PRESS RELEASE Upcoming Races

PRESS RELEASE - 7/21/2010

Culver's Racing has announced their upcoming race schedule for the remainder of July and the first part of August.  Follow the guys as they continue their success.

July 24 - 12 Hours of Potluck Marquette, MI 

6 Hours Solo Class

- Danny Hill

- Glenn Lerlie

- Justin Weber

July 25 - WORS #7 Franklin, WI 

Pro/Elite Class

- Tyler Gauthier

August 1st - 24 Hour of 9 Mile Wausau, WI

12 Hour SS Solo Class

- Danny Hill

August 8th - WORS #8 River Falls, WI

Pro/Elite Class

- Tyler Gauthier

August 14th - Ore 2 Shore Negaunee, MI 

Open 48 Mile Hard Rock

- Tyler Gauthier

- Tom Carpenter

- Glenn Lerlie

- Justin Weber

- Ron Williams

Tandem 48 Mile Hard Rock

- Danny and Heidi Hill

Cross Training

I have always wanted to try a triathlon but with so much concentration on MTB racing there never seemed to be a good weekend to do it.  I never wanted to give up a day of racing/training and also not wanting to do the dreaded leg killer, the run.  But this past weekend everything fell into place.  I had no racing and I fit the day into my training.  I went into the triathlon with clear goals.  Do not drown, dominate the bike, run slow enough to not get soar the next day.  For the most part mission accomplished.

I rented a wet suit for the swim and OMG did it save me.  When I submerged I was instantly forced back to the top because of it's buoyancy.  This was an awesome feeling considering when I usually enter the water this 158# body of muscle and bone sinks faster than a weighted brick  I frog stroked the over half the swim and finished in about 9 minutes.  I then took way too long on the bike transition but managed to get out.  I instantly felt at home and put down some good numbers.  I passed over 10 guys making up couple minutes on each putting me in 3rd overall after then bike.  The only guy I did not manage to put time into is the TT/Tri specialist Jeff Juntti.  Damn he can put down a TT.  I had the 2nd best bike of the day with a 30:02 and he smashed it with a 28:58.  The next biker was over 2:30 minutes behind me.  I had another slow transition but was now on the run.  I stayed the same speed the whole time keeping my HR low.  I was passed by 2 runners. Danny Dehilin passed me like I was running on my knees.  My bike gave me enough of advantage to keep 5th overall.  What a blast of a day.  I didn't drown, I had a great bike, I'm not soar from the run, and I took 5th overall in my first triathlon.  The danger is I liked it to much.  Maybe in a few years I'll give this triathlon thing a shot.           

Firecracker with Single-tracker

First off, huge props to Troy Meives and Jim Chapman on designing a stellar course at WORS #6.  The course was primarily fast and flowing single-track.  It was some of the most fun single-track I've been on all year.  It's hard packed, smooth, and used the natural flow of the earth.  Although extremely flat it was a lung burning fiesta.

Did I mention it was dry and dusty!

I had contemplated skipping this race because I was not up for the 5 1/2 hour drive but decided to trek on because I did not want to lose my spot in the top 10 overall standings.  Being in the top 10 with the competition that shows up to the WORS events is a huge accomplishment for me and I in no way want to be knocked out because I didn't feel like going so onward I went.

I'm coming of a pretty hard training week after a rest week so I wasn't expecting great legs but I did feel OK.  My performance fell off a bit at the end, mostly because of heat, which was to be expected.  The race started on two track to spread things out and I found myself sitting about 10th.  I struggle with this because I know I can be in a higher position but for some reason I don't feel like I belong yet.  I just need to through feelings aside and race!  Anyhow, we entered single track and as always it yo-yoed back spreading the field.  I found myself just off the back from the chase group.  A group of pro's formed a lead group and a bunch of others chase.  After the 1st lap I trailed a chase group of 10 by about 10 sec but had no one behind me for over 30 seconds.  I was truly in no man's land.  I gave every ounce of effort to catch that group but a group of 10 is so much stronger than a single rider.  They never pulled away I just could not make ground.  Single track would come and still no success at attaching.  After the 2nd lap I had given so much energy to catch them that the 3rd lap really became a struggle.  I was caught by a few and then by a chasing group of 5 or so.  I attached to this group until at the end of the 3rd lap 3 pulled off leaving us in a group of 5.  On the final lap I would not let myself lose this group as much as my body begged to let go.  It paid off because I won the group sprint placing me 14th overall and taking the last payout/podium spot.

Thank you to my mother for traveling with me this weekend you make all things possible.  Also to Ann Niemi for keeping her company.  My races would not be possible without team support and my sponsors.

