Blog - Page 20 of 36 - Team Athletic Mentors

Wrapping up the 2016 Season

September 6th, 2016 by Kaitlyn Patterson

–By Kathy Braginton, Team OAM NOW triathlete

As August rolls around, there is an abundant list of great local races. So many, in fact, you could race every weekend in August, both Saturday and Sunday on some weekends. I like having so many options, but how do you choose? One long standing local race is Shermanator. The Shermanator Triathlon is a fund raising event for the Community Scholarship Program of the Sherman Lake YMCA in Augusta, Michigan. With the saturation of local triathlons to choose from, Shermanator has seen the race participation decline over the years. But as the participation has declined, this race venue has only gotten better. At one time, this venue had the weediest lake I have ever had the opportunity to swim. With the weeds so thick in places, you could grab them and use them to pull your way through the water. The country roads on the bike course had been patched and re-patched numerous times. With the possibility that some holes hadn’t been patched at all, riders had to use extreme caution on the bike. Over the last few years, there have been numerous changes on the swim and bike legs of the race. With a weed abatement program that has been put in place in the lake, I never saw or felt a single weed! The bumpy roads have all been repaved making it a super fast course for a Sprint Tri. Shermanator is also an unsanctioned event; therefore, it is always wet suit legal.

Kathy prepares to dismount during the Sherminator triathlon

Kathy prepares to dismount during the Shermanator triathlon

After focusing on long distance races the first half of the season, I shifted my training focus on building speed for the Sprint races at the end of the season. I have had several top finishes at Shermanator over the years, but an overall win has eluded me at this race. One advantage to racing local is you know your competition well going into the race. I knew I needed to keep the swim close, make up as much time on the bike as I could, and hope it didn’t come down to a foot race on the run. Unfortunately, that is how it played out and I had a 30 second deficit as I started the run leg. While I gradually reduced the deficit on the run, it wasn’t quite enough and I missed the win by 16 seconds.

So, still in search of the big W this season, I made the last minute decision to race Three Rivers Tri. This race played out similar to Shermanator and, sadly, I was not able to keep the swim close enough. I made up the deficit on the bike and was able to exit T2 in the lead. However, the lead did not last long and I was quickly over taken on the run. I wound up second overall to a woman visiting from Pennsylvania. She was racing Three Rivers as a warm up for the Full Ironman at MiTi the following day.

While I was not able to walk away from the 2016 Tri Season with a win, I was, unexpectedly, able to walk away with so much more. During the awards ceremony at Three Rivers, my sister pointed out a 13 year old finisher that had been racing alongside her. We listened as they called her 15 year old sister to the top position on the podium. We expected to hear the younger sister’s name called next, but no more Age Group names were announced. We watched as the young girl walked away with a look of disappointment. It turns out Age Group awards were only given to 14 and older participants. While she had actually finished ahead of her older sister, she would not be receiving an award. That weighed on me as I walked away from the awards presentation. I ran into the 2 young girls in transition as we were picking up our gear, and it hit me as to what I needed to do. Three Rivers marked my 55th triathlon. I have a basement full of medals and trophies and this young girl did not deserve to walk away empty handed. She was a winner and ought to be recognized! I walked over to her, took my medal from around my neck, and told her I wanted her to have it. She initially said no, but I didn’t give her much choice in the matter, and placed the medal around her neck. She told me this was her very first triathlon and I told her I wanted her love the sport as much as I did.

Kathy competes in the run leg of the 3 rivers t

Kathy claiming second place in the 3 Rivers Triathlon

As I drove home, I felt a totally different sense of victory. A win doesn’t always mean finishing in first place. Sometimes coming home with no medal at all, can be the biggest win of them all.

Picking the Right Triathlon Distance

August 24th, 2016 by Kaitlyn Patterson

–By Todd Anthes, Team OAM NOW triathlete

Many a triathlete, including some more seasoned than others, have probably thought about how to choose the right race distance. The typical races are usually a close variant of one of the following:

1. Sprint (0.5mi swim, 12.4mi bike, 3.1mi run)
2. Olympic (0.93mi swim, 24.8mi bike, 6.2mi run)
3. Half Ironman (1.2mi swim, 56mi bike, 13.1mi run)
4. Ironman (2.4mi swim, 112mi bike, 26.2mi run)
5. Ultra (anything longer than Iron distance)

I can’t speak to the ultra-distance, as I don’t have that much patience, or training time, but I can speak to everything from Iron distance on down.

