Team Athletic Mentors

A 5th Grader’s Triathlete Story

March 20th, 2025 by JoAnn Cranson

By: Kinley Polnasek

My name is Kinley Polnasek and I am 11 years old and currently in 5th grade at St. Joseph Elementary in Battle Creek. This is my second year participating with Team Athletic Mentors. I love all things sports and currently play basketball and soccer in addition to triathlons. I completed my first kids triathlon when I was 7 years old at the Cereal City Triathlon. No one in my family or extended family has ever participated in the sport so I thought it would be cool if I was the first one! While I was nervous at first, I loved how fast and competitive it was. The final sprint through the finish line is always my favorite part. It gives me the chance to really push myself and see how much more I have to give!

I am really proud of how I’ve finished each race I’ve competed in and how much I’ve improved on my weakest area, the swim. I’ve been working hard with a local swim club to gain more confidence, speed and endurance.

Out of all three disciplines, the run is probably my favorite. At a very young age I watched my parents compete in different run distances and then started joining in on the shorter ones. My dad is a big inspiration when it comes to running. He has completed six 100-mile races including the Western States 100. Since being involved in these ultra marathons, I’ve come across several women who I look up to and am inspired by, such as Courtney Dauwalter, Sally McRae and Des Linden. I’ve read their books and often find myself using their mantras. Courtney’s idea of the pain cave pushes me to my own limits and Des Linden’s mantra ‘Calm, calm, calm, relax, relax, relax’ is one I find myself repeating.

My main goal for this year is to bump up to a Sprint Triathlon for at least one of my races. The last couple of years I’ve done Super Sprints or Kid’s Events and I’m hoping to be able to push my training and get even more experience at the next level. I plan to race a few new triathlons this year including the new South Haven Tri. In between my soccer and basketball training, I plan to keep up with my running, start getting outside for biking and continue strength training with my mom at Athletic Mentors!

In five years I will be in the middle of my high school career. While I’m uncertain of what that might look like, I am certain that I will continue my athletic career. I would love to attend a college like University of Michigan or Notre Dame and compete at the next level. That is the dream!

Learn About Our Newest Jr. Triathlete – Briony Dean

February 24th, 2025 by JoAnn Cranson

By: Briony Dean

Hi, my name is Briony Dean! I am 14 years old and a freshman in high school. I see myself as an athlete and try to be my best. I am currently pursuing track where I hope to run the 800 and the mile.

My favorite athletic activity has got to be swimming. Something that makes me very proud of myself is that this year, I went to the Division 2 state meet as an alternate for Portage Northern. I’ve wanted to be in the water for as long as I can remember. Now, I’ve been a competitive swimmer for almost 7 years! The part about competitive swimming that I love the most is mainly the environment. I love being able to race, drop time, and qualify for different meets.

To be honest, I don’t know what got me into swimming, I’ve always loved being in the water. However, these past few years, watching the Olympics and legends like Katie Ledecky or Summer McIntosh win gold has inspired me to keep going. My goal this year is to compete more and to make an individual state cut. To reach this, I am going to train hard and push myself like never before.

My newest athletic endeavor is triathlon. I was able to join my friends at a triathlon camp this past summer. I enjoyed the tri camp we did over the summer, and cheering on my friends and future teammates at the Shermanator. I had fun when we did our mile swim and short bike ride around the Gull Lake area. With my experience with running and swimming, I thought that doing triathlons would be a great opportunity and a good way to use my free time over the summer.

In five years, I see myself in college, working hard to succeed in academics and athleticism. I want to stay in the state but would like to get into a top university. I am super excited for the future and what is to come.

Getting to Know New TAMJD Rider Nathan LaGest

February 13th, 2025 by JoAnn Cranson

By: Nathan LaGest

My name is Nathan LaGest. I live in Ortonville Michigan, I’m 15 years old, and a sophomore at Oxford High School. I enjoy school and I do well with over a 4.0 GPA. I have been in competitive cycling for 8 years and started because I was looking for a new sport after participating in motorcycle racing, soccer, and baseball. I love the sport, the fun technical features, the beautiful scenery, constantly pushing my limits, and being out in nature. I raced and rode as an independent rider in MiSCA for the first two years of cycling. I then joined the Lake Orion Dragon Cycling Team when I was in fifth grade which I have been on for 6 years. I raced JV 9-10 this past season, finishing fifth overall, and I plan to move up to Varsity in the coming season.

