Blog - Page 22 of 35 - Team Athletic Mentors

Bikecation in Southern Michigan

May 4th, 2016 by Kaitlyn Patterson

–By Roxane Kippen, Multisport Athlete

Who needs Spring Break sitting around on a beach in Florida, when you can go on a bikecation? It doesn’t appear that “bikecation” is a term that has landed on wikipedia yet, since it gave me results instead for “bisection” when I typed it in the search. So, I will have to tell you a little about my week out of the office and on the trails to explain. Many cyclists head south to Alabama, North Carolina or Southern Indiana early in the spring for a training camp, where they ride all day and enjoy the warmer temps that may not always arrive in Michigan in a timely fashion. Instead of spending 15 hours in the car, packing countless bags and hoping for good weather when I get there, I decided to take a week off for a “staycation” and ride my bike closer to home with a 10 day forecast of nothing but sun and warm temps.

While North Carolina boasts of International Mountain Bike Association Epic Trail Tsali, Southern Indiana has its beloved Brown County and Alabama has Oak Mountain, the lower peninsula of Michigan has some pretty fine trails as well. I have ridden Tsali, Brown County and Oak Mountain, and I would have to say I enjoyed my week here on Michigan trails just as much. Every trail has something different to love and if they were all the same, that would be no fun at all. Let me take you on a brief tour of the trails I visited during my bikecation.

Rounding the final corner at Barry Roubaix to kick off the bikecation!

I started off the first weekend of my journey by racing the Barry Roubaix Killer Gravel Road Race. I logged 36 miles of gravel roads with 3,000 of my closest friends and teammates. After a relatively hard effort during the race, I spent Sunday on a shorter “recovery” ride with friend and former teammate John. We rode the most convenient location, which happened to be the Cannonsburg State Game Area (CSGA) and the Cannonsburg Ski Area (CSA), together a.k.a. “The Combo” or “The Connector”. We avoided the “Up the Gut” climb at the ski area and enjoyed a leisurely pace through the game area and logged 14 miles of mountain biking. I didn’t want to wear myself out on the first day of my bikecation! I had a lot of time in the saddle (and chamois cream) coming up.

It was hard to decide where to go on what day, but I started off on Monday at Yankee Springs Recreation Area in Middleville, MI. The body takes a beating on this trail as there are a lot of rocks and roots and a bit more climbing than the Cannonsburg trails from Sunday. I rode 23 miles solo (two loops) at a Sunday driver pace and took most of the climbs in granny gear; riding by myself I didn’t dare take any chances of sliding off a cliff or wrapping myself around a tree. The temp was close to 80 degrees and the course was extremely dry, loose and sandy, almost as if it were the middle of July already.

A sunny day 2 at Yankee Springs Recreation Area

Three hours in the heat and I felt like day two of bikecation was solid. Fort Custer Recreation Area (The Fort) was the trail of choice on day three. Tuesday conditions were cool but comfortable and made for another great day of riding. XTERRA training buddy Alan and I took on a couple laps at The Fort and logged 17 miles of super cool singletrack and even threw in a twenty- minute brick run after our ride. The Fort was where I feel I really learned to mountain bike. Nearly 10 years ago, I spent countless weekends prepping for my first XTERRA (offroad triathlon) at The Fort. It is still my favorite race venue for XTERRA. It is always hard to tell someone if a trail is technical, because technical could mean many different things. To me, this trail was technical and for me that means rooty, steep switchback climbs that require great focus and balance and some tighter twisty/turny sections. With trail sections call Amusement Park and Grannies Garden and trail features like the Demon Drop and the Trenches, it is definitely a trail with a large variety of riding and it never gets boring.

Wednesday, I met up with long-time mountain biker and teammate Terry Ritter to get a bit of an evaluation on my riding skills at the Potawatomi Trail (Poto) in Pinckney, MI. I also had the opportunity to connect with local rider and fellow XTERRA racer, Heather, for the ride. The trip is just under two hours from Grand Rapids, and I would highly recommend it. I had never ridden the trail before so it was a good test of my trail reading and bike handling “tool box”. My biggest opportunity is to better utilize my momentum. I think Terry suggested/threatened that I need some single speed work to force me to use my momentum more effectively. Thanks, Terry, for your time and knowledge and helping me log another 17.5 miles of trail riding on day four of my bikecation.

