Congrats to the Drafters who rode the Circus Gran Fondo last Saturday.  Vilks took second place overall, a victory of the heart.  He was in the lead pack of 5, down to 4, 3, 2…. battling to the finish with a nice guy from Marshfield, who had pulled most of the 100 miles. Vilks had plenty in the tank to take the lead across the finish line, but knew in his heart that winning after Drafting isn’t really winning at all.  Besides, the other guy was training for IM Canada and had to run 10 miles after finishing the century, so wan’t remotely interested in what Vilks had left in the tank.  Mega Watt and Z  finished in the top 10 overall male category.  Mega Watt doesn’t actually show up in the results due to missing the time mat at the second rest stop, but I can attest to the fact that he didn’t cheat.  His only mishap was grabbing a banana on the wrong side of the tracks.  Billy Boy conquered 8000 feet of elevation, according to his Garmin.  Mine only reported 7000 and change, which makes me wonder if he was riding in a straight line?  That’s what happens when you ride without a Drafter jersey….  Captain Joe decided an extra hour of sleep was more important than 30 extra miles, and was content to dominate the Circus Classic.

While I was on vacation in northern WI, listening to the loons and recovering from the Circus, 7 Drafters rode on Monday night.  I have heard that the group included a newbie, yet one more addition to the Bone Menders (Drafter name TBD).  One can never have too many orthopedic surgeons in the group.  Have you seen the crashes on the Tour???   Scooter can’t bear to watch.

Tobacco City Boy and Dan-yelly enjoyed the Draft together, compliments of our new Drafter Nanny service.  I have some concerns over Baby Adley’s reaction to wearing Drafter gear.

Start em’ early

Coach Arms is one helluva competitor.  I’m not talking about hockey- I’m talking about this darn photo competition.  She traveled to Niagara Falls, under the pretense of attending a wedding, just to get this shot:

But I think K2 is in the running with this post-thesis defense photo taken at the summit of South Sister mountain, the 3rd highest peak in Oregon.  A 5000′,8 hour trek was required for this submission:

Continuing on with the spirit of Independence Day, this is the epitome of the All American Ride.  In less than 30 miles, we will repeatedly see 3 American traditions, not necessarily ones making America great, but certainly all an integral part of history: churches, taverns and baseball diamonds.   We will start with a tour of historic Ashton, which has all 3 on the same corner! From there, we will roll through Martinsville, home of St. Martin’s Catholic Church, the KEG and a ball diamond.  For those opting to take the bike path home (perhaps those under the influence of the Human Metronome), the Missouri Tavern is one of my all time favorite watering holes.  Void of an accompanying church, and a horse shoe pit as a surrogate ball diamond, it will not disappoint.

Garmin link to Churches, Taverns and Baseball Diamonds

NOTE: I rode recon last week and today and Hwy 19 is still under construction.  I think this will work in our favor.  That is to say, the road is is GREAT shape and CLOSED to traffic.  The only potential pitfall is if they resurface the short stretch between Whippoorwill and Matz on Monday.  PLEASE DESCEND SLOWLY ON WHIPPOORWILL.  For those unfamiliar with this road, it is a STEEP descent with a hairpin turn and a stop sign at the bottom.

Good luck to all those Drafters competing in the Door Country Triathlon this weekend!

Draft responsibly,

BrickO

If you missed it the first time around, this is your chance to travel through time, literally. The Viaduct was constructed in 1881 and is the highlight of this scenic moderately hilly 30+ mile route.

Garmin link to Viaduct route

I’m sure there will be several fearless leaders who will roll forward and gallantly wave the green flag to start the Draft promptly at 5:30PM.  White flags are allowed throughout the course, and even encouraged, given that several Drafters will be coming off of the CIRCUS Gran Fondo ride in Baraboo on Saturday.  BrickO and Z will not be Drafting Monday, so please be sure you know the route. In preparation for our absence, we respectfully submit our recent SC ride photos in a feeble attempt to shake up the Drafter Photo Competition.

Draft responsibly,

BrickO

Although we are riding independently tomorrow, there is still an official Yoga class from 6:15-7AM at the VFW on Century Ave.  Bring a mat, $15 and a flexible attitude.

