Living a Lie

Enter the Kettlebell

2010-02-02T11:57:00.000-08:00

This single piece of equipment has the power to change your entire life. Using it requires a skill, which I am still acquiring. Two work outs: the Turkish get up, and the kettle bell swing. I have worked on form for 3 weeks, now I am adding this circuit to the mix: do the circuit 6 times.

15 push ups regular or elevated feet

25 mountain climbers with Swiss ball with 3 second hold each rep.

20 prisoner squats

add 2-3 runs per week with a clean diet. The beauty of this plan is its simplicity. 3 weeks in the books, 9 more to go.

2009-12-31T18:33:00.000-08:00

Two days of skiing groomers to wet my appetite. The last two days have been 8 inch + of the real deal powder. I took a fall on some rocks, resulting in a puncture wound to my elbow. It cut through my shell, and two thermal layers straight to my elbow. The chick at the first aid station said I didn't need stitches, so I went out to hunt some more fresh tracks.

Check out your boys powder skills. I have been working for about 4 years on my moves....I think I am starting to get the hang of it.

Skiing powder is so addicting its hard to explain. Bottom line, you have the feeling of floating, and snow is flying in your face making it hard to breathe.

Today was more of the same. We got about 10 more inches of the goods, making the snow about mid shin.

2009-12-25T07:36:00.001-08:00

What it takes

Getting ready for ski season

Washington

2009-12-14T08:35:00.001-08:00

I did the 3’s race today. 3 guys in the race made for some interesting dynamics. Scott and I have been in many a battle this year. We have a pretty even record of defeats and losses when matching up against one another. I believe that Greg has done a few A races. The results show 1 race, but I kind of remember him in another one. Anyways, he had a great race in Augusta, and I dropped out of that race, so its hard to compare the performance. I mean beyond the fact that he was killing it in that race, and I was off the back. Now, the three of us also met at the State 3’s race last week. I tried my hardest to bridge to Greg with Jason W at one point early in the race. We got super close(5-10 bike lengths), but never made it happen. This set the backdrop and the stage for the showdown that was the 3’s race yesterday. The start was faster than I had hoped, and never really let off. Greg took the helm for a few laps. Scott came around me early, we traded quickly on the run section into the pavement. The next lap, Scott comes around me strong, and moved up to Greg, I believe he even rode point for a while. They were gone from there. I’m sitting in just trying to finish and these guys moving away in the mud like a d-9 bulldozer. Mistake of the day was waiting until half way through the race to drop into the 39. It was the first and only temporary relief of the course. Somehow Scott did this race without toe spikes. Somehow my lasting memory of this race consists of me staring at my front wheel, and I can’t hear anything accept my heavy breathing, with the occasional primal moan as I slip in the mud.

State CX Race

2009-12-10T08:41:00.000-08:00

A perfect course and perfect conditions came together for this event. The pavement start was fast, the corners were slick, and the mud had some deep ruts. The 3's race was later in the day, so the course was worn in, and pretty technical. I felt good for this race, but when the time came to put out, I came up short. I had a nice battle going with the man beast Christopher, and Jason Watkins, both super strong. When it came down to nut cuttin time, I was the odd man out, ended up 11th for the day. The move of the day that I missed was moving up and latching on to Greg Layke, got close a few times, but never happened. I ate shit on the slick corner warming up, and again on the last lap. I remember Jeff telling a story about getting mud on the gloves, and it basically ending his race. I didnt really think much about it at the time, but it happened to me, and I hit the ground again trying to remount. The 3's race has come along way in the last 2 years. DB won two years ago in a 2? man field, last year was larger, and had a decently strong group, a few ringers were thrown in. This year had some solid talent filled the ranks with mega fitness, making it much harder. A part of me was disappointed with the result, but when you take a look at what we are doing out there, its pretty unreal. The real disappointment came in my bike handling skills. Truly embarrassing for this race. Overall, this was a great time as always.

2009-12-03T05:55:00.000-08:00

Ill give a short description of the Mt. Pleasent race I was looking forward to. FUCK. My ego is hurt real bad from that race, and so is my shin that I cut open on my TRP rear break. Check out the skin piled on there. The cut was not deep, but fairly big. This race was the biggest disappointment of the season so far. That's about it.

The St Vincent race on Sunday was a happier story. It was cold and cloudy, which is always nice for what we do. During the warm up laps, I was riding the hill by the lake, but decided to run it every time in the race. After watching the video, I decided that riding would have been better, but with a different line then I was taking. Each lap, I would go to the extreme left to run. There was a nice deep diagonal rut to guide my feet right up. After watching the video, I saw what the real tech was. Most of the fast guys seemed to be cutting from right to left up the hill, and were carrying some insane speed doing so. I just felt happy to use some of the running fitness I have acquired over the past few weeks. The only down side of running this was mud clogged pedals and cleats. I also bent the shit out of my ti saddle with a remount that was too far back. Technique goes a long way.

The rest of the race was great. The hill was the weak spot for me, with the following sections allowing me to carry tons of speed. I found my self super close to bridging up to Casey, but was unable to put out. Ended up in 10th for the day, which I am very proud of.

CX season has 3 more races for me, with Herman being next. The course there is fast! With little rain the course could be similar to the night race, condition wise. From past experience, the stairs and the hill in the back seem to be the most difficult sections. The back section always seems to hold more moisture than the front, so pre-riding will be key. I feel good about my fitness level, but it seems as though the competition has progressed alot more than I have this year. The optimist in me says "you have come along way this year". But the negative Nancy in me looks at my 2009 training log and points out the big holes in the second half of the year.

The off season is approaching, so that means two things for me. Drinking brew dogs, and skiing.

St. Vincent CX...our own little Koppenberg

2009-11-17T09:55:00.000-08:00

Memories...the second CX race I ever did was at St. Vincent park, back in 2007. I won the C race in a heads up chase against David Stroote...it was probably the last time I beat him in a race. It seems like a long time ago.

This was the sickest course I have ever done!! I am a sucker for the fast, swoopy turns that throw you into a tight curve, and MUD. Mud that is hard to walk in, run in, ride in, or turn in. This was epic mud, back in the woods, with people lined up on each side. The Euro feeling alone was good for atleast an extra 20 watts. Every section had a way of exposing any weakness. I loved the mud section, but just could not get it together going through there. A bad line here, or a wrong gear there...those types of mistakes add up in a slugfest like this one. A few pre-ride laps would have gone a long way for this race. I learned my lesson on that. The first half of the race in the big ring, trying to play defence with my position. All that did was leave me feeling like Daves tire...all empty inside. My overall position was sub-par for my expectations(15th), the cold beer afterward beat my expectations, so the day was a success in my book. The cold beer really makes it worth getting the shit kicked out of you for an hour. The competition this year has really stepped up, and gotten fierce. It is hard for me to finish a race without feeling like I have been punched in the face. I guess the important part is how quick you get up, and back into the fight. Speaking of taking your beat downs like a man, big congrats to Schwick, Robert and a few others for manning up to the A race. That makes Schwick a mad man for doing his first expert race and A race in the same year. This kid steps into the A race, puts in a MONSTER RIDE, and finishes just outside top 10.

And now, something I am really excited about..BUBBA IN AGUSTA. The weather is crap right now, and that is getting me stoked about this weekend. I hope this will be a shot at redemption in the mud. I fancy myself as a bike handler, so let the good times roll.

BUBBA 6

2009-11-09T06:50:00.000-08:00

I was actually able to finish this race with some amount of control. Bike was running great, the HR was in check along with the wind. I got to say that the course was so great for my style. There was a ton of flow to every part, and plenty of areas to keep speed. 3 laps in a group of Denny, Dan W, TK and myslef formed. Denny was the first to go off the back, then Dan. I knew this was trouble with just me and TK. He played the bell lap to perfection. Pretty much perfect timing on the jump, and I could not even bring it down to a sprint. We got a few more weeks left, I am just hoping this is not the top end of my fitness for the year.

I feel weak for bailing on the last Alton race, but shit happens, and I feld compelled to make the LV work day no matter what. There are great things happening out at Lost Valley, and St. Chuck in general. There is a proposed 1.2 miles of trail going in by December. It will be flowing contour trail with some sections of rock, but mostly hardpack that is handcrafted for flossing. That means the Luau will be freaking awesome!! RIGHT?

The Path To Becoming a Hardman

2009-10-22T06:36:00.000-07:00

Here is an update, mostly for my benefit. Somtimes it feels good to vent verbally. Somtimes it feels just as good or better than emptying your soul in a race. My plan is to become a hardman. I think 3-5 years of legit training should get me there. I guess its more about the journey than the destination. The hard part is not letting the day to day obstacles slow you down, or get you down. I would like to share my MANTRA. I first read this back in highschool. I look back on it from time to time to re commit myself. This short story by Mark Twight gave me the idea of what to name this blog.

TWITCHING

Twitching with Twight

BY MARK TWIGHT

What's your problem? I think I know. You see it in the mirror every morning: temptation and doubt hip to hip inside your head. You know it's not supposed to be like this. But you drank the Kool-Aid and dressed yourself up in someone else's life.
You're haunted because you remember having something more. With each drag of the razor you ask yourself why you piss your blood into another man's cup. Working at the job he offered, your future is between his thumb and forefinger. And the necessary accessories, the proclamations of success you thought gave you stability provide your boss security. Your debt encourages acquiescence, the heavy mortgage makes you polite.
Aren't you sick of being tempted by an alternative lifestyle, but bound by chains of your own choosing? Of the gnawing doubt that the college graduate, path of least resistance is the right way for you - for ever? Each weekend you prepare for the two weeks each summer when you wake up each day and really ride, or climb; the only imperative being to go to bed tired. When booming thermals shoot you full of juice and your Vario shrieks 7m/sec, you wonder if the lines will pop. The risk pares away life's trivia. Up there, sucking down the thin cumulus, the earth looks small, the boss even smaller, and you wish it could go on forever. But a wish is all it will ever be.
Because the ground is hard. Monday morning is harsh. You wear the hangover of your weekend rush under a strict and proper suit and tie. You listen to NPR because it's inoffensive, PFC: Politically Fucking Correct. Where's the counter-cultural righteousness that had you flirting with Bad Religion and the vintage Pistols tape over the weekend? On Monday you eat frozen food and live the homogenized city experience. But Sunday you thought about cutting your hair very short. You wanted a little more volume and wondered how out of place you looked in the Sub Pop Music Store. Flipping through the import section, you didn't recognize any of the bands. KMFDM? It stands for Kill Mother Fucking Depeche Mode. Didn't you know? How could you not?
Tuesday you look at the face in the mirror again. It stares back, accusing. How can you get by on that one weekly dose? How can you be satisfied by the artifice of these experiences? Why should your words mean anything? They aren't learned by heart and written in blood. If you cannot grasp the consciousness-altering experience that real mastery of these disciplines proposes, of what value is your participation? The truth is pointless when it is shallow. Do you have the courage to live with the integrity that stabs deep?
Use the mirror to cut to the heart of things and uncover your true self. Use the razor to cut away what you don't need. The life you want to live has no recipe. Following the recipe got you here in the first place:Mix one high school diploma with an undergrad degree and a college sweetheart. With a whisk (or a whip) blend two cars, a poorly built house in a cul de sac, and fifty hours a week working for a board that doesn't give a shit about you. Reproduce once. Then again. Place all ingredients in a rut, or a grave. One is a bit longer than the other. Bake thoroughly until the resulting life is set. Rigid. With no way out. Serve and enjoy."You see your face reflected there in a sweating brow, you hate what you see, but what can be done when there's no way out, no way out?" The Chameleons, "Intrigue in Tangiers"
But there is a way out. Live the lifestyle instead of paying lip service to the lifestyle. Live with commitment. With emotional content. Live whatever life you choose honestly. Give up this renaissance man, dilettante bullshit of doing a lot of different things (and none of them very well by real standards). Get to the guts of one thing; accept, without reservation or rationalization, the responsibility of making a choice. When you live honestly, you can not separate your mind from your body, or your thoughts from your actions."If you really want to hurt them and their children not yet born tell them the truth always". Henry Rollins, from the book See a Grown Man Cry
Tell the truth. First, to yourself. Say it until it hurts. Learn the reality of your own selfishness. Quit living for other people at the expense of your own self, you're not really alive. You live in the land of denial - and they say the view is pretty a long as you remain asleep.
Well it's time to WAKE THE FUCK UP!
So do it. Wake up. When you drink the coffee tomorrow, take it black and notice it. Feel the caffeine surge through you. Don't take it for granted. Use it for something. Burn the Grisham books. Sell the bad CDs. Mariah Carey, Dave Mathews and N Sync aren't part of the soundtrack where you're going.
Cut your hair. Don't worry about the gray. If you're good at what you do, no one cares what you look like. Go to the weight room. Learn the difference between actually working out and what you've been doing. Live for the Iron and the fresh air. Punish your body to perfect your soul. Kick the habit of being nice to everyone you meet. Do they deserve it? Say "no" more often.
Quit posturing at the weekly parties. Your high pulse rate, your 5.12s and quick time on the Slickrock Trail don't mean shit to anybody else. These numbers are the measuring sticks of your own progress; show, don't tell. Don't react to the itch with a scratch. Instead, learn it. Honor the necessity of both the itch and the scratch. But a haircut and a new soundtrack do not a modern man make. As long as you have a safety net you act without commitment. You'll go back to your old habits once you meet a little resistance. You need the samurai's desperateness and his insanity.
Burn the bridge. Nuke the foundation. Back yourself up against a wall. Have an opinion one way or the other, get off the fence and rip it up. Cut yourself off so there is no going back. Once you're committed the truth will come out. You ask about security? What you need is uncertainty. What you need is confusion; something that forces you to reinvent yourself, a whip to drive you harder. "I never try anything - I just do it. Want to try me? White Zombie, "Thunder Kiss"
In Dune, Frank Herbert called it "the attitude of the knife,” cut off what's incomplete and say “now it has finished, for it has ended there.” So finish it, and walk away, forward. Only acts undertaken with commitment have meaning. Only your best effort matters. Life is a Meritocracy, with death as the auditor. Inconsistency, incompetence and lies are all cut short by that final word. Death will change you if you can't change yourself.
“If I can change one, then I can change two. If I can change two, then I can change four. If I can change four, then I can change eight. If I can change eight, then I can change.”One Minute Silence, "If I Can Change"

LBL

2009-04-18T19:35:00.000-07:00

My top three pics are Valverde, Chavenel, and Andy Schlek. All three have been building good form, and also have some pretty good results this year. Valverde has been somewhat elusive of late due to some issues with the Italians. I would like to see Chavenel do well. He is a versatile rider, and does not have big time team mates to work for.

