The Time Has Come

The time has come folks!

I am back at things again and feeling good about it. Mostly cross training stuff and that is how I like it for now. I am still commuting by bicycle and riding once a week but other wise it has been snow sports.

Last weekend I went XC Skiing with Coach and Lowell K.(ISCorp Junior Coach). It was a blast and it felt good to back on the skinny's. Sunday I went across the road to the Harley Woods on a little snow shoe adventure with my little training partner. She sure likes to run!

I must have made her tired because as soon as I put the bag down she hopped in and was ready to go.

Yesterday it was back to the woods to clean up some down branches and trees from the heavy snow a few weeks ago. I am not all of the way done but the main loop is cleared! Which brings me to my next thought..... This winter I have made it a personal goal to keep the Harley woods rideable. I want to keep the snow packed down and the trees and branches cleared. With the dog walkers invading it is like a double edged sword. It is great to have the traffic to help pack things down but people went through when the snow was wet and made huge ruts. Kind of hard to ride on so I'm not sure what I will do there. I still have a little work to do but other wise it is ok. Any way, if you are in the area on your bicycles this winter keep in mind for the most part Harley will be ridable.

After the woods I got on the old Surly and rode my way to Brookfield East where Joe once again made me work my butt off in the weight room. This time he had me doing some different stuff using Kettle Bells. I realized how weak and uncoordinated I am.....That stuff is hard! Soon I am sure I will get the hang of it but I am sure he won't make it any easier.

Thanks for reading!

DB

Time for ReFOCUS

Today, as I walked around the house feeling weak and lazy, I pondered....... Almost 20% of men my age are considered obese, and 25 to 35 percent of americans live sedentary lives.

This time of the year I start to have problems with motivation. I find it easier to stay in and watch a movie or just lay around and pity myself for feeling the way I do. Every year I have gotten progressivly better at dealing with my lul in progression but still havn't masterd the art of taking "quality time" off.

Old habbits die hard and I guess the old me still likes to come out and play every once and a while. For those of you who havn't known me for very long, I wasn't always the way I am today. Growing up I was overweight and extremely unmotivated. I did do the work my dad made us kids do like make wood, etc. Also I had a paper routed and would do outside suff with my brother Derek. Mostly though I liked to do inside things and had no athletic abilities to speak of.

At age 15 I was almost forced to get into shape as I took a very physical summer job as a concrete laboror. I wanted to quit for the first month but the money was too good. After I gratuated high school I did the only thing I learned to be good at...Work.

I grew up fast but also picked up some more bad habbits. Smoked, drank, and ate more fast food and junk food. Still I stayed relatively thin as the amount of "work" I was forced to do day in and day out. Winter months were the worst and as the days got shorter and colder so did our workload. Lay off time became very unproductive and I would slip into my old habbits of being lazy.

Every year since I was 18 I have been working on making this "lazy time" progressivly shorter. I still don't think I have it down to a perfect science but progression is the key word. To explain; this year has been my shortest down time since I started to be active, and percentage wise my weight gain is the lowest.

Like I said in the beginning of my post, I am feeling lazy today. But for me my mind never stops going. I know that down time is great for refocusing and I think it really works. I do have plans of going out and enjoying our wonderful wisconsin snowfall. Maybe a hike/snowshoe, or an MTB ride is in order. Either way, the only way to break the chain of "lazyness" is to get out and do somthing, Anything. So to anyone who reads this post that feels the same way that I do at times. It's ok as long as it is productive in other ways(refocus time), and you do something about working on the negative sides. Baby steps are better than no steps and I will be joining you this week as I get myself motivated to get off this couch.

DB

End of Season

I bet every one is trying to figure out what happened to my blog. It seems as though I just fell off the face of the blogosphere. I'm happy to say not totally but I have taken a brief "Mikey" absence.


The past several weeks have been filled with many different activities so I think I will start with the most recent and work my way back.
Today
I did nothing that involved exercise and loved it. Besides the nothing I spent the whole day with My Awesome Girlfriend. We mostly just hung out but in the afternoon we ventured to the Art Museum to meet with some new friends. I have never been to a museum and actually found parts of it to be fascinating. Once we were done making wrong turns and being forced to look at the same exhibits several times we hit some dinner downtown and then headed home. I had a great day and it didn't even involve one bicycle.

Polska Cross
Anyone who was there is still trying to figure out who that tall drunk with the obnoxious cow bell was. I heard he would heckle any one that came by and had two beers on tap at all times. Mr. LeLonde got a good taste of just what this tall drink of PBR had to offer.
To explain myself a little It was 9 this very morning that I decided that my season was actually over. Up until then I was actually planning to do the last two local races. With the plug being pulled I had to release my energy in some way shape or form so I found some beer and drank like I knew what I was doing.
I sure do love the off season.

Iceman
The Iceman was not that at all. It felt more like a summerman, or good weatherman, maybe NICEMAN just sounds a little better. This is how things went down. I was focused, had good legs, and even found myself at the front of the race for a mile or so. I almost had something to prove going into this race after what happened at the Chequamegon. I wanted to show that I could roll with the big guns but maybe I was being too optimistic.
I made it through the sketchy road section, several sandpits and was still in contact as the accelerations started to hit hard. Sitting 10th wheel or so I was feeling ok and was pretty sure I would be able to hang on. The sandpits there had another thing in mind. A small gap got opened up about 10miles in and when I went to close it I ended up in a big sand pit going uphill. I wasn't going anywhere but was burning a lot of matches. After I got out of the pit I was able to latch back onto the group but was way over my red line and just wasn't able to recover. Boom, I blew like I no tomorrow and didn't have the mental capacity to put myself back together. Luckily Chris came by and saved me again(you would think he actually liked me or something). We regrouped and decided to race again after about 3 miles of easy spin. By the time the race was over we had worked our way back to a respectable finish. Not what I was looking for but I will take it this time of the year.