I’ve seen some Drafters out drafting independently this weekend.  Hard to miss the green flash.

Tobacco City Cousin is looking to surrender his independence and Draft full-time.  He is currently taking applications for a Cannondale Tandem lead driver.

For those looking to step up their training, here is a little blurb about what it might take to win the Tour de France.  I would guess B2 Bomber is close to 80ml/min/kg.  Too bad about the denominator being kg body weight.  I was in contention for greatness on the VO2 part until I realized that my cardiovascular system has to drag to my mass up hill.

Draft responsibly,

BrickO

20 Drafters enjoyed an epic Spring Valley ride to conclude the June edition of the Draft. We had riders in the double fisted, short pour and the newly founded shot divisions.

The Bone Menders (Z, Rainbow Maker, IronMD and NBA Cliff) became a quintet with the (late) arrival of John Hit-the- Wollaeger.   Having not ridden 40 consecutive miles yet this season, Hit-the-Wolleger meandered to the starting line, where he met up with Dan-yelly. Bonded together by the forces of tardiness, they helped one other take 2 wrong turns on Turkey (yes, two wrong turns- one at each end of Turkey Rd), finishing just after dark. There’s nothing like adding a few extra feet of elevation to the hardest Drafter ride of the season to work up an appetite. Dan-yelly texted me, presumably while stopped to figure out the Turkey faux pas, to place her dinner order at Free House.  The thought of sweet potato fries fueled her to the finish.

B2 Bomber took the brunt of the wind, pulling with Captain Joe and the Human Metronome for most of the ride. While B2 was parting the air for the rest to Draft, the air in his tire was departing. Bomber is the third to join the Flat Tire Club this season. He still finished with the yellow jersey, despite the fact that none of us stopped to help him change his flat, capitalizing shamelessly on the opportunity to beat the Bomber. Mission failed.

At times, the ride felt more like a Wisconsin Wild Life Tour.  3 deer on Otto Kerl Rd joined the Draft for a few yards, before growing tired of the pace. Captain Joe is accustomed to seeing deer but was disappointed not to see a bear.

A small lap yap-yap dog on Spring Valley had Bomber, Captain Joe, Human Metronome and BrickO in a skid.  If I am going down due to canine interference, it better be a Doberman, German Shephard or some other dog weighing over 100 pounds.  Rural lap yap-yap dogs are a bit oxymoronic.

LuciO and the Power Couple, Mega and KiloWatt, created a new division, dubbed the SHOT. This 18 mile adventure wasn’t mapped out, but the crew boldly went where no Drafter has gone before. A few special treats of the evening: Nurse Sully and Counselor Queen Bee were back in Drafter action! And, CM Wille made her famous Monster Cookies to celebrate LuciO’s fellowship. CM apologized for their extra crispiness, which most likely was due to the extra dose of radiant light reflecting off her engagement ring during the baking process.

In honor of Independence Day, we will be riding independently on Monday July 3. There is no official ride. The Free House will be closed as well, so your routine Monday night dinner venue will require an alternate route.

Drafter Responsibly,

BrickO

Hey Drafter Crew,

Two quick things about the ride tonight:

1. I failed to do recon this weekend, and have it on authority that Enchanted Valley was recently chip sealed.  I do not know how friendly the surface is.  If anyone knows, please post.  As a backup route, we can head our Schneider, take a RIGHT on Vosen,  LEFT on K, LEFT on Otto Kerl.
2. My map was right but the directions had an error.  We turn LEFT onTurkey.

Speaking of turkeys, it reminds me of chickens.  CM Wille is in contention for the photo contest with this one.  It needs an explanation, which will require you to come this evening to shake out of her.

Tonight we celebrate LuciO’s completion of her primary care sports medicine fellowship and birthday!

Draft responsibly,

BrickO

I wasn’t embellishing the power of The Rainbow Maker in my previous blog.  I did forget to present the evidence.  Mother Nature at her best:

I would like to formally acknowledge and welcome the Rainbow Maker to the Draft.  Shortly upon canceling the ride Monday night, Newbie Dr. Squire, obviously unaware of our efficient blog mode of communication, called to ask, “Where is everybody?”  Billy Boy, Arms, Captain Joe and Z  were geared up and so an unofficial ride ensued.  We ran into Roy G Biv at least several times, and were beckoned to follow the bike path home, where a pot of beer awaited us.

