So it looks like it's been awhile and I have enough to report on to say the least. I'm going to try and sum up the month that was as short as I can... Ready?? GO!
The WORS mountain bike race in Franklin kinda sucked, I was looking forward to this race all year in part due to the long switch back climb. But I got off to a slow start and got stuck on the back end of a really slow single track train that was lead by two "pinball wizards"
(translation- see pinball machine) Finished 25th overall eeeeeek! But not all was wasted, I did catch the biggest bass ever!! while camping before the race. She was over 21 inches.
Race the lake had all the makings of a great race/time. Jesse came into town the night before so we talked race strategy and then hit the hay. We awoke at 4:15 am? yes to early for jvog.
The race started before we knew it. I started in the first wave and was alittle nervice about it but handled it ok until we got through Oshkosh where I found myself in the middle of a big crash. I surprised myself by getting up and actually catching the lead group. twenty mins later I and some others were droped. Around mile 62 my knee started acting up and I choose to call in my support van (my mom and dad) to pick me up and call it quites for the day in hopes of saving the season. I hate quiting but the thought of going through what i went through last year with my knee after this race wasn't really an option.
After a week and some change of some reasonable training I have reason to belive I'm ready for the next WORS race in the GB area. Should be a great weekend and an even better race.
I hope to write up a race report shortly following the race. But we all know how that goes.
Friday, August 28, 2009
Sunday, July 19, 2009
kewasted (kewaskum)
Kewaskum, race number 6 in the wors series. I felt pretty good going into this race, I've raced here three years and had good results every time including an overall victory. Before the race the biggest worry i had was getting a good start and staying in contact with the leaders. I'm notorious for bad starts. As the GOOOOOOOO sounded i found both of my pedals pretty quick and had myself a good start, goal accomplished. Shortly after the start there was a crash that my teammate Jesse was in that i narrowly missed. I reached the first climb in the top 10 in my wave, right where i wanted to be. After cruising through the corn field, and going back and forth in an open field to complete the lap I was feeling good about where i was, i'm guessing fourth in my wave. The second lap came and went with little to no change in my position or my fatigue level. The third lap started alright enough but ended with me on the brink of bonking. Not what i needed going into the long strung out and at some points pretty steep climb at the start of each lap. The fourth lap was where i started to feel like a real big "shit burger"(name that movie). Racers started to pass me one after the other. I finally made it to the finish line and once i stopped racing i figured i would start to feel better....Not the case, I in fact felt worse. My stomach was tight, my head hurt and i felt like i was on heavy drugs. After getting some water from some caring teammates i started to feel alittle better. I took 25th overall and 4th in my age group, a far cry from what i was hoping for. All and all it was a rough course, and a rough race for many.
Looking forward to Franklin!
Looking forward to Franklin!
Tuesday, July 7, 2009
been lazy
I know i missed a write up on the mt morris race so i'll say this. It was really HOT and i took 10th overall and 1st in my age group. It was a hard grind it out kind of race. Moving on.......
Eau Claire/ Chippewa Valley firecracker. Race number five in the WORS series.The fun started saturday when Jesse, Tyler and myself pre rode the course. It was a good course, it had just about everything you could want in a mountain bike course. Fast flowing singletrack with corners you could really carve hard, well.... most of the corners i should say. I did find one that had a tree with my name on it. (Tina strikes again) There were creek crossings, switchback climbs, log piles, technical decents and more. They also added a new section this year, I'll call it "the drainage ditch". Because that's exactly what it was, a ditch with big, loose, sharp rocks. The trail led you down into this thing coming off a small hill so you had some speed and WAAAM you'd hit it, bounce around in it for about 20 feet and then you had to try to climb this small incline to get out of it. To put it into perspective, some of the elite guys were having trouble with this so called rock garden. After the pre ride we went and fueled up at the spaghetti dinner. The spaghetti was good but the apple Cinnamon desert was great! While digesting dinner Jesse, Jenny and I went "alittle early" to the movie but we did get great seats for "freedom riders".Sunday morning came and Kristi, Jenny and I did the trail run. Kristi and I doing the 5K and Jenny doing the 10k. After that it was time to rest up for the bike race. While resting under the team canape a woman walked by our camp and asked while pointing at the performa banner, if we were going to make a jump again. I found it funny that she associated the performa banner with the jumps built at past races. After resting a bit more it was time to mix some bottles and get ready to do some racin'. The lead out was quick but Jesse and i found ourselves in the front 8-10 riders. During the first two laps i could see him on the switchbacks so i knew we were both holding up pretty well going into the last lap. We both had to deal with lap traffic due to our wave going out last. But we were both able to weave our way through the rocks, the twisty singletrack and WORS racers to the podium. Jesse taking 23rd overall, 3rd in our age group missing 2nd by .3 seconds.I took 12th overall and 1st in the 25-29 age group.Good times had by all!I hope to see everyone at the sunburst showdown. P.S. Don't forget to take off of work october 12th for camping after sheboygan. There are only two group sites and if we get more than six people we're going to need a group site. They do have showers on site. These sites fill up quick so let me know, the sooner the better.
