Tuesday, November 29, 2011

BIKE FORSALE !!! PRICE DROP!!!!


Not much going on with me other then working 40 hour weeks and getting over a cold... start swimming soon! I got some lights for my mountain bike so I can ride at night. Its kinda creepy but very fun and a good way to get training in after hours i guess you can call it Yorkes "secret training"


The bike is a 56 (large) Used only one season. Was a sponsorship bike in great shape (dose not come with wheels) upgrade HED AEROBARS asking 1600 firm e-mail karstenmadsen@live.com

HEADSET
1" Ahead set, 30mm carbon spacers (2x10mm, 2x5mm), no top cap

STEM
Specialized ProSet, 3D forged alloy, 4-position adjustable

HANDLEBARS
HED classic carbon aero bars 42 cm

FRONT BRAKE
Specialized Aero Brake

REAR BRAKE
Specialized Aero Brake

FRONT DERAILLEUR
SRAM Force

REAR DERAILLEUR
SRAM RED

SHIFT LEVERS
SRAM SL TT lever

CASSETTE
SRAM 10-speed, 12-27t

CRANKSET
Specialized Pro Crankset 53x39

CHAINRINGS
53 x 39T

BOTTOM BRACKET
With Crankset
Silver cage/black body, w/ black toe clips and strap

SADDLE
Body Geometry TriTip 50 w/ hollow Ti rails

Thursday, November 17, 2011

Welcome to 2 new sponsors

Wanted to welcome 2 new Sponsors. Xtenex laces I yet to try them but hear they are very comfortable and stay locked in place. As well I will be in AQUA SPHERE goggles and wetsuit. The goggles fit great to every face and the wetsuit is really super thin in the arms!!

If you are interested in supporting me please e-mail karstenmadsen(at)live.com

Wednesday, November 2, 2011

Passing of One of the best guys in Endurance sport


Jerry with David Sharratt in Guelph lake 1 2008

It is with sadness and shock of the sudden passing of Jerry Friesen this morning – November 2nd, 2011

I know most elites that have raced in the trisport triathlons always loved getting off the bike in 1st to have Jerry Friesen lead the way. I can recall a time at the Niagara triathlon biking way to hard and hurting on the run. He was the guy telling me to run faster, the guys are coming. So I would pick up the pace and hold the guys off, and sure enough i hung on the win my first Trisport race. All thanks to his motivation! Before that race I had lost the lead on the run in a few other races before Niagara 2009 and he said this time you have to win!

I am sure everyone has a story of a good times with Jerry Friesen weather it was at his awesome running Races or the triathlon's he was one of the best promters of heathy living and he will be missed by all in the endurance sport community around Ontario!

Tuesday, September 6, 2011

whistler had her way with me!

I have had a great time in whistler. The riding has been great and the views are even better! Every time I come back from whistler i feel like i am twice the rider then before. As for the race I was feeling good going in. This year I could keep up to the big names on the bike (not like last year) My body was good my head was in the right place for a big race. The swim went off well. Got myself in a good pack behind the leaders seth brandon and conrad. I faded on the second lap lost my focus for 10 seconds and lost the feet. Going onto the bike I was with last years winner Josiha. He put a gap on me right off the hop then mike vine passed me and then I finally hit the gas and kept him close and paced with that group. I could hear people yelling time splits and we were working are way through to the leads.

Just as we started to go down the fast decent I heard a weird sound (sounded like broken spokes) kept riding and pushing the speed and in one of the conners my wheel gave out and I was in the dirt. At first I got up turned my bars around and got on to keep riding. didnt see that my wheel was so bent it would not turn so lucky for me i was close to a road crossing and got help back to the finish. At the med tent found out I have 2 broken toes on the out side of my right foot and some cuts on my neck leg and my chest hurts.

Bummer things didn't turn out the way I would have like them to but thats xterra. Most times I would have been in a really bad mood the whole day but this time I was just happy to leave with minor injuries.

pictures will go up soon from milton and whistler

Thursday, September 1, 2011

2x winner of Mine over matter!

