Thanksgiving Day

Hot Apple Pie with Streusel
crumb topping 

Again this Thanksgiving I have taken the reins and am cooking with the help of my mom. Last night my mom and I went grocery shopping and got all the food then we came home and I started to brine the turkey, and make the apple pie with streusel toping which I am going to bake it first thing in the morning.

Reducing down POM
for the vinaigrette 

Today I woke up at 5:30 made a egg, ham "McMuffin" and a cup of Alterra coffee. Then I started my full day of cooking. First I started the oven then popped in the pie. While thats cooking I started to reduce down some pomegranate juice for my pomegranate vinaigrette.  I will use this on an Apple,and Toasted Walnut salad topped with blue cheese.   Next I will make my homemade cranberries that are cooked down in OJ and some sugar. But first I headed out for my ride.  I did my usual route out past Pewaukee and back. It was nice because no one was one the roads and I didn't have to worry about anything around me and I could just ride. After getting home and showering I made up the cranberries and Pear Pecan stuffing.  For the stuffing, I first toasted the bread in the oven, then pulled it out and combined it with the sautéed pears, onions, butter and chicken broth. I sprinkled on S+P and some nutmeg.  I realized that this batch wasn't going to be enough so I asked my dad to run to the store to pick up some stuff for the cranberry and sausage stuffing. Again I toasted the bread combined with butter and chicken broth, but add thyme, rosemary, and sage. Now with both stuffings done, cranberries done, pie done, salad dressing done only thing left was the green beans in beur blanc sauce and the turkey.

Turkey Pre Cooking

Making fresh bread cubes
 for the pear pecan stuffing

Now around 10, I pulled the turkey out of the brine and let rest for 30 minutes. I then seasoned it with salt, pepper, garlic, thyme and rubbed it all down with butter.  I set it in the roasting pan stuffed it with carrots, celery, onion and surrounded it with more vegetables.  I poured chicken broth in the bottom of the pan and a glug of white wine then tented it with foil and placed it in the oven at 350 for about 4ish hours.  After being in the oven 2 hours this where going good the thermometer was reading about 80 degrees and was climbing.  My other family members showed up and started snacking on my mini caprese salad skewers.  Then about 1 hour later I came back and with the temp around 130, it started to go down. For some reason when we lock our oven it stopped cooking. We unlocked it and the oven turned back on. This set things back about 45 minutes but no big deal.  Then around 2:30 I made the mashed potatoes and saw that the turkey had reached 160. I pulled it out and let it rest while I made up the green beans.  Once it rested 15ish minutes the thermometer read 165 so I figured we were ready to go.  I dressed the salad and topped it with the apples and blue cheese. While my mom served it I cut into the turkey and it looked good until I hit the deepest part of the breast and it was still pink.  My worst night mare just became a reality. I thought everything was going to go smooth but now that I needed to cook the turkey longer and dinner already started things got hectic. My dad was rushing me to get everything served, instead of letting me do my thing, I rushed and had no choice to quickly cook the turkey pieces in the micro and serve it. The one and only thing I hate to do and try to never do, cook food in the micro, was my only choice for quick service to make the food safe for my guests. With every side dish on the table and being passed around I brought out the now fully cooked turkey and served it.  While everyone was enjoying dinner and sipping on their red or white wine, I was still cleaning the bird and making sure it was cooked.  Then after most everyone was done with their first plate I finally came out and enjoyed the dinner I just spent a full day stressing over.  I couldn't focus on how well the meal went with the turkey on my mind. So i didn't really enjoying the dinner like I should have.

Fresh Wisconsin Cranberries 

 Once we finished our plates full of food I brought out the cherry nut cake and apple pie. Each had 5 candles in it for my dads birthday.  Each person had 1 or 2 pieces of dessert topped with freshly whipped cream.  This was also served with a dessert wine that  tasted like pure honey.  With everyone satisfied with the meal the day was finally over and I could just relax.  Looking back on it, the meal went pretty well, but I wish it could have been a little bit better.  If you head over to this page you can find some of the recipes I used. If you would like any recipes not posted just ask and ill send them to you. 

