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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!

Maple Hills Race for Wishes to Offer New Masters Women’s Race!

June 27th, 2016 by Kaitlyn Patterson

Maple Hills Race for Wishes is an annual staple in Michigan road racing and this year is designated as the State Championship Road Race. It is held on the beautiful rolling terrain in Lawton, Michigan on Sunday, July 10. Maple Hills will offer a full day of racing with 13 separate races on tap including some new options for the women.

Despite a great turnout every year, women are still drastically underrepresented at cycling events throughout the state and country. This year Maple Hills has added a new Masters Women’s Race for women 40 and over to expand the options for female racers. Although several Masters races are staples of mens cycling, this is a unique opportunity for women to compete in a Masters only field in a 35 mile race and even get the chance to win money! The Masters race is open to any category racer.

Another change for this year, Category 4 racers will have the option of racing in the Category 1/2/3/4 race or the Beginner Category 4 only race. Allowing Category 4 women the chance to choose between races will allow the opportunity to compete in non-intimidating beginner’s field in a 35 mile race. It will also give up and coming Cat 4 racers the chance to compete with some of the best riders in the state in the 1/2/3/4 race over 52.5 miles. A current USA Cycling license is required to compete and Category 4 racers can purchase a one day license for $10.

The Masters women will only be a separate field if there are at least 10 participants registered by July 8 so tell your cycling friends and sign up now!

More information and registration can be found on the Maple Hills Race for Wishes website. Details about each race and the schedule can be found on the race flyer.

You can also find updates on the Maple Hills Race for Wishes Facebook page.

Hope to see some new faces in Lawton on 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.

The Road to my First Half Ironman

June 20th, 2016 by Kaitlyn Patterson

–By Kathy Braginton, Team OAM NOW Multisport Athlete

It is better to look back on life and say: “I can’t believe I did that,” than to look back and say: “I wish I did that.” Last October, I began to think about trying my first half Ironman. Knowing I couldn’t do it alone, I looked to recruit a few family members to join me. I asked my niece if would be interested and got an immediate, YES! My sister on the other hand, dragged her feet until the last day before the price increase. The next step was to find a coach. Athletic Mentors made that decision easy with the introduction of their newest coaching package, the Custom TRI Coaching Subscription. With my weekly training plan laid out for me, I was on way. Let the training begin!

West Michigan offers two half Ironman races in the Grand Rapids area, one in June and one in August. The Grand Rapids Triathlon held in June is known for its flat, fast course. It’s ideal for the new and experienced triathlete alike. With a beautiful swim in the lake-like Thornapple River with virtually no current, to a flat country-road bike course then on to the scenic, shaded run course with loads of local support. This race offers several free clinics leading up to the event, a pre-race swim and pre-ride at the race site the week before, along with an amazing expo. It’s the largest triathlon in Michigan and offers a Sprint, Olympic and Half Iron, all with separate transition areas to give you a small race feel. With a description like that, I decided Grand Rapids Tri was the race for me.

Finding your race day focus

After 5 months of focusing solely on training, how was I going to shift my focus from training to racing? A friend of mine once told me that I had R.A.C.E. written across my forehead. Apparently, that was all I could think about. For the first time in my racing career, I found that was not true. Those letters were now T.R.A.I.N. Being so focused on training, I suddenly realized the racing season was rapidly approaching and I needed to shift my focus once again to R.A.C.E.

Nothing happens without focus. To gain my race day focus, I searched for a local race to use as my warm-up race. I chose Double Time Triathlon, hosted by Spirit Racing. It is staged at the Nazarene Church Camp on Indian Lake, just east of Vicksburg. Double Time also marked a milestone for me. It was triathlon number 50! After 49 triathlons, you would think I could transition with my eyes closed. However, after a 9 month hiatus, it takes 1 triathlon to refresh your memory, verify all your equipment is in working order, and to confirm you can slip your feet in and out of your bikes shoes without crashing.

With my focus established (or so I thought), it was on to Grand Rapids. When I decided to transition from a race that takes less than an hour and a half to a race that would take approximately 6 hours, I started to rethink everything I thought I already knew. Should I transition this way or that way? How much should I eat? What should I eat? How fast should I bike? How should I hydrate? And most importantly, when am I going to go to the bathroom?