Eau Claire/ Chippewa Valley firecracker. Race number five in the WORS series.The fun started saturday when Jesse, Tyler and myself pre rode the course. It was a good course, it had just about everything you could want in a mountain bike course. Fast flowing singletrack with corners you could really carve hard, well.... most of the corners i should say. I did find one that had a tree with my name on it. (Tina strikes again) There were creek crossings, switchback climbs, log piles, technical decents and more. They also added a new section this year, I'll call it "the drainage ditch". Because that's exactly what it was, a ditch with big, loose, sharp rocks. The trail led you down into this thing coming off a small hill so you had some speed and WAAAM you'd hit it, bounce around in it for about 20 feet and then you had to try to climb this small incline to get out of it. To put it into perspective, some of the elite guys were having trouble with this so called rock garden. After the pre ride we went and fueled up at the spaghetti dinner. The spaghetti was good but the apple Cinnamon desert was great! While digesting dinner Jesse, Jenny and I went "alittle early" to the movie but we did get great seats for "freedom riders".Sunday morning came and Kristi, Jenny and I did the trail run. Kristi and I doing the 5K and Jenny doing the 10k. After that it was time to rest up for the bike race. While resting under the team canape a woman walked by our camp and asked while pointing at the performa banner, if we were going to make a jump again. I found it funny that she associated the performa banner with the jumps built at past races. After resting a bit more it was time to mix some bottles and get ready to do some racin'. The lead out was quick but Jesse and i found ourselves in the front 8-10 riders. During the first two laps i could see him on the switchbacks so i knew we were both holding up pretty well going into the last lap. We both had to deal with lap traffic due to our wave going out last. But we were both able to weave our way through the rocks, the twisty singletrack and WORS racers to the podium. Jesse taking 23rd overall, 3rd in our age group missing 2nd by .3 seconds.I took 12th overall and 1st in the 25-29 age group.Good times had by all!I hope to see everyone at the sunburst showdown. P.S. Don't forget to take off of work october 12th for camping after sheboygan. There are only two group sites and if we get more than six people we're going to need a group site. They do have showers on site. These sites fill up quick so let me know, the sooner the better.
Wednesday, June 17, 2009
suffer cup
So today was the last day of a short week of training for the Subaru cup. Which in my mind might as well be called the suffer cup because that's how it's going down on Saturday with or with out rain. I've raced this course twice now, once wet and once dry and they both hurt like hell. In my mind the person that is willing to suffer the most will win this race. There's not enough technical sections there to put a technically inclined rider at an advantage. Just alot of climbing. (for wisco) GET READY TO HURT!
