Elite U25 Cycling

BTR / Maple Hills Race Weekend Highlights

July 13th, 2016 by Kaitlyn Patterson

It was a busy weekend of racing, coaching, cheering, and volunteering this weekend for Team OAM NOW who came out in force for the BTR Crit and Maple Hills Race for Wishes. It was a big weekend as Maple Hills was the 2016 state championship road race and BTR was the state championship criterium for women, masters and juniors. It was a great showing for the team with a successful Friday night skills clinic to kick off the weekend and nearly every race sporting some OAM NOW blue and orange kits. The racing was highlighted by two overall state champions as well as success stories in nearly every race.

Elite Men

In the 87 mile men’s Cat 1/2/3/ road race on Sunday, Andy Guelzo stole the show taking the win in a sprint finish from a six man breakaway. Andy was in strong company with Tom Burke and two Bissell ABG riders Aaron Beebe and John Leach. But Andy was patient and delivered a brilliant sprint at the line to take the win.

Dan Yankus followed closely in a chase group taking seventh. With teammates up the road in breaks, the rest of the mens team finished in the main field.

Sunday’s win was a big relief to the team after a disappointing showing in the crit on Saturday. Although OAM NOW riders were part of every breakaway throughout the race, the field came back together in the final laps. With a large Cat 1/2/3 field and a strong wind on the backstretch of the course, positioning was everything and the team ran out of real estate on the final lap. Andy led the team in 14th place, followed by Dan in 19th.

Women

It was a great weekend for women’s racing with strong and deep fields lining up both days. Road captain Marie Dershem was joined by Kaitlyn Patterson, JoAnn Cranson, Danielle Nye, Laura Melendez, and Elaine Sheikh, the biggest showing for a women’t cycling event this season.

In the 60 minute crit, Kaitlyn Patterson broke away from the field alone 15 minutes in, enduring the windy backstretch and eventually lapping the field to take the win. After Kaitlyn was clear from the field, Marie began attacking and also broke away to take second and first in the Cat 1 / 2 race.

In the road race, the OAM NOW women faced a challenge with City Hub Cyclery and Hagerty fielding strong teams. The first half of the race rolled at a pedestrian pace, with an unfortunate crash taking down Danielle Nye and several other riders. The attacks began on the biggest climb on the second of three laps as Kaitlyn got a gap but was pulled back and the field came back together. On the final lap, the race was neutralized during the deciding climb as the field was passed by the Masters 35+ men. With most of the riders still together, the nuetralization drastically changed the race dynamics. With a deciding climb rendered irrelevant and nobody willing to pull or attack, Kaitlyn drilled the last 12 miles in the attempt to thin down the field and give Marie the best chance at the win. Despite the effort, 15 women stayed intact and the title was determined in a field sprint. Marie claimed fourth and second in Cat 1 /2 with Elaine and JoAnn finishing in the top 13.

Maple Hills debuted a Masters 40+ womens race this year with several riders taking on the challenge after racing the morning Cat 1/2/3/4 race as well. In an impressive double, JoAnn took the top step of the Masters race in a sprint finish after 90 miles of total racing.

Elaine was one of the only Cat 4 riders to finish with the main field in the morning and she recovered quickly to also race in the Cat 4 race in the afternoon, taking sixth. This capped off a strong weekend for Elaine, after taking third in a sprint finish in the Cat 4 race at BTR.

Masters Men

The Masters Men had strong showings all weekend. On Saturday, Richard Landgraff rode to a 2nd place finish in in the BTR crit for the 50-54 State Championship. Leonard Van Drunen just missed the podium, taking fourth in a four man break in the 55+ race.

On Sunday, the 7 masters riders monitored all the moves throughout the day and the race came down to a field sprint with Jon Morgan taking second and Rich in third place in the state championship 50+. The team was joined by new rider John Meyers who was instrumental in countering breaks with Terry Ritter, Mark Olson and Mike Wyzalek, and perennial strongman Chris Abston.

Juniors

Three OAM NOW juniors took on the tough double race weekend including new team member Joe Meyers as well as Christian Dershem and Hunter Maschke. Joe took third at BTR and took the top step in the 15-16 age category in Sunday’s road race, Hunter joined Joe on the podium taking third.

Full BTR Criterium Results can be found here.

Full Maple Hills results can be found here.

Free Cycling Clinics with Team OAM NOW / Athletic Mentors

June 28th, 2016 by Kaitlyn Patterson

Few will disagree that the learning curve of cycling and racing is significant but that is also why the sport is rewarding. There is always something to improve on whether you are a beginner or a seasoned racer.

Team OAM NOW/Athletic Mentors will host two cycling clinics to cater to a range of abilities. The clinics will be held on Friday, July 8 at WMU BTR Park, where the BTR Crit will be held the following day. Both clinics are FREE if you preregister or $10 day of.

The women’s only clinic will be geared towards beginner riders and will cover drafting, cornering, and group riding etiquette. This is a great chance to build confidence in a non-intimidating atmosphere with help from Team OAM NOW riders. Check-in is at 5:45 with the clinic running from 6-8pm. Be prepared to ride with a bike and helmet, road bike recommended! Make sure you pre-register for this clinic HERE!

