Off the Couch
In a quiet way, the thousands of people who run, bike, hike, ski and paddle make a lot of noise in Wisconsin
Cole House wins attention for his speed on two wheels
Cole House, a pro cyclist from Oneida, leads the news on the Indian Country Today site devoted to Native Americans.
The feature piece describes the 23-year-old as the fastest American Indian on two wheels. House will work to make that simply "fastest on two wheels" this weekend in the four-race Gateway Cup in St. Louis, Mo.
Shadowy warriors win Birkebeiner t-shirt contest
Charles Rietschel's depiction of Birkebeiner warriors shadowing modern skiers has been chosen as the winner in the race's 2012 T-shirt design contest.
More than 4,000 skiers voted in the contest to select the images for the race clothing.
Cycling fatalities through August match 2009 total
Two more bicyclists have been added to the list of those killed in crashes on Wisconsin roads, and the total for the year now matches the nine fatalities recorded in all of 2010.
Tour de France veteran Christian Vande Velde signs on to race Chequamegon 40
Christian Vande Velde figures a link to his results in the Tour de France will earn him a spot in the elite start area for his first run in the Chequamegon Fat Tire 40.
The Lemont, Ill., native finished fourth in the grand tour in 2008, and helped Lance Armstrong win with the U.S. Postal team in 1999 and 2001. A string of crashes and injuries set back Vande Velde in 2009 and 2010, but he has been back on form in 2011: 17th in the tour and second last month in the inaugural US Pro Cycling Challenge in Colorado.
Motorist says he blacked out before fatal crash with bicyclist
An 18-year-old motorist who crashed into and killed a man bicycling in Oak Creek on July 17 told police he blacked out just before the impact, according to a court record.
The information is included in an affidavit Oak Creek police submitted in a request for the cellphone records from the driver, Joshua Chomicki.
Drugged driver sentenced to 13 years for hitting runner
The man who hit local athlete Greg Phelps on a training run in Pewaukee has been sentenced to 13 years in prison for the crimes he committed that afternoon.
Mike Johnson reports that Thomas Brinkman, 22, pleaded guilty in June to charges of intoxicated use of a vehicle and possession of narcotic drugs. As part of a plea agreement, charges of reckless driving-causing great bodily harm, injury by use of a vehicle while under the influence of controlled substance and possession of cocaine were dismissed.
Hiking and writing leads to guide for parents and kids
Rob Bignell, an award-winning journalist from Wisconsin, has combined his talents and outdoor interests to produce a practical guide for day-hiking with kids.
The Dunn County News reported on the Menomonie native's latest project in a recent feature.
Keys to success in Ironman Wisconsin
With five days to the 10th annual Ford Ironman Wisconsin, participants are likely to gobble advice like energy gels.
Active.com offers this list of 10 keys to success on Sunday, which will be particularly important for those looking to earn one of the 65 qualifying slots to the 2012 Ford Ironman World Championship held in Kona, Hawaii.
Bikers ready to shift gears and kick off the cyclocross season
A few of the folks fond of knobby tires and smooth dismounts have begun practicing for the coming cyclocross season, giving themselves a slight head start on the official preseason race in Verona on Saturday.
Hosted by Team MadCross, the race in Badger Prairie County Park follows a three-hour clinic that starts at 9 a.m. The experts on hand will teach basic cyclocross skills: mounting, dismounting, clearing obstacles, grassy corners, sand and run-ups.
Ironman Wisconsin stories: 9-11 survivor joins emergency responders
More than 150 first responders will be honored participants in the Ford Ironman Wisconsin on Sunday, a date marking the 10th anniversary of the terrorist attacks on the U.S.
A 9-11 survivor, who fled from the World Trade Center in Manhattan, will join them and 2,500 competitors in Madison.
Standing tall: Ski flyers defend Copper Peak
Admittedly, ski flying is a bit off the beat for Off the Couch.
But this column describing the photographic shrinkage of the Copper Peak Ski Flying Hill was worth a slight detour to rediscover an Upper Peninsula outpost and ponder the butt-puckering fear of standing on a launch pad 18 stories high.
Add Frankie Andreu to the list
When I first posted the news about Christian Vande Velde signing up to race the Chequamegon Fat Tire 40, I listed him as one of three riders with Tour de France credentials to tackle the mountain bike spectacle in Hayward.
I was wrong.
Kenosha County paving its bike / pedestrian trail
Work will start Monday to pave the 7.5-mile Kenosha County Bicycle and Pedestrian Trail, which includes two segments on the north and south ends of the county.