Nobody was complaining about taking the short cut home on the bike path given that most of the group had ridden the 100k Horribly Hilly Hundreds on Saturday.  B2 Bomber “warmed up” for the 200k HHH with a double century ride on Friday.  Rumor has it that Yoga on Monday mornings from 6:15-7AM at the VFW with Karen Rigsby is largely responsible for his super human performance.  Drop ins are welcome.  Cost is $15.  Elton John had some words to say about Bomber’s HHH:

Z & BrickO

Legs and Arms

Billy Boy McC

Day before HHH 200 miles

B2 Bomber 200k HHH

Sprocket Man (borrowed heavily from Elton John, cannibalized by BrickO)

We packed our bags last night pre-ride
Zero hour six AM
And I’m gonna be carbo loaded and hydrated by then

I miss a flush toilet so much, I brought my wipes
It’s lonely out in Blue Mounds
On such a long a** ride

And I think it’s gonna be a long long ride
‘Til HHH brings me round again to find
I’m not the cyclist they think I am at home
Oh no no no I’m a Sprocket man
Sprocket man burning out his glucose up here alone

Blue Mounds ain’t the kind of place to race your bike
In fact it’s steep as hell
And there’s no one there to draft behind if you did
And all this climbing I don’t understand

It’s just a ride 5+ hours a day                                                                                                                                A Sprocket man, a Sprocket man

And I think it’s gonna be a long long ride
‘Till HHH brings me round again to find
I’m not the cyclist they think I am at home
Oh no no no I’m a Sprocket man
Sprocket man burning out his glucose up here alone

And I think it’s gonna be a long long ride

BIG Drafter News:  Guess who has a bump and a rock? (Hint: they are not the same person).

In Drafter Professional Development: Congrats to K2 on defending her thesis.  She’s been noticeably absent from the Draft while “goofing” off as a graduate student at the U of Oregon (because PT school wasn’t hard enough).  Go Ducks!  CM Wille found time to study for her PT Sports Specialist Certification amidst working on her PhD and baking Monster Cookies with special ISU colored M&Ms for my daughter’s graduation party.  She found out during the Rainbow Ride that she passed her exam.  CONGRATS to both of you!

LuciO is celebrating a tri fecta of accomplishments: 1) completing her Primary Care Sports Medicine Fellowship at the UW, 2) Aging up on July 2, and 3) a 4th place finish without coughing up a hairball.  Please help us CELEBRATE with LuciO after the ride on Monday! Her boss, Mega Watt, also has a July aging event.  It’s a twofer.

Lastly,  I had a request for the Spring Valley route for Monday.  It is, in my opinion, the most challenging Drafter ride, best done during the Summer Solstice as we will need the light.  Bring your dinner plate for Enchanted Valley.   

Short Pour: take a left on Pine Rd to shorted by ~10miles.

Garmin link to Spring Valley

Draft responsibly,

BrickO

Sorry for the late notice. True to form, Mother N is unleashing her excess H2O at precisely Drafter time. I think the next cell will pass to the north, but I can’t risk your safety with the thunder and lightning at the present moment.

We are sitting in the back of my jeep keeping a close eye on things and will let you know if the situation changes.

The weekend proved a challenging one for racing.   Hot with a top knot pretty much sums it up.  I’m talking about the weather conditions. 

The Tour de Coulee reached 92 degrees with a 30-knot wind, fortunately a cross for most of the 100 miles. The ride declares an official King of the Mountain. Although Arms and Legs didn’t ride the Tour de Coulee, they definitely won the Queen/King of the Mountain award (and likely the Drafter photo competition)!

Z placed top 10 overall and 2cd in his age group (40-45, right?) at the Tour de Coulee. His push was just what I needed to finish seconds ahead of him. Good thing he can shoulder such a heavy load.

I suppose we could have crossed the finish line together, but competition is healthy for a relationship, so long as I win. The Watson brothers, Mega and Giga Watt, rose above such childish behavior, finishing their first half Ironman together on Sunday, literally. Kilo Watt is making her debut in the Door County tri, so be ready for the real power surge.