The second clinic will be open to both men and women and be focused on race specific skills and drills. The clinic will be on the actual race course, a great opportunity to prepare for the BTR crit! Check-in is at 6:15 with the clinic running 6:30-9pm. Pre-register for this clinic HERE!

Check out more details on the BTR Clinics page.

Make it a full weekend and come out to race the BTR Crit on Saturday, July 9 and Maple Hills Race for Wishes on Sunday, July 10!

Why You Should Try the Velodrome!

June 24th, 2016 by Kaitlyn Patterson

–By Luke Cavender, Team OAM NOW cyclist

From http://www.ivbp.org/

I want to write to you guys about the Velodrome at Bloomer Park and how we would like to get more riders – especially from Team OAM Now – out to the track. Because I’m new to the team, you might not know that I’ve been racing the track for many years now. It has taken me places I never thought I would go, like Elite/Pro Nationals, Olympic trials, and the Olympic Training Center just to name a few. Track cycling boosted my riding ability much faster than just training on the road or the trails. Yes, you still need to get your endurance training done, but track cycling improves your power, speed, and bike handling skills tenfold.

If you’re not familiar with a velodrome, it is a banked bike racing track that varies in length. The one we are blessed to have in Michigan is 200 meters with 44 degree banking in the corners. That’s 200 meters of pure fun and excitement. If you like rollercoasters, the track will definitely interest you! There are many races done on the track: scratch race, points race, Madison, elimination race, match sprints, and time trials. Each race has its own different thrill and unique flavor.

The velodrome will improve your bike handling skills because it essentially makes you “one” with your bike. Since track bikes do not have brakes and only run one gear, you learn to look up ahead of the riders in front of you (so you’re not staring down at the wheel in front of you) in order to anticipate what is coming your way. A key factor in competitive and recreational cycling is being able to control your bike in a group or around a corner. The velodrome helps you get used to riding in a pack in a controlled environment without the worry of passing cars. When you get comfortable riding in a pace line on the track, you can ride a pace line anywhere. On the road, you either do one race a night/weekend, but on the track, you’re able to do 5-6 races in one session. Those extra races alone, though they are shorter, allow you to quickly gain experience riding in a pack at speed. The more reps you can do, the better. Along with gaining experience in a pack, you learn race tactics at an accelerated level, like how to get to the front, finish a race during a sprint, and how to establish a breakaway. The track is a great training tool to refine your skills so you become a better all-around rider.

There are many ways to gain power, speed, and endurance; everyone has their own methods to do so. As I mentioned earlier, since we do 5-6 races a night, it allows you to work on these things. The more times you try to chase down a break and finish a race, you will gain more top-end speed and the power needed to get to that speed.

Last Friday night on the boards was a great one for me. Race #2 was a continuation of our season-long scratch race series; I won the race, and now I’m sitting in first overall for the series. This race started out pretty fast, with everyone trying to ride at the front. With about 5 laps to go, the field sat up and no one breaking away until Paul Hertzler, from Wolverine Sports Club, put in a great move and gained about half a track on the field because we were too busy looking at each other. Mike Dega from Team O2 put the throttle down and made it about halfway to Paul with me on his wheel. Coming into the bell lap, I made my move around Mike to overtake Paul on the back stretch for a comfortable win. The next race – elimination – I redeemed myself from a poor 5th place finish the week before. It came down to a final match sprint between myself and Nick Laughton of Team O2 after bettering the rest of the competition. With 2 to go, we were looking at each other. He had the front position on me and made a nice move to pick up speed with one and a half laps to go. We hit the front straightaway with one to go, and the sprint was on. I was able to ride up next to him on the back stretch, but he had one last little kick and edged me out at the finish line. We’re now tied for first in the overall elimination race series.

Luke and CJ Karas pair up to claim the win the two-person team race

Lastly, the feature race of the night and my favorite – the Madison. That night there was no glory, it was all for fun. I was paired up with CJ Karas from Marian University and we had a pretty decent race. The Madison is a bit different from other track races because it is a two person team race. When the rider in the race comes around to the rider on relief, he or she reaches up and grabs the hand of their teammate and throws them into the race. It’s generally ran like a points race with multiple sprints along the way, and the team with most points or laps on the field wins the race. The first two sprints saw us taking third and second, respectively. Coming into the final sprint, knowing we had to win the sprint to win the race, I timed an attack and throw CJ in with a nice lead. She was able to maintain the gap for the victory.

I hope that after reading this tidbit on track cycling, a few of you will come out and try the velodrome. It’s also a great spectator sport to see exactly what it’s all about before trying it yourself. The races are held every Friday night at 7:30pm all summer long – we even have a live band that plays while we race. There are plenty of new rider classes, even if you’re not new to a bike. If you don’t have a track bike, they have bikes for you to use. You just need to bring your shoes, helmet, and eagerness to ride. After a few classes, you’ll be ready to start racing and winning in no time. Get in contact with me (luke.cavender.racing@gmail.com) if you want more info or check out ivbp.org.

