Team Stampede/Five Valley Velo News

Roubaix '11

2011-04-19T21:26:00.000-06:00

First off I want to send a loud shout out to Northern Rockies and Elliott Bassett for putting on another great Rocky Mountain Roubaix two weekends ago.

MBW Racing, presented by Team Stampede/Five Valley Velo had an awesome Master's A race with Alex and John taking 1,2. Nice work guys. Bryce and Matt raced the Cat1,2's, Jeff and Bob in the Cat 3's, Miles and Ely Cat 4's, John and Jim Master's B.

Here are a few pics of the race. Enjoy.

Nice racing to everyone out there. See you next time.

AMGEN Tour of California

2009-02-16T19:48:00.009-07:00

Hey there cycling fans. I thought I'd resurrect the Blog to post a few pics from the Tour of California. Susan and I made the 3 hour trek out of the Sierra to witness the best that America has to offer. And we weren't disappointed! The day was perfect. The Expo, the crowd and the riders were an awesome site to behold, and we got a few good shots in the process.

Enjoy!

Bitterroot Classic Triathlon Allstars!

2008-09-01T21:39:00.005-06:00

CONGRATULATIONS TRIATHLETES!

How about a big round of applause to all of those local triathletes that competed in the Bitterroot Classic Tri this past weekend. Looks like there was a lot of Orange out there again. This is a good fast-paced race that brought out some good times. Kudos to Monica LaBarge for taking the women's title. nice swim/bike/run girl. Props also go out to my friends Jean Higgins-Peretto and Lauren Fern for posting solid times!

And how about our consummate Master's Triathlete, Jeremy Oury and his daughter, Racine. Way to go you two!

Geoff L'Heureux taking the whole race, Bryan Broscious 2nd and Oury 3rd. Nice run Jeremy. Dean McGovern had a solid performance as did Jeff Crouch.

ADVERTISEMENT: Five Valley Velo Blog Administrator wanted. As most of you know I'm in California now and not so much a part of the local scene. I'd love to see this BLOG continue and I'm looking for someone to post on it. Anyone interested? It has been a blast this past year, posting basically anything I've wanted to post. (Thanks for putting up with me) Contact me if you're interested. It's a fun pastime.

Bearmouth from the Press Box

2008-07-20T21:25:00.005-06:00

And I'm not talkin' about the Grizzly Headquarters on Van Buren!

All I can say about today's race is WOW. I had the opportunity to put on my first ever race today with the Bearmouth Road Race. I am a little bummed that I wasn't able to ride it, but I'm very glad to have been there supporting my team and (hopefully) putting on a choice event for the bicycle racers of Montana.

Susan and I got up early this morning and started up the Rocket, our two-person, stove top espresso maker. Weekends were made for caffeine, especially if you're out camping with 3 dogs! And you know that I have to be keen as Race Promoter for today's 64 miler out in Granite county.

The early morning cloud cover and light breeze made me feel easy. I knew that it would be a good day of racing. We pitched the trademark, Team Stampede/Five Valley Velo tent and started signing riders in. At first it was slow, but then the rush came. Bozeman was there in force (as usual), Flathead, Sportsman's and Great Northern were there. Five Valley, of course, was present and even a Spokane rider, Anthony Aleto, from Spokane. With the Master's men and Women we had 50 riders in total. This was a good showing for a mid-summer event.

I scrambled to find even 3 wheel cars and I had to man the 2nd turn around/feed zone as there were literally, only a handful volunteers from our team there to assist. Thanks Dean, Kyle, John and Miles for stepping up. A HUGE thanks to NRO for stepping up and providing 2 wheel cars. You guys were AWESOME.

Even so, we started within 10 minutes of our scheduled start time. First out was the biggest group of the day, the Cat 1/2/3 men. 24 riders, half the entire showing headed out. In them were Matt Seeley, Elliot Bassett, Willy Zellmer and John Weyrich. Today would turn out to be a test of the riders' resolve and ability to negotiate the climbs in 90 degree heat. Think of a stage through the Pyrenees during the tour. As I said, I was Marshall at the 2nd turn around (~mile 32) and Brad Morgan had a 30 second gap when he passed us. The riders took their water from us (thanks G.A.S. ladies) and started lap two. I was thankful to see our team all in the main group at the half way mark. Now only another hour and a half til the finish...

At 2:30 or so I talked to Shaun, who unfortunately didn't finish, and he said that he saw Weyrich out on a solo break during lap 2. Shaun figured it a sacrifice, but I wondered if the cagey veteran didn't have another plan in mind. We waited, I worried, and then we saw them round the last corner. It was a big group. They must have caught John. Who would be the winner? It was going to be close, and it was an incredible finish. Anthony Aleto (Emde) took it by 1/2 a wheel from our very own John Weyrich. Russ Schneider (Cat3 Flathead) was third, and first in his category. If you listen to the reel from the video, "WOW" just about describes how it looked. Seeley took 6th.

After the race I met up with John and it looks like he and Brad had it going on for a little while, but then Brad got into trouble and that left John along to hang on. Without Brad, a hard chase ensued. If the two of them had been able to work together, the entire outcome may have been different.

Men's master's B contained 6 riders, two from Five Valley Velo. Dean McGovern and John Weston were there to represent. Dean hung on to Big, Cliff Sheehan's (NRO) wheel for a solid 3rd place finish.

Men's Cat3's: Willy Zellmer has shown that he is learning how to play with the big kids in the playground with a 3rd place finish (10th in the bunch sprint). He's the one that looks like everyone else, deftly hiding his 15 year age!

Cat4/5 was graced with the presence of Dr. Struckman, who had to remember how to ride a bike, but came in with 3rd overall. I thought he was going to have it as he and Michael Longmire (Master's A, NRO) had about a minute on the field at the feed zone, but both of them must have tired over the hot asphault on the backside of the course. NRO crushed the field by taking 1,2 in the Cat4/5's and first (Longmire) in the A's. Nice work guys...we secretly hate you.

The ALL WOMEN'S field, Cat's 1/2/3/4 took off last (but not least). It was a powerful group of 9 women who battled it out over every hill and came down to the finish. Tamara Bessette (NRO) took it in the sprint, but Mario Schat hung in there 'til the end. Nice work ladies! You Cat4 ladies need to keep your radar out for Caroline Roy (Delphine) who took 3rd overall and 1st in her category.

A big thanks to the many who came out to race and the FEW who volunteered. The Bearmouth Road Race is truly a great race that suits any racer and we at Five Valley Velo have put it on for years. It would be a shame to let it die due to lack of team support in putting it on. We need more local races, not less.

Bearmouth this Weekend!

2008-07-18T06:49:00.016-06:00

Hey there bicycle racing fans. Bearmouth is this weekend and it looks to be a hot weekend. Here are a few pictures of the course from last night's drive out there. The pavement is in good shape with only a few potholes that will be marked. It's really nice out there. Have a look.

See you Sunday!

BASSETT WINS MISSOULA MARATHON

2008-07-13T16:18:00.005-06:00

Promising, young Elliot Bassett set out from Frenchtown at 6 am this morning with one objective; to win the 2nd Annual Missoula Marathon. And he did. Elliott finished the course in 2:44 and change, nearly beating the inaugural event's winner, Keifer Hahn, who had 30 seconds on him. Way to go Elliot!

The conditions were perfect for a "summer" marathon, that is, not a hundred degrees. Elliot found his pace (6:16/mi) and never looked back. The closest man to him finished a staggering 10 minutes back. Ouch!

So it looks like Team Stampede is back on top. Interesting how the Missoula Marathon keeps being won by cyclists, hmm.

I'll post the official results when they come in. NOW up: www.theracershub.com

Also check the video: http://videos.missoulian.com/p/video?id=1996974

BEARMOUTH ROAD RACE

2008-07-05T22:15:00.002-06:00

Don't miss this summer "Classic" Road Race!

The Bearmouth road race is a go and will take place Sunday, July 20, 2008 at 11 am. This race is known for its desert-like appearance and conditions. Temperatures may reach 90+ degrees with very little shade. This race will test the will of the riders! There are no big climbs, but this course is one big set of rollers that will wear you down by the time it's all over.

So, who will bring home the glory? Will Northern Rockies continue to rob 5VV or will the Orange Crush dominate the field? Let's get a big turnout and show the rest of Montana how it's done. I'll post more in the next week, including a slide show to preview the course.

Paradise Lost - The Eden Race Report

2008-06-24T20:37:00.006-06:00

Many of you are anxiously awaiting the details of this weekend's State Championship Road Race and I appreciate your patience. Here is my account from the back...

Sunday we awoke to rain and wind here in the Garden City. John, Nadia, Geraldine and I loaded up the now, NRO/5VV team van for our trip to Eden, Montana. I wasn't worried about our weather here as Great Falls is usually sunny, but how would the wind be?

We arrived at 9:30 am with the Men's Cat 1/2/3's slated to go off at 10:30. It was a beautiful, sunny morning with only a slight breeze. We began our pre-race rituals and warmed up some. But by 10:30 am the wind was steadily picking up. It would be a crosswind from the southwest today.

The fields were all scrawny, half the size of Star Meadows. Many riders, such as Bob Presta, Elliot Bassett and Matt Seeley were missing from the roster, so it would be a test. Who could keep it together in the wind and on the hills, over 46 or 75 miles of terrain, t be crowned the best of Montana's road racers for 2008.

Present was Willy Zellmer, the 15 y.o. junior from Missoula, in his Cat3 debut. John Weyrich and I rounded out the team. Again, this was a far cry from our dominant presence up in Whitefish. The Cat 4/5 field held NO Five Valley Velo riders, which I think is a travesty, seeing how we've been leading the MBRA series, both in individual and team standings. You guys really should've been here. You would have SWEPT the field. I know how you guys have been riding!

The women's fields were competitive, but also minuscule. I wouldn't be surprised if there were only a dozen ladies, total, in all of the fields. Northern Rockies took just about all of the placings, but our own Sarah Halverson came and rode hard. Nice to represent, Sarah!

Joel "Cosmo" Kramer took third in the juniors race. Joel has come a long way this year and you should be keeping an eye out for this guy over the next two years. I think he's got the toughness to make this sport a way of life for him!

So back to the Big Boys. John and I talked about each trying to get into a break to see where it might lead us. Without any real team it would be up to ourselves to make something happen. We took a neutral rollout and a slow climb up the first hill and then things began to develop. John went out in the first break, but was reeled in after only 5 minutes or so. Of course, there is a counter and some big names go up the road. This was also at the beginning of the first, big climb of the day. I worked hard to quickly bridge up to them and then began to climb. It was then that they put on the burners and cranked it up the hill. I immediately know that I wasn't going to be hanging with these guys and I eased up.

That was the race!

It was definitely my race, but also the race for everyone else, everyone who wasn't in that group. The pace that they set forced a hard chase from the peloton which quickly began to shatter. It was like a bomb had gone off in the middle of the bunch, halfway up this long, stairstepping hill and into the wind. WOW. I was quickly running out of steam and dropping back in the pack. By the time I crested the hill I was in the last group of two with Tomas Dubrovsky (G.A.S.). John had survived in the chase group, and Willy had made it up with Howard Williams, a solid rider. So at 12 miles or so into a 75 mile road race, I knew I wouldn't be finishing. We were on top of this plateau and the wind was fierce. And it was only Tomas and I. We began to work together, but also started a dialogue about just how far we would ride today. "One lap only" seemed to be the agreement as neither of us wanted to suffer out there for 4 hours.

The state Championship Road Race course was just that, a champion's course. It was 75 miles of rolling hills with two longer climbs and was an out-and-back-and-out-and-back-and-out-and-back course of three laps, measuring ~5400 vertical feet of climbing. And did I mention the wind? It was plenty enough to make a grown man cry.

So the field was split into several, small chase groups that were all probably only 30 seconds apart, so like any self-respecting cyclist we all gave chase. Nothing like continued and sustained pain to take your mind off the hills and the wind. Tomas and I chased. John chased. Howard and Willy chased. Shaun chased. At each turn around we could see that we were all within either seconds or minutes of the leading groups, motivating us to continue. Willy eventually tired and dropped from Howard back to us and finally Tomas dropped the two of us. Before I knew it we were climbing out of Eden (an oxymoron as far as I'm concerned) and beginning our final run to the finish. My legs were totally spent and Will gapped me. Now he should've waited for his (elder) teammate, but he's young and inexperienced so I didn't give him grief. We solo rode the last 15 miles at 45 seconds apart for the final two finishers of the day. A little different ending than I had envisioned.

The lead group of 6 or 7 riders thinned down to the final three: Kiefer Hahn, Josh Tack and junior, Marshall Opel. It came down to a sprint. Kiefer went at 200 mts, too soon. The other two came around to duke it out. Tack took Marshall at the line. John came in a respectable 8th or 9th. Final results should be posted soon.

So this seemed like a true Montana race. There was the battle of the terrain, the elements and the toughest riders this side of the Mississippi River.

~out~

The State Championship Road Race

2008-06-15T06:42:00.009-06:00

A week from today Montana's strongest cyclists will be battling it out over the hilly, Eden road course. So who will be crowned "The Best?"