Congrats to IronMD Mott on also completing the 70.3 AND showing up to the Draft on Monday. 10 riders enjoyed the Riley Tavern route, right up until the skies opened up and showered them.

Water issues were totally avoided by NBA Cliff, who ventured to San Francisco to do the Escape from Alcatraz triathlon on Sunday. Apparently, the swim was cancelled for the first time in history due to high winds. Rumor has it that there wasn’t a life raft suitable to rescue a man of Cliff’s stature, so the attorneys decided it was best to cancel the swim. Tri- turned duathlon left plenty of time for clowning around in SF.

Escape the Swim

On a more somber note, I want to recognize the loss of a cycling icon, Steve Pye. I had the privilege of being mentored by Steve when I attended the USA Cycling Coaching Clinic in MN in May. In a mere 3 days, he made an impact on my approach to coaching that will last a lifetime. Little did I know that his lifetime would only extend a few more weeks. Steve was hit by a SUV while on a training ride in Denver, CO on Thur, June 8th. May we honor his memory, and our own lives, by riding visibly and respectfully. Bad things may still happen that are out of our control, like this tragedy, but please take whatever steps possible to improve our odds.  Ride with a blinky light, wear brightly colored clothing, follow the rules of the road and be aware of your surroundings.

In the words of Creedence Clearwater Revival, the route for Monday will have us “Stuck in Lodi Again”.   When I did recon yesterday, I was happy to see that the stretch of Hwy 19 has been repaved.  However, the lines have not been painted and cones were still out, so ride with caution (well, you should always ride with caution).  The full route, including the top knot, is ~40miles.  Skip the top knot to knock off 5, or further shorten to  25 miles by hanging a left on Kopp (Hyer loop in reverse) or simply do an out and back to Dane.

Lodi GPS link

Draft responsibly,

BrickO

Quick recap of the highlights of last night’s epic ride:

• Newbie Schubie upon approaching the hill on Woodland uttered, “Is THIS the beast?”  We will save Bitney for another time, Shubie 🙂
• A few of us could almost keep B2 Bomber in sight when he would take off for a Strava challenge.  Sadly, we learned later that he had ridden 112 miles the day before…including 3 repeats up Blue Mounds.
• The green machine was a thing to behold.  A season record of 15 Drafters were out in full force, many in their new kits, which looks fabulous.  Being my first kit EVER, I am pretty darn excited to be sporting Drafter green top to bottom.  Billy Boy McC was decked out in green socks, helmet, and handle bar tape.  Rumor has it that he has Cronometro ordering him a lime green saddle. Such a good Irish boy.
• Cliff was getting in some last minute training before heading of to San Francisco to race the Escape from Alcatraz triathlon this weekend.  He didn’t really pay close attention to the race details before signing up…. like how long or cold the swim might be.  We hope that he comes home with all his parts in tact.
• How Ya Know Hujanen made an inaugural appearance after coaching MHS Pole Vault for the past few months, which precluded him from fulfilling his Drafting duties.  Conveniently, he had a “meeting” at 6:30, which prevented him from riding the full route.  Aerospace engineers are no dummies.
• Dan-yelly gets the Drafter Momma of the night award.  How many mommas can ride 42 miles so quickly after giving birth?  Here’s a shout out to the Drafter Mommas and the next generation of Drafters.
  

  

  

Next week we have something special on tap.  Order me a double, it is happy hour!  PLEASE JOIN US FOR YOGA MON JUNE 12 AT 6:15AM at the Middleton VFW.  The first class is FREE.  After that, the cost for remaining 6 weeks is $72, or drop in for $15/class.  Please contact Karen Rigsby to reserve your spot karenkraftrigsby@gmail.com

Following yoga, will be good and loose for the second round, our ride to Riley Tavern at 5:30pm.  I’ve intentionally made this a short ride given that many Drafters are doing the Tour de Coulee Century on Sat or the Half Ironman on Sunday.  Go Get Em! There will be many tired bodies primed for Yoga and a short spin.

Riley Tavern Garmin Link

Draft Responsibly,

BrickO