On Sunday I won my second mine over matter off road triathlon title. I set out to work on a lot of thing in that year and this race really showed I fixed some problems. My swim was alright, not used to leading a swim so i was kinda all over the place. My bike is where i saw a big jump. I road a steady pace and didn't go to hard to keep my body fresh for whistler. I still had the fastest bike split in the race. The run was what I was most happy to see I ran hard and was going fast 3:28 per km is not bad for having to run threw trails etc.

I am in a really good mind set going into whistler. I know how I need to race to have a good result. The men pro race is a very deep field of some veteran xterra pros so just hope to keep learning and maybe find my self in a good place

Karsten Madsen

Thursday, August 18, 2011

xterra mexico





I had a great time in Mexico The guys putting on the race really rocked! Everything was taken care of I didn"t even have to lift a finger or open my wallet! The race was good I was 4th out of the water about 2:00min down from Seth Wealing and 1:00 down form brandon. I was 4th out of the water. The bike started very slow being at 8000 feet really hurt me and I was doing my best to keep myself out of the red zone but some of the climbs were very hard to do that. I had one pretty big crash flying down the mountain it looked worse then what it really was. I was 4th off the bike

On the run was when things started to fall apart my legs started to cramp (didnt drink enough and lost all my gels in my crash) I also got chased by a dog and went down the wrong street and lost some time. I was yelling xterra and people where pointing me the way i needed to go. I finished 8th not a bad result starting to move up! Next up on the Xterra global tour is whistler xterra. It will be at only 2000 feet so it will be a lot easier on me!

I am also in the process of getting a inhaler. Having a hard time getting air in when I am working out.

Some pics from mexico and cottage with meaghan

Good luck to c3 and my friends in guelph racing Nationals

Thursday, July 14, 2011

update in 55 words

long time... busy with other stuff no time to blog.

Won a Triathlon last sunday

Got in a Car Accident On the 401 (im ok)

Next Race Xterra Mexico need to be top 3 (need money)

training stupid hard

Love my Stable 26 socks for running and biking try them!!!!

Love training in waterloo

Karsten

Tuesday, June 7, 2011

feels nice to be back



Wanted to welcome 2 new Sponsors. Rudy Project and Stable 26

Rudy Project makes great Sun Glasses and Helmets! By far the best glasses I have ever used! I wanted to pass along my discount code to everyone so you can see for your self how great the stuff is. Made in Italy just awesome! Enter VIP code: kmadsen that will give you 40% off *additional discounts do not apply

Stable 26 makes socks that have inserts that are filled with silicone. It fills the gaps that running shoes have. Keeps my foot locked in place when I run. Also as Many of you know I enjoy to ski and play hockey so no matter what shoe boot or hockey skate Im in my heel can be locked into place. You need to check this out great injury prevention! http://www.stable26.com/

Also today had my first run back today got into the 30min with out pain and also didn't have any stops. This is a big step. I also had in my Stable 26 socks.... they freaking rock!

Thursday, May 5, 2011

Man its May!

Not much is really new. I am back in Canada and the weather sucks! forgot what it felt like to ride in the cold. Hate having to dress for the weather! I am tip toeing myself back into running I am running about 3 times a week started at 10mins now I am at 20mins so about 10mins a week i am adding. Cant wait to start doing run workouts again!! I did a swim yesterday at Guelph university. After swimming yards for 2 and half months i really didn't know where i stand in a meters pool but it was clear that I have improved big time with my swim. It looks like I will be training in Hamilton this year witch makes me very excited to be swimming with Andrew Cole (Olympic swim coach) it will be good for me to have someone on top of my swim stroke all the time. I really need to be 1:30 faster in my open water swim so I am in lead group at XTERRA races and main pack in ITU races. Now I need to figure out where I can MTB in Hamilton