The first “rule” is that you don’t start with an Iron distance race. A proper build-up to competently undertaking an Iron distance event is likely a multi-year build of training intensity and volume. There are probably a few exceptions to the rule, but they are not you. Athletes come to triathlon for many reasons including the pursuit of variety in training; an injury in one of the disciplines in which the athlete concentrates (i.e., mandated cross-training); a friend or family member introduced the athlete to the sport, potentially through a triathlon relay; or simply the challenge. A smart move is for an athlete start with a sprint or Olympic distance event, most likely a sprint. Even if the athlete is a seasoned participant in one of the three disciplines, putting all three events is a challenge . . . especially if you are new(er) to one of the three. The sprint distance is a great way to break the seal of triathlon and become introduced to transitions, pacing, and nutrition. Maybe a first year triathlete could race 3-5 sprints distance events over a first triathlon season culminating in an Olympic distance event.

Another consideration, if not a recommendation, is where to race. Some athletes find great comfort racing close to home for a sense of familiarity, including being able to sleep at home. Other more adventurous types might prefer the buildup to a destination event. And female athletes might even like to start with and all female event.

Building a “Olympic” season might not mean you are done with the Sprint distance. A strong recommendation is to race multiple distances in a season when you are starting out for different kinds of efforts, as well as to see what distances suit you. So, if your second or third season finds you branching out to finding success at the Olympic distance, your race and training schedules should not ignore the harder, shorter efforts found in the Sprint distance.

The jump 11402325_1005310922812895_6598962946855189003_o from racing Olympic distance to Half Iron is a big one. I suggest a season dedicated to a build where you start with a solid training plan, and ending with your Half Iron event. A lot changes when you increase your longest race distance by 100%. Such a jump in distance requires, more precise training and recovery, nutrition, support at home, sleep, and a number of other things.

If you take the jump from ½ Iron to Iron, it makes sense to do this over a number of seasons. The quickest “proper” or measured jump to Iron might be a four or five-year span, with the last two years racing multiple ½ Iron events in a season. I know the die-hard athletes to whom rules don’t apply will ignore such advice, but even a runner will tell you that if you are a 5K runner and want to try a marathon, if you want to be able to progress beyond the goal of finishing (a notable goal in itself) and truly race the distance, a training plan that allows your body to adapt to the longer stresses is advisable.

Not everyone feels the need to climb the ladder of triathlon distances, but if you do, give your body and mind the proper base before climbing too fast. And do yourself a favor, do a ton of research on the topic, or better yet, consult a qualified coach.

TransRockies Run: Summer Run Camp for Adults and at Least 10 Reasons You Should Consider it

August 22nd, 2016 by Erin Young

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All 500+ runners pumped up and ready to start the 120 mile journey from Buena Vista tomorrow.

I don’t even know how to start explaining the TransRockies Run. How do you sum up 120 miles over six days, with 20,000 feet of elevation gain? My objective here is for you, my reader friend, to believe that you can do such a thing. Because it’s true. And for you to understand why you would want do such a thing.

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Team OAM NOW athlete with the King… Max King. If you don’t know who he is, just pick up any Trail Runner magazine and you’ll find him 5 times.

TransRockies is a unique experience. Starting at Buena Vista, CO already at 7,965 ft elevation, the event kicks off the night prior to the start with a race briefing. Run by Canadians, the tone is set, and from here to the infamous “Stage 7”, everyone here, came to have fun. Team OAM NOW / Athletic Mentors athlete and TRR finisher, Tammy Shuler advises, “Talk to everyone and don’t take the event too seriously.” You’ll be disappointed if you do. For the next 6 days you are camping under the Colorado stars. Some nights have music, a campfire, s’mores, and even a beer mile for you elites, but every night has showers, dinner, and a slideshow of pictures of the day. There is a shady hangout, post run, where you rub elbows with the elite (Max King and Nikki Kimball are two of my favorites!), and meet people from around the world. This year, there were over 20 countries represented! The people you meet here are people who are good to the core. People who remind you that the world is kind and happy. People who share their chapstick and Body Glide. Read the rest of this entry »

2016 Triathlon Nationals Reflection

August 19th, 2016 by Kaitlyn Patterson

–By Elaine Sheikh, Team OAM NOW Multi-sport athlete

When I went to write this blog, I spoke out loud in exasperation: “What the heck am I supposed to say? I did a thing, it didn’t go the way I wanted, it was a huge disappointment?” So here I sit, in the car on the long drive home from Nebraska to Michigan, contemplating what actually happened this weekend.