In Pursuit of the “Trifecta”

June 23rd, 2016 by Kaitlyn Patterson

–By Terry Ritter, Team OAM NOW Masters Cyclist

For the last decade I have been in awe of the acts of one man: Raymond Dybowski. Oh, sure, I’m with everyone else when it comes to being mystified at his ability to casually escape the main group and just roll away. The non-threatening vibe his motion exudes boggles the mind when you realize he’s done it a number of times and actually had success. No, what I hold “Big Ray” in reverence for is the rarely seen “Trifecta.” This is when you do 3 different Criterium races on the same day. Typically, with our structure in Michigan, that means a Masters 45+, then 35+, and followed by a Pro 1/2 race. I have witness his attempts a few times, and always thought it’d be a cool thing to try.

Unfortunately, the structure of our road teams prevents me from just doing a 1/2 race, even though I have a Cat. 2 license. If I did two other events in a day, I’d be useless to the boys, and that likely would be bad form. However, a special situation came up with a Criterium in Galion, Ohio. They not only had a more sedate (I hoped) 50+ Masters race (I am officially 50 on my racing license this year), but also a 40+ right after. Then, a few hours and the P/1/2/3 race would start as the sun was setting. This could be my chance!

If I had this control over other factors of my life, I would not have worked 12 hours on my feet the day before, or driven 3+ hours to get to the event. Oh, and also would not have pegged the thermometer at 90+ the entire race day. But, I was signed up, had my trusty co-pilot and teammate Andrew Guelzo along (he spins the tunes), and lots of ice in the cooler.

The 50+ Masters race had a dozen riders, two of which were actually familiar faces: Scott Kroski of the Wolverines, and Hendry Swinty of the Ft. Wayne Outfitters. The former I see weekly and the later races in Michigan a lot, and quite successfully. My hope was this small group would be easy to watch from the back, and also not be too charged up with the heat and a 45 min race duration. That prediction was correct and I camped out and drank lots, letting others close gaps as I followed. Then, with 6 laps to go, Scott took a flier. Being a fellow Michigander, I really couldn’t chase, so I waited to see if anyone else would. A few guys worked at the front, and someone made a weak attempt to go across, but it all brought us back together with 2 laps.

Terry grabbed a podium in his first race of the day- Master’s 50+

By this point I was setting third wheel and watching the front. Scott had slotted right behind me. With two quick turns and then an uphill grade and 300 m to the line, I was ready. But as the guy in front of me jumped as the leader went wide on the second to last corner, I hesitated. By time I shortened the gap we were ready to sprint, and I effectively gave Scott a decent leadout. He got second and I held on for third. My mistake and hats off to him for aggressive racing.

Scott, Henry, and I lined up for the 40+ race, which was the same duration. Still thinking I should be conserving, I did get a little more assertive in my position, and this allowed me the sight of seeing a guy bolt on the second lap. I watched to see if anyone would follow and, on the third lap, a guy jumped out and gave chase. At this point, there was still 40 mins of racing and it was easy to talk myself into not moving. I figured Henry or Scott would eventually try. The lead duo was about 30 seconds up with 30 mins of racing when Henry struck out. After he rolled 50 meters and I didn’t think anyone was going to follow, I bridged out.

The pace was high but I figured I’d get a chance to catch my breath as it was obvious we were cutting the gap down and the main group was left for dead it seemed. But, the head wind and Henry’s diminutive size made it hard for me to get any rest. After 4 laps of chasing we had cut the lead down to 12 seconds with 20 mins of racing left. Henry jumped when I was gassed on a pull and I couldn’t close it down. Andy said I had 30 seconds so I pushed through in TT mode the last 6 laps and finished in 4th .

When I asked Henry how he did against the two lead guys, he stated he never caught them…and that he needed one more guy to help him. I stood there speechless, with the satisfaction that there is racing karma after all.

With a few hours before the P/1/2/3 race, I hung out in the shade and chatted with Ross Williams, who races Cat. 3 on our team. He had came down with his parents from Traverse City. Just then a gust of wind knocked Ross’s Giant Propel over. This seemed innocent enough until Ross came back from his attempted warm up to show me a very bent derailleur hanger preventing any reasonable shifting. Fortunately, I had a spare and he was up and running again in less than 10 mins.

Terry, Andrew, and Ross line up for the P/1/2/3 race

The final race started at 8:00 pm and 91 degrees. The field was about 30 guys, with Ross, Andy, and I at the line. It started fast enough, then it got faster. About 10 mins in a rider had taken a wheel change and came from the wheel pit, past the peloton, which was averaging 27.5 MPH, straight to the front and then off the front! The group picked up the pace for the next 10 mins, which preceded to pop me and a few others. Eventually, the young buck lapped the field that was down to about 15 riders with 5 laps remaining.

For me, that wasn’t the most excitement. Just as Ross was coming unhitched from the back, Andy rolled through with the group but was obviously off the pace and looked like he’d given up as he crossed the start/finish line. I figured he was going to spin, so Ross, Jeff Johnson from EPS (another Michigan team) and I went out. We never ran into Andy and, upon returning to the course, the various stories started coming in detailing his demise.

Ross’s parents were holding Andy’s bike and explained they were told Andy crashed…but that made no sense. After I talked to an official, they said he’d stopped at a corner marshal and was being treated by paramedics. Still kitted up, and with my race wheels on, I rolled over to the direction they pointed. There, a corner marshal explained that Andy had came through after the group and the guy had to catch him to prevent him from falling off his bike. Andy then started ripping of his equipment. Finally, some paramedics took him to the hospital. At this point, I wasn’t sure what to do. But, Galion is a small town and, sure enough, the kind people at that corner gave me easy directions and I was at the ER in 10 mins (still on my bike, in a skinsuit that displayed the salt of three races).

