Sunday, December 11, 2011

Farewell 2011, Hello 2012!

The end of the racing season has come to an end here in Michigan and Northern Ohio, with it comes the task of keeping our fitness levels up over the next several months. The members of Mom & Pop Racing have had a great season and are already looking to March and the beginning of another awesome season of riding, racing, running, hanging out with each other and traveling the Midwest in search of new adventures.


In the last month of the 2011 season, we competed in nine more races, with outstanding results. Here’s the highlights:

On September 3rd Dave toed the line at the Manatoc Experience- Big Valley Festival in Peninsula, OH.

On October 1st, Jeff, John, Jimmie, and Melissa lined up at the first ever Grampian Challenge held in and around Oakland County’s Addison Oaks Park. Jimmie finished 11th overall in the Men’s Expert class while Melissa finished 5th in the Women’s expert field. Jeff and John completed in the Men’s Sport field and finished 31st and 35th, respectively.
The 6 and 12 Hours of Addison Oaks was held on October 8th. Kim lined up in his new Mom & Pop Racing kit and tore it up in the Men’s Single Speed class. I heard from a great source (Jim Senska, and old teammate of mine) that he and Kim battled and rode together for most of the second half of the 6 hour race. Kim won out by about 12 minutes and took first place. Not too bad for a guy that’s been out of the racing business for several years.


October 15th brought about the last Northeast Ohio Power Series race held at Vultures Knob just out side of Wooster, OH. Dave lined up and finished his inaugural mountain bike racing season in style. Dave has really worked hard throughout the season and made great improvements. We hope that he plans on returning to race for Mom & Pop in 2012.

Christine competed in the Detroit Free Press Half Marathon on October 16th. Despite the cold and rainy weather she raced hard and finished in just over two hours. She has had a great season this year, competing in a few 5k races and completing two half marathons. Rumor has it that a full marathon is in the works for next season.

With cyclocross in full swing Brad traveled to the “D” and raced in the Mad Anthony CX Race held on the grounds of historic Fort Wayne, on October 22nd. Brad, in his first year of full on cross racing, has improved greatly and soon will a force to be reckoned with. On a side note several members of the Mom & Pop Racing community rode from Sweet Bikes in Canton, MI down to the cross race, 43 miles later we were back home, ride completed, two flats fixed, Mexican food digested, and great times shared by all.

On October 29th Brad met the most challenging cross course in Michigan head on at Vet’s park in Ann Arbor, MI. Brad raced hard and finished with the pack in the “C” race.

The Iceman Cometh Challenge, held in beautiful Traverse City, MI was the last stop for Mom & Pop Racing this season. Seven members of our team traveled north and took to the dirt roads and single track that comprise this classic race. In the end three of our team made the podium. Jimmie won the Men’s 38 category, by two minutes. Melissa took second in the \Women’s 30-34 category. Wendy completed our trio of podium finishers taking second in the Women’s Single Speed category.

Looking back on our second full season as a team, we raced at 37 different events in Michigan and Ohio. We entered 63 different categories at those events and had 32 different podium appearances.

I’d like to take a moment to congratulate the members of Mom & Pop racing for a great season. THANK YOU and we’re looking forward to a great 2012 season.

A HUGE THANK YOU to our sponsors- Sweet Bikes, Original Gravity Brewing Company, Zilke Vegetable Farm, Midwest Wheelsmith, Moon Winks Café, and TSS Photography. Thanks for your support!!!



Watch out in 2012 we’re already training and planning our race schedules.

Sunday, October 16, 2011

Mad Anthony Group Ride

We're inviting all of our cycling friends to meet at Sweet Bikes which is located at 39904 Ford Rd. in Canton, MI on Saturday, October 22nd at 10:30am. We'll be riding from the shop down to the Mad Anthony CX Race at Historic Fort Wayne in Detroit to watch the "A" race. Ride will be about 50 miles round trip. Hopefully we'll make a stop at one of Mom & Pop Racings seceret eateries for lunch. Hope to see you there!

We'll be updating our exploits soon!!!

Sunday, September 25, 2011

Fall is Finally Here!

As fall is arriving in South East Michigan, Mom & Pop Racing is gearing up for gravel grinders, cyclocross, and the traditional end of the year race/ party the Iceman Cometh Challenge in Traverse City, MI. Here's our results from the past month.

August 28- Stoney Creek XC Race (Shelby Twp., MI)- Jeff took fourth the Beginnger Clydesdale class. Todd finished in first in the Men’s Sport/ Beginner Single Speed race. John raced his ass off in the Sport Men’s 45-49 class.

September 10- MCVi Half Marathon (Saginaw, MI)- Brad finished 1st in 30-34 age group and 9th overall.