Leading into the weekend I was tapered and feeling fast – probably the best that I had felt going into a race this year. My training has been solid and although I was nervous, I was ready to see it pay out for me in a big way against the most competitive field I had been in this season. I was doing everything the way you should – divide the drive there between two days, relax, eat enough food and high carb intake, and plenty of positive thinking. We pre-drove the entire course and rode part of it, ran part of it, and swam in the thick, murky green waters of Carter Lake. I tried my best to focus on the positives, controlling the controllables, and putting my faith in my training.

Saturday morning started at 4:40 am. snack, pack, drive to the race site. Park, practice mindfulness, setup transition, breakfast. Then settle down to wait for three hours before my wave started. My wave started at 10:30 am, which meant I was running at noon. I made it through the green murky swim and had a decent (although much tougher than I expected) bike split, but drinking warm infinit in my bottle (despite having frozen half of it the night before!) didn’t set me up for a great experience in the run. Even though I was confident I would nail the run, I ended up having my slowest run in a triathlon in a very long time. I was doubled over in pain crying on the run course, and all I could think was that this was the race I had trained for. This was the one that mattered. And I was blowing it as I ended up finishing the run 6-7 minutes slower than I was capable of. And despite the fact that I have worked very hard to improve my mental strength in the past few months, I was shattered. I cried almost the whole day. I would get myself under control, and then someone would ask about my race or I would look on social media and see something about the race and I would lose my composure again. I was beyond disappointed in myself, and my confidence was gone. And I had to race the next day.

Sunday morning started just a few minutes later than the day before. I was overwhelmed with the outpouring of support that people had given me after my heartbreak and subsequent meltdown the day before. The best advice I got was from a fellow triathlete: “Pick 2 things you can improve on (concrete things like equipment choice or transition mechanics) and 2 things you are proud of from today. Keep those in your head for tomorrow.” That comment really helped to ground me and bring me back from my personal crisis point. The other thing that helped? The faith that other people had in me. Knowing that other people believed in me made it so that I didn’t have to try to convince myself to believe in myself. I just had to believe in the people I trust. In the end, my race on Sunday wasn’t stellar, but I managed to snap my head back into the game to put up competitive splits and have a respectable race.

Maybe national champion wasn’t in the cards for me this year. A) there is always next year and B) there is now a fire lit beneath me for worlds in five weeks. Onward and upward! Hopefully with a lot of work and a little luck, you’ll be reading a victory post soon!

Landgraff Grabs a Win at Inaugural Corktown Crit

August 17th, 2016 by Kaitlyn Patterson

–By Richard Landgraff, Team OAM NOW Masters Cyclist

The weather looked ominous the morning of the 1st annual Corktown Criterium. Set in the shadow of the old Central Train station in Detroit, the course was just shy of a kilometer and had 7 turns, some of them tighter than 90 degrees. As the field was beginning to warm up, the rain began to fall and continued at an accelerated pace as about 40 of the combined 45/55 Masters rolled to the line for the start of the race.

I knew that a good start and staying at the front of the pack was going to be necessary in order to finish well in the timed 45 minute event. At about 1 minute per lap, the first 20 laps were all about staying upright in the pouring rain and holding the wheels at the front of the field. A few attacks took place as well as a few primes in which I bided my time waiting for a good moment to make a move on the field. With about 20 laps remaining, I decided to make an acceleration out of the first corner. I know that if I could get a gap, that I could take the corners faster than the rest of the pack…and I was right. Chris Donnelley from Team O2 jumped on my wheel and we worked well together each taking a turn at the front each lap. As the laps continued to tick down our lead grew from about 8 seconds to over 30 and I knew that we would be able to stay away.