Day 4 Poto getting tips from mastermind Terry

Of course, the meteorologist had to get one day wrong out of that 10 days of forecasted sun, and it happened to be on Thursday. The morning was cool and rainy, so I took the opportunity to catch up on some housework and volunteer activities. By the afternoon, things were clearing up to the north so I summoned a couple of my regular XTERRA training partners for a trip to Owasippe Trail. This trail is on a Boy Scout reservation near Whitehall, MI and has some of the most fun singletrack riding in Michigan. It is tough to describe this trail and why I love it so much, but it has some nice smooth areas, some brutal technical climbs with bumpy descents, a couple of long narrow bridge crossings and spectacular views of water and woods all around. The rains left the trail in perfect condition as the sand soaked up the moisture and packed down for a fast trail. We logged 23 fabulous miles and went to a local brewery for a well-earned recovery beverage.

I started to feel my legs squawking at me after the ride at Poto on Wednesday. The climbs were tougher and there were times when I powered a little harder through sections than I had earlier in the week. This was evident each time I ascended a set of stairs in my house. Definitely after the Owasippe ride, my legs had done what they set out to do for the week and I needed a recovery day. Friday I did just that. I recovered, I napped with my cat Asher (the master napper) and I watched Netflix. I did, however, log 4 miles riding to and from Belle Tire when I dropped off and picked up my car for a tire rotation.

Day 6: Recovery

After a full week of riding totaling 36 miles of gravel, 95 miles of singletrack and a 4 mile commute, I headed into the weekend for two more days of training before going back to the cubicle world. I pushed myself through a 5K run at the Striders Classic on Saturday and rounded out Sunday with another 23 miles at The Fort for a total of 118 miles of mountain biking in 8 days. That may be more than I’ve done in a stretch of several months during the season! It is very difficult to pick a favorite trail, but I will have to stick with Owasippe as my #1 and Fort Custer as a close #2.

To check out more information on these trails, click the hyperlinks above that will take you to the International Mountain Bike Association (IMBA) listing or look them up on the Michigan Mountain Bike Association (MMBA) Trail Guide at http://mmba.org/trail-guide/. If you are worried about getting lost in the woods, you can download the MTB Project app, by IMBA, to your phone and it will show your location as you ride on the trail. Local bike shops can also give you tips on how to find and what to expect of the trails nearby. The mountain bike community welcomes new riders with open arms, so if you’ve been hesitating to give it a try, I highly encourage you to take the leap and check out a local trail.

Final day of a great week!

Danielle Nye Makes Team Debut at Striders 5k

April 28th, 2016 by Kaitlyn Patterson

–By Danielle Nye, OAM NOW Multisport Athlete

Saturday morning was a crisp, sunny day perfect for running the Striders 5k classic. Team OAM NOW had four members at the start line eager to have a fast race on the flat and mostly paved course. This was my first race with other Team OAM NOW multisport athletes. Even though I have been racing sprint triathlons and short distance running races for many years, I am always striving to be faster each year. This year I set a goal for myself to do a sub 20 minute 5k in preparation for the USAT world sprint race in September. Knowing that OAM NOW racers are very strong competitors I knew this would be a great race with teammates pushing me to be my best. Striders 5k was a great season opener to see where I was at in my training for this goal.

Danielle Nye, Roxane Kippen, Paul Raynes, and Bob Shultz took on the Striders 5k last weekend in Grand Rapids

The race took off with a handful of runners trying to make an early break in the field. I was able to keep the lead two ladies in my sight heading out on the course. Worried about starting off too hard, I backed my pace down and settled in behind another runner. We took a turn and had a short section of gravel which was unexpected and slowed my pace down. At the half way turn around I tried to pick up the pace and was hoping for a negative split finish. Once I noticed my Garmin lap alert for mile 2 I knew I needed to push the pace since I had fallen a bit behind on time during the last mile. I turned the last corner to see the finish banner approaching with my Garmin showing 18:58 for time elapsed. As the clock ticked away I knew that my sub 20 minute finish would not happen today. My efforts were for enough though third overall female and first in my age group.