Eden is going to be exciting. It's a new course that has lots of climbing, open and exposed sections and at 75 miles (Cat1/2/3) should be tortuous. Will the Five Valley Velo boys come out in force? Will Montana Velo finally put together a winning combination or will G.A.S. continue to impose their will onto the peloton?

I can foresee lots of attacks on the hilly sections that will keep the pace high and the legs and lungs burning. G.A.S. will be organized and it will be up to the other teams to break them up. Matt Seeley took the "W" at Star Meadows last weekend and John Weyrich has been riding well, but NRO may be a little bitter and will definitely be gunning for them. Right now, I don't think anyone can beat Seeley!

The Cat 3's have been showing their strength over the last few weeks and several of them will be vying for the top spot. This course really suits the aggressive riding style of our own Elliot Bassett, but if Jean Meyer (RUR) or Bob Presta (NRO) get away, it's all over. I will be fighting just to stay in the group!

The Cat4/5 group should be a great race, as usual. This year's group of 4/5's has been big, bad and strong! Five Valley Velo's "farm club" has been dominating and it's been awesome to see. Looks like we're going to have even more guys moving up to the 3's by next year. I can see Twohig getting away, but with Rob Gillespie and Kyle Shannon riding better each week, it's anyone's race...Willy got his upgrade and will be racing with the "Big Boys" this weekend. Good luck Willy!

The other strong field has been in the women's Cat1/2/3/4. Tamara Bessette (NRO) has been riding with the men, so Danyel (NRO) has stepped up and will be hard to stop. Lisa Curry (G.A.S.) may be the strongest woman on the road, but without teammates, will find it hard to come up with the win. This race is too close to call.

So come next Sunday we'll find out who will be crowned the Kings and Queens of Montana road racing. Stay tuned.

Fish Trails Criterium Photos

2008-06-09T23:06:00.008-06:00

It was cold and VERY wet.

TEAM STAMPEDE Rocks the 70.3

2008-06-04T21:32:00.007-06:00

Now I knew we had a lot of talent on our team, but I have to say that I was awestruck to see all of the names listed in today's Missoulian. And that wasn't half of the athletes who competed in Half Ironman Triathlons this past weekend. Team Stampede showed the triathlon world again that we are a force to be reckoned with.

Beginning in Canada, "resident" Pro Triathlete Adam Jensen took 4th overall with a 4:10 time. Alison Forney Gorman took 1st in her age group (the fast women's group), and Donn Livoni beat everyone in his group by 20 minutes!

Congratulations to all of you who participated and thanks for showing North America how tough we are.

Oliver 1/2 Ironman

Adam Jensen (PRO) 4.10.41 4th

Dean McGovern 5.01.56

Jeff Bookwalter 5.04.23

Alison Forney-Gorman 5.04.50 6th, 1st AG

Edie Vanburkirk 5.22.37

Monica LaBarge 5.29.08

Renata Bush 5.32.48

Mark Hebblewhite 5.45.48

Boise 1/2 Ironman

Ben Hoffman (PRO) 4.01.55 6th

Brendan Halpin 4.18.15 18th

Michael Gordon 4.18.31 19th
Linsey Corbin (PRO) 4.34.17 4th

Geoff L'Heureux 4.28.51

Kyle Hummel 4.32.55

Joel Carlson 4.58.43

Jen Leubke 5.05.51

Jesse Agner 5.08.15

Rhea Fuller 5.09.16

Armando Gama 5.34.33

Mark Burke 5.48.23

Molly Bradford 6.42.14

Jennifer Vanderweide 7.46.05

I hope I got everyone!

Five Valley Velo-A Cow Country Classic

2008-06-04T21:18:00.005-06:00

Wow, it looks like the team did fantastic over at Wolf Creek this past weekend. Our Cat4/5 team has become quite the dominant force in the peloton this year and we are starting to build up a Cat1/2/3 field. It may not be like the "good old days" yet, but I can see it coming. Our team is getting stronger and the vibe is so positive right now. Great job guys (and gals).

Jeff Twohig and crew rode hard all day and posted SIX guys in the top ten, but the performance of the day has to go to our junior "pro" Mr. Willy Zellmer. Willy had a 40 mile breakaway with Jason Ames that only got caught in the last mile of the race. Willy hung on to 4th. Kyle took 2nd, Rob Gillespie 3rd, Jeff 5th and Travis 6th places overall. Lucca Scariano made it in the top 10. I guess the team put a hurt on the peloton and dropped just about everyone!

I'm now feeling bummed that I didn't make it, but had other commitments. John W. and Elliot represented in the 1/2/3's over the long course. Good job for hanging in there guys. Next up, Whitefish, for the State Championship Criterium. Can anyone say "Fast and Furious?"

Big Thanks to Natasha Westphal for the photos.

Bon Voyage Triathletes

2008-05-29T21:10:00.006-06:00

Good evening in the Garden City!

Missoula will be noticeably more quiet this weekend as we give a big send off to many of our triathletes. There are a pair of 1/2 Ironman Triathlons this weekend, Oliver in B.C. and the Boise 70.3.

We are sending a big team to each of these two events and there are bound to be a lot of yee haws and cowboy hats to let everyone know that the Stampede is there. Good luck to all of you. You have trained hard and I hope you all have great races!

The half-iron is the perfect race as far as I'm concerned (not that I've ever raced in one). It pushes you to train long and hard, but isn't as devastating on the mind and body as the full Ironman. It tests one's endurance and takes months of preparation, something you can all be proud of. If I didn't
suck so badly at swimming, I'd be right there with you.
But alas I am more reptilian these days than amphibian, so you'll have to go it alone. But maybe next year...

Have a great weekend everyone and let the rest of us know how it went.

photos are from the '08 Grizzly, of course

More Photos

2008-05-27T23:27:00.008-06:00

Now that's what I call racing.

Tour of the Bitterroot - Day 2

2008-05-26T21:30:00.013-06:00

So this is what Sunday morning looked like. Do
like it? The Criterium, or Crit as it is called, is an
adrenaline-charged, fast paced race around a short
multiple corner course. It's exciting to watch and
even more so to race. The pace is set high and it's
survival of the fittest, literally.

The day began with the juniors (which I wasn't there to see) then the Men's Cat5/ Master's B. There were several new-to-crit racers including our own Travis Howard, who when I met up with him later said, "Man, what a rush." He's hooked!

The women's Cat4's were next and TS5VV's Jen Luebke rode hard and put up a good showing for our team. Way to go Jen!

The men's Cat4/ Masters A race was the big showdown between 5VV and G.A.S. and between Big Al Gallegos and Michael Longmire (NRO).
Alex put the hammer down from the start and began to make everyone hurt. This race saw many riders unable to keep up with the pace and those who were left were grimacing. It came down to Alex taking the "W" over Longmire. Brian Fryckman (G.A.S.) was also trumped by our own Jeff Twohig in his first Crit win. Right on Jeff!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! A shout out for former teamie, Howard Williams for taking the Omnium GC, the whole tamale.

Alex's wife, Sarah returned to racing this year and fought hard in the Women's Cat1/2/3 race, but it was powerhouse, Tamara Bessette (NRO) who took top honors. Nice racing ladies.

In the men's Cat1/2/3 race it was hot from the word GO. Five Valley Velo had a solid team of 5 riders. John Weyrich and Adam Jensen raced the 2's while Elliot, Brendan and I cut our teeth as Cat3's. Our field was a combined total of 25 riders and was rockin'. Racing with the big boys is a lot faster, but also much smoother and generally safer. I felt good for half the race then fell off the back, but Jensen, John and Brendan mixed it up and did well. Elliot raced well, but it was Bob Presta (NRO) who took the field sprint and won it for the 3's. The Cat1/2 win was a two lap breakaway by Missoulian, John Curry (G.A.S.) who called his move, "perfect timing." Nice work guys. I'll talk more about the Time Trial tomorrow.

Tour of the Bitterroot - Day 1

2008-05-24T21:37:00.002-06:00

Today was hard. Today was wet. Today was awesome.

Stage 1 of the TofB was the road race with distances ranging from 27 miles to 75 miles. The course is the same as last year with two major climbs per lap, Airport Rd. and El Capitan. They're not big climbs, but are always taken at a hard pace and often decide the outcomes of the races.

Five Valley Velo came out in force with all categories represented. Congrats to Sarah, Renate and Jen for representing the women's fields. You ladies rock! The men's Cat5/Masters B field had several triathletes (including Jeremy, Donn and John from the bitterroot), Travis and Greg. The men's Cat4/Masters A's was totally stacked with all the usual suspects and for the first race in a long time, we had 5 guys in the men's Cat1/2/3 race. Too bad we didn't get Seeley to race with us for a big 6.

Now I didn't get to talk to everyone after the races, so there will be a lot more info coming by the end of the weekend, but FVV did GREAT! Greg Larsen won the Cat 5 race, we had 3 of the top 7 spots in the 4's (Willy, Jeff T. and Rob Gillespie) and Adam Jensen WON the Cat1/2 with a killer sprint at the top of Airport Rd. Great job guys. Sorry, but I don't have the stats for the women yet, but will get them soon.

Today was torture for some as well. Steve Zellmer crashed hard in the Cat4 race and the weather was the demise of many a cyclist. I was bringing in a solid last place in the Cat1/2/3's until my chain snapped with 3 miles to go! There were lots of DNF's that took us out of contention for the Omnium overall, but we will still get to race for some of the cash and primes in tomorrow's Crit and Time Trial. Today sort of reminded me of Frozen Flatlands as it poured rain for almost the entire race. Brrr!

So lets hope for better weather tomorrow and for another great day of amatur bicycle racing here in western Montana. Signing off.

Tour of the Bitterroot - A Call for Volunteers

2008-05-20T10:12:00.004-06:00

The Tour of the Bitterroot Omnium is this weekend and Team Stampede is sponsoring it. This means that we need LOTS of volunteers to make it run smoothly and safely. Now is the time for all of the triathletes and cyclists to step up and volunteer in any way possible. If you aren't racing definitely be there to help out. We need marshalls for the road race and crit, for the feed zone at the top of Airport Rd. and lots of registration jobs. Contact Robin Pruitt at robin.pruitt@bitterrootlandtrust.org or our own John Weyrich at john_weyhrich@yahoo.com

I'm not sure, but we should be getting together this week to discuss volunteer jobs. If not, just show up Friday night for the sweep as we will be driving down to the Stevensville Road Course to sweep up the corners. Or show up early on Saturday (~11am) at the St. Mary's Mission in Stevensville. You will definitely get a job. Thank you all so much for supporting the cycling half of the team!

It will be awesome to see all of you on the corners as we go racing by. Be sure to look for lots of orange as we will be out in big numbers this weekend. The Tour of the Bitterroot is a classic and is the highlight of our racing season. Our Cat 4 and Cat 5 fields are stacked! Cat 1,2,3 will see the likes of Elliot and I, John Weyrich and hopefully Matt Seeley (2nd last year). And maybe we'll even get some women this year.

The Long Awaited Belt Race Report

2008-05-18T21:47:00.004-06:00

Hey Y'all. Sorry about the delay, but here is a nice, little report, courtesy of our own Jeff Twohig, recounting the day's events. Jeff took second in the Cat4/5 road race last Saturday and Five Valley Velo posted strong standings again. Way to go boys!

Jeff wrote: When I showed up for the RR with Kyle and our fresh legs, from not doing the TT, we were informed that Willie had rode a great TT (Willy took 2nd). Since he had the best shot at the overall (Omnium), Willy would be our protected rider for the day.

With the wind at our back on the first stretch out of Belt we cruised the first few miles of the race with Steve Zellmer (4th in TT- NRO), Kyle, Howard Williams (Great Northern Cyclery), Tamara (NRO) and myself up front. Andrew, the Mountain biker from Missoula, launched an attack on an early climb. With nobody giving chase, he managed to open up about a 1/2 mile gap. This gap was closed a mile or 2 after heading into the back stretch with the fierce head/cross winds.

After a few minutes of slow pace and no action, Miles and Tamara Attacked into the stiff wind and stretched out the peloton into single file. Guys were trying to find any draft they could. Once Miles and Tamara got caught, I decided to counter attack from about 7 spots back, at about mile 15. By the time I passed Tamara I had a good head of steam, put my head down and hammered into the wind.

I looked back after 3-4 minutes, expecting to see the peloton right behind me. To my surprise they were a good 200-300 yards back, so I continued to push. Knowing I had teammates to block or sit in, I pushed as hard as I could to make the other teams work. However the wasn't much willingness to chase a solo break early into the race. At the turn the peloton was about 3 minutes back, and I thought, "I might be able to stay away".

After the turn, Brian Fryckman (GAS) , another GAS rider and 2-3 others pushed hard to chase in earnest. I know Kyle, and Travis worked hard to keep Willy with the chase group, but the chase group got away. Just before the top of the last climb, having gapped the remaining chasers, Brian caught me and created a gap for himself. My 18 miles off the front had come to an end.

