WORS #1

For those who don't already know, my husband LOVES mountain biking...and he's very good at it too. He trains all year long for the Wisconsin Off-Road Series and last Sunday was the beginning of the 2009 race season. I am always impressed at how his hard work pays off for a great finish and love being able to travel all over Wisconsin. I've seen places in Wisconsin I never knew were there! I'm always exhausted though, so on Monday I spent a lazy day at home.

Race day started off with beautiful sunny weather, with just enough wind to be perfect racing weather (but not the greatest spectator weather because every time the sun went behind a cloud it was COLD - ha! The things I do for my husband...). Ted had nervous energy all morning as we packed the car and drove the 1 1/2 hour drive to Iola. When we arrived, he went to register and warm up for the race, while Valerie and I found a spot to watch the race. She was in a good mood, until closer to race time when she would normally take a nap. I was able to nurse her, which made her happy for a little while, but by the end of the race, she was quite crabby. I may have to reevaluate race days to figure out how to get her naps in and avoid a crabby baby. Overall she did really well, but was definitely ready for a nap on the ride home. There wasn't much shade either, so being out in the sun might also have contributed to her crabbiness. It was a definitely a long day for her!

The race started at 1:30 with the legendary "GOOOOOOoooooooooo!" from WORS director, Don Edberg. I watched for Ted to round the corner after the start and was a little worried when I didn't see him close to the front of the group. He got caught towards the back of the group, but by the second lap was beginning to make his way closer to the front. With each consecutive lap, he came closer and closer to the leaders, finally finishing in 7th place with a time of 1:42:59.2, four minutes and 15 seconds behind the race leader (on a 25 mile, 5 lap course). The race winner was a surprise - Jesse Lalonde, last year's leader, took second behind his brother, Marko Lalonde, who finished 1:38:44.2. Ted's coach, TJ Woodruff, finished with a time of 1:39:33.8 for third place. (Go here for more results.) For his 7th place overall finish, Ted won $35 in cash and for placing 1st in his age group, he won $30 in WORS money (to be used for the next race entry fee). All in all, it was a great start to the 2009 WORS season; I look forward to watching Ted continue to excel in the races and am so proud of his hard work and dedication!

1st Place in age group

7th Place overall

our crabby and tired baby showing off daddy's medal

***

Speaking of hard work and dedication, I can't forget to mention two more people who accomplished amazing feats on Sunday:

First of all, Ted's brother, Dave, had his last mountain bike race of his season. He raced in the Texas Mountain Bike State Championship series this year and was a strong competitor, finishing consistently in the top five. In Sunday's X-Bar Shootout in Eldorado, TX, Dave finished 4th with a time of 1:50:25, just 2 minutes and 44 seconds behind the leader. Wow - way to go, Dave! Ted has some serious competition for the Ore to Shore race in August!

Secondly, my brother, DJ, completed his first marathon on Sunday. He ran the Green Bay Marathon in just under 4 hours finishing with an official chip time of 03:55:54, 4 minutes faster than his goal. What an AMAZING accomplishment, DJ - I'm SO proud of you! So, what's the next goal for your running career, DJ? ;)

DJ and his running buddy, Clint

(photo taken by my mom)