Halloween Cross
No costume but I was ready for a little cross. This was my 3rd race attempt at cross and I had only ran across barriers once before the race and that was during warm up. Not expecting much I took off strong and played the mtb card, shake things up early and see what everyone else has.
That worked great until my tactical card played to my disadvantage. I let a group of two catch me so I wouldn't have to ride by myself the whole race. The guy sitting 3rd wheel took a drastically shorter line and opened up a quick 5 second gap. I didn't respond immediately and it cost me 5 more seconds. I did close it down but I was on the rivet. The guy in front knew and would accelerate just enough to put me out of commission. I fell off and finished second on the day.

Special Thanks
A special Thank You goes out to Adventure 212 and the Peariso's for all of there help this season. They really have proven to be not only a great sponsor but also great friends. I love being on the team and look forward to many more great times with them.

Lynn, My wonderful girlfriend who is at the forefront of my success. Without her I wouldn't be the person I am today.

Joe Ciesynski, My stellar coach for his infinite knowledge and support. Believe me folks, he is the best in the biz.

Craig B., My big bro who helps to keep me motivated. (Watch out for this guy this ski season...I heard he is killing it with his training this year)

David, Terry, Dennis and Heidi, These guys have shown their support all year long and I am glad to have such great people on my side.

And everyone who has ever helped me reach for my goals....You know who you are. So if I missed a name or you feel left out don't feel bad. There probably wouldn't be enough room on the page for all the people that have helped me.

Keep it real
DB

Checkin in

I just checked out the rankings for Cat. 1 riders in USA Cycling.

http://www.usacycling.org/rankings/index.php?sex=m&state=&org=mountain&disc=xc&cat=1&agemin=1&agemax=99
(Click Go!)
Turns out I'm ranked # 1 :)

Oh what a night

I don't have any pics to share but I do have a story.

Lately at work we have been super busy not leaving me much time to get my rides in. I have been managing with trainer rides and riding the parkway across the street from my house but decided to do something different last night.

With my first Ice Man coming up and me racing in the Pro Field I don't want to start slacking just yet. By this time last year I was already turning into a blob and was barely riding over an hour. Not this year, motivation is flowing through me.

Unable to make the Wednesday night Ronsta ride almost had me beat, but I was determined to get some good quality riding in. So I strapped on lights and headed out the door. Not sure totally what I was going to do I headed west to a familiar hill for some repeats. As the sun set over the beautiful land of Waukesha county I was treated to a spectacular view every time I would crest the hill. It made it worth going back up every time.

By now it was almost dark and I was only an hour into my ride. Luckily there is this little gravel path called the bugline that goes all the way out to Merton. Destination established. I didn't care how long it took me I was going there. As I head down the trail my light shows me this almost picturesque tunnel which gave me an undefined end to my ride. I got into a rhythm and all I could think about was how great things were. The temp was perfect, I was riding, and things were just right. This time alone was just what I needed. It helped me reflect on the past, think about the future, and get ready for what is right ahead of me.

Oh what a night

DB

Blaster!

Trying to figure out how I am going to put this.

It.....Was..........AWESOME!!!!

Those seemed to be the only words I could make come out of my mouth at the time of my speech. The few words I did manage to get out pretty much summed things up for the 4 laps of gnar we called our "race".

The place was awesome, the people were great, and without cool events like this some people might forget why they mountain bike.

Thanks to the Curtes Bro's and all that helped with everything, these folks are class acts.

Check out all of the stuff I walked away with...My favorite besides the Jersey is the official autographed flyer.

DB

Hurt Box!!!!

That is where I spent the later half of Sunday's race. But you know it was a good hurt. The kind that once it is over and the dust settles things are going to be all smiles.

I will go into story time now and let everyone in on how things actually went on Sunday.

Friday night was chill as usual. Saturday was a bit of the same with the exception of getting my bike 100% for Sunday. I seem to be hard on wheels and didn't want to overload Russell after WORS 11 so I put my rear wheel under the scope and got to work. Now I am not much of a mechanic so after about an hour I had it strait and what seemed to be the appropriate tension on the spokes. Nice! The rest was pretty easy and before I know it I was on my way to Sheboygan to meet the 212 crew.

Pre ride went good and the course seemed to be in great shape. My legs felt good and after opening up all systems were a go. Back home to eat some supsup then hit the sack.

Sunday,

I was ready. Standard routine then off to the races. I felt good and was getting excited for the WORS finale. This year has been phenomenal for me and with all of the support I get from everyone I didn't want to let my "fans" down. I warm up and head to the line but just before callups Claire comes up with the Hero Cam. I was suppose to hook up with her earlier but couldn't find her and she couldn't find me. Anyway, Standing at the front of the starting shoot she rushes to put the cam on as she apologizes for the missed connections. I felt bad and assured her that I wasn't worried about it and that things were all good.

