Who do you think of when you hear the names Sean Connery, Pierce Brosnan, Roger Moore and Daniel Craig?  The name is Legs.  Long Legs.

007 was the riding style for the Draft on Monday night.  B2 Bomber and Billy Boy McC were warmed up from their damp 175 mile Ride Across Wisconsin and ready to rumble.  Blue Hare Lucio put down the hammer (she would like it noted for the Drafter record that the max speed achieved this season was 46mph), sharing pace line pulls with the Bomber, while the remaining dozen agents tucked in for a long summer’s draft. Billy Boy was looking for more adventure than what the 27mile Easy Street route had to offer.  He was sighted riding on 113, en route to  I90-94, dodging in and out of traffic with help from his aero bar end mirrors, compliments of Q.  When asked why he didn’t have a helmet mirror as part of his navigation system, the 6’5″ Irishman said that he couldn’t afford the extra drag. He’s a special kind of agent.  NBA recruit Cliff could have used help from a secret service agent after locking his keys in his car, along with his bike.  Doc T-Wall rode in silence to honor his bikeless friend and promised to write him a long overdue prescription for a statin. The battle against cholesterol can be won with exercise (and a whiskey chaser), which is why Slow Cow might also need a Rx for a statin.  Once again he shorted the ride, making his debut just south of Dane.  Slow Cow is one of the organizers for The Ride on Sept 18.  Be prepared for well marked short cuts, complete with fueling stations. Entry fee includes a bumper sticker “Almost 100 miles”.

Sign up for The Ride

There will be NO RIDE on Labor Day, Sept 5 or the following Monday, Sept 12.  Enjoy your family and friends, and take a break from the saddle.  Quads can feel crappy on rides at this point in the season.  It happened to me (a first). Don’t let it happen to you.  Let the taper for Ironman begin.  It is the best part of training!  Good luck to the IM-WI Drafters: Arms, MadPower McKaylah, Scrubs’ beau (you really need your own nickname- I will work on that), Bare Ace, GoGo Groshek, Dr. M-Dott.  There isn’t much fitness that can be gained between now and race day, so trust in your physical preparations and get geared up mentally.

Lastly, on Sept 5, I would like to honor our friend and fellow Drafter, Anne Flaten.  Two years ago on this day, we said goodbye. Embrace each day,  it is a gift, even the crappy ones.  Live to the fullest extent possible.  Treat others kindly.  Call your Mom.  Hug your kids.  Pet the cat. Watch the sun set and the moon rise- these are jewels worth treasuring. Feel the wind blow, listen to the birds, walk barefoot in the grass, ride your bike.  These are the magical moments in life.  I’m thankful for all of you, and proud to Draft along side you.

Fire House 50 with best friend Pam

Living fully 1 week Post-Dx

Anne and Pam make friends at a bike stop in Amsterdam

Draft responsibly,

BrickO

There is nothing easy about the weekend ahead for the Drafters signed up to Ride Across Wisconsin.  B2 Bomber and Billy Boy McC will be pedaling  175 miles from Dubuque to Kenosha with Jens Voigt and 1200 other cycling enthusiasts.  Check list: chamois cream, sunscreen, chamois cream, beer tickets.  

And there was nothing easy about last weekend’s Wisconsin Criterium Championship in downtown Middleton. Blue Hare Lucio claimed fourth in the women’s open.  In an exclusive interview, Blue Hare shared her strategy of pulling ahead in the technical “down” town portion of the race- it was the “up” town segment, particularly Parmenter, that kept her from gold.  Welcome to the hills of Wisconsin, my Floridian friend- although you did take up residency in CO prior to WI- did you only practice biking down the mountain or is it something in the water here?

The Drafters Dance Team made a debut on the Edgewood Terrace Sunday evening.  There was talk of a dance off with the 2005 Badger Women’s Hockey team, but the largely Canadian contingent seemed off balance without ice under their  feet.

With all of that excitement combined with the post-dog days of summer rapid loss of daylight, we will be doing a short and sweet ride down easy street in Waunakee.  CAUTION: there is a short stretch on 113 that is nasty, and can be avoided by crossing the highway and getting onto the bike path.  Please consider this option, which requires 10 yards of riding across grass.  It’s worth the cross country adventure to get off of 113.

Garmin Link to Easy Street

PDF download for Short and Sweet Easy St 25

Draft Responsibly,

BrickO

What a week to celebrate.  In cycling news, B2 Bomber averaged 26.0 mph for the 90mile race around Lake Winnebago on Sunday.  There was no evidence of fatigue during the Monday night Draft, however, causing some to speculate that he is part alien.  Despite a wet start, several Drafters braved the Dairyland Dare on Saturday.  Congrats to Dan-yelly, Tobacco City Boy, Z and the Human Metronome on a spectacular finish.  And ON WISCONSIN in Rio, as Gwen Jorgensen took gold in the Olympic triathlon.  A shout out to Cindi Bannink, a world champion, drop-in Drafter and coach for the gold medalist in her formative years.

