Blog - Page 26 of 35 - Team Athletic Mentors

24 Hour National Challenge- The Aftermath

July 21st, 2015 by Team OAM NOW / Athletic Mentors

By Lindsey Stebbins, Team OAM Now Elite Club

I have sat down 4 different times to write this blog. Each time I have written a few paragraphs and deleted them. I had a very difficult time figuring out how to sum up my experience and provide some insight into the race. It was a rather long race for me and there were 2973392462955 thoughts going through my head before/during/after. There’s so much I want to say and share, but in the name of brevity, here are some of the funny moments and a brief race recap.

First and foremost, I want to thank everyone for the support. It was a surprise to see Mike ride up and then to hear there was a huge group of Team OAM riders a few miles up the road! It was nice to see all of you! Cheryl, Cricket, Mike, Polly Krywanski and Amy… Thank you for coming out to base camp. It is so nice to see familiar faces when we come in and head back out for yet another loop. It truly helps a ton. Thank You! Thank You! Thank You!

The 33^rd National 24 Hour Challenge started sharply at 8am on Saturday Jun 20^th. As tradition included, the bag pipe players sent Glenn, Dave, and me off for our journeys to rack up as many miles as possible in 24 hours. From 8am on the 20th until Sunday Jun 21^st, we all rode our bikes. For Glenn this concluded his 24^th N24HC; Dave wrapped up his 12^th N24HC, but his first as being a professional pace wheel; I finished my first N24HC. I placed 2^nd in my age group with 385.1 miles. Dave placed 2^nd in his age group with 415.5 miles; Glenn placed 3^rdin his age group with 409.1 miles. Glenn is also 3^rd overall for all time high mileage with 7,854.2! Dave and I broke the father/daughter record by 119 miles. We totaled 800.6 between the two of us.

Our Pit Crew: Not crewing myself this year was bittersweet. The days leading up to the race I was bummed about not being able to pit. I still miss it. However, we did assemble an incredible crew. Denise (Mom)-Thanks for being mom and making sure the crew got food/drinks/etc. Thanks for supporting us and putting up with our grouchiness from training. Ashley (sister)- Thanks for keeping awesome mileage sheets, keeping us organized, and getting us in and out quick. Corey (fiancée)- Thank you for everything: supporting my training and the moods/tiredness that came along with it, our sky rocketed grocery budget, my overhaul of the office, etc.. Thank you for keeping us going through the night and the awesome launches! Darren (friend)- Thanks for all your support and providing comic relief to everyone.

The Start: I should probably start riding with people or race more. Starting off in a big mob of cyclists and trying to clip in (without falling over) was an experience. I was a little nervous with people all around me. There’s a lot happening at a start – I was swaying to clip in, yet trying to keep my eyes forward so I didn’t hit anyone, all while sizing up groups to figure out where I should settle in. This was my first mass start, so at least I know what to expect when I decide to race again.

Jim Bob? Eminem?: There was a nice gentleman who rode with us for the first 50 miles and was very kind. I got a chance to introduce myself to him and we talked a bit. Jim Bob is a very nice gentleman and, by the context of our conversation, I’m assuming a fairly PG person (this is important to know for later). As the hours ticked by, I put the speaker on my bike and set my playlist. The playlist was eclectic (oldies for my dad, pump up songs, and yes, some rap). Somewhere in the middle of the night someone rides up behind me…. “Lindsey?”

I replied “Yes, who’s back there?”

“Jim Bob. I’ve never been so glad to hear Eminem in my life!” I immediately started to laugh.

The Snickers Bar: Weird things happen when I’ve been on a bike for a long time. My IQ and decision making skills drop significantly and I just go into survival mode. For example, on the 24 mile loop, there is a checkpoint (checkpoint #5) about 25 minutes away from the school. They have food, water, and port-a-johns. I had to go potty (yet again) and headed into the port-a-john. Someone before me had emptied their pockets and there was a bunch of trash on the bench part. Then… THERE IT WAS……a wrapped, bite size snickers bar! Being in my survival mode, I just grabbed the snickers bar, put it in my pocket and pedaled away. I ate that snickers bar down the road and it was the best piece of candy I have ever had.

