Divide & Conquer

The Johnson’s had to divide duties to conquer the day. Forrest decided to participate in the Kalamazoo Soccer Tournament with his Clarkston Impact teammates and skip the Pontiac Lake TT. We drew straws (not exactly) and Norm decided to go with Forrest. He loaded his road bike in the Traverse and they departed. Montana also had soccer games, but somewhat closer to home. Two of his games were scheduled before and after the mountain bike race. It was decided that he would play in the 9:00 AM game, race Pontiac Lake TT sport category, and skip the 3 p.m. game in Port Huron.

Montana had a great 1st soccer game and the team won. Unfortunately, two teammates were injured which would leave them with ten players for the 11 v 11 soccer game at 3 p.m. Well they convinced Montana to go to game by saying he could play goalie knowing his energy level would be low after the race. Montana’s 1st game finished at 10:30 AM and Pontiac Lake Recreation was ten minutes away. We jumped into the Jeep and were off. We arrived at Pontiac Lake at 10:45 a.m. and Montana was fast asleep!

That was okay in my view because by the time I registered both of us for the sport category; I figure we would draw a noon start time. Registration was completed and both of us were to go off together at 11:59:00 a.m. By 11:30 a.m. I started to wake Montana. He said something inaudible. I tried again, and more gibbering. I finally said to Montana, “You don’t have to race; this is the first race of the season.” Still in his soccer uniform, leaning on the window with his eyes closed and not moving an inch, Montana responded “Okay I won’t race.”

Now I have twenty minutes to warm up before I start my first race of the season. As I lined up at the start, I suddenly felt alone and wished Forrest, Norm and Montana were racing. The feeling quickly passed as my Cycletherapy teammates cheered for me, and I was off.

The course felt good but I noticed something after the two mile marker or Heart-Attack Hill which was my average heart rate was at 170. Hmm, last year my AVG was 143. All week I had noticed it seemed to be rising as I rode the course. I didn’t dwell on it too long because I began to pass men and women, including women in the Sport Cat. 40+. As I approached the switchback I noticed one of my competitors; she noticed me and sped up. Something told me that I needed to catch her before she went down the switch back because she would not make it up the other side. The upside of the switchback does not leave room to pass. I didn’t catch her before she went down the switch back. I was feeling tense about now, but I had good speed coming down the switchback and I could feel the wind in my hair. Unfortunately my fears had come true as she was already half off her bike right before the first steep crest of rocks. I was angry with myself for not catching her so I used the extra adrenaline to jump off my bike and run, ran past her all the way up to the top. I can’t recall where in the path it was when I jumped off my bike. I have never practiced jumping off my bike at any rate of speed. At the seven mile marker my heart rate was 173. Fortunately it is mostly down hill for a time, and I could get my heart rate back to a more sustainable rate. I picked up more speed and passed some more people. I saw “Lake Muddy Water” at the last second and didn’t have time to react properly. I hit the water hard. Water and mud flew everywhere. Shocked, I stopped pedaling. Bad news as I lost speed immediately and was sinking deeper and deeper as I slowly drifted to the center of what I now decided to call “Lake Mud-Ville.” I switched gears and began to spin fast. I made it through the lake without having to get off my bike and I completed the race. As I crossed the finished line I surveyed the crowd, I didn’t see Montana. I went to the Jeep and there he was still asleep. I had to quickly wake him as his teammate was giving him a ride to Port Huron, and was on his way to pick him up!

Everything worked out for Montana, Forrest and I. I finished second in my category, Montana played goalie and they won the game. Forrest’s soccer team won the K-Zoo Tournament and had a photo printed in the Clarkston News. Unfortunately for Norm, he had no time at the tournament to sneak away for a bike ride. Maybe next time he’ll insist on racing while I go to the tournament.

Lake Orion Hign School GAP Race!

Thank you Steve for putting togther a 3 mile trail filled with great technical sections!

This years LOHS GAP race number 1 had 4 of the 6 CT racers making the podium but this was not the best part of the event. The best part was the relaxed, yet competitive, race atmosphere. Making this event is perfect race for the first time racer. But it is also great training for the more experienced racer looking for some racing in during the week.

See everyone next Tuesday the 12th for a little more racing!