Unfortunately, they had no record of Andrew. I left a number and headed back to the race course only to get flagged down by Ross’s dad, telling me Andy was back and fine. Sure enough, I found him talking to a young woman, with his magnetic smile on full display. He explained how he’d gotten a terrible cramp in his side and couldn’t go on, how he’d gotten to the corner marshal but about fell over, and then couldn’t stand having his clothing on any longer. I pretended to follow but was just happy he wasn’t suffering from any condition that would require treatment.

From there we licked our wounds, packed up the car, and headed back to our great state. We’d had some fun, even experienced an adventure, and made some new friends. Next year, though, I have to be a little better prepared if I ever hope to mirror my endurance hero, as I missed out on my own Trifecta.

Our Big, Fat Greek Adventure

April 25th, 2016 by Kaitlyn Patterson

–By Kaitlyn Patterson, OAM NOW cyclist

Last weekend, Alex Vanias and I took our OAM NOW kits across the Atlantic to compete in the Lamia Challenge UCI mountain bike stage race as part of our trip to Greece.

Before we begin the epic tale, I shall first clear up a few points about how this whole thing came to be.

Thessaloniki is the second largest city in Greece located in the northern part of the country. You can look across the bay of the Aegean Sea to see Mt. Olympus

Why Greece?

Alex was actually born in Thessaloniki, Greece and lived there for most of the first 12 years of his life. He moved to the U.S. in junior high but still has family and friends there. A trip to Greece has been on the bucket list for quite a while since Alex hasn’t been back to visit in six years and I have never been there despite being his partner in crime for more than four years. One thing on Alex’s bucket list was racing his bike in the motherland, so the planning began.

How did you choose the race?

Race selection involved Alex poring over a list (pages long-who knew?!) of road and mountain races in Greece, and the Lamia UCI Challenge was chosen for the following reasons: 1.) We could hit three races in one weekend 2.) It was a UCI race with the potential for solid competition and UCI points and 3.) Alex’s plans never lack ambition. The early date limited our MTB specific prep though, especially since we had snow in Traverse City until the day we flew out and we made a quick transition from ski season to cycling.

So with about six weeks of committed training on the bike including some trainer intervals, one gravel road race, a week in North Carolina, and a handful of March mountain bike rides, we were off to do our first UCI race. And even with as much research as we could do, we really had no idea what we were getting ourselves into.

En route to climbing Mt. Chortiatis. Thessaloniki can be seen in the background.

In the days leading up to the race after arriving in Greece, we decided to sacrifice some freshness to spend some quality time on our mountain bikes and get acquainted with the rocks, mountains, and heat. My brain was overloaded with all the new stimuli that the first ride was a bit surreal but I did learn several things- 1.) My concept of climbing was redefined yet again. Who needs switchbacks when you can go straight up? 2.) The lines that look like roads on the map are literally and figuratively goat trails 3.) The goats will not move out of your way quickly 4.) I’ll take the goat trails over the terrifying drivers on the convoluted, narrow roads. 4=5.) Greece is beautiful but also a bit sad. You can look out from the mountain for views of the Aegean Sea and Mount Olympus but then you look around you and there are houses, buildings, animals and people in various stages of neglect.

The day before the race, we traveled the several hours southwest to the smaller town of Lamia, which based on everyone’s reaction, was a very odd place to hold a race. We wanted to pre-ride at least a portion of the 40km point to point race so we headed towards the race start about 23 km from Lamia after picking up our packets. Soon we were headed up endless switchbacks and Lamia faded below us in some truly amazing mountain scenery. However, the isolation and elevation were definitely making me wonder what I got myself into. Alex’s mom, Terri, was our race support for the weekend and handled the mountain roads in a manual van like a champ. She dropped us off at the start and somewhat reluctantly continued on to the village we hoped to end up. The portions of the course we rode confirmed our thoughts that we just might be in over our heads. The climbs were open, sustained and wonderful but the singletrack sections were like nothing we have in Michigan (understatement). Thankfully, the ratio of mountain roads to singletrack was manageable and it really was an awesome, real mountain bike course.

Just heading to a race start…

I felt like I went back in time 100 years going through these remote mountain villages

Day 1- 40k point to point

OAM NOW represent!

The next morning after a restless and anxious night, we headed up the mountain again, thankful we had scoped it out the day before. We joined a small contingent of Greek, Bosnian, German and Belgian riders at the modest start area. Although the race instructions were announced in careful English, Greek was the dominant language (including Terri and Alex), which contributed to the disorienting and surreal experience. Since it was a logistically difficult and new race, the start lists were very small with only four women and eight men lining up. Terri was armed with an official feed zone tag and quickly befriended the other coaches and support crews.