Working together to insure 1st and 2nd, Brian and I worked into the wind on the home stretch and with about 300 yards to go and Brian on my wheel, I asked my weary legs for one more good effort. I pushed down on the cranks, out of the saddle, but my legs told me we would be finishing second today...

Willy finished just off the podium in 4th Overall (9th in the RR) & I finished 6th (I should have done the TT!). Other finishing numbers were: Kyle (11th RR), Travis (13th), Ely (17th) and juniors Joel Kramer (2nd in 13-14yo) and Adam Cook (1st 17-18 yo). A job well done. I (ErikD) struggled the entire day and placed way down in the Cat3 Omnium. All I could think of was high school initiation...ouch.

Team Stampede's First Annual Spring Potluck/Kickball Tournament

2008-05-14T21:42:00.004-06:00

That's right, you heard it. This Monday night was what I hope will become an annual tradition-the Spring Kickball Tournament. We had a blast!

It was a beautiful night...no rain, and there was A LOT of food and beer. Being athletes, most of the dishes were some kind of past, but the college kids didn't disappoint and served us up with Taco Bell and Albertson's chicken. YUM.

Kyle passed out the new team kits and they are sharp. Although Jeremy's tri suit does look a little see through. It should make for an interesting Bitterroot Triathlon.

All-in-all it was a good night of socializing and team bonding. It's events like these that keep me coming back to the team. Thanks guys and gals for a fun night.

Belt, Montana

2008-05-07T20:29:00.003-06:00

The Belt Omnium is this weekend! This is the first road race after the Rocky Mountain Roubaix and Five Valley Velo is planning on sending a strong group of Category 4 and 5 riders. So far we have Jeff Twohig, Ely Wilkinson, Kyle Shannon and Willy Zellmer. All of these guys have been coming on strong over the past few weeks. In the Cat 1,2,3 we won't be as well represented, but I'll try and make a go at it.

Belt is a great, early season road race and is a must-do for anyone who is planning on racing The Tour of the Bitterroot. This race consists of a 5 mile time trial in the am and the 40 mile road race in the pm. The road course is a rolling hills course without any big climbs. The one thing that riders may have to contend with is the wind. Let the Orange Crush dominate like we did at the Roubaix. I'll post a report after the race.

Check this guy out!

Glory Days

2008-05-05T21:03:00.002-06:00

I worked this weekend at the hospital and when I rotate through my weekend I have to take a couple of days off, one each week. So today, I had the day off. It was one of those perfect days. I got to sleep in, make a bacon and eggs breakfast, caffeinate (on tea, remember..wife, no coffee) and get ready for a late morning group ride. Now that is my kind of day!

But it got me thinking about old times as I never get to do this sort of thing, being the 8 to 5'er that I am. I did get a nice taste of this last Monday, too. Thanks for the company Linsey.

So I rolled up to Le Petit and grabbed my pre-ride croissant. I have to say that I'm liking the whole Le Petit vibe, not to mention their awesome baked goods. The group gathered. Alex and Sarah, Monica, Travis, David G. and I and we headed out.

The sun was warm and the pace was easy. I could have happily napped on the back of the paceline. I started daydreaming about my days as a college student...when I had free time to make the daily group rides that our local club put on. I was a club rider long before I was a racer. My idea of fun was a few hours of casual riding to a nice bakery where we could have a pastry and espresso and then motor back home. We had all of our favorite routes, determined by the destination food stop. But don't think Missoulians on Bicycles folks. These guys (and gals) moved along nicely and we covered some ground. And there was always one significant climb that was involved.

We cycled up Hwy 200 and Alex reminisced about his racing days, when all he had to do was ride the bike. Sara wore her vintage, Louisville club jersey and the two of them rode side-by-side like boyfriend and girlfriend, no kids, no worries. David could've been on a country road west of Kalispell and Monica on Ironman Canada, both putting in endless miles. And Travis was sporting a symbol of a past conquest with his LOTOJA jersey. There was a great mix of riders, just like the group rides of my past.

Alex and Sara turned back at the Potomac store and the rest of us headed up towards Lubrecht. At the Garnet turn off we made the right and began the nearly 4 mile climb to the end of the pavement. It has been a few years since I've done this hill and with its 14-18% grade sections about ripped our legs off. It reminded me so much of the canyons in the Santa Monica or San Gabriel Mountains that we used to ride. Our food stop was the Potomac Store, a far cry from Cafe Casino in Santa Monica, but allowed us a few minutes to refuel before working the last 25 miles home.

So thanks to everyone who played a part today in jogging my memory and stirring up some happy images.

The Big Weekend

2008-04-29T21:09:00.004-06:00

So Montana had a BIG weekend indeed. We had the annual Riverbank Run and the (Inaugural) Speedwagon Classic competitive cycling event in Polson. Peaks to Prairie went off on Sunday and I did none of them. And let me tell you, it about killed me. But I desperately needed a weekend to get some things done at the homestead and I passed on the events.

Looks like the Bank Run drew a very competitive field and the men in particular, threw down some blazing times. Whew, I would've been left in the dust! The Trifecta has become "The Race" and lots of Stampeders took on the challenge. Riki Peacock has been running strong and her time of 1:15:13 showed. The Sunday Long Runs must have payed off! Congrats to Justin Cloute for his Top 10 finish in the 5K at 17:53. And am I seeing what I think I'm seeing? Former/current cyclists, Heidi Stamm and Becky Broeder ran the 10K! OMG.

The men blazed with Zack Strong running a 31:48 in the 10K leg, going on to win the trifecta at 51:43! Wow. Primo Latino ran himself into a respectable 15th place and lots of other familiar names came out. Way to go boys.

Peaks to Prairie was on my race schedule. I raced it two years ago and loved it. I wanted to get back there and race it again, but wouldn't do it with my sea kayak. I gave up 17 minutes with my slow boat and didn't want a repeat. But we DID have two Stampeders make the long trip to eastern Montana to represent, David and Alison (Forney) Gorman. I don't have all the details, except that Alison WON the elite women's solo division and David WON the men's masters solo division. Right on guys! I can't wait to hear more about it.

And last, but certainly not least, the cyclists headed up to the Seeley's in Polson for the Speedwagon Classic. Nothing like a tough 50 miler, half on loose gravel roads to knock some sense into you, right Miles? Per Matt's email, it sounded like pain and fun was had by all. I do hope that I can race it next year. Congrats to the "winner" Bill Martin. This is the guy you're going to have to watch out for on the MTB circuit.

So there you have it. It's never a dull moment here in the Garden City and you can always find somebody doing something.

Tour of the Bitterroot - sponsored by The Bitterroot Land Trust

2008-04-23T12:41:00.003-06:00

May is fast approaching and the 2008 bicycle racing season is heating up. While Europe may have the Giro, we here in Western Montana look forward to the Tour of the Bitterroot. This year's edition will include the popular Stevensville Road Race, including the climb up El Capitan, a sweet Criterium in downtown Hamilton and will be followed by a "tour-worthy" time trial. Be sure to click on the link to the Official website!

Last year was a blast. The Bitterroot Land Trust put on a top-notch event that was fun for racers and spectators alike. This year will not disappoint, so start your planning for the biggest race of the spring! I'll post more press soon!

The Tour of Walla Walla Report

2008-04-21T22:31:00.002-06:00

This past weekend was the Banner Bank, Tour of Walla Walla. This is the first big, regional stage race of the year and has become ultra popular. And I can see why. The race was excellent. It was a well organized event that sold out WEEKS ahead of time and Five Valley Velo had a small team of Cat 4's to represent. Our team consisted of Kyle Shannon, Ely Wilkinson, Willy Zellmer and myself. Dan Gager was slated to go, but was unable and was truly missed.

The Cat 4 race consisted of a Time Trial, a Road Race and the Downtown Criterium on Sunday morning. This was also a stage race, which meant that cumulative time would determine the GC leader and not points like at Frozen Flatlands. We were all pumped up and ready to go Friday night, on our way to WW for the Saturday AM TT.

Saturday began as a big question mark in my mind. Would the weather hold? How would we do? It was cold and windy as we warmed up. Willy Z. would be first off, then Kyle, myself and Ely. I rode hard, but didn't feel strong in my legs. Maybe it was the long drive the night before. Who knows, but I came in 2;00+ behind the leaders and I immediately realized that this was going to be harder than I thought. On my way up to the line at the TT I saw Willy just after he came in, snot dripping from his nose. I asked him how it felt and he said, "okay." Well that okay turned out to be the best time for the team, coming in at 17:22. My nose didn't run, I came in at 18:03. Kyle and Ely were down another minute. Great job from our junior teammate!

2pm marked the beginning of our 60 mile road race, but I immediately felt better. I made sure to rest and stay off my feet during the 3+ hours in between the stages. Things started off slowly and really didn't pick up. There were a couple of spots that sped up, but the race was being run very conservatively. Two big teams, Starbucks and Cucina Fresca, both from Seattle, were running the show. I worked my way to the front at the climb to begin lap 2 and forced a gap, but the teams quickly sat up and allowed the peloton to rejoin. Frustrated I moved ahead before the biggest climb on the backside of the course and was joined by a junior from O'boy Oberto. We had a gap of 45 seconds to a minute and they weren't going to chase, so I made the plan to climb ahead of the peloton at tempo, but not too hard, with hopes that a break would happen to catch us at the top. And that's exactly what happened. With about a half mile to go, all of the GC contenders sprung free from the peloton and came by us. Junior and I latched on and pushed it over the top. Three riders got away, but only by seconds, as we descended to the valley floor. "Hot damn," I thought. I was in the chase group and the peloton was behind me. Maybe this would play out well for me. But as we hit the flats and began to motor towards the finishing climb ( a 3K slog uphill) I quickly noticed that my legs were failing me. I hoped to hold on until the final 3K, but got popped at the 10K marker. I had no legs left. Steve Zellmer (NRO) caught me just before the final climb, also dropped and frustrated with himself, and we climbed the hill. My legs gone, I lost 4 more minutes from the leaders and finished 26th. Kyle was another 32 seconds and Willy 1:13 down. Ely rode hard but lost 20 minutes. 72 of the 90 starters finished!

Saturday night was not for cryin' in your beer, it was just for beer (and burgers.) We had some good pub fare with Tamara's family and our adopted teammate Steve Zellmer. After all, he is Willy's dad! Dinner followed an early to bed and rest up for Sunday's race.

The Crit was awesome. The remaining 72 riders lined up for a fast and furious, forty minute race. I was just hoping to keep it upright, 'cause in a group of 70+ Cat 4's there's bound to be some carnage. The race was fast and clean for the most part. Willy, Steve and I tried to stay up front where the race was more predictable, and my legs felt good. Kyle and Ely got caught in the back and soon the peloton split. After 20 minutes the back half of the peloton was pulled, leaving about 40+/- to duke it out. With 3 laps to go, things started to heat up and on the last lap I was sitting about 12th, but couldn't move up. I took 14th, Steve 19th and Willy 21st. It was our strongest showing of the weekend and was good to see Montana in there with the rest of them.

Walla Walla was the first stage race for most of us and was a real learning experience. And even though we didn't place, we had a great time racing in a beautiful setting and I know that I'll be back next year, if only to redeem myself. Hope to see more teammates in the peloton next year!

Good job to all the Montana boys and girls for showing off, especially our 'cross town competitors in green! Here's a shot of B. Presta rounding corner #1 in the Cat3 Crit. This was the adrenaline-charged event of the weekend.

Erik

Rocky Mountain Roubaix - A Day in the Sun

2008-04-14T22:13:00.007-06:00

To all you cycling fans and competitors out there, welcome.

This year's edition of the Rocky Mountain Roubaix was the largest that I've seen in recent years. The excellent weather and all of the hype payed off and we had well over a hundred racers come from all over the state, Washington and Idaho in order to participate in what is arguably the greatest local road race put on. And a big thanks for the Northern Rockies Orthopedic Team for putting on such a top notch event!

I couldn't believe all of the team vans, tents and banners when I arrived at 9 am. I swear that this looked more like a regional event than a local one. Cyclists were warming up, music was playing and the sun was shining. Today was going to be a GREAT day for a bike race.

Tamara, Steve, Shaun and Bob were running the show and the categories were growing by the minute. I counted 40 guys in the Cat4/5 field, and we would also be riding with the Masters! "There's nothing like sharing half of a dirt road with 60+ other riders", I thought. Looked like fun.

The Roubaix has been going for 20 years or so, started by veteran road racer Carl Ammons and some of the early Five Valley Velo riders. Over the years it has taken a variety of different forms, but for the past 3 years has been in Frenchtown, Montana. The race is held on the same day as the infamous Paris-Roubaix road race. Paris-Roubaix is known for its rough, cobblestone roads, inclimate weather and viscous attacks from the riders. It is a test of your resolve and good fortune, and it seems that the riders with both are those who reign victorious.

So on this brilliant Sunday, we all came to the line with the same thoughts on our minds: Would our legs hold? Would we have good luck? The next two hours would tell...