Ok where was i ?? emm yes the last training ride. Well it started out alittle different in the fact that i chose to do my 37 mile loop backwards. That was only the beginning of the madness, as i made the turn off center rd i saw one of my favorite cows wanting to race me? He was looking right at me with his front legs on the top of the fence as if to say i bet you'd be going faster up that hill if i was chasing you. I agreed and stood up and grinded up the remainder of the hill. I made it about 15 miles further into my ride before the first bird started chasing me. I'm not sure what i was more worried about getting pecked at or pooped on. I mean after all i was wearing my frank jersey. He hung with me pretty good until i hit 25 mph then he said screw it, i'll just call a few miles up the road and have my buddy chase you. And he did just that because oh i'd say about two miles up the road i started getting chased again. I tell ya... Most people get harassed by dogs. Not this guy, birds and cows! After that the rest of the ride was pretty low key. When i got home i ate some raisins, cut the grass and now it's time to rest. Resting is laying in bed with a bottle and your legs up.. Digging up your back yard, that's not resting. : )
One of these days i'll get the camera out again. I wish i coulda got a shot of that cow.
Ok where was i ?? emm yes the last training ride. Well it started out alittle different in the fact that i chose to do my 37 mile loop backwards. That was only the beginning of the madness, as i made the turn off center rd i saw one of my favorite cows wanting to race me? He was looking right at me with his front legs on the top of the fence as if to say i bet you'd be going faster up that hill if i was chasing you. I agreed and stood up and grinded up the remainder of the hill. I made it about 15 miles further into my ride before the first bird started chasing me. I'm not sure what i was more worried about getting pecked at or pooped on. I mean after all i was wearing my frank jersey. He hung with me pretty good until i hit 25 mph then he said screw it, i'll just call a few miles up the road and have my buddy chase you. And he did just that because oh i'd say about two miles up the road i started getting chased again. I tell ya... Most people get harassed by dogs. Not this guy, birds and cows! After that the rest of the ride was pretty low key. When i got home i ate some raisins, cut the grass and now it's time to rest. Resting is laying in bed with a bottle and your legs up.. Digging up your back yard, that's not resting. : )
One of these days i'll get the camera out again. I wish i coulda got a shot of that cow.
Monday, June 8, 2009
wors # 3
The big ring classic (Wausau) race number three in the WORS series.
I had my doubts going into this race based on the rain that George called for. But after pre riding Saturday with Nate and Jesse in the rain I felt better, the course wasn't in to bad of shape yet annnnd i was still holding out hope that it would stop raining before Sunday morning.
I woke up Sunday morning and jumped on the computer to check what it was doing in Wausau........NOT RAINING. Awesome I thought, so awesome that the fact that it was only 40 some degrees at the time really didn't bother be that much. Going into this race I knew the lead out would be fast and that part held true as we pushed up, down and around the double track leading to the first climb at which point I was following about seven guys. I passed a few of them before getting to the first single track section and a few more as I gunned it into the double track leading to ho chi min. By this time I wasn't seeing to many number plates with four numbers
(my competition) But I knew I had to keep pushing because one error on my part and they'd be right back at me. And that's just what happened towards the end of the first lap I was trying to make a corner and took the high side on a big wet root and went down hard. I got up only to find my chain had fallen off (story of my season) at least it didn't break. I put it back on but by this time a few people passed me and a few more were hot on my tail. I recovered and took back some of the ground I had lost in the crash. The second lap was not the greatest either I had some shifting problems going into the climbing section of the course and mid way up ho chi min i dropped my chain again and was forced to run up part of the devilish climb. At that point I felt like I was taking one step forward and two steps back. So the remainder of the race I tried to keep the gearing somewhere in the middle which made climbing harder and took some sap out of my legs but seemed to help keep the chain on. I ended up finishing 10th out of 84 and 2nd in my age group. Looking back I'm happy that I was able to finish a race but it just leaves me even more hungry for that oh so elusive perfect race....... Nordic?
After I got home i played around with my rear derailiour with little or no luck. It seems fine shifting up but dropping down gears It's a mess.
Back to the shop it goes.
I had my doubts going into this race based on the rain that George called for. But after pre riding Saturday with Nate and Jesse in the rain I felt better, the course wasn't in to bad of shape yet annnnd i was still holding out hope that it would stop raining before Sunday morning.