CX here and almost gone

Now that we are in the midst of the cyclocross seasons. Many people have been done racing for a couple months and started the "Off Season".  But some have continued on and started racing cross. Last year at this time I was so burned out I didn't even want to look at a bike. This year I am still racing and feeling excellent.  I started off the season as a Cat 3, raced Halloween Cross and took 2nd then 7th at Estabrook park. The race after that was a collegiate race mixed in with a WCA race. Since I am an A for collegiate I got to line up with the Pro 1/2 field and race for 1 hour instead of 45 minutes.  This race was so much fun and way faster. I ended up in the middle of the field and felt that was good enough to put in for my upgrade to Category 2.  The day after I put in for it I received an email saying it was approved.  This now means Ill be racing for 1 hour with the best racers in Wisconsin.  These guys are wicked fast.

Now this past weekend I wanted to go down to Jingle Cross in Iowa City but didn't have a ride and I didn't want to drive down by myself, so I stayed home and raced.  This was my first P/1/2 race and I was really nervous. When we got to the start line a small group was already on the front line and I realized that this was going to be a great race seeing that the field was so small.  Once the gun went off I tried to just hang with the leaders.  I was holding on to the back of the group until slowly it started to fall apart.  I was sitting 5th but lap by lap I gained ground passing people until I caught 2nd place, Chad Hartley.  I knew he was mainly a road racer so I wanted to get in front so I could set the pace through the tight turns and off camber hills.  I would gain time on him through these but he would jump and get right back on my wheel on the flat sections.  Then when we were coming down the home straight to start the last lap my chain broke. I ran to neutral support and got a bike. I rode the last lap knowing I had to push it so 4th wouldn't catch me, but it was really hard to when your riding on flats with clip less shoes.  I managed to hold him off and secure 3rd place.  This was my first pro podium for cross and my 3rd pay out.  I really enjoyed being able ride with Chad seeing as I watched him race on the road since I was really young.

This season has been great and is still going strong.  Hopefully Ill keep racing until Nationals in January then its break time until I kick it off again in preparation for next season.  Thanks to Crank Brothers, ESI Grips, Cycleops, ISCorp, Wheel and Sprocket/Vision, Ripon college cycling and most of all my parents, family and Coach Joe Cieszynski for helping me develop into who I am today, showing great support and helping me in all my highs and lows. And thank you to everyone else who has made this season and past seasons so much fun.  

2012 NATS

            This years Nationals started off with a bang.  Howard Grotts destroyed the D1 field and lapped most of the D1 and D2 field. The D2 race started at 9:10 am. Since Eric was out with an injury that he received after a practice run of the dual slalom course, I was the first Red Hawk to be called up and was in the second row right behind UWP rider Mike.  At 9:10 the gun went off, I clipped into my eggbeaters and took off. About 100ft later we started the ascent.  I was still sitting in the top group until the first 2 big kickers when the highlanders took off.  The group I was in was clipping along at a great pace, when single speeder Marc Thorsen of Ripon flew by Casey and I.  After about 2 miles or 20ish minutes up, we hit a really technical rocky single track section.  I could until the last couple feet then had to dismount. Casey ran by me and was 2 people ahead of me going down the decent.  He snuck by those 2 riders and flew down the hill.

           After 10ish minutes of descending we came through the start finish shoot and started to climb again.  I caught Casey and Marc then try to hold a steady pace. Casey and I kept pretty close for most of the race. On lap 3 about half way up the hill Howard Grotts flew by me at about 13 MPH, to put it into perspective I was going about 6-7 MPH.  We kept climbing when I hit the single track and Casey closed the gap between us. We flew down the hill, came through the start shout and I almost got taken out by D1 riders who were finishing because they got lapped. 

               I started the last lap and knew it was going to be tough because after the downhill my legs felt like bricks since they were being flexed all the way down the hill and had no time to relax.  So when we hit the first climbs my legs said stop, no more, but I kept saying "Shut up legs" -Jens Voigt. Another thing that help this pain go away was I kept thinking of Eric. Since he couldn't race I was racing for him and this gave me the extra motivation to go deeper into the pain cave until the point of no return. With this new motivation, energy etc... I caught a couple people and saw 2 others just ahead. I caught them right as we started the downhill and couldn't get around.  Shortly later I spotted 3 more people. Mike from UWP was one of the people I caught but was faster than Karl who was right in front of me so Mike got a gap on the downhill. I knew it was going to come down to the last open section right before the finish. So once we hit the open I tried to jump but the Karl also jumper and the gaps stayed the same and we rolled through the finish 12th, 13th and me 14th.  