The tiny womens field takes off for a brutal 40k cross country race

Although the starting miles were open and downhill, the men gunned it from the line and I watched Alex disappear, hoping for the best. Two minutes later, my small women’s contingent headed off. Although I had been planning on starting conservatively on the downhill start to assess the other riders’ singletrack skills, the switch clicked in my brain that turns me into a different cyclist when I’m racing. The best Greek rider, Varvara Fasoi, attacked off the line and the other girls didn’t respond so I led the chase. I had a fleeting sense of optimism as I kept her in sight but just a couple curves up the road, I saw Alex fixing a flat. I considered that he needs to figure out how to make peace with the bike gods or Greek gods or whoever can help his terrible racing luck, but I tried to shake it off and hoped it was fixable so he could finish and have another chance to race.

The first extended road climb further shattered the women’s field and I held second but had lost sight of Varvara on the singletrack. To my relief, Alex caught me at the top and disappeared into the mystery of the portion of the course we did not pre-ride.

Elevation profile of the first 20 miles

Although I usually wish for climbs, the backside of the course was undeniably more than I bargained for. The loose road climbs were relentless and steep enough that I ran out of gears and seriously contemplated getting off my bike and walking (and I thought I was a climber).

And to make matters worse, I came upon Alex again waiting for me so he could use my tube and pump after another flat. (The Greek racers use tougher tires, the whole country is comprised of sharp rocks).

Considering the circumstances, I still felt pretty good and was pleasantly surprised I was holding a reasonable gap to Varvara and had not been caught from behind over halfway through the race. However, I should have known that it couldn’t be that easy. With about four miles to go I also got a flat that wasn’t sealing. Without my own tube, I didn’t have many options since everyone else was racing 29ers. I knew I had to make it work to stay in the hunt and I resigned to hiking my bike the final four miles, conceding a lot of time and ultimately finishing last. Major bummer for both of us but I was pleased with how I was riding before disaster struck and we both lived to race another day.

It was a slight consolation that I was essentially hiking through an enchanted forest. It definitely could have been worse.

No, we did not have to cross that bridge although we did race across a couple just as questionable.

Even though it was only 25 miles, that race ripped me to shreds. Although I was previously a bit bummed that the individual time trial on the second day was only 4.55km, after the first race, I felt that would be about all I could manage. However, because it was a short TT, pre-riding the course would be very important. And since it was a UCI race, the course was only open to train on at certain times, which meant we had to summon the mental and physical energy after the race to fix our tires and check out our next challenge.

I don’t think I’ve ever had so many moments in such a condensed time period that I didn’t think there was any way I could do something but then somehow managed to pull it off. Well, riding that course after the race was one of those times. Even though this race was held in a park in town, this did not save us from a punishing elevation profile with 750 feet of climbing per lap and quite a few technical features. When I hit a certain threshold of fatigue, my bravery level drops precipitously, which made for an interesting pre-ride on the rock gardens, drops, and bridges.

However, I realized I simply did not have a choice besides getting off my bike at anything difficult when I am supposed to be in the “pro” mtb race with everyone watching. So we made it happen feature by feature and major kudos to coach Alex.

Day 2- Individual TT

The second race was held as part of a day of racing including citizen and junior classes. I was really impressed with the number of junior racers (especially girls!) and the technical trails they were riding. The UCI race was the last of the day (so it warmed up nicely to nearly 90 degrees) and we headed off in one minute intervals for one hot lap.

Alex and I seeking shade as we waited for our TT start time

Since the race format and course did not play to our strengths and with some definite fatigue and jetlag going on, neither of us had especially high expectations. It went about as smoothly as we could have hoped, considering the circumstances and the best part was it was less than 20 minutes of suffering and the day was done. When the results were posted later, to my surprise “the American girl” ended up second! I was pleased but knew I was benefiting from a relatively weak field and a scarcity of female cyclists around the world.

On the podium! Redemption from flatting the first day

The results from the men’s race were the first direct comparison for Alex since it was hard to extrapolate how his performance would have compared without the mechanicals the previous day. However, the TT confirmed that he really was racing Greek ninjas as they absolutely blazed the course. Although he was a bit incredulous with the reality check, it was soon turned into resolve for the mass start circuit race the last day.

Day 3- Short Track Circuit Race

The circuit race was held on the same course as the TT- four laps for the women and five for the men. This was possibly the most mentally challenging race going in because of the fatigue level and the technical and physical demands of the course, this time repeated over and over. I felt pretty terrible the morning of the race and was off the back immediately on the downhill start. I managed to rally and catch two of my competitors but I couldn’t match Lejla (Bosnia) on the downhills and settled for third.

Almost perfect timing! The men and women raced together and I crossed Alexs path, 5ft below!

Almost perfect timing- the men and women raced together and Alex crossed my path 7ft above!

The final showdown- men’s race lining up

With the mission of holding on to the field as long as possible, Alex battled Theodoros Petridis, the whole race, only dropping back after an endo from a rear brake issue (only flesh wound souvenirs).

Added bonus. Prize Euros!

Making friends with the Greek National coaches

Overall it was the coolest, most epic experience ever. Although the results might show the Americans tailing at the bottom of the G.C. results, there is something to be said about jumping into a deep pool without a life vest and making it work. Our perspective of what is difficult has been shifted which can be applied to racing this season and beyond. And if nothing else, U.S. mountain bike racing here we come!