Monday, May 2, 2011

forsale

Oakley Radar fire iridium white frames red ear socks + extra lenses Blue Iridium + hard case 270 Obo
Oakley Radar Positive red Iridium white Frames and White ear socks soft case 170 obo
Oakley Jawbone Positive Red Iridium POLARIZED lenses white frames + orange lenses + hard case 270 obo
Oakley Jawbone Atomic Orange frames lower jaws white fire iridium lenses 170obo
Oakley Jawbone Black frames one white lower jaw Transitions Lenses 100obo

Specialized S-works road Helmet Size small Red and White with very light blue 130obo
Specialized Glasses adaptalite Arc white frames 80 obo

Xterra Wetsuit Vendetta size Medium Long used for Half Season (10 races) 420obo

Flash Point 808 rear wheel + carbon front wheel 404 in depth (like a zipp 606 set) 500

E-mail karstenmadsen@live.com for pictures

Monday, April 25, 2011

I`m going home


Holy 10 weeks went quick when you look back at it. I had alot of ups with some small downs. My IT Band is well on its way I plan to start returning to full running when I am back in Canada. There is one thing in my life I dont want and that is to get the same injury. A good wake up call to keep the hips strong! I am looking into some races when I get back I know I have a 800m swim tt... Was going to do some run races but IT band wont let that happen. May do a mtb race for some fitness and maybe get the monkey off my back and win a 0-cup race! But have to talk to coach first.

Sean and I are leaving early in the AM to get a good jump on the driving its going to be a long ass 36 hour drive back. Hope I bring back the Arizona sun with me!!

Monday, April 18, 2011

almost!

The IT band is starting to really come around. I can walk with out pain I can go up and down stairs. In my estimation I am about a week away from starting to run. My goal of running today was a bit unrealistic. I just don't want to rush into running and be right back where I am. I have been getting stronger in the hips so I am not in this boat again! Other then that not too much other stuff has happened other then Andrew Yorke coming down to train with us. Yesterday was very hot and Sean Andrew and I went for a pretty hard ride.

Saturday, April 16, 2011

Some ups and downs

Yesterday was a very interesting day. I got to swim 50m's in the morning yesterday so that was a up, Got in about an hour bike with no pain in my IT band. That's an up. Got to see Sean get his Specialized Shiv (if you looking to get one Click my Gears bike shop link to contact gear about ordering you one in). Now for the down sides. I had a crappy second swim yesterday. I am also getting tired of being injured. I hate that I missed doing Mt lemmon yesterday. Sean said it was a super fast day!! Would have loved to see what I could have done. My best so far is a sub 2h to the ski hill.

My IT band is not near as tight has it was after my race/ travel home from Vegas but i still feel small amounts of pain in my knee when i walk. It is killing me I cant run but I need to give this injury time. Goal is to try and run Monday fingers crossed!!!!!

Wednesday, April 13, 2011

frustration!!!

Well a few days removed from Vegas and I am getting back into the swing of things. My number one priority when I got back was making my IT band better. I had it so tight the pain in my knee was felt just walking. I started to roll the crap out of it and also got a massage. Since Monday I have made huge improvements and its really starting to turn around. I am being as smart with this as I can. I know its only April and this kinda of injury can be taken care of quick (if you catch it early). I have seen many different athletes threw may different sports not be able to race because of injury and I want to stay away from that. This is the order of what i am doing. Hot tube then rolling out my IT band then do some different stretches and exercises then I ice it. I am doing that about 2 times aday and also taking advantage in the pool I am swimming 2 times a day. I didn't have the swim I wanted to in Vegas so good time to up it. I hate missing workouts but its whats needed.

