Just launched the Pick the Podium contest for this year's Tour de France.

 

CLICK HERE FOR ENTRY INFO

 

Thanks to the sponsor of my daily 4:40-ish Tour de France updates on WTMJ, Rainbow Jersey for again donating prizes for this.

 

Go there now and enter!

 

 

In addition to writing a little something here after each ride, I have, for the past eight years, also kept an actual paper training log. I know, old school. Paper and a pen. I use Joe Friel Cyclist's Training Diary to log weather info, ride stats, and a word or two about each ride.

What I do is keep the previous year's log opened up to the current date on top of a dresser in my cycling room. That way, as I prep for a ride I can look back to see what was going on in my cycling world on any given day a year earlier.

For instance, last year on July 1st I did a "Three Bridges" ride on what I termed a 'nice day' with sunshine and 80 degrees. I noted it was a good easy recovery ride dedicated to my sister Tracey, who went under the knife on this day a year ago after busting up her collar bone during her visit here.

But the big thing was the WCA race coming up on the weekend in Palmyra, as it is once again this Saturday. Last year I rode the course on July 3rd as a recon ride to prepare myself for the race in the Master's 4/5 cat. and noted the following:

"Tough, tough climb. Jesus, this is gonna kill me. No way eight laps of this. We'll see how many I can do in the race."

Well, I was dead-on about that as it turned out.

It WAS killer. And I only made three laps of the race. But those three laps sure were cool to be in. Looking back in my book, this is what I wrote of race day afterward:

"Big hill killed me. 1 great lap with the entire group though...all worth while...learning experience."

Indeed.

I learned that my weakness, climbing, kept me from hanging with the group for very long. Without that one steep hill I know I would have had a better chance at being in the peloton for longer. I learned that once again, there is nothing like the rush you get when you are in a group of riders like that. I learned that it takes everything I have to hang in there, and when they step on the gas I'm spit out the back. I learned that it would take much more serious training, time, and effort to bring myself up to competing at that level now.

I also learned that the rep a lot of racers have as being kinda jerks is not always true. I was lapped at one point and real worried about it as the leaders started to swallow me up. I worried I would be in the way or yelled at by the 'jerks' in the sport I so love, which kind of ruins it to some degree. That never happened. In fact, I was very pleased to learn that I was treated with respect. Not one but TWO different riders yelled over encouragement to me. One even put his hand on my back gently just to let me know they were coming and to hold my line. "Nice job buddy, keep going," he said. The other said something like, "Keep at it....you're doing fine."

I thought that was pretty cool.

Then I pulled off the course and rode home to the 4th of July party! Was it how I wanted the race to end for me? Of course not. Was it still worth it to try? You know the answer to that! For those two laps that I was at least in the pack....thrilling....and something I'll never forget.

 

 

Whew. Finally a day of rest and catching up and re-charging the cycling batteries. Actually, I think it will be at least two days of this for me. I need it after last week's hot-weather-riding-fest of all those miles.

You sit around for months in winter waiting for better days to come, and when they get here it all seems like a blur and suddenly it's autumn already and you're looking for where you stashed the arm warmers. I swear it all peaks in the month of July. Just looking at my calendar I thought I'd run down the list here:

* The Tour de France starts Saturday in Monaco. Don't forget that soon I will be posting here the info/link to sign up for the Rainbow Jersey Pick the Podium contest I'll be featuring on my Tour de France updates daily at 4:40-ish on WTMJ Radio. I love the routine of July. Watch the live coverage early in the morning as I work at home, then go out for a ride after the stage at about 10:30 a.m. Then it's work, home for dinner and watch the replay coverage at 7:00. My wife likes to catch some of it then too, just for the scenery. It's worth it.

* 4th of July Saturday. Can you believe it is here already?! I'll be at the Wisconsin Cycling Association races in Palmyra in Jefferson Co. mid-morning-ish to watch some it before heading out for my first ride of the year out in the countryside with my new Madone.

* July 9-12 it's the annual trek to the Iola Old Car Show, where we stay at a B&B I have been going to for almost  20 years now. The owner always prints out the TdF stage map of the day for me and I watch the coverage there along the Crystal River as I eat breakfast. Marvelous, relaxing weekend.

* Thursday July 16th it's the Shorewood Crit, part of the local Superweek races. I head over there at the end of the radio show and will probably be on stage for the start of the pro race at 6-ish. Last year I got to fire the start pistol and say a few words on stage with "Fast Eddie" of the movie Breaking Away who acts as the MC each year.