Go time and off we went! Damn my foot un clipped. Back in and I hammered my way back into position. It was right then I noticed my bike wasn't shifting right. I tried to shake it off but by the time we hit the first section of single track it was in full buck mode. I had 2 and 1/2 gears. I say1/2 cause if I held the shifter in it would stay up one more gear. By now I was sitting 5th wheel behind Mike. He slipped by Nate and a little later I got by as well with my focus on keeping in contact with the group. I still felt good but not being able to shift was getting the best of me. By the time we hit the equalizer I lost contact. I had to run that darn hill the first time around and I wasn't happy!!

I put it in full chase mode diggin as deep as I could. I felt like I was closing the gap but in all reality I think it was opening up more. Time to restrategize as I thought to myself "if I don't chill I am going to blow up bad", so that is what I did. Too late! The bike still wasn't cooperating and I was hurting. To top things off I was getting caught from behind. Once I saw it was Chris catching me I didn't feel too bad but still didn't really let off the gas too much. One more lap down and he was breathing down my back so it was time to just let up so he could catch me.

Now in tandem Chris took total charge of keeping me motivated to push me to the finish. About this time I regained my shifting ability but I am still not totally sure why it wouldn't shift. A little while later I caught myself laughing and thinking "not to many people get there own personal coach during a race". I didn't have to do anything except turn the peddles and that was hard enough. With Chris counting down the finish finally came and I couldn't be happier. Ouch that hurt but I couldn't think of another way to spend my race day. THANKS CHRIS!!!!!!!

Lesson for the day; Pick a good team because some time you might have to depend on your temmates.

D.B.

Oh Yeah!

The title could pretty much sum up the past weekend. For kicks and grins I will go into details.

It started out with a nice trip to the north woods to attend the newly organized Wors #11. I wasn't expecting much from the trails as the race seemed to be thrown together. Much to my surprise the course was rippin awesome with the exception of a few large puddles. After an hour of preride and trash talk amongst Chris p. and I we were ready for some supper and some rest.

The next day it was rise and shine and getting stuff ready. For some reason I was actually on ahead of schedule. Nice! Lynn and I hit the Continental and then she did her homework while I finished getting ready. After that I headed over to catch some breakfast with the 212crew. Then off to the course.

No nerves, no worries, for some reason I was totally relaxed and ready. We warmed up as a team and every person we went past seemed to be jealous of our "212 train". We were thrilled to be in company with each other and we looked good doing it too.

To the start line for call ups and then off we went. I had a good start and was up there with the boys. Hitting the climb at full velocity was good and by the time we got to the top I was sitting 3rd wheel. I felt good and was happy with my position so I just sat in and waited. Much to my surprise Mike was in charge and drilling it at the front. Now, I am not surprised at his fitness but more so that he hadn't prerode the day before and was able to tear it up. That man is an animal!!!!

I sat on Cole the whole first lap not knowing he was messing with me the whole time. He would pop off Mike and then pull back making me work harder, I guess he could see I was on the bubble and wanted to get rid of me. Tristan came up toward the end of the 1st just as I popped off so I waited for him to come up and let him pull me back. 2nd lap was much of the same and I wasn't smart enough to know what was happening so pop I went again.

Damage control time. The rest of the laps would've been so bad except for the fact that I couldn't keep the bike upright. I had already fallen once and now with the coarse changing every minute and I was going down everywhere. I guess it made me look cool in this pic.

Oh well. I had a good finish and spent the weekend with good people. 4th on the day and 1st in my age group.

I definitely need to give a HUGE thanks to all my supporters. My girlfriend Lynn who despite all her homework, work, and side activities has time to help me with my goals. That girl is a doll!!! Also the Peariso's have been super great and have helped me more than I probably deserve. Adventure 212 the all star team hookup for everything involved, Joe Ciesynski my stellar coach, and my big bro Craig who has been giving me the positive reinforcement I need. He is the one that got me started mountain biking and without him I probably wouldn't be here writing this post.

DB

Training Partners

With the changing seasons comes the change in motivation. Each year it seems to be getting pushed later into the season. I am not sure why but maybe I am getting better at controlling this overwhelming feeling of blah. Or, maybe it is the crowd I choose to hang out with and their ability to bring me back in my element.

I think this year it hit me last week as a strong surge of laziness and has since settled into a subtle feeling of "this isn't so bad". To get me through these bouts of whatever you want to call it I really call on other people and things for motivation, even if they don't know it.

Nate the past two Wednesdays, and the whole Waukesha crew lead by the one and only Ronsta have been great support. This is nothing new as I have ridden with these guys before but recently it has been so great to have their company. Last Saturday my dog Ginger took the reigns as she added a good 15lbs to my uphill intervals at Lapham. Sunday Mike P. brought me through the downtown and then northbound on a little adventure. Monday Ging took over again as I ran with her through the streets of Butler to get ready for cross. As recent as yesterday I was totally settled as I flowed through the single track across the road. It is perfect for a recovery ride and at times I forget I am in the middle of a metropolitan.

The point of the story today is that it is ok to rely on other people to get me through these "hard times". Ahhhhh I feel better already.

Thanks to all for helping me out.

Oh yeah, Jack, that chicken sandwich and beer hit the spot so thanks.

DB

Check this out.

So while checking things out on USA Cycling I stumbled across This.......
http://www.usacycling.org/rankings/index.php?sex=m&state=&org=mountain&disc=xc&cat=1&agemin=1&agemax=99
Not bad for my first year racing Cat. 1 :)
(Click Go!)

Not Bad?

Lake Geneva.