Pictures where taken by Cannondale Midwest Racing

Pontiac Lake TT

I arrived at Pontiac lake at 8:30 a.m. thinking that I would help set up for the race. To my surprise there were plenty of volunteers already there and they seemed to have everything under control. So instead, I helped Ernie set up his tent and unload all of the demo bikes. After that, I got ready to warm up. I gave myself enough time to get back and check over my bike before I lined up.

I was the fourth rider to go out. All I was thinking about as I left the starting tent was that I hoped nothing would go wrong with the bike being a new build. I caught two of the riders in front of me shortly after 2 mile hill. I was riding hard, trying to get a glimpse of the rider in front. Then about three-quarters of the way through, I picked up a stick and it wedged in my big ring. At every revolution, the stick would come around and stab me in the leg. So, I had to stop at the top of the next hill and yank it out. Luckily there was no damage to the bike and I was off again. The second lap went a little smoother as some of the mud had started to dry up. I never did catch the rider in front, but I felt I had put in some good times. I managed to get 2nd place with a total time of 1:18:17 for the 2 laps. My first race of the day was over and it was time to rest up for the second race of the day on the single speed.

I took a very quick warm up before the beginning of the race and I could tell my legs were tired, but it was too late to back out now. When I was lined up at the start line, I went to take off and heard a loud pop and went nowhere. My chain had slipped and delayed my start. So, I tried to start again and this time took off after the rider I lined up with. I managed to get around right before we crossed the two tracks. Before we got to two mile hill, I heard something else rattling on my bike. I started looking down at my bike trying to diagnose the cause of the noise. I finally noticed the quick release on my front wheel had come undone. Quickly, I pulled off to the side of the trail, jumped off the bike and closed the quick release, then took off. By this time the rider I had started with had passed me. I spent the rest of the time chasing him. He would pull away from me on the climbs, but I seemed to make up time in some of the more technical sections. I didn’t really know if we were making good time, I just wanted to keep him in my sights. When we hit some traffic everyone was kind enough to let us pass very quickly. I had closed the gap coming up to the last hill and he went wide to the left. I was able to pass him by going straight up the middle. I made it to the two tracks first, but shortly after we hit grass he got around me. I didn’t think I was going to be able to stay with him but I dug deep and gave one last burst coming to the finish line. He beat me by about half a bike length. As the results came up, I questioned the fact that I took first since the rider I started with had beat me across the line. Come to find out that because of my chain slip at the start line, my timer didn’t start until a second after his. So being such a close finish gave me a faster time by .3 seconds, making my total time 40:37.

Overall, it was a good day for me. The only downfall was that now I had two bikes covered in mud that needed to be washed.

Pontiac TT – April 26, 2009

The first races of the season always seem to have an interesting twist! This year did not disappoint. The severe storms blasting the trail Saturday all but completely undid all the hard work at the last trail day. BIG thanks to Robert for and his group of faithful volunteers for braving the weather to clean it all up in time for a GREAT day of racing.

Even after all the hard work helping to prepare the trail after the storms Mark Parmelee had a great start to his 2009 race season! Coming in a close second to Mike Anderson in the men’s elite category! He then jumped off the geared beast and fired out the winning lap time in the Men’s Single Speed Expert/Elite category!

The Orange on the podium didn’t stop there with Lisa Johnson’s off season training paying off in Sport Women 40+! Mark Ladwig and Ron Ressler returning after injury, they dominated the Sport Clydesdale category with a 3rd and 5th place finishing! Jason Acker exceeded his own expectations and taking 3rd place in sport men 19-29 (though we all knew he’d do well!) Sarah Frisbie also exceeded her expectations finishing 2nd in beginner women 30+! With time like that she will be racing sport in no time!

Congrats to all who came out and raced despite the real threat of more severe weather. Next up? BLOOMER XC MAY 17th!!!!

New team kit arrives!!

Sunny and in the high 60's! You could not ask for a better day to ride. Well unless you also recieved your new team jersey! To the left is pictured half of our team at Pontiac Lake Rec Area just before our first team ride.

Trail conditions where perfect and seeing the long line of orange was picture perfect!! The ride was a great way to ride with fellow team members that we may only get a chance to see at the races.

Thanks to all of our sponsors that made this possible!

Promo video from iVisual!