Then the race horn sounded. All the months of swirling emotions: excitement, anxiety, confidence, self-doubt, apprehension, they all drifted away. It was an amazing sense of freedom, as though a huge weight had been lifted off me, and I simply put my head down and swam. I swam 2 minutes under my goal time. My bike time was right at my goal. My total transition time was 3 minutes faster than estimated. Feeling amazing at the start of the run, I took off like I was on the run leg for a sprint distance race. I quickly settled myself down and got into a comfortable pace. I found I really liked the 2 loop run course as it made it easy to cheer on all the other competitors along the way.

As I crested the last hill and into the final stretch of the run, I scrolled my Garmin to display the total race time and distance. The distance read 69.5 miles. That is the moment it really hit me as to what I was about to accomplish….70.3 miles!

The Power of Focused Training

June 19th, 2016 by Kaitlyn Patterson

–By Andrew Fathman, Team OAM NOW Multisport Athlete

I’m a very busy person. I always have been and I don’t see an end to my non-stop lifestyle and mentality. Typically this is a good thing because I’m able to efficiently get a lot of stuff done like school, training, and taking time to hang out with friends. This is also a great quality to have in the workplace. However, when you go from incorporating your training into your daily routine, to having to work 60+ hours a week and having to force your training in, it can be hard to stay on top of things. Ever since I started my summer jobs in early May, training has had to take a backseat. While it usually is the pinnacle of my day’s productivity, it is now scraping the bottom of the barrel for whatever minutes I can fit in. Since this is one of the most important race seasons of the year, I knew that I would have to compensate somehow. My epiphany was taking my efficiency to a whole new level.

I try to stay up-to-date on the latest training strategies and techniques, so in the past, I’ve usually just relied on my own brain to come up with a training schedule. However, being conditioned for the “slow and steady” approach to training through high school seasons and the seemingly endless River Bank training, I was not prepared for the high-effort, low-hour training summer requires.

After some research, I realized that my mind cannot come up with the appropriate training schedule week-to-week that would work every area of a race (speed, endurance, finishing, pacing, etc.) in all three disciplines, so I opted to go with a training plan to keep me in check. After some deliberation, I choose Garmin’s level II sprint tri schedule to lead me to great times. And the verdict? It works like a charm. I have never felt like my training is so pointed and specific that I can actually feel the specific section of the race that I’m working on get faster. This training plan takes full advantage of rest days, while also conditioning your mind and body to the rigors that the sport demands. Perhaps the biggest benefit is that the mental strain of finding ways to make myself hurt has been lifted.

Most of my workouts tend to be between the 35-60 minute range, with longer workouts on the weekend, so it fits perfectly into my lunch period. While before I would go out and fill 45 minutes with a run/bike/swim all willy-nilly, now I fill that same amount of time with productive, focused work. I’m now doing more productive work in the same or less amount of time, just by trusting that the training knows what it’s doing. And it does. You don’t need 10-12+ hours a week to get your training done, you just have to employ the luxury of efficiency to get you to where you need to go. I’ve been training fewer hours with more high quality workouts than I ever have before, and this past weekend, I posted my best Grand Rapids Tri time yet.

Andrew took second in the 19 and under category of the sprint distance at GR Tri

Andrew took second in the 19 and under category of the sprint distance at Grand Rapids Triathlon this year

Landgraff Takes on Back to Back Races at Sylvania Crit

June 16th, 2016 by Kaitlyn Patterson

–By Richard Landgraff, Masters Cyclist

Richard competing earlier in the season

It was a beautiful day on Sunday for the annual Sylvania Cycling Classic in Ohio. Temperatures were in the mid 70’s with a slight breeze from the north which made the short technical course all the harder. About 25 racers lined up for the Masters 35+ race which was spirited from the beginning. Being the only OAM NOW masters racer in attendance and with plans to race the Masters 45+ race immediately following, my race plan was to ride near the front, but try to save as much energy as I could. Well that plan went right out the window about 15 minutes into the 45 minute race as I found myself making a solo attack off the front and hoping that I would get some company for a breakaway. No one followed so I stayed by myself off the front for a couple of laps and then eventually got caught by the field. I continued to ride aggressively and tried to stay near the front as there were some crashes on one of the tight technical corners. As the laps wound down, I realized that being in the top 5-6 going into the last lap was the only way to have a chance at the win. With about 2 laps to go, another rider took off and managed to stay away for the win, albeit by only a couple of bike lengths. I had a good position coming into the final corner and came across the line in 5th place.