              The short track was Saturday at 10am.  The course was the same start straight as the XC race. You sprinted 100ft then you turned up the mountain then veered left and continued to slowly climb when about half way up it kicked and the legs started to burn like a forest fire.  At the top you turned right and descended into some lose and dusty single track then after 2.5 minutes we were back onto the start straight. Lap after lap I moved up only hoping I wouldn't get caught by the leader. Finally on the 3rd last lap I noticed the leader getting closer but they didn't pull me I pushed it thinking I was getting pulled on the next lap. To my surprise I didn't and kept going. Then with 2 to go I jumped and gained 3 spots. I started my last lap and realized I went to early and burned my last matches. I gave it all I had but those 3 people slowly rolled past and I finished on the lead lap in 22nd place.  After 2 solid days of racing I'm beat and want to sleep but have to much fun coming tonight after the awards banquet.  Hopefully the banquet will be just as fun as the WORS banquet.  Kinda wish I could be there to get my award and see my WORS family again before the long winter.  

First days in NM

The Ripon crew looking good in our new Mt. Borah kits

So today is day 3 at altitude and day 2 in NM.  The Ripon crew left Wisconsin this past Saturday.  We headed out and Drove 12 plus hours to Kearny, Nebraska where we stayed in the Holiday inn hotel.  The hotel was great, it had water slides, big rooms but the only downside was no free breakfast so we ate at the restaurant in the hotel.  Never again will I eat there. The food was very over priced and so was the coffee and other beverages.  Then after Sunday breakfast we drove to Erie, CO to drop off Jeremy and kept on trucking along to Angel Fire.  We stopped about 1 hour away from our cabin and star gazed. Never have i seen something so beautiful. Ric took some pics of them and let me take one.  I was able to capture a shooting star. After we got arrived late sunday night so we couldn't really get to enjoy the views and the house we were staying in.  The house is huge, has 3 bed rooms and 2 bathrooms on the first floor, 1 master bedroom with a full bathroom and kitchen/ living room upstairs.  Then above the garage is another room with 4 beds and another bathroom.   The 2nd floor porch is also giant. We brought up the Park Tool equipment so we can work on bikes.  Thanks to all who ended up supporting our Ripon so we were able to come out to NM so early.

The first day of riding out here was sick.  We all road the course from last year and its really weird to see it in such amazing shape.  Also the downhill part of it was super fun last year and was just as amazing this year.  Hopefully tomorrow i'll be able to get out and ride the actual course.  Its totally different from last year.  It starts off with a double track climb then we enter single track and start to head back down the hill.  Hopefully it lives up to the expectations of last years course.  We also hit up the skills track that was being built last year.  Now finally done we got to practice some dual slalom skills.  Its fun hitting up jumps even though I don't know how to launch them yet.

Yesterday also was a great day because I finally got to surprise my dad. He usually figures out what our surprises are before we can actually tell him but this year my mom and I finally got him.  I took this picture to the right and sent it to my dad saying "happy birthday get your stuff packed you fly out in a couple days."  My mom, brother and I all bought him a ticket to fly out to Colorado and drive down to New Mexico with my grandparents for Nationals.  

I've procrastinated enough today I better get back to homework.  Ill keep posting up to and after the races have happened.  Here are more pics.

Statues in a store in Taos

Chicken Taco from a
 food cart in Taos

The past weeks and whats to come

This past weekend October 6-7, the Red Hawks headed to Kentucky for regionals.  The first day we raced short track and dual slalom.  It rained the day before so the short track race was a bit sloppy but nothing to bad.  The course included a hill climb, some single track and a couple of BMX style jumps/rollers depending who rode them.  Then on Sunday we did the cross country race.  The course was muddy but since the soil was made up of mostly clay it didn't do to much to affect the race. A couple sections were slippery but nothing to bad.  I ended up taking 9th behind some pro level riders. Now with a weekend off the Red Hawks are heading down to Angel Fire, NM for nationals. We are driving down a couple days before and riding down there trying to get used to the course. Also this will give me some time to see my grandparents before I race cause they are coming down from CO to watch the race. Then racing will take place on friday the 19th-21st.  I will be racing on Friday and Saturday.  The cross country race is first and will be about a 5 mile loop with 2.5 miles up the hill and 2.5 down.  I'm guessing it will be fairly similar to last year but a little less muddy. Then Saturday will be short track and if things go the way they have been this whole year a Red Hawk may be on the podium.  Time to pack up and get ready for a great week down in NM.  

