Masters Men

Landgraff Grabs a Win at Inaugural Corktown Crit

August 17th, 2016 by Kaitlyn Patterson

–By Richard Landgraff, Team OAM NOW Masters Cyclist

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

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

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

BTR / Maple Hills Race Weekend Highlights

July 13th, 2016 by Kaitlyn Patterson

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

Elite Men

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

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

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

Women

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

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

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

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

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

Masters Men

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

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

Juniors

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

Full BTR Criterium Results can be found here.

Full Maple Hills results can be found here.

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.

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.

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

Iceman: Quest for the Podium

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

By Chris Abston, Team OAM Now Cyclist

ICEMAN!! Why is this race one of the best races of the year? What is the allure of this famous race? It’s a race with so much history and is recognized not only nationally, but also worldwide. This was the 26th year of this race that is deemed the largest point-to-point MTB race in the country. It started in 1990 by a few guys who wanted to see if a mountain bike could make the trip from Kalkaska to Traverse City. 35 eager participants made the trek. Now, this year over 5,000 participants took on the challenge to conquer the historic event.

The first year there were no prizes just the satisfaction of accomplishing the goal. This year, the total purse was a whopping $61,430.00. So, as I look at this race, comprised mostly of fire roads, two track and some single track, just shy of 30 miles with about 1,700 ft. of climbing, I ponder why this race is so important to many. The race is not technical by any means. Thank god because its no secret that I am not a very good technical rider. I would call it a time trial thru the trees and forest. A pure hammer fest. No real pre-riding is necessary unless for the last 4 miles or so because that part changes from year to year. I started racing bicycles 4 years ago at the ripe old age of 48 and I feel like I am still a neophyte.

My first Iceman was in 2011. It was only my 3rd race ever and my first MTB race, so I really had no training guidance other than just riding hard all the time. A few days prior to the race I was a little off and not quite feeling 100%. After registration on Friday, I started to develop a fever, but I didn’t know how high. When we arrived at our friend’s house, I was surprised that my temp had spiked to 102. I was unable to get any sleep that night and also unable to get the temperature to budge. My wife and friends tried to talk me out of the race, but I was bound and determined. I was not about to let a fever stop me. As I warmed up, I started to develop a cough, but it seemed mild. As the race progressed, the cough started getting worse and by the time I finished I could not stop coughing. I crossed the finish line with a time of 2:27:57 on my old 1999 26” Cannondale hardtail. Unfortunately, I wasn’t up to sticking around and enjoying the festivities that were taking place after the race so we packed up and went home to Livonia to rest for the remainder of the weekend. My symptoms hung on so off to the doctor I went. It was determined that I had developed pneumonia. I wasn’t able to work for a week. It was just awful. For what? A race. A silly race that placed me 54th out of 92 in my age bracket. What was it about this race that I felt so compelled to compete in when my body had other plans?
Read the rest of this entry »

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

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

By Richard Landgraff, Team OAM Now Cyclist

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Racing Not for the Podium, But for the Cure

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

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

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

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

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