stop after riding the High Country Pathway. I downed my Frosy, burger, fries, and cherry Coke and off to the my final destination.
I made it home at 5:45pm. I did take a different route from Mancelona to home. I took the dirt roads consisting of Island Lake road, Sand Lake road to Bunker Hill road.
Day two stats:
All in all, I would do it again.
The start on Saturday. That jersey is HOT!
I wonder if I could get a backwoods massage? I needed one! 
Thursday of the week I sliced my thumb and index finger on the potato slicer which required a trip to Urgent Care to stop the bleeding. While there I had a Tetnus shot. Who can remember when the last one was!
Speed up to Friday night, the eve of the Mackinaw Tour. While at work I started to feel like I had the flu! Fever, aches, headache, and upset stomach! Great I am getting sick. It is either sickness or weather that dooms a big ride around here.
Well, my symptoms were from the Tetnus shot according to the nurse at Urgent Care. I went home to get sleep. My sleep was interupted by soaking sweat and chills. By 5 am I was alright and slept for an hour before getting up at 6:15am for my 7am departure for Mackinaw City.
Saturday morning greeted me with partly cloudy skies with a morning temp of 41 degrees. That meant I had to buttom up with arm and knee warmers with shoe covers.
The trip up was non-eventful. I rode up to Gaylord on the back roads of Northern Michigan. Once to Gaylord, it was time for some crushed limestone rousing!
The North Central Trail is a great piece of trail. Well maintained and groomed. The Roubaix was born to ride this terrian. The Kenda Kwick Roller 28's rolled smooth without any flats or other issues.
I made it to Mackinaw City and it was a welcomed site. I stayed at the Hamilton Inn Select. Pretty posh place to stay and it was only $49 for the night!
Once in Mack City, I had dinner at the Dixie Saloon. Actually it was the only place open for the season. Once the food was consumed I headed back to the hotel for some hot tubbing. The hot tub was a great thing. It helped me recover for Sunday's jaunt home. I sat in the hot water for 45 minutes soaking it up. I was in bed at 10 and up at 6:30am for the return trip to Williamsburg.
Day one stats:
Ride time: 8:16:29
High HR: 175
Low HR: 152
Avg. HR: 156
129.1 miles
15.7 avg. mph
Up at 6:30am, breakfast at 7am, and on the bike at 7:45am. I told myself I would not stop until Gaylord for the day. So off I went on the trail and put Mack City behind me. I did have some difficulty getting the body going for the first 5 miles. Nothing wanted to work and then my six Ibuprofin kicked in and all was well.
I made it to Gaylord around 1pm. I did manage to talk to my wife on speaker while riding somewhere around Indian Lake. That was nice for passing the time.
Once in Gaylord, I made a food stop at Wendys! Wendys is the traditional food stop after riding the High Country Pathway. I downed my Frosy, burger, fries, and cherry Coke and off to the my final destination.
There is a lack of events or details in the report because it was a good ride. No issues or bad experiences. So I apologize for a lack of substance in the report. You have to ride it to understand how fun it was.
I made it home at 5:45pm. I did take a different route from Mancelona to home. I took the dirt roads consisting of Island Lake road, Sand Lake road to Bunker Hill road.
Day two stats:
Ride time: 9:36:17
High HR: 157
Low HR: 133
Avg. HR 143
132.3 miles
13.7 avg. mph
The Specialized Roubaix Pro worked awesome. It is a endurance road bike with enough comfort to make it fun.
All in all, I would do it again.
On with the photos:
The start on Saturday. That jersey is HOT!
The end! Halfway through the ride!
I wonder if I could get a backwoods massage? I needed one!
Are we there yet! My butt is killing me!
Sunday finish! Can I take a nap now?
Look for more photos from the middle of the ride in part two of the Mackinaw Tour.
-Chad
Friday, May 01, 2009
May 1st, Eve of the Big Ride!
Well, we made it to May 1st! Maybe we will start getting temps in the 70's and 80's!
It is the eve of the big ride, Mackinaw Tour! I renamed it to give it the Spring Classics ring!
The bike is set for the 250 mile round trip. Edit: The ride will be 250 miles not 300 miles as previously stated.
A few changes to the Roubaix:
-Mavic Askium wheels for less flex and better durability.
-Kenda Kwick Rollers for comfort. 700C x 28. Plus they have the IronCloak to prevent flats.
-Little red blinky light for the early morning departures.
-Kenda and Sram decals for marketing.
All the gear is ready to go. Here is the list for a bare essential ride:
Multitool
Tire lever
Tubes-5
Tire lever
Tubes-5
Pump
Speed patches
Side wall patches
Compass
Speed patches
Side wall patches
Compass
Jerkey
Perpetuem/Heed-Two bottles worth
Gel
Clif Blocks
Perpetuem/Heed-Two bottles worth
Gel
Clif Blocks
Deoderant/Shampoo/Toothbrush/Toothpaste-Travel size
Chamois butter
Chap stick
Hand sanitizer
Chap stick
Hand sanitizer
Windpants
T-Shirt
Crocs
Hat
T-Shirt
Crocs
Hat
Cap
Socks
Jersey
Shorts
Camelbak
Bladder
Gloves
Inserts
Shoe covers
Arm warmers
Knee warmers
Sun glasses
3 water bottles
Rain jacket
Pull over
Hand warmers
Helmet
Rear light
Helmet light
Socks
Jersey
Shorts
Camelbak
Bladder
Gloves
Inserts
Shoe covers
Arm warmers
Knee warmers
Sun glasses
3 water bottles
Rain jacket
Pull over
Hand warmers
Helmet
Rear light
Helmet light
Glasses
Camera
Wallet
Cash
Reservation
Map
Camera
Wallet
Cash
Reservation
Map
It seems like a lot, but all the items are small and fit into my Camelbak Ventoux easily. The pack is not heavy at all. And most of the items will be worn!
I specialize in the bare essential, self supported epic rides!
I will have a full write up Monday afternoon with visual stimulation, IE photos!
Until then, keep the dirty side down!
-Chad
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