Even though I did not meet my goal, I was excited to see improvement in my 5k time. I was also able to cheer on my new teammates and watch them finish the race. Team OAM NOW raced hard and had a strong showing at the 5k. Multisport team captain, Roxane Kippen had a strong race in the women’s field as well and finished as the fifth overall female and first in her age group. Paul Raynes was the second OAM NOW teammate across the finish line. Paul had a great run with that earned him first place in his age group. Bob Schultz came in just behind Paul to capture second place in his age group. Saturday was a great time racing with new teammates, enjoying post-race bagels, and cheering for each other during the awards. I am confident that with continued training with OAM NOW teammates I will meet my 5k goal by September. Strider’s 5k was a great season opener and I look forward many more races this season with my new teammates!

Shuler Takes on Heat and Wind for Boston PR!

April 26th, 2016 by Kaitlyn Patterson

–By Tammy Shuler, Team OAM NOW multi-sport athlete

The morning of the race started out very hot considering the weather we have had leading up to race day. 70 at the start of my wave and no wind in Hopkinton. The closer we got to Boston it cooled off and a brisk head wind started about mile 8.

Tammy representing OAM NOW in Boston!

The crowds were amazing! Every year there are more spectators. The spectators give out ice and popsicles, that saved my race. The drinks at the aide stations were warm, and not refreshing. People were cramping and dropping out all along the course from the heat.

Tammy completes a challenging Boston Marathon and posts another qualifying time!

Boston is always a challenging race and this year did not disappoint. However, I finished my best Boston in the last 3, with a 3:53:18, 69th in my age group of 650. This was also a qualifying time in my 55-59 age group.

Next for me is the Mittens Challenge which consists of racing the Wisconsin Marathon on May 7 in Kenosha and then the Kalamazoo Marathon on Sunday, May 8th!

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!

OAM NOW Masters Squad Rocks Spring Gravel Classics

April 23rd, 2016 by Kaitlyn Patterson

–By Richard Landgraff, OAM NOW Masters cyclist

Although they might not get the same glory as the first riders across the line, masters racers often make up a huge portion of the overall field making for a consistently competitive battle for the podium.

The Team OAM NOW Masters squad has posted some impressive results already this season at two gravel road races with weather at opposite ends of the spectrum- a frigid, windy and wet Lowell 50 and a warm, dry and dusty Barry Roubaix. OAM NOW cyclist Richard Landgraff recaps the masters team performances in both races.

Lowell 50

Richard Landgraff and Chris Abston after surviving a wet, frigid Lowell 50

The weather forecast did not look promising in the week leading up to the spring edition of the Lowell 50. With temperatures in the low 30’s, winds gusting to 40 mph and the potential for snow, there were many riders (including myself) who were not looking forward to racing in such brutal conditions. But we are bike racers, and on the Saturday morning before the Tour of Flanders the very next day, the weather was actually not too bad or so we thought. With about 60 riders in the main field for the 57 mile event, the pack rolled out for the approximate 2 km neutral start to the covered bridge. As racing began in earnest, it was quickly apparent that the strong winds were going to play a hand in the outcome of the race. Also, the overnight rains had left many sections of road soft and the potholes filled with water. The first real test of the race comes at about the 5 km mark with a climb that’s named “Rude Awakening” as a Strava segment. The name was indeed appropriate as there were many riders who lost contact with the main group on that first climb. The paced settled in a bit after the climb and I looked around to see that all of the main favorites were still in the field as well as most of my OAM NOW teammates.

The next 20 km of the race is fairly hilly and the pack generally stayed together with a few attacks and some solo breakaway attempts from other riders and teams, none of which stuck. The decisive part of the race comes at about the 25 km mark for a number of reasons, the biggest today of which was the brutal crosswind that put most of the riders in the gutter as the pack made a left hand turn northward on a stretch that would last about 4 km. As gaps started to open everywhere, I gave it my all a few times to stay in contact with the main field. As we turned back east out of the cross wind, I had survived and readied myself for the next turn north which would blow the race wide open. With only about 25 riders left in the main field, the pace eased up slightly as the field wound it’s way to the southeastern most part of the course and as we made the turn back north onto Barker Road, the attacks came fast and furious. My goal was to follow wheels as best I could and when I saw my teammate Chris Abston follow an attack, I knew that I would be in a good position not to have to work to bring anything back. I glanced up the road and it was carnage- a couple small groups of 2-3 riders and it was the same behind. Over the next couple of kilometers, the groups consolidated with eight riders up the road and then a chase group of nine, including Chris and I.