My plan was simple. Right before the gun went off I was chatting with Elliot and said that I would go off the front and force a chase. I doubted that anyone would want to chase me so early in the race and I was right. We all but rolled out and were still easing up to speed when I took off. No body responded and I was soon heading up the road alone. Nice! I got so far up the road that the lead car had to come up to me and I was riding my own race. My legs were feeling pretty good, so I kept it up. I thought, "If I could only get over the 6 Mile hill and drop down into the 9 Mile Valley, they would surely have to chase." I was right, and in the process, some strain was starting to be put onto the peloton.

I stayed away for about 12 miles when I was caught by the chase group, containing 3 of my teammates, Elliot, Brendan and Adam Jensen. Toby (NRO) and Brian (GAS) made is a lead group of six. The race was essentially over at this point as the rest of the group was perhaps a minute arrears and we had 6 strong riders. Only problem was that we had Jensen...and I was in desperate need of some recovery time for my legs, so after about 3 miles in the lead group, I was off the back. But I was feeling good. I had successfully launched 3 of my teammates up the road and likely to the win. I rode two more solo miles and then was caught by the group for some needed rest. For me the rest of the race was easy. Five Valley Velo was sitting pretty up front and my boys were content to keep the peloton rolling along...just not fast enough to catch the break.

We climbed up the hill on 9 Mile Rd. and there was a crash. One of the Muleterro riders crossed wheels and went down. Travis Howard (5VV) and possibly Greg Larsen were taken down, too.

Lap 2 also included a hard crash on the pavement of the westside road. We lost Willie Zelmer and NRO's riders Doug Shryock and Jeremy.

Five Valley Velo stayed to the front of the peloton and drove up over the 9 Mile and 6 Mile hills. At one point we were two minutes down from the leaders, but on the frontage road they were within 30 seconds!!! What were they doing? It was a good thing that the peloton could not get organized, or we would've caught them. Jeff Twohig was chompin' at the bit on the final stretch and wanted to be right on my wheel for the final climb up to the finish. I lead the guys onto Roman Creek Rd and up the lower stretches of the hill until guys started to go. Howard (GNC) Rob Gillespie and Kyle (5VV) and a Spokane Rocket Velo guy shot past me. I kept thinking to myself to hang on 'til the end. I did and we took the next 3 spots: Gillespie 4th, Kyle 5th and myself 6th. The Cat 4/5 results were five of six places belonging to Five Valley Velo. Elliot took the win, Brendan 2nd and Brian Frykman (GAS) 3rd. The rest of our guys including Twohig, Miles Key, Ely, Tom Sullivan and Dan Gager were all close behind. Excellent job team!

The Men's Cat 1/2/3 played out in similar fashion with an early breakaway, but this guy (Cat3) stayed with the lead group and took the "W" for the 3's, I believe. His teammate Eric Anderson took it for the 1/2's. Sportsman's Clint Mulfield took 2nd, and NRO's Josh Tack held it together for 3rd. I'm sorry, but I do not have the standings for the women, but Danyele, Joey, Nadia and Geraldine were all riding very well. Maybe we'll get a women's report...

So the 2008 version of Roubaix was a success in every way, except the weather, but no one was complaining. As promised, but maybe a little late, I've finally got the pictures posted for this weekend's Roubaix. Check out the photo album, Susan got some pretty sweet shots!

Looks like the big boys got their day in the sun, too. Check out Boonen.

The Grizzly Recap

2008-04-13T16:47:00.005-06:00

Congratulations to all of you who competed in yesterday's 20th Anniversary Grizzly Triathlon! I know that there were a ton of you who made your debut as a triathlete and you should be proud of yourselves. Good job Andie Rassmussen, you looked like a pro out there. I hope you come back to run your next triathlon soon.

Saturday was a banner day for racing. Some may argue that it was a little warm, but I enjoyed the warmth of the sun and it looks like you all did too.

Big Congratulations to Jen Luebke for taking the 'W'. You looked strong the whole way and made it look easy. Alison Forney-Gorman came from behind with a blistering T2 to take 2nd place, Stephanie Fisher 3rd and Emily Kipp 4th. Rhea Fuller rounded it out in 5th.

Men's reigning champion, Ben Hoffman, three-peated for the win. When I saw him come in on the bike I knew that no body would be catching him! Adam Jenson took 2nd, and Brendan Halpin ran like a man possessed to take 3rd. Young Matt Shryock rocked his usual, lightening fast run for fourth and Graham Meng held onto 5th place. It's tough racing against the Missoula boys, isn't it?

The Grizzly was as awesome as usual thanks to Race Directors Giles Thelen and Elliot Bassett. You guys really pulled all the stops and I received a ton of compliments on the food, music and overall organization. Kudos.

I had the privilege to work the food booth with Kyle, Megan, and Elliot, and they were kind enough to let me sneak away to take a few photos. I'm bummed that my wife (the real photographer in the family) wasn't able to be there, but I still got some snapshots. As an aside, she WAS at the Roubaix today (to shoot her hubby) and captured some amazing shots! I'm in the process of getting my pictures up on Flickr (due to the large # of shots), but will also make a small album on Yahoogroups, too. I'm hoping to get the Roubaix shots up in a day or two.

As always, feel free to comment on your experiences and/or send me photos.

I have lots of photos and took pictures of many folks I don't know, so be sure to check it out...you may just be there. http://www.flickr.com/photos/56809415@N00/sets/72157604525433807/

Sorry, but you'll have to rotate the photos yourselves.

Well the beginning of the Montana Racing Season is finally here and it started with quite a bang! I'll write a post about the Roubaix later tonight or tomorrow. It was just as fine of a day today.

Grizzly Weekend and a Dry Roubaix

2008-04-11T21:17:00.003-06:00

Hello all you Triathlon fans and participants. Are you ready to rumble? Looks like tomorrow is shaping up to be a terrific day for racing. With highs expected to be near 70 degrees, you can expect the elite heats to be sweating it out and racing hard!

Thanks to everyone for voting. I'm going to have to say that it looks like you may have just picked a trifecta...My money is on Mr. Halpin for the win. This guy never ceases to amaze me. It seems that every time I see him, he's looking more ripped and fit than the last time I saw him. I don't think this boy's physiology knows when to quit! I think that if he gets into a groove that no body's gonna be able to catch him. My next bet will be on Ben Hoffman. Although he'll be trying to defend his Griz title from last year, he will have to run like an escaped convict to beat Brendan. Third goes to Todd Struckman. You guys may not remember, but Dr. Struck man ran a 3hr marathon in Seattle and took top 3 in the Garden City Triathlon last year, WHILE IN MEDICAL SCHOOL! Oops!

I'm not too familiar with the women, but have heard good things about Jen Lubke and Emily VonJentzen. Good luck to all the women and I hope the course record falls on what should be a great day of racing.

And don't forget the Roubaix on Sunday! Open Road is having a Pre-registration Party from 5 til 7pm tomorrow night. Come on over to sign up and have your one (or three) pre-race beers! This is a good time to check out the comp. start talking about how tired you are after racing the Griz and to whet your whistle before going over to the After Griz Party! I hope to see a whole truck load of you sign up for the Roubaix. Also, looks like there will be a fair amount of Spokane boys coming over here in an attempt to steal our thunder...seeing how well we did last week at Frozen Flatlands. Let's be sure to keep the medals (and bragging rights local, y'all)

Just in case there is anyone who wants to watch. A great vantage point will be at the Nine Mile Ranger Station on Nine Mile Rd. Be sure to get there by 10 am as the race will be rushing by about 10:15 am and you won't want to be in the way. Park OFF of the course and set up for some sketchy and very fast cornering on the DIRT. It will definitely be something to see!

See you this weekend "at the races."

Brendan at the 2007 Griz!!!

Frozen Flatlands 2008

2008-04-07T20:49:00.009-06:00

This year's edition of the Tour of Frozen Flatlands lived up to its foreboding name. The two day omnium consisted of a 60 minute Circuit Race on Saturday, followed by a 50 mile Road Race on Sunday. Our team has sent riders over to Spokane for several years with varying degrees of success. Last year was my first year and I loved the course (and the sun) so much that we made a point of racing for both days again this year.

Spring racing in the Pacific Northwest can be wet, cold, windy and just downright miserable. And after checking the weather forecast on Friday night, I was expecting the worst. The forecast was for rain and snow overnight, clearing in the pm and then more rain and wind on Sunday...joy. But we packed up the team van and Jeff's car for our early departure. Spokane or Bust! Along the way I was phoned by Nadia White from NRO saying that the race was iffy at best, due to an inch+ of snow on the ground. She'd keep me posted. Turned out they got a snow plow for the road and postponed the races all by two hours. So finally after our 9:30 am arrival, the Cat 3's were racing by 12:30 pm. 5VV wasn't represented in the 3's (not yet anyway), so we had to wait another 3 hours for our race to go off.

Our Team is currently composed of Cat 4's and 5's and we are now getting quite a team. I'm ready to upgrade to Cat 3 and I hope my teamies Elliot Bassett and Brendan Halpin will do so as well. Grant Kier, Alex Gallego and Matt Seeley are our Cat 1/2 men.

Okay, so back to the racing! The Circuit Race is like a giant Criterium, run on a winding, 2.3 mile course. There were a couple of hairpin turns to keep us on our toes and a BIG headwind coming into the final stretch. Put all these ingredients together in a Cat 4/5 race and what do you have? A totally sketchy, dangerous and ugly race that will make most any spectator cringe. Yep, that's what it was! Casualty number one was our newest member, Rob Gillespie. Welcome to the team Rob! Rob went down in a pile up on lap 3 or so. I didn't even know what had happened, but I was told that it sounded and looked really bad. Rob survived without too much road rash and a bike good enough to keep riding, so he trailed for the rest of the race.

The race was run hot. The Cat 4/5's rode the fastest lap at ~5:30 and our overall average was 24.3 mph. After getting home I downloaded my HR info and had a 161 average HR. I maxed out at 173. Ouch. I wasn't feeling that good at first, but got into a rhythm and did okay. Everyone else looked great. Elliot was pushing the pace with Jason Ames and several times I saw Willy riding IN FRONT OF ME. Good job Willy, you're doing great. So of course, like any 4/5 race, every breakaway was almost immediately chased down, that was until 2 riders got of the front with 4 laps or so to go. Five Valley Velo came up front and we reeled them in, but then another solo rider took off and Jason reeled him in. Last lap and all of the main group (~45 riders) were together. We came around the last corner and into the straight away for the sprint. Jeff Twohig and I were caught in the middle and had to wait to get free. Elliot's line was better. Elliot takes 6th, I get 9th and Twohig about 15th. Only the top ten got points and were officially scored. Our adopted son, Jason Ames took it after a MONSTER sprint. And he says he can't sprint.

Sunday's race started on time despite the wind and the rain. It was about 40 degrees, raining and windy when the Men's 1/2 pack rolled out. We were warming up on the trainers, under the tent and were the last to go at 11 am. Our Sunday Squad was 11 riders strong. Elliot and I were the de facto leaders after the prior day's results, but we were getting the fresh legs of Dean McGovern, John Melvin, Greg Larsen and Dave Cook. Ely Wilkerson, Kyle Shannon, Jeff Twohig, Rob Gillespie and Willy Zellmer were ready to put the hammer down and get some nice results for the team. Let's go boys.

Fast forward to the 15 mile marker and the driving hail storm into our faces as we headed into the wind. Can anyone say "Tour of Flanders?" We turn the corner at ~18.5 mile and now have a strong side wind.

At mile 20 there begins a set of rolling hills that will take us to "the Wall" at mile 40. Hill number one, I test the field by going off the front and upping the tempo a little. Will anyone follow? Then Jeff rushes up to me and says, "Let's do this" and the race was on. Next came two Spokane boys and then Elliot and Rob. We had a break on this first, long and gradual climb, in the middle of a sleet and hail storm!

There were 8 or 9 of us in all, 4 5VV, 2 Spokane Rocket Velo, 2 Emde riders and one other. Word has it that Dean and John Melvin did a good job disrupting the flow back in the peloton and slowed them enough for us to get away. Thanks guys.

We raced over each of the next several hills and I thought that we'd be caught. Another 2 or 3 riders bridged us, but not Jason (the Omnium Leader). We worked the best we could in the wind until we hit the wall. I charged up it with Elliot on my wheel and he got away with three other riders. I was next with two others and the rest were scattered down the hill. The chase was on with 8 miles to go to the line.

So it was beginning to look like 4 guys in the top 10 and maybe Elliot would win this bastard. I was going for fourth and not chasing him down. He was ~10 to 15 seconds ahead and 4 miles from the finish when he flatted, so as I passed him I yelled to get a wheel and began the chase for the leaders. Michael Sirott and I reeled the two ahead of us in with ~3 to go and the five of us raced to the 3k sign. At ~1.5km I was in front and no one would come around. I began to spin and my mph began to slow. I was hoping for an early jump and just inside 1k, two guys went and I was now 5th wheel. Perfect! At 200 mtrs they began to fade and the real sprint was on. I came from third to take the sprint! But I had 2nd overall as one of the three Elliott was with had ridden off the front and we couldn't get him. Racing just behind me were my teammates Jeff Twohig and Rob Gillespie, finishing a respectable 7th and 8th. Awesome work in the 30 mile breakaway, boys!