* Saturday July 18th is the tentative date for the "Pie Ride" up in Sheboygan with a group of blog readers/riders who joined me last year for a stage of my Tour of Wisconsin with my sister Tracey who was visiting from Penn. I'm promised home-baked pie, so how could I not attend?

* Sunday the 19th looks like a chance to hit Festa Italiana down at the Summerfest grounds. Good food and my heritage.

* Monday July 20th is the Botanical Gardens Superweek race day, when I always have to make time to ride down there to watch them race on one of my home training courses.

* Saturday July 25th there is a special Porsche show being held at Germanfest, and yes, I'll have my 911 in the show on that day. It'll be a long full day too, because the show cars have to be into the grounds early to set up, and then they have to stay until after the fireworks have concluded.

* Sunday July 26th is the morning the TdF rolls into Paris, and that is always a special morning when we watch live and eat crepes in celebration. Then I ride, somewhat saddened that the string of the routine of watching le Tour every morning and evening is now over for another year.

* Monday the 27th we'll draw the winners from the Pick the Podium contest on the radio show.

See...and so goes the month of July...poof.

 

 

Ha! Six whopping miles today. Well, at least I can say I rode eight days in a row now. I wasn't planning on a ride today, but the sun was still out (pre-rain moving in) so I thought perhaps I'd just make it eight in a row by doing a few laps in Elm Grove. This was never going to be a 'regular' ride.

But it turned out to be shorter than short, mostly due to the weather and my body.

It's still very windy out there, and with it being only 70, I actually felt a little cool. On the first lap the clouds were already building, and every time the sun would disappear it felt even cooler.

My knee is still nagging, and my body is tired in general. I've been around this game long enough to know that it is exactly about this time that injuries happen...serious injuries. Rest is the prescription for me now after last week. I was out there without motivation or desire, going through the motions only.

So I pulled off and hunted a street where a house was supposedly going on the market instead.

Right back home.

Rain moving in, so Tuesday can be a complete rest day now.

 

 

...and on the seventh day, he rode, again...

The plan was to attempt to head west into Waukesha and bump into the final stage of the Tour of America's Dairyland taking place there all day long today.

Smack-dab into a nasty headwind on the New Berlin trail for 12 miles. I mean 20-30 mph wind. I was going 11-13 mph and wondering if this was gonna be worth it.

I did indeed finally get there and stumbled onto the course. The Cat 4/5's were racing as I arrived, and I slowly made my way around the course along the outside of the ropes.

While waiting to cross an intersection a guy rolled up beside me and stopped. I guess I just figured he was one of the racers getting ready for the next race. Nope. He says to me, "What, you're not even gonna say hello?" I didn't recognize him right away...none other than "Der Jan" himself out eating some asphalt for a Sunday afternoon snack.

I also bumped into another reader, Dan I think his name was. We chatted for a while and watched the finish of the race.

Then Der Jan and I headed out. He was somewhat impressed that I managed to find the race from the end of the path on my own. He should be. I'm a directional idiot!

We got back to the path and OMG, what a difference having gusting wind at your BACK. Make no mistake, I am the first one to offer to pull when there is a tailwind, and I did!

Jan had to peel off after only one quick section....family life calling. I hope he races in Palmyra on the 4th of July, his birthday I believe. I'll be there cheering him on if he does.

On my own with that tailwind on the path now I figured, what the heck, let her rip.

I was doing 33 mph and it wasn't much effort at all really.

When I got to the end of the New Berlin path in Greenfield Park I had to make a snap decision. Oops, I missed that left turn back home to the yard work.  It was too nice out, despite the wind, to settle for 24-25 miles today. Nope, I headed south.

I decided I would go into Whitnall Park where I knew there was a bubbler where I could fill my empty water bottles.

When I got there a giant gathering was picnicing there. They must have had the area reserved. I rode right up to the bubbler in the midst of them. The food smelled and looked wonderful, as people were either sitting and eating or walking past me with plates of food. I thought maybe someone would offer me something to eat or drink. But no one even looked at me. Not even a hello. Nothing. Kind of odd. I bet if a cyclist would have been among them he or she would have offered me something. I certainly would have done that. And today, I would have taken someone up on an offer too. Oh well.

Cold water in, and off I went to complete what turned out to be a nice 43-mile ride today, despite the hurricane-like wind gusts!

254 miles this past week.

 

We were at the Downer race for a time Sat. evening, watching the last laps of the men's master's 1-2-3 race and it was pretty good. No breaks off the front into the final lap and a field sprint finish. I was right in front of the finish line for it too.

Seemed odd to be there in June. The Superweek race there is of course in July. Some sweet bikes around as always.

And one more shot from the masters action...

Today they race in downtown Waukesha.