A snowy downtown Lowell awaited the hearty riders

As we raced back toward Lowell mainly into a head and cross wind, the storm that had been forecast began to come down in full force. It began to snow, flurries at first and then a steady snow as one rider got away solo and the rest of the group of stayed together notwithstanding numerous attacks including one from me on a climb about 12 km from the finish. We did lose a couple of more on the finishing hills back toward Fallasburg Park and soon we were turning back onto the paved stretch of finishing road. The sprint began about 250 meters from the finish and in the end, Chris placed 13th overall (3rd in the 40-49 category) and I was right behind him in 14th place (1st in the 50+ category). All in all a great day and finish for Team OAM NOW in the Lowell 50 (57 mile) spring edition.

Full results can be found here.

Barry Roubaix

Course conditions and tire/bike selections were the talk amongst the team in the week leading up to Barry Roubaix 2016. With forecast temperatures in the mid 70’s, the pre-race course reconnaissance indicated that the gravel roads would be loose, soft and dusty- and were they ever. The wave 2 field for the 62 mile race included nearly 400 riders with Richard Landgraff, Chris Abston and Terry Ritter riding for TEAM OAM NOW. All of us decided to ride cross bikes with a mix of file tread and road tires.

A good start position and being able to be at or near the front when the race hits the gravel roads were going to be the keys to the day. After the first 10 km and the “Three Sisters” climbs, the field was reduced to about 50. As the race progressed back onto the pavement and began the Gunn Lake Road climb all of the riders were thinking of their position going into the Sager Road two track, which was coming in the next 10 km. The race pretty much blew apart on the sandy two-track of Sager. Chris and I managed to make it through unscathed as there were numerous crashes and riders having to dismount and run through the deep sand. We turned out of Sager and hammered up the next few hills to catch back onto the small group of leaders which eventually grew to a group of about 30. At this time, we were unaware that a group of about eight riders were ahead of the main field, a fact which we realized several kilometers later as a couple of the main favorites were no longer in the main group.

The race continued along the dusty roads and as the pack hit the main climbs including The Wall and Cloverdale Hills, riders continued to lose contact with the group. At this point in the race with less than 40 km to go, the goal was to conserve energy for the last few climbs toward the end of the race. The main pack was down to about 20 or so riders as the field came onto the finishing 5 km of pavement. I attacked on the last climb and managed to hold off all but three of the chasers to finish 2nd in the Masters 51+ category and 40th overall. Chris Abston and Terry Ritter finished a strong 16th in the Masters 40-50 and 62 overall, and 44th in the Masters 40-50 and 127th overall, respectively.

Richard Landgraff takes second in the masters category

Richard Landgraff takes second in the highly competitive masters 51+ category at Barry Roubaix

Full results can be found here.

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

Liv Mountain Bike Skills Clinic on May 2nd!

April 6th, 2016 by Kaitlyn Patterson

Need help conquering the learning curve of mountain biking? Want to improve your skills and confidence in a non-intimidating environment?

Take advantage of a cool opportunity through Liv Cycling coming to Southeast Michigan in May!

Giant is a leader in women’s cycling with Liv, their women’s specific product line. Liv is focused on helping make cycling accessible for women through both products and outreach efforts. Liv will be hosting a mountain bike skills clinic and demo at Highland Recreation Trail on Monday, May 2nd, 2016.

The clinic will consist of a skills clinic from 5:30 to 6:30 pm covering proper gearing, braking and body positioning to improve confidence and efficiency. The clinic will be followed by a no-drop ride from 6:30-7:30. All levels of riders are welcome to attend.

Liv mountain bikes will also be available to demo for the clinic. If you would like to demo a bike for the ride, please arrive early and bring a helmet, shoes and a credit card. Please contact Velocipede Peddler to reserve a bike in advance, 1353 E Grand River Ave., East Lansing, MI 48823, 517-351-7240.

More information about the clinic and bikes available to demo can be found on the Giant website.

Ride Life Ride Giant and Liv Demos will also be available at various sites in Michigan this spring.

Stoney Creek Metro Park- April 30
Burchfield Park (Lansing) – May 1
Midland City Forest Park- May 3
Boyne Mountain- May 5
Island Lake Recreation Area- May 7
Luton Park (Rockford)- May 8

Birkie 2016- A Physical, Technical Test

February 22nd, 2016 by Kaitlyn Patterson

–By Kaitlyn Patterson and Alex Vanias, OAM NOW Nordic skiers and cyclists

Each American Birkebeiner has its own personality and this year’s race definitely had a volatile and unpredictable flair. Taking place every February in northern Wisconsin, the race usually occurs under ideal ski conditions- plenty of snow and temperatures in the 20s. However, this El Nino year was going to throw some curveballs.