It’s Always Sunny in Watopia- How Zwift Saved Indoor Training

April 8th, 2016 by Kaitlyn Patterson

–By Aric Dershem, Team OAM NOW cyclist

Let’s get this out of the way, I am a fair weather cyclist. I know that the heartiest cyclists love to suffer on their fat bikes in the cold or grind across muddy gravel roads when the thermometer hasn’t yet reached 40-degrees. Even though our Michigan winter wasn’t as cold or snowy as it has been in past years, more often than not, I just could not convince myself to bundle up and head outside to ride. In past years, the alternative was equally uninspiring – enduring mind numbing hours of sweaty boredom spinning away on a stationary trainer. But this year instead of logging on hours and hours of Netflix viewing to keep me sane on the trainer, I found myself actually looking forward to 5 a.m. trainer rides – even during a snow storm. What was different this year? One word, Zwift.

For those of us without fat bikes or the desire to ride in the snow, the proliferation of “smart trainers” and virtual cycling apps has transformed winter training. For me the combination of a Wahoo Kickr (a smart trainer) and the Zwift app made my indoor training not only tolerable, but something to look forward to.

Aric’s Zwift command center

Zwift is a program the runs on my computer and communicates with my trainer through a wireless Bluetooth connection. The Zwift program provides a virtual environment (the island of “Watopia”) with varied terrain for riding. As the terrain changes, the resistance on my trainer changes automatically. When I have to climb a hill on Zwift, the resistance on my trainer increases to simulate the effort. As I ride, my trainer and the app work together to track my cycling vital statistics (heart rate, watts of power, cadence, speed, etc.) and display them on the screen as I watch a virtual version of myself riding on the island. While this certainly makes the trainer rides more realistic and enjoyable, the experience is enhanced by the fact that when I ride on Zwift, I’m riding with (or against) everyone else in the world who is also riding on Zwift. The application not only displays my statistics, but also tells me how my ride stacks up against my fellow riders. With KOMs (King of the Mountain) and sprints at stake, I find myself motivated to push just the little bit harder than I normally would in an effort to climb up the live rankings. Essentially, Zwift has been able to turn the drudgery of my trainer ride into a video game powered by my legs and lungs.

The Zwift experience became so realistic that Netflix was no longer necessary to occupy my mind while spinning for hours in my basement. Instead, I would find myself logging my winter miles by “Zwifting” and using the companion app on my iPhone to wave at other virtual riders, flick my elbow when it was time for someone else to take a pull, and even message with other riders.

"Zwifting" in a group with others from around the world

“Zwifting” in a group with other cyclists from around the world

The popularity of these virtual worlds inspires the creators to continue expanding the terrain. This summer, Zwift introduced a virtual version of the Richmond, Virginia UCI World Championship course and they recently opened up a new mountain to climb on Watopia with some 13% grade sections (see video link below). Expansions like these will definitely keep people like me coming back for more.

Link to a video of the new Zwift mountain section

Check out a video trailer of the new Zwift mountain section

While cycling provides us with the opportunity to be outdoors, experience fresh air and propel ourselves for miles under our own power, Zwift has become a favorite training tool for me to prepare for the spring and make the hours of winter training many times more enjoyable. There is one potential downside to Zwift. With so much data and so many riders, riding on Zwift can be so motivating that every once in a while I push just a little harder than my training plan tells me to. I guess it could be worse (like riding outside in the freezing cold).

Spring Criterium Training Series at Kent ISD

April 6th, 2016 by Kaitlyn Patterson

Although it might look more like December than April outside, road racing season is coming soon!

Spring training races are a great way to boost fitness, skills, and confidence early in the season. Cyclists from Southeast Michigan have opportunities through Waterford Spring Training Series and Ann Arbor Spring Training Series but now there is an option for the West side of the state!

Ignite your event is hosting a series of “Saturday Showdown” criterium training races held at Kent ISD Knapp Campus (take note- some races are on Sunday!) These races are not sanctioned by USA Cycling so there is no license required to race. There will be an A and B race every week. The B race will be 45 minutes in duration and begin at 12pm. The “A” race will be 60 minutes and begin at 1pm.

There will be a race every weekend in April leading up to the Kent ISD Criterium on May 7 which is a USAC event.

Race dates are:
Sunday, April 10th
Sunday, April 24th
Saturday, April 30th

Detailed race information can be found here http://www.igniteyourevent.com/saturday-showdown-kent-isd/

The address for Kent ISD is located at 2930 Knapp St NE, Grand Rapids, MI 49525

Tri-Season Wrap Up from Team OAM Now’s Brian Reynolds

November 4th, 2015 by Team OAM NOW / Athletic Mentors

By Brian Reynolds, Team OAM Now Multi-sport Athlete

Now that fall is upon us in Michigan, the triathlon season is officially over. So, let me update you on my 2015 race season since the Grand Rapids Half Ironman-distance which was the last time I posted.

Decatur Triathlon, Decatur, Ill., July 12th – This was my first warm and humid triathlon of the season. In addition, it was first time I started in a elite wave which was humbling. The race distance was in-between a sprint and olympic. The one lesson I took away from this experience was swim in a group and not by yourself! The bike was hard after a tough solo swim and the hills at the beginning of the bike did not help. The run was miserable due to the heat and being fatigued from the bike. I finished 5th overall in the elite wave and had the fastest run split by a few seconds.