This will be my first year as a TAMJD rider. I joined because I wanted to grow and push myself as a racer as well as expand my cycling disciplines. This past season’s races were extremely successful and I improved drastically. This team will definitely help me to grow and expand on those successes. I have exclusively been mountain bike racing and I wanted to try new types of racing such as gravel and road.

This team will give me a great opportunity to expand into these types of racing and see what types of other cycling opportunities are out there. Some of my goals this year are to try new varieties of cycling and find some that I enjoy and hopefully perform well in. I also want to improve and grow in mountain bike races as well. I want to be a top 10 Varsity rider in the MiSCA race series and get a podium in Peak to Peak as well as a sub-two-hour time in the Iceman.

Some of my favorite places to ride are new and unique trails that are different from what you would normally ride on and push you out of your comfort zone a little bit. I loved all of the trails in Pisgah, North Carolina because they were so different and unique from where I had been in Michigan with lots of elevation and beautiful scenery.

The same goes for races as I just love new trails and terrain. My favorite race this year was the first MiSCA race which was Merrell Trail because it has a wide variety of fun and flowy stuff with some good climbs and an awesome mangy and rocky section called Sawtooth towards the end of each lap.

One of my favorite group rides I have done was going to Mohican with some of my friends on the Lake Orion team and riding the trail. I like it just because it’s a really fun trail with lots of elevation and some fun sections that get rocky and challenging.

One of my favorite things about cycling is that you can see all the work that you have put in throughout the season and see how it pays off. Also, I love how it is a great environment to really push yourself and see what areas you can improve on to change your weaknesses into your strengths. Lastly, I love being outdoors and getting to experience nature while getting in a good workout and having a good time. One of the
biggest things that I’ve learned about myself while racing is that goals that seem unfeasible or far away at the time are by no means impossible and that if you put in the work and do your best you can achieve whatever you set your mind to.

The only other sport I do outside of cycling is diving. I compete and train throughout the winter and I love it. It is really fun and you learn to push past your fears and limits as you improve over time. Last year as a freshman I received my Varsity letter and rookie of the year award and plan to make it into State Finals this coming year. I also participated in the school marching band for a year and had a great time.

In addition to sports, I am a member of the Oakwood Student Ministries youth group and have been involved in the program since I started middle school. Through this group, I have been able to go on missions trips to Chicago and Kentucky where I have had an amazing time helping others and sharing my faith.

I am really excited for this coming year as an athlete on TAMJD and I look forward to all of the opportunities and challenges that I will face and hope I will be able to push myself to new heights and achieve my goals.

Learning New Disciplines

November 1st, 2024 by JoAnn Cranson

By: Miriam Bretzlaff

I made a goal for the 2023-2024 season to expand my training and racing into multiple disciplines; and I am happy to say that I was successful in doing so. This year I began to take part in several Team Athletic Mentors road, gravel, and cyclocross functions which provided me with enjoyable and interesting experiences. I have predominantly raced MTB cross country (XC) for the past eight years since I started MiSCA and Ore to Shore, and my training and riding has reflected this. XC has always been a ton of fun but I’m really glad I started trying new things, too.

Road: Before this season, the only road riding I took part in was a few weekly Lucky 13 group rides. The first major road ride I did was during the TAMJD North Carolina training camp with my teammates and friends, which was a 70 mile, almost 6 hour, challenging route with a whole lot of mechanical problems and stops. It was probably the most painful ride I’ve ever done and it was pretty eye opening. During that same week, I participated in the attack on Mt. Mitchell, going 33 miles up a mountain and 33 miles back down. While this was yet another painful experience, the feeling of freedom hitting 50 miles per hour cruising down a closed road with my friends next to me was also such a great experience and a ton of fun. Later in the season, I raced in the Waterford Hills road race series for the first time. I did not perform very well and was almost immediately dropped and lapped by my group. This was a disappointing result but I stuck with it and kept competing in those races until I achieved third place, just behind first and second, in the last race of the series. I also attended a larger-scale crit in Ada where I was able to exercise my new skills. Overall, road racing and riding has become a lot of fun and very enjoyable for me this year and I am excited to continue that career next season.

Gravel: I’ve done the Barry Roubaix gravel race for a few years now, and I absolutely love it. There are so many gravel roads by my house and I’ve started doing the majority of my training on them. I also enjoy going on longer endurance rides on gravel with my friends because a lot of the roads connect to really cool destinations, shops, and restaurants which enhance the fun of the rides and give me something to look forward to. My peak race this year was the Cowpie Classic 35 mile where I just had a ton of fun while working really hard, and it paid off in my results. Next year I plan on increasing my mileage while training on gravel with the goal of attending gravel nationals. Gravel is one of my favorite disciplines because it’s beautiful, accessible, and enjoyable.

