The "Bear" Essentials

I'm spending these last 10 days taking into account all of my race preparation details (i.e. lighting, nutrition plan, bike setup, clothing, etc.). However, I just came across this...which is something I hadn't accounted for!

Albion Hills Course Preview

Here is a glimpse of what my view will be for 24 hours:

I have no fitness to gain, but much to lose.

“Where have you been lately” is a question I have heard from several people lately.

Unfortunately, on the brink of my 24hr endeavor it seems I have stumbled upon a bit of adversity. I had it all planed out, the rides, the races, sleep schedules, diet, everything was accounted for leading up to the event. However, about three weeks ago I came down with an upper respiratory infection and being the mileage/training junkie I am, did not rest properly which has lead to it lingering. Last week, I thought I would be ok to race the state crit. Less than twenty minutes into the race I began to go asthmatic and cough hysterically. While sitting in 10th position relatively comfortably, I found myself pulling out of the race in a matter of a lap.

This shortcoming sent my mental well—being and race confidence out the window. My nerves became a wreck and I found myself perseverating on negative thoughts and emotions. (I apologize to all those close to me who have had to put up with me the last few weeks) Wednesday I had a chest x-ray, which revealed that my lungs were still filled with infection. My doctor, who is also a MTB racer and understands my event coming up, gave me some antibiotics and an inhaler. “We’re going to treat this aggressively”, were his words. Heeding his advice, I chose to not race Thursday night or this past weekend at BTR. It was not an easy decision but after talking with Dybo I realized that I have no fitness to gain prior to the 23rd but have much to lose if I don’t allow for sufficient rest and recovery.

On thing I neglected to prepare for was the patience that is required the last few weeks before an event like this. If you’re like me, we all get addicted to riding/training/racing hard. When you are deprived that weekly dose of competition, speed, and the endorphins associated with that, you begin to feel like a heroin addict quitting cold turkey.

For the time being I am riding slowly and focusing on mostly honing my trail skills, resting, and eating well.

I have never planned for anything this epic this far in advance. I made the mistake of putting the race on a very high pedestal and establishing too many self-expectations. When a wrench was thrown in my plans it sent my nerves spinning.

Luckily, within the past 24hrs or so I have come to terms a bit more with the task at hand. Sure this is the most epic race I have ever done, sure I would like to do the best I possibly can at it, and I know I am taking a deep dive into the unknown. However, if I think back to six months ago, these are all the aspects that appealed to me most.

I am viewing this endeavor as a culmination of all the effort, energy, success/failure, pain and suffering, highest elation, lowest agony, time in the saddle, and miles I have put in over the years. It is like a funnel view where everything has lead to this. However, it is still just a race, and that’s what I do, I race a bike.

In the words of Ad Rock at the beginning of the song ALIVE:
I've never been more ready in my entire life…
To do this right now…
Never…
It's all been leading up to this moment…
All right now, right here…
My whole life…
Right here.

Planting Seeds

Cost of riding the MTB trails at Stony Creek: $0
Using Angela’s pink bike instead of a rental: $0
Watching the Wednesday night races at the Velodrome: $0
Cortisone cream after getting stung by a bee in the trails: $3.99

Watching my 9 year old nephew’s face as he rode his first single track, watched his first track race, and was exposed the world sport of cycling: priceless

Recently the eldest of my 4 nephews has been asking me a lot of questions about my bike, racing, training, etc. Over the 4th of July this year I told him that before the summer was over I would take him out.

Yesterday we headed out to Stony for a lap in the MTB trails and to watch the races at the track afterward. I couldn’t help but feel immense vicarious satisfaction as I watched him ride the trails for the first time. For me, it is a mundane act done so many times in the same place that it almost feels more like a hamster wheel. However, it’s amazing to watch the reaction of someone when you are exposing them to an entirely new world that they didn’t know existed prior to this experience.

In a day when many kids would rather manipulate buttons to make digitally created characters ride bikes, snowboard, play basketball, etc., it was refreshing to see true enthusiasm in something more simple and organic. Evan didn’t even seem to mind that he had to ride a “girls” pink bike…he was just thankful for the opportunity.