A quick water bottle fill up and cool down was all there was time for before the start of the Masters 45+ race. I wondered if this was a mistake to do both races back to back as I struggled a bit in the first few laps but I managed to settle in and actually felt pretty good throughout the race. An early breakaway of two got away with one rider eventually falling back to the group and the initial rider staying away for the win. The small field did not have the willpower or horsepower to chase too hard although the race was hard and fast at times. Similar to the prior race, I positioned myself toward the front in the last few laps and was able to sprint for a 6th place finish.

Not too bad for two races back to back on a tough course.

Dirty Kanza 200- An Incredible Adventure and Accomplishment

June 9th, 2016 by Kaitlyn Patterson

–By Amy Kimber, Team OAM NOW Cyclist

When my husband told me he wanted us to sign up for the Dirty Kanza 200, I said a lot of things like, “you are crazy, no way, why, not a chance, you can do it without me, I won’t be joining you.” Then one Saturday morning in January we set our alarms to wake up early, fired up our laptops, made some coffee, and impatiently waited for registration to open. The event was full in two hours, and we were both in.

The event is known for being an ultra-endurance off-road cycling adventure. It was created to be extremely challenging, but possible to complete. Every year the rate of finishers is about 50%. The Flint Hills of Kansas are known for their ruggedness and remoteness. With the exception of three checkpoints where racers can meet up with their support crew, you need to support yourself and carry everything you need. Besides the houses in the towns near the checkpoints I think I saw two houses on the entire course. This is remoteness and ruggedness to the extreme!

We did a short 10 mile pre-ride on Friday. The first mile is pavement and then the gravel begins.The course was bone dry, and the gravel was probably 5 inches deep in places. I was concerned about trying to hold a straight line with 1,100 of my closest friends. Overnight some large, somewhat unexpected rainstorms went through. They didn’t hit the entire course, but the first 5 miles now looked completely different. When I lined up Saturday morning for the 6 a.m. start, I was expecting some mud, but I had no idea what I was about to see…

The beginning of a long day and epic adventure

The rollout was slow, and when we made the first turn onto the gravel the road it was unrecognizable. There was a large “river” that didn’t exist the day before, and the dry fields had become large lakes. It took 15 minutes to go about a mile. Then all of the sudden I came to this long muddy stretch that resembled a bicycle war zone. Both sides of the road were lined with hundreds of people, all off of their bikes. At first I had no idea what was going on, until it started to happen to me, chain suck! Mud was getting caught in everyone’s derailleurs and if you didn’t stop pedaling, too much pressure on the chain would shear off the derailleur. I got off my bike and walked into one of the rain made lakes. I was able to clean off the drivetrain enough so that I could ride on.

The first section was full of challenging climbs, rocky descents, and mud! There were so many racers out there, you were never alone. This section made me so thankful for my Cannonball Tires! I bet I saw 100 people changing flat tires. I pulled into checkpoint one at mile 48. I got my drivetrain cleaned up, replenished with food and drink, and headed back on the road for section 2.

One of the may reasons Dirty Kanza is not for the faint of heart

The second section was as equally challenging as the first. At this point it was getting very hot. There is hardly a tree on the course, there were no clouds in the sky, and the temperature kept rising. This was when you started to see people laying in ditches under small bushes, searching for any sliver of shade they could find. The river crossings that I was dreading became a lifesaver, cold water! I put my head down and just kept pedaling. At this point I just wanted to make it to the next checkpoint to see my awesome support crew. Checkpoint 2 was at mile 102. Once I made it the stop was a little longer than I was planning for. The heat was so intense and my stomach was starting to turn. I knew it was more important to cool down and hydrate than to worry about a quick transition time. My overall goal was to finish, I did not care how long it took.

