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Jon Morgan of Team OAM Now, Lee Ries, and Adam Haberkorn of Huron Meadows hosted an overview of XC skiing for the Boys Trail Life Group
The crew heading into the storm…
And coming back in (still smiling!)
Team Athletic Mentors News
Team OAM NOW XC Ski Clinic- It Really Did Snow This Year!
February 4th, 2016 by Kaitlyn Patterson
January Michigan Cup Racing Highlights
February 1st, 2016 by Kaitlyn Patterson
Hanson Hills/Cross Country Ski Shop team won the Brumbaugh Cup in 2014 and Kaitlyn and Alex won the Individual Michigan Cup titles (photo credit: NordicSki Racer)
Jon Morgan races the Frosty Freestyle held completely on man-made snow
Kaitlyn leads out the women’s race. She won the 13k race in 44:06 (Photo credit: Curt Peterson)
Alex competes in the 2016 Noquemanon Marathon. He finished eighth in the 50k classic event.
The epic course of the Noquemanon Ski Marathon. It is almost a shame to race past all the beautiful lookouts
The Forbush Freestyle course. The trails are deceptively challenging and fun
Nordic Immersion- Watching, Writing, and Racing
January 13th, 2016 by Kaitlyn PattersonMichigan Tech did an amazing job hosting the event with limited snow and skiers from all over the U.S. and Canada converged in Houghton. I enjoy watching races almost as much as I enjoy competing and I got to see some great battles. I also had a chance to meet some really impressive, down to earth athletes and coaches including another Caitlin Patterson of the nordic ski world who had a great weekend and won both distance races (together we confuse a lot of people). Our hotel was filled with skiers making for a fun and quirky place to hang out. Basically the week could be best described as doing quirky things in a quirky place with quirky people. And it was great.
My FasterSkier partner Gabby and I even had official “media” bibs allowing us on any part of the course
Ski trails the width of a highway!
Enjoying the Houghton sunshine!
Alex competing in the 30k freestyle at U.S. Nationals
Sisu is a Finnish word meaning determination, bravery, and resilience.
SISU 42k freestyle men’s podium. The quick lumberjack is Matt Liebsch, followed by Alex Vanias, and Nicholas Power. (Photo: Vic Calore)
Two Great Tri Clinics, One Place: Presented by Team OAM NOW & Athletic Mentors
January 12th, 2016 by Erin Young
TRI 101: Presented by Team OAM NOW & Athletic MentorsThis is a great clinic to come hear what Triathlon is all about. If you have been considering doing a TRI or have done a few and are looking for tips to improve, this will be time well spent!
Where: Downtown YMCA
When: Saturday, January 16th 9:00am- 10:15am
Swim Technique & Training: Presented by Team OAM NOW & Athletic Mentors
Open to all levels, but geared toward athletes looking to step beyond beginner. Swim stroke technique discussions and training recommendations.
The post Two Great Tri Clinics, One Place: Presented by Team OAM NOW & Athletic Mentors appeared first on Team Athletic Mentors.
Tough Training Lessons from Strava
January 12th, 2016 by Team OAM NOW / Athletic Mentors
When I first started becoming serious about endurance sports a few years ago, several cyclists I rode with on Tuesday nights mentioned using Strava. I really had no idea how it worked. For me, training consisted of swimming, cycling, and running basically whenever I felt like it, and mixing in body weight workouts and yoga to keep everything fresh. When other athletes suggested I make an account and upload my workouts, “Not for me,” I replied. “I have limited data and I use Apple Maps so I won’t get lost. I have it on my little wireless cateye computer and I pop it into my excel spreadsheet so I can make sure I’m biking enough.”
That was the attitude I had until I began veterinary school at Michigan State University. There, I met some intense triathletes who really encouraged me to get Strava. “We have an MSU Tri Club Strava group! We can all keep tabs on each other! It’s really fun!” I caved. I learned how to upload activities from my watch so that I didn’t have to use my phone. I manually entered swims. And, I started tracking other athletes. While I know Strava is great for some people, it was, undoubtedly, one of the worst decisions I made in my triathlon journey.
Still, I learned a lot in the year and a half that I used Strava on a regular basis. I want to share those lessons so that others can learn how to avoid the pitfalls of any form of social networking focused on training. Again, I think Strava is a great tool for many people, and I don’t want to minimize that in any way. However, it’s like diet. Some athletes thrive on a vegan diet. Some swear by a high-fat, low-carb approach. Others perform well on just about anything they want to eat. Every athlete is different physically, mentally, and spiritually, so take anyone’s advice with a grain of salt. What works for me may or may not work for you. Here’s what I learned:
1) Training was no longer about my journey.
