I traveled to the land of cheese, beer, and football for Ironman Wisconsin in Madison.  I had a great race finishing in 9:17; good enough for 6th place!  Madison, Wisconsin provided a great venue for Ironman and I was very impressed with the community support.  Unlike many Ironman races the city of Madison has really embraced Ironman making it more of a fun festival community event.  Free shuttles for spectators, beer tents, food vendors and a spectator friendly event makes Ironman Wisconsin one of the best venues in North America.  I highly recommend this race to anyone looking for a good late summer race.

Past Cycling House clients Jodi Taylor and John LaFreniere were out on course in Madison as well.  Jodi finished 4th in her age group earning herself a slot for Ironman Hawaii in 2012.  John had a great race in some hot, humid conditions and finished 10th in his age group.  I had some great support from longtime Cycling House clients Mark Barrett, Mike Landerville,Tim Valley, and my personal coach Jim Bruskewitz.  Congrats to everyone who raced!

Traveling to Wisconsin for Ironman was my main priority but I also wanted to get a feel for the area for a camp that The Cycling House will be hosting in 2012 in the area.  In June 2012 The Cycling House will open it’s doors in Madison, Wisconsin for a one week camp.  The camp promises to have scenic rural roads with plenty of climbing, running & swimming options, and excellent food & accommodations.  Check www.thecyclinghouse.com for details.

After a couple brief days in Missoula after Ironman I was ready to hit the road again for the TCH California camp.  Owen and I loaded up White Hot (our 15 passenger van)  with bikes, gear, and supplies and pointed it South for San Luis Obispo, California.  The 20+hour drive gave me some time to recover and the past couple days have been spent setting up the house, cycling, surfing, and finishing up the small details.  Camp officially starts on Monday and the weather for the week looks epic.  We will have a good mix of cycling, surfing, wine tasting, food, and relaxation.