Team News

Lessons Learned: How to Lose a Cat-5 Road Race

June 18th, 2015 by Team OAM NOW / Athletic Mentors

By Tristan Greathouse, Team OAM Now Cyclist

Typically, I avoid racing on asphalt in favor of powering through the mud, but the morning of the Road Race State Championships in Mount Pleasant, I just couldn’t help myself. I groggily stumbled out of bed at 4:30 in the morning to make the drive from Kalamazoo to Mount Pleasant for my second road race ever.

As I lined up for the race, I couldn’t help but feel optimistic about my chances of pulling on the champion’s jersey upon the conclusion of the Category-5 race. My numbers in training had been fantastic, and I was brimming with confidence. Later on, as I freewheeled across the finish line, nearly 10 minutes back from the winner, I couldn’t help but feel disappointed with my rookie mistakes.

So without further delay, I give you my fool-proof steps on how to lose a Cat-5 race:

(1) Spend the week leading up to your race reading books like Half Man, Half Bike, an autobiography of one of the best racers to ever live. After reading about Eddy Merckx attacking 70 km from the finish into a headwind to win Milan San Remo, I couldn’t help but believe I had the capability to mimic such an attack. Easy enough, right?
(2) Go into the race with a well-thought out strategy, and abandon it as soon as you get bored watching the heart rate on your Garmin bounce between 108 and 112 BPM as you sit in the peloton. Sometimes this means attacking 19 miles into a 53 mile slog due to a bad case of impatience. Make sure it significant enough to make even the great Jens Voigt proud.
(3) Channel your inner Marco Pantani and pour everything you have into the pedals. Better to go down in a magnificent blaze of glory with your dignity intact than be beaten without ever trying.
(4) Make sure your solo break doesn’t get absorbed by the peloton until you have used up every last store of energy in your body. Sometimes this means 22 lonely miles at 24.1 mph with nothing but legs flooded with lactic acid for company.
(5) When you get caught and subsequently dropped by the chasers, form your own one-man gruppeto. Don’t forget to enjoy the scenery as you make your way back to the finish line. Who needs the snow-capped views of the Alps when you have the beautiful cornfields of Michigan?

In all seriousness, there will always be lessons to learn from races, even ones you win, and this lesson just happened to be super-sized. My coach always tells me that road races aren’t won by the strongest riders, but rather the smartest ones. While I can take solace in the fact that I was certainly the strongest rider on the day, I also know I was undoubtedly the dumbest. I guess I have to work on more than just my fitness before the next race.

Luckily, Team OAM Now’s John Hurn saved the day, taking 5th place in our race as retribution for his crash a few weeks ago in Frankenmuth. Knowing I still have plenty of time to learn the ropes, I can’t be too disappointed with my results. With more experience under my belt, I can’t help but be excited for the BTR Criterium and Maple Hill Race for Wishes on my home training roads in just a few weeks’ time.

The Life of a 135-Pounder

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

By Chris Gottwald, Team OAM Now Cyclist

Want to know what it’s really like to race a Criterium at the Pro / Cat I level? You might be surprised!

After 24 years of racing in the elite ranks, one of the most popular questions is what is like to perform at this level? The reality is that there are several different types of riders, each one with a different experience. One of the more amusing parts of my career is that I am a very different breed and, as such, I have to ride a very different type of race than other riders.

First off, I am small. How small? About 135 lbs on a HEAVY day and about 5’9” tall… all of it legs (34” inseam). I am often mistaken as a female ballet dancer rather than a World Record holding bicycle racer. Some of my nick names include: half pint, spider, and man-child. Ironically though, it makes me fast, even more so when the course points upward. In the typical American-style Criterium race though, I just plain old suffer like a dog.

Take for example last season, at the Gaslight Criterium, I got another huge piece of humble pie. My great friends, and team mates, Cory Stange (who came in 1st in the Michigan Race Series) finished 6th and Dan Yankus finished close behind at 8th. As for me? I was 23rd. For the typical spectator, I am sure my performance looked average. The truth is though my average power was the highest I had seen in quite some time while racing: 257 Watts for 90 minutes. Truth be told, I can produce a little over 270 watts for 90 minutes thanks to the phenomenal coaching of Mark Olson, however, remember: 135 lbs. and 5’9”.

