MCC is in the early planning stages of producing a West Michigan cycling route guide. This high quality guide will be produced and sold online through the club website, local cycling events and perhaps even amazon.com.

Tom Ayres needs your help in documenting your favorite West Michigan routes to include in this guide.  To document and map the route we are using a website called routeslip.com.  Routeslip.com allows you to map out your favorite cycling routes visually using a map and then go back add detailed directions (what they call a routeslip) to your route. All ride lengths and difficulty levels are welcome. There are a few important details to submitting a route to be considered in the route guide.  The completed directions are below.

• Create an account on routeslip.com (http://www.routeslip.com). 
  All accounts are free and only take a moment to create.
• Help us identify your route by starting the description out with MCCRG
  (Macatawa Cycling Club Route Guide)
• All routes to be considered MUST have complete turn by turn directions (routeslip).  (e.g. Turn left at, Careful at this intersection, etc.)
• Post back in the MCC Forum’s new group called “West Michigan Route Guide” telling us about your route.  This will let Tom know that a new route for consideration is posted on routeslip.com

Any questions about using the roueslip.com website can be posted in the MCC forum and either Tom Ayres or Randy Kuite will be glad to assist you.

Please join us in creating a great West Michigan Route Guide we can share with cyclists from all over!

 

Last year’s Triathlon clinics were a great success so we are doing them again.  We are again having swim, bike, and run clinics throughout the early spring.
 
Currently we have the swim dates scheduled.   Eric Talsma, Hamilton High School’s men’s and women’s coach and will again lead the clinics.  
 
Swim Clinic Dates
All clinics are on a MONDAY.  April 9th, April 16th, and April 23rd from 8:00 PM to 9:00 PM in the Hamilton Schools pool.  Located in the old high school, current middle school, on 136th street. Eric has also planned for JUNE 2nd an open water swim.  Location to be announced.  
 
This is a free clinic and all MCC members and public are welcome.   
  
Bike and Run Clinic Dates TBA 
MCC will be scheduling the bike and run clinics. The dates will be posted on the MCC home page (right here).
 
Thanks again to Eric for all his work in organizing these clinics.

It’s a major goal of the club’s Board of Directors and Officers to increase the club member (and guest!) turnout @ the monthly meetings. To that end….we’ve scheduled a Board Meeting prior to the general membership meeting @ 8:00. I’ve arranged a series of speakers and presenters with the goal of enhancing our knowlege and enjoyment of this sport that means so much to each of us. Here’s what I have thus far, please contact me with imput or suggestions for future meeting topics!

-Mike Clark - “MC”

Feb 6th- Scott Miller of Agility Health. Scott is a certified Physical Therapist w/ a focus on working with cyclists, runners and triathletes. Scott will discuss several important topics for cyclists including injury prevention, performance enhancement, custom footbeds, and lactate threshold testing. His speciality is biomechanical assessements, gait and pedal stroke assessment for injury prevention and efficiency.  His office is located @ 601 Michigan Ave and the website is http://www.agilityhealth.com

Mar 6th- Jessica Oosting, personal trainer. Jessica is a local rider and triathlete and you’ve seen her on many a Monday Night Ride. She’ll be talking about how to add strength training to your current cycling program in ways that are functional and effective for gaining more balance, stability and power on the bike. Your trusty reporter has been working with her all winter and feels that he’ll be reaping the benefits on the road and trail later this year! Her website is http://www.valeotraining.com/

April 3rd- Mike Jones of Hannekan Full Potential Physical Therapy. Mike’s a cyclist and will be talking about their “Global” or holistic approach to physical performance in general and cycling in particular.

May 1st- A mini Bike Show! Folks from area shops will be showing off all the cool new stuff.

Plenty more to come….including the MCC’s own Krisanne Chapin using her poor spouse Scott as a human guina pig to demonstrate some of the stuff she does w/ motion studies at her office all day!

[edit 1/29/2007 - Added topic/agenda information for Scott Miller's February 6 appearance]

We still have a few official 2006 MCC Club jerseys available for purchase by MCC Club members.  These are available to club members on a first come first serve basis…. get em’ while they last.

Here’s what’s available:
Mens Long Sleeve Club Cut Jersey - 1 (medium), 4 (large), 2 (XL)
Mens Short Sleeve Club Cut Jersey - 3 (large)

All long sleeve jerseys are $65 each, all short sleeve jerseys are $60 each.
If you’re interested in purchasing any of the above jerseys (and you’re a club member), please contact Tom Ayres through Private Message via the MCC Forum.

Brian Harris from Cross Country Cycle gave a presentation hightlighting coaching activities and services he and his shop will have available.  Brian has gererously extended a 15% discount to all MCC members on many of his services. (call or e-mail him for details).  The following is a link see all his services and prices.  Thanks again to Brian for his presentaion and offer.

Cross Country Cycle’s 2007 Coaching Services 

Marshall

Dear Friends,

On Friday, December 29, 2006 while riding her bicycle to work, Jan Meeuwsen was struck by a pickup truck. Jan was riding east on the bike path along James street. The girl driving the pick-up truck was headed west on James street and made a right turn into the speedway gas station at James street and 120th avenue. The girl said she never saw Jan on the bike path even though Jan has both front and rear lights on her bike and there is an overhead light at the driveway entrance to speedway. The accident happened around 8AM Friday morning.

Jan was taken by ambulance to Zeeland Community Hospital with a very obvious broken left wrist along with bumps and bruises on both the left and right side of her body. It was discovered at Zeeland Hospital that she also had a broken right leg, just below her right knee. She was then transferred to Spectrum Hospital - Butterworth in Grand Rapids. She had surgery on both her right leg and left wrist on Friday afternoon and now has plates with screws holding both breaks.

Jan is scheduled to come home from Spectrum Hospital today, Tuesday, January 2. Currently she is able to walk with a walker that has a special bar to hold up her left arm. Her right leg is in a velcro splint. The doctor says she is not to put any weight on her right leg for 3 months. She needs to be on a machine that bends her right knee for 2 hours and then gets 2 hours rest. The physical therapist has her going up a 4 inch step by backing up to it with her walker and hopping up. Needless to say, she feels like a turtle on its back. If you wish to send Jan a word of encouragement, her address is:

Jan Meeuwsen
14674 Anchor Court
Holland, MI 49424
Phone 616-399-2356

Please keep her in your thoughts and prayers during her recovery and rehabilitation.
Ken DeBruyn