Another top 5 elite had me super stoked but yet disappointed. Am I getting a little greedy? I am going to say YES!!!!!

My training has brought me to this point and I have exceeded my personal expectations for the year. So why must I continue to strive for more excellence. It is the way I am wired as is probably the case for many of us A Typical people.

If I were asked at the beginning of the year what my goals were I would have quickly rambled off "A top ten would be awesome" without even thinking about an Elite WORS overall series finish. I don't think I set the bar low as the Elite competition is steep and every race has brought new challenges.

That bar that I am referring to has been lifted every time I met a goal this year, and Sunday was no exception. I had to at least tell my self there was an outside chance. So I pumped myself up and said I can do this. right out of the shoot I made a fool out of myself missing my peddle and falling back to 20th or so. Immediately panic set in as I started to claw my way back to a decent position. While on my way there I was cussing and very upset with myself but finally made it to about 10th or so. A few more passes and I was onto Matters wheel which made me feel a little better about things. Having burned a lot of matches to get there I was redlining. Matter made his move and I wasn't able to go with him around Ryan Baumann who is super strong but struggled in the singletrack.

After the first lap I settled down a bit and tried to be more in the moment to conserve the position that I had. A few more painstaking laps had me trading places with a few guys but I pretty much new where I stood. Another good finnish and great race in the books. To top things off I learned something again. After all that is my primary focus and I can't lose sight of that.

All and all the weekend was great.

I want to say thank you to the Peariso's and Adventure 212 for all their support. I feel so grateful to be on the team and can't wait for the Cheq. 40 where we will all be at the same time. I also want to thank my wonderful girlfriend Lynn who amongst school, work, school work and chores has time be my sideline coach. These guys and many others make it possible for me to beat the crap out of myself every weekend. I mean do what I love and love what I do.

Darrin

Report(s)

Soooooo whats happening? Good question. The answer.....A LOT!!!! I have been a total slacker with my blog and I know that there are people who actually care what I have going on and wonder how I am doing. So to you two or three, here goes.

Lets roll things back a bit;
8/2 Wors #7 was my best showing at a WORS event to date. I took 4th at that race on my Surly which Don deemed a "boat anchor". The coarse ripped and I was so happy for Nathan G. on his first WORS win in his Elite career. Every time I would see him I would cheer him on.That was also the last race I did on a single speed. Since then I have been training and riding on a geared bike to get ready for the Chequomegon 40. My good fried/team manager Chris P. has been nice enough to let me use his Titus 29er.


After Crystal Ridge it was my time off, a whole week to be exact and no racing for three weeks....or so I thought. My week was filled with activities like walks with my two favorite ladies in the whole world, a few chill bike rides, and one long 4hr ride with my coach Joe. The next week was filled with short rides and no intensity but I could swear up and down that I was still ready to race. So we made some quick arrangements and off we went to River falls for the border battle.


8/16 WORS #8 As a last minute addition to the schedule preparation was minimal and I mean MINIMAL. Bad Idea #1 I grabbed the Titus for its first race with me aboard. The NO TUBES CROWS were still on there and rain was in the forecast so I grabbed some mud tires that I haven't ever used. Bad idea #2. We get there and fire our bodies after hibernation of a drive. I felt pretty good physically on the preride but did way too much. Also I wasn't used to the bike but didn't have a choice so I acted as if. The whole night it rained and I was in panic mode so on went the mud tires. Bad Idea #3 But what the heck. A good call up and I was rubbing shoulders with the best of them. I felt like crap on the first climb and new I was going to be in for a longgggg day. No joke as I came in 14th and feeling like the onset of death had come over me. Chalked it up as a bad day and headed home.

I want to thank the Senkerik's for putting up with Lynn, Ginger and I the whole weekend.

After that weekend the pressure was on. I had already gotten a boatload of flack from all the guys on singles, and even some geared guys. So it was time to train and get things going again. I was scheduled for a long week already but the guilt trip I put on myself made it even longer. about 5hours of saddle time longer. I was scheduled for about 14 but ended up doing 19 with some pretty hard efforts. One motor pace session with Joe and Mike and a 4.5hr solid ride at the southern Kettles with Nate. I was spent but knew it would pay off sometime down the road. My next major focus, Chequomegon.

Can't forget about the in between.
Wors#9 Reforestation Ramble.
An awesome start had me sitting 3rd or 4th wheel into the woods and I was giddy about that. I think I can credit it to the gears, with no out of control spinning to just stay in the group I was able to hold my own. Once things got going I felt confident with my riding and was sure I would be able to stay with the lead group. This was another huge goal of mine as I haven't been able to make said group yet this year. With Jesse killing it at the front and the more experienced guys pushing me to the back I was playing YOYO all day. It was just a matter of time and sure enough with about 15minutes left in the race I let a small gap open and off the back I went. So I regrouped and pushed it to the finish line seeing stars the whole way. Whew! Held onto 6th and with that star studded crowed I was pleased. Shout out to Chris P. for his finish as he has been having bad luck all year. He even had to claw his way back to the lead pack after a first lap crash. During my time with the pack he was attacking like a mad man and seemed to have great form!