Shifting focus to the social scene, Arms and Legs are tying the knot on Sunday.  We are anticipating a jump in the national height average for the next generation.  Another Drafter aging event to celebrate: Happy 30+ to Tobacco City Boy (TCB). Cycling is an forgiving sport with respect to age, as we saw in the Olympics with Kristin Armstrong taking gold a day before her 43rd birthday.  Billy Boy just celebrated his 60th, and despite being 2x the age of TCB, motored up Matz as if age didn’t matter, and notably faster than last year. The term “Golden Years” is taking on a new meaning.

This week we will head west to tackle Union Valley.  Please put on your head phones and “Let it Be”

When I find myself on Union Valley
Jackie and Tim won’t be there with me
Speaking vows of wedding, let them be.
And in my hour of climbing
B2 Bomber is miles in front of me
Speaking words of cycling wisdom, let him be.

And when the rain soaked cyclists
Riding the Dairyland Dare agree,
There will be sunshine eventually, let it be.
And though we may be aging there is
Still a chance that we will see
There will be a finish line, let it be
Let it be, let it be.

PDF  Union Valley 30

Garmin link to Union Valley 30

Draft responsibly,

BrickO

Kristin Armstrong’s 3rd consecutive gold medal in the Olympic Time Trial at age 42 and 364 days old is inspiring, and a reminder that our body only adapts when we make demands on it do do so.  Hurting and being hurt aren’t synonymous.  If you want to be better, it’s gonna hurt.  Coach Jim Bruskewitz, who provided workouts for the Olympian, offers this insight, “The body, with mental assistance, will launch itself well beyond what it has come accustomed to.”  No matter what level you hope to achieve, shoot high.  You won’t know your full potential until you fall short.

With that, good luck to our competitors this weekend at the Dairyland Dare and Race the Lake events.

The route for Monday is one of the more tame rides, both in terms of distance (30 and 25mile options) and terrain.  The last time I posted this route, I may have inadvertently directed riders the wrong way on Lodi Springfield, creating a third longer option.  Right on. The routes will get shorter commensurate with the length of the days. Hopefully, we will lose a bit of heat along with the daylight.  If you are feeling a bit of hyperthermia, I suggest you strategically position yourself close to Loose Screw, who  is two for two on spilling a pitcher of water on Drafters sitting in his vicinity at Free House. Must be a function of becoming a sexagenarian.  Happy 60th Birthday to Loose Screw and Billy Boy McC.

PDF Tom Collins 30 25 mile options

Garmin link to 25mile route

Download this PDF for info on Coach Jim Bruskewitz  EP Coaching  He’s not just a coach for elite athletes.  He’s effective for all level of cyclists and triathletes. I can vouch for that.

Draft responsibly,

BrickO

What do the following have in common?

• Name of a movie about 6 MIT students who were trained to become experts in card counting and subsequently took Vegas casinos for millions in winnings
• The 2016 winter solstice falls on this day in December
• Tim and Jackie are getting married on this day in August, 2016
• Legal drinking age
• The average mph for B2 Bomber’s recovery ride

They match the all time high number of Drafters…21! We welcomed 3 newbies to our largest ride of the season (actually, ever): Thing 1 and Thing 2, representing a new crop of PT students, and Dr. Dreamy, significant other of 3 Square.

CONGRATS : The Wright Stuff Century last Sat was an extraordinary event, with roads I’ve never traveled and Wisconsin weather that doesn’t get any better.  Congratulation to Billy Boy McC on completing his first official century, along with Dr. Watt, Z and Vilks. Rumor has it that Dr. Watt went sub-6 since trading in his 20 pound steel Surly for a carbon fiber Orbea, but I am waiting for official Garmin confirmation.  Vilks gets a special award for wanting to finish the event after being T-boned at mile 86 by an inattentive driver. Unfortunately, the bike had 2 tacos for wheels.  Thanks to Z for providing medical attention.  Note to self: it is nice to travel with a surgeon. Congrats to Christa on her 50mile Time Trial relay finish- a team that included her mom!

The route for Monday is a solid 40 miles (Garmin from my house, so probably 42ish) and includes Black Hill (emphasis on Hill) and Crystal Lake. I’ve included a short cut home on the bike path in case the Human Metronome starts making demands.  I’m also posting a 32 alternate route “South of Lodi” for those who are looking to avoid darkness.   PLAN TO BE BACK BY 8PM FOR SAFETY REASONS.  This is a good reminder to have a tail light.

PDF for Black Hill to Crystal Lake Cue Sheet 42

PDF for South of Lodi 32

Garmin Black Hill 42 mile

Garmin South of Lodi 32

Draft responsibly,

BrickO