2013- Taking it to the next level!!

Year Stats

Miles Ridden: 3480 Miles 

Climbing Over Year: 300,000 ft.

Racing Miles: 865 Miles

Climbing During Races: 91,639 ft.

Days on Bike: 197

Hours on Bike: 350 hr.

Car Seat Miles to Races: 13402 Miles

Well figured it was about time to put this post together.  2013 was a year of great strides on the bike and life decided to settle down a little bit as well.

Beautiful Twin Loves of My Life

As far as life is concerned, family hasn’t change that much.  I have had a great time getting to see my crazy nieces run all over us and prove that they are in charge.  My working life went from frustrating to pretty pleasant. No longer do I have to put 500 miles on my car as in the beginning of the year but have now moved from St. Joes in New Hampton to St. Benedicts in Decorah.  I continue to work at Trinity and DeSales keeping with those great schools.  I was able to continue my life of driving around Northeast Iowa and getting paid for it, unfortunately half the time wondering if I was going to live or not (NICC Driver’s Ed.)

Team Noah Foundation!!!

Now as far as what this post is really about, year in review of MTB Racing!!  This year was a big year for me.  The first big step of the year was that I was joining a great up and coming team this year.  TEAM NOAH FOUNDATION!!  This team was a great fit for me as we had many of great single speed riders from the NUE series on the team as well as a great group of guys that love to have fun while racing their bikes for long periods of time in the woods.  These guys are some of the goofiest guys on course as well which makes spending 8+ hours on the saddle that much more enjoyable. 

This year not only saw me with a new team, but a new goal in mind as far as my racing was concerned.  This year I was focusing on the NUE series and trying to take a series podium spot by years end.  I started the year small though staying local in an effort to get up to speed for the long season.

Puglsey World Championships

Pugsley World Championships were first up as we raced our fat bikes along one of my favorite training routes, the gravels to Bluffton.  This race was a chance for me to make some cash for the upcoming season that would see me travel many, many miles.  I was able to show my strength in this race and was in the lead group the entire race.  After the leader towards the end of the race took a wrong turn, it was down to me and Hollywood Henderson to settle things on the single track to the finish.  Well I made a bad decision and didn’t drop air and Hollywood did so 2nd to start the year.  Not bad, but to say I wasn’t disappointed would be a lie.  

BoneBender 6 hr.

After this race it was off on a little trip for the next race of the year.  I decided to finally make the trip down to BoneBender in Lawrence,KS for my first endurance race of the year.  Been trying to make this trip for the past couple of years and finally things came together.  I was set for the 6hr SingleSpeed category but also looking to try and get the overall.  The race overall was good as far as the outcome, 1st Singlespeed and 2nd Overall behind resident fast guy Brad Auen.  The course on the other hand was awful!!!  This course was the rockiest course I have ridden to date and that just made for a crappy day in the saddle.  So be it though as it got me ready for the year.

Next up were another two local races around Decorah.  The Decorah Time trials were first as the end of April. Here it is proving harder and harder for me to get up to speed for such a short race as I was only able to take down 2nd place this year behind Brian F.  He is quick and I just don’t have it anymore in these short bursts.  After the Time Trails it was off to Waverly to Camp Ingawanis the next weekend.  This race was interesting this year as I was stuck in mud for a majority of the day.  Lots of quick guys there this year and a top 5 finish is all that I was able to pull out.  Again XC is not my forte anymore and I accept that I am going to get smoked in these races.  Usually warming up by the end of the race!!!

Syllamo 125k Rock Raise!!

Well it was about time that the meat of the year started off!!  The NUE Series was a main focus this year so first up in the series for me was off to Mountain View, Arkansas and the Syllamo 125k.  This race was interesting in that it was the only non 100 miler in the series but just as hard.  The course was pretty quick except for the slick as ice rocks around the course and the crappy trail work that allowed the brush to envelop the trail.  Boy were my arms and legs sore from all the scratches that I suffered due to thistles and thrones on the trial.  One good thing that came from the race was getting race with my Team Noah teammates Dwayne and Peat remembering how much fun it is to ride with them. This race proved that I made a right choice for the year in going after the series!! 2nd Singlespeed and my first Top 5 Overall in 5th! Good way to start the year.  

Off to Loudenville,Ohio next for the Mohican 100.  This was my second go at this race and the result was not much better this time.  The start of this race gets me as I go to hard and blow it to early.  This year saw me dropped early due to some bad luck of jettisoning my water bottles on the first downhill and having to stop to get them, thus being sent pretty far back in the pack.  Over the course of the race I was able to move back up to where I belonged and after fighting all day with Nathan (Pro Mountain Outfitters) I settled for 5th Singlespeed and 12th Overall.  With the success at Syllamo’s not quite the result that I wanted and it would prove decisive at the end of the year.

Mohican 100

After Mohican, I stayed local the next weekend at the 9hr at Boone.  This race was nothing much for me as I didn’t really expect any competition and non was really had at the race. I rode pretty much solo the whole day in the rain and muck and was able to get the Overall win in my division without any worry.

Lumberjack 100 Start

After a break from travel the weekend before it was off to my second year at Lumberjack 100.  This race last year was fast and dry and this year was very similar in that it was fast.  Single’s this year luckily controlled the start so I was feeling much better about myself at this race. Well that was the last good that would come out of this race.  While holding a top 5 position in the race and unbeknownst chasing 1st Singlespeed catastrophe struck and my day was over.  This race would be my first every DNF in all my years of racing with a taco’d front wheel that was very disappointing and frustrating.  The ride home was long and crappy as I knew what could have been with only 17 miles left in the race.