Cyclocross:
This season I continued to attend TAMJD cyclocross practices, which revealed to me how much I love the discipline. I made an effort to attend several CX races this fall but unfortunately I was unable to make it to any due to a busy schedule. Next season I plan to attend multiple of these races and continue training for them.

XC:
While adding these new dynamics to my training and racing, I did not neglect mountain biking. I competed in plenty of XC races this season. At Tree Farm Relay, the first one of the year, I had an unfortunate crash that put me out of commission for a few weeks. However, I got
right back into it and raced Ore to Shore. I did pretty good in my MiSCA season as well, finishing in top ten overall in a stacked field. I am looking forward to racing Iceman this year as well, and get a little redemption from last year. I love the fast-paced technicality of XC and the features I have the opportunity to face.

I am happy to have extended my interests and activities, and I’m excited to continue training and racing in these new disciplines next year.

Athletic Mentor’s Junior Triathlete Development

October 28th, 2024 by JoAnn Cranson

By: Dawn Hinz

Team Athletic Mentors > Athletic Mentors > Mentors

What is in a name? What does a name mean? What are the core values that drive that name?

Team Athletic Mentors is composed of almost 100 individuals who are determined to achieve two main purposes. Sure, we’re athletic, meaning we value the health benefits of staying fit, healthy and competitive throughout all stages of life. But even more than that, we are there to guide people, not just to be healthy and active but in any way we can support a mentee to grow and succeed in life, especially sharing endurance sports with youth.

We had the privilege of spending a weekend with our Junior Development Triathletes and were able to share a few life lessons with them along the way.

Our first night was spent preparing for a local triathlon race that would start early the next day. First we met at a local grocery store to return pop cans from our fundraiser. Since sports and life aren’t free, we encourage our young team mates to work to support their goals. Afterwards we traveled to the house we would be sharing for the weekend. The teenagers took turns laying out their race supplies for Coach and discussing their race plans for the next morning. Finally, we shared pizza and cleaned the kitchen before heading to bed. Each teenager was responsible for waking up and being ready to leave on time. Life Lesson #1: Prepping the night before makes the morning easier.

After arriving at the race site, each young athlete collected their race packet from check in before proceeding to set up in transition for the Shermanator Sprint Triathlon. Coach and Crew were nearby to answer any questions and give words of encouragement to ease the natural pre-race jitters. As other athletes were warming up for the swim it was realized that the timing chip adhesive was not holding. Rapidly, Coach and Crew helped each junior to secure their timing chip. Life Lesson #2: Work the problem. Life will not always be smooth. One must adapt and problem solve.

Each Athlete had a great race – pushing themselves to their best on that day. Sean was leading out of the swim but was passed by fellow adult teammate, Jeremy, on the bike. Sean kept chasing Jeremy on the run and was able to narrow the gap but was just shy of the win. Still, he walked away with 2nd Overall and a very nervous Jeremy knows that Sean is only getting better. Brie was able to put in a solid performance all around and came away with 1st Overall Female. Kellen was also solid all around and was actually faster than Brie but a tough age group meant he secured 3rd. Not to be outdone, our youngest team member, Kinley, raced the Super Sprint Triathlon, securing 6th Overall and 2nd Overall Female in her race. Most of all, it was noticed that each youth were excellent sportsmen, commending and cheering others while accepting praise with grace. As a celebration our juniors pushed Coach into the lake, the quintessential “ice water over coach’s head” but triathlon style.

After the race was over and equipment packed away, we returned to the house for lunch and quiet time before going out for a shake out ride. This weekend wouldn’t be all work and no play. Our generous hosts, Joe and Chelsey Cekola, took us out for a boat ride and we all took turns tubing. You just can’t beat the smile these kids had! Life Lesson #3: Make time for work and for play. It is not ideal to be one sided.

All this activity definitely worked up an appetite. Next the juniors would be guided through preparing a farm to table dinner. Fresh vegetables washed and seasoned for roasting. Potatoes were peeled and cut to make mashed potatoes. Small batch brats from Coach’s farm were grilled to perfection. The parents joined for this meal and really enjoyed seeing the juniors take on this responsibility. Life Lesson #4: Food takes work. From growing, to preparing, to clean up.