Nausea Training: My dad’s infamous nausea training: How to combat nausea during the race? You train for it. The night before the race, be sure to enjoy a few too many adult beverages and, no matter how icky you feel the next day, get on your bike and ride. Seems logical? At least you’re prepared to not feel great. Now my only question is why didn’t he tell me about this training method BEFORE the race?!

Things I learned: 1) I need to practice my cornering 2) Chafing is inevitable. Buy stock in bag balm. 3) Spend way more time on the bike if I’m going to do this again. 4) Music is a must. 5) Candy out of a port-a-john is still candy and is still good.

Since the challenge, many people have asked me “What’s next?” It’s a natural question after such a physical test, but to be honest, I’m not sure. I am back in the weight room, biking and running, and just enjoying training.

Happy racing everyone!

Magnificent Team Work Leads to 3rd for Dan Yankus at Maple Hill Race for Wishes

July 17th, 2015 by Team OAM NOW / Athletic Mentors

By Collin Snyder, Team OAM Now Cyclist

Did you read my last blog entry about racing trade secrets? I forgot one: If you line up at a 105 mile road race without a strong team behind you, don’t attack a half mile into the race.

However, that’s exactly what I did at the Maple Hill Race for the Wishes Pro 1/2 Road Race, with one small exception: I had a ridiculously strong group of team mates lined up beside me. Representing Team OAM Now was the power house Dan Yankus, limitless sufferer Alex Vanias, and strong man Pete Ehmann who, despite breaking a rib 2 weeks prior at Herman Miller, finished 4th in Saturday’s BTR Energy Crit.

Our plan was simple: I would attack early, and make it stick. Shortly after we made our first turn away from the start, I went to the front and attacked. As we had reasoned, the collective response was nothing. After getting a couple hundred-yard gap, one other masochistic soul decided to join me. We worked our butts off for two laps and, at one point, managed to get about 2 minutes on the field.

Shortly after the start of the third lap, a chase group of 4 bridged up and breathed new life into our tired break. Our average speed popped up and, pretty soon, our gap of 45 seconds ballooned up to nearly 2:45 just a few miles down the road. At this point, I was starting to feel toasty, but with enough water, I felt like I could handle it. The six of us kept motoring on, digging ever deeper into the tank. Eyeing the competition, I knew I was one of the smaller fish, but I had to keep going for the team.

About a lap and a half later, my savior came. Dan Yankus had followed David Williams for nearly a half an hour to make it up to our break. When I bridge a break, I normally sit in for a little bit. Not this group. They went straight to the front and upped the pace even more. At this point, I was hurting. I hung with the now group of 9 until a relentless pace from the big hitters popped my original break companion, EPS’s Bryce Nuiver from the first chase group and, ultimately, me at precisely 3 hours and 75 miles in. My legs had had enough.

I switched to endurance/death march pace, envisioning an eventual swallowing from the field. I soldiered on, keeping an eye over my shoulder to spot the inevitable. In the distance, I could see a chase group coming up fast. It was Alex Vanias along with two other riders. I took one look at their pace and knew I had nothing. I watched them quickly fade into the distance. I felt like I was barely moving, and made a deal with myself that when the eventual field caught me, I would try and hold on, but if they dropped me before the start of the last lap, I would throw the towel in.

Shortly thereafter, another chase group came barreling through, this time, it included Pete Ehmann. Pete said he was on the rivet for way too long and they attacked hard to keep me from jumping on. Little did they know, I was dead, so the joke was on them. This unfortunately popped Pete, so we decided to ride in together. The pack didn’t catch us before we started the last lap, so based upon my deal, I had to keep going. For the next 17 miles, we marched on slowly but surely, giving each other motivation to continue. When we reached the final bump (which felt like a mountain), we looked back to see no one. With a 2 mile downhill run into the finish, we realized the pain was not in vain. We had stayed away from the group. Without a great teammate like Pete, I never would have pushed myself on that last lap and would have eventually rejoined the field; I’m ever grateful. My stretch goal of never actually riding with the field came to fruition, with 104.5 miles of pain in my legs. I must say, you probably won’t see me writing another blog about attacking at mile .5 of another 100+ mile road race any time soon. I might have to put a limit of 80 or so.