Here's my plan:

I could ride the New Berlin Trail route all the way out there to what I believe will be Broadway, which appears to be close to Main. The race course is on Main and Wisconsin. I bet I'll bump into it...watch for a bit....then ride all the way home from there. A ride, and spectating at a race....good plan I think. Gonna be fighting wind today for sure though.

 

What a morning.

We sat on the porch glancing at the paper, trying to figure out which yard would get our attention this afternoon, the city or the lake, because both need a lot of work. The city won out, since we are going to the Diana Krall concert Sunday evening here anyway.

I glanced at an article about the Tour of Wisconsin stage race hitting Downer tonight, and my thoughts turned to racing, which of course means speed, something I have not paid attention to this season. No, this year thus far has been about riding longer rides, increasing miles.

Since there is no Cat 6 for 190 pound middle-aged guys, the fact is that while I would love to compete in the 4/5's, all it would turn out to be is me riding like hell just to keep onto the back of the peloton for a couple of laps, then being spit out the back and waved off the course in humiliation.

So I got it into my head today that before the yard work, I would go out and crank on one for the first time this seaon, PUSH for a speed ride from the start. Seriously, I have not done that since last year on my little 26-mile stop-and-go course. Today I would try it, dedicating the effort to all you racers out there. I respect the hell out of you men and women.

It was all foreign to me at the start because it has been so long since I made an attempt at a speed run on this course. There are little things you must do on a ride where you are pushing yourself all the time. Basically, I tell myself to never settle for just a pedal. You always have to be thinking about pushing it to the next level.

--You have to start at tempo and not take 4-5 mlies to warm up. It's GO from the time you hit the flightdeck to start.

--You ride in the drops more.

--You watch cadence, and when it drops below 90, you pop out of the saddle for a few revolutions just to hammer it back up to plus-90.

--You don't coast into stop signs. You ride and brake.

--You don't take it easy starting off from stops. You hammer out of the saddle up to speed.

--You don't coast down hills. You grab bigger gears and keep the pedal motion.

--You talk to yourself. "Come on. Get it, get it, get it."

--You make sure that when you are hurting in the last five miles you don't let it all slip away by getting lazy at this point.

--You, like the racers will do tonight, jump out of the saddle and hammer up to speed out of corners.

There is no down time really. You pick little spots to catch your breath, and then you do it all over again. You don't even stop pedaling when taking a drink. Your body goes into hyper mode.

It didn't help that I had to cyclo-cross 4X out and back at Grennfield Park where they have screwed up that road either!

I think of myself as a sleek bike racer in an event while I am huffing and puffing like a madman for no apparent reason. These guys racing today are all about half my age and 30 pounds lighter, but in my head as I push myself to my cycling limits, I am one of them now.

I am hurting as I near home, but it is the good kind of hurt. The moment of truth is near.

The final turn...into the driveway...brake to a stop and turn off the computer. I am almost hesitant now as I push the buttons that will take me to the magic number: ave. speed of the ride. My chest is heaving in and out. I am slouched over my handlebars with sweat running like a hose from my head. I have not felt this way in a long, long time. I am spent. One more push of the button and it will be there......

 

17.4

 

SHIT. THAT'S IT?

It's funny because I just busted my hump with all I had out there and I come back with an average speed that, last year, would be very average indeed. I would ride 17's routinely. This would have been an average ride last year when I trained for speed. Instead this year it was all I had. Had I made an effort like this last year I would have been in the 18's at the very least. Not any more I guess.

But here's the real life lesson I feel I gained from today.

Was I disappointed that all that effort amounted only to a 17.4 ride when I was supposed to be speed racer out there? Yes. But you know what? The fact of the matter is that I tried. I challenged myself and I felt that feeling once again of throwing everything I had in my body into those pedals. It is the challenge and the attempt that makes me feel alive.

Maybe I'll see ya at Downer tonight (if it is not raining)

 

Just a reminder that there is action this afternoon and this evening on the East Side, as Downer comes to life with a stage of the Tour of America's Dairyland.

Sunday they race in Waukesha.

I'm not sure I can get out to any of this, since I have tons of things to do both in town and out of town. But if you've never seen racing in person, take it in...you'll love the color and excitement of it all.

SUPERWEEK will be around soon too.

Tour de France starts a week from today.....gotta love my favorite time of year.

 

Well, Day Five in the heat and I kinda hit the wall today. I rode the old Loomis route and 26 miles was it for me today. Tired in general.

So the news here is that they are messing with my routes now by making changes in Greenfield Park.

The detour I have to take is now actually all torn up as well. What a mess, and there is no escaping it. But that's not the biggest problem. They're changing the road system in the park!

