JUST A REMINDER!!!

Remember I am raising money for Make a wish.
Also you can donate direct at this link, I am way short on donations to date.
http://wishmich.kintera.org/WAM/bryanmitchell

More Info:
NORTHVILLE, MI – APRIL 1, 2006 -- Kona Midwest racing's Bryan Mitchell is riding in and photographing this year’s Make-A-Wish Foundation WAM 300!So I am asking for pledges of minimum of $25 ($100 from companies) from all my family, friends, clients, bike sponsors and anyone else that will listen!

What is WAM? Wish-A-Mile 300 Bicycle Tour is a three day, three hundred mile bicycle tour from Traverse City to Chelsea. This is the 19th annual Wish-A-Mile (WAM) 300 Bicycle Tour! Hundreds of caring cyclists, volunteers, and wish families will join together July 27-July 30, 2006 for this wonderful event that is sure to inspire and change lives as it brings hope, strength, and joy to some very special children suffering with life-threatening medical conditions. In 2005, WAM raised more than $775,000 for the children of Make-A-Wish! Come join us this year, as we aim to raise $800,000 to make more wishes come true!www.wishmich.org/events/wish-a-mile.shtml

What is the Make-A-Wish Foundation? The Make-A-Wish Foundation of Michigan grants wishes of children with life-threatening medical conditions to enrich the human experience with hope, strength, and joy.www.wishmich.org

Why am I riding? What compels you to ride 300 miles, rain or shine, and train for months in advance? Well why not? I have raced in several endurance races over the past 9 years including the 24 Hours of Snowshoe Mountain West Virginia solo. Racing alone for 24 hours straight! One thing that helps me through the physical and emotional pain of a race like that is the fact that I choose to inflict that pain on myself. And there are many people much worse off then me and in much greater pain then me, not by their choosing. Think about the people in last year’s hurricanes, people with cancer or especially kids with life-threatening medical conditions and their parents. My self inflicted pain does not even come close to what these people have to live with. With children of my own I can’t imagine kids going through this, so I’m doing it for the kids! And for the great work that Make-A-Wish does. I hope I or anyone I know never needs them but I am so very glad Make-A-Wish exists!In addition to riding, I will also be taking my photo gear along to document all the activities of the WAM 300 for Make-A-Wish from a rider’s point of view. You will be able to see a photo story right after the event on my web sites, www.bryanmitchell.com and www.mountainbikephotographer.com. I will also be posting updates to our mountain bike team blog, http://konamidwestracing.blogspot.com before and after the event. (I will also try and post during the event if I can find an internet connection near where we will camp.)The average cost of a child’s wish through Make-A-Wish is about $8,000, so why not aim higher than the minimum $650 each rider is required to raise? The possibilities are endless.With the money raised from this tour, Make-A-Wish will grant over 100 wishes this year alone, and has granted more than one thousand wishes since WAM’s inception. Remember, the kids are the benefactors of your money! These kids need some fun and joy in their life and together we can help provide it! I have photographed kids with life-threatening medical conditions who have received some type of gift or special day and have seen first hand the huge smiles and joy. NO kid should ever have to suffer and be sad but the reality is some do. So I am grateful for Make-A-Wish and I’ll hope you’ll be able to support them too.Thank you!BryanChecks can be sent to:Bryan Mitchell c/o WAM 30021700 Connemara DRNorthville, MI 48167Donations via www.paypal.comMy account is bryan@bryanmitchell.com# # #Contact Information:Bryan Mitchell - Team Manager248.420.3488bryan@bryanmitchell.com

Being sick sucks!

Ok this damn cold has been haging on for a week now. The cough is what really sucks. It makes my chest and back relly ache. Nationals are in a couple weeks too! I'm glad I'm only racing DH and Super D and NOT racing XC. I leave that to Justin Pete and the boys, oh and girl. Sorry Amanda. -Bryan

Hell at Addison Oaks

By far the hardest race I have even done in the 4-years I’ve been racing. Amanda was GREAT!! What a trooper! She got second place to Danielle Musto the endurance Queen of the Midwest! Only 2 laps behind! I couldn’t be prouder to have Amanda as a teammate and a good friend! I started of getting out of bed at 6am wondering what I was about to do. I get out of the truck and who’s else is standing next to me but “The Pro” Mark Hendershot. Well there goes my chances for first place over all. In the rain which it had been doing for the past 5 days and nights the solo class start was fast, but I guess I made it that way since I was in front. With Mark hot on my ass the Dave and Mike Siemans I couldn’t do anything. Eventually Mark on lap 2 stood up on some Dbl track and pulled away, but I fought with everything I had. That guy is strong! So the rain stopped with wasn’t a good thing and out 30 minutes laps turned into 40 then 45, but the rain started again. Oh did I mention its 50-degrees outside!? Yeah! It was a good day for a 12-hour race especially my first! At about hour 7 I remember Danielle Musto agreeing that it would have been a good day to sit on the couch and watch movies. The mud turned into peanut butter and the peanut butter was destroying everyone’s bikes. The Single speeders had broken chains the geared people had broken chain derailleur and hangers. It was bad, but good business for the bike shops. Thankfully I brought my Kona Unit SS and my geared bike and thanks to Crispy and Bryan’s great wash jobs I was able to have a fresh bike every lap but the clean bike didn’t last to long only about 2-3 miles. I can’t tell you how hard that race was. Every pedals stroke was being sucked up by the mud, ever turn needed the 100% concentration to not slip out and hit a tree, the pedal strokes on every climb had to be perfectly round to not spin the tire! The rain stopped, started, stopped, started. It was horrible! But mental strength pervaded! You had to have it or you were out! So many people quit. Finally about 7pm Amanda and I finished our lap a few minutes apart and switched our clothes. Awh nice fresh dry clothes! Time to leave with the light and the rain started but this time it was raining so hard that the mud was being washed away! SWEET!! that lap was over and it stopped raining again! This time the mud was like soup the light was reflecting off it and it was cold and it was dark and it was 8 or 9pm. Ok I can get in two more just gotta make the cut off time. Here I come thought the pits and the guy said 5 second until the cut off! I was felt like I was hammering doing 35mph across the grass but I looked down at the speedo and I was only doing about 14mph the line was about 100yards away and said 5-4-3-2-1!! I didn’t make it! DAMN! Mark would have only beat me by one lap!