There were a lot of reasons I started running, but when it boiled down to it, I enjoyed my warm-up laps around the YMCA indoor track more than I enjoyed the rest of my workouts back in my “gym-rat” days. Then, I realized that the only thing stopping me from running longer was my mindset. If I didn’t lift one day, I could spend my whole hour or hour and a half of gym time running! It wasn’t long before I moved the running game out of the gym. When I got my first running watch, I used it to track distance, but I didn’t care a bit about speed on those runs. It was wonderful. I was healthy and happy. As I began to focus more on race results, I would run faster with friends or one day a week when I did a speed workout, but the bulk of my runs were 2-3 minutes per mile slower than the pace I was racing at. I didn’t know that I wasn’t supposed to be able to race as fast as I did running as slow as I was. Then, when I got Strava, I actually started paying attention to pace on training runs which I had never done. I would upload a run and then look at it. “Did I actually run that slowly? So-and-so’s run today was so much faster than mine, and I know I race faster than her!” I became self-conscious and began pushing a faster pace on all of my runs. In less than two months, I damaged my gastroc so badly that I could barely walk. I pulled out of the GR marathon because I was so badly hurt. I didn’t learn my lesson. I took ten days off, did a few slow runs and was back at it. I hurt the gastroc again. I recovered. I began working with coach Mark Olson who immediately dialed back my mileage and pace, but I resented uploading slow workouts and would push the pace every time I could. My poor past lifestyle choices were adding up and a few months later, I fractured my inferior pubic ramus. And you know what? I kept uploading! I biked and swam my heart out and I was darn proud of throwing down some 13 hour weeks with a fractured pelvis. Throughout this experience, I didn’t think once about my own journey. It was all about the perceptions of others.
2) Training became a competition.
It’s ok to go to the track with a friend and challenge each other during a grueling workout. It is NOT ok to stalk them online when they are following a completely different training regime than you are and compare yourself to them! I was jealous of people doing speed work when I was recovering from my injury. I was angry when people I knew I was capable of beating in races uploaded “base” runs that were faster than mine. It wasn’t until I drew myself away from the social network that I remembered the Brad Paisley song I loved back in my days of cowboy boots and country music: “So Much Cooler Online.” How do I know that the “base” run was actually base? Who knows, that person could have had a heart rate of 180 the whole time. It doesn’t matter who has a “better” training run, it only matters who has a better race.
Adding to that, the whole MSU Triathlon Strava group that I was so psyched to be a part of? Well, it turns out, Strava tallies up placings every week. Placings are based off of training time alone. So, if I sit on my bicycle at a heartrate of 100 for 3 hours, I’m ranked higher than if I do intense intervals for 1 hour. That’s not the only problem though. Only swims, bikes and runs are tallied. This shouldn’t be an issue, but for competitive people with an extremely addictive nature (I’m describing myself, not accusing anyone), it’s really hard to suck up taking a second place when you know that if you would have spent those three very beneficial off-season weight lifting sessions biking, you would have “won.” I’m laughing as I write this, it sounds so silly when now that I am removed from it. But, when I was wrapped up in the middle, even though I knew it was wrong, it still affected me. There’s a very real danger in seeing training as competition. It’s training for a reason.
3) Training became about accolades.
For you non-Strava users, here’s how it works: you follow people, much like on Instagram or Twitter. You upload your workouts and you get a newsfeed of the workouts of everyone who you follow. Instead of favoriting something, as you would on Twitter, you give kudos. So, you spend the last mile of your run thinking up creative titles for your workouts or making excuses for why it wasn’t stellar. As an example, some of my workout titles include: “Killed my average by riding 4 miles of deep gravel on the tri bike,” “Sighting practice on 2 hrs of sleep,” “Don’t judge unless you rode in this wind!” What’s the theme? Excuses. And I don’t need to justify my workouts to anyone, because frankly, it’s no one’s business besides mine, and my coach’s. Then there were the snarky titles: “Thanks for the memories” – sounds like it’s just the song I was listening to, right? Well, sorta. I was listening to Fallout Boy. It was also a pot-shot at a fellow Strava-er that I was annoyed with. At the end of the day, though, it doesn’t matter how many kudos you got on Strava. What matters is what your body, mind, and spirit got from your training.
4) I was as focused on other’s workouts as much as my own.