September 17- Tailwind Cyclocross race (Waterford, MI)- Brad had a good C-Men cyclocross race and had fun at first first 'cross race in 7 yrs.

September 18- West Branch Mini- Enduro (Ravenna, OH)- Dave took 8th in his first ever endurance style race, while his son Tyler finished second.

September 24- Ronde van Stony (Shelby Twp., MI)- Jeff and Seth used this race as a primer for the up coming Iceman Cometh in Traverse City. They finished the 40 mile course, together, in 2:46.

This season Mom & Pop Racing has appeared at 35 different venues in and around Michigan and Northern Ohio. We would again like to extend our THANKS to our great sponsors: Sweet Bikes, Original Gravity Brewing Company, Zilke Vegetable Farm, Midwest Wheelsmith, Moon Winks Cafe, and TSS Photography, as well as our family supporters. Without them Mom & Pop Racing would be nothing more than a dream.

We'll see you at the races!

Wednesday, August 24, 2011

Summer Shakedown

It's been awhile since our team Blog has been updated but that doesn't mean that we haven't been getting after it this summer. As you can see below, we've been all over Michigan and Ohio, riding and racing. Check out our results below:

June 5th- Hanson Hills XC (Grayling, MI)- Jimmie finished 5th in the Expert Men 30- 39 class and Melissa took 2nd in the Expert Women class.

June 11th- American Diabetes Association Tour de Cure (Brighton, MI)- Jason represented Mom & Pop Racing at this great charity ride.

June 12th- Motor City Sprint Triathlon (Detroit, MI)- Brad finished 6th in the Male 30-34 age group and 65th out of 242 overall.

June 18th- Lumberjack 100 (Manistee, MI)- Jimmie finished 32nd in the Mens Open class.

June 19th- Reagan Park Time Trial (Medina, OH)- Dave finished 11th in the Beginner Men 40- 49 class.

June 26th- Pontiac Lake Cross Country (Pontiac, MI)- Melissa finished 3rd in the Expert Women class and Jimmie took 2nd in the Expert Men 30- 39 class.

July 2nd- Stony Creek Marathon (Shelby Twp., MI)- Jimmie finished 2nd in the Expert Men 30- 39 class.

July 9th- One Helluva Ride (Hell, MI)- Todd, Wendy, and Kim represented Mom & Pop Racing at this classic summer tour.

July 9th- Criterium Detroit City (Detroit, MI)- Seth represented Mom & Pop Racing at the 1st Annual Criterium Detroit City.

July 17th- Tri-4-Life Sprint Tri (Otter Lake, MI)- Brad finished 2nd in the 30-34 age group and 12th out of 108 overall.

July 23rd- Maillot Jaune Road Race (Fenton, MI)- Jimmie finished 13th in the Men’s Masters 35- 44 race and Melissa finished 6th in the Women’s Category 4 race.

July 23rd- Tree Farm Relay- Wendy, Seth, John, and Kim represented Mom & Pop Racing at this great race which serves as a fund raiser for the Michigan Mountain Bike Association South East Chapter.

July 29th- Brad’s picture was posted at www.crossfitendurance.com on July 29th, wearing the Mom & Pop colors.

July 30th- Silver Wheels Dog Dayas of Summer Wine Tour (LaGrange, OH)- Jeff, Christine, and Mary represented Mom & Pop Racing on this rapidly growing summer tour. This was Mary's first tour and she settled in and completed 40 miles!

July 31st- Team Fast Island Lake Triathlon (Pinckney, MI)- Brad finished 1st in the 30-34 age group.

August 7th- Big M Cross Country (Wellston, MI)- Melissa was 1st in the Expert Women class and Jimmie finished 3rd in the Expert Men 30-39 class.

August 7th- Thorn Time Trial (Findlay State Park, OH)- Dave finished 6th in the Beginner Men 40-49 class.

August 13- Ore to Shore (Marquette, MI)- Jimmie was 7th in the 35- 39 Men’s class and 50th overall for the men while Melissa took 3rd in the Women’s 30- 34 class and 21st overall for the women.

August 21st- Lake Erie Shores and Island Half Marathon (Huron, OH)- Christine took 1st in her age group and Drew finished 4th in his 5K age group.


Friday, June 3, 2011

MAY(HEM)

Although May has come and gone, Mom & Pop Racing left their mark on the Michigan and Ohio racing scenes!


On May 7th Wendy, Emma, Ryan, and Kim made their way out to the 15th Annual Hare Racer held at Heritage Park in Adrian, MI. This is a great grass roots race held on one of the best, yet least ridden trails in southeastern Michigan.


In true M&P fashion our racers shelled the competition with Wendy taking first in the Women’s Class (on a single speed) and Emma finishing a solid second. Kim took second in the Men’s Class (on a single speed). Ryan then lined up in the 9-10 year class. He pushed the leader the entire race and finished in second place by 15 seconds.