Ready or Not 5k, Otsego, MI, August 1st – I’ve been doing this race since my freshman year in High School. The race is put on by the Otsego Running Club. This race was one of the highlights of the year for me because I finally won it. In years past, I’ve always finished 2nd or 3d to collegiate runners and finally there were no collegiate runners this year 🙂

USAT Age-Group Olympic National Championships, Milwaukee, Wi, August 8th – This has been a staple race for me every year. I’ve been doing this race since 2013 and it’s always been at the same venue so I can compare my results to other years to measure my progress. I traveled to Milwaukee with my Athletic Mentor teammate Elaine Sheikh who had a great race weekend by finishing in her age group 4th in the olympic and sprint distances. Congrats Elaine! This year I set a course PR with a 1:57:02. I was happy with the swim since I was not swimming with a crowd like last year. My swim time this year was a PR. The bike section, however, did not go as well. My time was slower than previous years, but I was happy to not get a drafting penalty like I did last year. The run section went great. I was only a 2 seconds off per mile than last year when I was in really good run form. Overall, I was happy with my finish which was 9th in my age group and was on the medal podium.

Michigan Titanium Half Ironman Relay, Grand Rapids, Mi, August 23rd – This was the first triathlon relay team I’ve participated in and it was a lot of fun. My relay team was Athletic Mentors which included Paul Raynes (bike) and Erin Young (run). I did the 1.2 mile swim so it was a good opportunity to see how fast I could go without having to bike and run afterwards (even though I still did to get a workout in. I started with the female participants in the half-ironman race. I ended up finishing 3rd overall in the swim section. I was just 9 seconds behind the leader. I felt strong in the water and had an opportunity to practice drafting behind faster swimmers that I would not normally swim with. It was unfortunate that they had to cancel the event due to lighting, but our team was on pace to finish at least 2nd overall.

3 Discipline’s Michigan Championships, Detroit, Mi, September 6th – I did not plan on doing this race at the beginning of the year, but thought I had to squeeze in one more race before my “A” race at ITU Worlds in Chicago. The course was very flat for the bike and run which would be very similar to the conditions at Chicago thus it would be a good prep race. My goal was to push the swim and bike and tempo the run. The competition in the swim section was a lot more competitive than I anticipated. In the first 5 minutes of the swim, the lead pack was nowhere to be seen. I had a good transition into the bike, but halfway through I began to fall off pace. At the end of the bike, I had no idea what place I was in due to the sprint and duathlon events going on at the same time. When I got to the run section, the temperatures were approaching the low 80’s thus my tempo pace was challenging to maintain. On the bright side, I finished 2nd overall. I knew going into this race that I would not be at my peak, but my confidence was tested going into ITU Worlds at Chicago.

ITU Age-Group World Championships, Chicago, Ill., September 19th – I qualified for this event last year at USAT Nationals in Milwaukee. This was my 2nd time participating in this event. This was a worldwide event which meant that it would be a very competitive since I’ll be racing against the top athletes from several different countries. Going into this race, I did not have a lot of confidence since I haven’t had a really strong race performance since Grand Rapids Triathlon. However, learning from last year, my coach Mark Olson had laid out a good taper plan. Leading up to this event, my runs had gone great, but I felt that my bike performance was lacking.

Our wave started at 10:30am. The starter let us into the water (Lake Michigan) 1 minute before the start. When I jumped in the water, I immediately lost my breath due to the cold. I did deep breathing exercises to get my breath under control and slowly submerged my face in the water to let my body calibrate to the water’s temperature. Luckily, I got my breathing under control 5 seconds before the gun went off. The first 200 yards were very clustered and rough. I got hit in the mouth which cut and bruised my lip. Despite the clustered swim, I stayed calm and kept my stroke long and smooth to conserve energy. After 200 yards, I was passing several swimmers because they over fatigued themselves at the start. I gradually moved up and got behind the lead swimmer in our group where I held my position the last 1000m. I felt great during the entire swim.

The bike pacing was erratic due to the fast, slow, moderate paces from navigating around riders and turns. The bike course was a 2 loops. The 2nd loop was very crowded due to more athletes from the other start waves now racing. There were a few points where I had to put in hard efforts to move up a few places to stay close for my age group competitors. If I was able to hold a steady effort this would have been my best bike split ever. Overall, I felt strong and under control the entire ride.

I had a very good run and once again it was my strongest section of the triathlon. I had the fastest run split for my age group and the 2nd fastest run split overall. I was running a 5:24-5:28 pace the first 4 miles. I started to fatigue after 4 miles, but still held on strong. The run course measured long at 6.6 miles instead of 6.2 miles which I did not complain since it gave me an advantage.

My overall time for the event was 1:58:41 which placed me 8th overall in my age group; I was super happy about that. I was surprised by this good performance which goes to show that you can still surprise yourself even after 14 years of competing.

This race punctuated my season with an exclamation mark. I ended feeling really good about my work, my achievements, and of course, training for next season.