I woke up Sunday morning and jumped on the computer to check what it was doing in Wausau........NOT RAINING. Awesome I thought, so awesome that the fact that it was only 40 some degrees at the time really didn't bother be that much. Going into this race I knew the lead out would be fast and that part held true as we pushed up, down and around the double track leading to the first climb at which point I was following about seven guys. I passed a few of them before getting to the first single track section and a few more as I gunned it into the double track leading to ho chi min. By this time I wasn't seeing to many number plates with four numbers
(my competition) But I knew I had to keep pushing because one error on my part and they'd be right back at me. And that's just what happened towards the end of the first lap I was trying to make a corner and took the high side on a big wet root and went down hard. I got up only to find my chain had fallen off (story of my season) at least it didn't break. I put it back on but by this time a few people passed me and a few more were hot on my tail. I recovered and took back some of the ground I had lost in the crash. The second lap was not the greatest either I had some shifting problems going into the climbing section of the course and mid way up ho chi min i dropped my chain again and was forced to run up part of the devilish climb. At that point I felt like I was taking one step forward and two steps back. So the remainder of the race I tried to keep the gearing somewhere in the middle which made climbing harder and took some sap out of my legs but seemed to help keep the chain on. I ended up finishing 10th out of 84 and 2nd in my age group. Looking back I'm happy that I was able to finish a race but it just leaves me even more hungry for that oh so elusive perfect race....... Nordic?
After I got home i played around with my rear derailiour with little or no luck. It seems fine shifting up but dropping down gears It's a mess.
Back to the shop it goes.
Thursday, June 4, 2009
lets try this again
Today was my last training ride before WORS #3 which was refreshing just to think about. Since i didn't race last weekend and with my chain breaking at Iola , i've been looking forward to this race for awhile now.
I headed towards the lake and was moving along pretty good and all i could think was "man i must have some major tail wind action, the ride home is going to suck" But i figured, all well if i have it now, i might as well use it now. As i made my way up and over a bridge i saw a tractor and decided that i should chase it down. I sprinted up skeleton bridge (sounds hard core right) i caught him and motor paced him down and around the corner until he turned off. It wasn't nearly as cool as it sounds, for one.. freshly cut hay might taste good to the cows but i am not a cow and two... i was only going 22 mph. But a fun story none the less. Speaking of tractors, judging by the large amount of cow dung i encountered in various locations today on the road i'd have to say it's manure spreading season! I thought for sure on that last patch i was going to blow a tube. I saw it coming from a distance and thought oh boy this is going to be a story. But as luck would have it i sailed right through it and it wasn't even wet. "great success"
I took an extended loop today that i hadn't taken before and i'm glad i did. It took me right past a little ol car shop that had five el caminos!!! I've wanted one of those since i was a kid and i'm not really sure why. I guess i just like/liked the idea of having room to put stuff and not having to drive a big truck to do it. So needless to say i enjoyed the extra four miles.
The wind i was dreading riding into on the way home ended up being more of a breeze than anything and was a nice way to end the ride.
Now it's off to softball..... Still unbeaten!
I headed towards the lake and was moving along pretty good and all i could think was "man i must have some major tail wind action, the ride home is going to suck" But i figured, all well if i have it now, i might as well use it now. As i made my way up and over a bridge i saw a tractor and decided that i should chase it down. I sprinted up skeleton bridge (sounds hard core right) i caught him and motor paced him down and around the corner until he turned off. It wasn't nearly as cool as it sounds, for one.. freshly cut hay might taste good to the cows but i am not a cow and two... i was only going 22 mph. But a fun story none the less. Speaking of tractors, judging by the large amount of cow dung i encountered in various locations today on the road i'd have to say it's manure spreading season! I thought for sure on that last patch i was going to blow a tube. I saw it coming from a distance and thought oh boy this is going to be a story. But as luck would have it i sailed right through it and it wasn't even wet. "great success"
I took an extended loop today that i hadn't taken before and i'm glad i did. It took me right past a little ol car shop that had five el caminos!!! I've wanted one of those since i was a kid and i'm not really sure why. I guess i just like/liked the idea of having room to put stuff and not having to drive a big truck to do it. So needless to say i enjoyed the extra four miles.
The wind i was dreading riding into on the way home ended up being more of a breeze than anything and was a nice way to end the ride.
Now it's off to softball..... Still unbeaten!
Monday, May 25, 2009
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
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
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)