I have been riding hopes of these three winning the Amstel, and Fleche. No W's for them so far. Andy Schlek put in a great ride on Sunday with a top 10 at amstel, and a 2nd place finish yesterday at Fleche. Andy has been off the map some, but looks to have good form. He was in the winning move with Davide, which is to say, he did not blow up like cadel evens, and was able to keep his acceleration going. But still, for a 37 year old, Davide played his cards like a true master of the trade. He won the race with good legs(not the strongest). But the determining factor was the mental game he played. We did not see much from Chavenel this week. Valverde was in great position for the third and final climb up the mur de huy yesterday. He hit the climb with a lead out from a team mate, 3rd in line. He was also in a great spot when evens attacked. Still no podium finish.

In all I think Saxo Bank has a well rounded team. Right now both of the Schlek brothers are in and so is Fabian. Frank had a bad crash at Amstel, so he might be out. I would rather go with Frank on this. He has had more results this year than Andy.

Time to Put Out

2009-04-07T13:19:00.000-07:00

Boonen is on the start list for Gent. Sunday is his chance to defend last years PR win. I cant wait for the action. I really want to see him do it. He is going to have to put out and take the initiative though.

Der Ronde

2009-04-06T11:50:00.001-07:00

I watched Der Ronde with MJ and Christopher yesterday. Man what a great race. Devolder made some big moves that got him the win. What a man beast. Hienrich looked to have good form again, but obviously did not have what it takes to win this big dog race. He finished 1:10 back, and only 1 sec in font of Gillbert. For me the disappointment came in Boonen. He was with Stijen the whole race, was on his wheel when Stijen bridged, and was also in the pack at the finish. I would have atleast liked to see a field sprint out of him to get on the podium. This is all under the context of his interview where he stressed the importance of this race. I know there are politics involved with being a marked guy in the peleton, but if he is on form, shouldn't he be able to shut down any followers? And I can help but think "What IF" Boonen would have followed Stijen up to Chavenel(who had a great race BTW). The trio, arguable the three strongest in the race, could have waxed anyone that opposed the move. Maybe Boonen is going for 2x this weekend. Either way, he is running out of chances to etch his name into the 2009 Classics. Just one mans opinion.

Will he be able to carry his form for one more week?

The manbeast on the race winning attack. About 16km to go on the MUUR. He put 45 sec on the chase group in the next 3km, and rode solo to the line with a little encouragement from his manager in the car. He is defiantly grunting while getting his swell on.

Soggy Britches

2009-03-31T07:09:00.001-07:00

Saturday was the Gorc workday at Greensfelder. It was going to be a wet one for sure, but I forged on. I dropped my car off at the shop, which is at the bottom of the hill on Allenton, pretty convenient. I brought the bike along to get me to the top of the hill. Secretly, I was hoping that someone (Scott) would roll along and pick me up. Exactly on time, Scott P. rolled up and let me hitch a ride to the top of the hill. At this point, the wind was terrible, but no rain had come around. We got to work right away on a re-route section, about 20 vertical feet above an old section from last year. The new design will contour more of the hillside. The rain began to fall as we were benching. We got about an hour of work in before Bryan shut it down. I wasn't going to say anything while working, but I was glad he made the decision. Scooter gave me a ride back down to my car, sparing me the decent in a raging down pour. I was pretty soaked at this point. Good news on the car, nothing wrong with the transmission. So I quickly headed back up the hill to the Muckerman shelter for some good times and free beer. I also got a look at the sweet new carbon epic. Nice.

I bailed on the Rim Wrecker race. After getting wet on Sat, I was a little less motivated to go through the motions on Sunday. It kind of sucks to miss out on an Epic, but there is plenty of time left for that. Also, not this really makes a difference, my priority race has been move up a month to April 19th. LBL Canal loop race was originally in May. This is a race I wanted to be prime for. On the up side, now there is a great race to go to in April, that is only 3 hours away.

Follow up Pic from the LV race.

2009-03-23T16:35:00.000-07:00

It felt really good to lay down some power in yesterdays competition. I have not raced since CX state Champ race in December, so I was felling a little rusty at the start line. I was with the pack on the flat start(nice right?) but got scared as we neared the drop in. I backed off and was pretty much last coming down the hill. I gained a few spots on the climb. By the time we came over the top of the first climb, the group had separated a bit. At that point, my heart rate was cosmic, and the grip on my legs was so bad I though I would get a bruise. I tried to hang on but was struggling to even hold a wheel. The new section of singletrack was pretty sweet in my opinion. Once it is worked in, it will be smoking fast like the roller coaster at Cwood. On the back side of the course, I worked in with some master classs expert riders I think. We had a train going until the second section of singletrack. At that point, I blew up sky high, and it took me about five minutes to recover. I was able to catch MJ's wheel at the top of the gravel climb on the second lap. I knew for sure he had an allen tool, so I bummed it and made a quick adjustment to my seat post that had slipped slightly. I was afraid to over tighten it that morning, and paid the price for that one. I rode most of the second lap with Christopher, but that train ended abruptly with a sidewall cut on the switchback before the creek. No big woop, this race was still fun as hell!!

The stumpjumper rides like a dream. I pretty much have no way of describing it, only the feeling of pleasure. I am happy with how I performed, and cant wait for more!! Bring it on, cause I bringing everything I got.

steps in the right direction

2009-03-20T11:40:00.000-07:00

Rode two burning laps at CB on Sunday with Christopher. This ride really sparked the MTB fire inside. The trail was beat down and in good shape. The pace was casual, and we stopped to talk to some other people on the trail from time to time. I havent done three laps this year. Sunday was the day that had me feeling the best out of all the trips down there this year. Tuesday night I tested the legs a little out at LV, and it hurt. It has taken me a few days to recover from the effort, but the fire is still there for Sunday. It is nice to look at the training log and see almost 3 full months of consistancy. The biggest thing I am looking forward to is getting back into the MTB scene. Warm weather, cold beers, and riding hard. See yall on Sunday.

Git er done

2009-03-14T08:43:00.000-07:00

Sunday, with the wind wipping a solid crew of five rode out to CC lake. The wind was brutal, but the company made it great. The trip home was even better with the wind to our backs and the spirits high. It almost makes you for get about the two hours of wind you just rode in.

Also this week, I got some riding in at lost valley. First was Thursday night. I ran into Twister at the mound, and we rode some gravel roades together. He showed me a secret path that adds some variety to the area. Mj and I put in a solit 3 hours on Friday, and actually got to ride the single track. A little muddy to start out with, I definatly was surfing in some spots, but as the day moved on, the trail got drier.

Paris Nice has been a great race to follow this week. It is turning into a slug fest, with Schleck and Voiet moving up into the GC. Contador slipped back behind Chavenal, with one more day to go.

C- Bluff

2009-03-05T08:19:00.000-08:00

Recently made it down to C-bluff for some Laps. I did the trail in the Clockwise direction to get ready for the Rim Wrecker race at the end of March. I think that this direction of the trail is much more difficult than the CCW direction. The trail was in pretty good shape, with some leaf cover and a stretch of shit bog that really took it out of the legs by the second lap. I was able to lay into it a little bit for about a quarter lap. It felt really great to be carring momentum, carving, and connecting moves. I was a little rusty on the bike handling skills, but it is starting to come back. I was pretty happy with the results so far, and it has fired me up to continue training. In my eyes the post ride Mexican is the way to go. It is a toss up on the quality of Dos Primos vs. Los Portales. I know that I am riding the fence on this one, but I am just a huge fan of Mexican food. Just put it in my mouth! So far this year, I have gotten about 70 miles of off road riding in. So far so good.

2009-03-01T08:00:00.000-08:00

Yesterday was Cold. I suffered more on this ride than any other this year. We rode down to the covered bridge through ceder hill, and back up on Old Lemay to 4 ridge. The wind was coming hard out of the north, and the Temps were low 30's. The last 10 miles back I sucked wheel the whole time, and still managed to finish in high spirits. The riding is Jeff co is awesome. There are endless opportunities for mid and long rides, and the rodes are pretty good. There is alot more exploring to be done though.

Hopefully today will be less windy, and I can get some gravel riding in out at lost valley. I need to get some MTB miles in.

Frank Schleck’s Specialized Tarmac SL2 (sick)

2009-02-24T11:36:00.000-08:00

Frank rode this for his stage win in the last stage of the tour of cali. Saxo had two stage wins. Fabian took the win in the TT opening stage. Specialized has come through in a big way this year. Their bike designs for MTB and road are so smooth looking.

2009-02-23T13:37:00.000-08:00

Saturday morning was cold, with some snow. I still had high motivation, but my riding partner convinced me to do our training session indoors today. The weather was not the coldest that we have ridden in, by a long shot. We have had 5 or 6 rides of smiler temp, and wind, one of which was 18 degrees for a high. I set up a pretty good room. Our goal for the month was a 5 hour ride, and he had not gotten one in yet. I was ahead of the game as I worked in on the Segul death march ride last week. That ride was bad to the bone. It should be a regular ride on Sundays.

Anyways, we watched all of the hill stages of the 2004, then 2003 tours. That killed 4 hours, and kept my mind right. The last hour we watched the Tour of Cali. 5 hours on the trainer, is the longest I have ever ridden indoors. Before today, the longest ride I had done inside was 2 hours. This was also the 2nd longest ride of 2009 for me. Besides a sore ass, the only other thing that hurt was my face. After 5 hours of towling off my face, it was raw and chapped, kind of like my ass, but there was no chamois butter.

Observations:

- Jan looked twice as strong in the 2003 tour compared to 2004

-Pure Black, tall socks are the Tech

-Saxo Banc is looking strong for this season. Frank Schleck looked super on the stage win yesterday.

-Throwing your helmet off for a climb is pro

-A Gold Chain is PRO!!! I need a gold chain!!

For a change

2009-02-09T09:49:00.000-08:00

It was nice to not need the full winter get up this weekend. Managed a 66 mile ride with Zach and Scott P. We made it up to the Alton lock and dam. This ride put me over 200 miles for the week. That is a major confidence booster for the base training program. Sunday out team went to bush wildlife, and shot several guns. I got to shoot a SKS and a 9mm. Pretty nice weekend if you ask me.

BALMY

2009-01-17T07:16:00.000-08:00

43!

I don't see how it is going to getup to 43 degrees today, but lets hope it does.

A good powder day!

2009-01-04T06:40:00.001-08:00

The Snow field with Freshies

The North Face of the Eiger. 1800m of mixed alpine climbing.

One other thing I forgot to mention. On one of my rest days, we went on a short hike in the woods, with a pack on for a little weight. The interesting part of the day was finding these rather nice sculptures in the woods.

Went to the Jungfrau reagion today for the last day of skiing. The website was reporting 25cm of new snow from the prior day. One of my dads friends, a Dutchman named Roger drove us down. He was familiar with the area, and helped us navigate the lifts. It was Super cold a the base, about 24 degrees. This is a good sign for light fluffy powder. My suspisions were confirmed as we rode about 4 lifts up to the top of the area. I spent the morning searching for the right place, and basicly thrashing my new skis on submerged rocks. For lunch we jamed out in sunchairs staring right into the face of Europes most notorious Norwalds. The EIGER. After a Veal sausage, and some beers, I hit a nice power area that still had a few fresh tracks. These were the best turns of the day. The snow was light, about at the top of the boot, and great for dialing in the powder tech. A fitting end for a good trip.

SKI FEST!

2009-01-01T02:25:00.000-08:00

Yesterday I went to Andermatt, in the center of Swiss land. The off pist snow was increadable. This is defininatly an off the list type of place, with most of the people here for the back country offerings. We bumped around the different areas, but settled in on an area that was up high, and had some freshies to rip on. The last run of the day was the best, with an untouched section of snow that I traveresed to. It was under a rock band that had shed some snow. You know it is good when the snow hits you in the face. Totally shreader.

The day before, I skied Engleberg. This area was highly toughted by many, and held one of the ski jump world cups two weeks ago. I took the train to Engleberg via Lucern at 6:03am I was on the slopes by 9am. It was cold, and super windy. The snow sucked where there was snow. The rest was wind scoured glacier ice. Pretty tough to ski on in my opinion. I did not get to check out the highest area because of a tachtical mistake on my part that pust me pack at the bottom. After an hour of waiting in line, I decided to bail and drink a beer while walking across town to the other lift. This area had some fresh tracks to lay down, but the snow was a little heavy due to the afternoon sun. Still the terrain was steep enough to get hit by my own snow slough on the way down.

Rest day today, got a little bit of a cold going. Tomorrow, the last day, I head to Grindelwald. This area should be pretty special, as it is in the Jaungfrau region. The skiing will be at the base of the Eiger!

Zermatt Day #5

2008-12-30T08:24:00.000-08:00

Another day alone, went back up to the samer area as yesterday to begin. There was about 3-4 inches of cowboy powder covering alot of tracks. Not a dream, but enough to get fired up about. I headed over to a cable car that we road on the very first day to poke around a huge snow field and an open bowl. I decided for the bowl, as it looke a little more stable and less rocky. WOW. It was steep and up to the knees. I got totally gripped hitting the freshies and from the snow flying in my face. I did a few more runs in the same bowl, and then headed to Sunegga paridise to have some beers and fondu with my mom. There was a huge area that I did not even touch. I will ahve to leave that for next time.

Zermatt Day #4

2008-12-26T10:24:00.000-08:00

Did a half day by myself for the day. I went to a new area that I had not explored yet. Riffelberg. Managed to find the Goods, off pist tracked up snow. Just a slight bit of crust on the top, but not enout to get jamed up about. There was a little snow from early in the morning, but not enough to cover the tracks. The snow was good enough to get some good turns in. It was good enough for spending the afternoon in. I had a Pic Nic that was uncontested on a rock at the top of a nice bowl. Here is a self portrits from the site.

It was pretty cold up high, so I stopped for an irish coffee. This place was unique in that it was an igloo with a bar and outdoor seating.

Zermatt day #3

2008-12-26T10:11:00.000-08:00

Sorry for the delay, der internet is kind of sketchy here. Not much to report today. We skied over to Italy today on pretty much the same path as yesterday, but ended up in a different villiage. Valtourneche! The expresso was strong, and the weather sunny and warm. We banged out several runs on the IT side. Steep and fast groomed runs were the name of the game. Everyone here wants to be the next TOMBA da BOMBA. For Christmas Eve it was Lager Bier and Veal Sausage. Not many photos to report the case, but here is what I got!