Copper Harbor
A short week of work and training lead me into the Labor day weekend which I was super stoked about. I love going to Coppor Harbor and with Friday off Lynn and I were able to start our vacation early. We drove up to the MI border and Camped one night. Up early so we could take our time seeing things and stopping at random. That area is so cool and there is so much to see. Amongst our sight seeing we also saw many good people. Nate and his Family, Steve and Judy whom I met the very first year I went up there, and the whole gang from that area. It was so cool to be back. Lots of hiking, riding, eating and just plain hanging out. Ahhhh the good life.
Sunday came as it always does and I was ready to race. Not before taking a plunge into the frigid waters of lake Superior and ya it was cold. I missed out last year so I thought I had better make up and jump in twice this year. Next thing I know we are toeing the line and getting ready to go. Off we went chasing the truck up the hill and then finally we were on our own. Chris P. did his usual and I grabbed his wheel with a little gap opening between us and the rest of the field. I let him hammer for a while then took over. Before long we were by ourselves and neither of us were taking it easy on each other. As we finished up the first lap we called a truce and decided we would come in together and put the trophy in Adventure 212. In my eyes there was no other way as this was a chance for us to show people there what we do. So in we came holding each others arms aloft to signify a co victory. Good food and booze followed and a good night was had. More riding and sight seeing was in store the next day before the dreaded drive home. I would like to give shout out to my good friend Chris Z. on his 3rd place SS finish. Also, Congrats to the whole 212 team who had an awesome showing filling up the top spots and taking home some sweet awards.

To sum things up the weekend was more than I ever expected as always, and I will definitely go back again next year. I also want to thank every one who helped me out last weekend including Lynn who did a great job of handing bottles off to the whole team. Terry, David, Dennis and Heidi for all of their super support. And last but certainly not least the Peariso's and Adventure 212. Without these guys my season probably wouldn't have been the same. I am learning so much this year and I feel like I am one step closer everyday to achieving my goal.

Everyday is an opportunity for me and I will continiue to use these opportunities to my advantage.
Be happy.
Darrin

P.S. Thanks for hanging in there as I know it was a long one. Also I will post some pics soon or you can go to our Flikr page and they will be posted in a day or so.

Credit

So I think it is about time to give credit where credit is do.

Anyone who races knows how much work it is. The weekends blend into the weeks and free time is given up. I have always had a super supporter on my side and don't even know what it is like to be on my own when it comes to a race pit crew. My girlfriend Lynn is hands down the best sideline coach/water bottle hander offer. She always keeps me filled, focused, and headed in the right direction. I try to show her how much I appreciate it but flowers, cards, and hugs can only show so much. So, I thought it was time to give her props here for everyone to see.

Lynn is always there cheering and telling me good job as she hands me a bottle. Last weekend however I was touched deeply by the reaction she gave me on my 4th lap. The look on her face and the tone of her voice was something I have never heard from anyone my whole life. She was so proud of me as I moved into the 5th position as this is something both her and I thought we wouldn't see. At least not this year. Things haven't been going so good for her as far as success goes but I always tell her that my success is hers. I truly mean this and would gladly put her up on a podium if only in my mind.

I am truly blessed to have such a great girlfriend and look forward to continuing my journey with Lynn by my side.

Also I would like to thank my sister Jamie for cheering me on this weekend and my big bro Craig for all of the tech advice and moral support he gives. They are both big supporters of team LDB.

Thanks to Team Adventure 212 for all their support, and all of the people who make the Wors events great. I am always meeting new people and I get to race with a great group as well.

Until next time

DB

Sunburst.

Last weekend I finnished Wors #6 Sunburst Showdown and have to say I had a good time. The coarse isn't the most desirable for a single speed but I made the best of it. It was very exciting to be up there with the leaders on the way out and be able to hang close throughout the whole race. Matter lead it out slow so being on a single I was very greatful. Once we hit the climb things started to sort out and I was in position, probobly about 6th wheel or so. I did my thing on the hills but struggled on the flats and the down hills when the gears would put the hammer down. That hammer I am referring to is a one Mike Phillips. I would definantly say he is back online. The challange was to claw my way back to a wheel every lap which I did for 4 of the 5 laps. Again every time the flats would string me out so the hills would get harder, (Simple gears would probobly help me out with this). So on the last lap I let too big of a gap open up and instead of trying to close it, I let it go.

I was on my own for the last lap and knew I had time on my side to lighten up the tempo and try to save my legs. Those said legs have been continiously sore for the past two races and I am trying to make that go away. All and all I was 5th on the day and am super stoked about this as I have already exceeded the goals that I have set for myself on the year.

Ok Lets try this again.

So with my lack of blogging I will try to catch everyone up.

Levis/Trow Single Speed Championship
Two weekends ago I did the Wisconsin Single Speed Championship at Levis as I was not going to miss that one. Any chance I can get to return the my native stopping grounds is an automatic. Prepared for the Big Guns show up I was ready to hang on for dear life. With that not being the case it was up to me to set the tempo. The start was like all starts should be with a slow lead out until some dude thought he would one up me. I passed him back before the single track and got into a rythm. As I was whaling the corners I could hear the group trying to form a bridge and pull me back. I realized that I don't remember the trails as great as I thought as I took a spill shortly into Yellow Jacket. I regrouped, grabbed my water bottle and pushed on. I wasn't too concerned though as I knew the climbing was yet to come. This climbing at Levis is about as technical as anything out there and I was waiting to attack. With sore legs at the start of the race I wasn't too sure what would happen but hey it was worth a shot. It went good and I think I put some time in the group. I stayed on the gas but stayed away from doing anything risky.
Going into Hermosa (after Upper Hermosa) there are alot of roots and I somehow dropped my chain. I turned into a frantic mess. Struggling for about 30 seconds or so. I had to calm myself down and then it took me about another 15 seconds to get my chain back on. Whew! Still now I was riding conservativly trying not to drop another chain. I rode like this until about Porkys Point where I just said skrew it and started to ride my style again. Luckily there would be no more chain drops for the rest of the race.
Starting my second and last lap my plan was to just keep the guys out of sight. With the Cruise control on I was able to pick up my water bottle that I dropped on the first lap, picked up and then dropped again. So as I am loo looing along I see a dude stopped on the side of the trail and who would it be but Bret S. Who was doing the 12 hr. I slowed alot for a little chat session but informed him of the situation and said goodbye. I kinda took off and realized he was going to ride with so I slowed the tempo a little again. This was super cool and him and I rode for a while. Once I hit the Upper Hermosa climb I took off again and him as I were both cheering each other on.
After the departure with Bret I pretty much just rode at a good tempo and enjoyed the awesome trails that I once got to enjoy several times a week. On my way to the finnish the excitement hit me. Another win on my Favorite trails.