Here’s what it feels like:

Every time we headed up the home stretch, and around the back stretch, most guys easily accelerated to over 30MPH using their huge legs, that look more like they belong on a draft horse. My only option is to dig deep, producing over 500 watts 2 times a lap for 90 minutes. Once the pace settles, I try to rest a little, but since speed is a function of power I don’t really get much. I suffer to accelerate like the bigger guys. The headwind on the back stretch and the tail wind on the front stretch gave the bigger guys the advantage too! I had to wonder if I’d ever get a break?

Typically, my power ranks right up there to stay in a race. If I look at my power delivery over a race there are amazing highs and peaks. So, even though I’m using a lot more to create that power, a bigger guy using that same amount of power can’t cycle through those peaks as many times as I can. I can do more and I can recover. I can hang in a very long time. For example, at The Herman Miller Crit, 96 guys started on cobblestone, in the rain, and only 35-40 finished. It’s a tough race, but I can do that, which is surprising to many with my size. They all wanted to know how I do it. Read the rest of this entry »

Think You Can’t Hang With the “Fast Guys”? Think Again …

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

By JoAnn Cranson, Team OAM Now Cyclist

Tackling a century ride can be daunting to a cyclist. While base miles under your belt are key, if you know how to draft, the 100 miles go by a lot more easily.

I signed up for the Grand Rapids “100 Grand Bicycle Tour” on June 6th. This tour had options for 17, 35, 65 and 105 miles. I wanted to ride with my Team OAM Now teammates and noticed I was going to be the only woman to ride the 105 miles with them. Even though I don’t have the same power or speed as the men, I knew it was “all about the draft”. I believed I could stay with them if I used the draft and saved my energy for when I needed it.

If you don’t know about drafting, it’s something you must learn to do. Drafting is not about being able to go faster, it’s about making your ride easier and less tiring. It can reduce energy expenditure during long rides by nearly 30% less energy. When you’re covering long distance on a bike, that’s a lot!

Team OAM Now paceline

The key to drafting is riding safely and effectively in a paceline. A good paceline is smooth and built on trust. It requires that no rider do anything suddenly. Each rider has to be confident that the others in the group will communicate well and ride safely. The best way to learn is to work with a few experienced riders and practice before you try to jump in a big paceline.

Pacelines are either single or double. In a single paceline, everyone lines up behind the first rider, who maintains a constant speed. The rotation occurs when the front rider pulls off to the side and drifts to the back of the line. The next rider then sets the pace. Riders stay on the front for anything from a few seconds to several minutes.

Ideally, you want to be 6″-12″ away from the rider in front of you, although you can get a good draft a wheel’s length away. In other words, getting too close is not absolutely essential. It is also important that you do not ride up along the side the rear wheel of the person in the pace line ahead of you; this is called “overlapping wheels” and can cause a fall if the rider ahead of you swerves to avoid an object in the road.

Finding the correct drafting position behind a rider is directly related to wind direction, which constantly changes with twists and turns in the road. Try to gauge the wind direction the next time you go out to ride by witnessing trees as they sway in the wind. If the wind isn’t affecting trees then the draft behind a rider will most likely be a direct line, or headwind, as you ride.

A few key points to remember when riding in a paceline:

1. Be aware of upcoming obstacles by keeping your head up and be on the lookout for dangerous situations as they develop. Just because another rider is at the front of a paceline doesn’t mean the riders behind shouldn’t be alert. Watch for upcoming obstacles: cars, potholes, rocks, other riders, etc. If you are in the front or toward the front, communicate “hole,” “car up,”“slowing,” or other changes/obstacles to riders at the back.
2. Also, be cautious of cars approaching from behind. Riders in the back should communicate to riders in the front by calling “Car Back” to notify riders farther up in the paceline of the approaching vehicle.
3. Fluctuations in speed quickly sap a group’s energy just like when you’re on your own doing a time trial. Try to maintain a constant speed.
4. Go easy on the brakes and anticipate pace changes. Try to reduce the accordion or “yo-yo” effect as much as possible.
5. Stay relaxed and don’t grip the handlebars too tight. If you’re relaxed, you can look right/left and still hold a straight line. Holding a line is very important within the context of a group as each member is reliant upon the other members to maintain safety.
6. Pull off into the wind as others may be overlapping your wheel to the draft side.
7. Don’t throw your bike back as you get out of the saddle. Stand up into the bike and bring the bike forward.

Learning how to draft effectively can make all the difference in your success on long rides. Again, it’s best to practice this before you go out to conquer a distance that’s new to you, but with a great team and a great paceline, you can really challenge yourself. I was able to finish 105 miles with 15-20 mph winds with a great group of guys and it was all about the draft.