Overall, it was a great day for Team OAM Now’s elite team, with every rider finishing ahead of the break. Dan managed to clean up what I started and finished 3rd on the day. Alex and his ever lasting motor earned 7th, and Pete and I finished 14th and 13^th respectively.

This was team work at its finest. I knew I could sacrifice my race knowing that my move would eventually lead to overall success for the team. It has been an honor and a pleasure to ride for such a great team with amazing support from teammates, staff and sponsors of Team OAM NOW!.

Trade Secrets: Things They Don’t Teach You About Racing

July 9th, 2015 by Team OAM NOW / Athletic Mentors

By Collin Snyder, Team OAM Now Cyclist

We all know the basics: ride a lot, eat right, pay attention, and success comes with hard work. However, there are some things in racing that can only be learned through years of trial and error. After seeing a new Team OAM Now racer lose a race after a small error on the first lap, I put together a cheat sheet to help young racers succeed. If you find any of this useful, share the love and share this on Facebook!

Gloves: Racing is inherently dangerous and accidents happens. While I rarely use gloves when I’m out on a solo training ride, I always wear them while racing. Back in 2008, I crashed hard in a Cat 4 race going about 30mph. Making a 4 hour drive home with hands that looked like I had exfoliated them with a cheese grater made me think twice about clothing choices. Ever since then, when I race, it’s with full-finger MTB gloves. I’ve seen others take it one step further and wear Craftsman Mechanics gloves or, in Rich Stark of AAVC’s case, bright orange gardening gloves.

Pin Your Number down: One thing that will instantly identify you as a noob is not pinning your number correctly. In running races, it really doesn’t matter all that much. Use 4 safety pins, put them through the 4 little holes on the number and place it wherever you see fit on your jersey. Do this in road racing, and your guaranteed a number that acts like a parachute and tells others “Stay away from me. I don’t know how to put a number on, so don’t count on me making it through this next corner.” Instead, use the steering wheel on your car to stretch the jersey out a bit, and go to town. The more pins the better. You want to let as little air as possible get behind the number. Do not use the holes. If it’s a race that requires 2 numbers, insure you can still use your pockets. Place the edge of the number along the top edge of the pocket. Again, pin away.
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Sheikh’s Triumphant Return to Tri Garners 1st Women’s, 2nd Overall at Gull Lake Tri

July 7th, 2015 by Team OAM NOW / Athletic Mentors

By Elaine Sheikh, Team OAM Now Triathlete

I’m sure everyone is sick of reading about wet, cold triathlons this season. So far, I am 3 for 3 for triathlons in the rain. When I woke up Saturday June 27th at 4:50 am for the Gull Lake Triathlon and heard rain pattering on my roof, my heart sank. I had checked the weather at 11:30 pm the night before, and there had only been a 30% chance of rain at 11 am for the next day. However, here we were, with a steady stream of rain coming down all morning. As I arrived at the race site, I felt an impending sense of doom. Here I was, about to race my first triathlon since my injury , and it was 57 degrees and raining. Not ideal conditions for a stellar race. To make things even better, by the time I walked fifteen minutes from parking to the race site, I realized that I had left my goggles in my car. Luckily, coach Mark Olson came to the rescue with a pair of goggles I could use! In addition, Cheryl Sherwood had been awesome enough to come set up the Team OAM Now tent, where we could huddle out of the rain while getting into our wetsuits.