Chippewa Valley Fire Cracker
Another RR style mtb race. Fun but challanging on a single speed. I picked my gear and had an idea of what I needed to do. I was swarmed on the start but that was to be expected. I hung in there and started my claw back. Working with Ted Hanes the first couple of laps we were making ground. We shook a few others and then it was just Ted and I and he took control. With a few attacks I was able to manage I hoped to hang on to the end. Finnishing up the second to last lap we pickup up Bender. The three of us rode for a while until Ted had to stop and add some air. Down to Le Hoover and I. We rode for a while with me on his wheel as a little chatting took place. I figured he was still strong but wanted to share the workload to the finnish. As I took over I kept the tempo up and started to drop him. So I let up and explained that we could just ride together. Continued on about the same till the end where I made a sprint for line. 6th on the day and I was happy.

Good Times
Darrin

New Team Same O'll Me

So by now everyone keeping up with me already knows I am riding for a new team. That team is Adventure 212/Specialized and I couldn't be more excited. The story behind the selection is simple but yet with a purpose. The team is stacked with good people that have plenty of experience racing and have been riding for longer than I have.

I am not going to be a drag on my new teammates but rather be another team member that is capable to do things on my own while taking advice/direction if it is offered. I can't wait to spend time with my new crew and get some quality saddle time racing and riding.

So thanks to Adventure 212 for having me and I look forward to the good times ahead. Also thanks to Joe Ciesinski (my coach) for all of the hard work he does and for putting in a good word with Mike P.

Woohoo

DB

W.O.W.!!!!!!!!

That W.O.W. stands for Weekend Of Wors. The Subaru Cup proved to be just what I needed to get me back into the swing of things. The weekend started on Friday as I somehow got the day off of work. Lynn and I worked all morning getting stuff ready for a full weekend of racing and once Jamie got into town we finished up and headed out.

(Pre Ride) On our way to the race the darkness set in and the rain fell hard. I was really worried about the course being closed and me not being able to check things out. As we get there I noticed people riding the course and found things to be open and ridable. There were muddy spots but for the most part everything was in good shape. My reconnaissance assured me that my gear selection was good but I was concerned that my small blocks wouldn't be enough. I called it good and headed to our hotel to clean up and get ready for Saturday.

(Cross Country Race)So as a new jack I am constantly learning, making an ass of myself, learning, and well learning. With that being said I think I am finally starting to get the hang of these long Wors elite races. Add to that the fact that I am a climber, and can hold my own in the technical spots, this race was calling my name. As I was warming up I ran into Chris Peariso from Adventure 212. He informed me that I had made the cut and I would be riding for Adventure 212/Specialized. To Clear things up, I have been working on getting on a team for a while now and with a few good words put in for me by good people I finally made a connection with Ad. 212. After the Nine Mile race I worked up the gumption to ask Chris and the rest just took a little time.

With a very late call up my start position was less than desirable. I wasn't too worried though as I knew that if I put the work in on this course it would pay off. Don shouted GOOO and we took off. I settled in and slowly started to make my way through the crowd. I knew the lead pack was going to be long gone but I could still catch some of the others ahead of me. I kept the intensity for the first three laps making my way to 6th. Once I put in a good time gap between us I did my best to save my legs for the Sunday races. I was super stoked when I came across the Finnish line knowing that all of my hard work was beginning to pay off. It was also great to have Lynn and Jamie there cheering me on the whole way.

Sunday (Super D)

Another new experience as I showed up to Mount Morris for the WORS Super D. My legs felt great and my mind was in a good state. I got to ride the course two times before the race and knew if I held composer it would be a good one. The pro's lined up and took off and we were up next. I lined my bike up front and hoped the run would be a good one. Another Gooo and off we went. 3rd to my bike I was slowed by the guy who's bike was behind me which put me towards the back of the pack. I was a little worried but didn't want to put too much pressure on this race as this is when silly mistakes happen. Working our way down the course I was patient in hopes there would be time to pass. A few lucky passes and I was second in the group. I waited until the open to make my last pass as I knew there was plenty of work ahead to attack. I stomped on the peddles, opened a gap and didn't let up till the line. AWESOME!!! What an adrenaline rush!