Good times with great people

This past weekend we had a weekend free from collegiate racing so I decided to head up to the WORS Bear Paw race.  My friends and family got to stay in the cabins right on site which was cool because they had a full kitchen, bathroom and the best part was having a campfire and making pudgy pies the day before.  I had a turkey and cheddar on a ciabatta roll with just a bit of mustard. But making it over a campfire made it that more tasty.  But this weekend I wasn't really planning on racing.  I wanted to go up and just hang out with everyone and enjoy riding the trails the day before.  Then our Ripon coach persuaded me to go and race.  After riding a couple laps of the course I didn't want to stop.  I was having a blast just riding these trails.  They are technical and need your full attention.  Then realizing I had to race the next day I called it quits. Then after dinner, Joe Maloney, Tim Racette, Myles Beach and I sat in Myles cabin, the one next to ours, and had a great time talking and laughing over Mrs. Beach white cheese chicken lasagna. It was great to hang out with these guys again after being in school and not getting a chance to see the WORS family. On race day it was a bit chilly in the morning but warmed up pretty nice by the time I had to race at 1:30.  I got another call up and got to start right behind the winner, Cole House.  Don yells go and we take off. I got a great start and was sitting near the front up the first big climb.  At the top we cruised around in tall, bumpy grass and after losing some spots I entered the first section of single track 3 spots behind Myles.  This year the course was dusty and a lot of us had troubles seeing because of the dust cloud.  After battling this dust bowl, we hit the first road section.  We flew down it and made a hard right back into more technical single track.  We climbed up through roots and big rocks, a lot of which were "pedal busters".  After alternating these single track sections and fast roads for the first 3.5 laps I started to catch people again.  I was gaining speed on Ben Koenig when he noticed I was there and took off like a spooked deer. He ended up beating me at the end. This race was probably the most fun of all just because I mentally was able to go out and just ride with out really caring how I did.  Thanks to all for the cheers throughout the course racing wouldn't be as fun without you all.  

Chequamegon Fat Tire 40

This time of year is probably the best.  The leaves are starting to change colors, apple picking is on its way, the temperatures are cooling off etc... But another thing that makes this time great is the Chequamegon Fat Tire 40.  This race is a road race on gravel, grass and dirt roads.  Its fast, really fast.  So I new this year, with a gate 1 preferred spot, I'd have to hold back a little and not let my nerves get the best of me at the start.  I lined up behind some pretty big names like Lea Davison and local Wisconsinite's like Cole House, Mike Phillips, Matthew Bushce and previous winner Brian Matter. It was cool getting to line up with the big dogs.  When the gun went off the ATV rolled away and it was go time, well kinda. The ATV's kept the pace pretty smooth so everyone could keep up.  But once we hit Rosie's field it was go time.  Everyone battled and the field split up into different packs. This year I was riding with Chloe Woodruff, and shortly after Lea Davison but only for a bit because she flatted.  After riding through field after field I wasn't sure how much longer I could hold on and with only 1 hour 15 minutes in the legs I popped. This could have been due to many things, being sick for the past week, going to hard in warmup or the simplest answer it just wasn't my day. I tried my hardest to hang on the back but couldn't. After loosing the group I tired to eat a couple of GU and Powerbar Gels to see if that would help bring back some energy. It definitely helped because when a tandem rolled by I jumped on their wheel and they pulled me from about mile 21-34 where we caught Dallas Fowler and 1 other rider.  Those 2 guys jumped on the train but the tandem was just to strong for me and I fell off again.  I pushed my hardest to not get caught.  I almost held off a group of 3 but they were just to strong and got by.  I rolled down the finish hill and then back up to find Bill Street attacking hard from behind I stood up and tried to sprint but he got me at the line. After finishing I new I was top 60.  I was hoping for a top 30 like last year but this year was a lot faster than last.  Even though I didn't place where I wanted I still was happy with my effort and happy that I did it in about the same time as last year.  It was another fun experience racing bikes.  I gained a lot of knowledge from this race and hopefully it will help me in the future.  It was also cool to see how well the WORS pro racers did.  Even though Brian didn't win he still crushed it and took 3rd Mike Philips from Adventure 212 also destroyed it and took 4th.  Well off to another race next weekend in Missouri which is on the MWCCC calendar for Ripon.