OK, while heading out of the park....past the lagoon and a right turn at picnic area one....instead of that road taking you into that wooded area, the new road just stops there! They have added curbing, meaning all you can do is go into a parking lot from there now. I jumped off the bike and walked down the dirt and gravel to the old road, which is all messed up as usual. Then at the end of it...same thing....the old road ends and there is a nice new road in the exact spot where my sister crashed last year. Only trouble is you can't get on that road! Again, there is curbing into a parking lot only.

In other words, the section of old road in the woods there is now completed isolated and impassable. I'm not sure what the heck they are going to do with that. There IS a break in the curbing at both ends of the street where the new stuff starts, so maybe it will end up just for bikes? Or maybe it will just be torn out and cease to exist I fear.

This is an issue for me since this portion of my ride has to be taken for all of the following routes I use:

Loomis--Three Bridges--7-Mile Rd.--Whitnall Crit--Botanical Crit

Yikes. The only route this does not effect is the New Berlin trail to the west. We'll see.

Just tired today in general, and despite the sun and heat, wasn't really all that much into it today, so I made sure to cut it short....just enough to get a taste and make it five days in a row this week. It's been a great week of hot-weather riding.

 

90 degrees.

43 miles.

I could stop there, but of course there is so much more to it that I won't.

It has been quite a stretch of riding this week. The combination of sunny hot weather and the fact that Jon Green is on vacation has added up to one thing for me; big-time riding. You see, when I am hosting the radio show, there is more work for me to do DURING the show, but less prep work to write BEFORE the show. Therefore, I have more time to ride in the morning. Plus today there is an afternoon Brewers' game, meaning even a little additional time due to a shorter show.

The sun was out this morning, but a threat of a storm or two popping up was in the forecast. I wasted no time, thinking the earlier I went out, the better my chances would be of staying dry and getting some extra miles in. I was dead on this one too.

I left at 9:00 a.m. in full sun, which went to a hazy sky at first and a full cloud cover by the end of the ride., which turned out to be very interesting.

On the way out I really enjoyed just taking it easy out there, knowing whatever I got in today was gravy since it was my 4th day in row out soaking in the hot sun.

I saw "The Knave" again (I've have seen him out there riding every day this week by the way) and that got me to thinking. Some of my regulars are missing this year for the first time in years! I have yet to see "The Girls" or "Wiener Dog Lady" which is very odd. "Black Socks Jogger Guy" is out there, but he no longer wears black socks for cryin' out loud. I shall now call him, "Silver-Haired Jogger Guy."

Passing the Franklin fire station on the way out to 7-Mile Rd. I vowed to myself to stop and chat and ask for fresh water from them if I saw someone out there. The doors to the firehouse are all open, but both on the way out and the way back in there was no one in sight so I pedaled onward.

Once I turned around on my little loop just south of 7-Mile Rd. I noticed what seemed to be a line of clouds to the north. I was thinking about doing a little exploring on County Line Rd., but when I saw that changing sky I thought I would just head straight back.

An empty livestock hauler pulled out in front of me at one point. The smell lingered in my nose for blocks and it wasn't pretty.

The birds seemed to be singing more than ever today. Perhaps they were calling for the rain. All kinds of them, many different from the usual ones I hear.

I was disappointed along the Franklin path, because I was all ready to enjoy some people watching on this nice hot summer day in there. The thing was empty! Maybe everyone is going to the opening day of Summerfest.

I decided on the way back that perhaps I could add a lap or two in Elm Grove if I wanted to hit 50 miles. The sky was getting full-on cloudy now, so much so that I passed on stopping at my favorite bench on the way back to eat my banana and granola bar. Instead, I ate while I rode like the pros do. I found that I am not very good at riding without hands on the bars. I was a bit shakey as I peeled the banana today!

No stop in Whitnall for laps to make 50 miles either. If I was going to get stuck in a downpour I wanted it to happen as close to home as possible.

I toyed with the idea of stretching it out into Elm Grove right up until the end, but after all these miles in all this heat, it was clear I was done. I was sore all over basically and didn't much want to continue. It was three hours non-stop out there on two bottles of fluid, which in this heat, is at least one bottle short. I even thought about stopping at home to drink, then going back out to hit 50. Then I made the call...that's silly....50, 43, what's the difference....I was beat and I knew it.

I downed an entire bottle of Powerade in about five gulps! I guess being a little dry didn't help how I felt out there at the end.

What a week though....

Monday-36  Tuesday-50  Wednesday-30  Thursday-43....and Friday's forecast is for sun and 90. Oh yeah, I'll be back out there, sore or not.