Sunday, April 10, 2011

Xterra West champs


I went into this race not really knowing what to think I new I was fit and I also new I had a IT band injury that popped up. I had a solid swim not and awesome one but good. I swam with Conrad Stoltz. I got on to the bike and just rode. Didn't think about the other people. I only got out biked by the leader Conrad by 9misn not bad for 30km of mountain biking. I got off the run in 12th and felt really good but no matter how good i felt my IT band was killing me any up hill I had shooting pain up my leg so on a run that i could have been hunting people down I was getting past and not even going hard so it was a first for me I have never really had to race with a problem like this but ended up 16th in a very competitive race so I am happy with it. I know if i was 100% I could have been top 10 by even 5 or 6th but i will have to save that for next time! First thing on my list is fixing my IT band!

Thanks Gears bike shop My Specialized epic 29er help so much!

Thanks K-swiss you K-ona Racing shoe is awesome for xterra

thanks Xterra for the best wetsuit!

pictures will be posted soon

Friday, April 8, 2011

XTERRA Press and Media Center


Old School vs. New School in Vegas
April-08-11


Two worlds collide Sunday at the XTERRA U.S. Pro Series season opener at the West Championship in Lake Las Vegas, Nevada.

The wisdom of experience is on one side; and youthful exuberance on the other.

Representing the old school; Stoltz, Middaugh, Wealing, Lebrun, Evans, Waite, Rakita, Kelsay, Glavin, Thijs, Henestrosa, Zoller, and Smith – 13 pros with nearly 100 years of collective XTERRA off-road tri experience.

On the flip side; Ganter, Jackson, Madsen, Michalak, Mielke, Stehula, Valentine, and Wirth– eight young guns with a grand total of eight races under their belts as XTERRA professionals.

The infusion of young and new talent is not only a great sign for the sport, but a fist-pumping tribute to the master’s who have made getting dirty and suffering look so darn compelling.

“I want to win XTERRA Worlds in the next five years and go after my hero Conrad’s record for XTERRA Worlds wins,” wrote Karsten Madsen, a 19-year-old from Ontario, Canada, in his racer bio form.

Today, as KVVU Fox 5 News interviewed Conrad “the Caveman” Stoltz in the lobby of the Aston MonteLago Resort, Madsen stood nearby fresh off an eight-hour drive from his training grounds in Arizona with all the excitement of a kid entering the Magic Kingdom.

In stark contrast, Stoltz was calm, collected, the consummate professional, no doubt methodically preparing to win his record-breaking 38th career championship on Sunday.

The diversity creates excitement and the battle for the top seven spots, for who gets paid and who does not, will be hotly contested. The “old-timers” will have to earn it, especially with so many up-and-comers looking to prove their worth.

Three on the men’s start list are making their pro debuts – Michalak, Mielke, and Valentine – but aren’t new to XTERRA. Two-time XTERRA USA amateur champ Jason Michalak (pictured) would’ve won prize money in 2010 had he been a pro, Patrick Valentine will likely be the first racer out of the water, and Mielke – a trail running madman– had never even done a triathlon at this time last year. The future is bright for those three.

You’ve also got Chris Stehula, who won the Collegiate National Triathlon Championship last year, and his Cal Poly San Luis Obispo teammate Chris Jackson who is entering his first year as a pro.

The experienced newbie is Adam Wirth from Boise, Idaho, who accounts for half of the newcomers eight pro races mentioned above. Wirth has shadowed friend and former XTERRA World Champ Nico Lebrun across America competing in XTERRA's, and finished as high as 5th at XTERRA Canada last year.

Indeed, there’s a lot of new talent mixed in with the proven XTERRA pros here in the desert, but with all the hope and promise the fresh faces bring they’ll still have to run like Josiah Middaugh, bike like Brian Smith, and swim like Seth Wealing to have a shot.

It’ll be a fun Sunday on the XTERRA Planet to see just how it all shakes out.

Thursday, April 7, 2011

VEGAS!!!!!

I just go into Vegas around 3pm Vegas time. I just went for a small easy spin today, I have been chilling out and resting up. I worked on my twitter page again and made my blog a little more media friendly so I hope you follow me on twitter!!