Pictures courtesy of Troy Meives

First, Middle, and Last

After a subpar performance at the Subaru Cup 2 weekends ago I had to reevaluate my training plan.  My training had been going awesome up to that point and I was feeling good.  I was pleased with my results and progress.  I had successfully moved up to Cat 1 after some dominant races in Cat 2 and even managed a top 10 and a top 20 finish in my first Pro/Elite races.  That progression came to a crashing halt last week.  I even tried to ignore it and attended the Tuesday Night Ride to mix up the training and have some fun but when my legs suffered sitting in the group I knew it was time, time for rest.

I'm not sure why but I struggle with the word "rest" implemented into my training program.  As nice as it sounds to do nothing for a few days I'm not one to sit around.  I like to be active and know that I'm progressing in something.  I know I need it  it's just making myself do it.  I reviewed my training log and realized that in my 13 weeks of training, with exception to rest before races and a slight lighter week 6 weeks ago, I have not taken a rest week yet.  Yup, it was time and most likely overdue.

I took 4 days completely off the bike last week through the 4th of July holiday.  I didn't look at my bikes or even think about them.  I made myself take a training vacation.  It has paid off as I felt better with each day of rest and was motivated to begin training again.  I've now broken my season down to 3 sections first, middle, and last.  Each section has a significant race and will keep my on a schedule for rest.  Bring on the middle.      

Culvers Racing Gains National Experience - Subaru Cup

The Subaru Cup/Pro XCT Series was everything it was talked up to be an awesome venue, gnarly course and sick competition.  Unfortunately this past weekend was the end of the beginning for me.  What do I mean? I'm calling it the end of my first training session, as many of you know the body plateaus and even decreases without proper rest and failure can come awful fast at that point.  I reached that point and it came on one of my target weekends.


The weekend had two races, a cross country on Saturday and a short track on Sunday.  Saturday's course proved to be difficult even on the best of days.  It had punchy climbs, extended climbs, tight single track, rock gardens, and fast descents.  This was a course you really had to be on your game.  It pounded your legs on the ups and then gave you a rest on the way down but you had to always be alert because with the technicality of it a mistake was always lurking.  I had a second row start which I felt good about because there were no call ups.  The gun was sounded and it took me all of 3 minutes to figure out that something was not right.  I could not draw energy or power out of my body.  I stayed with it as long as I could thinking I might come around.  That was until the 2nd out of 4 laps and being passed by 15 or so riders when I decided to slow down and see if I could reserve enough for tomorrow's race.  This didn't last long, a rider I have met through the series came by me and shouted a word of encouragement and I had to at least attempt a restart.  I decided to let him pull me through the next 2 laps and I stuck his wheel for the next hour until the final descent where I washed out and he finished just ahead of me.  At this point I was OK with that being it wasn't about a place at that time but about finishing.  Losing 2 spots with my fall I finished 27th overall out of 139 in Category 1.


Sundays was approximately a 1 mile loop with a twisty climb, a punchy climb, followed by a fast and soggy track leading back to the hills.  We were scheduled for 16 minutes plus 2 laps.  I figured if I was feeling good the course should work out into my favor.  I was fortunate to get a call up and started 2nd row again.  This is extremely important because those of you who have not seen a MTB short track it's all about the start and your race can be over within seconds if you get yo yoed off the lead group.  The race is so fast and tight that passing is limited and attacks are tough with the pace being so high for the duration of the race.  My start was good but not spectacular.  I got spit back to about 15th when the guy in front had a slight slip of the pedal.  It didn't matter all that much because I was once again in energy deprivation.  This time though I felt slightly better throughout the race and my dad timed my laps and said they got better throughout the race.  He even mentioned that after mid way point the gap between me and the leaders stayed the same.  I finished 17th overall so this news was good to me.  It helped me know with a better start I would have possibly challenged the front group. 


Even though the results were not quite what I was looking for on this weekend I'm coming away with some crucial experience.  It helped knowing that I had two days of racing and still finished in top 25% both days.  The optimist in me can only believe I would be with the top guys if my body was running well.  I also took away that the talent pool is huge and that it's going to take a lot of hard work in the next few years to achieve my goals.  It was also a good weekend of learning how to race both XC and ST.  I have to become more aggressive on the single track and downhill's and I need to have a little bit more fight in me to gain position in the ST.


After a weekend like this my first instinct is to get back on my bike and train harder but if this weekend told me anything it told me I need rest.  I'm going to do the hardest thing in my training program this week and that is rest with time off the bike.  Maybe a joy ride here or there but I'm forcing mandatory down time.  As hard as it is for me I know with a few days rest I can start Chapter 2 of the 2010 race season.  Stay tuned, it's going to be a damn good one.  


PICTURES TO FOLLOW