With two laps to go, I was making a plan of how to beat Chris for the victory as he is a pretty fast sprinter. Coming through with one lap to go I was on his wheel, but as he slowed down out of corner #2 I attacked him knowing that hopefully I could get another gap through the last 5 turns. As he tried to get on my wheel through one of the tight corners, I heard him go down on the wet pavement…so much for having to sprint…I soft pedaled a bit to make sure that I stayed upright and soloed in for the win! Fortunately for Chris he was not injured and because we had such a big lead, he was able to come across for 2nd. Also in the field was Pete O’Brien for Team OAM NOW who was able to secure 2nd place in the 55+ field behind the old pro .

Pursuing the Ultimate Goal

August 15th, 2016 by Kaitlyn Patterson

By: Brian Reynolds, Team OAM NOW triathlete

During the Fall of 2015 I decided to pursue one of my ultimate goals which was to quality for the Ironman World Championships in Kailua-Kona, Hawaii. The Hawaii Ironman is the most prestigious race in the Triathlon World. In fact this race inspired me to get into triathlons. I remember during high school watching the NBC documentary coverage of the race and thinking to myself “I want to do this race someday.” That someday could be October 14th, 2017 if everything goes according to plan.

To qualify for Kona I will be doing the 2016 Wisconsin Ironman which will be my first Ironman distance. There are 50 Kona slots available at Wisconsin. In my age group (25-29) it has historically been the top 3 that have qualified. Last year’s 3rd place overall time was 9:41 hours which is a very doable time for me if training goes well.

Achieving a Kona slot will take hard work, dedication, and more importantly a smart training plan. When my coach Mark Olson and I sat down to review the game plan it was obvious that I needed to work on my biking. The bike leg of the triathlon has always been my weaker discipline. In the Ironman distance the bike leg will make up over 50% or roughly 5 hours of the race so it’s very important to be a strong cyclist.

The game plan was to dedicate more time to biking early in the season which meant significantly reducing my running mileage. During the late fall and winter I was putting in 10+ hour weeks on the bike which was the most I’ve ever done. My biking improved significantly; however, my running was getting worst. I was only doing 10-15 miles per week which is very low. This low mileage was making me lose running fitness. Being a runner my entire career I was not used to being out of running shape. However, my coach had confidence that once I started to pick up the running miles in the late winter my running would come back. I had to remind myself that the goal was not to run fast during the winter but rather be the best triathlete I could be at the Wisconsin Ironman.

Brian claimed second overall in the Seahorse Olympic Tri during his early season prep for his first Ironman

My first triathlon of the season was the Seahorse Olympic distance. The Seahorse would be the first true test to see if the bike training was paying off. At the race I had my best power average for the bike split by over 30 watts. The game plan was working! In addition, my running was quickly improving and I was looking forward to my next race which was the Grand Rapids Triathlon.

The Half Iron distance at the Grand Rapids Triathlon was my first “A” race of the year. I did this race last year so it would be a good comparison to measure my improvements. At this year’s race we had perfect weather conditions. Besides my swim being a little slower than last year I set a new Half Iron PR of 4:09:33. I was very happy with my bike split which was the 11th best bike split in the field whereas last year I was 23rd. My power average was 40 watts better than last year which was a significant improvement. In addition, I was able to pull off a personal best run split in the half-marathon split by a few seconds.

After the Grand Rapids Triathlon I have more confidence in my biking and am looking forward to the Wisconsin Ironman. So far this season has shown me that in order to become a better triathlete you need to try different things. However, trying different things may mean some areas being sacrificed temporarily. In my case that was sacrificing my running fitness to improve my biking. Working on your weaknesses is best utilized early in the training season so there is time to refocus on the other two disciplines before race season. Right now I have 5 weeks to go until the Wisconsin Ironman. My training is more balanced to ensure I have good fitness in all three disciplines on race day. Keep in mind that I still need swim for 2.4 miles and run a marathon which makes up roughly 4 hours of the race. Hopefully everything comes together on race day and I’ll be sure to post a blog on my results.