One other thing! My dad and I did manage to get kicked out of one of the mountain Chaetu's, or whatever you call it in Italy. Evedently, you cannot buy a beer at one of these places and bring your own food. Here is my best try at Itialian. EHH FUCK EWWHHH!!(Itialian accent)

Zermatt Day #2

2008-12-24T08:01:00.001-08:00

Today was a full day of skiing. We took three different lifts to the Klien Matterhorn, and crossed over to Italy. This is where the business started for the day. A 7 mile ski run dropped us into the villiage of Cervinia IT. This place was a quaint little ski villiage. I had an expresso to warm up, and relax in the sun.

Here are some Panoramas that I took of the mountains that are right up against the villiage.

After this we got a few runs in before having a Swiss lunch of dried meat, gruyer cheese, fresh bread, and a lager bier. Why not two?

It took the rest of the day to get back to the Chalet. The snow was ten times better than yesterday. All of the skiing around here seems to be groomers, and pists that are super long. The pro Tech over here is the super G style of skiing. Nobody is conserned with off pist or backcountry. But seriously, I have not seen a slow or bad skiier while I have been here. You can tell that these people have been skiing since they were super younge. We did some exploring around town for some biers, and found the tolken Irish pub that seems to be in every international city I have ever been. Lima, Cuzco, Geneve, Basle, Zermatt, none are in Ireland, but all have an Irish pub. Rock on, and drink up.

Zermatt Day #1

2008-12-22T09:22:00.000-08:00

THIS PLACE ROCKS!!! A mountain town in its true form. We skied a half day, and only touched 10% of the area at best. There are three areas on the Swiss side, and another two areas on the other side of the mountain, which happens to be in Italy. I plan on hitting that up later this week. The snow was so-so, nothing new to report of. But the thing to report about is the view. It is pretty tough to not take a good picture here. The Matterhorn is in plane sight. It is the center piece of the whole town, and hard to miss. Here are some and night pics. The views are from the Chalet that we are staying in . A few lagers to finish up with made it a good day.

SWITZERLAND

2008-12-21T08:20:00.000-08:00

I made it! 24 hours of straight travel, sitting in airports, sitting in trains, and a few plane rides was all it took to arrive to my destenation in Basel Ch. The gear looks like it made it in good shape. Tomorrow I head to Zermatt for a week straight of skiiing. I have not touched a bike since Hermann, only worked out twice in the gym, and got two days of skiing in, so needless to say, I am chomping at the bit to get some action. I managed to snap a pic on the way to Basle.

Grand Targhee

2008-12-17T06:58:00.001-08:00

Over the weekend, I was able to get a few turns in at Grand Targhee, in WY. This ski hill is cradled on the western slop of the Tetons. On a good day, meaning sunny and no clouds, the view is like this.

This weekend was a different story. The timing was perfect. Flew into Salt lake on Friday, and was dissipointed with the amout of snow that was on the groud. The same observation on the drive into Idaho had me thinking it was going to be sub-par skiing at best. To my dismay, the next 24 hours brings a foot of snow. The downside was, that the high on Sat was about 20 degrees with a stout wind in the 20MPH range. I truly thought my hands were going to rot off at the end of the day. The wind died down Sunday, but the thermomitor only managed to rise to 6 degrees. The clouds and fog blocked the view for the whole trip. I was pulling some mad G's on the groomer sections, and paying the price with wind burn on my face. No big woop though, the snow was light and untracked. Most of the good stuff was off in the trees, so I spent most of my time there. My tech was a little rusty, but this was only ment as a tune up trip before I attach the ALP's next week. The camera was a little unrelaible due to the temps, but I managed to get a few pics.

Mo CX state champs

2008-12-16T08:45:00.001-08:00

Wow!!! Running a little behind here, but I wanted to acknowledge the good times that were had in Herman. I did the race on Saturday, got worked, but also picked up some good intel on the course.

Sunday, was different. Super cold, but sunny. At one point, I questioned weather or not Knee Warmers were going to be the play. But, I stuck to my MANTRA: What would SVEN do? It ended up working well. The race started fast, and stayed that way. I registered late, so my starting position was pretty much last row, in a puddle of Mike Weiss's urine. Any who, I knew that I could not end the season with regret, and shame, so I laid everything that I had on the line for this race. I went down on the off camber turn section, but stayed in motion while putting the chain back on. I passed a few people, and desperately tried to stay on David Stroote's wheel. I knew he would bring the heat, so I did not want to miss that train. The stairs hurt, but there was some time to recover up top. The race ended with my butt cheeks clinched tight with a stelleto guy close behind. I had lost the war, but this battle would be mine!! Bell lap had me gripped beyond belief, but focused on no mistakes. Funny thing about that guy is we battled at the night race also. I took 8th for the day.

Sad to see the season slip away, now I have to find something constructive to do on Sundays. Off season will be super fun and rejuvenating. Congrats and thanks to all that made this a great season. My first full season of bike racing in the books has me fired up for more.

Laugh hard, its a long way to the ground

2008-12-04T11:09:00.001-08:00

Sunday was a good race for all! By far the best weather of the year for cross. The conditions made it slick on the corners, but still let the course have some speed in it. As far as layout, the course was super fast, with two extended down hill secitons going into sweeping left handers. One lead into another drop that ended in a 180 turn. Early in the race, I lost my train of thought and grabbed the brakes way to hard going into the 180 and went down pretty hard. I lost some position straightening out my bars and shifter. I tried to focus on staying steady, but took a few more spills, 4 to be exact. I kept thinking that I can still keep the momentom going and have a good race. Still the grifos held up to the conditions well. The run up was a true grind this week. Muddy, steep,unridable, and a strong cheer section made it an instant classic. I felt really good at the end of the race, but was too far from Dan williams to catch up. Ended up 15th for the day, in a smaller than normal field. I am a bit sad to see the end of the season coming up this weekend. No NAT's for me again this year, though it is against my better judgment. I am going to miss the post race scene alot too. It has been a good year for bike racing, I am glad it is a part of my life.

SACK River Trail

2008-11-28T06:52:00.000-08:00

Every time I visit my Grand parents, I take a trip to Sac (sock) River. I have been riding this are for about 8 years now. There is a great network of trails that have a little something for everyone. The trails are tight and twisty, some very technical rocky areas keep you on point. The hardest part about this trail network is the sudden transitions from smoking fast, flowy sections into tight, super rocky sections. It had probably been a year since I have ridden there, and not had mud bog conditions. The trail was in buff shape. I believe the 12 hour race happened with in the last 2 months, so there was a well worn circuit, and the leaves were beat down real well. I rolled up the hill to a new section. This was an extremely well don piece of single track that flowed like SIUE, but had more rocks and roots. I would say it was similar to Landalh. Any way, this stuff ROCKED!!! The main feature is corners that are perfectly set up for carving. Unfortunately, I did not find this part until yesterday, so my Turkey day ride did not include this seciton. It was good enough to ride twice both ways though. The gravy of the area is the front of the park. A slight down hill persuasion, with jumps, and two berms at the bottom.

It looks like this trail has made it onto the 2009 MTB calander. The only other race that has ever happened here is a 12 hour race in the fall. I am looking forward to see how they tie all of this trail together for a pure XC course.

CX: on the grind all the time

2008-11-25T06:48:00.000-08:00

CX two banger

2008-11-24T07:30:00.001-08:00

Bubba in the dark was COLD! I was in the back for the start. THe start was typical STL drag race style. The long paved strait away into the sweeping left hander was superb for a start. The finish was also a paved seciton with a fast corner. I thought the course was great! The corners were set up for speed. I moved up quick and played defense for most of the night. I was running scared from a few people behind me that had formed a nice group, and trying to catch David. I never caught David, but was able to hold on to 20th place for the night. The flyover was rad. I tried to do the super pro cool down spin after the race, but only made it about 3 minuites before I got cold, and turned around. It took me two hours to warm back up again.

Sunday seemd very bumpy compaired to Saturday. Maybe the back was tight from the night before, but it really wore me down. There was a good race going on in the back of the field today. I made my move early, too early, and lost it all plus some in the end. The last 2 laps were pure survival mode for me. Not sure how I ended up, but it was close to last. There are some fast dudes moving up to the A race, which makes it fun in the back. Better than riding solo for an hour.

Suson Park CX

2008-11-18T11:50:00.000-08:00

Man, that was a hard race. The legs were thrown into the fire after a solid week off the bike. The rest was good for the legs, but it has taken a week to get them back. Saturday I rode over to Jeffco for a low intensity ride, and felt really good. Sunday came, and the legs felt good. My anxiety level was high as I went through the pre race routine. I was pretty unprepared for the beat down I was getting served. There was a large pack for the A race, and everyone brought the heat for the start. I found myself in the back going through the first barrier. This course put it to me in the worst way.

I ended up 26th out of about 30.

CX Weekend

2008-11-07T12:11:00.000-08:00

Raced at Mizzou on Sat. Not much of a turn out, especially compared to last year. With Friday being Holloween, it was tough to not enjoy some refreshments, but I held off for the prospects of better performance over the weekend. The course was 100% grass with a barrier into a short run up, and another set of barriers on the flat section at the back of the course. The course gave an advantage to those who could carve the corners efficiently. I hung with David stroote for most of the race, trading pulls with him. I took 4th out of 6 for the day, eathen Frose took the W in a great display of fitness.

Sunday was the Faust park race. I did absolutely terrible at this race last year. All I remember was a bowl area, and alot of bumps. Super awesome weather both days. We had a hooligan crew for the C and B race. I jumped in the A race and it was on. I tried my best to hang with Wes B. but he came around me super fast on the last lap. At the same time Nate lapped me. I had nothing left to respond to his move. I was able to get some rythem toward the end of the race by focusing on spinning rather than laying down big power. The course stuck pretty close to my idea of a CX course. The run up section really had me concerned about blowing up. I did not try to ride the W section. There were several high speed corners that you could dial in and barley touch the brakes on. I ended up 17th out of 31. That was a huge field for the A race. The CX fire is burning strong inside. I cannot wait until the next double header weekend.

Check out these pics of the Koppenberg race from this weekend. Agony!

Picture fest

2008-10-29T10:31:00.001-07:00

Bubba #2 at Spanish Lake

Summit!!

2008-10-28T10:58:00.001-07:00

This is a pic of the agulle de midi from the air. The main formaion is the tallest point in the middle with the radio tower in it.

My dad summited the aguille de midi, a formation on the Mt. Blanc masiff, over the weekend. This route is accessed from Chamonix by cable car. This formation has some significance in the region as a test piece for climbers that are new to the area. It sounded like it was mostly snow and ice, with some technical rock work.

Here are some CX pics of yous truly. The first pic is of my nice start on Sunday. You can see the deep gravel in the middle of the road. CX is where its at

The second pic was taken by Lizz James at the Ronde race in Carbondale. Dig the suitcase tech...mad skill off the bike.

Bubba #2 at spanish lake.

2008-10-27T06:45:00.000-07:00

It is already the second bubba race. Spanish lake is tucked into North county. This park packs a punch for CX and MTB. The course this year was vary different from last years, but was still very difficult to get that rhythm going. The back ball field section was same condition, boggy, and energy sucking. The field was windy, and had a cork-screw that kept turning you back into the wind. This was a great CX course by definition, with its varying terrain, and surfaces. Some of the gravel was packed in and fast, and other sections were deep, and slowed you down like deep sand. I found it very hard to recover because the transitions between sections were quick. There were two grass sections that turned to loose gravel on corners. One corner was a 180, and had me riding very cautiously as to not go down at the start finish line. I heard this described as a power course, and I would have to agree. The corners were awesome at this course, allowing you to carve hard and pedal at the same time.

I had a good start, on the extreme right side, riding the grass ledge to the corner. Big thanks to Boz for the premium starting position, too bad I could not capitalize on the front row start. Most of the others were in the deep gravel sections. I grabbed Yieldings wheel, and held on tight. We did not have a huge gap from the others, and within two laps Dennis and Matt rolled by. At this point, I was still feeling really good, and I was trying to play some defence while recovering. This continued until about half way through the race, several others had passed, and were out of range for me to reel in. For the rest of the race, I was just trying not to loose positions, and the legs felt super heavy. I was totally spent by the end, and could not put up much of a fight. Kent and Jim Klages came around me at the end on the last lap, they had been on my wheel, and trading punches with me for a lap or so. I had no response to their final push. I did better than last year at this race, but still struggle with spanish lake courses like this.

The lamb stew bread pudding and beer was a great end to the weekend.

I am sucking bad in the fantacy CX league. Looks like after this weekend I am holding down second to last. NICE http://cxmagazine.com/fantasy-cyclocross-2008-2009-standings

2008-10-22T13:45:00.000-07:00

Weather is getting colder, and the days shorter. Time to break out the bike lights for some night riding. I took the 26in out last night to LV. I havnt ridden the stumpie since before the Greensfelder race. I forgot how nimble that platform is. Kind of makes on think about getitng a light carbon hard....nevermind. Great ride in the dark. Probably will do a couple of these per week as long as the weather holds out. There were a lot of people out there doing the same. Good times.

Bubba #1 JB

2008-10-21T12:33:00.000-07:00

The excitement has been contained for long enough. I have gotten a taste of CX already, but this weekend was the beginning of BUBBACROSS!! For me this race began the night before, by going to bed at 9:30. I got up early, and had the bike humming. A pre ride of the course gave me an idea of what I would be up against. Very similar to last year, with a few tweeks. The main difference was the barriers on the up hill section. The short pop of a hill after that was there last year. This was a fast course, with open straight aways leading into high speed corners. It was balanced with some tight turns, a long climb that you could spin out, and some rolling sections. Mostly grass course this week, with a section of gravel road leading into the last corner before the finish line.

I had a third row start, and was able to work my way up to top 6 in the first few laps. We had a nice group going for a lap or so, and were pulling away from the main group. I felt pushed, but was able to keep it going without much digging. The 44 tooth seemed to be perfectly suited for this course, I did not take it down the whole day. I am not sure when, maybe about 30 min into the race, I moved to the front after the long climb. I was not trying to create a large gap, but put pressure on the others. Looking back, I might want to consider a different strategy for the future. At this point it was Dennis and Matt price riding with me. They passed with 2 or 3 to go, and I was starting to get tired. Matt put on a huge attack starting at line, and again at the hill. He was laying down some mad power. I could tell from across the field that he was ready to run and had some fight in him. I never caught his wheel, but stayed on Dennis. On the last lap, I almost rolled past Dennis, he saw me coming around and put up a fight from the top of the hill to the barrier. I thought he had me purely on the reserves he had, but gave it one last shot at the barriers. We were even going in, but I got around him. At that point I was able to see Alex from the Hub gaining fast. I made sure the mount was clean, then hauled off on the two hills in front of me. The long sweeping right hander into the ball field had me hanging it all out, pedaling through the corners, and pushing the big meat. I was lucky to take second for the day. My winnings were spent having refreshments, and debating the finer points of seatposts. Cross is here, and the fire is raging.