This is a bad one. It goes back to embracing that every athlete is different. Everyone has a different life as well. Over the summer, I worked 24 hours straight sometimes at a demanding internship in an equine hospital. Truth be told, I love veterinary emergency work and I understand how important it is for my future career for me to get experience now. It is completely unfair to focus on how pristine other people’s training schedules are when they are living a completely different life. Breaking down their workouts does nothing to enhance my training. All it does is waste precious time and emotional energy.
5) Strava became king
You know that there is a problem when you are stressed out because you don’t have internet access and you can’t upload a workout right away. Trust me. It’s okay. Your body knows that you had a breakthrough long ride! There is a saying in the world of Strava users: “Strava or it didn’t happen.” I think it’s meant as a joke, but the mentality is completely wrong. Your body doesn’t need Strava to recognize that you trained. When you have a melt down because your watch “ate” your run and you now can’t upload it, that may be a sign that there is a problem.
I’ve now been Strava-free for weeks and I couldn’t feel better about the decision. It was hard to pull the plug on it, but now I’m so glad I did. The stress about how my average in the pool or on the bike is going to look if I take a bit more rest so I can go harder on the intervals is gone. I’m not stressing about how much or little everyone else is training. My training is, once again, about my own journey. And that’s how I feel it should be for me. If you use Strava and it works for you, I’d love to hear your thoughts and stories. I know many people love using it to stay accountable and that’s great. However, if you start to experience any of the above-mentioned symptoms, I encourage you to search yourself to evaluate if your relationship with training-related social media is healthy for you. If it is, great! It if isn’t, maybe it’s time for a little purge.
Happy training if you’re in your offseason. Happy racing if you are a star Nordic skier like some of my teammates and this is your season!
The post Tough Training Lessons from Strava appeared first on Team Athletic Mentors. Giving Back: Getting by with a little help from the elves
January 3rd, 2016 by Team OAM NOW / Athletic MentorsBy Jim Allan, Team OAM Now Cyclist
A December holiday ritual for members and friends of the OAM NOW/ATHLETIC MENTORS Team is the annual Elves and More Bicycle Build. The Elves and More West Michigan organization raises funds to purchase bicycles that are assembled by volunteers and then distributed into an undisclosed neighborhood to boys and girls. Their involvement and record is impressive as described in the background information:
After dressing for the task in festive Christmas caps and capturing the obligatory pre-event photo, the team went right to work assembling the bicycles. A nice group attended the event including: Leonard Van Drunen, Pete Chadwick, Steve Schousen, Jim Allan, Dan Gauthier, Roxane Kippen, Danielle Nye, Mike Hoogerland, Greg Neagos, Paul and Steve Buccella, Jim Fottis, Dave Newton, Alan and Mari-Megan Moore.There is usually a re-training period for the returning alumni as well as tips for the newbies and, after a little startup balancing of assignments, the work table and surrounding work stands become a whirlwind of activity. It doesn’t matter what your skillset is coming into this event, everyone leaves with an appreciation for all aspects of bicycle construction.
The whole process is dependent upon on-the-job training and, as such, a few bikes are returned until all the requirements are met.It is always gratifying to see Steve Buccella’s father Paul, who is approaching 95 years old and is now in his second year of helping us, happily pitching in to help unpack the bicycles and prepare them for assembly.
Our method of counting the completed bicycles included a flaw, so we have to estimate that in a (90) minute period our team assembled in excess of (120) bicycles. The total output of all teams was in excess of (1100) bicycles.
And this event is not all work and no play, since we always follow with a conversational ride to Rockford for lunch and then further up the White Pine Trail. Unfortunately, we were met again by rain, so this year we were more attentive and turned around before reaching the 25 mile point.
All in all, it’s an outstanding way to spend a Saturday with great team mates to benefit an outstanding cause and have a lot of fun while connecting with community.Pro Bike: Kaitlyn Patterson’s Winning LIV Lust 27.5
December 14th, 2015 by Erin YoungFew mountain bikes come from the dealer ready to race. Even the highest level models need some adjustments or small equipment swaps to meet the racer’s build, style, and preference. But, what happens when a rider buys a mid-level, quality-designed bike with no real intent on high level racing and then finds herself quickly ascending through the sport over the next 18 months? In the case of Team OAM NOW rider Kaitlyn Patterson‘s full suspension Giant, it meant lots of changes.
This rig netted a slew of podiums in ’15, including wins at: Ore to Shore, Peak2Peak, Gravel Grinder and 2nd and 5th, respectively, at Chequamegon 40 and Iceman.