The swim started out with rapid-fire waves, one minute apart each. The olympic swimmers were off quickly and soon the sprint waves were starting. There was a two-minute gap between the men over 45 and the women 44 and under, which was my wave. For once, I actually started off in the front of the swim and was able to sprint strong off the front. I soon realized that was unnecessary for securing a clear position though — by 150 yards into the swim, only me and one other woman were off the front of the pack. Soon she slowed, so I swam around her and started catching up to the men. Fortunately, because of the two minute gap, by the time I reached the men, they were fairly spread out and I had no problem swimming around them. I exited the water feeling strong, confirmed by someone who announced I was the first woman out of the water. I had a little trouble getting out of my wetsuit, but soon was on the bike and pedaling through the wind and the rain. Unfortunately, the weather took its toll on the bike. Although I was less cold than I had feared I would be, my pace was 1.5 mph under what I had projected.You know it’s bad when you ride slower for ten miles than you did in a half-iron two weeks prior! Everyone else was suffering the same conditions, though, and an out-and-back course allowed me to see that there was a considerable gap between the next woman and me. I did my best to finish the bike strong, even though I knew my pace would be far below what I had hoped. I was more worried about the run. Visions of having crippling pelvic pain again and being put out for the rest of the season kept creeping into my mind and I tried to shut them out.

I hopped off the bike rather clumsily, slipping on the wet pavement and wet pedals. Then, in transition, I realized I forgot how to do an efficient T2! That’s something I need to practice, for sure. I tried to sprint out of transition, but kept slipping on the wet grass and had to slow down. Once I exited the transition area and hit the pavement, though, it was showtime. My watch had frozen, so I had no idea what my pace was. I just focused on picking off the men ahead of me one at a time. Finally, my watch started working and I saw that I was holding around 6:30 min/mile. I had been hoping for between 6:20 and 6:30 for this race, so I was right on pace. There were fewer and fewer people ahead of me and I was starting to have a lonely run. Then, just before the turnaround, I caught up to a guy who picked up the pace as we headed back towards the finish. Trying to stick with him helped me hold pace and he started shouting back encouragement to me when I slowed down a bit. I was just so happy to finally be running in a race again!

I didn’t see another woman until I hit mile 2. That meant I had a mile on her, which would be impossible to make up unless I decided to completely stop moving. I was happy to see Teammate Kathy Braginton as the second place woman! She had a solid gap on the woman behind her, so I felt confident she would maintain her position until the finish. I finished strong and couldn’t stop smiling for hours, despite the fact that I was shivering uncontrollably and my teeth were chattering. I asked if I had time to walk to my car and change before awards, but I think the volunteer forgot to account for how far away the cars were.

I finally got dried off and changed, and came back to the race site…. just in time to see people walking away with their awards. I won first woman overall, and second place overall (only one guy beat me!), and yet, I missed the award ceremony while getting changed. Luckily, I had been chatting with the photographer beforehand so he happily had me stand on a tree stump with my award and took my photo for the gallery. It was a great day despite the weather — now, I just need all of the huge blisters on both of my feet to heal!

Team OAM Now rocked the stage once again, with Kathy Braginton as first overall for the masters women division in the sprint, Paul Raynes as 2nd for his age group in the sprint, and Michelle Dalton had first for her age group in the olympic. A shout-out goes to Brian Reynolds who braved the dreary weather to come out and volunteer at packet pickup as well. June was a solid month for Team OAM Now multisport athletes — here’s to a great month in July with some non-rainy race mornings!

Racing Isn’t Always About the Results

July 6th, 2015 by Team OAM NOW / Athletic Mentors

By Roxane Kippen, Team OAM Now Triathlete

Team OAM NOW Multisport athletes have been reeling in the podium finishes this year and are on track for another phenomenal season of performances. However, not every race goal involves standing atop a set of steps. Sometimes we race just for fun and sometimes we race to train. The T Rex 10 Miler and Wimpy 8K Trail Run on 4^th of July was a combination of both fun and training for five of our multisport ladies.