On the way home, I grabbed some bags of ICE and took an ice bath to refresh the legs. The tech definatly is waiting to dump the ice in AFTER you get in the water. WOW the legs are like new, and ready for some more. It is worth the price of admission.

CX mods

2008-10-20T06:33:00.000-07:00

On Friday, I made some mods to the CX bike. First off was a 44 tooth large chainring. I swapped the 48 for a 44, in the hopes I could push the big meat longer in a race. It is paired with a 26-12 cassette, so I have a nice range to work with. Next up was a set of tubular wheels. This allows me to run the challenge grifo tubular tire. 34c gives you a tone of air to ride on, and really smooths out the ride on grass, and gravel. Both performed flawlessly yesterday. It is good when the machine performs to your expectations. Stay tuned for a race report.

Burning 6 Hour

2008-10-17T08:19:00.000-07:00

Finally feeling the postive energy of recovery today. Burning was high on my list at the beginning of the year, but after a long season, the motivation was not all there. Still, I packed up and trugged forward. My goal for the weekend was fun and four laps. I have never done 4 laps in one day before, and only done 3 laps consecutivley one other time. I was a bit nervous about my preperation when lining up. I have not faired well on the long MTB rides this summer, so the name of the game is disapline for me. This was my second burning, last year being my first racing the fast class with tim and tony.

Lap 1 and 2 were pretty consistant. I was about mid pack for the Lemans start, and going down the hill. There was a pile up at the drop in, and the switch back onto the lake loop was a choke point. The first lap was crowded and bunched up a bit. The most frustrating part is when I would pass people, and then mess up a tech section. I really did enjoy the company though, and for me this made the time pass quickly. It was nice to ride with friends new and old. Lap two was cleaner, and had me feeling great. I took a 20 min break after lap 2 and had a sandwich. Probably not the best idea, but the hunger was intence, and I really wanted to rest up for the second half. Lap 3 was on a full stomoch, so it took a while to get the blood flowing again. I was definatly feeling it on the last hill, and ended up walking a portion of it with Scott P. The fatigue was setting in on my legs, but I still felt good. A short break, and some gels had me feeling good enough to tackle the last lap. I felt the best on this lap until I hit the beach, then the cramps set in. It is hard to keep those negitive thoughts from coming in, but I tried my best. I was covering the doors and windows like in that move "Birds", trying to keep the darkness out. I had been feeling the twitching coming on since about half way around the last lap, so I was standing alot on the inclines, and spinning the flatter stuff. The last hill had me walking again, cramps came on strong right at the end. I really wanted to ride across the line, but had to limp like a stray mutt into the finish area. I didnt care at that point. I ended up in 6th place for my first real endurance race. I was ear to ear about that.

The rest of the day is kind of a blur. We ate, drank and cheered until Zach B. came across that line with hands in the air. What a sight to see.

This was a test of will for me. I had a ton of fun with the trail, conditions, and all of the great people that made this event happen, and participated.

No complaints about the trail condiitons. It was super fast, no dust, and perfect temps for the whole day. C-bluff is an epic trail, at 13 miles, it never really lets up. The legs were super spent and warrented an Ice Bath. Man this is the ticket to a fresh pair of legs. Maybe could have used a little more ice, but the feeling is great. This was a nice end to the MTB season.

Short Track

2008-10-06T10:14:00.000-07:00

Got up on Sunday, and felt pretty good about my self. So I loaded up and headed to C-wood for some short track/dirt crit. I only did one other short track race over the summer, same course, but opposite direction. Fair consideration was given to using the cross bike for this, but at the end of the day, the creek crossing helped make up my mind. I scoped the creek on Friday night. The recent heavy rains had made it wider. There was a small muddy puddle as you dropped in, then a long gravel bar, with a deeper creek section. The trail leading out had been paritaly washed away, and was wet from everyone crossing in the same general area. It made for some great fun. The race was set for 45min and 2 laps. I gave it little thought as I lined up. I started second row, not getting in a big hurry. The start was side open and quickly funneled into narrow switchback sections just like cross racing. We get on the single track, and I make some moves. As we roll into the field, I make a few more, and try to get some distance from those around me for the creek crossing. I made most of my moves in the first 2-3 laps, kind of hard to remember at this point. I do know that I moved around Ralph and Robert in the field, and Russel the Mussel at the creek during a bunch up. I had my sights set on a guy rolling a cross bike. He was flossing big time on the roots, and the drainage wash. I was able to pull up to about 10 sec. gap, but could not close the deal. Greg from Segul came around me super fast in the field. That sent me reeling and scrambling for power. Also around that time, Robert came around me, and slowly pulled away. At this point I was deep in the red, and asking buddy if there was only one lap left. In reality there were 4. I put in some hard efforts to bridge up to metz, but every time I would see him, I biffed the creek crossing, or exploded my form. I was able to finished in good shape, 9th overall in the A race. I feel pretty good about the effort, and my discipline. I tried to keep it in check for the first half. I did that pretty well, still need some work on staying smooth.

For me, the main goal for the day was to not get lapped. While this almost happened, I crossed the line before CP was able to pass me on the final lap. It was close though.

The race promoter, Ralph Pfremmer did a bang up job for the race and the series. It was nothing but good people and good times. The 2 man really was awesome to watch. People were turning some hot laps.

Getting stoked for burning. I could feel the effort last night, even after a nap yesterday. Some quality recovery is in order, so I can be fresh for c-bluff, and an epic race.

Ronde Von Evergreen

2008-09-29T07:44:00.000-07:00

Yesterday had me headed to Evergreen park in Carbondale IL. I was stoked to ride this course. I remember it being fast and mostly grass. The course was the opposite direction of last year, with some added features. It was slightly more technical in the parts of the course that changed terrain conditions from tarmac to gravel. These were slick, and need some attention when passing through. The rest of the course was tight turns, a short steep ramp, and a gravel pile that was a momentum sucker. The corners were dragging on me toward the end, I think a smaller chainring will do the trick, something like a 44 o 46. The start of the race was fast and aggressive, with MJ, Russ and Christopher off in the front pack. I found my self separated from it, and chasing to catch the train. There were others in that group, Mark Shae and Casy. It took me two laps to get into a nice rhythm, I was feeling strong, and my HR had come back from the stratosphere. I made a quick stop at the pit for a rear wheel change. I lost many positions before this as I soft pedaled back to the pit. HUGE THANKS to Boz for loaning me a sweet pro mavic cosmic wheel. That was the difference between a DNF and a finish. I buried myself trying to catch back up to the pack, but could not get back in the groove. I was taxed pretty bad with one to go, and could only see Boz several turns infront of me. I had no gas to try and attack, so cruised in. Not sure where I ended up, 15th or so I am guessing. A finish is always better for the ego and confidence than a DNF. Mesa had a good showing for the day. Christopher and Matt took 3/4 respectively, I wish I could have been up front for the party. Ill have to wait two weeks for another chance.

This was a well promoted event. The A race was super fast, with some drama, and mechanicals. Scott P stepped up and did the first series race in the A's. I had a total blast cheering the A race on.

Herman Cross Race

2008-09-22T07:33:00.000-07:00

Cross is Back!!!

First cross race of the season has come and gone. What a great time that was. The course was shortened, but packed a punch. There was some smoking fast grass sections with zig-zags, and switch backs. Most could be carved at high speed, or pedaled through. There was a bog section to give you the winter feel of cross, but with out the coldness, or sport balm smell. The stairs were also there in a shortened fashion. I had a bad start, losing me about 20 positions before we started down the pavement hill. I tied too hard, too soon to regain, sending me into the red. I focused on staying smooth. I really wanted to keep the strokes smooth, and constant. If you can do that in the big ring, the speed comes along. I was able to keep some consistency toward the end, and really turn up the heat. On the last lap, I heard the bell, and saw the group of 5 ahead of me that I needed to pass to get in the money. They were grouped tight, and moving. I believe Jason Watkins was pulling the train. I was able to pull up to them, but ran out of course to pass. The stairs came, and I was not able to move around, but managed a 10th place finish. I am stoked for that, since it is the first race of the year. I have alot of time to build on those results. Should be a sweet season.

The new bike ran flawlessly. No complaints what so ever with the bike. The gearing up front is dialed for some smooth operating, and the fit is perfect. I have finally dialed in the Sram shifters. They took a few rides to get used to, but now I have mastered them. I am not sure about the bottle cage I put on. I like to drink in the race, got 4 chances to do so in this one, but it gets in the way when soldering.

We got to rock the new black CX kits. When I put it on and looked in the window of the car, the song This is why Im hot from Lil wayne ran through my head. They are pro. It was nice to enjoy the party atmosphere of the race, and see some friends.

Now I need to clean up and get ready for carbondale. I hope the grass is dry, so I can run the Grifo sx tires. Those things are true speed. The Grifo performed well at Hermann. I did not have any issues with grip, braking or spinning in the mud. I was really impressed with the handeling in the corners as they sofend up. I did unseat the rear, which rubbed up against the brake, and wore down the bead, but that was probably piolot error. Overall I felt good with my form and my fitness. A few more races should hone in both to a higher level.

Tony "yanagi" Rocca

2008-09-19T13:59:00.000-07:00

Spoke with my friend Tony today. He is in Skagway AK working as a raft guide. He has been up there since April, and is working on his first year as a guide. Tony has guts and that is what counts. These are a couple of pics of us on the Grand. His first trip out there and we rip off a single day ascent in a shade over 18...hours. That was including an hour nap I took while sitting/leaning up against a rock at 11k. On the way down we run into a griz coming up the trail, and torrential rain in the last mile. All this did was fire us up more for the icing on the cake. A pitcher of Moose Drool Brown Ale, and a pizza... EACH! Ohh, thats not your call, then lets have a Bitch Creek ESB. The second pic is us with my dad in Teton Canyon for some "Moderate" trad climbing. While we were ther we met Jimmy Chin http://www.jimmychinphotography.com/, I got my balls kicked by a super hard sport rout, climbed some moderate rock, got the rope tangled, discussed the finer points of henson clutches with the locals, and as depicted, threw down on some more local Micro.

A true friend, that knows how to live the good life, a pint at a time.

ToM Stage 7

2008-09-15T10:20:00.000-07:00

We had kickass seats for this. I was in the grass area on Forest park Parkway in between Compton and Grand. We got to see them from both directions, and had awesome photo opportunity. Here are a few pics. The weather turned out great, the beer was good, and spirits were high. Afterward we went down to the south grand neighborhood and ate at Pho Grand. That place is sweet. A new favorite in my book, I am stoked to try the Afghanie place next door also.

Pictures from stage six are at home, so I will have to get those tomorrow.

Cross @ Queeny

2008-09-12T10:38:00.001-07:00

Last night I went out to Queeny to practice my chops on my new bike. Boz had some sweet homemade barriers, and we layed out a badass course. It was a similar, shortened version of last years race. 6 people showed, and we had some fun.

Queeny has huge potential for cross racing and practice. There are a labyrinth of gravel and dirt roads, and paths/trails. There could be an epic race here on mowed paths which would remind you of the groundhog race. This will be a training ground for me now. There is a field where people jump their horses, with varying terrain. Some of the jumps are perfect heigth for barriers.

Vuelta; ToM

2008-09-10T10:06:00.000-07:00

Frier beats out Boonen in stage 11 of the Vuelta today.. stay tuned for video. Cant wait to see the extream Wattage.

Tour of Mo TT is today, Cav is holding yellow going into it. I cannot wait until this weekend to see some smoking fast dudes. I had a sweet sign last year that got several thumbs up, it will be used again. You can barley read it in the photo, but I think the point is delivered.

I plan on sitting out on 94 in Agusta to catch the Peleton, and sitting somwhere in FOPO to catch the pack going by on the parkway. That seems to be best value for money.

NORBA at Greensfelder

2008-09-08T18:59:00.000-07:00

Some of the action...

This was my first race last year, so I figured I should cat up. The start was super fast, I was lucky to settle into good position. For the first lap I was behind TA and Furman. I made a pass on the start of the second lap, and was feeling strong. I dropped my chain on the short ramp, and lost a position as TA climbed by. I was trying hard to get back in the game, but wasn't able to swing it. Jim Krewet, and Fletcher were next to pass, and I knew the pace was slowing, steering was sloppy. I tried to hang on at the gravel road, as I caught the last glimpse of them up the hill. I was able to hold a good pace for about half the race. I turned in 4 good laps. The last 3 wore me down quick, and left me contemplating a DNF. I was reminded of the movie Heat. There was a scene where Robert De Niro told John Sizemore "If you cant handle the heat, then maybe you should walk away from the action." John replied "Nah...No you see for me..the heat is the action." That is where its at for me. Walking up to the face of uncertenty, adversity, and attrition, and hammering through. Never quitting.

I probably got going too fast, and had nothing left for the last 1.5 laps. I crashed going uphill, and jacked up my wrist good and right. This morning it is getting back to the normal feeling, but I was getting nervous about it. Finishing my first expert race felt like a real accomplishment. I am stoked to do more, and if 21 people keep showing up for the expert Norba races, Ill get what I want. Some real racing.

This was a good venue for a race. The loop was a little short, but it packs a punch. The creek crossing before steep climb is something you just have to launch. I mean how lucky can you get to have someone snap a pic of you jumping a creek? By the sixth lap, I could feel the climbing zapping my legs. My favorite part of this loop is the cornering. There are two wall rides, and several corners that you can carve at speed. I took some advice, and really tried to brake going into the corners, and then let the speed carry me through. That was working very well. Great race, great people, and the trail...the trail is FIRE. There is still some time left in the year to get some MTB racing in, and I am all for it!!

The return of...Lance??

2008-09-08T11:56:00.000-07:00

http://www.velonews.com/article/82892/sources-lance-armstrong-coming-back

Could it be?? Lance in an Astana Jersey.

Pro cycling is always brimming with drama. The greatest sport there is. I have not made up my mind yet on weather or not he is a doper. If so, he did a good job of hiding it. But, so many others got caught. I wonder why he is coming back, and what made him change his mind. I would like to catch him at the Paris-Nice race. That would be sick. Even better would be the return of...

VINO

Those Radars are friggen sweet.

That would be some true drama.

CROSS!!