Section 3 was the longest leg of the day (60 miles). It was also the hottest, and there was a brutal headwind almost the entire time. I was carrying 112 ounces of water, and this would not be nearly enough. The carnage on this leg was worse than the one before. There were racers sitting in ditches, under small bushes, and in rivers. On course support is not allowed, and there are almost no cars on these roads, so every time a big van passed I knew it was on its way to pick up someone abandoning the race. I saw a lot of vans this leg. I ran out of water about 10 long miles from the checkpoint. This was about the time I started to question my sanity (not true, that started around mile 1). I started to wonder if I was going to make it. Everyone around me was out of water, everyone was suffering, and every mile my pace seemed to be slowing. Somehow, I finally made it! Checkpoint 3 was at mile 161. The crowds in the feed zones treat every racer like they are a rock star. The overwhelming support is so motivating. Again, I spent far too long with my support crew, but after what I had just went through it seemed necessary.

Amy en route to a coveted DK finish

All day long I was telling myself that all I had to do was “4” bike rides today. That didn’t seem as overwhelming as 206 miles. It was hard to get back on the bike, but now I only had 45 miles left. I mounted my headlight, and headed off for my 4th and final leg of the day.

Thankfully the sun was going down and the temperature was cooling off quickly. This part of the course is by far the least treacherous. The hills are rolling and the roads started to feel more like home. I am a very experienced nighttime gravel road rider so the dark was not a concern. I put my head down, turned over the pedals, and counted down the miles to Emporia. Crossing that finish line was the best feeling I have had in a long time. It was awesome that Eric and I got to finish together. I didn’t have a care in the world about what place I was in, or what my finish time was (16 hours and 52 minutes, rolling average of 15.1 mph), all that mattered was I made it! I was in the 51% that finished the 2016 Dirty Kanza.

Overall, I had an amazing experience. I am happy to report that I never had any nagging issues throughout the day. My biggest concerns were saddle issues, hot foot, heat, and cramps. Around mile 180 my saddle started to become uncomfortable, I thought that was to be expected. The cool river crossings kept my feet from feeling awful, and I just took longer breaks at the checkpoints to hydrate and recover from the heat. I had some twinges in my calves and quads, but never a full blown cramp. My upper body felt great, and my long standing back issue was a non-issue today.

The last few miles Eric and I talked about how this was a once in lifetime experience. We were glad that we did it, that we were going to be finishers, and that we never needed to do it again! On the car ride home we were already making plans to make next years’ experience even better! I could write an entire blog on the beauty of Kansas, but I will let the pictures talk for themselves.

5000 Days

May 12th, 2016 by Kaitlyn Patterson

By: Brian Reynolds

On August 10th, 2002, I was a 14 year old Otsego High School freshman toeing the start line at the Ready or Not 5k. The race took place at my old stamping grounds in Otsego, Michigan. The Ready or Not was my second 5k during my early running career. I remember being very nervous and excited at the same time. The race was long, hard, and mentally challenging. The race felt more like a half marathon than a 5k.

Brian’s running streak began in 2002 when he was a 14 year old freshman at Otsego high school

Looking back at the Ready or Not race it was the start of my running career and, most of all, the start of my running streak. Everyday since August 10th, 2002 I have not missed a day of running. You may be asking yourself “Why would you run everyday? Are you crazy?” but don’t worry I have not been diagnosed with any mental issues and there is a reason why I choose to run everyday.

When I ran cross country at Otsego I was coached by Steve Long. Coach Long’s training was based on the Paavo method which was a popular training program used at the high school level. One of the most important lessons I learned from the Paavo method was that to be successful you have to work at it EVERYDAY. Coach Long would encouraged his runners to run everyday because it would make us faster and would be a good motivational tool. Coach Long told us that a run would only count if it was at least one mile long and was completed without any breaks. Only a few of us took on this running challenge. I took on the challenge because I wanted to be a great runner. During that cross country season I did not miss a single day of running.

Running everyday without a doubt had made me a better runner so I decided to continue the streak after my cross country season. During high school it was pretty easy to get a run in during the cross country and track seasons. However, during the winter months when I swam competitively it was a little more challenging to get in a run. During the swim season, I would practice for 2 hour after school then go for a 3 mile run at night. There were some days when I ran in -20 ᷾͒deg F wind chill through 2 feet of snow. On a super cold days my face would be so covered up I could barely get enough air to breath through all the layers of clothing covering my month. However, I did not let poor weather conditions become an excuse not to run. If it was not for the running streak, I probably would have missed several days of running due to bad weather, not feeling good, or lack of motivation that day.