A Rock Brothers post reduces weight and offset, and adds some style. KP likes her Selle Italia SLR Lady saddle. Pit Stop sealant handles the little punctures.
Stan’s ZTR Podium 27.5 wheels are run tubeless with sealant, wrapped by 2.25 Schwalbe Racing Ralph tires, chosen for their great all-around performance. KP ran them at 18 and 22 psi (F/R) for Iceman. The Q15mm front hub keeps steering stiff and responsive.
KP’s bike started as a LIV Lust 2, size Medium. The award winning Maestro suspension gives 4 inches of quality travel and the 27.5 wheels offer light weight, quick reflexes and big wheel stability.
A Rock Shox XX fork holds up the front. A hydraulic suspension lockout can firm up both ends of the suspension. The OEM Shimano caliper clamps an Alligator Windcutter rotor.
The cockpit is set up with 22 inch Truvativ Noir carbon straight bars, Shimano Deore brake levers, a SRAM XO rotary shifter and stock grips. The lockout is to the left.
The Lust uses a hydroformed Aluxx aluminum frame for light weight and stiffness, with Giant’s 3F, women’s specific geometry. A Blackburn carbon cage does water bottle duty and a XX shock provides the rear suspension.
For a more athletic posture, the Lust swapped the original stem for a 90 x 30 degree Contact SL, run inverted. A mounted Garmin 520 notifies of additional Strava segments mastered.
The Lust was converted to a 1x system, with a 32t RaceFace chainring mounted to the OEM SRAM S1000 crank arms, gold KMC chain with Squirt Wet lube, and SRAM PG1070 10spd, 11-36t cassette. A SRAM X9 derailuer handles the chain movement, with an OEM Shimano caliper clamping a SRAM rotor.
When the modifications were done*, Kaitlyn had personalized her Lust to get the most from the responsive frame. Only the brake caliper and levers, crankarms and grips remained from the original purchase. And if you’ve followed Kaitlyn at all this season, you can’t argue this is one fast bike!
* Kaitlyn would like to give a great thanks to Team OAM NOW team mate Alex Vanias for all the work he did wrenching on her bike and making it the race winning machine it is.
The post Pro Bike: Kaitlyn Patterson’s Winning LIV Lust 27.5 appeared first on Team Athletic Mentors.
Team Turkey Trot- The Annual Tradition
December 10th, 2015 by Team OAM NOW / Athletic Mentors
The Turkey Trot is a long-standing running tradition that began as far back as the early 1900s. I heard on the news over the Thanksgiving weekend that a turkey trot is now the most popular annual running event in the US with hundreds of thousands participating each year. Turkey trots are also known for benefitting local charities. Let me share with you a little turkey trot tradition I have.
For the last four years, a few members of TEAM OAM NOW have gathered with friends and others in the triathlon, cycling, and running communities at a local trail for a slightly less traditional version of the turkey trot. Seidman Park is home to several miles of single track trail used for hiking, running, and cross country skiing. We have fondly named our run the Bloody Knuckle Turkey Trot due to the rugged conditions of the trail and the multiple falls one unnamed team member managed in a single loop around the park.
The month of November typically signifies a return to running for me. I usually take the month of October off from running and focus on mountain bike racing. I started my ease back into running with a 2-mile run one week, a 3-mile run the next week, a 4-mile trail run the week before Thanksgiving, then arrived at this year’s Bloody Knuckle ready for my 4th run since September.
An invitation to the event is extended to the members in the Athletic Mentors Cycling Group on Facebook and to other friends and family by word of mouth. We have had as few as 5 and as many as a dozen runners in prior years. This year we were faced with continual rains the day before and the day of Thanksgiving, yet 8 brave souls showed up and were willing to run through the woods, burn some calories, share post run donuts and coffee, and just enjoy each other’s company. There were quite a few other runners and cyclists passing by the park as well, and we served as an interesting aid station with our coffee, hot chocolate and boxes of donuts.
While there is no entry fee for this run, we did collect donations to benefit Freedom in Motion, a local organization that collects old bicycles and bike parts, refurbishes them and provides them to those in need. Their cause seemed like a great match for us and we raised over $120 with our small group and also donated some bike parts as well.
We do have an official podium ceremony, complete with turkey crowns for the 1st and 2nd place finishers. This year, new OAM NOW team member, Danielle Nye took the top turkey. I rounded out the top 3. Thanks to some course navigation errors made by some of the male competitors, the ladies swept the podium. Team members Jim Allan and Bob Schultz were also attending their 4th Bloody Knuckle.