Tatanka 100 SS Podium

Two weeks later I pulled myself back together and it was off to Tatanka 100 in the beautiful Black Hills of SD!  This year saw me going to the Black Hills for 3 different races.  By far my favorite place to race as the people are amazing and the land is beautiful.  This race would put me on some trails that I have wanted to ride for the last 2 years but never had a chance to.  Going into this race, I had high hopes of taking the top step in Singlespeed but after the start and knowing who was at the race, those hopes faded pretty quick.  I was able to ride a good race with a gear that was good for about 50% of the race and horrible for the other 50%, the plight of riding a singlespeed. Ended the day 3rd Singlespeed and 11th Overall.  This race again though saw me getting to ride with 4 other Team Noah teammates and first time 100 mile racers Adam and Brett.  These two did awesome and hopefully will see them doing more of these races in the coming year.  Dwayne and Peat also made the long trip out and took to the single speed podium in 6th and 7th.  Great race and must do every year!!

After this race it was the mid-season break for me.  I would be traveling back out to the Black Hills after the break again though as I would take on the Black Hills 40 once again and try to defend my single speed crown on a wicked tough course. This race was great as expected and I was able to retain my crown but had to settle further down the overall, after taking 2nd last year, settling for 8th Overall in stacked field of great local and non-local riders!!  This race has the potential for being a top notch race in the future.  

Vacation Time in Spearfish (Iron Creak)

View from the saddle (Crows Peak, SD)

 

Once again the Black Hills 40 was the start of my week long vacation and staying in my second home of Spearfish,SD.  This town has become my relaxing destination the last two years. This year I was able to take more of the scenery as I rode different trail this year thanks in part to the man himself out there Perry Jewett.  I am finding that I have made friends over these past few years that allow me to really enjoy traveling the country and take in all that comes with racing your bike for long distances.  

Pierre's Hole 100

PH 100

After a week in Spearfish it was off to Pierre’s Hole 100 In Alta,Wyoming for the second straight year.  This race again would prove to be the toughest of the year!!  I went into this race again with high expectations and again I had to back off those expectations as the race progressed as I was put in my place by the man who would challenge for the top step in the series!!  This race is brutal in that it is at altitude.  For a flatlander this race climbed over 15,000 ft. this year and was unrelenting in it’s beauty!!!  I am amazed how much I was able to suffer at this race and want to get off my bike and quite yet still be blown away while riding through the wildflowers and peaks of the Grand Tetons!!  2nd Singlespeed and Top 10 Overall was a good finish to the day and last race in the series this year for me.

PH 100

PH 100

As far as the series was concerned, since I was only able to complete 4 races, my hopes of a top 3 podium were dashed as the DNF and 5th at Mohican came back to haunt me as I took 4th Overall in the Series SS and missed out on 3rd by 1 point.  Next year will hopefully prove quite different!!!!

SSUSA Start

After the race in Wyoming, there were but 4 races left in the season as my fall races started.  SSUSA was first up. This race was held close to home thank god as it would have been worthless to travel anywhere for it.  The course was fun for about 7 miles and the rest was crappy and nothing much as far as riding is concerned.  The organization of this race was non-existent and overall this race was nothing more than a training ride for me.  I will have to say I will never do another SSUSA race as it is not quite what I would pay to race ever again!  Don’t know how I faired in this race as the scoring was non-existent and nobody knows who finished where!

Dakota 50

After the training weekend two weeks prior, it was off to South Dakota for the final time this year and to another priority race of the season. I was hoping this year to take a Top 10 Overall and the SS win again.  The race was being run in reverse this year and would prove more difficult for some reason. From the start, I was not feeling it as my body was having non of this race. Feeling crappy all day and quite down on myself for not being with the top dogs, I finished the day in 3 SS and 28th Overall.  Pretty disappointed with the result as the expectations were quite high for the race.

Dakota 50 SS Podium

Mullet Classic in Indianola was a redemption race for me this year. I was going into this race ready for a battle with Rick B.  in the 4hr. race.  I was able to show off my development from the year and ran away with this race halfway through.  I never had to look back as I knew that I had a pretty secure win.  1st Overall was a great way to end my Iowa racing for the year.

BT EPIC Start

Last race of the year was in the boondocks of Missouri at the BT EPIC.  This would be the Team Noah Foundation race of the year. We were able to bring 6 of us down for the race.  I was pretty excited for the race as I was hoping to defend my SS title and take a higher overall this year.  Well all was going as planned for the first 55 miles of the race.  I had shaken the SS who was holding my wheel for 40+ miles and was looking at a possible top 5 finish when I took a wrong turn due to no course markings and ended the day in 7th Overall, 1st SS.  The only one to get around me was Dwayne for 6th so I wasn’t to disappointed coming into the finish!  Good way to end the year surrounded by the great teammates of Team Noah!

Unbelievable Team Noah Foundation
 Teammates!!

I have no regrets from the year for sure!!  I have ridden with some of the best in the nation and had blast doing it.  Team Noah Foundation may be the funnest team out there to ride for as we never take racing to seriously and have joke the entire time!!!  2014 is already shaping up to be the biggest year of racing for me to date.  An update of this site is next up as I have additional sponsors for the year and big plans unfolding!! Look for these updates next!!!  Enjoy the end of the year and see ya in 2014!