The trail has existed for decades as a crushed-gravel path. Frequent washouts created the need for the asphalt.
Firefighter collecting disability pay finds unwelcome spotlight as an Ironman
A former North Shore firefighter has come under criticism similar to that levied upon a retired Milwaukee cop for pursuing endurance events while receiving disability payments.
WITI-TV Fox 6 reporter Bryan Polcyn reported this week on Aaron Marjala, who left his firefighting duties because of an elbow injury, but went on to compete in the Ford Ironman Wisconsin last year.
Life-saving persistence earns a 100-mile payback
Persistence saved Hans Wegesser’s life.
Fittingly, he ran nearly 100 miles to return the favor.
Hiker begins Ice Age trek to benefit Habitat for Humanity
Loyal Mehnert, a 34-year-travelanthropist, will set forth from Potawatomi State Park Saturday morning on a 1,100-mile thru hike of the Ice Age National Scenic Trail
The Milwaukee resident plans to join the ranks of about 50 people to trek the entire Ice Age across Wisconsin, and to raise money for Habitat for Humanity's rebuilding efforts in Haiti. Check out this page to add support.
IronKids show the way for the adults in the Ford Ironman Wisconsin
On the eve of the 2011 Ford Ironman Wisconsin for adults, 318 youths from 6 to 15 participated in the first-ever Hy-Vee IronKids Madison triathlon.
The young athletes competed in three age divisions, over distances that ranged from 50 yard swim, two-mile bike, 500 yard run for the Juniors; up to a 300 yard swim, eight-mile bike, two-mile run for the seniors.
Retired Army captain from Green Bay takes win in Ford Ironman Wisconsin
Jessica Jacobs, a retired Army captain from Green Bay, paid her own tribute to the 9-11 anniversary by running to a come-from-behind victory in the 10th Ford Ironman Wisconsin.
Jacobs trailed Merideth Kessler by nearly 12 minutes going into the 26.2-mile, closed the gap, made the pass and pulled away over the final eight miles. Her husband, deployed in Iraq, watched via an online feed.
Police investigating death of woman found on Oak Leaf Trail
Police have offered few details about the woman who was found dead on the Oak Leaf Trail about 6:30 a.m. Sunday, pending an autopsy being conducted this morning.
She was found near the 1600 block of N. Prospect Ave., south of Brady St.
Police: No evidence of crime in death on Oak Leaf Trail
An autopsy performed Monday found no evidence that a weapon or physical force caused the death of a 35-year-old woman discovered on the Oak Leaf Trail early Sunday morning.
The woman, Linda M. Pemma, 35, of Laona, was last seen leaving the Indian Summer Festival in Henry Maier Festival Park about 6 p.m. Saturday. She was found on the bike and walking path south of E. Brady St., roughly in the 1600 block of Prospect Ave.
Friends of Lapham Peak call for an early season, snow-making blizzard
The Friends of Lapham Peak are counting on an early blizzard to help build out the snow-making operation that helps draw cross-country skiers to the recreation area in the Town of Delafield.
USA Cycling: Women of a certain age learn to go faster
Women who grew up before Title IX brought gender equity to the playing field don’t take athletic opportunities for granted.
Mandatory hard time for littering
Friends will confirm that I've talked often about running a political campaign based largely on a platform of mandatory prison time for littering.
It's partly in jest: the part about running for office.
Lakefront Marathon calls for volunteers
Organizers of the Milwaukee Lakefront put out a call Tuesday for volunteers to help out with race preparation and the Kid's Run the weekend of Oct. 1 and 2.
Volunteers to man the water stations on the course are easy to find, but help is needed to handle course set up and merchandise sales leading up to the 31st running of the marathon.
Shorewood, Sheboygan join ranks of Bicycle Friendly Communities
Shorewood and Sheboygan earned bronze status in the latest rankings of Bicycle Friendly Communities.
Those two lakeside communities join Madison, Eau Claire, La Crosse and Milwaukee among the Wisconsin towns recognized for accommodating bicyclists turning the pedals for transportation and recreation. Madison, which has been a gold-level city since 2006, is one of the highest-rated cities in the country.
Warrior Dash taps the huge market demanding mud and fire
Fire and mud must have a terrific appeal, enough to attract 14,000 entrants to the first-ever Warrior Dash in Wisconsin this weekend.
Environmental advocates push bike-sharing in River Falls
Advocates looking to reduce greenhouse gas emissions in River Falls have begun pushing for a bike-share program in the college town near the Minnesota border.
The River Falls Journal reports on the initiative led by Ian Johnson, a research fellow with the St. Croix Institute for Sustainable Community Development at UW-River Falls.