Transition: The 4th Discipline of Triathlon

June 11th, 2015 by Team OAM NOW / Athletic Mentors

By Roxane Kippen, Team OAM Now Triathlete

Hold on a minute, isn’t triathlon just three disciplines? Yes swim, bike and run take up the majority of the race, but there are these precious seconds, or for some, minutes where you have to wiggle out of your wetsuit and put on a bike helmet (T1) and change from bike shoes to run shoes (T2). While time spent in the transition area may not be long, how wisely you use that time could be the difference between being on the podium or wishing you were.

With triathlon, there are usually a few “I could have been faster if I had only: sighted better in the swim so I wasn’t weaving all over the course, or not pushed so hard on the bike so I had solid legs to run on, or pushed harder on the run so I didn’t get caught in the last 100 meters.” What people might not realize is a good transition time can often make up for small mistakes elsewhere.

I’m not the fastest swimmer in the field, but I hold my own. However, my T1 transition is quick and efficient and usually sets me in great position heading out on the bike. In fact, I can generally make up anywhere from 15 to 30 second deficit from a slower swim with a fast T1 time. My transition times are always among the fastest in the women’s field and I actually posted the fastest T1 and T2 times out of both men and women at a race last summer.

Is transition a special talent I possess? Does a fast transition matter? Transition is a skill, just like swimming, and it can be practiced and improved. Transition does matter, as I have seen many a podium spot slip out from under athletes, because they did not prepare well for their entire race. When races are decided by less than 30 second gaps, you’d better believe 30 extra seconds in transition can cost you a win. So how do you get good at it? Like any other discipline in triathlon, you need to practice. Below are some rules and tips for how to shave seconds and maybe minutes off your next race.

Rule #1 – BE ORGANIZED
Organization is critical to a fast transition. You don’t get a lot of room in transition. Typically, one rack will have 8 bikes, so you need to be organized and keep only what you need in the transition area. Do not leave your duffle bag or backpack in the transition area. It will get in your way and it will get in the way of other racers by creating a road block when trying to un-rack and re-rack your bike.

Read the rest of this entry »

Road Block: Coping with Injury

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

By Elaine Sheikh, Team OAM Now Triathlete

My time over winter break was spent training hard. I returned to school, excited to continue and prepare for my first “A” race of the year – USAT Collegiate Club Nationals in Clemson, South Carolina at the end of April. I was going to race the draft-legal sprint and the Olympic triathlon. However, only three days into the semester, I noticed a strange pinching sensation in my pelvis. As an athlete, I’m accustomed to shutting out physical discomfort. Disaster struck when I was out on a run and began to experience unbearable pain shooting through my pelvis with every footfall. By the time I hobbled back to my house, I couldn’t even lift my leg high enough to get in the shower.

In a panic, I called my massage therapist, Paul Raynes, from the Conscious Core. I wanted him to tell me it was probably just muscle, but as I described my pain, he expressed concern over a labral tear or a pelvic stress fracture. Both options were terrifying, so my next call was to Orthopedic Associates of Michigan (OAM). I knew that by going there, I could see an orthopedic specialist right away, and I could go in after hours, so I didn’t need to miss any classes. I had already been to OAM for a cartilage tear in my wrist, so I was confident that I would receive excellent care. I was seen immediately and the doctor identified what appeared to be a stress fracture on my radiographs. This diagnosis was later confirmed by MRI, and I was devastated to learn that it would be months before I could run again. Not only were the collegiate nationals out of the picture, but I didn’t even know if I would be able to race at all this season.

Naturally, I became distraught and struggled for months with emotional pain far greater than my physical pain. However, I learned several coping strategies that I think apply to many different circumstances in which your plans are altered by non-preventable circumstances.