2008-09-05T07:52:00.000-07:00

Made it over to Forest Park last night. Despite the best efforts of traffic. Ralph pulled up next to me while I was gearing up. These pictures are courtesy of him. I have not had a chance to ride the new bike, with the exception of fitting, and around the parking lot/ driveway. First impressions very, very positive. The Grifos are soooo smooth. I was running 40 PSI in the back, and about 35 in the front. Not sure if this is in range or not, but it felt great. Super cush ride, fared well in the DEEP mud. I did unseat the rear wheel at one point, not sure how that happened. The rest of the ride was awesome. Check out that sweet bike fit. I felt very comfortable on the rig, very good positioning for some sick bike handling skills. Thanks to Breslin for that. I was expecting a pretty easy ride, but RP had a brutal course set up, with some steep climbs, and steady up hills in boggy mud. I was using the 25 alot. Got a chance to work on the mounts/dismounts, and shouldering. I am sore today from carrying the bike over the shoulder. A quick clean up, and I was off to the Taproom for some APA and some good times with friends.

Long weekend

2008-09-02T11:40:00.000-07:00

Friday was my birthday, and what better present than...a new cross bike. Let the season begin!! Friday had me at the gateway cup watching the 1,2 race, and shutting down square one brewery with friends.

Saturday Breslin and I did a night lap at C-bluff. Great conditions down there for the weekend. Not too much heat, or dust. We got some laps in on Sunday and one on Monday. I felt pretty good in the saddle up until the 2.5 hour mark, then fatige set in pretty quick. The lake loop is in tremendous shape. The traction is great on the corners and the short little ramps. The downhills were super fast, to the point where I dont recall riding them that fast before. Zach came down Sat and ripped off 4 laps before he surcame to the beer in his cooler. I have to admit that the Mexican Food in Hillsboro is pretty damn good.

Success!!!

2008-09-02T11:11:00.000-07:00

Saturday morning I was at C-Bluff, and made my way up to the top of the campground to get patchy cell service. Got a call through to my dad, and received great news that he had summited the Eiger. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Eiger This is in Interleukin. He took a guide (Freddy) as this was his first time on the mountain. They took a train up to the beginning of the route, and then hiked over snow to the high hut. The second pic from the top is him on the summit, with the ridge they climbed in the back ground. The profile of the mountain is of the Mittellegi Ridge on the NE side of the mountain. It looks like moderate climbing most of the way with healthy doses of exposer to keep you honest. My dad explained it as that with some sketch loose rock most of the way. He told me the exposer was up to 8000' of air at some points, with 3000' of air while walking across knife edge ridges. Two summits in a month, that is sick. Of course, what would climbing be without a pint afterwards. The last pic is the guide on the left, and on the right another guide from a party behind them during the climb.

Pulling down hard, luke warm lager...The good life son.

Up swing

2008-08-27T13:12:00.000-07:00

Two rides on the MTB this week. Great rides at C-wood and Chubb. Could not keep a smile off of my face. Its good to not feel like crap in the saddle. The Dogwood is in fast condition, and so is the CHubb for that matter. It looked like ther was some armoring done. I need to get out there more and hone the trail. I got owned in a few places that require buff skill.

Killing time...buffing trail.

2008-08-20T08:26:00.000-07:00

Went out to Greensfelder with my dog (sasha) last night and this morning to buff out some rough spots on the dogwood. There was a downed tree coming out of a corner that was killing flow, and had a serious re-route. This was bugging me big time. When I rode the trail Friday, I thought the log was small enougg to move by hand. It turned out to be a tree, and a saw would be the TECH. All I had was a garden rake, so I moved on to some of the muddy boggy sections. I was able to smooth out some sections, hopefully to promote draining. These were sections battered by horses, and the postholes trap water in them. I was able to buff out two areas. THese areas will help carry speed throug turns. I was running low on light and water for the third, and it was a large area. It still has some work to be done. The lower part of the trail is on the agenda for tonight. THat will take several hours to complete.

This morning, I woke up late, but still got going at 7am out of the parking lot. THis time I was armed with a bow saw. A dull bow Saw. It took 25 solid minitus of sawing to get through this log. It looked dead, but it was not rotted as much as first glance would lead you to believe. The log was across the trail, and was elevated about 9 inches off of the ground. Several logs had been loosly stacked on both sides, but it was shoody work. It looked like many had tried to roll over it, and dragged a chain ring. It was too high for horses to walk over, so I am guessing this was the source of the problem leading to the re-route. I was short on time, so I will need to go back an clean up the logs. I moved them off of the trail, but they need to be placed right so debries does not build up and soak the trail out. I forgot my camera both times, but I feel these actions were justified. I reviewed the IMBA handbook before doing this work.

The trail already has some bomber fast sections, the transitions into and out of these are what needs work. It will rock for the Sep 7th race.

NORBA @ Cape...Etc

2008-08-19T13:24:00.001-07:00

This was a good race, the first I have done in a while. I began the race feeling about 80%. The Drag race start really took it out of me, but I kept the pace going. A missed turn put me back to 6th place, and took me about a lap to catch up to 3rd. By the time I started the third lap, I was worked, unable to sustain the high end power. I lost my aggression when Scott P. passed me, and from there on all I cared about was a DNF. That would bruise my confidence more than a bad race. Scott and I traded places a few times in the race, he was rocking a SS in the sport race. Christopher had a bad fork, so bar rowed my bike. Congrats to him for manning up and performing well in his first expert race. Bold move man. The course really caught me off guard. The reports coming in explained it as similar to SIUE, with some (2) climbs. The amount of climbing was pretty brutal. 2 big climbs, with several smaller steeper sections, that had me out of the saddle and in the top of the cassette by the last two laps. Throw in some technical bike handling, and some skinny bermed corner, and you have a tough course. Its the type of course that you really enjoy racing. The locals really had the course dialed.

Probably will take a few weeks off of racing and riding for that matter. My legs are tired, and the motivation is slipping. That is the biggest thing I have going for me, it is what keeps me out of a negative mood. The spread on my HR for the race was out of its normal range 168 avg, and 187 max. it is usually within 10 beats for the performance. Some rest has been recommended, and should be the ticket to get me back in the right frame of mind. I just need to find something to do to keep me busy.

Both days this weekend had me up at 4:30am. Saturday I was the pit boss for Zach and Keeven. They showed up with their A game in KC for RIM. This was a good scene. I enjoyed chatting with team segual, and watching Mesa dominate the 6 hour race. Zach took 3rd overall, Keeven took First overall, on a SS. I got a chance to ride the RIM course. The middle section was brutal. I was familiar with the rest of the course, parts of it were used in the two previous xc races this summer. I went back for more of that flowy stuff. The rim job trail was pretty technical. I cannot imagine riding 7 laps on that stuff. Zach and Matt made it through and still had enough positive energy for the ride home. I slep straight through in the back seat of the war wagon.

Big weekend on Tap.

2008-08-15T12:09:00.001-07:00

Next NORBA race in cape garage door on Sunday. I am getting excited, a little anxious about it. I have not put in any intensity since the mishap on the OT. The riding has been spaced out, short, and at least one rest day between rides. I am heading to Landal tomorrow to help out Zach B. and Keeven. They will be waging an assault on the 6 hour race. I might even get to ride some of the trails.

I rode Greensfelder this morning. Dogwood is fast and in good shape, but there are a few areas that disrupt flow. I was owned on the Declue. I bashed both of my shins on a trip over the bars. This put me in a bad mood for the rest of the lap, so it was hard to enjoy the declue after that. Those trails are used hard by horses, and hardly by bikers, so I cant really bitch too much. I need to just shut my mouth, and take a rake and gloves over there to smooth out and armor sections that need attention.

2008-08-14T08:59:00.000-07:00

Congratulations are in order for my dad. He summited the Grand Teton yesterday, in a single push with a local Friend/bar tender at the Knotty Pine. Car to car took them about 16 and 1/2 hours! That is including an hour nap in the meadows, about 4.5 miles from the car. I spoke with him at 10:30 Tues night, he was getting ready to sleep for an hour, and then pick up Adam, and go to the trail head. They probably started around midnight, were up to the lowere saddle(11,200') by 4am, and about 12,000' at sunrise. That is where the business end of the climbing starts. They took the under hill ridge up to the east face. Looks like rock climbing up to 5.6 to the east face, then low angle scrambling, and snow to the summit block. I think they were able to traverse around the snow for the most part. The top picture is a picture of the grand from the south west aspect, taken from he summit of the middle Teuton. I am not certain, but the rout goes up the ridge to the right of the purple line. A worthy objective, on a noble mountain. NICE WORK!!

Healing

2008-08-07T11:24:00.000-07:00

Three days of healing, not recovery under my belt. I am kicking around getting back on the bike toinght, but have not made up my mind. The sorness is still with me, but not as bad as it was monday and Tuesday. The weather looks insane for the weekend. That means opitons abound for biking. MTB or Road will be the question, not weather or not it is going to rain on me.

Trying to put down the big numbers

2008-08-04T13:23:00.000-07:00

I wanted a big ride for Sunday. Christopher and I headed down to DD and 32 parking lot early, despite the threat of rain. While kitting up, we commented on the temp. It felt like it was about 70 degrees. We kicked around a few ideas, but decided on the middlefork, with the intention of riding gravel roads back. CP has posted about completing this in the past. I wrote the directions down on a piece of paper. The trail was in super shape. Fast, fast, fast. We were doing about an 8MPH average, and covering some ground. I didn't notice the heat until we were very close to the end of the trail. I could feel the power draining, and some twitching in my legs. Not a good sign, my response was to increase my fluid, and I took two enduralite pills. We were at the last gravel road before HWY J and I asked to shut it down and head back. We were about 2 miles from J, but I was concerned about water. The cramping set in hard soon after. We stopped at a house, and were lucky enuogh to get cold water with ice. We also checked our position, and made sure we were on track. I put some electrolytes in my cold water, and felt pretty good. I was on a stedy fueling program, GU, hammer bar, shot blocks, and heed with sustained energy, and some endurilights in my camelback. Soon after we started in, we hit a gravel hill that was several times longer than Matson hill. I had powered down significantly, and was walking the bike up the hill. I had to stop twice and sit down. The leg cramps were pretty significant, and were spreading to my chest. I was not in my right mind, and was telling Christopher to go get the car. Problem was, we did not know where we were so to speak. We moved on to hwy 49 and then on to the next county road, about 2 miles. At the bottom of a huge hill there was a T intersection. That was not in our directions. The moment I stopped pedaling, my legs locked up soo bad, I could not get off of my bike. Christopher suggested I lay in the creek, which I did for about 20 min. He scoped a house down the road about 1/2 mile, so I finally got off my ass and hobbled down there. For the second time, we met some very nice people that offered to drive us back to the car. There was absolutely no way I could ride/walk back. I was completely spent. We got the tour of Iron county as we drove to the car, bikes in the back of the truck. Even with cold water at Steve's house, and more at the car, the cramping was worse, and had moved to my whole body, hands, feet, chin, arms and abs. Luckily Christopher knows how to drive a stick, as I was in no conditions to drive. The next hour had me pouring sweat, elevated heart rate, and no appetite. A Gatorade really started to turn things around, but I am still in full recovery mode. I feel lucky that it turned out this way, as it could have been much worse. Had we been in the woods when this happened, the outcome would have been different.

After some research, I think it was heat exhaustion, dehydration, and electrolyte imbalance. That combo was enough to put me on my back, and break my will in half. I have never been so depleted of energy and motivation. It will take several days to pull through this one.

Looking back, I was in the saddle about 12 hours this week, the most this year for a week. The only other time I have completely shut down like this was last summer, on the middlefork, and on a week that was over 12 hours. Too much riding, too much heat, too much hubures. On a positive note, we did figure out how to connect gravel roads to the middlefork. The trail really is a gem. The decents are smoking fast, with lots of pedaling, and carving corners. The hills are not steep, but there are quite alot. Probably not the best choice for temps in the high 90's. This loop is best for mid oct or spring. The elevation gain on the trail is 4000+, that is huge for missouri. This trail rivals anything I have everdone. My biggest mistake was under estimating its power.

KEEP RIDING

Thurs.

2008-08-01T07:26:00.000-07:00

I would have thought for sure that the short track race was going to be canceled. I made up my mind befor I went to work yesterday. I took the road bike and fully commited to riding in Jeffco with Zach B. To my surprise, the race was on, even with 1/2 inch of rain, but I stayed commited. Our ride began at 141 and 44. I have been exploring Jeffco bit by bit for the last month. I get up to High Ridge, and go down Antire hill. That hill is really fun to decend, but commands respect. Zach B. and I had a few near misses at the top of the hill. He had a Dullie breathing down our necks when we were picking up speed. Then out of no where, Fido jumps out from under a fence and through the weeds. He almost got a specialized MONDO to the rib cage. On the first big corner, I cam in super hot. Zach got off into some of the loose gravel on the side, but was able to keep it up right. Nice work. I witnessed some great bike handeling,and was glade we could continue. Up Jim Weber, and up ereka high ridge to Byrness mill. The heat was cranked, but we moved on to new ground for me. I had a rout in mind that went up a road called FRANKS. Wow, that mammer jammer is long and steep. It keeps coming at you. it was about 30 miles of riding in 2 hours. not bad. around 2000 of vertical acent.

Pics from OT

2008-07-30T05:53:00.001-07:00

Here are some Pics from the weekend. These were taken at the C-bluff spur. Its wierd, because it barly looks like we are sweating. The last pic is from Sat morning, and my bad decision to run a 5k. I got 2nd place, but paid for it in stiffness for 3 days. My legs felt increadble on Sunday and Monday.

The crit last night was a different story. I was barley able to hang on to the pack, but I did. I was really feeling it on the ride home. The B race is faster, and once there is about 10 min left, the pace really kicks up. I made one brief trip up to the front, not all the way. That was enough for me. About the time I got up there, I was blown up, and had to pull back. These are truly different than the C race.

OT on the brain

2008-07-29T10:43:00.000-07:00

I cannot stop thinking about the OT and the tasty, epic single track that is down there. That sound of gravel under the tires is stuck in my head. I have been studying the maps on ozarktrail.com, and ozarktrail.com/planner. These are two very detailed sites. The southern trace creek section looks pretty good, but so does the northern section for that matter. I think our crew had a good plan of attack on Sunday. As I mentioned we parked at 32 and DD, rode north on Middlefork, and dropped packs at the c-bluff spur. That let us floss the lake trail, sans packs, which makes a huge difference. On the lake trail, you also get a chance to refill bottles at the beach. Caching at the spur also allows you to refuel, and head north on trace for as far as you want, or your pack will allow. One can also drop packs at the Middlefork/South Trace sign. The options are HUGE!! Can you believe this is Missouri?