The rest of the peloton had shattered after chasing us and riders were coming in for a while. Talk about an epic race!

Thanks again team for a great showing and some nice results to boot. If you click the title of this blog you will get the website for results and pictures. I'll put up an album in a day, too.

Check out our new team banner. This baby caught a lot of stares and even more comments. It also doubled as shelter from the elements. The guys thought it was great and really made us look like a team.

Be sure to do business with all of our AWESOME sponsors! And be sure to thank them for supporting our team. We couldn't do this without them.

Who Will Win The Grizzly Triathlon?

2008-04-06T22:36:00.003-06:00

So who is it gonna be? The Griz is fast approaching and there has been lots of speculation. So who has got what it takes? I've been liking all of the trash talk on the list serve and this coming Saturday will decide it all! More to come tomorrow about this weekend's road race in Spokane and be sure to go over to the Grizzly Pool tomorrow, 6 pm, for the Transitions Clinic. It's free and very informative.

~out~

Get Ready to Rumble

2008-04-02T06:24:00.004-06:00

April is here and so is Team Stampede. Get ready to see total domination in all of the local and regional Triathlons and Road Races. The courses will be alive with orange and our trademark cowboy hats. It all starts with Frozen Flatlands this weekend. Five Valley Velo has 12 guys and 1 gal on their roster and Montana is going to show Washington State just how dominant we are!

The Grizzly Triathlon next weekend is creating quite the buzz with its usual banter about who will kick whose butt. The bets are coming in and I can't wait to see how it will play out.

And arguably this year's most exciting and nail biting event has to be Northern Rockies' Roubaix. If ever there was a time to come out and watch the speed and adrenaline of a road race, this is it!

Upcoming events include a Triathlon Transition Clinic next Monday, 6pm, I think. It will take place at the Grizzly Transition area, just outside of the pool. This one is not to be missed!

Also, be sure to attend Alex Gallego's Spring Kick off at Missoula Bike Works, Thursday, April 2nd, from 6-9pm or maybe later...Good Times! We'll be sure to make our Team Ride short and sweet so that we can get there before all the beer is gone.

Look out, here we come.

Racing Season Is Here...Are You Ready?

2008-03-30T18:40:00.003-06:00

Okay all you TS5VVer's, are you ready to race? Today is March 30th and the April Racing Season is upon us. We've got Frozen Flatlands this weekend and THE GRIZZLY TRIATHLON in TWO WEEKS! Not to mention the Roubaix and Ironman Arizona for out resident Pro. The races come on fast and furious, so hold on for the ride.

Time to start upping the intensity of your workouts and putting in those miles. Now is NOT the time to try and learn how to swim! Maybe that's the reason I'm not doing the Griz...

So does this mean that I'll have to start shaving my legs? Well I guess so. April 1st comes quickly and marks the beginning of racing, and therefore, shaving season. Contrary to popular belief, men despise shaving their legs EVEN MORE than women do. You women have it rough. All of this maintenance. But you have to admit that the sleek, fast look of shaved legs on men has to have some appeal, wouldn't you say?

So who is training for a half or full Ironman? I know that there are several of you who are training for the big distances, so today's workout would have been a good one for you.

Dean McGovern (host of the Sunday long run) and I did a double today, because it was truly an amazing day to get out. Today was one of those "spiritual" days as he said. The day began with Dean, Riki and I (plus doggies Chloe and Lewis) running Woods Gulch. We were the only ones up there. It was peaceful running through the trees and up into the fresh snow. We broke trail and even did a little postholing as we worked our way along the back side and back to Mount Jumbo saddle. It was an Epic Sunday run. It reminded me of the times that long-time Sunday runner, Joe Campana, would come with us. He'd be wearing his baggy, cotton shorts, sweatshirt and Wrestler's jacket. He'd sound like an ESPN announcer in his slightly East coast accent as he talked about the Buffalo Bill's or Sabers and he'd sweat off at least five (if not ten) pounds of water. But his smile and laughter would keep us all going. He was my marathon training partner for several years and we ran countless Sunday long runs together. I miss his presence and I hope Joe, his wife and daughter are enjoying their new life in India. Hopefully Susan and I can visit them some day...

So back to the run. It was cold, wet and tough on the IT Bands, but it was good strength training. All-in-all we ran about 10 miles in just under two hours.

After the run and a good meal, we met at Le Petit at noon for part two. The sun was beginning to warm us up and today's ride was 1000% better than yesterday's ride. And for all of those who bagged on riding 'cause of the cold, you missed out! We rode out to Miller Creek, up Trails End (but not down to the river), then to the end of the pavement and back. Two hills and 32 miles was plenty of spinning and climbing practise on our tired legs. We finished back at MBW in 1:45. For me, today was a perfect day, long and slow, and a good endurance booster.

The afternoon was spent lazing around in the back yard with my wife and three dogs and now writing this blog. It doesn't get much better than that.

Thanks to Dean and Amy for hosting the Sunday long run, to my wife for letting me ride and run for several hours and to the team, for being such a source of positive energy and a great network of talented and fun folk to hang out with. Cheers.

Training Race #2 - BUST!

2008-03-29T22:23:00.002-06:00

I awoke at 7 am today to assess the weather and was, to say the least, skeptical. I walked outside and slid my foot on the walk...slick. Nope, probably won't be a race today. So I called up Howard to tell him as much and he decided not to make the drive down from the Flathead. I made breakfast and waited for the confirmation email. I felt a little like Paul Revere waiting for a sign. Then the phone rang, it was Twohig, wondering, had I heard? Then Kyle buzzed in and confirmed, " the race is on!" Really? So I got ready and headed to MBW to see quite the crowd. I thought that it must be so, but as soon as I got inside I heard from Jed that the race was officially off. Too much ice on the road in Clinton for a safe race.

So here we are, twenty plus of us all decked out in our lycra and dressed for the cold, and for what? No matter, we'll all just go out for a training ride then! So after an hour or so of waiting for the latecomers, we decided to head out to Frenchtown to get a few salvaged miles in. I think that there were 16 of us total as we rolled up Higgins and onto the ICY pedestrian bridge. I wasn't even down off of the bridge and the group was around the corner, and noticeably hauling tail! I wasn't even sure I had a pulse yet! Oh well.

Seems all this adrenaline from prepping for the race and worrying about ice on the roads made some of the guys (and gals) a little antsy, so like a 2 year old filly, they were out of the gate and moving! So I guessed that this would be a good training ride, and it was.

The weather got colder and more windy as we made our way to the Wye. Nadia (NRO) and I decided to head out to the Mill and back home as I was really beginning to rethink my choice of even coming out here in the first place. We came back in at 30 miles, not quite frostbitten, and you can be sure I'll be counting all of my teammates' fingers and toes the next time that I ride with them.

So if that sounds like something fun to try, we're meeting again tomorrow, Le Petit, noon. Come on out and give it a whirl. Just be sure to dress appropriately and carry your emergency contact info, next-of-kin, you know, the essentials!

Big Thanks to Brent Ruby for the Pic!

My Ride With A Pro

2008-03-28T18:42:00.005-06:00

Well I couldn't have asked for a better day to get out and ride. Last night seemed just a little too blustery for me, so I decided to head out today during the warmest hours. I put out a "call for all riders", but I only had one taker. It was, however, none other than Pro Triathlete (and Missoulian) Linsey Corbin. We met at Le Petite Outre bakery for some carbs and caffeine and began to plan our afternoon ride. Both of us wanted an easy two hour ride, so while I was sipping my americano and she, her hot chocolate, we decided that we would head out to the mill.

As we rolled out it occurred to me that this would be a GREAT time to ask Linsey a little bit about what she's been up to these days. You know it's not very often that one gets to ride bikes with a pro, and for it to be just the two of us was perfect.

I'm sure it was obvious that I'm such a neophyte when it comes to understanding professional sports by the questions that I asked her, but I'm just really fascinated by the concept of training and racing at her level. I guess that I like to live vicariously through the Linsey Corbin's, Matt Seeley's, Adam Jensen's, Teejay VanGarderen's and even the Brendan Halpin's that are (or were) so local and have seemed to have risen so high. I feel honored to have had some interaction with their lives. And to have the opportunity to ride with them is icing on the cake.

Linsey was very kind and willing enough to put up with me and my questions, like:

Who are you sponsored by? Turns out she is sponsored by Clif, Saucony, Scott Bicycles, FSA cranks (my fav's), cycleops, Big Sky Brewing and Xtera wetsuits. Wow!

How much are you training right now? Linsey just finished three 30+ hour weeks in her build up to Ironman Arizona coming in April! Yikes, I'm training at 12 hours per week, Gulp!

What do you consider today's ride? A recovery ride, followed by a 30 minute run. Yesterday Linsey ran 23 miles. I ran 4.

Do you have a strict eating plan? Yes and no. Linsey ALWAYS eats good healthy food, and she eats regularly. She has to because of her training and the need for fuel. But she splurges once a week for that ice cream craving, or something equally tasty. At the ironman training level you can really pack away the calories. I should've asked her how many Kcals she consumes. You guys don't want to know what I eat...I guess that's why I'm not in any of the magazines.

We spun the pedals out to the mill lickity-split and Linsey commented that it's not that often that we have a tailwind going out. And a tailwind it was, because as we turned at the mill to head back to town, it was like a cold hand slapping us in the face. I moved to the front to break the wind and give Linsey a little break after running long yesterday, but when I looked back, she wasn't there. She had drifted out of my slipstream! She just smiled and said, " I don't draft in races and I'm not going to do it now." I think that shows how committed (and tough) she really is.

We turned onto Big Flat to round out the two hours (1:55 actually) and headed home. I really enjoyed talking to her, learning a little about her life as a pro and also getting to know her a little better, too. Thanks for the ride today Linsey!

PEACE

Tuesday-Late Edition, read all about it!

2008-03-25T21:54:00.005-06:00

Hello all you cycling and triathlon fans. This just in...The Hell Ride went off in full form tonight! Spring is here, complete with fast moving pacelines, lots of hammering and sprinting and hills that make you want to lose your lunch. Sounds like fun? You bet.

Tonight's dose of hell was courtesy of the Northern Rockies men and women. They sure know how to dish out the hurtin'. Shaun, Steve, Bob, Tamara, Nadia, Megan, Blair and Jeremy were up for the challenge, while FVV had John's W and M, JT, Kyle, Elliot, myself, and our adopted Jason Ames. I think there were 15 tonight, a perfect sized group.

Big Flat Rd. was an exceptionally fast roller coaster tonight. Sometimes these early spring rides take off and tonight was no exception. Shaun and Jason pushed the pace and kept our heart rates up. As an aside, tonight would've been the PERFECT night for me to wear the HR monitor, but I was on the 'cross bike and just wasn't interested in bringing it this am when I went to work.

Note to self: Bring the racing bike next time. All these guys (and gals) are driving their Maseratis and I've got a VW bus! That's okay as I was just using this as a strength-training ride vs. a race training ride. But hey, who wants to show up under dressed?

Mullan Rd. was smooth as silk. They group was working well and we just flew out to the Mill. Radley took the sprint ahead of Elliot and Twohig. Pulp Mill Rd. was a power climb to the false flat and Shaun takes sprint #2. I'm in the second group wishing I had my Orbea...

At the Wye a few turned for home, but the majority of us headed for Frenchtown, for the TRUE hell ride course! No time like the present to get in those miles. From the Wye you're looking at ~35 miles, and Frenchtown is a solid 50+ miles back to town. On our way to FT, Shaun takes his THIRD sprint. I think we're going to have to start watching this guy, boys.

On our way back, however, Weyrich and Jason took the last two sprints. I kept it in the same time zone, but still have a couple more weeks of riding to get into some resemblance of form.

Since I'm out on the bike so much these days, I only hear a few passing words about the Tuesday Night Track Workouts. How are they going? I hear that Courtney is pushing you guys hard. Hope they're going well and feel free to comment about what type of workouts you've been doing and how you're feeling.

So that's about it. Hopefully the weather will keep improving and we can just keep getting out there more and more. See Ya!

Weekend Update

2008-03-23T19:58:00.003-06:00

Just wanted to let you know that I've put up a link for the team photos on the left. You have to have a Yahoo account to view them. Some of the photo albums are a couple years old, but they are still nice to see. Enjoy.

Congrats again to all those who raced in Clinton yesterday. It was fun to watch...Let's have another good race next weekend.

So, the Griz and Roubaix are only three weeks away. It's time to get out there and run, ride and swim. Remember that the recovery ride goes off tomorrow, but we may be battling with Mother Nature again. That's okay, bundle up and we'll keep it short. Meet at MBW at 6 pm.

The Frozen Flatlands roster is beginning to take shape. This is a GREAT race for anyone interested in racing. If Clinton RR #1 whet your whistle, this one will make you feel totally satisfied!

That's about it. More news as news comes available.

Missoula Training Race #1...It's a Beautiful Day

2008-03-22T21:40:00.005-06:00

So you know things aren't going to go well when you flat on the way out to the start...hmm.