Over the years during high school, college, and post-college it has been amazing to see my progress throughout my running career. The one big life lesson I took out of this experience is that to achieve a lifetime goal or dream you have to take it one day at a time. Big dreams are not going to happen overnight. In fact, dreams can take years, decades, or may never happen. To accomplish big goals you have to set attainable short term goals. Within those short term goals you need to set daily goals. For me a daily goal maybe completing a run workout at my goal race pace. When I accomplished those daily goals I was able to accomplish my short term goals. If you continue to accomplish goal after goal after goal then you may eventually reach your big dream. For example, my big dream was to win a marathon. On day 1 of my running streak I was far from being in shape to win or even be able to finish a marathon. However, on day 3,149 I was able to win the 2011 Kalamazoo Marathon.

Brian took home the Kalamazoo Marathon title in 2011, running 2:34:39

To this day I am still running everyday. My running streak is over 5000 days which spans over 13 years. I have been very fortunate so far to keep this streak alive. There has only been one incident where I almost couldn’t run due to a very bad ankle sprain. Let’s just say I ran some of my slowest runs on that sprained ankle. Running has become so ingrained in me that I do not think twice when I go out for a run. Running is part of my life and identity. I do not see myself quitting anytime soon. So with that said I gotta go for a run, thanks for reading!

After A Year of Resilience Sheikh Claims Second at Strider’s Classic

May 11th, 2016 by Kaitlyn Patterson

— By Elaine Sheikh

Strider’s 10 Mile Classic is a race that I’ve wanted to do for a few years now, but have never been able to work into the schedule. This year, it was perfect timing – I’m currently training for the Grand Rapids Half Iron Triathlon and this would give me the opportunity to test my race legs over a longer distance. Before the race started, I chatted with some OAM Now teammates who were doing the 5K. The only other OAM Now athlete doing the 10 miler besides myself was club member Lindsey Lilly. I had never run with her before, so I didn’t know how fast she was!

$Elaine recovered from a pelvic fracture$

Elaine is back running healthy and strong after recovering from a pelvic stress fracture 15 months ago

I was nervous starting this race. Not only was it my first running race of the season, this would be my first running race since I fractured my pelvis 15 months ago. It still feel “tweaky” on a pretty regular basis and I had nightmares of refracturing it when I really put it to the test. Plus, I had completely forgotten how to pace myself for anything that wasn’t a triathlon or bike race! I deployed my usual tact of telling everyone I was out there for a training run. When people don’t think I’m going to race hard, I feel like it takes away a lot of pressure. So, whether or not I plan on racing hard, I will often tell people I just want to enjoy my day. Secretly, I wanted to run under 1:09.

Elaine and Lindsey finish the Striders 10 miler under 70 minutes

As we started, the fastest woman in the pack became obvious. I kept her in my sights the whole first half of the race. It was much hillier than I thought, and a loose gravel mile caused my second mile to be a bit slower than I had anticipated. But, I just kept watching her and didn’t let her pull away. Right before the halfway mark, a man yelled that I was only 20 yards back. This caused my competitor to pick up the pace. I responded, but mile 6 was all uphill and I had been running significantly faster than I had planned on. I was hurting and I started to lose focus as the hills hit me one after another. Just as my breathing was getting completely out of control. At the perfect time, teammate Dave Stebbins, who had been riding back and forth on the course cheering, rolled up. It was pretty obvious that I was flagging pretty hard at that point, but he encouraged me and talked me down so I could get control of my breathing again. Teammates are awesome!

In the end, I never caught the first place female finisher. She crossed the finish line a solid 30 seconds ahead of me. However, I crushed my goal and ran a 1:07:12. Lindsey was the third woman to cross the line at 1:08:27. Way to go Lindsey!

It was a fun day and a great race that I would recommend for anyone looking for a nice spring 5K or 10 miler. I couldn’t be more excited to start another multi-sport season with Team OAM Now!

The result of a year of resilience!