When dinner was cleared and the kitchen clean, we enjoyed watching Track and Field from the Summer Olympics. Future goals were discussed as well as the kind of effort it would take to achieve those goals. Life Lesson #5: One cannot control the outcome only the effort one puts in.

We woke the next morning to a mirror flat lake and a perfect sunrise. We set out to conclude our time together with an epic swim across the lake. Each junior wore an open water swim buoy and was escorted by a safety boat. Coaches also joined them in the water. The water was warm, inviting and clear. It was an excellent day for a swim. Life Lesson #6: Pursue epic accomplishments but do so with regard to one’s own safety.

Finally, it was time to say good-bye. Each junior packed and cleaned their rooms. They carried the used bedding up to the washer before being picked up by their parents. Without prompting they thanked our hosts. Life Lesson #7: Leave a place as good as or better than you found it.

This weekend was full of life lessons, friendship, fun and athletic pursuits. Mentoring was present throughout all the athleticism and that is really what Team Athletic Mentors is all about.

Chasing Medals: An In-depth Look at Training for Track and Field

June 20th, 2024 by JoAnn Cranson

By: Kellen Siems

Training for Track and Field is not just about running in circles and jumping over hurdles. It requires dedication, hard work, and a strategic approach to reach your full potential. For high school athletes, the goal is often to qualify for the state meet and compete against the best in the region. In this blog post, we will take an in-depth look at the training methods and techniques that can help you chase those coveted medals on the track.

Some of the most challenging events at a track meet are the 1600 (one mile) and the 3200 (two mile). In order to run these two events you have to have a good balance of speed, endurance, and mental fortitude. In order to place high in these events you need to have the ability to endure discomfort and pain. You also need to have strategic pacing.

One way I kept my endurance up while training for the track season was by running constantly throughout the week. I would have a schedule that would tell me if I had a long run meaning I would run five to ten miles. Some days I would have a workout day meaning that I would head to a track and perform a workout. Some of my workouts include; 2 sets of 4 by 1000, 4 sets of 4 by 800 at mile pace, and ladders up to 800 and down to 100.

A key role in long distance races is being able to pace yourself to the end. In order to pace you need to start fast and conserve the rest of your energy. Every lap on the track you have to run faster and faster in order to maintain your splits. A good way to improve pacing is by practicing running at your goal or target pace. To be good at running longer distances not only do you need endurance but you also need a strong mental toughness. By having the ability to push through your pain and keep your focus is crucial.

In conclusion, no matter what sport you do, training is always important. Being able to train properly is the key to success in any sport you do. By encouraging yourself and not giving up you can reach whatever goal you set for yourself.

Welcoming JD Rider Ozzy Tobiczyk

June 7th, 2024 by JoAnn Cranson

By: Ozzy Tobiczyk

Hello, my name is Ozzy Tobiczyk and this is my first year on the TAMJD team. I am 14 years old and a 9th grader at Milford High School. I have been riding my bike ever since I could walk. Living in Milford, Mi has given me access to so many mountain bike trails, it was only natural to get into mountain biking. I joined the Huron Valley United Racing (HVUR) team in 5th grade and raced my first MiSCA race in 2020. I was hooked from that point on. What I love about cycling is the scenery on the rides, jumps, and having a fun group of people to ride with. This year I will be racing varsity on HVUR.

I joined TAMJD because I wanted to push myself, become a better rider, explore all types of cycling, and have fun while doing it. I have learned a lot about how to properly fuel myself before a race as well as how to mentally prepare for a race this past year. I know I have a lot more to learn and that is another reason why I joined TAMJD.

My goal for this season is to be in the top 10 in Varsity and to get first place in my age group in Iceman and Peak to Peak. I am really looking forward to racing more gravel races. I am also starting to learn road racing techniques and have been racing in the Waterford Hills Summer Road Racing Series on Wednesdays. I had the pleasure of going to TAMJD training camp in Brevard, NC during spring break this year. It was so much fun. We had been training all winter to climb Mt. Mitchell which was about 44 miles up a mountain and 44 miles down. I think my top speed going down was around 49 miles an hour! It was awesome and I loved the views! I also really liked spending time with my teammates and going into town. We rode the mountain bike trails and roads in Pisgah National Forest and DuPont State Forest. It was a great experience and I can’t wait until next year!