(Short Track)

Here we go again! As I was warming up Chris rode by me and told me "fasten my seat belt, we're going for a ride" . So that was my plan as I have never done a short track race. My legs still felt great and this time my call up was much better as I was at the front of the line. I slid over to let Ronsta in which put me on the very outside. Not sure what was going to happen I was willing to push my body to the limits while keeping things safe. After the 2nd lap I found myself in the 6th position hanging on to the back. The accelerations got harder and I was definitely at my limit. Hanging on there was no place for me to do work so I just settled in. Nate went down on one of the laps and I had to work pretty hard to close the gap. As the big dogs fought it out in the front I actually felt ok and planned to pull up a couple of spots but missed all opportunities. Another gap opened up 3rd wheel and Tristan responded. I couldn't find it in me to get around T.J. who didn't respond to the acceleration. It was down to T.J. and I and wanted to at least do a little work for him as he did a lot of work at the front. With two laps left I tried to get around him several times but every time he would accelerate. Down to the last lap and things went about the same as the two before, I just couldn't get around. As we come to the last few corners I got excited, saw some light and smashed my peddles. I squeaked by at the last second and as soon as I crossed the line I had second thoughts. I went to cool down and worried about my last move. Did I make a newbie mistake? I made my way around to where Chris was and immediately asked him what he thought. He didn't seem to worried but I knew I had to talk to T.J. After cooling down I was at the car getting changed and cleaned up T.J. walked by and congratulated me on my finnish. He explained to me that he had burped air out of his tire so the only time he could accelerate was on the open smooth stuff. That made sense of things and with his good attitude it made me not too worried about my new guy mistake.

Over all the weekend was awesome! I get to cross a few goals off my list and had all sorts of friends and family there to cheer me on. Honestly without all of the support I get from everyone there would be no opportunity to do what I do.

To sum things up;

Cross country 6th

Super D 7th

Short Track 4th

Over all

Subaru Cup 5th

A special thanks to Lynn for all her hard work to keep me going. Also thanks to all my fans for cheering so loud especially Jamie, Terry, David, Dennis and Heidi. Honestly the fans make the races.

Till Next Time.......

Recap

Ok, so by now you all know how bad I suck at blogging. No need to dig any further as I will finally fill in some blanks.
Without the help of Lynn, and now her Parents Terry and David I would be like a lost little puppy dog trying to find home. Honestly things have seemed to be a little over whelming. Its not like I am the only person in the world who is trying to be successful and at the same time trying to juggle life. Oh yeah. Iknow what it is. Sometimes I just think tooooooooooo Much! So moving forward.
Things have been going otherwise ok. My race season is getting started, summer is getting closer (not sure what ma nature is up too) and every day I wake up is another day to do what I do with people that I love.

Now for the race recap:

Crystal Lake Classic

For starters I went bust on my gear ratio. For me 34.16 is pretty damn hefty but I was hell bent. There were so many flats and the hills were short. My plan was to make my ground on the open track and it might have just worked if it wasn't for a few mishaps. An early crash shook me up while trashing my rear wheel and knocking loose my crank arm(?). I was quick to get up and once I made sure no one was seriosly hurt, and my bike would still go I was off. Passing masses of people I think I made my way back up to 20th or so until I noticed my crank arm comming off. I rode it out as long as I could but ended up DNF and with a one legged peddle back to the first aid tent to get my wounds adressed my day was done. I would have to say It seemed like it would've been a fun race.:) I did however still have a good weekend thanks to Lynn, Terry and David. These three have really been doin alot of work to keep me rolling.

Big Ring Classic

Another weekend of open trail, great singletrack, and good people. I can say that after only three races I am getting the hang of this racing style more and more while learning something new everytime Don Yells GOOOO!!!! Tacticly probobly not my best race ever but I'm new and still learning. I had a good start and positioned myself well with a group of five with all of us gunning for 8th. I did way too much work early, and with a singlspeed on that coarse this is not what you would want to be saying. After I settled in things were going well but I wasn't sure how long I would be able to hold the open trail accelerations for. Its hard work with one gear and I would string myself out pretty good but each time my recovery seemed to get weaker. I held on until the first hill climb on the last lap and then I popped bad. With the white lights flashing in my eyes I would grind through the next couple of hills, hit up some gu and take in some fluids. The hurt was on as I made my way through the last lap with my head down. I made it and some how held of Joe Curtes and the rest of the guys that were chasin him down. What a race!

To sum things up.

• I have the Best Girl Friend in the world!
• Ridding with my big Bro is still great.
• With out all of the help I get I wouldn't be very good.
• Learning, Learning, Learning isn't life great!

Thanks to every one who helps me with everything from a simple cheer to alot of TLC. I would put names down but there would be so many I would run out of space.

Pics to follow

It's TIme!

Here goes! I will try to keep all up to speed on my races and this will probably become just that for a little while. I would recommend reading Our Adventures blog where my better half does a swell job of keeping the information flowing. Also visit our Flicker page.

This was my first Wors Elite race, and I was a little nervous. As soon as I was in my very shitty position at the start line however all my nerves faded away. I heard GO and had a shitty start to go with my placement. From there on out it was just a mad dash to gain places. I think I did a pretty good job of it as I made my way up to ninth at one point. I had about 20 seconds on 9 and 10th places but couldn't hold them off as I cramped up due to lack of hydration. As I started my last lap I called on my babe for a Gatorade bottle as I knew it was my only hope. I have never had a hydration issue but I think this might also have something to due with this little cold that I have been trying to shake. I made my way in and ended up with 11th place. I also made a little cash as they paid out 15 deep! I was bummed that I blew my top ten until I found out I was getting paid.