1) Stay calm. The more you stress about your situation, the harder it is for your body to heal. If you allow yourself to become over-stressed, you will be unable to eat and sleep properly; both nutrition and rest are vital for healing. Also, adding stress to your body diverts its attention away from the healing process.
2) Confide in people. I was very lucky to be able to talk to my coach Mark Olson, my sports psychologist, and several triathlete friends who really understood what I was going through. Allowing myself to be vulnerable and talk to people about my anxiety really helped me stay emotionally stable.
3) Follow the rules. As hard as it was to take the time off of running, listening to my doctor and my coach allowed me to heal quickly and *hopefully* completely.
4) Don’t let yourself get stagnant. My devastating run was on a Thursday, and I was in too much pain to even walk without feeling nauseous for several days. However, I didn’t let myself wallow long – by Monday I was back in the pool. In the next several months, I swam and cycled harder than I have in my life and stayed in shape throughout injury. Instead of having several wasted months, I focused on becoming a better athlete in the other disciplines.
5) Set new goals. I was really disappointed about not being able to race tris the beginning of the season, but I decided to start competing in aquabike and road races. Having a new race goal kept me excited and motivated to continue training.
6) Stay involved in the sport. Sure, I cried a few times when I opened Strava and saw my friends laying down killer runs while I couldn’t even walk properly, but I still stayed involved in the sport. I continued to follow race results, volunteer at races, and hang out with my triathlete friends. That way, I kept the sport I love fresh and alive in my life.

Remember, the goal is always to return to competition as safely, and quickly, as possible after an injury. In order to do that, having a recovery plan that takes into account the emotional trials as well as the physical ones is crucial. That plan will allow you, and your body, to take the time needed to come back ready to compete strong.

DNF: When Bike Meets Tree

June 8th, 2015 by Team OAM NOW / Athletic Mentors

By Roxane Kippen, Team OAM Now Triathlete

When forward progress on a bicycle is stopped by anything other than the brakes, it is likely that things won’t end well. Mountain biking presents endless possibilities for halting forward movement on a bike such as rocks, roots and, of course, trees. Wet roots and ultimately a tree, came into play for me at the USA Triathlon Offroad National Championships in Pelham, Alabama on May 16.

I had committed to racing the USAT Offroad Nationals back in November. This race was also the XTERRA Southeast Regional Championships, which was a qualifier for the XTERRA World Championships, and one I’d been wanted to do for years. The day after Iceman, I went out for my first run in over a month. It was a slow two miles, but it was a beginning. From there, I sat down to map out my training plan that would prepare me over the next 6.5 months for my longest race in 3 years. I have been racing offroad triathlon (swim, mountain bike, trail run) consistently for the last 9 years, but have only done a handful of championship distance (1500 meter swim, 30K mountain bike, 10K trail run) in that time. Preparation would require a bit more time and planning than recent years.

Michigan winters add a level of complexity to a training plan as weather can be very unpredictable and quality riding and running can be difficult to come by for long stretches of time. However, swim training is never impacted by weather, unless the school is closed for a snow day. Therefore, swimming became my focus for the “off season” and I planned 3 days per week in the pool, working up to an average of 7500 yards per week. I also spent 8 weeks attending the Athletic Mentors Swim Class to help improve my stroke and efficiency in the water.

I did not spend much time on the bike over the winter, but I did try to attend one spin class per week for intensity and did one “long” ride outside on the weekend when weather permitted. When spring finally arrived and the trails dried out, I had to cram in some 2.5 hour rides on single track to replicate my race conditions. Last fall, I acquired a new Giant Anthem Advanced 27.5 and still needed to get acquainted with the full suspension and smaller wheel base. By the time I left for Alabama, I was feeling confident on the new bike and ready to ride aggressively.

For a while, the run training was going really well, then work/real life, started placing demands on my time and energy levels. Such is the life of an amateur. That being said, I was able to maintain one or two runs per week and I raced a 5K every month from March – May to test my progress. I was happy with my speed heading into my “A” race. Throw in a couple of weeks of brick training, and I was ready to go.

The venue for the championship was Oak Mountain State Park, which boasts some of the coolest mountain bike trails in the nation and one of the IMBA’s EPIC rides. I had the opportunity to pre-ride the course two days prior to the race to get a feel for the terrain and test out the bike on the technical trails. I felt pretty good about being able to race the course with confidence, but was a bit concerned about how tight and technical (roots and turns) the trail was for the first 5 – 6 miles, when the field is scrambling for position after the swim with limited passing room.
Read the rest of this entry »

Bear Lake Triathlon

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

By Todd Anthes, Team OAM Now Triathlete

The Bear Lake Triathlon in North Muskegon is the final exam for the Grand Haven High School triathlon class. Wow. I wish they had classes like that when I was in high school. Maybe then I would be a better swimmer. It’s great to see athletes get started on the tri in high school, and this is a great race.