If EPIC is the name of the game, you will want a pack, and bottles. With this heat, you are still most likley limited to 5 or 6 hours of water that you can effeciently carry. Research indicates that water is available on Trace, with exception relating to an 8 mile section. Your opiton there is water purification. There are many methods out there, some more effecient than others. Filter, and Iodine are the most common. I gave up on filters a long time ago. We were on a 15 day trek in New Mexico. The guy that brought the filter, didnt have room in the pack for it, so I volenteered to carry it for a few days. Nothing big, only a pound or so of weight for our water supply. On the second day, the filter became difficult to pump, due to cloggage. Unfortunatly, the shlep rock owner of the filter forgot the cleaning brush, renduring the filter useless. The remainder of the 13 days, we ran into few people, none of which has a cleaning brush. Bummer. Now that not so heavy pound, was dead weight, and taking up space. Luckly, we had two of these:

In the iodine universe of water purification, tablet are the most common. I prefer the bottle, because it will not run out, or go bad. This would be the ticket. Cant wait to get back down there, and cruise some trail.

EPIC

2008-07-28T12:48:00.000-07:00

Who is up for it??

Start at the lake, and ride Southern part of Trace creek. Cross the road and go over Bell mountain, taking the Joes creek loop, before heading back.

C-bluff

2008-07-28T07:41:00.000-07:00

Scott "Mr. Clean" Piepert, "Taco" Christopher Connely and myself headed down to the intersection of DD and 32 on Sunday morning. The legs were incredibly stiff from a 5k that I did on Sat. Morning. It was to benefit Easter Seals, and was held in Forest Park. I am not a runner, but I cracked off a 5k in 21:12. The rest of the day was spent on the couch, in the horizontal position. I got up only to drink a delicous Dutch lager, and pack for the trip. Anyways, back to Sunday. We planned to ride a lake loop, and headed that way. At the lake loop connector, we dropped packs, and geared up with the bare essentials. The lake loop is in awesome shape. I found myself being hypnotized by the sound of gravel crushing beneath the tires. Things were really coming together, carving corners, and lots of momentum. We did a CCW direction, my personal favorite for that trail. After that, we headed back to the car. The heat had taken a toll. Terrific conditions down there, even with an inch of rain the day before, you cant even tell. I will be going down there again soon. Still on the tick list is the middle fork loop, and a recon trip on the north or south trace creek. These excellent trails are just too close to ignore any longer. Pic will follow.

Eureka Springs Fat Tire Fest.

2008-07-21T11:40:00.000-07:00

This weekend had me down at the grandparents for some BBQ, sand pit washers, beer, and country music. "Texas Party" is a two day event that my grandfather throws every year. I was up late Fri night defending my title in shuffle board. Sat morning I did an easy spin to stay loose, and ate some more BBQ.

I awoke at 4:30 am on Sunday to drive to Eureka Springs AR. The race was a 9am start, so I wanted to get their early. The last 30 miles into ES is in the mountains, and I mean that. There is some great terrain down there. I got a good warm up in, and also had the nutrition dialed. The race started in the old town square, going up hill. I was truly flying on adrenaline. My HR before the start was 140, standing at the line. I was second row, and I knew it would spread out fast. They said GO, and I launched off of the line with two others on SS. We left every one behind, as we climbed some super steep drive ways, and then descended with our hair on fire down open roads with hairpin turns. There was a hair pin turn into a gravel jeep road, with several turns on loose chert. Back out on the road there were 4 of us spinning toward the first true singletrack section. The single track is close to the middlefork conditions. Loose small gravel with flow, and grade reversals. We climbed, and sawed off one of the 4 that came into the woods. There was a dude on SS riding off of the front with some conviction, and he got away. We were spread out as we did another mile of road after the first lung buster climb. The road was great to spin out on and regroup. Coming down a road hill, I slammed into the next single track section with tons of momentum and floss.

The new bontrager tires were great on the loose dry gravel. They really grabbed on to the corners at speed, and hooked up on the technical stuff. No complaints. I might have been running the pressure too low in them, but that is not their fault. I think these tires are designed more for DRY hard pack, and gravel to loose gravel.

The rest of the course was single track, save for the finish area. The trail just kept coming with loooong switchbacked hills up to 2 miles in length, and then flowy down hill sections. There were two secitons where I truly let it all hang out. No exaggeration, I did not hit the brakes for 15 seconds on a steep, tight, smooth gravel, full on down hill. The adrenaline rush was huge. By this time I am passing the expert field that started ahead of me. I was really riding hard, and feeling really good. I brought along two rooster booster packs that came in really handy. I could feel the rear wheel loose some air on a switch back, so I said to hell with it and put a tube in. This only lost me 3 min, and 3 spots, which I gained back with very short work. Within 15 mins, I was rolling up on a train of expert riders. They said the SS rider I was chasing passed about 5 min ago. I came around and just started drilling it. What killed my race was the missed turn at the dam, the Dam turn just snuck by me. I probably lost 6 min with that stupid mistake. That happened with about 5 miles to go. At that point, it was about 95 with sun, and the long up and down gravel was replaced with shorter, very technical, rocky sections. I was working on large groups, but with about a mile to go, I could feel some cramping coming on, so I powered down a little. I am still waiting on the final results. I did not stick around for the ceremony, because I was trying to find a ride back to the start line, about 5 miles away. I rode around the parking lot a few times, but it didnt seem like many people were leaving, so I geared up and got ready to ride back. I asked what the route was to get back, and how long it was. The answer "well, you go up that trail, and climb over the mountain, the climb up to the road is about 4 miles, then it is 2 miles to the town." I ended up finding a ride, so I really lucked out.

Over all this is one of the better races I have done this year. It was epic in length, and the trail just kept on bring a smile to my face. I have not raced this hard before. I could feel the pain and tiredness creeping up, but worked through it to get the most wonderful feeling in the world; MTB racing at the edge of your ability. You wouldn't know it from the results, but in the end I really enjoyed myself. I am going to keep racing, and training. Hopefully with some more experience I will get the results I want, without the mistakes of a ROOKIE.

Thompson

2008-07-17T09:24:00.000-07:00

Took the stumpjumper out to C wood last night. The bike felt wierd from a set up stand point, from the different cockpit. I got onto the rollercoaster for the first lap. Into the last section, where I consider you can pull the most G's, my seat comes off of the post. I racked myself sooooo bad. just walk it off son. the right ball took most of the force, but from the look of the post, it could have been alot worse. I consider myself lucky. Its funny because I was reading the thompson website the other day and thinking about how often a post breaks. That seems to be their main advantage next to wait, the bend not break advantage. Now I fully understand what they are talking about. It dosent just happen to DHers and freeriders. I will be hooking up a thompson post to replace the broken one. Walking and spinning easy back to the car always makes me feel like a poser. Maybe I am you say? What ever. Here are some pics of the damage, and the stumpie. Still a great bike. I need to do somthing about the heavy ass kore stem and bars. I could easly lose a pound doing that.

a href="http://bp3.blogger.com/_iWZqeYMtSg0/SH90ZUspFSI/AAAAAAAAAH8/1JL-nfq49Vg/s1600-h/DSCN0154.JPG">

I picked up some bontrager tires yester day from TK at ghissallo. They are tubless ready, but seem to have a better sidewall than the pythons. Word on the street is that the Lalonde brothers run these in WI. The tred looks like it is made for some dry conditions. It should be a good fast ride. Trail conditions sound like it is gravel and chert on the trail. a good fast tire sounds like the hook. 715 grams for those that care. I dont know how that compares, but we will see. I am going to set them up tonight and run them this weekend. I dont know much about the tubless tire set up, but evidently since there are no UST 29er tires out there, this is the next best thing.

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2008-07-16T11:28:00.000-07:00

This the the elevation profile for the course in AR for the weekend. It looks pretty tough. Definatly going to be a grinder of a race. I am going to make sure and get some rest in before hand. I just found the profile today, so I am trying to decide which bike to rock for this race. The 26 HT will climb well, and has UST. The 29 just feels like it has a motor on it when climbing though, so I am leaning toward that. What ever, we will jsut have to wait and see. I have laid out my training calander from now until the 17th of Aug. I am going to try and hit 95% of those workouts and restdays. I will be intergrating some hard core circut training in there, with at least three double days. Its what Mark Twight calls "the attitude of the knife"...cut off whats incomplete. I think that is originaly taken from the movie "Dune" but I am not certaine.

First B race last night at the crit. Faster pace, and smarter compitition made this an interesting experience. I made two trips up front, but there was nothing to be had. The amount of time it took to recover from these short efforts was about double what it took in the C race. With three to go, there was a sharp increase in speed that had me in good position, with good legs. I quickly realized that the anxiety level was increasing, so I backed off. Overall, a good race, and an easy spin to an from the park got me over 40 miles for the day.

I got a camera

2008-07-14T07:20:00.000-07:00

Check out my new bikes that I got in June!!

The Salsa is FAST!! The Seven is super fast, and both climb like a dream. The seven frame is all steel. I am really impressed with thed smoother ride that it provides. It came in handy over the weekend on a 52 mile ride through Jeff CO. We rolled early on Sat morning from Kirkwood. Over 141 and onto Hillsboro road we traveled. This time we went up Jim Weber road. I wish we had more time to ride the whole loop, but Keith had to be back my 9:30. Not really complaining, I was in a pretty fragile state from the night before. Friday afternoon was a booze cruise on the meramec river in Fenton.

Hill Country

2008-07-11T11:52:00.000-07:00

I took the new road bike out to Wildwood for some hills. I hit the big ones to see how the bike climbs. Warm up on Shepard road, climb up ALT road, Allenton, Wild Horse, and some rollers in the middle. 48 miles with an 18.6 avg. It felt good to be in the saddle for 2.5 hours. I need a few more rides like this in me with in the next couple of weeks. This was my second ride out there this week. I also hit up LV for some SS riding, but the legs were super tired last night. I ended up doing two easy laps and shuttin'er down. The weather looks good for the weekend, so I am contemplating some longer road and off road rides. The motivation is running strong right now, so Ill take it. I am committing to the race in Eureka Springs Ar next week. http://www.fattirefestival.com/ It looks pretty good. Maybe I will get some revenge and redemption from my DNF last week. I guess I am finally over that. I really want to perform well at an AMBCS event, so this is my chance

DNF

2008-07-09T10:46:00.000-07:00

Big disapointment on Sunday. The Dino Race in IN has been on my calander and my mind for two months now. I was looking forward to it, just like all MTB races. I got to ride up there and spend the weekend with some of the fastest dudes in the midwest. Dave tore up the expert race, Zach tore up the sport race, and I tore up the sidewall of my python rear tire. Wes told me that I would cut a sidewall on that tire, now I believe him. Zach B. won the highly covented (to me) overall sport race. That is his second win for the overall this year I believe. Davey B won the expert overall, his second in a row. Two very good performances on a demanding course. The course...? Demanding physically and technically from a bike handeling standpoint. There was some slop on the warm up lap, and some dought in my mind about how fast it would be. I almost missed my start because I was dicking around on the course, and forgot my watch was an hour behind. I rolled to the start, and started my pregame focus session. I was dialed. The horn went off, and so did I, third into the woods. The leader started to pull away, but the second was not keeping up. Second guy goes down, and I spin out to catch up. At a slop up hill by the bridge, the leader slips and I get around. We were about 4 min in at that point. I keep it toghether on the hills, passing the wave infront of me. Toward the end of the lap, I hear a hiss, what ever, no distractions now. I keep pushing, and soon enough I feel the soft back end creeping up. I knew I had time, and my HR was in check, so I calmly add some air and am on my way again. Problem solved....NOT!! Again, I add some air, this time checking and confirming a sidewall cut. BALLS!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! I wait a bit to see if it will seal. People begin to pass, #2, zac B, #3, #4. I air up and roll through the starting line, begging for a tube. Its my fault I didnt have one, because I am a complte ROK. Some day I will get the hang of this MTB race thing. I aired up until the canistor ran out, which was enought to get me to the bridge. I ran back to the car to try and find a tube. There was one there, but the motivation was snowballing down hill at that point. I decided to throw in the towl. DEFEATED...OWNED...ROOKIE

I decided to make my self useful, and ring the cowbell for the Mesa crew and EP. Overall there is not much to be disappointed about, I have had good luck all year, and I know things like this happen. It will not change my overall drive to continue racing. MOVING ON.

Crit

2008-07-02T07:17:00.000-07:00

Last night came together real well. I hung in the pack, doing some work up front, but not for too long. The pace was being pushed by none other than Christopher. With three to go, I was front third of the pack, and kept this position while there was alot of movement around me. Like DB told me, "stay in the center of the pack, and everyone else is moving around you, like Danail-san. Most broke early on the last lap, at the bottom of the hill, I just carried some sick momentum to the top, and accelerated to the last 30 meters, then got out of a saddle. At the top of the hill, I rolled up on a junior, he was ready for a sprint, I did, he won. Evidently he is a 2, that was in the C race to help his dad who is a "Legit 5" I will be catting up next week. Afterwards we had a BBQ in the park. Good food, good beer, good friends. Great way to end the day.

Big shout to MJ at Mesa, he really did an awesome job setting my up on a new ride. I bought his Seven frame from him, and swapped some parts onto it. The ride is unbelievably smooth. At any speed, the smoothness is the same. Also, when you hit the gas, this thing moves. I had a FSA SLK carbon crank with 53/39 put on, that makes a huge difference. I am super impressed with the difference this bike makes. I am really fired up to go and ride some of my training routs to see how it rides. Legs were also good last night. Felt somewhat sluggish early in the ride, but things loosened up as time went on. This weekend should be hard core. Stay tuned for pictures of the new ride.

Middlefork of the OT; Wicked Pissa

2008-06-30T11:41:00.001-07:00

Dave, Zach, Keeven, Christopher, Carl and I rode part of the middlefork yesterday. The weather was perfect, along with the trail conditions. I have ridden some of that trail before, but we went much further yesterday. The trail tread is mostly small rock, with some sustained sections of loose over hard. The terrain is rolling with a barrage of moderate, switchbacked climbs that go right into moderate flowing switchbacked downhills. For around here in the Midwest, this is where its at. The isolation makes it prett epic to ride this alone, but a trip to this area is well worth it. There were two downhill sections in particular that were memorable, truly sustained and fast! The climbing was long, but not anything to totally burn your legs off. We logged about 34 miles round trip, with our turn around placed at the top of a ridge on cr 3222? It looked like the was a ways to go to the terminus of the section. On CP's blog there is a map of a loop that will let one ride the entire trail, and return on mainly gravel roads. This seems like a good task to attack in the next few weeks. I will be making a bid for this loop soon enough. Probably will not change much about how I prepared. I have not gotten alot of long rides in my legs this year, so there was some pain toward the end of the ride yesterday. The last 5 miles were a crawl back up to the parking lot. I was somwhat fatigued, and felt the beginnings of some cramping. The double secret mix I prepared did the trick on the cramping, but the fatigue had set in pretty good. Keeven rode with me as I limped back the last section. A few more of these types of rides should put me in a good spot for the latter part of the seaoson. This was a great trip on some of the best single track I have ridden this year. We are truly lucky to have this network of trail in our yard.

