chain, chain go away come again when you can stay on for a day

Saturday marked the first race at greenbush and considering that was more or less where this whole mountain bike thing started for me I couldn't let it go unraced. Around six is when the fun started when Jshoe picked me up. We then drove to the race site and met Steve. The race that Jesse and Steve were doing (12 hour solo) started at eight. So after a little prep time they headed out on there first lap and i was left to take photos. (So here are those pictures i promised)

It was a great day to watch a bike race, But i couldn't help but be eager for my time to race. I would be partaking in the 6 hour solo event which started at one. So after a few more hours of watching and alittle helping in the pits it was time for my race. The first section (maybe a 1/2 mile) of the trail was blistering fast with a slight down hill and a few easy corners that made you feel uber good about your skills. And then the next five miles of the lap where like riding through a war zone so to speak. There were rocks every where (baby heads if you will) and if you got to close they would defiantly blow you up..... Well this coming from a guy who was rocking a hard tail, pun intended. The last two miles of the course where comparable to the start in that they were both really fast and somewhat flowing. Anytime during the course of the race that i would feel tired i would just tell myself that i was almost to that section again even if i had just passed it. I enjoyed that part a lot. For those of you who weren't adding as you read, a loop was about seven miles. The first lap went pretty good and even though it was rough out there, I was looking forward to another one. The second lap was about the good as well ANNNNDD THEEEEN the the third lap came and it started to rain and then it rained some more. It rained a lot! and in a short period of time. It was about that time that the nice HARD dirt trail turned into grease, peanut butter, ice, mud and muck all in one... I know, nasty right! The up hills became all but impossible to ride and i felt like i had skis on my bike rather than wheels on the down hills. About half way through that lap i was considering quiting seeing in how i was using this race for training more then anything. I was almost done with the lap when i tried going down a mudslide of a decent that included some off camber ground and killer baby heads. I didn't make it down very far before my wheels turned into skis once more and gave way. I was headed towards the ground starring at a log that for some reason had my name on it. Mushckihlkahg, is the noise i made falling until i hit the log head first then it was a baaaaaaaam. Lets just say i'm glad i had my helmet on. Where your helmets kids! I then got back on my feet and not so gently placed the log of the trail. I then finished the lap and went back to camp convinced i was done for the day, sat down with Steve, had a beer, checked the results (at the time i was in 4th), went to the bathroom. Then the darn est thing happened.... It stopped raining. I looked at Steve and said "i'm going back out" he responded with " you're really going back out aren't you" followed by "don't do it" haha. So i headed back out and realized after a while that the course was drying up nicely.

Still kinda tricky on the climbs but over all not bad. I would turn another lap before i saw that Jesse and Justin had called it quites and were watching from the start, finnish. I would complete three laps after the rain delay and headed out for a fourth which most likely would have moved me from 9th, where i finished into 6th . But as my chain would have none of it and once again decided to leave me chainless and clueless as to why the new chain keeps breaking, i would have to deal with 9th out of 31. The worst part of it all was because of the rain the mosquitoes were out in full force and there mission was to suck me dry. I was surprised they were able to find me seeing as how i was covered in mud and felt like Arnold from predator. I wish i had a chopper to run to, instead i had to settle for a campsite off in the distance. So i picked up my bike and cyclecrossed it through the woods to the safety of open space. After i got back to the race site i talked to Justin who said it might not be the chain, could be the D hanger. So I took it in to my bike shop and they confirmed that it was indeed alittle bent. After getting that straighted out and spending all day cleaning and waxing the war machine my hopes are high once again for a day that i will cross the finnish line chain intact.

Looking back I'm glad i did the race, i had fun. My back still hurts but not as bad as those guys with the fully rigids i'm sure : )

9th place
6 laps
5:01:21 time of last lap completed
6021 # plate
Performa Cycling
Ben Neubauer


23-May-09
0:36:59 lap 1

23-May-09
0:38:06 lap 2

1:15:05 total time

23-May-09
0:46:38 lap 3
2:01:43 total time

23-May-09
1:29:08 lap 4
3:30:51 total time

23-May-09
0:45:17 lap 5
4:16:08 total time

23-May-09
0:45:13 lap 6
5:01:21 total time

little bit of this and a little bit of that

I woke up Thursday and said to myself "i need change today" So instead of busting out the tank of a bike i use to get to work everyday, i ran instead. It was a great morning for it. I wore a fanny pack to keep my lunch in and away i went. After 13 mins and just under 2 miles i was at work and ready to start my day. The run home was warm but nice just the same. After walking in the door i decided that wasn't going to be the last change of pace thing i would do on this day.
So i went into the garage and loaded up my car with my brothers kayak and headed a few blocks east to the lake. Now as far as i know i've never done this before and it showed. As i was trying to get into the small skiff i almost fell into the water about four times right in front of some fishermen whom at least pretended not to notice. Once finally in i found myself wondering why i didn't bring my fishing pole but there's always next time, and besides today i was after a
work out. It took me awhile to figure out what a smooth stroke felt like and before i knew it my ABS and my shoulders were feeling the burn. After about 15 mins i made a turn and realized that the wind + kayak= hard/wet work out. I pushed it for another five mins before i took a break. Time for some food. I reached for the raisins only to find that they had gotten soaked and tasted more like grapes again then rasins. I paddled around for alittle while longer and called it quites after 39 mins. The trip was a success, I had fun doing something new and got a good work out in as well. After unloading the car i figured i might as well go for a quick ride before my softball game. I went for a short 20 mile ride and more or less just tried to hold my LT which feels really low for some reason. I start to feel it around 157 HR . I'm sure some of this has to do with the amount of stress i've been putting on my body lately but i hope it goes up soon.
After the ride it was time for the softball game. A big W was a nice way to end a great day.
I must have really tuckered myself out, i didn't even wake up in the night to use the little boys room.