The past week of cold temps did not seem to affect Bear Lake very much. In fact, the conditions were perfect. A light breeze, some cloud cover and an air temp pretty close to the 67 degree water temp, greeted the athletes.

The olympic swim start was uneventful. The water was perfect and I broke the seal on my first triathlon of the season with decent sighting and drafting when I could. My swim split was a little slow given a poor start, but successful open water swimming always takes some acclimation for me. I was happy with my performance.

On the other end of the swim, T1 was horrible. I didn’t wear my race top during the swim because of the temperature; I didn’t want to start the bike with a wet top. As a result, I had a heck of a time getting my top on. I also opted for some thin wool socks as my feet tend to get cold (this was a good move), but probably cost me a minute or more.

Bear Lake’s bike course is pretty simple. Besides the turn around, 2 right turns on the way out, and 2 right turns on the way in, there’s a nice stretch on Lake Michigan and a large hill about a third of the way in called “Block House” Hill. It is a granny gear hill out and back. I love it. It always breaks things up a little bit.

I gained some ground on the field in the bike leg. It felt pretty good to be out there with the bike in full race dress and ripping along.

The next transition, from bike to run, went much more smoothly. I have been doing hard bricks for the last few weeks, and it paid off.

I was passed immediately by a couple of younger guys, something that rarely happens on the run. I don’t know where they came from as I was all alone on the bike. I might have caught them in transition. They had a nice cadence and I could tell they knew what they were doing. I kept them in my sights, but never caught them again. I averaged 40 min on the run, but never went back and forth with anyone. I was pleased with this, particularly as an early season effort.

I was 10th overall, and 2nd in my age group. Teammate Bob Schultz came in 3rd in his age group. While my first triathlon of the year was not the final exam the high school students were experiencing, Race Director, Ron Knoll, and Grand Haven High School triathlon teacher Derek Warner, sure do a great job of creating an exciting race environment.

Sponsor Spotlight: Gauthier Family Home Care

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

Gauthier Family Homecare

Team OAM NOW / Athletic Mentors is proud to represent this Grand Rapids area home care service, offering compassionate and professional in-home service for their clients, for its fourth consecutive year.

Gauthier Family Home Care utilizes both CareProfiler and IC24 (Ideal Caregiver 24) to match their caregivers with their clients. This process ensures the best caregiver match possible for the client in need of care and the client’s family. This extraordinary level of care and focus on the whole team mirrors Team OAM Now’s focus on its team of athletes. In fact, co-owner Dan Gauthier is such a strong believer in the team that he’s a member (Team OAM Now Elite Club).

With a core team of professionals, Gauthier and his wife and co-owner, Marion, understand, firsthand, how significant home care can be for the comfort of those we love. Not only does home care support both client and family in a familiar environment, but it also helps retain an individual’s independence, both significant factors in one’s quality of life.

Gauthier says “Physical health is such a key piece to one’s overall wellness and, as a cyclist myself, it seemed logical that we’d support a health conscious activity that’s good for the whole community as well. In the same way that we look for the ideal match between caregiver and client, our team at Gauthier supporting Team OAM Now also seemed natural.”

Previous clients have trusted Gauthier Family Home Care in a time of need. They are professionals, hard working and communicative. The staff is noted for going above and beyond while consistently providing quality care and service. Because Team OAM Now and the team at Gauthier both work hard to deliver the best, the partnership is, as Gauthier notes, “natural.”

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.

Torres and Braginton Bring in First Place Wins at Seahorse Challenge

June 4th, 2015 by Team OAM NOW / Athletic Mentors

By Kathy Braginton, Team OAM Now Triathlete

Triathlon season officially began with the 35th annual Seahorse Challenge, the first triathlon in the Kalamazoo area. With the race held on Memorial Day weekend, and the cold winters we have experienced the last few years, racers never know what the weather is going to bring or what the water temps will be, thus creating the “challenge”. This year brought cool early morning air temps, a water temperature of 64 degrees, and no worries whether it would be a wet suit legal swim.

Seahorse features both Sprint and Olympic distance races. Each race follows the same course with the Olympic distance doing 2 laps in each discipline. Team OAM Now’s Kathy Braginton took on the Sprint distance, while Raquel Torres took on the Olympic distance. The Olympic distance started first with the sprint distance starting about 25 minutes later.

