Rounding turn 3 of the opening flat oval of the Lapham Loppet it would have been difficult for the gathered crowd back at the start/finish to fully understand that I was gassed, a mere 163 yards (or .37 “kilometers” in xc ski speak) into the race. I needed to go fast(er); lungs weren’t taking on enough air; it was cold; the field inexorably pulled away down the trail.

With arms flailing like I was in a pool of piranhas and legs mimicking Frankenstein at midnight, some may have assumed that it was Urkel break dancing off the back of the 2nd wave pack. Panicked with the fear of being a full 10 lengths off the back as we rounded back through the start/finish area, I gasped back into the tailing jetsam of the wave of 20 skiers just as we passed the start…and THEN the race began!

Poor technique is the water-boarding of cross country skiing. The harder the effort, the more the technique suffers, the more technique suffers the harder you want to go, the more your technique suffers, the harder the effort. You get the idea.

In this case, I fully appreciated the need to get up the 250 ft. Gut Buster with the “mountain goats” versus the regular ol’ goats. The effort in the first 2 miles was extreme. I worked hard to pass a group of 5 who (thankfully!) were starting to suffer too. On the slopes, I was able to rejoin the main Wave 2 group and actually started to regain some composure as we went up.

The Laham Loppet (Black Loop) course then features a mix of lightning fast downhills (read: short recovery) matched with endless “false flats” and REAL gut busters (ref: Asthma Hill). My spirits piqued when I saw two Café Hollander team mates just down the trail. I felt good enough to squeak past Butter (John Young) on Rock Ridge and even worked my way up to Jabo, who skis with the fluidity of a Bolshoi lead. Nervously I flailed past him just before Asthma Hill and then waited for the tap…”Nice Try!” he’d surely say as he danced past!

Out of fear of suffering this humiliation, I went as hard as I could, down the gentle grade following Asthma Hill and on to the brutally difficult Tower Hill climb. With tonsils choking back my lungs, I cranked it over the top…still no tap…and screamed down (the Garmin reported 33 mph) the ½ mile hill on Twizzlerized legs, passing a couple more guys.

(Medical side note: on a repaired left knee, right turns are difficult. Tower Hill or the Big Slide culminates with, wait for it, a hard right!)

I dared not glance back at the skier nipping at the tails of the skinny skis and only redoubled my resolve to make it up “Two Tier” still “in the lead” over my two teammates.

Hope turned to joy at the top of this the final hill…a quick glance over my shoulders showed NO Hollander kit in my (cross-eyed) field of vision. Downhill and back onto the flats, I was able to resume the break-dancing routine and finish in just over 40 minutes…:30 ahead of Butter and Jabo…and good enough for 24th place.

This weekend the Hollander Benelux Nordic ski team was out in force. Leading the way was Mark Parman taking first in his age group at the Seeley Hill Classic in Seeley Wisconsin. With fresh snow this week throughout Wisconsin, team members took advantage of the conditions.

Toko Wax clinic with Ben Lund at 6:00pm.

With the fresh thought of snow in our minds as we get into December the Hollander Benelux Racing Team gets new digs for the snow! This is the first year the team will formalize their Nordic ski season, racing in local race series @ Lapham Peak and Greenbush in preperation for the Noquemanon Ski Marathon and the American Birkebeiner

Snow is a powerful narcotic.

Most of us spend all summer complaining about precipitation and unseasonably low temperatures, and then winter begins to tease.

It’s as though the wrapping on a gift sitting under the Christmas tree has torn just a bit to reveal that the present juuuussstttt miiiight just be….

Like children following reports on Santa, an anxious segment of the population starts scrutinizing long-range forecasts for rain of the frozen variety. Some of us see blue on the national weather maps and start begging Mother Nature to settle in, below-freezing with a comforting blanket of snow.

Last year, the allure of snow drew me out in early September, on roller skis, in preparation for the American Birkebeiner in late February.