Trek loses out on New York City bike-sharing contract
Wisconsin-based Trek lost to Alta Bicycle Sharing in the bidding to provide bikes for rent in the nation's largest city, according to reports out Wednesday.
Trek has its B-Cycle program in 11 cities and was a finalist for the contract to set up a bike-sharing system with 10,000 bicycles available at 600 stations throughout parts of Manhattan and in select neighborhoods in Brooklyn. By comparison, B-Cycle will have 350 bicycles available for short-term rental at 35 locations in its Madison operation.
Marking the upgrades to Oak Leaf, Interurban and Zillmer Trails
Local cyclist and skier Mike Healy has been busy of late documenting the latest enhancements to his recreational pursuits.
Either that, or he just wants to make me jealous with pictures of his adventures.
Briggs & Al's Run/Walk attracts 16,000 for charity and competition
Dozens of the top runners in the area will race at the front of the field in the 34th annual Briggs & Al’s Run on Saturday, while thousands of others will follow in their wake to raise money for Children’s Hospital of Wisconsin.
“This event makes a world of difference for the children and their families who benefit from the top-quality, standard-setting pediatric health care Children’s Hospital provides,” said Jim Miller, president and CEO of the Children’s Hospital and Health System Foundation.
Wausau tourism group interested in Badger State Games
The executive director of the Wausau Central Wisconsin Convention & Visitors Bureau said Friday that his group plans to enter into negotiations with the Wisconsin Sports Development Corp., to purchase the rights to the Badger State Games.
The Madison-based corporation said last month that it was ending the Badger State Games.
Matter leaves Chequamegon Fat Tire field in his dust, again
Dry conditions turned the 29th Chequamegon Fat Tire Festival into a fast-paced chase through dust, and Brian Matter once-again left a field of 1,800 in his.
On a sunny, breezy Saturday, the Team GEARGRINDER rider from Sheboygan won his fourth Fat Tire 40 and solidified his position as the most dominant racer in the event’s nearly three decades. Matter won for a third-consecutive year, became the only rider to win four overall, and broke his own course record.
Jim Ochowicz and his 30-year climb to the pinnacle of cycling
Two-dozen friends and relatives greeted Jim Ochowicz when he returned from the Tour de France to his lake house in Hartland. They all wore yellow, the color of victory.
The win in cycling’s most prestigious race and the ensuing celebration came earlier than the president and general manager of the BMC Cycling Team had expected. It's an odd thought, considering he had worked for three decades to claim the ultimate victory.
Franklin cyclist hospitalized after colliding with truck
A 42-year-old cyclist from Franklin remains hospitalized with a severe head injury Monday, after colliding with a truck during an organized ride near Elkhart Lake.
The Sheboygan Press reports that Mark J. Dudzik was hit about 11:30 a.m. Saturday at the intersection of county Highway E and Garton Road while participating in the annual Maywood Earth Ride. The newspaper reports he crossed into the path of a pickup truck.
Distance runner, former coach dies after being struck by car while cycling
An acclaimed Wisconsin distance runner died Monday after he was struck while bicycling Sunday in the Town of Taycheedah.
Eugene Henry Dennis, 36, was wearing a helmet and had a light on his bike as he rode westbound about 7:30 p.m. on county Highway WH and Tower Road.
Peak Nordic prepares to welcome young skiers for 2011-'12 season
The Peak Nordic Ski Club will look to build on its growth and success in the 2011-’12 season, starting with an informational meeting at the Lapham Peak recreation area on Oct. 24.
Two-dozen high school athletes from schools throughout the Waukesha area competed last season, along with 18 youths in middle school. The non-competitive kids program drew 60 skiers in grades K through 6.
Milwaukee club set to host Midwest Bike Polo open
World-class bike polo players from 48 teams will take to the hardcourt in Milwaukee next month for the Midwest Bike Polo Open, hosted by the local club and the Nomad World Pub.
The Milwaukee club, winners of the 2010 world championship in Berlin, Germany, will run the tournament on its home court Oct. 15 and 16. All matches will be played in Washington Park.
Bike Fed makes its legislative push
Steven Elbow, a Madison courts reporter and cyclist, delivers the news on a legislative effort by the Bicycle Federation of Wisconsin to simplify laws governing bike riding in the state.
As Elbow explains, it's a rare example of bipartisanship in the state's capitol.
Steve Smith's Fat Tire tale: the race begins with a brawl in the dark
Late-race surges and victorious sprint finishes dominate coverage of the Chequamegon Fat Tire Festival.