blowing off steam

At the end of my work outs i like to ask myself "did i do enough today to win tomorrow?" and with some pent up frustration on my side stemming from Iola, i headed to high cliff by bike for some hill repeats. When i got there i saw that i was not the only one with this idea which i found to be very helpful. The other biker had shaved legs so i figured he must mean business...right ; )
My plan was to do 15 hill repeats and then turn around and ride back to O town. This started out pretty well and before i knew it i was on my 15th repeat and had passed the biker twice. But while i was on my way down from my 15th i noticed that my bair legged buddy was on his way up, so i couldn't help but shoot myself up the hill once more in hope of catching him for the third time. By that point i was pretty cooked and about half way up the hill i realized that it was going to be close. So i mustered every bit of bennie i had left and pulled ahead of him with no more than 20 yards to the top. I did feel kind of bad passing him like that but he didn't seem to mind. And after all i was just doing my work out.
After my ride back down from the 16th repeat i decided to let the wind carry me back to Oshkosh, i love a tail wind after a hard work out.
After parking the two wheeled torcher machine, i checked out what i had achieved on my garmin.
I rode 65 miles and some change totaling 3:40 min of saddle time and alittle over 8 miles of climbing. While drinking a recovery drink i thought to myself "Yes, i think i did enough today to win tomorrow" That thought was quickly followed by "Gosh i miss Tennessee"
The end.
P.S. The search for the camera continues

wors #1 equals war between wrongturn and stumpie

The first WORS race was today, it took place at my least favorite course Iola. The day started out on the wrong foot from the start. During the warm up i noticed alittle hitch in my shifting but it seemed to be just in my big ring and being that it was pretty much race time i didn't have a ton of time to fanagle with it. As luck would have it my chain was randomly shifting and skipping pretty much right out of the gate but mostly on the climbs when i would put all of Bennie into my pedal stroke, know what i'm sayin' ? uh huh , yeah thought so. I got through the first lap in a decent time all things considered and little did i know that a team mate was hot on my tale, none other then the matter of shoes. Jesse and i went back and forth for the next lap or two before he took off for good. Shortly after i lost sight of Jshoe i snapped my chain. Seeing in how it was the last lap thoughts of running the rest of the race out was nested in my head but there was a bunch of single track left and i thought better of it and called it a day.
Have you ever read or heard that you're not supposed to change things on race day with out trying them first? I have too but that didn't stop me from changing a few things. None of which are going to be taking place before or during next race. The list is as follows.
1. shaving legs (never again)
2. going with out my camel back
3. tuna instead of peanut butter before the race
4. not pre riding
5. showing up later than normal to the race site
Not that any of those things led to my chain breaking or my bike riding like crap but i'm superstitious, i mean after all i was a baseball player.
I didn't get to see all of the results but from what i heard Performa had a good first outing. Good job guys and gals and i'm looking forward to seeing you all again at Wors race # 3

P.S. if you haven't figured it out stumpie is my bike.

it's been awhile

a lot of riding has been done in between my last blog and now. I don't plan on telling about all of it but rather just the high lights. It may be out of order as well so hang with me.
have you ever rode past a road over and over wondering what's down it but never taken a chance on it?? Well i have and i decided it was time to take that chance and send myself sailing down this hill that would lead me to what i would find to be the township of winchester. It turned out to be a great new loop. I was happy to find that i would be able to keep my favorite hill in mikesville in the loop as well. Total milage 40 and change.
May 9th would mark the first mountain bike race of the year. The event would be a 12 hour, four man team @ the camp. It was Luke, Jvog, Ryan and myself and we thought this one lap at a time thing was for the birds so before the race started we thought two laps at a time would be faster. I started the race completing the nine mile lap in 40 mins and some odd seconds. About half way through that lap i thought to myself "who's idea was this two lap thing? i'm only half way done with this lap and i'm already dead" the second lap i would complete would feel better and i would come in about a min quicker maybe due to better trail conditions. The first lap and a half it was raining. This is taking way to long to say we all had fun and we took 3rd out of 12 teams.
My first true time trial took place on may 11th with the Oshkosh cycling club. An four mile out and back course, totaling eight miles. The course had some rolling hills but overall i thought it was a good course. I did have some problems clipping in at the start and turning around the cone at the half way point, but all things considered i thought it went well. I averaged 23.91 mph. The top guy averaged over 26 mph. It goes without saying he was "burning the tires and lighting the fires" Yeah he's fast.
I'm gonna say my goal is going to be 24.5 by the end of the year. There's one time trial a month so i have a few more shots at this.
Sorry no pics, i don't know where my camera is.
The end