Then, my cross-country season on the verge ended with a cracked patella (knee cap) and I spent the build-up phase on the couch. After a year of recovery, undeterred by the implements of suffering, I dragged out the roller skis once again, this time in mid-August, and began dreaming of the shoveling season.

The first couple strides on the roller skis had me wobbling along as cautious as a toddler taking his first steps. Now, four months into the season, and 500 miles later, I’m ready to audition for Dancing with the Stars Ski Edition. Strength is coming back, allowing longer glides, and less anxiety. When it’s going well, the joys inherent in the rhythmic skating technique transfer well to the asphalt and agitate the dreams of snow.

The addiction plays with the mind.

Skiing up the Oak Leaf Trail on a recent night with two Café Hollander teammates, the darkness transformed the path into what would pass for a nicely groomed ski trail at Lapham Peak. As we skated in a relatively synchronized conga line, sounds of the woods came alive in inky surroundings. Critters rustled in the leaves; even the rapids of the Milwaukee River delivered a faint, if not steady, wave of applause as we made our way down the trail.

Talk ranged from the icy nip in the air to “necessary” upgrades to equipment. New team ski kits had to be procured, along with glide wax. Spending money makes the snow-addled heart grow fonder.

I’m not the only one going bonkers. The Birkiebeiner is now full: a record number registered at a record pace. During a visit to the Bicycle Doctor ski and bike shop, dozens of recently tuned skis hung from the rafters. It was clear that many similar addicts are spending a little green to pass the time until a little white falls from the sky.

Now, with the season half over, the heart quickens with every bit of encouraging news. Snow in the UP!

The Friends of Lapham Peak added a fourth snow gun to cover the man-made loop! In only three short months, it will likely be over but now is the time to dream big white fluffy dreams!

By Steve Smith

http://www.jsonline.com/blogs/lifestyle/135044853.html
from JSOnline Off the Couch Blog

Chatsworth, CA (X November 2011): While Bonk Breaker can’t claim that eating their
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Bonk Breaker Energy Bars are available @ North Shore Wheel & Sprocket! Get some today.

In a show of strength in the Downer Classic - the Hollander Mens Masters 1-2-3 squad - took control of the race from lap three. Dave Jablonowski set the tempo early that launched Mike McKenna and Chris Frank into a 7 man break. The men in orange again set the tempo allowing the break to gain almost 45 seconds with 5 laps to go. Ben Lund, Kent Savitt, Joe Sulse, Tommy Matush, Johnny Atkinson, Dean Gore, and Rich Protasiewicz fought hard to keep the peleton from closing the gap in the final laps. With one lap to go Mike McKenna in heroic fashion launched a solo break and was caught in the final 200 meters, propelling Chris Frank to a 3rd place finish!! Mike ended up 6th. It was a great team effort and a another podium for Chris!

There was a good side and a not so good side to the Masters 1-2-3 outing in Sheboygan, the 8th Stage in The Tour of Americas Dairyland bicycle race.

Here is the race report from Chris:

Bad news: Did a yardsale superman dive in the pissing rain at the Sheboygan criterium at www.tourofamericasdairyland.com . Shredded bibs, jersey, butt, and leg.

Good news: Got a quick mechanical and was able to get back in to grab 3rd place for a podium! Won a block of cheddar cheese and a cutting board in the process. Life is indeed good in the land of dairy…

Chris Frank is now in 5th place overall in the Masters 1-2-3 35+ category just two points away from 4th!

Johnny Atkins took 4th in the race and moves up one position in the overall to 4th place in the Masters 1-2-3 45+

Joe Sulse victory in the Masters 1-2-3 race is Hollander’s second win of the year and the first in the 2011 Tour of Americas Dairyland - an 11 day race series in Wisconsin. Sulse now moves into 10 overall in the Masters 1-2-3 35+.

Right behind Joe was Johnny Atkins taking 6th place in the race. Johnny now holds 6th postion in the overall just 1 point away from 5th overall.

Bonk Breaker is the official energy bar for the Hollandar Cycling Team. Here is a short bio on Bonk Breaker and Bonk Breaker products. Try them, you will like them!!

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