Raquel had a great swim leg and was exiting the water as Kathy’s race began. Raquel was the first woman out of the water with a 4 minute lead and kept that lead throughout the entire race. Kathy was the 4th woman out of the water after the swim and had a smooth T1 moving her into 2rd place. The first half of the bike leg features fast, smooth, and mostly downhill roads. Riders need to go hard the first 6 miles (miles 1-6 and 12-18 for OLY) and take advantage of the good roads because the second half gradually works its way back up those hills and has about a ½ mile stretch of rough roads where riders must use extreme caution.

Kathy went out hard the first half of the bike leg and caught the lead biker by mile 3. Building on that, she gained a 5 minute lead to be the first biker into T2 and the first runner onto the run leg of the course. The run leg features paved roads for the 1st mile (1st and 4th mile for OLY) and trail/grass for the remainder of the run. This unique run course features a foot bridge, a flight of stairs, and even 3 angry mother geese. Due to the many twists and turns of the course, it was hard to determine how far back the next racer might have been. Because of this limited visibility, Kathy tried to push the pace to maintain any distance between her and the next female. As a result, Kathy finished 7th overall and earned first place in the women’s sprint distance finishing more than 9 minutes ahead of the next female. Raquel was 4th overall, and the Olympic female winner, finishing more than 11 minutes ahead of the next female racer.

Overall, it was a great way to start the season with dual wins for Team OAM Now!

Fight, Survive, Finish…. Cone Azalia

June 4th, 2015 by Team OAM NOW / Athletic Mentors

By Peter Ehmann, Team OAM Now Cyclist

“Fight, Survive, Finish.” Those three words summed up the goals, at least my goals, of the 2015 Cone-Azalia Dirt Road Race. Sometimes the course profile makes the race; sometimes that distinction goes to the field or team tactics; this race, the main player was the conditions. “Brutal, Horrendous, Miserable, Epic, Silly…” All words, many not worth repeating here, floated around describing what all the brave souls who toed the line experienced on this epic slug fest. This day, just finishing had to be earned.

The conditions at the start were horrendous to say the least. Rainfalls overnight topped 2 inches on a 6.7 mile circuit that comprised 90% dirt roads. Dirt road is an overly kind description of the surface we were riding. The week or two before, the road commission laid down fresh gravel aggregate in the form of wheel and tire destroying golf ball+ sized gravel. In other places, standing water covered all but a tire width of the road. To top that, winds were blowing from the N/NE at 15+mph driving a steady rain that was constant. Head or cross-winds everywhere! Brutal! Oh yeah, it was also 48F on the last day of May!

The P12 field was greatly undersized as expected due to the weather and surface conditions. Team OAM Now was well represented with Dan Yankus, Cory Stange, Collin Snyder, and me toeing the line. Almost the entire field was riding CX bikes, with Cory on a MTB, and one rider in the field on a road bike. The field unanimously agreed to shorten the race from 12 laps to 10. Thank you all!!!

The whistle blew and after a brief 300m or so of neutral roll-out, game on! We hit the dirt and mud was flying and spraying everywhere! At this point, the act of breathing was inviting the fine “agriculturally fortified” Monroe County grit onto your mouth. Pleasant!! On top of that, simply seeing was a challenge – glasses very shortly became useless. The first split in the race came very early, within the first half of lap 1. The pointy end of the race was down to only 7 of us. Next, Dan took a huge flyer and was off the front for the next two laps. The group eventually reeled him in, probably to his relief with all the wind out on the course.

Photo by: http://zeipekisphotography.smugmug.com/

The seven of us (including Dan, Collin, and myself) remained gentlemanly for the next half lap. Then, the niceties abruptly halted as we transitioned from cross to tail-ish wind and the decisive splits of the race came along with the destruction of the rest of the field. The front three riders, including Dan, got the gap and went up the “road.” I was in the first chase with one other until that became a solo chase for me. A lap later, Collin bridged solo up to me and we rolled around the remainder of the race together. We worked together for the remainder of the race holding our 4th and 5th place spots. As the miles ticked off, Collin started taking up the lion’s share of the workload as I was falling into suffer mode (“Survive!”). I was on empty and not in a happy place. I can’t thank Collin enough for towing me to the finish at the end. That’s the great thing about great friends and teammates!

In the end, after nearly 70 miles and close to 4 hours in the saddle, Team OAM Now earned 4 out of the top 6 spots! Dan took 2nd place, Collin 4th, me 5th, and Cory soldiered on strong on his MTB for a solid 6th. Congrats to all those who participated and all those who finished! Now, for some much needed rest and hope for much better conditions next year!