The Birkie is the biggest cross country ski event in North America, drawing 10,000 skiers from around the country and the world. It is a bizarre and awesome phenomenon that this quirky population gathers en masse every year to race 50 kilometers between the tiny towns of Cable and Hayward. Birkie is a date circled in red on countless cross country skiers’ calendars whether they are shooting for the win and huge prize purse, an age group award, a better wave placement, or surviving the endless hills of the Birkie trail. Everyone wants fast skis for this iconic event and when the weather creates tricky waxing conditions, it causes something close to mass hysteria. Which is exactly what happened this year.

This is not what skiers want to see 36 hours before race time!

Early in the week leading to the race, the temperatures were very cold in Hayward- down to -15 F with 2-5 inches of fresh snow. However, the weather was predicted to warm up to the upper 30s and low 40s starting on Thursday, rain on Thursday evening and Friday, and remaining above freezing for race time on Saturday. In order to protect the snow base, the fresh snow on the course was not groomed and was closed to all skiers on Thursday and Friday. The course was not groomed until overnight on Friday before the race.

Usually at Birkie, several ski shops and wax services perform wax and ski tests all week and have a very good idea as to what is going to be fastest on race day. However, with the rapidly changing conditions and closed course, testing was of relative little value in the days before the race. Because of the wide range of possible snow temperature and structure, the professional skiers with wax service teams prepared many possible race skis in the days leading up to the race. Eventual women’s race winner Caitlin Gregg “narrowed” her ski choices down to 13 pairs the day before the race!

Since Alex and I don’t have a service team and have six skis between us (only one pair is mine but the varying flexes means I can often benefit from his fleet) meant that we had quite the task of preparing skis that could put us in the mix of the fastest skiers in the race. In addition, we have very little experience preparing skis for warm, wet conditions as it is quite uncommon during ski season in the Midwest.

We arrived in Cable on Wednesday night and went on a quick ski to check out the snow. We were met with fast, ideal conditions and a beautiful moon. Although we were wishing the race could be held before the weather became temperamental, we had no choice but to try to make the best of what we had. On Thursday, the research began in earnest and we headed to the expo in pursuit of bibs and a couple more tricks for optimal ski prep. We did not have any liquid fluoros and determined that it would be especially beneficial to add speed early in the race and help us make the initial separations. It also could be applied immediately before the start after our warm-up was completed (“fluoro” refers to fluorine which is a negatively charged atom that repels both water and dirt which are generally negatively charged. Fluro content is especially important in wet and dirty snow- which this year’s Birkie was both. For anyone interested in the physics, check out this article). After visiting the Swix tent at the expo and several ski shops, we finally found the swix HVC liquid flouro we were looking for. It was the last in stock at our last stop and likely the only one left within a several hundred mile radius.

Anxiety levels became much lower once Alex was confident we had enough tools to prepare competitive skis. Since we arrived in Cable early, we had all day on Friday to test and prepare skis. Friday morning offered comparable temperatures to race morning and although we didn’t have access to the course, we tested on a groomed section of trail that we hoped was similar to the race course.

Where the magic happens!

We prepared all our skis with the same molybdenum high flouro baselayer to get an idea of which skis were running best. Despite the rain on Thursday and temperatures above freezing for a full 24 hours, the trail remained firm and surprisingly fast. It was pretty clear for both of us which skis were running best- my universal flex ski with a warm grind and Alex’s universal flex with an LS1 cold grind. Although Alex has invested in his ski fleet this year including a pair of Speedmax skis meant to be optimal for Birkie, the unusual conditions unfortunately made them irrelevant.

After setting our race skis aside, we then tested waxes and topcoats on the slower skis. Alex prepared one pair with Toko high-fluoro yellow paraffin and FC10 topcoat and the other Swix HF 8 with FC8X (red) topcoat. The yellow wax is meant for wetter and warmer conditions and was running a bit faster than the red which is a bit harder wax meant for slightly cooler conditions. However, a complicating factor was the course would be tilled before the race- possibly bringing up colder snow that was insulated underneath. But we had no idea the snow temperature or how transformed the snow would be. Despite the warm and wet conditions, we decided the added durability and potential of colder snow made the slightly harder red waxes our choice for paraffin (Swix HF8) and topcoat (FC8X). This thinking was backed up by testing and wax recommendations from other teams.