Brian celebrates with coach Mark Olsen and teammates James and Michelle Dalton after the Grand Rapids Tri

For the Love of Triathlon

August 9th, 2016 by Kaitlyn Patterson

-By Kathy Braginton, Team OAM NOW Multi-sport athlete

What do people love about Triathlon? I have been thinking back on my years in the multi-sport realm and tried to think of someone that tried a triathlon that did not love it. I could not think of one. Once you have completed your first race, you will be hooked! Just finishing a race is a major accomplishment in the world of triathlon and that feeling of accomplishment is like nothing else. Once you cross your first finish line, you’re going to want to do it again and again.

Here are my 5 reasons to love triathlon:
1. Triathlon provides variety in your workouts. Variety is the Spice of Life: the new and exciting experiences make life more interesting. After suffering several injures from just pounding the pavement, I discovered the variety provided an all over fitness level and helped to reduce injuries.
2. Triathlon has an incredible sense of community. There is a certain sort of intimacy that is shared when you do more than just run with someone. Triathletes are motivated people. They are always up for a swim, a bike, or a run.
3. Triathlon always keeps me learning. Racing at different distances or setting new goals provides additional learning opportunities along the way. It is a lifelong learning experience and there is always more to learn.
4. Triathlon is a challenge both physically and mentally. It is just as much about my mental disposition, as my physical training. It is a true test of my power of optimism.
5. Triathlon allows me to be a role model. What our kids watch us do, as far as athletics, often becomes part of what they want to do at a young age. Have you ever thought about introducing your kids to triathlon? There is a great opportunity coming up for you to do just that. The Kids Get Active Triathlon, presented by Spirit Racing is Saturday, August 13, in Portage, MI. Check out the website for full details.

So, why not try a tri? It is up to you how many new things you are willing to “tri.” The biggest step into unknown territory is the very first one. The key word is “tri” and you just might find you will want to do it again and again.

The Biggest Test Yet

August 7th, 2016 by Kaitlyn Patterson

–By Kaitlyn Patterson, Team OAM NOW cyclist

Over the past several years, I’ve tackled many athletic challenges I had previously thought beyond my ability. It has been a rewarding journey and it has been fun to learn the technicalities of new sports and become involved in these communities. However, no race or training program I’ve completed yet will compare to the challenge that is staring me in the face right now.

On August 1^st, I began medical school at University of Michigan. After the application process and deferring an additional year, this has been an event in the distance for so long now that it is a bit surreal that it is actually happening.

There has been a lot of information to take in and process this week but there are a couple themes I thought were especially relevant to share here.

Balance

My goal is to continue to train and make it to several mountain bike races through the fall. When I told people this leading up to the school year, I received a range of reactions from derision to support. However, after the first week of orientation, I was pleased with how much the faculty and leadership pushed the idea of balance. With startlingly high rates of burnout, job dissatisfaction and even suicide among physicians, leaders in the field are now acknowledging that the environment can be consuming and toxic. Often retaining a life outside of medicine can be the crucial component to a sustainable career.

I was happy and a bit surprised about this attitude, especially at a school like Michigan. The real test though will come in the next several weeks and months when “drinking from the fire hose” of information begins in earnest. My plan is to utilize an indoor trainer more and to try to be intentional and efficient with my training time. The tricky part is there will always be more information to learn and many competing priorities and I have to figure out where to draw the line. But this line doesn’t get easier to draw after school or after residency so it is something that will take deliberate practice starting now. This balancing act is not unique to me or medical students though. Everyone, especially people trying to balance any level of racing and training with work, family, and other obligations need to practice their own deliberate balancing act.

Imposter syndrome

One phenomenon I have been reminded of this week is imposter syndrome. Imposter syndrome is a term coined by two American psychologists as a feeling of “phoniness in people who believe that they are not intelligent, capable or creative despite evidence of high achievement.” Attending an elite medical school means I am surrounded by brilliance. It has been great to meet the people I will get to know very well over the next four years as we all take on this challenge together. However, learning about others makes it easy to fall into questioning if I deserve to be here, especially with a relatively non-traditional background.

This phenomenon can be rampant in endurance sports as well. Whether this is racing for the first time or signing up for a new discipline or race distance, it is easy to fall into the trap of feeling like you don’t belong or are not at the same caliber of the people around you. Confidence is a fickle friend that can be easily shaken. However, confidence is one aspect of racing that can be just as crucial to results as training or fueling. It takes exceptional mental discipline to build and protect this confidence and use it for good and not let it grow to arrogance.