Training plans include some high intensity days that can, oftentimes, be substituted with a race. For me, it is definitely easier to go out and do a hard run with a group rather than by myself or just one or two others. Choosing to do a race in place of a hard training day allows an athlete to focus on the training without all the stress of race day. It also gives an opportunity to test one’s limits…how much of a gap can I close in the last mile of a run? How hard can I push on climbs and still maintain decent speed on downhills and flats? If I go out hard, how long can I hold that pace? You’d be surprised by the things you can learn from doing B & C (lower priority) races that you can work to improve for A races.

There are a growing number of events available from which to chose, especially for running, so it is not hard to find a lower key race to mix up your training venue. The T Rex 10 Miler and Wimpy 8K Trail Run is held at Fallasburg Park in Lowell, MI every 4^th of July. It is a pretty challenging course with some technical single track trail and some big gravel road climbs. Course signage, with T Rex cutouts, were a reminder not to take things too seriously though.

I chose to race the Wimpy 8K (just under 5 miles) to help teach my body to run fast on tired legs. The day before the race, I rode 30 miles of trail on my mountain bike which left me a bit fatigued. Amy Kimber, Cheryl Sherwood, Erin Young and Raquel Torres all ran the T Rex 10 Mile race. Amy decided to do the race the night before, Cheryl had ridden 100+ miles the day before, Erin is training for a 100 miler while still regaining her fitness after having a baby a few months ago, and Raquel was just wrapping up a very hard week of training. Clearly, winning was not the name of the game.

Our goal was to have fun and get in a quality training day and we all accomplished our mission. While I did end up walking part of a huge climb on a gravel road (this same climb is one of the first on the Lowell 50 course), I did push to close the gap on a female runner ahead of me on the return route to the finish. I’d say it took me a half mile to close the gap, up and down the gravel road, but then I really struggled to stay with her for the last mile in the trail and my legs just didn’t have what it took to pass.

Trail running is a great alternative to the constant pounding of pavement. It also builds hip and ankle stability and leg strength. Although, it does take a bit of concentration to maneuver around trees, over rocks and roots and up sandy hills. Raquel is a new trail runner and said the obstacles were definitely a challenge for her, but she is looking to improve her run and focusing on adding some running races to her training.

The T Rex was a very well-run event with no fancy chip timing and, in turn, no crazy expensive race entry fees. Post race refreshments included a make your own snow cone station along with a giant table full of raffle prizes. I’ll definitely be back for this one. Mid-July the multisport team kicks it back up a notch with several Michigan races. Keep an eye out for us at Tri del Sol, Clark Lake Triathlon, Little Traverse Triathlon, Caseville Triathlon and Tri Allegan.

Brian Reynolds Training Plan and Race Strategy Earn Him a 4:10 Finish in His First Half-Iron!

July 2nd, 2015 by Team OAM NOW / Athletic Mentors

By Brian Reynolds, Team OAM Now Triathlete

A few weekends ago, I completed my first half ironman distance at the Grand Rapids Triathlon. Grand Rapids was an “A” race that I trained for, for the past 7 months. When Mark Olson (my coach) and I sat down last September, we set a goal to break 4:15. To accomplish my goal, I woke at 4:20am in the mornings to go to master’s swim group for 1.5 hours and swam at least 5000 yards per day, three times a week. I was doing 2-4 quality runs and 2-4 bike rides per week. Between the months of February and May, I focused more on my running to prepare for the Fifth Third River Bank 25 run, my other “A” race, and resumed regular triathlon training after.

After Fifth Third, I developed peroneal tendonitis in my left foot which meant I had to reduce my running significantly. Fortunately, I was able to swim and bike just fine. I found my foot injury to be a blessing in disguise because I was able to focus on my biking which was lacking at the time. Mark had to modify my training to include a several longer rides of 2 hours or more. In a 6 week span, I increased my Functional Threshold Power by 8% which is significant improvement in a short amount of time. During that span, I had some of my best bike workouts ever. My body was craving cycling. The more I rode, the more my body responded to the challenge. These long rides also gave me the opportunity to work on my nutrition which was the biggest unknown to me because I’ve never raced a Half Ironman before, let alone competed for over 4 hours.