The HVC liquid flouro was the final layer and we tested it on our pre-race workout- each of us applying it to just one ski. It was noticeably faster and we were happy to see it lasted over 10-k as one drawback of many liquid fluoros is the limited durability.

However, after the testing and decision had been made, the rain began in earnest. A combination of rain and wintery mix fell much of the evening, creating a sheet of ice by the time we went to bed. With all the factors in play, Alex and I got up at 4am to check out the snow in case we had to make some last minute changes.

The course begins in a wide open field and we arrived in the pre-dawn darkness to find wet and soft conditions as the temperature remained about 38 degrees overnight. Although it was in contrast to the firm trail we had been testing on, our skis were moving well and hoped it would be enough.

The Birkie starts in waves with the elite women’s wave going off first and followed 20 minutes later by the elite men. Some years the leaders of the men’s race catch the female leaders and some years they don’t so that is almost a race in itself. The women’s elite field is very small- only about 60 racers and I was able to start on the front row of the huge start line with some of the best skiers in the world. This was probably one of the cooler moments of my ski career.

Start of the elite women's field (Photo credit- American Birkebeiner Ski Foundation©2016)

Despite a front row start, I fell back in the field a bit because the opening section was quite variable with sections of soft powder and icy patches. It took me a while to find a rhythm and by that time, the lead group was off the front. However, I was able to find a good group of five women to ski with and we took turns pulling. After the starting field, the course changed to be hard packed and fast- much different than anything we had tested on but my skis were great. Because of the high speeds, drafting was crucial and it felt very much like a bike race.

Meanwhile, Alex was fighting to stay with the lead pack- dangling off the back and having to make up the gaps once guys were dropped. Since the conditions were fast, drafting became so important to the race dynamics that many guys were skipping feeds instead of risking losing the draft. Although Alex’s skis were among the fastest in the soft snow, they were too soft to be optimal for the unexpected hard-packed trail. Eventually, Alex lost the pack and joined a chase group that had formed just behind. Although the pace was comfortable in the group, a fall at about 24k caused him to lose the group. Despite chasing hard to reestablish contact, the group acted like a peloton that is essentially impossible to catch. This left Alex to race the second half alone, stuck in no-man’s land and missing the benefit of any draft.

TrainingPeaks tells the story better than anything else

With about 18k to go I heard the sound of the lead snowmobile and I moved over as the lead pack of about 15 guys sped by followed several minutes later by a chase pack of 10. I was bummed to not see Alex but soon after he caught me solo. I was able to match him just for a few strides but is helped me to get enough of a gap on my group that they lost my draft and I took advantage of the next several steep climbs to shake them for good.

In the final 3 kilometers racers cross Lake Hayward before finishing on Main Street in Hayward. The recent rain made for a slushy crossing with some ankle deep standing water which made for an especially challenging final push to the finish.

The American Birkebeiner finishes in downtown Hayward to a extremely supportive crowd

Alex stopped the clock at 2:14:09 averaging over 14 mph for 31 miles, claiming 25^th place and 13th American in a very competitive international field. I finished in 2:40:24, taking 18^th in the women’s race as the 12^th American. We were the first male and female finishers from Michigan including both upper and lower peninsulas. It was also an improvement over last year’s Birkie finish for both of us.

Both men’s and women’s overall titles were won by Americans as Caitlin Gregg won her fourth Birkie title and David Norris overtook six Europeans in the final kilometer for an upset win.

Although we had both been hoping to crack the top ten, the course conditions did not play to our strengths and we were somewhat limited by a small fleet of skis. Considering the challenges of the weekend, it was a very solid showing from both of us.

Jon Morgan also represented Team OAM Now, skiing out of wave 1 and finished his 24th! Birkie in 2:53:26. Jon was content with his race considering the unrelenting hills of the course and the rebuilding he has had to do this year after his hamstring injury last year at Noque.

Team OAM Now taking advantage of the trails to ski and test before the race!

The ski season is almost done for the nordic team with only two more race weekends. This weekend is Black Mountain in Cheboygan followed by Great Bear Chase in Calumet the first weekend in March.

The complete searchable Birkie results can be found here and an article about the winners by FasterSkier.