Afterward, we stopped at El Tapatio, on the border of Park Hills and Deslodge. I got a burrito about the size of a piece of firewood. That thing lasted about 3 minuites infront of me before it was gone. We didnt think it was going to be possible to make it on account of the element. When Dave was dogging the honda in the parking lot, a piece of gravel got lodged inbetween the frame and the driveshaft. We knocked it loose, and continued on our way.
IT WAS A KICKASS WEEKEND.

Dirt Crit

2008-06-27T09:02:00.000-07:00

I was on the fence about this until I read about the course for last night. NICE! I was familier with it, and knew that speed would be king. Now, what race should I do? Ill go with the big dogs. I lined up and hammered off of the line. Locked up the rear wheel in a ROK moment into the first turn. Almost laid the bike down at that point. I was 10th or 11th in the woods, and made some moves early. I spent most of the race alone, going anerobic, witht he pedal to the metal. With two laps ot go, I see Tom Albert getting close. I know he has the sand to bury me in a second. Once over the bridge, I lay it all down. For real, I gave it everything to stay infront of him, but came up short. I came across in 7th.

Last night was a great example of the growing MTB scene mere in STL. What a friggen blast it is to go out and hammer with friends, and then talk bikes, drink beer, and take in the good life. I dont know why, but last night seemed like a turning point for me, regarding cycling. Racing has changed me, for the better, and I am happy to have discovered it. I was talking to an old friend, Steven. We used to climb together, and work at the climbing gym together. He has gotten into racing receintly also. We were talking about how climbing has taken the back burner. More like been pushed to the back burner. I used to reject this, but I am not bothered by it much anymore. I still love climbing, and what it represents, but there are some huge differences. Bike racing is somthing that I am committing to, and holding my self accountable to on a daily basis. I desire to have somthing to be passionate about, to take my mind off of work at the end of the day. Life is good, Life is Great

2008-06-26T13:37:00.000-07:00

Tuesday night I went out for the Crit. I drove down to the park because my legs were fired from the weekend and monday. The race was good. The WT team seemed to be sitting out, they looked a little banged up. We pushed the pace up after about 12 min, and kept it there. I felt really good with acceleration, but not really good about keeping it sustained. We had some good position into the last hill, but I am guilty of breaking too early with everyone else. I rouned the corner, and hit the gas in the drops. I saw one person coming around on the right, got out of the saddle, but the response was not enough. I think I picked up 3rd, not bad.

I was poking around and saw this new SS prototype from Ridley. There are only 2 right now. Man, these look slick.

Pictures from KC

2008-06-24T07:12:00.001-07:00

C-wood was fast last night. 4 laps on the rollercoaster, with the throttle wide open on the last 2. On the grotpeter trail, heading back to the ranger cut off, I saw a new fawn. This thing looked malnutritioned, and could not move. There were two other gents there who were asking for directions to the ranger station. I think they were going to give someone a heads up, and get the deer some help. I was unsure about how to handle it. I passed the little fella twice more on the trail. He was unable to move, and had flies all over him. It was a pretty sorry sight, but I did not want to alter natures course. I have a pretty stiff view on this, but that is not to say I am right in my thinking. I am all about second chances in life, but how does that relate to him? ...Its a tough world we live in...

Trumans Big Love: Ride it like you stole it, just dont roll it!

2008-06-23T08:03:00.000-07:00

Left Sat night for KC with the Mesa Crew. Pizza and beer at Shakespears in COMO was the pre race carb load. We got a chance to sleep in, and dial the pre race ritual. Eating early, coffee, and a pre-ride of the course. The course had a flat grass start, that closed into a singletrack hole shot on a right facing switch back going up hill. This was a short moderate hill, nothing to bad. The hill dumped you into a wide open double track section, almost 1 mile long. This section was blazing fast. There was a technical hill that was loose at the bottom, and rocky at the top. The single track to follow was rocky, technical, and awesome overall. That dumped out into a field, and another rooty, twisty section. The second field was clutch, it allowed you to really flip the after burners on. The last section of single track was pure ecstasy. mostly down hill, with flowy corners and dips. Truly Nice.

We lined up at the line, my stomach was hurting pretty bad from the nerves. I honestly thought I was going to have to drop my bibs right there. That went away when the horn blew. Christopher and I had a second row start, but since I was crossed up from the get go, I move up quickly to the front 3. I was 3rd into the woods, and sitting pretty on the double track. We had already pulled away some, and at the hill, I ran around the 2 guys in front of me. They were super fast on the flat stuff, but not so much on the technical stuff. Christopher caught me going into the woods after the first field. We were riding strong, and I was settling in to a good rhythm, looking forward to riding with my team mate at the front of the pack, going for the overall. Soon after, I heard a loud, unmistakable sound of a tire burping, and it was over for Christopher. That sucks, he had barley gotten a chance to open up his new ride. I kept riding hard for the next lap. It was hot, and the sweat was flowing. The second lap I rode hard, pretty much at the limit physically and mentally. I backed off on the beginning of my third lap, and took a cheer pack. WOW, now I am cruising. I really turned up the heat on the flat stuff, and rode the single track hard, but dead focused on not making a mistake. All I could hear for a while was my heavy breathing, but soon that faded away also. It was quiet till I crossed the line, and was greeted by the Team Segaul crew. Nice work Guys!!
I won the age group, and got 3rd overall in sport. The rest of the crew did really well also. STL really came for blood on this race, but at the end of the day its all about having a good time. We did exactly that. Good friends and good beer.

The new bike work well. I think it is made for that type of riding. I was impressed with the highspeed handeling of this machine, but was most suprised with the way this thing climbs. Any input fromt he pedals sends this thing flying forward. This weekend was an absolute blast, I have alot to be thankfull for.
No Pics, I think a new camera is in store. I dont know though, I could use a new bike.

Crit

2008-06-18T11:56:00.000-07:00

Felt really good last night as I rode down to the park for some crit racing. Not alot of action last night, no one wanted to work on the front. Once again Christopher and I owned the race, and the people that would not pull through pouched the first 3 spots. No big woop. I am not trying to sound like I am better than anyone else. I got what I went down there for, some miles and some fun. I had a couple of brew dogs with zach B. afterwards. We spoke about racing and riding. Good times. He told me about how great chubb trail is right now. I am definatly heading out there tomarrow. It should be a ripper from how he described it.

Eff-ed

2008-06-17T08:03:00.001-07:00

The Blue Ribbon trial at C-wood is dead. Totally ruined!! For the most part, the only thing to blame is the consistent rain. The water ruts that have formed are DEEP!! In some places they are close to 2ft deep. I was about 1/2 way around on a CW direction, when I came to the big dip that takes you through the low lying areas, and up to a large hill. I did not even drop in. I could hear people in the distance moaning about the mud, and I could see that it was a slop fest. I guess I just did not want to clean my bike one more time. I turned around, and went back the way I came. It was pretty much a waste of time going back there, and I probably would not recommend going back there for the rest of the summer, barring any substantial amount of trail work. There was evidence of horses back there, but as I mentioned the damage didn't seemed to be their fault. The roller coaster was in pristine condition. I was rolling on the ss with 32x20. I was able to clean every big hill in that thing, so I think I am ready to slap on the 18tooth. I am also ready for a stans conversion kit on the SS. I was playing around with dropping the pressure on the tires. Running high pressure is the way of the past.

2008-06-16T06:42:00.000-07:00

Thursday night had me heading out to Matson Hill with my roomie. He had never been to Matson or Klondike, so I knew this would be a good time. All he had was the SS with a 20 tooth. We took off up the gravel hill, and started in on the singletrack. This was only the third time I have ridden there, but the first time it was fully dry. Very fast to say the least. When you dont have to worry about the front wheel washing out, that trail is awesome. The middle section is still very tough. Those short climbs really spike the HR, and put me in the pain box. We only did one lap at Matson. I thought I would be up fro more, but wasnt. We bombed the gravel down hill with the ass cheeks fully clinched. We set sail for Klondike, and gave those trails our best shot. We returned to the car with little daylight left.
The new bike really handled well, and I was excited to see how it does in the technical stuff. I was pretty impressed. The 29 makes you feel higher up, and a little more prone to tipping over in the low speed, extreamly technical stuff, but that is offset by the boost of confidence that you get in the highspeed flow sections. I have been asked about, or told that the back end of the of the dos niner is flexy. I cannot really pick this apart yet. I am still new to the tubless set up, so I dont know if the flat tire feeling is coming from that or the frame flex. once again this is mostly in the low speed areas, and when accelerating from a full stop. Overall, I am still in love with this bike, and am happy about the new addition.
After our session, we made a bee line to EL MAGU in the valley. We shut the place down after our 2 pitches of beer and burritos.

Saturday, I was in Bolivar, near springfield, and gunning for some singletrack at the Sac river trail. THis trail network is about 10 miles of rocky, tasty singletrack. The prospect of rain on Friday had me thinking twice about taking the new bike, so I loaded up the SS. I think it rained about 2 1/2 inches on the way down there, so that idea was done before it started. Instead, I opted for a 2 hr ride on the highline trail, a converted railroad bed. THis was an awesome ride, that had me going through some great country. The isolation was also nice. I only passed two other people. Here is the map.

I only had a 20 tooth on the bike, with a 32 up front, so the spinning was pretty furious. I went down the trail for an hour, and made it back in 55 flat. The rest of the day consisted of sitting in the pool and drinking keg beer. NICE!!

2008-06-12T08:12:00.000-07:00

C-wood was ripping last night. Finally it feels like summer, hot weather and biking late. I took the 26in out to dust it off. Taking the new one out today.

Tonight is Klondike and Matson if anyone is down for the sickness. I havent ridden Klondike since Sep, I figure it is time to work on the Tech skills.

Crit+

2008-06-11T07:14:00.000-07:00

Rode to the Crit last night from Kirkwood. I used the Grants trail to go south. This was a nice warm up. There was quite a crowed that hd gathered for the C race. Not sure how many. Christopher moved up fast, and I followed. It wasnt long (6min?) before we were off the front with the usual suspects from wild Trax and a solo rider. This group of 5 blasted the front off of the pack. No one bridged the gap that we formed. The pace was pretty fast, but I didnt get an AVG. I put some work in up front, alternating with Christopher, and the solo rider. The others put in enough to say they saw the front. Christopher must have pulled for the last 8 minuites leading up to the bell lap. Sick rip BRA!! WT riders were in front coming up the hill, with the solo rider coming up on the left. I tried to jump his wheel, but hesetated 1/2 second to long. I had half a wheel coming around the corner, but could barley match the acceleration. I finished 4th, about 2 lengths from the group. I downed some calories, and put the lights on for an easy spin home. 43 miles in all. Nice.

Revenge

2008-06-10T13:34:00.000-07:00

I have one thing on my mind, and that is the next race at Landal in two weeks. Between now and then, I will be the proud new owner of this CO2 TECH. Take no prisioners.

Rookie Bi-och

2008-06-09T07:05:00.000-07:00

Raced at Landalh in KC this weekend. The weather is beginning to warm up, and that summer MTB feeling is in full force. The nice, humid Missouri air kept the trails moist for traction, a few wet corners, and the rocks snotty. The course was tight and twisty. A very fast rolling trail, with corners that you can carve at speed. The technical sections consisted of rocks, roots, and some slick mud. These were minimal. A preride of the course really helped dial the layout, and the sections to keep an eye on. Zach and I got two laps in on the race course, chatted with some locals, and drank some brew dogs. The first two rides on the new bike were SWEET!!! This thing is Fast, fast, fast. That is what kept going through my head as I raced on Sunday. I began my race as usual, big ringing, and going hard. I got out in front and pushed it super hard. I rode half a lap with Tom Albert, before he rolled away. Laps one and two went really well. The heart rate was above 90% max, around 94% at times. I was aware of this, but not letting it affect my judgment. I was finding some nice recovery in the 88% max range. As far as pushing your self right to the edge, this felt good. On the third lap, I was drinking, when a "head up my ass" moment had me tweek my front tire as I avoided a tree. I pulled the bead off of the rim, and lost about half the air in the tire. I figured I could roll, and I did for about 10 min. This was slow, the steering was sloppy, and my mind was scattered. I had no CO2, because I am a rok, so I had to borrow air and a head. Also since I am a ROK, and my HR was rocketing, I wasted 10 min fumbling with trying to air up my tire. I had to borrow 4 cartridges before I got it to work. I owe my finish to the good will of other on the trail. During this time I saw Big ring zach brace roll by in a fist fight with someone, right on his wheel. He went on the clinch the sport race, age group and overall!! Nice work BRA!! I also had time to watch everyone in my age group roll by. SHIT!! That's right, it was me yelling that in the woods if you were wondering. I aired up and began pedaling, pissed at myself for not being prepared. I calmed down when I caught up to a fella from Omaha in the sport race. He was out there just having a blast, and it really made me re-evaluate my attitude. OK, Head out of my ass, and having fun again. I crossed the field, and into the last half of the course. This was the goods. Long sweeping corners, short dips, and speed all around. I crossed the line, happy to not be walking my bike. The beer was flowing like wine at the finish, but I had food on my mind. Some one mentioned BBQ, and it was on. Zach and I loaded up the truck, with a quick lesson on proper rigging TECH, and followed Tom, Wes, and Dave to Biffels. 1/2 pound of pork on a bun, some dark lager, crispy legs, and some steller single track my friend. Life just don't get much better.

2008-06-06T07:25:00.000-07:00

I took yesterday off, and rode low intensinty this morning. The legs have felt tired for the last two mornings. They responded well during the ride today. I have struggled with the consistancy and nutrution this week. I am super stoked to get through the day and pick up the new beuty at the shop. Tomarrow will be the madin voyage at landal.