Today's racing should have been flawless. After all, today was arguably the nicest day we've had all year, or at least all week. I froze my @$$ off on Tuesday night, did a little sprinting on Thursday and what for? That's okay, at least there is next weeks race.

So today was a GREAT showing. I don't know the numbers, but it looked like more than a hundred riders came out to Clinton, Montana for the first of two road races. There were three groups of riders ranging from novices "C Group" to the experts, the "A Group." It was good to see a few women (at least 7) and a bunch of juniors.

The C's were massive as were the B's. Lot's of up and coming riders. Our A group was the smallest at about a dozen. I was riding with Elliot and Miles, NRO had three, Montana Velo had two, Bill Martin (Mr. Unattached) and a few other guys (???). It would be our job to chase both groups and try to catch them. Each group headed out at 10 minute intervals. The gun sounded and we were off.

So this is how it went down as I understood it. The C's had a major blowout by team member Kevin. This caused quite a scene for the juniors who began to swerve and...CRASH. Carnage. Bodies and bicycles flying everywhere! And this was within the first two miles! This was unfortunate, but was a learning lesson (remember, TRAINING race). Rule number 1, NEVER take your eyes off of what's happening in front of you and NEVER look back. This split up the peloton and also caused several riders their race.

The B's raced clean, but had some problems working together to reel in the breakaway. Good job to all the women that hung tough in this group! Five Valley Velo was representin' in this group with about 6 guys.

The A's were small and it would take a miracle to catch the B's. At the gun we rode off and almost immediately hammered. Elliot and I pushed it hard to keep a gap from forming and I almost immediately felt my rear wheel go soft. ARRGH! A mile or so into the race and I was flat again. So I rode back to the start and began to change out my flat. My race was technically over, but I hoped to rejoin the field and get in a little practise. I got back in and chased for half a lap and then had to wait for the train...then I flatted, again! I think that maybe I was supposed to watch this one.

The C's had a few really strong riders that will certainly race "B" next week. My man Travis to 2nd in the sprint.

The B's got a breakaway that included Jason, Scott from Spokane Rocket Velo and a guy I don't know (Saeco). Saeco took it, Jason was in 2nd and Scott, 3rd.

The A's came in together and the sprint seemed to string things out a lot. Elliot just missed the win. Montana Velo's Frank Gonzales was 3rd. First was another out-of-towner.

So there you have it. I hope to get some pictures posted on Yahoogroups. I'll get a link for you soon.

Sunday ride tomorrow at 10 am. Sunday run at 8 am. I'll try and do both, since I was shorted the better part of a good workout today.

Thursday Night Group Rides...to the Kettlehouse!

2008-03-21T06:39:00.004-06:00

Thank you Mother Nature for being kind to us last night. The first official week of Thursday night rides went off without a hitch. It was a good group of about 12 of us who headed out there to get

a little technique practise and team building.

The girls met at Bernice's and the boys at MBW,

but the girls couldn't stay away (can you blame them) so we all rolled out to Fort Missoula for a little jump practise, lead by John Weyrich. We got a lot of recovery time in between the 6 or so jumps to talk about everything from babysitters to caravans to race venues. We have such a great mix of people who are a part of the Stampede! We missed Jeff Twohig tonight. This stuff is right up his alley. Jeff, I hope you can make it to Saturday's race. Also, I've talked Susan into bringing her camera, so I'm hoping to get some good action shots to post after the race!

After out workout, it was time to head to the bar!

So we all hurried over to the K-Haus to make the

8 o'clock last call and order up. Now this is the

reason I signed up. At least I can chill after going

through all the suffering beforehand (although tonight was easy).

I hope to see LOTS of you out there for the race this Saturday.

Tuesday Night Torture

2008-03-18T20:37:00.004-06:00

Well, it's that time of the week again. Yes, it was time for the Hell Ride. Emails went out...is there, isn't there a ride...you know the weather looks iffy...

So I was glad to see seven other brave souls rolling west toward McClay bridge this evening when I joined the group. This would be hellride #2, still leaving at 5:30 pm for another week, before going to 6pm in April. I don't know, but I'd be keeping it at 5:30 for a few more weeks due to lack of sunlight, if it were me.

So the sun was intermittent and there weren't too many clouds. Tamara commented that maybe the clouds would blow over. Not a chance! But off we went with high hopes.

So there were lots of faces there that were starting to become quite familiar. Jason and Travis, Kyle and Willie, me and Greg Larsen, Tamara and Geraldine. But where were the veterans? And, how about the NRO men? Doesn't this ride leave from Open Road? Seriously, it was good to have all of those who came out, and I'm sure the vets got a chance to see the weather report and decided that their level of fitness could afford them a night off. I hope you boys at least had a beer, or something!

The ride went off without any major hitches. We kept it single file along Big Flat Road and called out all of the cars. Once we were on Mullan, we kept a tight paceline and didn't have any problems. That's the good thing about so few riders as we take up less space. I really think that when the numbers get larger, we think of splitting the group up into two groups, perhaps with 5 minutes in between them. I know it's not quite the same feel as a race-pace peloton, but it's a lot safer and more car-friendly.

The route had it's usual, westerly head winds, but we got the privilege of experiencing a nice downpour for the second half of the ride. I put a big lead out for teammates Greg and Travis heading to the mill and Greg got the sprint. Pulp Mill hill hurt as bad as usual and we made haste to get back home as the heavens opened up and just dumped it on us. Yuk!

I'm thawing my toes out now as I write this entry and I just downed two homemade burritos packed with jalapenos and hot salsa to try and warm me up a bit.

So the Tuesday night Hell Ride is always tough, but tonight was a character builder. It's the best way to improve your fitness and test your peripheral circulation. My toes are still white, hmm?

The Saturday Evening Post

2008-03-15T21:19:00.006-06:00

There were a lot of things going through my mind when I was thinking about today's blog. What to write...

I've been giving everyone a little slice of what I've been up to so far this spring, so why stop now. Well, first off, I hope everyone was able to get out and do a little extended training. It is Saturday, you know.

There were a group of riders doing some VO2 max testing today. Please post comments on how things went. Inquiring minds want to know!

As for me, I headed out to UM for the PT School's annual pancake breakfast, yum! This year they decided to run a 5K and I decided to do it. Now I haven't been running any kind of intensity, but I thought it about time to get off my @$$ and give it a try. My goal was to break 20 minutes, bon chance!

I got there in just enough time to register and jog from the church (breakfast site) to the campus oval. I'm moving a little more slowly these days...long story..wife...no more coffee...

Then it was, "Ready, Set, Go!" and we were off around the oval. But no one was racing. They were just jogging, so I decided to move to the front and push the pace (bad move #1). This was followed with the winner of the race passing me at, oh, mile 1. Then I was passed by #2 at the half way point, then by numbers 3 and 4 at mile 2. Damn, I say! See what happens when a cyclist tries to run a foot race and puts the hammer down too soon! Oh well, fifth place is okay for me and I made my goal of sub-20 mins with a final time of 19:46. Not my best 5K, but I did have an impressive first mile of about 5:30 something...Oops!

Good to see budding triathlete, Lisa, there to get in some hard miles. Kudos to you, girl! There were also several Tuesday night runners, notably Dean and Brian, both who beat me. Yeah, just get'em on the bike.

Afterwards was an awesome breakfast with lots of heart-healthy bacon and sausage. Back home to prep the road bike for workout #2, THE GROUP RIDE. Okay, many of you haven't even been out to ONE of the group rides. People! The group rides are there to make you better, stronger, faster! You know, six million dollar man stuff! Well this is how it went down...

We met at Le Petit Outre at high noon. We've started to meet here to give these guys a little exposure (like they need it!) They only have the best bread in town. Don't worry if you roll in to Bernice's, 'cause we can see you, and we'll all head out together. Here's what it looked like.

The decision was to head south into the Bitterroot and maybe to do some hills off of eastside hwy. We strolled out of Missoula at 14 mph, see not bad at all. After the Tour de Walmart (thanks for humoring me boys) we headed south on 93 towards the resort town of Lolo.

We kept the paceline going at tempo for most of the ride. I took out my baby today and since it doesn't have a computer yet, I decided to wear the Garmin 305. I don't normally do this, but found it really interesting after I got back and downloaded the stats. The ride today was exceptional. There were ZERO angry motorists, ONE woman (Nadia White), TWO counties traversed, and at least THREE big surges while going both down and back! It was also good to have some different scenery and get to chat with the other riders.

NRO was out in force again this weekend, with Josh, Shaun, Jeremy (hey, I thought he liked Orange?), Steve and Nadia. Hey Cat4 girls, you had better get dialed in on her, she's looking fit and riding well. FVV was representing too, with David, Dean, Kyle, Greg and myself, plus Jedi-in-training, Willie, so we were feeling alright. Helena/Oregonian, Jason was also there and contributed to the day's shredding.

So let me talk about the shredding. After my nice-n-easy lead out of town, the guys (and girl) put the hammer down as we headed out of town. Wow! Here I am tired and starting to get stiff from this morning's 5K and they want to hammer. Oh well. The ride lasted 2:42, averaged 19.3 mph and covered 52.0 miles per my Garmin.

And for those "technos" in the bunch, I spent 11 minutes in Zone 1, 54 minutes in Zone 2, 58 minutes in Zone 3, and 27 minutes in Zone 4. My max HR today was 169 bpm. We climbed a total of 2035 ft. today. Good job to all who made me hurt.

I really enjoyed riding with my teamies, hanging out with the NRO folks and sharing in the pain that is so unique to cycling. Adios!

Upcoming Races

2008-03-14T19:57:00.004-06:00

Don't let the snow flurries scare you, 'cause the Spring racing season is just about here!

You'll have plenty of early season 5K's to get those legs turning and get you ready for those triathlons, half or full marathons! Tomorrow am is the Bust-A-Gut 5K at Christ The King Church in the U-Area. It goes off at 9 am sharp and included in the $10 entry fee is a pancake breakfast, yum! Sign me up.

Next we've got the Run for the Trees 5K on April 5th at McCormick Park. This one's a local favorite and attracts quite a crowd. Sorry boys and girls, but I'll be racing Frozen Flatlands that weekend in Spokane. This is the first official race of the Five Valley Velo squad and it's a great course!

But first, anyone who wants to try out bicycle racing in a low-key setting should sign up for the Missoula Training Races. The first one is next Saturday, the 22nd. Sign ups are the morning of the race at Missoula Bicycle Works, then drive or ride out to Clinton for the noon start. These races are geared towards teaching new cyclists the ins-and-outs of riding in a peloton while getting a real racing experience. Sign up for the "C" group and you won't be disappointed!

These are the major, early spring races that are sure to draw a bunch of folks. I'm hoping that we'll get some good pictures and hot race reports from those of you who participated. Feel free to post your stories on the blog for all to read!

See you at the starting line.

Correo al Infierno

2008-03-11T21:39:00.002-06:00

The Tuesday Night Hell Ride! It's finally here. I guess that the spring racing season is upon us and soon the roads will be littered with Lycra wearin', leg shavin' characters that are bound and determined to get in the way of angry motorists and generally be up to no good at all.

I raced to get out of work by 5:30 and would backtrack until I met up with the group that leaves Open Road Bicycles at the same time. Today's forecast was for winds and weather, so I wasn't sure how many would come out. I met five other brave souls and wondered where everybody was. I know that we're getting the pm rides started early this year, but I expected a few more of the veterans. But we had a good group that included John Weyrich, Steve and Willie Zellmer, myself, Travis and newcomer, Caroline. The weather was holding for the moment and we were going to make the best of it!

I made the first break while climbing up Big Flat and I was pleasantly surprised to see Willie right on my wheel. Willie is our Junior, Cat 4 racer and tonight's ride really impressed me. He is maturing nicely, getting some legs on that lanky frame and his bike handling was as smooth as silk tonight. Great riding Willie! I'm looking forward to racing with you this year.

Veteran riders John and Steve kept up a smooth paceline at tempo and we all cycled through. Caroline may be a newbie, but with John's instruction, was taking a few pulls herself and held a good line.

The sprints and subsequent hills hurt as usual. Tonight's ride was my sixth day on the bike and although only two of the days were "hard" days, I was feeling it on the tough sections. Note to self: bring out the road bike next time!

Travis and John battled it out on the first sprint, even after I left him out front a little longer than usual. I must have been daydreaming. We headed for home after the Wye and did the Goodin Ln hill to the top before rolling back to Missoula. All in all, it was a good workout. Not too hard for this time of the year and definitely a good training ride. For all of you who thought that the weather would suck, you missed a beautiful ride. Better make it out for the next one!

A few more announcements: looks like the ladies will be riding on Thursday nights at 5:45 from Bernice's. This starts in a week. 3/20?

The Team ride takes off from MBW, Thursdays at 5:30, starting this week. This has historically been for TS5VV members, but we haven't been discriminating the NRO riders or anyone who just wants to check us out. It's an easy day, so anyone should be able to do it.