Six Reasons Nordic is Hard, but Also Awesome

February 12th, 2016 by Kaitlyn Patterson

–By Kaitlyn Patterson, Team OAM Now skier and cyclist

Cross country skiing is a unique sport and as you get more immersed in the sport, the more quirks arise. For a bit of skiing enlightenment for curious onlookers, I made a list of some of the quirky parts of nordic skiing that make it an intriguing sport.

Kaitlyn en route to winning the White Pine Stampede this season

The challenge of mastering not just one, but two different techniques
Actually, master is a strong word. Most skiers are naturally better at one and often set up their priority races around that strength (at least mortals who are not professional skiers). Key workouts reflect the demands of important races so it can be easy to neglect improving the weaker technique. Some aspects transfer across techniques (strong double poling, weight transfer, cornering) but they are definitely each unique beasts.

Classic-(also known as striding, or kicking and gliding this is often more well-known in the general population)- Although classic skiing might be the easiest to learn, it is probably the hardest to master as there are a lot of technique subtleties that make it far from running on skis. Since there is a lot of double poling in classic races, athletes with strong upper bodies can have great potential, paddlers are an excellent example of this.

Freestyle: (also known as skating, it is similiar to a rollerblading or ice skating motion)- Skating is the faster technique but requires a wide, groomed trail. The technique definitely has a learning curve and is exhausting without technique. But when it is done well, it’s a beautiful thing.

Alex Vanias skating at U.S. Nationals earlier this season

Skiers need an engine, guns, and finesse
If an athlete have at least one these attributes in a sport, they can often be decent. But similiar to swimming, it is harder to get away faking any of them in skiing. Even if a skier has the highest VO2 max on the start line, if he flails around for a couple hours he won’t win. Or even come close. He will likely be mortified that there are people who look much older, bigger, less fit, have two X chromosomes, etc, who are beating him. By a lot.

On the other hand, good technique goes a long way but also takes time, patience and a good coach. Besides a strong aerobic system and technique, you also need to be strong. Skiing places huge demands on muscle groups that are often neglected like the core, shoulders, back and hips.

It helps to be part Eskimo and part physicist
Snow is never just snow. Eskimos have 50 words for snow and skiers essentially do the same thing, just likely not as eloquently. Differences in the snow will influence which glide wax to use to make skis faster or which kick wax to use on classic skis to allow for adequate kick up the hills.

Differences in air temperature, humidity, and how long the snow has been around are all factors in the structure of the snow and therefore how it interacts with the base of your ski. At recreational levels, using the temperature to pick which wax is just fine, but at the highest level (and budget) all these factors will come into play to select the fastest skis and wax.

To compete on the highest level, an arsenal of skis is necessary to be prepared for any conditions.

As much as some people (like me) hate to admit that equipment matters, wax and skis are a huge factor in skiing and can make the difference between the race of your life and a terrible race, even with the same output from the athlete.

Unpredictable weather is a significant source of anxiety
Because of the importance of ski and wax selection in racing, the weather plays a huge factor. Weather forecasts are not necessarily known for their impeccable accuracy and when a race is riding on it, this can be a stressful state of affairs. Similar anxiety strikes with especially weird weather or drastic temperature changes over the course of the race.

For example, a conversation en route to a race watching the thermometer on the car might sound like this. “It’s too cold, it wasn’t supposed to be this cold. Think we will have time to rewax when we get there? Why can’t they ever get it right?!”

Marathons require ninja fueling skills.
Ever try handling a cylindrical object with 5 foot sticks strapped to your hands while traveling at 10+ miles per hour at 80-90% max HR? Enough said. Fueling requires practice and attention to logistical challenges. Bottles freeze, camelbak hoses freeze and cold gels change from semisolids to solids. Solutions include insulated bottles, awesome friends or family willing to do bottle handoffs, and practice with a drink belt and gels that remain accessible.

Skiing easy demands skiing verrry sloooowly

Since it is such a full-body, demanding activity, it can be hard to ski easy enough to be considered recovery. It can be done, but is easier alone and if necessary not uploaded to Strava (check out Elaine’s blog post on that topic!)

Although it might sound like an overly technical and intimidating sport, cross country skiing can be an accessible and enjoyable form of cross training, recreation or competition. The quirky technicalities of the sport at higher levels are fun to some but are not a barrier to enjoying the woods at any speed.