Spring Training in the Rearview: Looking Back As We Look Forward

October 30th, 2015 by Team OAM NOW / Athletic Mentors

By Richard Landgraff, Team OAM Now Cyclist

When I look back at the season, a successful one with amazing team work, it’s easy to see that those early races, like the one I describe below, are vital to our performance later in season. Not only do early events give us good insight into where we stand in the field, but they also give us strategy ideas and motivation. Earlier this spring, I wrote about the Men’s 1/2/3 A Race for the final Waterford Spring Training circuit race. The 60+ field was met with 15-20 mph wind early on, which strung out the field from the very start of the 90 minute event when TEAM OAM NOW’s Dan Yankus attacked from the gun. The rest of the race, in hindsight, captures a lot of how the season went for us, and so it’s great that we have this detail to look back on as it helps us determine how these early races foreshadow our season performance.

Early on, Dan was able to get a significant gap on the field with another rider and put the team in a good position out of the wind for the first 20 minutes of racing. As the field slowly reeled in the pair, Dan’s 5 teammates were vigilant at the front of the field, covering the flurry of attacks trying to bridge to the group. The duo was ultimately caught which initiated various surges by other riders including several by TEAM OAM NOW’s Alex Vanias and Colin Snyder.

At about the one hour mark, it looked like a promising move by about a dozen riders would have the ability to stay away, as the majority of the teams were represented including Cory Stange and Peter Ehman from TEAM OAM NOW as well as several riders from the two Canadian teams present in the field. Ultimately, however, as the group grew after several riders bridged up, it became too large and was quickly absorbed by the fast moving peloton.

And then when it was least expected, sometime shortly after a prime lap, Alex Vanias rolled off the front and immediately created a gap from the field. Sensing that this may be a race winning move, Rudy Peterson (Northstar Mentors) bridged up to Alex and they started to put some significant time on the main pack despite the gusty headwinds encountered on the run in before the hill and on the back stretch before the finish.

TEAM OAM NOW was vigilant on the front, following wheels and covering attacks in order to preserve the two man breakaway. With about 20:00 left to race, an attack by two Canadian riders was covered by TEAM OAM NOW’s Masters rider Richard Landgraff and the move quickly gained about 20 seconds on the field. The Canadian mates were riding strong, with no assistance from Landgraff who was basically along for the ride, and eventually began to put some time into the Vanias/Peterson breakaway. A third chase group was also lead by Dan Yankus and several other riders which was sure to make an interesting finish.

In the end, however, only the two lead breaks stayed away independent from one another and Peterson won the dramatic sprint over Vanias, with Landgraff coming in 5th behind the two Canadian riders. In typical fashion, sprinter Cory Stange was leading the hard charging peloton toward the line and won the field sprint for 6th.

All in all, it was a pretty good showing. The rest of the season turned out great. Dan continued to burst out of the gate, Corey continued to win field sprints, Alex continued to create and maintain gaps in the field, and we showed, as we normally do, amazing teamwork that allows us to win podiums. As we prepare for winter training, it’s great to look back so we can prepare for those early spring races. We know what to work on. We learn how to outperform ourselves. As we look at the close of racing season, it’s just as important to look back as it is to look forward.

Racing Not for the Podium, But for the Cure

October 16th, 2015 by Team OAM NOW / Athletic Mentors

By Roxane Kippen, Team OAM Now Triathlete On September 19^th, a dozen Team OAM NOW athletes volunteered their morning to support the Susan G. Komen Race for the Cure West Michigan. Instead of toeing the line to race, we were there to lead out the runners on the 5k course. Dressed in our blue, white and orange kits, we stood out in the otherwise sea of pink. I accessorized with some hot pink arm warmers and pink Cancer Sucks socks in celebration of my friends and family who are breast cancer survivors.

The Susan G. Komen Michigan website cites the Susan G. Komen Race for the Cure® Series as the largest series of 5K runs/fitness walks in the world, raising significant funds and awareness for the fight against breast cancer, celebrating breast cancer survivorship and honoring those who have lost their battle with the disease. It also states, “Since its inception in 1983, the Komen Race for the Cure series has grown from one local Race with 800 participants to a global series of more than 140 Races with more than 1 million people expected to participate in 2015.” Surprisingly, the lead car was not pink and actually matched us!

Statistics given on the website estimate 1 in 8 women will develop breast cancer in her lifetime. It is difficult to find anyone who has not had a friend, family member, or co-worker impacted by this disease. My friend Jennifer Jurgens is a survivor, as well as the Executive Director of Susan G. Komen West Michigan, and will stop at nothing to save lives from the potentially deadly cancer. That is why I wanted to help support this event by leading out the hundreds of runners Racing for the Cure. After escorting the lead runner to the finish line, I found the best part of our involvement was cheering for the runners and walkers as they crossed the bridge over the Grand River to the finish. I kept thinking some of these men and women have thankfully crossed a bridge and are survivors and some might still be looking for a bridge to cross to get over to the other side. Giving high fives and seeing smiling faces crossing the bridge to the finish made me thankful there is hope for a cure so every 1 in 8 that are estimated to get breast cancer will survive.

Team OAM NOW is always on the lookout for ways to partner with local events like Race for the Cure. It is a great way for us to give back when we are not racing. Our team members are committed not only to training and racing, but also to supporting healthy lifestyles. We were happy to have the chance to help raise awareness for breast cancer and be a part of such a wonderful event. It was a nice opportunity to gather members of our women’s cycling, masters men’s cycling, triathlon and club teams together.