One week before the race, I did the GR tri practice swim where I picked up my new Aquaman wetsuit. The wetsuit uses Metal Cell technology which enables the neoprene to stay close to the skin to help keep you warm by allowing less water to get into the suit. People like me, who have very little body fat, find this extra warmth beneficial because it means I’m burning less energy in the water. In addition, the expected water temp on race day was 66 degs F so the suit would come in handy. After swim practice, I rode the course on my TT racing bike to do a pre-race workout. The workout was to go easy the first hour, then ride at race pace effort the last hour. Overall, I felt good throughout the ride, but in in the last ten minutes of the ride, I was uncomfortable, as if I was running out of energy. After the ride I did an hour run. During the run, I felt okay for the first mile, but then I began to feel terrible during the 2nd and 3rd miles. I recognized this “terrible feeling” as being low on glucose, so I started to take in calories until I started to feel better. The calories helped and I began to run more normal again. This was an important discovery a week before the race because it made me realize that I needed to take in more calories on the bike. Before I started the bike leg, I would have already burned through glucose during the swim; thus, I would have to make up for the glucose loss on the bike.

On race day, I woke up at 4:20am to rain and scattered thunderstorms, so I wasn’t sure if the race would even start. When I arrived at the race site, there was a light drizzle and everything was soaked. In fact, I had to pin my number to my bike because it wouldn’t stick otherwise. In the transition area, I placed my running equipment in a large plastic bag to keep it dry. After setting up transition, it was time to get my wetsuit on and head towards the start.

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Frankie Andreu Joins TEAM OAM NOW to offer FREE Cycling Clinics During Kalamazoo Race Weekend

July 1st, 2015 by Team OAM NOW / Athletic Mentors

Kalamazoo Race Weekend begins on Friday, July 10, with the Team OAM Now/Athletic Mentors Race Clinic. This clinic, now in its 7th year, open to both men and women of all abilities, offers riders and racers an introduction to the basics of racing. Clinic leaders, who are seasoned racers, offer additional tips and tricks as well as drills to practice these skills. Joining the Team OAM NOW race team to lead the clinics are Frankie Andreu, nine time Tour de France competitor, Mackenzie Woodring, Paralympic Gold, Silver and Bronze medalist, Chris Gottwald, 100 mile TT World Record Holder and former State Champion , Amy Kimber. Finally, riders will have the chance to ride the Miller Energy Crit race course while receiving course specific techniques and analysis. There will be ample time throughout for riders to ask questions about racing, improving skills, and the course itself. The clinic is free if you pre-register, but $10 on day of the event. Pre-register at athleticmentors.com or click here for the Men’s Clinic or here for the Women’s Clinic.

On Saturday, July 11, is the Miller Energy Criterium. Not only is it an anniversary year (10th anniversary), but it’s also the State Championship race for women, masters, and junior riders which ensures some great competition this year.

This special anniversary race also features an exciting guest announcer, Frankie Andreu, nine time Tour de France competitor. In addition to racing the Tour with the U.S. Postal Service team, America’s most famous racing team, his racing experience is both vast and impressive including: La Vuelta a Espana (Tour of Spain), Giro d’Italia, and two Olympics, 1988 and 1996, where he placed 8th and 4th respectively.

Finally, on Sunday, July 12, is the Race for Wishes. In partnership with Michigan Make-a-Wish foundation, this charity race helps raise funds for ill children in our area. Riders will tour the rolling hills of Lawton, Michigan, with beautiful scenery including Bankson Lake, vineyards, and farmland.

Registration for all of these events now. Follow the links below to register for one, or even better, all 3!

To register for the Team OAM Now/Athletic Mentors Race Clinics: If you pre-register, it’s free!
Men register here.
Women register here.

To get more information for the Miller Energy Crit, please email the Race Director, Jon Ballema.

To register for the Race for Wishes, register here

You can also find the race weekend series here, with links to registration for all 3 events.