I have been to many places in the United States to ride bikes but my favorite place to ride is in Marquette, Mi. My family and I go up there every summer for the Ore to Shore race and to camp for the week at Rippling River. I love the South Trails and the jumps on the Eh Line. My favorite race is Iceman. It’s such a fun venue. I like not knowing what the weather will be like. It’s always a surprise and different.

I like doing non-bike things too. I really love snowboarding and wish it was something I could do year round. I built a mini park in my backyard this last winter which really had the neighbors talking. I joined the boardercross team at Milford High School this year and rode varsity on the team. We won the state championship, which was really cool! I also have started to really like fishing and plan to do a lot of that this summer. I like hanging out with my friends too.

I’m really glad I joined the TAMJD. In the short time that I have been the team I have been introduced to so many things that I wouldn’t have done on my own, like road racing. Next up, I will be traveling with the team to the Tour of America’s Dairyland where we will have 5 days of Crit races in Milwaukee, WI. Wish us luck!

Competing in a Race is Not All About Winning

May 14th, 2024 by JoAnn Cranson

By: JoAnn Cranson

Running for a specific team or club is a great opportunity and honor, but along with that comes an expectation. Being on Team Athletic Mentors is a prestigious position to be in. Naturally we (as a team) want to do our best and win races, whether running, cycling, triathlons, skiing, etc., but that’s not what it’s all about.

As a master athlete, I’m not going to finish in the top overall positions in events I compete in. But there is so much more myself and others can bring to a race. My goal is to inspire others to find what they enjoy doing and to motivate them to pursue a healthy lifestyle and positive attitude. This world has a lot of challenges and negative issues. But as we are running, cycling, swimming, etc., it’s amazing what an encouraging word will do for others.

I worked hard at my running and qualified for the Boston Marathon this year. I ran it just 4 weeks ago. It was very inspiring, very challenging and the enthusiasm from the spectators was amazing. It wasn’t about my finishing time, it was about taking in my surroundings and soaking in the achievement of making it to this Grand-Daddy of races in the United States. The spectators lined the whole 26.2 mile route!! The kids wanted to give us “high-fives”, others were handing out candy and orange slices in front of their houses, some were spraying water hoses to cool us off, many signs were held up, clapping, bells ringing and shouts of encouragement.

The last weekend in April my grandchildren’s school had a yearly fund raiser with a 5K run. This is the second year – we ran it as a family. Three generations with my son, my daughter-in-law and 2 grand-daughters. My grand-daughters wanted to run with grandma. Pretty cool to inspire the younger generation to be healthy, challenged and positive.

On May 5th, I ran a 10K (6.2 miles) in Kalamazoo. As I was at about 2 miles, this young man was running beside me. I told him he was doing really good and asked his age. He said this was his first 10K and he was 13. I told him we had a 50 year gap between us and he was surprised. We ended up staying close by each other most of the way. I tried to keep him updated on our pace, the mileage, encouraging on how great he was doing and that we were getting close to the finish line. How fun it was to just encourage this young man and watch him achieve his goal.

JoAnn Cranson & William Bates

When we finished I asked him if he would be willing to take a picture with me. As I put my hands on his shoulder and he put his hand on mine, I was thinking how great it is being complete strangers yet we could feel such camaraderie in 4+ miles of running together. A big thanks to Zeigler for sponsoring this race and giving all of us, but especially new runners, the chance to compete.

So next time you are out and about don’t miss an opportunity to take a moment in the busyness of life to encourage someone. You never know what an impact it will make in their life!

Meet New TAMJD Rider Nick Thielen

March 17th, 2024 by JoAnn Cranson

By: Nick Thielen

Hi, my name is Nick Thielen. I’m 14 years old and in the 8th grade at Warner Middle School in Farmington Hills, Michigan. Outside of cycling I play basketball and run track. I started practicing with Huron Valley United Racing in 2021 and realized I was a pretty good cyclist so I decided to stick with it. This past season I won the MISCA Advanced Middle School state championship winning 4 out of 6 races. After the MISCA season, I raced Iceman for the third time. Iceman is definitely my favorite race. The atmosphere is great and the course is always challenging but super fun.

This upcoming season will be my first year on Team Athletic Mentors Junior Development. I joined the team because I thought it was a great opportunity to improve as a cyclist and also connect with people that had similar goals to me. I’m excited to get more into road racing this year which is something I haven’t done much of in the past. I think expanding into disciplines beyond mountain biking will be great for progressing in my cycling career.