Life has changed a lot in the last month and will continue to change and evolve until I can find a rhythm and routine. My hope is I can continue to do the things I enjoy while pursuing a great field but I also realize this will likely be my biggest test yet- mentally, emotionally, and physically. I hope to capture some of my thoughts either here or on my personal blog, but no guarantees, there are only 24 hours in a day.

On Confidence and Expectations

August 2nd, 2016 by Kaitlyn Patterson

–By Elaine Sheikh, Team OAM NOW triathlete

It was a week before the first triathlon of the season for me. I was starting my season later than many of my friends – the end of May instead of attending collegiate national championships in April. I had kept a close eye on the registrations. I was being told what others were capable of. I was well aware of the strengths of some of my other competitors. But instead of being motivated by that, I was petrified. I had so much self-doubt that I would just panic any time I thought about actually racing. Despite that fear, that race went on to be ok and I PR’d my 10k off the bike.

$Elaine recovered from a pelvic fracture$

The same thing happened before the Grand rapids Triathlon. I saw a competitor’s bike come in to the shop where I work and when a co-worker joked that she was going to crush me because her bike was so fast (not to mention that she is an amazing runner), I had to take a break so I could leave the building to get control of myself so I could actually do my job. I learned from these experiences that negative emotions are not only uncalled for, but are extremely damaging and waste a lot of energy that could be focused towards racing and training. Of course I’m still nervous when I have a race coming up. But instead of focusing on how bad I feel, I am working towards making a conscience choice to breathe, and have confidence.

Someone once told me that I am not capable of an “ok” race. I have great races or I have catastrophic races. My goal for the season is to change that. I don’t have unrealistic expectations. I know every race will not be a “great” race. But instead of having a race spiral down into catastrophe, I want to practice mindfulness and mental toughness to turn that race into something that is “ok.” I got a taste of that at my most recent sprint tri of the year. I came out of the water in 5th, 3 minutes down from a collegiate swimmer who was leading the race. On the bike, I moved myself into third. I felt strong and knew that I should be able to run right around 20 minutes for the 5k. I had put in a big training day the day before and was fatigued, but I know what I am capable of on a good day and a bad day. However, catastrophe struck as I finished off the bike. It was tight to get to the dismount line, and a man braked hard in front of me as I was getting my shoes off. I was forced to dismount with one foot still stuck in my shoe on the bike. As a result, I wasn’t aware of the position of my shoes and one caught the ground as I ran into transition. My bike catapulted through the air and crashed onto the asphalt. I bent over to pick it up and tried unsuccessfully to get it on the rack.

As I struggled, I knew I was wasting precious seconds. I finally got it on the bar and headed out on the run, trying not to think about the potential damage… just to have both hips lock completely. I felt completely fine cardiovascularly, and I had so much more to give, but I couldn’t run. I ended up averaging around 35 seconds per mile slower than I was capable of averaging on a “bad day.” I crossed the finish line and the announcer called out that I was the second overall female. I knew I should acknowledge it but the fact that I finished a sprint triathlon and I wasn’t even breathing hard was a terrible sign. On a good race day I would be on the edge of passing out because I would have run that hard. But that day my heart and lungs had so much more to give. I struggled with it for the rest of that morning. But then I realized – catastrophe is what you make it. Maybe that race was a catastrophe for me on a personal level, but was it really? By most people’s standards, my race would be considered “ok.” Sure, I don’t want to view my life through the lens of other people’s opinions, but I think my goal was met that day. I had an “ok” race… because that’s what I decided to make it. I could have chosen to view it as a trainwreck, but I decided to accept it, cry, breathe, and move on. Racing is just as much mental as it is physical. Even if your results aren’t up to your expectations, if you gave all you could on a particular day, adjust your mindset. Giving your all and having it not be enough is not a catastrophe!

On the Top Step

August 1st, 2016 by Kaitlyn Patterson

–By Andy Guelzo, Team OAM NOW Elite Cyclist

Some athletes take racing as just competing and having a great time doing it. There is nothing wrong with this, this is actually how sports attract people and grow in general. But, once you get the taste of winning, it is what you strive for from then on. Winning a road race is not an easy thing to do. It takes time, physical ability, and most importantly, the mental ability to keep going when your body is suffering more than it wants to tolerate.