For many, however, the key to a successful race plays out in the pre-dawn darkness, in the scrum for prime positions on Main St. in Hayward. Steve Smith, a Fat Tire veteran from Wauwatosa, shares this tale from Fat Tire 2011.
Editor struck by truck during Maywood Earth Ride still critical
The Sheboygan Press reports that Mark Dudzik remains in critical condition, nearly a week after suffering severe injuries during the Maywood Earth Ride.
Initial police reports said that Dudzik rolled through a stop sign near Elkhart Lake and into the path of truck traveling eastbound on Highway H. His wife questioned that scenario in an interview with the Southern Lakes Newspapers.
Cyclocross elite set to battle in Sun Prairie US Gran Prix Planet Bike Cup
Fresh from a fourth victory in the Chequamegon Fat Tire Festival, Brian Matter (Team GEARGRINDER) will put his legs and wheels to the test against an elite field gathering for the US Gran Prix Planet Bike Cup in Sun Prairie.
Two days of racing in Angell Park will give the country's top riders a chance to stake an early claim for points in the four-race series sponsored by Exergy and presented by Greenware.
Makau races from follower role to marathon world record
Regarded as a follower early in his young career, Patrick Makau surged to the front of the Berlin Marathon on Sunday, dropped the venerable Haile Gebrselassie and set a new marathon record, 2:03:38.
The 26-year-old Kenyan established himself as a favorite in the 2012 Olympics in London.
Work begins to extend the Hank Aaron State Trail
Work has started on the extension that will connect the Hank Aaron State Trail to Underwood Parkway, a $328,000 project scheduled to be completed in mid-November.
Leadership in laps: Chancellor Lovell paces running club at UWM
With his newly formed running club, Chancellor Michael R. Lovell has engineered a new management strategy at the University of Wisconsin – Milwaukee: lead from behind.
The 44-year-old engineer and athlete trailed members of the Panther basketball team during an interval workout Tuesday on the track inside the Klotsche Center. He did the same on their infamous run the hill work on the lakefront earlier in the month.
Wisconsin cyclocross shifts to the Mitchell Park Domes
After a powerful dose of mud and Belgians hit Sun Prairie, cyclocross racing in Wisconsin settles into the start of the regular season at the annual Cross the Domes in Mitchell Park on Saturday.
Paired with the neighborhood "Clarke Square Moving" festival, the cyclocross carnival will be augmented by dance demonstrations, a kids bike race, a bike maintenance workshop and outdoor games. Money generated by the race and festival will be used to install speed bumps and bike lanes throughout the neighborhood of Clarke Square to make the community more bike and pedestrian friendly.
Nothing easy about toning
Toning your legs isn't as easy as lacing up a pair of shoes, according to news that Reebok will pay $25 million to resolve claims about its EasyTone footwear.
Women's Health Magazine reported Wednesday that the Federal Trade Commission found Reebok could not support specific claims made in advertisements that wearing EasyTone shoes resulted in "28 percent more strength and tone in the buttock muscles, 11 percent more strength and tone in the hamstring muscles, and 11 percent more strength and tone in the calf muscles than regular walking shoes.”
Adventure and Skittles on the Camp Manito-wish trail
The wind picked up suddenly, and though we were nearly across the lake, the threatening clouds demanded that we pull our canoes onto land, and quickly.
We paddled to an unoccupied, densely-wooded island, grabbed our personal flotation devices and first aid kit, and went into lightning stance just before thunder boomed across zigzags of light.
At 71, Plover woman holds plank position for a record 36 minutes, 58 seconds
In a record-setting effort on Wednesday, Betty Sweeney exemplified the transformative effects of exercise and the power of persistence.
The 71-year-old from Plover once weighed a debilitating 235 pounds, and followed a path of physical recovery that led to a stunning feat of strength. She held the plank position, balanced on her toes and forearms, for 36 minutes, 58 seconds during an attempt to break the Guinness World Record for the pose in the Anytime Fitness Club in Stevens Point.
Fatherhood adds a third leg to North Woods duathlon
I’ve taken to describing my latest athletic endeavors in the north woods as a Birkie Trail duathlon, with a week-long transition.
I combined the Chequamegon Fat Tire 40 on Sept. 17 with the Birkie Trail Run half-marathon the following Saturday.
Team Jennipede runs for Guinness record in support of Jenny Crain
It’s a sad reality that even high-profile athletes often fade into isolation and a lonely struggle of rehabilitation, after suffering permanent injuries that steal their talent.
Jenny Crain has broken the unfortunate cycle.