So I got first in my class and second over all. I’m happy!

Thanks a lot my teammate Bryan and Crispy for taking care of us ans keeping us on the bikes! Grat job
Guys! Couldn’t have don’t it with out you.

12 hours of mud, I mean Addison!

I am tired so I will keep this short. Despite brutal conditions Dan won the solo mens 29 and under at the 12 Hours of Addison Oaks today and Amanda took 2nd place in the solo womens race in her first ever 12 hour event and first solo endurance event. It was Dan's first as well.
The conditions were rain, mud and more mud. We saw many broken derailleurs and derailleur hangers. But Crispy and I who did support for those two just kept the bikes clean as possible so they had a clean bike for every lap and we had no mechanicals! Way to go guys! Dan had 15 laps, only Mark Herndershot had more with 17 winning the mens solo 40 and up. Amanda had 12 laps and I think she is the toughest woman rider I have ever known!!! You two Rock.
I’m going to bed now. -Bryan

Mechanicals Stink!!!

First off, I'd like give a big congrats to the entire team that came out and put in great race efforts this past weekend at the Fort. Way to go Justin with a strong 2nd place finish. It was fun racing with you up to the point where my drivetrain took a crap on me.

We were treated to some pretty awesome weather and a strong field this past Sunday for the first big Michigan XC of the season. I was super motivated and excited to finally get out and notch my first MTB race for the year. My plans for the season were slightly derailed by a shoulder injury sustained in March. But with the training and coaching help of Terry Ritter and Full Potential Training Services, I was feeling super ready and good to go.

The start was crazy fast. Mike Simonster dictated a blistering pace from the get-go that shattered the field within the first couple of miles. Everyone was chasing hard to hold on. The first chase group got splintered in Granny's Garden. Simonster and Scott Q of Bells got a gap with a group of four of us hot on their heels. The first to fall off the group was Nate Versluis of Founders Ales with a torn rear tire mechanical. It was unfortunate as he was riding really strong and our little group was working very well together. That left Justin, John Meyers of Bells, and myself chasing. The three of us continued to work and trade pulls through the long course trying to bring the leaders back in sight. About midway through the third lap some bad luck dealt a premature end to my efforts. Through the Amusement Park section of the course, as I was sitting third wheel behind Justin and John, a branch was kicked up by my front tire right into my derailleur cage. Snap, crackle, pop - uhhh not good sounds! Result = mangled, locked up drivetrain that I was not able to fix with the tools on me at the time. Ugh!

Sometimes you're just unlucky and that's part of racing. Justin and John were able to reel in Q and finished on the box. Knowing that you have the legs, are in podium contention and having your race end prematurely due to a random mechanical leaves a bit of a sour taste in your mouth. But there's a lot of racing left in the season. I'm happy with my form and I'll be there. Next goal - get a race finish under the belt ;-)

Fort Custer Wrap up!

Jamie hits the Fort Custer Water Crossing!

The whole Kona Midwest team showed well at this weekends Fort Custer XC race near Battle Creek, Michigan. It was the first big XC race of the year here in the Great Lakes State. Three minutes into the pro/elite race Justin was in 5th and Peter in 7th, perfect positions. At the end of the first lap Justin and Peter were 40 seconds down to the leader, Mike Simonson, who won the race leading start to finish. Scott Q was also with Mike.
At the start of the 3rd lap the boys were down about 2-3 minutes to Simonson but gaining on Q. By the start of the 4th lap Justin was in 3rd position only 15 seconds down to Q. Riding with another Bells rider John Meyers. They went by Q and then Justin was able to drop John in the next singletrack section finishing 2nd to Simonson. Awesome finish seeing as Simonson is unbeaten this season and strong as ever. But Justin is only getting stronger!!! Watch out Mike. Unfortunately Pete fell out of the mix after a stick busted his rear derailleur. The other boys had strong races including Crispy with a gutsy performance in the pro/elite class when his fitness is down right now.
Amanda and Shirlee represented the women well. Amanda picking off racers to place 6th after having a tough start and falling off the back... Kona Midwest ROCKS!!!

Hangin' in the hotel

Justin here, we are hanging out in this tiny ass hotel room trying to figure out how 6 of us are going to sleep in it with 7 bikes. They keep talking about making me either sleep in a drawer or at the foot of the bed. It shouldn't be too bad though. I guess the place has a pool and a hot tub but I don't know if that will make up for the lack of space. Uh oh, have to give it up now. Bryan wants a piece of the blog. Ya but is only $15 each! -Bryan

Damn Rain

Ok, I'm sitting here at the computer working on photos from a wedding this past weekend listening to it rain. It is making me feel even less motivated to ride in the rain or on the trainer with my knee all stiff and sore. :(
-Bryan