All and all I learned a lot, made some mistakes and got to spend time with good people while doing what I love. As you can see I had my own little section of friends and family cheering me on (David, Terry, Dennis and Heidi). Also a HUGE thanks to Lynn for all of the work she does to help me. She does a great job and with out her my goals would not be so achievable!

Something/Nothing

Commuter revived!!!

The old Girl was in pretty ruff shape but with a little tender love it rolls like a new ride.

Other than the bike work I realized I am like most everyone else. I Work, ride, spend time with people I care about, ride, ride, and ride. I am sure there are a lot of people that can relate to this. When I started this blog I thought I would have something special to offer like advice, or a situation that was different than others. The reality though is that I am just living the average mans dream. I love it! I do have to say that if any one wants to really better their situation but isn't sure how it is always best to start with ATTITUDE. For me I try to stay positive as much as I can and always look for the better in people. It is something that has to be worked on everyday. Any one who knows me knows what I am talking about.
Anyway, there's my Something/Nothing.

Have a great Week and don't forget to enjoy at least one thing a day!

Darrin

Weekend Medley

False progress,

Fair share of riding this weekend with my babe in attendance for a cold Saturday morning ride. She is kinda a tough cookie like that...picks the coldest day of the week to come out and ride with me. After that I came home and ate some lunch while I waited for Joe. Then it was time to hit the local Tosa trails and they were in pretty good shape. Can't wait till I can hit all of the other trails!

Standard Wisconsin Spring.

Bundles of joy! Lynn's nieces and nephews are always fun.

Future Gymnast or cheerleader?

Recap of events would go as follows; Bike work, Bike rides, Birthday supper at OCB, Snow, A lot of coffee and laying around, more snow,Birthday lunch with Cake, a lot of playing with the kids, and Weekly Bike Scheduling.

Keep it real and don't forget to enjoy other things besides bike riding. Kids for me always make things fun but I can never seem to match their energy.

Stuff

Bikes, New Wheels, and New Parts.
Isn't it great!

Work to be done....

BUSY/FUN!!!

A very awesome weekend!

Started out with the Friday rush at work and as busy as it was I put the hammer down and made it home just before Craig got into town. We had this weekend planned since early February and I was really looking forward to it. Bike work was the main focus and it started as soon as I got back from my strength workout at the Ymca, and lasted until about 11p.m. Up the next morning and back at it again with a trip to the bike shop for some parts to put my new fork on. I'm just waiting on some other parts for my MTB and upon completion it will have lost a hefty 4-5pounds. Craig calls it my elite racing machine. (With my bike and I each down 4lbs from last season I will have 8 less to carry up those hills!!)

Didn't get out to ride until about 11a.m. but with the nice weather and Harley/Hoyt trails dry enough to ride, Craig and I had an awesome time. Next to the bread store for Craig, meeting with Josh North for WIN Racing (Wisconsin Nordic) ski team, to Joe's for a cook out then finally home to bed! At the cook out we all decided on a group RR towards Waukesha. I was kinda bummed out about not getting Craig some more MTB time but what you gonna do, and besides the route is a good one and I always like spring road riding.

Of coarse there was business to attend to in the basement first with more bike work. Craig was up at 5a tallying up the completion list, and I followed by about 5:30. Couple cups of java and we were haulin. We did stop working to eat some breakfast, and get ready for our ride. I gotta give props to Lynn for all of the cooked meals and just plain working around two real rammy bro's. She hooked us up with all of our meals all weekend and even washed and filled water bottles.

With a 10a appointment with Joe we were dressed and headed out. Hung at his pad for a bit while him and Katie got ready and then hit the road. The weather was a bit colder but still the day was nice and we ended up with a little over three hours, and thanks to Joe I got some extra intervals in for the week. Not too hard with my awesome wheel sucking abilities though.

After our ride with Joe and Katie we headed home to lick our wounds, get some eats, and finish up some bike work. Craig packed it up and headed home and I was real happy to spend some quality time with him again. I have to say that with out all of the support I get from every one that helps me, the pursuit of my goals and dreams wouldn't be possible. So, THANK YOU Craig, Lynn, Joe, and everyone who helps me!!! My season is getting very close and I feel ready, poised, and willing to give this a go.

What a weekend! And remember to try today because tomorrow you might not get the chance....Peace.

Weekend Getaway

To cap things off my plans for this weekend were totally shot from the hip. It started off with a planned trip to Indianapolis for the Big Ten Women's Tournament, then a weekend in because of the awesome weather, then plans were finalized for a trip back home to Marshfield.

As far as what I was looking for in a weekend I don't think things could have gone much better. Early Saturday morning departure got us into Marshfield about 10a.m. just in time for Lynn's nephew Tiernan's hockey game. If you want to get a good laugh just watch little kids try to play hockey. After that we headed to Marshfield base A.K.A. Lynn's parents house and I got ready for for my suppose to be 3hr ride with Craig. It ended up being about 4hrs but no complaints from my end, the scenery was great, weather held up and I never realized how good the riding was until I moved away. It was also good to spend quality time on my bike with someone who has helped me out and been so influential in my cycling career.

I capped Saturday off hanging out with Lynn's Family and playing Nintendo Wii. I am not a big fan of video games but it wasn't bad, as long as I can ram and don't have to sit in one place I'm up for it.

Sunday was chill early then with the weather brewing the drive home became a 4hour stress factory.

But with my skills and a little luck we made it safe and sound.

Good times

Enter D.B.

Well the time has come.... For now this is all I have. I will update and continue to progress as time is available.