Soggy Socks Don’t Slow Down Team OAM Now at Grand Rapids Tri

June 26th, 2015 by Team OAM NOW / Athletic Mentors

By Elaine Sheikh, Team OAM Now, Triathlete

The morning of the Grand Rapids Triathlon started out at 4 am for many members of the Team OAM Now. Like last year, it was raining steadily as athletes set up the transition area. For those of you who have never had the distinct pleasure of setting up transition in the rain, it really is an experience. Forget about using electrical tape to attach gels to your top tube – nothing sticks. Your towel and shoes will be soaked if you don’t have a trash bag to cover them. If your helmet has an eyeshield, anticipate it being wet and impossible to see out of. I’ll admit, after my sub-par performance at Big Fish Triathlon in Ortonville two weeks prior, where I did the Olympic aquabike in 45 degrees and pouring rain, I was less than thrilled for another rainy day aquabike. At least my hands weren’t numb as I got into my wetsuit this time!

The Grand Rapids Triathlon is one of the biggest tris in the state. Team OAM Now/Athletic Mentors is one of the sponsors of this race. As such, we had a tent at the expo the day before the race. It was great to catch up with teammates before race day. As we handed out hot/cold packs, granola bars, and fliers, I learned that most of the multisport team racing would be doing the half-iron distance. The more the merrier, right? Plus, that meant that I would probably see some friendly faces as I entered the water in the first wave at 7 am. However, as I lined up in the corral to get in the water, I didn’t see any of my teammates. No worries though – I hung out with some friends from Grand Valley State University, where I did my undergrad, and hoped everyone from Team OAM Now was in place and ready to race!

The swim was uneventful and I hoped that, like last year, it would no longer be raining when I hit the road on the bike. To my minor disappointment, it was still sprinkling. The roads were, for the most part, decently drained and I only had to weave around several large puddles. I felt good on the bike though and, with the exception of needing to wipe off my eyeshield every mile or so, I wasn’t hampered by the rain.

I didn’t see any Team OAM Now members until just before the turnaround. I saw one man coming towards me and I racked my brain to remember who it could be. I settled on Brian Reynolds. As I rounded the turnaround, a volunteer told me I was the second female. I saw Raquel Torres less than half a mile back. She had started two waves after me, so had made up ten minutes on me at that point. She passed me within the next mile and we exchanged a few words of encouragement. Next thing I knew, Kaitlyn Patterson, who started in the same wave as Raquel, flew past me. I was going a bit over 21 mph at the time, so knew she had to be going at least 24. I made a mental note to attempt to mountain bike more and see if it turned me into a beast on the bike like her! Kaitlyn hasn’t been doing a lot of triathlon training as she has spent the year racing mountain bikes, and yet, there she was, dominating a half-iron tri on the road! Not long after Kaitlyn passed me, I was passed by another Team OAM Now male, who I decided was probably Todd Anthes. At that point, I was out of water, my hip was completely cramped, and I was in too much pain to pay attention to people coming up on the other side. I missed a few teammates, but all I could think about was finishing at that point! I was passed by another woman in the aquabike, Kim Albin. She’s a strong cyclist and I tried to stay with her, but it wasn’t happening for me. (My heart said go, go, go, but my body said no, no, no – although I think the actual song has those two things in reverse…) My focus was then to just hold off the women behind me to preserve a podium place in the half aquabike. The finish line couldn’t come fast enough!

After the race, I immediately found an icepack for my hip and tried to waddle around awkwardly to find my friends and teammates. Overall, I had a decent race, although I would have liked to have been able to finish the bike as hard as I started. Regardless, Team OAM Now had a lot of podium places, and I was proud to be one of them despite my injury. Most notably, Team OAM Now had the top 2 females in the half iron distance! Kaitlyn, who remember, has been focusing on mountain bike training, won the half iron with a stellar time of 4:30! Raquel was second, pulling the awesome time of 4:38 in her first ever half. Brian went 4:10 in his first half, which was good for fourth overall and first in his age group. I think I’ll keep hanging out with these fast folks in the hope that some of their speed rubs off on me!