This season at the State Championships Road Race at Maple Hills Race for Wishes, everything I had was put to the test. The race for the Category 1/2/3 men started out fairly slowly with Peter Ehmann taking off from the first corner on a solo flyer which just allowed us to ride the coat tails of the attacks that went up the road to chase. Sitting near the front with Cory Stange and Dan Yankus, the three of us were able to cover any and all attacks that were launched. Eventually Peter was caught and the real games and attacks were about to begin. About this time I was not feeling very good at all. I was not able to drink because of a huge stomachache that was building. Taking myself out of the way at the front I went to the back to try to relax my stomach. Taking a few deep breaths, I was able to regain control of my stomach and make my way back toward the front of the race. I knew at this point the race was starting to heat up and I needed to be ready to take care of anything that was headed our way.

Being on one of the several strong teams in the race, we knew that we needed to be in any break that was to try and get away, and that is exactly what I was able to do. Right after crossing the start line to begin the third of five laps, Bryce Nuiver (EPS Cycling) put in a hard solo attack and put in about 30 seconds on the group, to chase that four guys were able to put in a hard attack on the group and bridge up to Bryce. John Leach (Bissell), Jesse Kooistra (Clark Logic), Dan Doddy (Tower International), and I were able to get something going. As a larger gap opened up Aaron Beebe (Bissell) and Tom Burke (Giant) were also able to bridge up to the break making it seven men strong. We worked together very nicely for the next 2 laps opening up a gap of about 3 minutes. On the last lap the games began and cards started to be laid down and sorted out. Unfortunately for Bryce, about 3 miles into the last lap he had a mechanical on the feed zone hill and was not able to catch back on. The break was down to six. Moving deeper into the last lap my thoughts were on how to make this race into a sprint finish since Beebe is an amazing time trialist and Tom Burke is capable of long hard pulls which could put me in the hurt box. This is when the pain face came on. Playing as the underestimated small rider, I sat near the back of the break looking as if I was dying and just trying to hold on. This made it possible for me to recover and get ready for the flurry of attacks that were about to start.

The course had two major hills, the feed zone hill and a hill about 4 miles from the finish. Since we were past the feed zone hill I knew that the next logical place to put in a hard break-shattering attack would be on the second hill. And that’s exactly what happened. With Leach, Burke, Kooistra, and Doddy in front of me and Beebe behind, I had a perfect view of the action. Burke attacked, Leach went with and Kooistra followed. Knowing that I could not let this go if I ever wanted a chance at winning, I followed right along but also showing everyone that I had more in the tank than I was leading on to have. With no major split from Burke’s attack, Leach soon attacked after that causing Doddy to fall off. After Leach’s attack Beebe countered causing Leach to drop as well.

It was now down to Burke, Beebe, Kooistra, and I all going into the last 2 miles. With the last 2 miles being downhill and games being played, Doddy was able to chase back on but not without a price to be paid by his legs. Going into the last corner Beebe was not about to let me get behind him. Burke put in a final long attack going into the final corner, Kooistra and Beebe right then made their losing mistake, giving me a great leadout. With Kooistra and Beebe in front of me and Burke about 30 feet in front of them I started my sprint with about 300m to go. Coming around my leadout and using Burke as a jumping stone I produced about a 4-5 bike length gap. Cramping with every pedal stroke and looking under my arm to look for a wheel I knew I had clinched a victory! Just in time to post up like I was on top of the world. Passing our team tent I heard someone say, “did he get it?!” and I looked right at the tent and yelled “Yes, I got it!” and cheers rolled out! My world was ecstatic. All the pain and all the heat and thirst went away in that moment. The time training and sacrifices were all worth it in exchange for this one moment on the top step.

The race was full of mental and physical challenges. Pushing my body past its comfort zone and into the winning position took more than I ever thought I had and just as well with the physical aspects, I put in the training and effort to make sure my body could do what I need it to. There is almost no better feeling than feeling the gratification of being able to win a big race and be encouraged to keep pushing into the future.