Vultures Knob in Wooster, OH was the second race venue where Mom & Pop Racing made an appearance at in May. On the 21st, Dave took to the single track in his second race of the year. As always Dave left everything that he had out on the course, which put him on the podium in 4th place.


Next up was trip north to the Tour de Frankenmuth held in and around downtown Frankenmuth, MI on May 28th. John and Emma donned the M&P kit and took to the road, with both racing very well. Emma finished second in the Women’s Junior 17-18 Division. John in his first true road race finished a respectable 25th.


June is sure to be packed with racing for M&P. Both Jimmie and Melissa have laid out a pretty aggressive race plan for June. Brad and Will’s tri season will be revving up and the and rest of our team will be making appearances at races and events near you, to include the American Diabetes Association Tour de Cure on June 11th. So stay tuned for more updates on Michigan’s only TRUE grassroots race team!


We’d also like to thank our generous sponsor’s for their support! THANK YOU!!

Thursday, June 2, 2011

Welcome to the Master's Class

All of us here at Mom & Pop Racing would like to take a moment and wish Todd Blumerick a Happy Fortieth Birthday!!!!

Welcome to the Master's Class, you old man! Now get out there and ride your bike!

Thursday, May 26, 2011

April Antics

It’s been a while since I’ve updated the blog and filled the world in on what Mom & Pop Racing has been up to. Even though the weather has been sketchy here in Southeast Michigan, Mom & Pop Racing has been out taking care of business.

On April 3rd, Brad took to the pool, stationary bike, and treadmill, competing in the Shelby Twp. (MI) Lifetime Fitness Indoor Triathlon. Brad finished a spectacular 3rd in the Open Men’s Division and 6th overall. Brad is getting faster in each of the three disciplines and is anxiously awaiting the outdoor tri season to get underway.

April 10th brought about another outing for Mom & Pop at the AASTS in Ann Arbor, MI. John, Seth and Will all lined up to show the local crit scene what Mom & Pop has to offer. Looking good sporting their new kit, they left it all out on the course. Will and John worked together in the “C” race and ended up finishing 15th and 19th respectively. Not to bad for two guys with limited road race experience. Next up, Seth and Will rolled up to the start of the “B” race. Seth hung with the front of the pack finishing fifth in the field sprint. Will finished in the pack in 25th. Having raced only two of the four races, Seth finished 5th overall in the “B” race series.

Emma Kate and Will showed up at the Willow Time Trial held atthe Willow Metro Park in New Boston, MI on April 30th, in order to test their TT abilities. Neither of them disappointed with Emma Kate finishing first in the Junior Women’s 17-18 division and Will finished 12th in the Senior Men’s Cat 5 division. Will shaved over two minutes off last years time.

On April 30th Dave took to the line at Vultures Knob near Wooster, OH for his first cross county race of the season. Dave’s winter training plan was spot on as he shaved major time off of his previous best time, finishing 5th in the 40-49 Men’s Novice division. Great job!!

That’s how April unfolded for Mom & Pop Racing. Next up will the Hare Racer held in Adrian, MI the first weekend in May. Watch for an update soon.

We’d again like to thank our generous sponsors for all of their support; The Zilke Vegetable Farm, Original Gravity Brewing Company, Sweet Bikes, TSS Photography, Moon Winks Café, and Midwest Wheelsmith and our generous family members who continue to support our athletic habits!

Monday, March 28, 2011

March Madness

And so it begins, March is here and so is the start of the racing season in Michigan! Not to let a racing opportunity slip by, members of Mom & Pop Racing have already been tearing up early season events!

On March 13th Christine took to the streets of Ann Arbor, MI and competed in the Shamrocks and Shenanigans 5K race. Picking up where she left off last season she rocked the course with a personal best, finishing in 27:14. Christine finished 12th out of 83 in her age class.

Also on March 13th, Brad took to the pool, treadmill, and spinning bike at the Lifetime Fitness in Canton, MI, competing in an indoor triathlon. Appearing in his first event as a member of Mom & Pop Racing, Brad did not disappoint! He finished 13th overall and 7th in the Open Male category. Brad also finished with the third best run overall.


Wendy on the podium!

March 26th was a cold day in mid Michigan but Wendy warmed it up with a total thrashing of the Women’s 35 mile Single Speed class at the third annual Barry Roubaix- Killer Gravel Road Race. Wendy completed the course in 2:10:13 taking the win, six minutes in front of her nearest opponent. Wendy finished 6th overall in the women’s 35 miler.



