CONGRADULATIONS TONY AND ULLA

STAYING ALIVE


Phillips once again brought good weather and a lot of fun for the Alterra gang. Luckily Timmy, AKA (little beotch) and his wife Michelle got up to Phillips a bit early to secure a spot for there good old teamates that he misses so dearly. We had a great turn out, about a dozen or so from our team whom made it up for the annual Bump fighter classic. We had some victories as well as defeats this past weekend and I am sure we all have our stories to tell.

My start for once was actually great. I punched it in full gear and stayed in the lead pack, drafting once we got on the gravel road. Just at the crest of the hill on the gravel road a huge black pick up truck came blazing by us nearly causing a few casualities. Wow, you think your adrenaline is pumped at the start of the race can you imagine thinking on crashing into an oncomming truck, YIKES! So Skillicorn slid into the front pack in front of me and I was pumped to keep the pace into the single track. Just at the turn into the single track we see people dismounting which means no one is getting up that first climb alive. Then I was back on track trying bruttally to keep up with the leaders. I can't remember when or where during the race that I started to feel fatigue like I was getting beat up. The thoughts come into to your head and can play funny tricks in which these thoughts can get pretty critical if you let the negativism take over. I remember that song, Staying Alive by the BEE GEES and I kept repeating it to myself especially on the second lap. Finally I knocked some sense into myself and decided to catch a few if possible. I caught up to two girls somewhere on the third lap that looked like they were struggling on the hill climbs. I sat back, sucked a gel and waited for the attack. Once we hit the top, I was off into the sunset. The finish to me was great, and I hammered it almost catching Cheryl, (who passed me somewhere on the second or third lap)at the finish. To my suprise, I did not finish too bad and actually had fun on the last lap. Well, I have to say it is difficult at times to keep positive mid season while everyone else is blowing smoke up your ***

I think things are comming around and I look forward to the second half of the season. My fortune cookie today said, "Something wonderful is going to happen in your life"

Thanks agian to John Lirette and Jeff Melcher for the diagnosis and treatment of my shifting problems and to Brittnay for the cold water handouts in the grassy desert.

OFF TO PHILLIPS






and my pancreas and I are leaving you behind...

It all started here...
Another crazy twist to the 2006 Tour

Alterra Coffee Bean Classic 2006 The buzz about the race at Crystal Ridge drew the attraction of the Milwaukee Journal Sentinal, check out the above link! Temperatures were hot and the Alterra team pulled together once again, to put on a spectactular race event. There were many highlights throughout the day starting with the Sport race. Congradulations to Christopher Schultz for leading the Sport Men overall and Mikey Phillips for his blazing finish and overall Elite Standing. We are very proud of our boys!

ANOTHER GREAT TOUR VICTORY

The Alterra Girls


Piano man, Chris


Movie star Carlos


What time does the race start?




Project manager




We are so well organized



St Paulie Boy




KICK OFF PARTY FOR THE ALTERRA CRYSTAL RIDGE RACE 2006


The season is off to a good start with many of our Alterra team members ranking in the top of thier age categories or in the overall of thier field for the WORS series so far. I have to say, it is the members of the Alterra team, wives, husbands, kids, dogs and significant others that make our team special. The comradery and team spirit is what makes this team work. Here is a glimpse of last nights festivities. As you can see it appears we get a lot of work done when we organize these planning parties. Thank you to Mike and Jo Owen for hosting the party, as always, everyone
enjoys Mikes' fresh Lakefront River West Stein on tap. I wonder if any of us realized that we had to work the next morning.

WORKING HARD PREPARING FOR THE ALTERRA RACE SUNDAY JULY 16TH


TRAIL DAYS

WORKING ON THE WEAKEST LINK

FIRECRACKER

So I can come up with a thousand excuses why I had a bad race. Did you ever have one of those days where you just hit a wall, well I think that is what happened to me at the start of firecracker on Sunday. I ate well, slept and kept hydrated the entire weekend and I was focused on doing well and felt more compfortable on these trails this year than last. Your mind can play tricks on you at the last moment and all of a sudden at the start I could not clip in on my left foot pedal at the start of GOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO! That is all iot took and I fell back and I kept falling back not even caring really. I told myself it's too hot, I don't want to hammer it it, F**k it and I rode in the back watching everyone pass me not even giving it any effort until I hit the single track and then when I got stuck behind a few I thought what the hell am I doing? Well now it's too late to catch anyone, but I stepped up the speed and put it in gear and started to pass whom ever I could. I got to the second lap finally feeling on fire but no one in site. Finally after coming up out of the rockstairwell and up into the single track I saw my competitors husband off to the side cheering everyone on. I asked him how bad is it? How far back am I from your wife and he said about three minutes and I was disgusted at that point, thinking I'll never catch her now not anyone else for that matter. At least her husband was nice enough to run some cool water on the back of my neck from his water bottle but that did not take away my frustration a this point. I thought to myself...I will try to hammer up all these hills and just maybe I can make up some good time. Low and behold to my suprise I was whipping through some of that ledgy single track and I see Christine off to the side and I said, "what are you doing!?" after I almost plow her over the edge while she was standing there. ( I am sure telling me this was not what she wanted to say) "I got a flat," she exclaimed. Needless to say I had no words to say other than what a bummer as I tore off. I thought to myself there is hope! I hammered it as hard as I could for the rest of the race ended up finishing 3rd in my age which was a complete suprise after all. After all that I have to say it was a pretty good day considering there is a full case of lakefront brewery beer in the cooler back at the Alterra tent just waiting for me.