Frozen Flatlands RR registration is now open. The Orange Crush will be there in force and we welcome anyone and everyone to sign up and race. It's a two day event, but you can do only one day if you like. Saturday 4/5 is the 60 min circuit and Sunday is the 50 mile road race.

Track workouts started tonight at 6pm for those of you who like to take sledgehammers to your knees. Did I just say that?

Have a great week!

Sunday, Sunday, Sunday!

2008-03-09T20:04:00.004-06:00

So what did you do today? Did you sleep in? Nine am came a little earlier this morning and I think we were all feeling it, especially Bookwalter. Our group did take a decent picture though. We had a nice run up Lincoln Hills, down Tamarac, then up Rattlesnake Drive to Sawmill Gulch Road. We took the road up to the trailhead, then turned and retraced our steps. Total miles: 9.5

Most of the time the Sunday Long Run is a trail run. It saves all of us old timer's joints, if you can hear what I'm sayin'. But with Mount Jumbo closed and a runner nursing an ankle sprain, we decided to keep it on terra firma. Next week we'll be free to roam up onto Jumbo and we're all looking forward to it.

So see that guy with the goatee up there in the picture? That's David. He suggested to the running group on the way down the valley, that we should go out for an "easy spin" this afternoon. Maybe it was the sunshine, or the word easy, but Dean and I really thought that his suggestion would be great. So after doing my weekend puttering around the house I rolled over to Jeff's house to meet the group. Then it was off towards Clinton and I was off the back! Hey boys, what about the "easy ride?" See David's got one speed, fast. And I should have known what I was getting myself in to when he suggested the ride, but I really thought that this time...

David and his buddy Dan where good sports and kept the pace to a tolerable speed for Dean and I. I think that I can say for both of us that we appreciated it. We had a splendid ride out and back for the better part of two hours and I enjoyed every minute of it. It just doesn't get any better than being out in the sun, especially after a long winter.

It sounds like there was a good group that rode from Bernice's at noon today. Where did you all go? Like I said before, you just can't pass up these golden opportunities to get outside!

Oh, and Dean wanted me to remind anyone and everyone that next week we're shifting the Sunday Run to 8 am. This should allow folks the extra time to get off to their other Sunday business at a decent hour.

Erik

Saturday Group Ride Anyone?

2008-03-08T21:36:00.003-07:00

Wow, after missing last week's group ride, I was quite surprised to see about twenty riders show up at Bernice's Bakery for the ride today. It seems the Saturday nooner is a hit among the local masochists, um, I mean cyclists. I guess spring is just about here and cyclists are sprouting up left and right. And Kudos to all of you triathletes that came out for a spin. I'd have to say that it was just about 50/50 today. Also represented in big numbers were both Green and Orange. You all know who you are.

So Tamara headed west along a familiar route. I thought to myself that it was kind of reminding me of a certain Tuesday Night route, hmm. We spun out to McClay bridge and then headed up the hill and onto Big Flat Road...and it was either spring jitters or a little too much muscle memory, but we started to go! Man it feels good to go. I guess cyclists must share some DNA with thoroughbreds or something.

So along Big Flat we rode, but we were beginning to fragment a little, so first Kyle and then I went back to regroup with anyone off the back. Good job Lisa for coming out and trying to hang with the "Big Boys." Pushing yourself to ride with us is great training and you're getting stronger every week.

Mullan Road was it's usual struggle for your piece of asphalt. Lots of cars today, but surprisingly few angry motorists. My personal observation is that we were a little squirrely, took up a little too much of the road, but kept things together pretty well, and without anyone going down. My body's observation was that this was a hard training ride. We had lots of surges and sprints which were really challenging. It was feeling more like a Tuesday as the ride went on!

We rode out to Frenchtown, then out to the end of the pavement up Six Mile. A couple NRO riders decided to go on, probably scouting out the Roubaix course, while the rest of us were content to turn it around and head on home. A good pace back to Frenchtown and retracing our steps back to Missoula. It was roughly 60 miles today for the bunch. There were a couple of riders that pulled off at the mill, for 32+/- miles, too. A little something for everyone.

So see what you're missing? I couldn't think of a better way to punish myself for two or three hours on a Saturday than this!

See you Sunday or next week at high noon.

Bike Riding Etiquette

2008-03-08T07:56:00.004-07:00

Well I'm seeing more and more bikes on the road. Good job to all of those who are getting out! I took an easy, hour long ride last night after work and started to think about things. First, as I was riding on Blue Mountain Rd. I thought of how much I love riding the bike. It felt so good to be out there riding on a country road with minimal traffic, enjoying the scenery and feeling alive. I could do this forever, I thought, until I was buzzed by a big truck. That brought me back to the reality that I wasn't the only one on the road.

As wrong as it was for him to gun his engine and pass me very closely, I didn't let it get to me (much). I just kept on riding my line and quickly got back to my daydreaming...It did make me think that as spring approaches, there will be many more groups of riders out there and also more cars as tourist season begins in May. So I thought that I'd say just a few words about bicycling in traffic.

First, I'd like to acknowledge that as cyclists we do have rights on the road, but I have always followed the law of sizes and a bicycle just doesn't have it against a car.

1. Groups of bicycles should ride single file, unless someone is passing. This is particularly important on some of our narrower roads with little to no shoulder. I'm talking mainly about Big Flat Rd. and Mullan Rd. This also happens to be where the Tuesday Night Hell Ride goes and is a common spot for biker/driver conflict.

2. Cyclists should obey ALL traffic laws. This includes stopping at all stop signs and lights, riding on the right side of the road, staying off the sidewalk (unless you're under 15), signalling before changing lanes, etc. The more obvious it is that a cyclist is following the rules of the road, the more courteous the drivers will be. I have seen this many times and this is the Numero Uno reason that motorists get pissed at cyclists!

3. Stay as far to the right as is possible and safe to do so. I know that our roads are crappy, especially this time of year, but cars DO NOT realize this and they will get angry. Good communication in the group to announce an approaching car from behind is crucial to getting the group in single file and to the right BEFORE the car gets right up behind us. It also shows the motorist that we are trying to do the right thing.

4. Do not antagonize the motorists. It's like trying to pet a bear. First off it's never a good idea, 'cause Bubba may just have a gun, or be a former heavyweight boxer. And face it, most of us aren't the buffest of individuals. Now I have been guilty breaking this rule, but have been trying over the past few years to break myself of this habit. I just smile and wave now and realize that it's not me who has anger management issues! What I do take with me is a cell phone to call 911 if I do have a bad confrontation. I have also gotten good at remembering license plate numbers.

So there you have it boys and girls. This is just a friendly reminder to be alert of your actions as a cyclist when you head out there. We can all be good Ambassadors of the road and help make Missoula's roads more friendly. Have a fun time out there this weekend and throughout the summer, don't let those pesky cars get to you and remember that having a positive attitude about sharing the road will make for a much less stressful outing.

The Thursday BRICK

2008-03-05T21:30:00.003-07:00

This has long been the staple of many a triathlete's training regimen, that is, going out there and pulling a double workout, back-to-back. Midweek is good because you are likely going to do some longer distance workouts over the weekend and the first of the week is recovery.

I'm not much of a triathlete, but I enjoy both running and cycling, and I am into the whole endurance thing. So I've done bricks for

many years now and I'd have to say that I like them.

I like them because they're hard and make me tired

(cuts down on the medication). I like them because

they really boost my confidence as an athlete and are

such an accomplishment. I like them because not many

people can/will do them. I like them for their training benefits.

So why do a brick? As Jeff B. said, it's the best way to train your tired legs to get up and go after being on the bike for a while. And this is just what we have to do in a triathlon. Also, it should force us to work on our hydration and nutrition, as the distance has now lengthened beyond our glycogen stores. Nutrition and hydration are extremely important in multisport races or endurance events.

So where will you be biking and running on your next brick? I think I'll ride up to Potomac then run up the Rattlesnake...but maybe not tomorrow!

PS. Thanks to Dean for the photos. Remember, the Garden City Triathlon is set for September 6, 2008!

Mother Nature Strikes Again

2008-03-02T18:57:00.007-07:00

Well, this week was a good one for me, was it for you? Mother nature seemed bound and determined to give of some challenging weather if we wanted to be outdoors. The weather turned a little bit colder and stormier on my Wednesday ride after work. I've been pushing myself to get outside if the weather is anything better than just plain old crap. I rode until dark instead of hitting the last trainer session at MBW. I hope it went well for you guys.

But I missed what must be hailed as an EPIC ride on Saturday as the gruppo headed out to Huson and attempted to ride the Roubaix course. I guess there was something for everyone! Nasty headwinds heading out (and a nice tailwind coming home! Except for Jen, oops), rain, hail, mud, pavement, gravel, encounters with motorists. It made me jealous hearing about some of it while on the Sunday run this morning.

But alas, I had the chance to sneak away for a couple of days and do a little beer drinking, um, I mean fishing. Morgan and I went over to Idaho

and had a blast. Here are a couple of snap shots of

our trip. I know that Twohig and Crouch can

appreciate them!

So I hope everyone had the chance to get out and enjoy the terrific weather we've had lately and I'm planning on heading out again tomorrow evening, if the weather's not too ugly! See you out there.

Announcements!

2008-02-27T20:46:00.003-07:00

Hello and welcome to the 2008 Montana season. We are coming to you live from the world wide web...

It looks like we had a record showing to this year's edition of the Snowjoke Half Marathon. It's hard to believe that a footrace held in the dead of winter has become so popular! I guess it's just another outlet for all of us who are just waiting to get out and race now when April seems so far away. Congratulations to all who participated. Looks like Mo Hartmann still has the numbers against beau, Jeff Bookwalter. Sorry to hear you were sick, man, maybe next year. Maybe someone who was there would like to comment on the event.

This just in: Five Valley Velo announces team for the 2008 Banner Bank Tour of Walla Walla. The Cat 4's will include Dan Gager and Kyle Shannon. Both are known to put the hurt on in the mountains. Ely Wilkinson and Erik Digby will certainly bring some power to the time trials and junior, Willy Zelmer will be cutting his teeth in the peloton of 100 riders!

The Grizzly Triathlon and Rocky Mountain Roubaix are just six weeks away and the tension is already mounting. Who will take the men's and women's titles? Will the course records fall? Will the Roubaix be sunny, rainy or snowing? This will be THE YEAR to watch as both the triathlon and cycling races are attracting stellar fields.

The Women's Cycling Clinic will be held again this year in Helena. It is slated to happen on April 26th and will include some excellent instruction. It's undecided that the women's road race on the 27th will happen.

More news to come regarding this year's events. We are planning on sending "teams" to most of the local events, so you should see lots of cowboy hats and orange around the state and beyond. So giddiyup and get on out there!

Monday, Monday. So how's your training coming?

2008-02-25T19:54:00.004-07:00

I can't wait to hear more about the Snowjoke Half Marathon on Saturday. I heard that Elliot took second in a shirt and tie! I wish I was there to see that one. Nothing can slow that guy down.

So if anyone wants to comment on the race, feel free. I decided to ease back into any resemblance of a distance run on Sunday with Dean and the "Breakfast Club." Welcome Cyndi, great running girl, and props to both Bill and Dean for getting the lead out the day after the 1/2M. We ran for 75 minutes and that was enough for me. Plus or minus 7 miles, giving me a whopping 10 for the week. It has taken me a couple of weeks longer than I had anticipated to get back into running, but I feel decent and I think I'll be back on track this week. Just don't ask me to race!

I did manage my second "good" week on the bike, however. Cycling has been it for me, since I haven't been able to do anything else. I had 6+ hours on the bike, plus the 1:45 running = 8 hours. I gotta keep thinking "building base mileage."

So keep up with all your winter training, even if it's mostly indoors. Remember that this Wednesday night is the last trainer workout at MBW. I'll be there if the roads are still ugly!

The Saturday Ride: Hills and Heartbeats

2008-02-23T21:56:00.003-07:00

Well, it looks as if our weekend group rides are starting to take form. I hope everyone had a chance to get out and enjoy the dry conditions. We had nine riders make it out for today's training ride, and there were a few new faces. Josh Tack and Nadia White came out, sporting the new Northern Rockies Kit. I'm getting into the blue and green! And how about Jason from Salem, OR/Helena? but now he's in Missoula. We need to sign this boy up! Rounding out the group were Tamara, Megan and Blair, all NRO, Jeff Twohig and I from FVV and single-speed/ MTB rider, Andrew. Come on boys and girls...we need a little more orange out there!

We decided to head out west and the general consensus was to go for two hours. We headed out to the mill so if anyone wanted to turn and head home (roughly an hour and a half) they could. All nine of us were game to go two+ hours so we headed out to Frenchtown.

Things started out easy with lots of double paceline in the wide shoulder of Expressway to allow a little chit-chat, and we kept it easy until a few miles from Frenchtown when Blair and Josh started to up the tempo a bit. I guess the spring-like weather had everyone feeling a little spry. By the time we came into Frenchtown I was clocking 25 mph. Note to newbies: it wasn't bad at all, because of a slight tailwind...and the fact that I was letting someone else do the work in front. There are real benefits from riding in groups and this is a big one. Let someone else do the work! Riding in a group like this can save you up to 30% of your strength and this will allow you to ride much farther that you could if you were alone.