For me cycling has become my form of recreation, my exercise, my mental therapy, my passion, my catalyst for competition, a way to elevate myself both mentally and physically, it has given me perspective on life and has allowed me to see true value in experience. On top of that, it has become a spiritual experience for me as well. However, I don’t think this is for everyone; it has simply fit well into my personality. If Evan chooses to continue an interest in cycling than that is great, if he doesn’t that is fine too. I simply felt it was a good opportunity for me to plant a seed; perhaps it will grow, perhaps not. Everyone can trace back to people in their lives who have planted seeds, I have many. For those who you can accredit this to, their worth is invaluable.

As Requested : S.A.B. Tupac Dybowski

Another Chapter in the Dybo Memoirs: The Colorado State Corona Slamming Champion

Well it seems that according to the doctor I have a severe sinus infection and have been relocated to the bed for the next few days. Being sick very much coincides with my personality and I am in a bit of personal hell right now. Enough about me, what better way to lift the spirits than a new Dybo memoir.

As a bike racer and as a father Ray has held many titles throughout his tenure. After reading the donut’s most recent post, I was inspired to share this tale of honor, prestige, and accomplishment. Kick back and enjoy as we open another chapter in all things Dybo.

Did I ever tell about the time I was crowned the Colorado State Corona Slamming Champion? Man I tell you what; it was when I was working at the Olympic Development Center in Colorado. A fellow named Chris Charmical (you may of heard of him) was one of my fellow coaches there. As a side note, him and I were always batting our freaking heads…lets just say we didn’t see eye to eye on a lot of things. On a few occasions I had slammed the door to his office and screamed at him at the top of my lungs.

Anyway, we were sitting in a bar one night enjoying a few beers when Chris looked over at me and said, “Ray, do you know that I am the Colorado State Corona Slamming Champion?” At word of that, it was freaking on. I replied to Chris, “Oh really, you are about to lose that title tonight”, and I signaled for another round. As the countdown began I sat with my Corona in front of me starring Chris in the eye. Showered with screams from other patrons of “go, Go, GO, GOOO”, I picked up that freaking Corona and had it slammed before Chris was even halfway done with his. I then slammed the empty bottle on the table and claimed myself the new Colorado State Corona Slamming Champion!

It is worth noting that no documented evidence of a new Colorado State Corona Slamming Champion has been presented since that day. So as it stands, Ray is still the champion!

Superweek Pro Tour Recap: Cedarburg Crit and the drive of shame.

The Cedarburg Crit has notoriously been a haunting demon for me. In the past, the course contained a hill with four corners. During my first year, I lasted about 20 minutes. Last year, I hung in until 12 laps to go out of 70.

This season, the city of Cedarburg had changed the course due to construction. The new course contained 6 corners and was flat. After pre-riding it, I seemed confident in a good finish.


The race started fast and furious as always. After about ten laps in there was a crash in turn one taking out about 20 riders. I managed to avoid it and attach back onto the pack. However, my nerves began to rapidly go downhill from that point. I found myself rolling the corners like I was a Cat. 5 again and sprinting to make up the lost positions in the straight aways. After about forty minutes in the race my nerves were shot. I kept visualizing myself sliding out in a corner and furthermore donating more of my epidermis to the blacktop. I allowed the demons to fill my mental with bad thoughts and rather than dismiss them I dwelled on them. In the matter of a lap, I found myself deciding to withdraw from the race. My legs felt great, I hadn’t suffered or hurt at all, I just let the pressure of Superweek and the course get the best of me.

As I took my last “lap of shame” around the course before I got lapped and pulled I heard a little girl in the crowd ask her dad, “Daddy, what’s the matter with that guy, did he give up?” The question echoed in my head as I rolled off the course and headed south out of town to get some cool down miles in and to collect myself. I did give up, there was no fight, no mental or physical digging.

My teammate, Luke Cavender had also drove up that day and had a bit of misfortune in the race as well dropping out fairly early.

Tired and defeated, we conceded to drive through the night and head home.

Once again, from the highest to the lowest...thats bike racing.