Sprint
Chuck Grzanka– 1st AG
Paul Raynes– 2nd AG

Sprint Relay
Mike Steele– 1st OA
Michelle Olson (Elite Club) 1st OA

Half Aquabike
Elaine Sheikh-3rd OA

Half

Kaitlyn Patterson– 1st OA
Raquel Torres– 2nd OA
Brian Reynolds– 1st AG, 4th OA
Todd Anthes– 3rd AG
Michelle Dalton– 9th AG

Sponsor Spotlight: Giant Bicycles

June 24th, 2015 by Team OAM NOW / Athletic Mentors

Giant Bicycles started in 1972 and has become one of the best known names in cycling. Known for their quality, craftsmanship, reliability, and performance, Giant is the bike of choice for many riders, from elite to recreational. An industry innovator, Giant’s goals, similar to those of Team OAM Now, go beyond medals and to the heart of the sport: a pure love of riding. Giant has sponsored Athletic Mentors‘ Teams for 3 years.

For Team OAM Now, this means bikes that win races. This means performance and a stylish design so they look good passing competitors. More than that, it means confidence in the gear that gets them to the finish and the support of one of the best known names in cycling: Giant. For Giant it means athletes who embody sportsmanship, quality, ability, and a desire to further the sport.

Ed Note: The relationship between athlete and sponsor is often understated and oversimplified. Team OAM Now/AM does its best to make sure the relationship we build with our sponsors reflects its importance.

We promote our sponsor’s brand, with professionalism, on social media including blogs and Facebook. We are active in the community and participate in over 75 community events every year to help our sponsors give back to community. We (the athletes) understand our sponsors’ services and brand, use their products and services, and refer business to them. In return, the sponsors help us develop young athletes, and create exposure and opportunities where those circumstances might not otherwise exist.

For a sponsor, this kind of support is also an investment in someone’s dreams, a measure of faith in ability and determination, and a connection with the team’s values. For an athlete, the support given by a sponsor is invaluable. In fact, it’s more than support; it’s a vote of confidence; it’s an opportunity to achieve; it promises the joy of bringing along a “family” when there is triumph.

For this reason, we’d like to take time to introduce you to our sponsors. We cannot thank them enough for their support of Team OAM/Now, its athletes, its goals and visions, and its values.

Giving Back: JoAnn Cranson Rides Tandem at Michigan Blind Athletic Associate Sports Camp and Gets Back More Than She Ever Expected

June 22nd, 2015 by Team OAM NOW / Athletic Mentors

By JoAnn Cranson, Team OAM Now Cyclist

It was Friday, late afternoon, after a long week at work and my motivation level had bottomed. Why had I signed up to assist with tandem rides for youth at Michigan Blind Athletic Association Sports Camp on that night? I fretted over it. Riding a tandem bike really requires two people working together and I worried that my partner and I would struggle. How could I help balance my partner on the bike, particularly when some might be my size or bigger?

The Michigan Blind Athletic Association Sports Camp aims to encourage students who are blind, grades K-12, to explore and discover their athletic abilities. While most of the young athletes are from Michigan, they do get participants from all over the United States. For many, it is their first opportunity to participate, while others are learning that they have incredible potential to not only participate, but excel in athletic pursuits.

On that Friday, May 15, I was pleased to learn that some of the young athletes had previous exposure to cycling; it was great to see that their loved ones had already shared a little about cycling with them. However, my first rider had never been on a bike before; I watched as she got a sense of the bike by feeling the seat, the pedals, handlebars, connecting bars, and every part of the bike—forming an image of it in her mind. She asked many questions until it made as much sense as it could before a rider has a firsthand experience.

I started off as a poor teacher; I took many things for granted, but soon learned to explain the importance of each part of the bike, what I would be doing, and what I would need from each of them – “keep pedaling to stay balanced,” “pedal harder when we are going uphill to keep moving,” “yeah, it’s okay to coast downhill.” In some ways, the learning curve might have been greater for me as a teacher than for them as a rider.

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