I’ll be participating in the Tour of America’s Dairyland crit series out in Wisconsin as well as other road races which I think will be great opportunities to improve as a rider. I’m going to be doing some racing outside the state of Michigan which is very exciting. I know it’s gonna be a lot harder this year racing against high schoolers instead of middle schoolers, but it’s a challenge that I’m looking forward to. I’m hoping to do a lot of races this season that I haven’t done in the past and overall get a lot stronger.

I find riding a bike a great way to have fun while meeting some great people you wouldn’t have met if you weren’t riding. There is nothing better than the feeling of accomplishment after a good race knowing that all your hard work paid off. If a race doesn’t go your way you can always just look forward to the next one. I really like training for races. There’s something about knowing that someday it’s all gonna pay off just motivates me to train as hard as I can.

I also love riding on dirt roads or in the woods where there is nobody around and you’re all by yourself. It’s really peaceful and helps me clear my mind. One of my favorite trails around where I live is Lakeshore Park. It’s super tight and twisty with some fun features. I ride it all the time which gave me a big advantage at the MISCA race which was very important for me to win so that I could win the series. You can gain a lot of time on it knowing the trail really well.

I love the sport of cycling and its community. I’ve made so many new friends and learned so much from it. I’m super excited for the opportunity I have with Team Athletic Mentors Junior Development this upcoming season to grow as a cyclist.

Catching Up with New JD Rider – Donald Smith

February 23rd, 2024 by JoAnn Cranson

By: Donald Smith

Hello, my name is Donald Smith from Brighton, MI. I am 13 years old and am in 8th grade. I am currently homeschooled and go to a co-op for electives and other classes. I like homeschooling because it allows me the freedom to ride outside whenever I want. I live right across from Island Lake State Park, so I can ride there from my house. The addiction of cycling hit me when I was 5 years old and my dad had to constantly take me mountain biking, riding a short loop on blue over and over again. My dad has been riding forever and it is something we like to do together…and honestly, I did not enjoy playing other sports as much as I did cycling.

For the past three years I have been racing for the Wheels in Motion MiSCA team and took 2nd place this year in the Advance Middle School category. This will be my first year on TAMJD. As I was researching junior development teams last year, I thought TAMJD would be the best fit for me. This is because through MiSCA, I found that I knew many junior racers on TAMJD. The team is also local which means I can ride and train with them more often. Having a team to travel to races with locally and outside of Michigan appeals to me as well. I look forward to being on an organized team to help me continue to develop as a person both on and off the bike.

My favorite place to ride is in North Carolina when I go to visit my grandparents. The views are absolutely gorgeous at the top of a mountain. My favorite race is the Lumberjack 100. The people there are so nice and supportive. What I like best about racing is suffering with friends! The main new thing I look forward to this year is doing more national level races.

Since so many people have helped me to become the cyclist I am today, I try to give back to my community. This year I worked with the Poto chapter on several weekends to complete trail maintenance. For the last three years, I have volunteered as a coach for the Lexus Velodrome’s summer camps. I was able to help kids learn how to ride bikes. When the velodrome deflated in 2021, I worked for many hours breaking and shoveling ice off the dome so it could be reinflated. The inside of the dome was a mess, and I spent a day helping to repaint the track.

Track cycling gave me the opportunity to go to Track Nationals in 2021 and 2022. I took 5th overall in 2021 and 3rd overall in 2022. My mountain bike and cyclocross skills came in handy when there was a crash in front of me at the 2022 Track Nationals. I was able to bunny hop over a rider that was taken out in the crash. Track and road cycling have helped me to learn to ride safely in a group. I have not competed in many gravel races, but it is how I like to train when I cannot ride on trails. I do plan on racing in more gravel races this coming year. Cyclocross is probably my 2nd favorite discipline. I really enjoy all the features the courses include. Going over flyovers, barriers, and stairs makes the race interesting. Cyclocross is definitely not a boring sport.

Some of my race goals for 2024 are to complete the Lumberjack 100 in 8 hours and compete at the Varsity level for MiSCA. I like the longer distance for Varsity and will try to get at least one top 10. Another goal I have is to do more national level races like Englewood. I will also be training to place in the top 3 for the 9-14 Iceman this year.

The main thing I have learned about myself is that I like mountain biking best out of the other disciplines I have competed in (road, track, gravel, cyclocross). Riding in the woods is my favorite. I hope to compete in Mountain Bike Nationals this coming year. Participating in all the different cycling disciplines has helped me become a better overall cyclist.