Sunday, April 3, 2011

One week till Vegas



After my week of food poisoning I am starting to feel better again I feel strong and fast again. I went mountain biking yesterday and felt like i could ride again. I was 182 before I got sick now I am 171 and standing at 6'3 i am pretty skinny. Nice to feel strong. I am doing alot of quick short fast stuff. I have a very big base fitness, but now need to add some speed in the mix. I have been swimming with Sean about 7-6 times a week we swim yards alot so you always feel fast and wish you could swim that fast in meters but i do think I am getting faster I spend alot of time working on my stroke. Now that I train full time I am spending time on the small things like core water running and my swim stroke.

Las Vegas is the one race this year that I don't really have a goal it all depends on who shows up. I want to have a really strong swim and bike and see what my legs can do on the run. I guess the main goal is to be in the mix after the bike and not be way out the back.

Saturday, March 26, 2011

sickness

Last 4 days have been pretty off for me. I am 85% sure I got food poisoning from Olive Garden so I have been having a hard time eating lately. It has made training some days very hard to do. On a better topic I am going to be racing in the Xterra Las Vegas West Champs. I am interested to see how i will do. I have a very big aerobic engine right now and i know I am going to do need to do some tune up work in the next 2 weeks to get ready for the April 10th race.

On a side note if anyone knows someone that lives in Arizona and is driving to the race in Las Vegas,I am looking for a ride. E-mail me at karstenmadsen@live.com it would be a huge help.

Karsten Madsen

Saturday, March 19, 2011

life as of late








The weather in Arizona has been awesome, great for training. Tomorrow I am racing a 5km race... its super hilly so should be interesting

Friday, March 4, 2011

New bike

I got my Specialized epic 29er bike a few days ago I finally got a chance to go out and ride it. It was very impressive. I will say it right now no one has a better mountain bike then specialized epic. The cool thing about the bike is it has a brain shock that will lock the bad shock up on its own so when i am riding on smooth terrain it is fully locked up but once i bunny hop or go over some rocks and roots it will open it up. The next part of the bike is it is 29er vs a 26 that most people are used to. It rolls over rocked and stuff so much better. 29er is the way to go. I have a few videos of me screwing around on the bike.

THANK YOU GEARS AND SPECIALIZED for an awesome bike!!!!!

pick one up at gears bike shop you will fall in love with it!!!



Wednesday, February 16, 2011

what a ride



Sean and I are now in Arizona. We drove 36 hours straight and had a good drive. we only had one small problem. As i was driving I realized that the car had no power and was not going any faster then 100km but we got it looked at and all we had to do is reset the computer. The car was on cruise for so long that the computer got stuck. So basically the car forgot how to accelerate. After that little set back everything went great. Now just have to keep unpacking.

Monday, January 31, 2011

You know your Canadian when....



I had a pretty crazy weekend. It was the first time i had the full weekend off since November so i was pretty pumped not to be working. Friday after work I went to Meaghans house to watch the all star draft, then it was a early bed time because had to get up early to do a nice long trainer ride in caledon with c3. After the long bike Sean and his girlfriend Krystal and I then went for a awesome snowshoe hike threw Forks. The drive back to Waterloo killed me. I was falling asleep (not really but felt like it). After having a 2 and a half hour nap i watched the skills competition. Then Sunday everything turned for the worst. I was playing pond hockey with the guys and right near the end of the game I got a good high stick in the face. I really feel for the nhl guys. as soon as it hit me in the eye i feel like a house of cards. Looks like I will need to start using my oakley hockey visor on the pond and not just the rink.

Monday, January 17, 2011

Where have I been?

The last month has been crazy still working 40 hour weeks training like crazy. I have started to get myself ready for Arizona. for anyone that doesn't know i will be in Arizona from feb to May 1st training with Sean Bechtel. I really looking forward to getting a really good start to my season. I am still working on picking the races i will do threw out there year. There are alot of races i want to do just need to make sure i can get in to them. for the first time in 2 years i will get to go back to just training. wont need to worry about school or a job just training. i think this will be a huge factor for me. look forward to seeing some of you in Arizona or at some races.