At Frenchtown we split up. Josh rode off into the sunset (West) the NRO ladies headed back toward the mill and the rest of us took the frontage road rollers back to town. So with five of us left, we headed for home. All was calm until Jason hammered up the first hill and I followed right on his wheel. Hey if he wants to do the work...On the next hill I returned the favor and Jeff decided that he'd have some of that too. I really like hitting the hills hard as a way to get some high intensity intervals and the rolling hill terrain that so many of our local roads have makes it easy to do this. A push up to the Wye and one final climb up the Keil loop off Butler Ck. topped off our ride.

So don't all of you wish you had come out for a nice Saturday ride? So show up tomorrow, Bernices, noon through the end of March. Kyle promised to be there. As for me, I need to reconnect with the Sunday run, but I will be there again next weekend.

I hope everyone had a laugh at the Snowjoke today! -E-

My First Date...

2008-02-23T08:30:00.002-07:00

Well, what a week it has been! Great weather for training, starting to see the end of winter and the emergence of runners and cyclists on our roads, the Tour of California and finally getting out on my new bike. It was all so exciting and new...

My best bud Morgan has been dying to try road biking, so we decided to go out for a ride last night after work. That meant that I would be taking out my new Orbea and he would ride my cyclocross bike. I got this bike as an early Christmas present to myself and have only had it on the trainer. So any excuse to get on it and ride was welcome. We met at Community, I quickly fit him to the bike, gave him my shoes to wear and he trialed the pedals and shifters. All looked good and we were off to meet another good friend, Renee and her friend Jessie. We rode the Big Flat Loop clockwise on a nice, calm evening. My Orbea is a darling! She's sleek, sexy and fast. I felt giddy riding and I'm totally infatuated. This could be the beginning of a beautiful relationship...

Kudos to Morgan for getting on a road bike for the first time, especially riding with 3 roadies. Also, kudos to Renee who hasn't been on her bike since last June, since she's been traveling the world and to Jessie who was willing to ride with a group of strangers. I had a great time out there last night and I hope we can get out on many more rides together.

Of note, both Renee and Jessie should be racing for the Five Valley Velo Women's Team!!! They are both great riders.

Next post...the Adventures of the weekend group rides and the Snowjoke. So who's gonna shine?

The Tour, Training, and Big Sky IPA

2008-02-19T21:39:00.002-07:00

So I went for my first run in several weeks last night. There is something to be said about consistency! I could feel every step of the slow three mile run. I'm not a skier, per se, and I can only stand so much riding on the trainer, so when the wether gets really cold and ugly...I run.

I've run for years and actually enjoy it. I especially like Dean's Sunday Long Run. It's a great mix of personas and is always filled with interesting conversation (since we run at conversation pace.) The Sunday Run was my introduction into Team Stampede. When I knew no one, it was Dean who encouraged me to come out. I couldn't even run 5 miles, but I never felt out of place. There was always someone "going short" or having to get to the master's swimming session at 10:30, etc. My last Sunday run was 4 weeks ago, so I am looking forward to running this Sunday. I'm going to take advantage of running with a bunch of beat up runner's since several of them will be running the Snowjoke 1/2 Marathon this coming Saturday. That should make it easy for me to go short!

This time of the year is the time to get consistent with your running, biking, swimming and beer drinking . Not to much or too intense, just lots of consistency. Beginners should be logging in anywhere from 4 to 6 hours of workouts per week. In triathlon, or any other endurance sport, it's often easier to talk about your time spent doing the activity rather than the distance. I think this takes some of the stress out of meeting "goals" with regard to mileage. Remember, it's about consistency. This building up period is getting your body ready to put in more intense workouts when the weather starts to warm up. But that doesn't mean that you should forego any intensity training. One to two workouts per week can be of higher intensity in order to begin to condition your body to work more efficiently at those higher levels, the one's you'll be going into during racing season. Linsey's Grizzly Triathlon Training Plan is a good resource. This week she has you going out for 5+ hours. There are also many good books about training and racing, bicycles and triathlons.

Now to the serious business...beer and the Tour of California. So after my slog I just had to go over to the Pressbox and watch the TOC. What a way to get pumped! I met two friends, ordered up a pitcher of Big Sky IPA and settled in for the recap. Wasn't JJ Haedo's sprint incredible? If only I had a sprint like that...And our friend from UM was spotted again! I can't believe he's getting more press than me! Does anybody know that guy?

(Tonight's stage was just as good, but I only got to read it.)

It's so nice to see bicycle racing gain popularity in the US again. And to see so many US-based squads like High Road, Rock Racing, BMC, Bissell, Slipstream, Jelly Belly,Toyota United and Health Net all being represented in the race was exciting. I'd be VERY surprised if an American doesn't take the win this coming weekend. My money is on either Levi, Hincapie or Chris Horner.

Spring?

2008-02-17T22:12:00.002-07:00

Wasn't today a beautiful day here in the Garden City? I know spring is still five weeks away and this is mother nature's way of tricking us into thinking spring is here, but man did it feel good out there today.

So I wasn't about to miss the best day of the year so far, so off to Bernice's for the noon group ride I went, of course! Today it was Dean, Travis and I. Dean and I were in our kits! With no other takers, we were off.

What was that up the road? More orange, in the form of Jeanne V. then later Riki and Jeff Twohig. Now that's what I like to see, lots of orange sprouting up all over the valley. Maybe spring is here...

So props to all of you who were fortunate enough to get out and swim, bike, run, hike, ski, or do whatever this weekend. It sure was a good weekend to do it.

I had only one question on my mind this weekend, where was all the blue?

Bike Riding Montana-Style

2008-02-16T22:40:00.003-07:00

I think this picture just about sums it up. We Montanans are nuts! I just love to see the crazy enthusiasm among the spectators and the riders alike. We got out again today and it was good to see some new faces. Kudos to newcomer, Lisa, who braved the cold and wet roads to ride with the roadies. You did great!

I can feel the Rocky Mountain Roubaix in the air, even though it's still several weeks off. If you aren't familiar with the Roubaix, check out Shaun's blog http://www.montanacyclocross.com/ to get familiar. It is our BIG Spring Classic that combines the challenges of the weather, dirt roads and some serious hills. If you don't ride it, come out to Frenchtown, 'cause you won't want to miss it. It happens the day after the Grizzly Triathlon and is being put on by the Northern Rockies Orthopedic Team.

Favorite Rides

2008-02-15T22:46:00.002-07:00

So after heading out on today's ride, I started thinking of all of the amazing rides we have right out our front door. From inside this little fish bowl we call Missoula there are so many routes that we ride on a weekly basis that I just take for granted.

Like today's route up over the South Hills and into the Miller Creek drainage. It's SO close to home, yet I only do it a handful of times per year. Maybe that's why it felt so fresh as we climbed up over the hill. Every turn seemed to highten my awareness to the surrounding landscape. The winding road of Upper Miller Creek and the Roubaixesque dirt section on the way home was such a breath of fresh air. We even included a couple of "hot spots" that we sprinted to in our small chainrings. It was just one of those rides that made you happy that you got out!

So what is your favorite, local ride? Is it the Big Flat loop? How about the Pattee Canyon hill climb? Do you just love going out to Frenchtown? The Bitterroot, Blackfoot or out to Rock Creek? Let's hear what ride out there makes you feel good. Personally, my favorite has to be out to Alberton, especially if we stop for warm cinnamon buns at the Roadside Cafe!

Hope to see you out there!

2007: Raves and Reviews

2008-02-14T21:34:00.009-07:00

The 2008 season will soon be upon us, so I thought I'd take a walk down memory lane. I think 2007 was incredible. It seems like every year new athletes come along and surprise us, and some of the veterens keep coming up with phenominal performances. Here are a few of the highlights...

How about TOTAL DOMINATION at the 2007 Grizzly Triathlon! Linsey Corbin 1st place, Jennifer Luebke 2nd and Stefanie Fisher 3rd. In the men, Ben Hoffman, Brendan Halpin and Adam Jensen take it 1,2,3. It was fast and furious.

Rocky Mountain Roubaix: Brendan Halpin 2nd, yours truly 3rd. I would have had him...Howard Williams and Miles Key in a respectable 7th and 10th.

Wildflower: About 10 Stampeders descended onto the course and showed them Californians what Montana Triathlon was all about!

Who can forget IRONMAN Coeur D'Alene! Team Stampede stepped up and performed BIG.

Adam Jensen took 7th in his Pro debut! Former Missoulian and Stampeder, Michael Gordon was 14th, Brendan took his age group, Cincowski, Belkner and Burke all put in solid performances.

Spring Meadow Lake Triathlon. Again, lots more orange. Cinco and Downtown Joel Brown take 2nd and 3rd, Chad latino 7th, Jeanne Veteto and Stefanie Fisher 5th and 6th. Wow!

Tour of the Bitterroot, Star Meadows, Cow Country Classic, and the rest of our racing season. Kyle Shannon dominated in Category 5 and began to make a name for himself in Cat4. John Weyrich got stronger all year, coming back from his injuries, powerhouse Matt Seeley, clearly the strongest guy out there, placed well. Grant Kier hit the off road scene hard and brought home some hardware.

There were so many other competitors that I can't even begin to name them all. Props to all who showed the guts to get out there and participate. The best part about this sport is you are ultimately competing against yourself and your own personal goals. So get after it!

Wednesday Night: Training or Torture?

2008-02-13T20:40:00.002-07:00

Okay, I knew that there was a reason for not going to MBW (Missoula Bicycle Works) on Wednesday nights, because they make me hurt! But that is just their intent. So I finally got up the nerve to get my untrained butt over there for a good dose of loud music, sweat, pain and an incredibly high heart rate. Talk about fun.

Alex was the torturer, I mean coach, for tonight's session, and I think he was trying to kill me. After our 10+ minute warm up, (you should get there 10-15 minutes before the starting time of 6:30 pm to get a longer one if you'd like) we went right into intervals. First they were 1 minute intervals, then two and three minute ones, all with only one minute recovery each. I knew it was going to be a good workout when I saw my HR rise and rise and not really come back down. I thought for a moment that maybe I had better see a doctor or something, but then had the reassurance from the group that this was perfectly normal. An hour later we were done and feeling good about all of the hard work that we had just survived. The endorphins felt good too.

So looking back, a good, hard effort is needed in order for your body to get used to "race pace." Remember, if you don't train fast, how do you think you'll race?

It was good to see two juniors, two women and many of my 5VV teamies there. Kudos to all who came. Also, remember that there are only two more weeks of trainer workouts left, so try and come. When the pace isn't too high to talk, there are actually some really nice people there.

E

TS5VV Tri Clinic #1

2008-02-11T21:28:00.000-07:00

So where do I sign up? Visit http://www.sportsbaseonline.com/ and search for Team Stampede/Five Valley Velo to join our team! Be sure to put in from Dec 2007 in order to pull it up.

We had our first of several clinics tonight in preparation for the Grizzly Triathlon on April12th. Tonight Jeff, Becky, Linsey and I focused on what to expect and how to be adequately prepared for The Griz. You guys did a great job taking us through the preparation, in training, injury prevention and on race day. It was good to hear everyone's first-hand experiences to help get a good mental picture of the race and what to expect.

Next Clinic: THIS SATURDAY 4pm at the Grizzly Pool to work on swimming form.

Just listening to everyone got me excited about the upcoming racing season. I'm really not a triathlete, but I love competition. I love pushing my limits and I love watching others do the same. I think that this year is going to be great. There has been a lot of buzz here in Missoula lately and I think it's going to translate into a spectacular season.

So are you ready to go for it?

Next Race: Snowjoke 1/2 Marathon, February23rd, Seeley Lake. http://www.cheetahherders.com/

Let's get outside!

2008-02-10T16:08:00.000-07:00

So if you all are like me, you're starting to get cabin fever. Here in the northern rockies we've all been holed up in our basements riding our trainers and are just about ready to go nuts. So I jumped on Tamara's suggestion that we take it outside. No time like the present to head out on the open road. Man did it feel good!

We met at Bernice's bakery at high noon. There were seven of us after Elliot arrived fashionably late. Cyclist aren't known for their punctuality, but with a good mix of triathletes, most of us were there right on time. Tamara and Megan represented Northern Rockies while Linsey, Elliot, Matt, Jen and myself gave Team Stampede/Five Valley Velo the numbers.

For a winter's day the weather was holding. No rain or snow, just clouds and probably about 40 degrees. Winds were light out of the southwest so the general consensus was to head west toward Frenchtown, try and stay on (mostly) clear roads, and we were off.

Our ride took us out to the Wye, along Pulp Mill Rd. to the mill, then I turned to come home. It was the perfect, first ride of the season for me. It was a good mix of social and solo riding, lots of flats and three small hills to get the heart pumping! The bunch went on to Frenchtown, I assume, and I hope that they had a grand day out. I'm sure that they had as much fun as I did cleaning our rides afterwards. Salud!

Erik