With March comes the AASTS, a four race criterium “training” series held in Ann Arbor. So early Sunday, March 27th, John and Seth showed u p to test out their winter fitness. I must say that both showed up and preformed well after this never ending Michigan winter. John raced the “C” race which was his very first road race. John held on in the pack and worked his into the top third in the last lap, finishing solidly around 15th out of 38 racers. Seth competed in the “B” race. After letting a two man break get away, Seth attacked and two others followed. Seth and the two others worked together and reeled in the break with about 5 laps left. The now five man break continued to work together and spread their lead over the pack to more than 40 second. It was a three person sprint to the line and Seth was just edged out for second place, finishing third.



 
March has been a great month for Mom & Pop Racing, two podiums and three solid finishes!!!

We would like to thank our sponsors and family who support our competitive habits!!! Thanks to our Moms and Pops, as well as the Original Gravity Brewing Company, The Zilke Vegetable Farm, Sweet Bikes, Moon Winks Café, TSS Photography, and Midwest Wheelsmith!!!!

Hopefully spring will show up soon! We’ll see you at the races!!!

Friday, March 18, 2011

Race Across the Sky- Fundraiser for Michigan Youth Cycling

Join us at Sweet Bikes on Friday, April 22, 2011 and see 'Race Across the Sky' The story of the 2010 Leadville 100 Mountain Bike Race.

Movie star and local rider Tom Lining will give a talk about his experiences at the Leadville 100.

This event is a fundraiser for the Michigan Youth Cycling Program. Michigan Youth Cycling is a Michigan 501 © (3) Non-Profit Corporation, the mission of which is to promote physical activity among youth and families through sports, mainly competitive cycling.

Tickets are $8 in advance or $10 at the door. Reserve your tickets by calling Sweet Bikes - 248-403-8049.

Tickets include movie showing, light snacks, beer and soda as well as two raffle tickets.

Sponsored by:

Sweet Bikes
Michigan Youth Cycling
Mom & Pop Racing
Original Gravity Brewing
Louis Garneau
Twin Six
Tifosi

Friday, February 25, 2011

Support Our Sponsors- Best of Ann Arbor Contest

Both MoonWinks Cafe and the Original Gravity Brewing Company are competing in the Best of Ann Arbor Contest held by AnnArbor.com. You can help us support them by clicking the links below and voting for MoonWinks Cafe as the Best Coffee House (voting ends February 26th. I apologize for the short notice as I just found out about the contest last night) and the Original Gravity as the Best Brewery (voting starts February 27th).

http://www.annarbor.com/bestof/contests/coffeehouse/

http://www.annarbor.com/bestof/contests/brewery/

Both of these fine establishments fully support grassroots mountain biking in Michigan. So let's show them our support!

Spring is just around the corner (not that you can tell by looking out your window), which means so is the racing and riding season! Remember to be a great trail steward and advocate and stay off the trails until the spring thaw has completed it's cycle. The back roads are a great place to get in that early season base mileage!

See you at the races!

Saturday, January 29, 2011

2011 Team Roster

Announcing the 2011 Mom & Pop Racing roster:

Team Racers:

Jeffrey Carek- Clydesdale MTB/ Trail Running
Jimmie Colflesh- Expert MTB/ CAT 4- Road
Melissa Mabry- Expert MTB/ CAT 4- Road
John Conlin- Sport MTB
Emma Kate Conlin- Beginner MTB/ Junior- Road
Todd Blumerick- Single Speed MTB
Wendy Zamzow- Single Speed MTB/ Ultra Runner
John Wojtala- Expert MTB
Seth Kleinglass- Sport MTB/ CAT 1- Road
William Caruso- CAT 4- Road/ Triathlon
Dave Freeman- Sport MTB

Associate Riders/ Racers/ Support:

Christine Carek- CAT 5- Road/ Trail Running
Mary J. Carek- Support
Sarah Conlin- Road/ Trail Running
Ryan Masters- Beginner MTB
Emily Kleinglass- Road Riding/ Support
Mike McCusker- Road Riding/ MTB

We believe that we have assembled an excellent group of family and friends to race with this year and are looking forward to the beginning of the season.

Look for us at a race near you and feel free to stop by and say hi.

Check out our team kit brought to us by Canari Custom Cycle Wear.

Tuesday, January 4, 2011

2011 Sponsors- Thanks for all the support!

We are happy to announce our 2011 sponsors.... (drum roll please)..... Original Gravity Brewing Company, the Zilke Vegetable Farm, Midwest Wheelsmith, Sweet Bikes, TSS Photography, and Moon Winks Cafe..... and our family supporters (Moms, Dads, Grandmas, Aunts, and Uncles).... Thanks for the support... We'll see you at the races!!!!

Please support our sponsors, as they are all local businesses! Click the logo on the right to visit thier websites!

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