I just read in teammate Kaitlyn Patterson’s blog, “If it is not fun, you’re not doing it right.” This is so true and a great reminder never to take yourself too seriously that you don’t have fun along the way. I think running around in the woods on a rainy morning with friends and teammates chasing a turkey tiara is pretty fun. If you are interested in joining the fun next time, keep your eyes open for the Bloody Knuckle – New Year’s Eve Edition.
The post Team Turkey Trot- The Annual Tradition appeared first on Team Athletic Mentors. It’s a Dershem 1st, 2nd and 3rd for Team OAM NOW
December 7th, 2015 by Marie Dershem
It is hard to believe that this past Saturday, Aric, Christian and I (Marie) Dershem headed to race cyclocross in December in Michigan with no snow on the ground and relatively mild temperatures. This past Saturday, the Dershems (along with several other teammates) raced the State Championship Cyclocross race in Rockford, Michigan in near perfect conditions.
The course offered a good deal of off-camber fun, tight corners, some big mud puddles, rough, grinding climbs, and a fun fly-over. It was a relentless hammer-fest in that there was little time to rest but good opportunities to push through pavement sections.
Christian was the first to race at 9:15 in the morning. It was foggy and cold, but that didn’t slow this little guy down. He put his game face on and turned up the heat. He even carried his 30 pound bike up the fly-over (keep in mind he barely tips the scales at 70 pounds), hopped back on and rolled down like a pro. 
He finished with a huge smile on his face, even though he was unaware that he has won the State Championship in ages 9-12. When he found out he won… pure joy.
Inspired by the littlest Dershem win, Aric and I headed onto the course at the same time. The Women’s CAT 1/2/3 lined up and were released onto the course just a minute before the CAT 3/4 men. I had a rough start, but keeping a strong and steady pace throughout the race, I managed to work her way up to a 2nd place finish, passing 3rd place in the last lap of the race. I was thrilled to share the podium with two strong women, and privileged to race in a strong women’s field.
Aric’s race started out fast with a crowded field of CAT 3/4 men. With a strong start, Aric kept his eyes on his main competitors, just a few bike lengths ahead. Trading spots through the first half of the race, Aric was feeling strong and having a blast. 
A small crash slowed him down, losing the front group, but keeping them in sight. On the last lap, he pressed hardtop pass 4th place, coming in for a 3rd place podium finish.
The post It’s a Dershem 1st, 2nd and 3rd for Team OAM NOW appeared first on Team Athletic Mentors.
It’s a Dershem 1st, 2nd and 3rd for Team OAM NOW
December 7th, 2015 by Marie DershemIt is hard to believe that this past Saturday, Aric, Christian and I (Marie) Dershem headed to race cyclocross in December in Michigan with no snow on the ground and relatively mild temperatures. This past Saturday, the Dershems (along with several other teammates) raced the State Championship Cyclocross race in Rockford, Michigan in near perfect conditions.
The course offered a good deal of off-camber fun, tight corners, some big mud puddles, rough, grinding climbs, and a fun fly-over. It was a relentless hammer-fest in that there was little time to rest but good opportunities to push through pavement sections.
Christian was the first to race at 9:15 in the morning. It was foggy and cold, but that didn’t slow this little guy down. He put his game face on and turned up the heat. He even carried his 30 pound bike up the fly-over (keep in mind he barely tips the scales at 70 pounds), hopped back on and rolled down like a pro. He finished with a huge smile on his face, even though he was unaware that he has won the State Championship in ages 9-12. When he found out he won… pure joy.
Inspired by the littlest Dershem win, Aric and I headed onto the course at the same time. The Women’s CAT 1/2/3 lined up and were released onto the course just a minute before the CAT 3/4 men. I had a rough start, but keeping a strong and steady pace throughout the race, I managed to work her way up to a 2nd place finish, passing 3rd place in the last lap of the race. I was thrilled to share the podium with two strong women, and privileged to race in a strong women’s field.
Aric’s race started out fast with a crowded field of CAT 3/4 men. With a strong start, Aric kept his eyes on his main competitors, just a few bike lengths ahead. Trading spots through the first half of the race, Aric was feeling strong and having a blast. A small crash slowed him down, losing the front group, but keeping them in sight. On the last lap, he pressed hardtop pass 4th place, coming in for a 3rd place podium finish.
The post It’s a Dershem 1st, 2nd and 3rd for Team OAM NOW appeared first on Team Athletic Mentors.