Dos Niner

2008-06-05T05:35:00.000-07:00

Things have been going really well at work, and getting a new bike has been a short term goal of mine. I have had the stumpjumer since May 2006. I have made some upgrades and changes to the bike. But, I think it is about time for an addition to the stable. I like how the hardtail feels, it has done me well. I have little perspective to compare to. Every MTB I have ever owned has been a HT. This season in particular has been rough on the lower back. That coupled with the longing to do some long rides on the OT make me feel like I need something with a suspension. I am a pretty simple guy when it comes to bikes. That is why the Dos appeals to me. I considered a few other options, but this bike just looks rad. I am going to add the Mavic wheelset, so I can go tubeless. That should be a good ride. My 29er experience is limited to my redline SS. That thing is heavy, and feels sluggish in the turns, but it really gets the job done. I can rip some trails faster on that than the stumpie. I am super excited to put this thing through its paces. The first ride will be a pre-ride of Landal, followed by an XC race there on Sunday.

I feel good about this weekend. Racing has gotten kind of addicting for me. The first five minuites of a race leave me jacked up on addrinaline. I dont know if others feel the same, but I can just feel that energy. When you hear the word go, and everyone is close together, jockying for position. It is a raw, intense experience. The legs are tired from Tues still. I have heard nothing but good things about Landal. Its should be a great race. I am ready to Represent Mesa on the west side of the state.

Winner, winner, Chicken Dinner

2008-06-04T07:40:00.000-07:00

Tues night Crit was great last night. Christopher and I made a point to jam out in the back of the pack. It took some disapline, but we stayed back for about 10 min. Thats about half of the race for the C's. Wild Trax has a huge showing last night. There were about 6 or 7 guys, all at the front for most of the race. There were a few breaks early in the ride, none stuck, and no one chased. Eventually 4 WT guys jumped and it was on. I saw Christopher make a move on the hill, so I responded. We made it up to the break group, and sat in. I pulled for a few minuites, and so did some others. It was hard to get people to pull through. Christopher got hung out to dry on the front, he must have pulled for 3 or 4 laps before I moved from the back of the line to the front to give him a break. He pulled some more, but got no help. When the WT riders pulled through, the put a pretty good acceleration on, and really gave me a run for my $$. That was with three to go coming up the hill. On the last lap, I was 3rd, behind 2 WT riders, I was able to split them up, by moving into 2nd position. I latched onto a wheel up the hill, and he hit the gas into the finish. Rolling to the line, I clicked down 2 gears, and got out of the saddle. I went a little wide on the finish, but what ever.

Matson Hill Race

2008-06-02T10:22:00.000-07:00

Sunday was great weather, but the trails were a slop fest. Matson Hill is a great trail, but it is a trail that I am unfamiler with. I have only ridden it one other time before the race, and the conditions were similar. I took the QBP rep out ther the day ofter the 2007 Greensfelder race to show him some easter Mo. riding at Matson and klondike.

Zach B. and I pre rode the gravel hill and the first section of singletrack, about .75 miles in from the trailhead. We had a pretty good idea of what lay ahead. THats fine I thought. I knew that warm up was crutial, and we timed it perfictly. We got back to the car in time for a gel and some water, then boom. I got out in front on the gravel, and started climbing. Zac H. got aroung me about 3/4 of the way up and motored on. I grabbed his wheel briefly, but popped off quickly. I worked to reel him in, but stayed seated. This was very ineffective, and he was out of sight when I hit the road. I wound up the spin on the pavement, Scott P. was behind me, with the pack further back. We dropped in the singletrack, and surfed down the hill. I caught up to Zac a the bottom, just in time for a wipeout. Scott got around me, and powered up to Zac. He was putting some good pressure on him, and I was all over the place trying to keep up with the both of them. The bottom part of the trail was crap. Wet roots and rocks galor. The short up hill section out of the bottoms was spin city. Truly draining the energy. In the middle of the course, the steep stuff comes in. What a kick in the sac that is. I was so red lined from that on each lap, I could barly decend the section that followed. There were two sections like this, steep, wet, and nearly impossible not to spin your tire. The most effective tech seems to be find the gear you want to climb in, and go a click down from that. it requires alot more power, but you dont run the risk of spinning out. These sections had me despretly seeking my climbing ring up front. Crazy I know, but I was locked in the pain box. I passed Scott on the final climb finishing the 1st lap. He rode a centruy the day before, and it was showing. Normally he has me running scared, or chasing madly. My second lap had me about 1 min back from the lead in 2nd position. Toward the middle of the third lap, Zach B. came up behind me. I was bitching pretty bad at that point, but he kept on encouraging me to move on. He passed me on the steep stuff, and cleaned that section to boot. Looking good Bro. All I could do at that point was look forward to that final climb and the last switch back. Zach was gone, and I was blown. Done deal. I picked up 3rd for my effort.

This was a truly brutal race. I think this trail has some awsome potential. I bet it rips pretty damn hard with it is dry. The amount of climbing makes for a difficult race, but overall I think it is a great race course.

The Gunks

2008-05-29T08:23:00.001-07:00

Over the weekend, I took a trip to NY. The objective was climbing at the Gunks. I awoke at 3am on Friday morning to catch a 6am flight to NY. I felt like crap. I was able to sleep on the plane, and in the hotel when I arrived. We arrived at the crag around 3pm, and were able to get two long routs in. These were pretty casual, but, I did have to back off of one, and let my dad take the sharp end. We finished climbing, and ended the day with some quality Dog Fish head IPA. Our second day of climbing included some of my dads friends. The weather was perfect, and the climbing was just as good. These routs were of the more moderate nature. The last route of the day was the shortest and the hardest. A 50 foot thin finger crack that ran the whole way. The hands and feet were there the whole way, but it was sustained. I red pointed this rout, which boosted my confidence. I was in much need of this, as I have not been climbing a lot lately. The mental game is a huge part of climbing. If your head is not with you, especially on these exposed routes, you will wither up and die on the rock. It is amazing to me how quickly the mind will crumble in the face of a challenge. That is the struggle with leading bold climbs. The strength might be there, but you also have to have a sack, and be able to march into uncertainty. Sunday was our last day on the rock. Our first route required a bold lead right off of the bat. My dad walked up to this, and fired it. It was a great pitch with several consecutive thin foot moves at the top, with run out gear. I followed up, and when I got to the ledge, I grabbed the rack, and got ready to move. This looked to be another bold pitch. We were about 150 feet off the deck. The first 45 feet of climbing were traversing to the right, on thin hands and thinner feet. I had to go out an around a roof before it let off. My head seemed to be with me, so I move over to a climb named WRIST, one that we had done before. I started off on the first pitch, and quickly realized I had done this climb before. Halfway up the pitch was a left facing corner that had a crack in it, about 4 inches wide. Last time, 5 years ago, this section took me 15 min to get the balls to move through it. This day, I fired it, just moved right thorough it. My dad moved through the final pitch, which moved up to and around a roof. This was pretty exposed, which means that there is nothing below you for several hundred feet. Our final climb of the trip was an extremely technical, sustained route that was about 85 feet long. This was truly pumpy.

This will probably be the last trip that my dad and I will take for a while. He will be moving over seas for a few years, which will make our road trips harder to do. My dad and I have been climbing together for about ten years now. Over the years, we have both grown together in our skill and rock craft. We have spent a lot of time together, going on climbing trips all over the US and the world. He has taught me a lot over the years. Lessons like, the value of a dollar, and what you have to do to earn it, and more importantly how to live the good life; pulling down hard on good rock, and drinking good beer. These are the best experiences that I have had in my 24 years on earth, and we got to share these times together. I will never forget these moments in time. They have shaped my life, and who I am.

No pictures from the weekend, I still don’t have a camera.

2008-05-22T12:30:00.000-07:00

I rode 30 miles on the road yesterday. The legs were feeling it big time. 1:45 but it felt like twice that. The grants trail was quite busy. I take that down to the union/green park intersection, and bang a U onto green park. I am not sure about the milage, but this section of road (greenpark/Musik) shells you with consequtive rollers. It is good for a training ride.

After that we celebrated my roomies birthday with a BBQ and brew dogs. Lots of fun, but I had to shut'er down around 11:00pm so I could get up today and MTB.

I awoke a 5am, hit the snooze, and finally rolled out of bed at 6. Rolling at C-wood by 6:30am. Nice. The trails were dry and hitting hard. Roller coaster felt good. While owning the Grotepeter decent, I heard a rumble. Probably nothing. It started raining while climbing the lone wolf. Awsome. No windows on the Jeep, and the back is rolled up. Got about 45 min of riding in, and had to call it quits. The trail was wet. I almost bailed to begin with. Lack of motivation, and I feel like crap today. But decided the hard road is the way to go. The days that you feel the worst, are the days you work the hardest. I guess you pay your money and enjoy the ride.

I am headed to NY tomarrow for three days of climbing in the Gunks. The area boasts 250-300 foot cliffs. The specific area we go to (Near Trapps) is about 1.5 miles long, and has a roof running the entire length. The roof is anywhere from 5 to 15 feet long. Pretty much every route has a roof of some type on it. the picture showes me on the area mega classic "high exposure" I have just pulled the lip in this shot, and am climbing up the pumpy section. The holds are good, but there is about 200 feet of air under your ass at this point. Pretty heady.

This is a historicly signigicant area on the east coast when it comes to climbing. Jack Durrance learned to climb here when he was a college student at Dartmoth in the 1930's. The glory days, when men were men, and they climbed with hemp ropes and boots. He cut his teeth in the gunks and then went west to test himself. First person to summit Devils tower. He also had the second ascent on the same rout to rescue a stuntman that successfully parchuted onto the tower, but could not get down. Jack also put up many enjoyable day climbs in the Tetons, most notably on Symmetry Spire. These climbs are still great test pieces for anyone seeking great truly exposed adventure. When we go to the Gunks, my dad and I thumb through the guide book seek out routs that have first ascents by Jack Durrance. They are good value for money, and provide a great pucker factor. stay tuned for a full report when I return.

Still no win...but an awsome night!

2008-05-21T13:14:00.000-07:00

I did the Tues crit last night. I tried to spend a little more time in the back, which I did for about 4 laps. I then decided to do some work up front, and found my self in a solo break off of the pack. This lasted 2 full laps, before I was caught. Time to recover. I reeled it in and began to move up with 3 to go. There was a break on the last lap from wild trax (those guys are a strong group on and off road!!) I gave chase with one in tow. At the beginning of the hill, I cracked and was popped off of the chasing wild trax rider. Christopher cranked by me, sorry for no lead out, I am not Julian Dean. Within the last corner and final straight away he closed a tremendous amount of ground. Again, I was passed my most of the pack before the line. My legs were somewhat flat from this weekend, but still felt strong. Its all about the strategy. Ill get it dialed, and hopefully will be able to put something together this summer that will represent a win. Also, I saw MJs new SL2. That thing is sick! WOW Afterwards, MJ invited me to indulge in BBQ and HOPSLAM at his home. What a great ending for the evening. Truly wonderful. Hopslam is an IPA, which is defiantly a noble brew. This particular beer is probably one of the better IPAs I have ever had. The experience was tempered with great people, and a toasty fire. Simply amazing!

Im on Youtube

2008-05-21T11:24:00.000-07:00

Go in 4min 30sec to see me!

pics from WI

2008-05-20T09:11:00.001-07:00

This is a picture of the rock garden and the ledge that immediately followed it. In the second picture, you can see the guy running his bike, after he ate it in front of me. Thats about it.

WORS Treadfest

2008-05-19T15:12:00.001-07:00

This weekend was my first experience at a WORS race in WI. The event was held at a ski resort on lake Geneva. The course was a 5 mile loop that is depicted. This race was a painfest! The start was wide open and stayed that way as it went up a shorter hill, and pinched off into a dusty single track, no brake, white knuckle decent. This took you to a gravel road which lead to a second small climb, and another balls out decent and then to the longer climb. This was the meat of the climbing on the course. Nothing too sustained, and alot of it was on short cut grass and gravel. There was a loose switch back at the top that blew most everyones mind. Thats always fun when the adrenalin is pumping, and the competition is fierce. Once the top is reached, there was a bombing decent into the woods. This is where I got my first glimpse of WI single track. Tight, Twisty, varying conditions, varying terrain. Nothing crazy, just pure hard pack that you can pump hard while you are laying down some power on the pedals. The body English was being spread pretty thick, but the traffic was still thick at this point. The rock garden was alot of fun to go through. Mostly dry baby heads, with a good line through the middle, and some ancillary technical moves after that before you dumped out into a short double track section. The rest of the course took on this pattern, a section of single track, tight and technically demanding at speed, then a short double track seciton, which was suited well for blowing the doors off of the guy in front of you. there were probably 5 or 6 of the cycles. toward the end of the course, there was a short, loose, steep, off chamber climb that also melted alot of faces. right after this there were a set of switchbacks that slowed you down, but were not difficult. most people again crumbled under the pressure of having a rider behind them. I was able to get two completely clean laps in, with out even a foot dab, but the other two laps were not as clean. I almost mowed down a few spectators in the Rock Garden when this dude biffed it in front of me. Instead of moving out of the way, he is trying to get up and get on his bike/run in the rock garden! I swung around him and aggressively told him that I was passing, and I will get in front of him. There was a 2 second pause in my momentum that really pleased the massive crowd when I stuck it and passed this guy. The rest of the race had me going back and forth with several guys that were strong, but not technically sound. They would power by me and then make a mistake, giving me a chance to get around. I totally fried myself on the start and the first lap. I was about 8-10th into the woods, and moved up pretty well, but at the beginning of the second lap, I had to sit up and recover some. The second to last lap was beginning to fill up with negative thoughts, about pain, about weakness, about quitting, about self pity. I knew that I could hang in there. On the last lap, I rode hard. I was conservative in the few spots with downed logs, and roots, but the rest of the lap I hammered. I was spend when I crossed the line. I ended up 40th overall, and 7th in my age group. The age group timing had me as 35th, but when you look at the times, I was 40th. I consider this a pretty modest finish in this competitive series. our start was all of the under 29 groups. this was about 36 people. All in, this event was awesome!! Well planned and well executed. The trails reminded me of Binder lake in Jeff City, with the added climbing at the beginning. I am happy to have been exposed to this type of single track.

Tuesday Crit

2008-05-14T07:47:00.000-07:00

I showed up early to the Tuesday night Crit to get some spinning in before the C race. I rode for about an hour, but was interrupted buy brief hail, and about ten minuets of rain. that made the pavement super wet for the B race, not sure if the A race was cut short. Anyways, I lined up, feeling pretty loose, a little chill due to the wet clothing. Just like last week, I did alot of work upfront, and closed two gaps. One gap was small, but the other took several laps and some team work to close. I tried as best I could to chill in the back, but the wet pavement was sucking my confidence in my tires and others. Overall, the the pack did a good job of holding their line, and being safe. I was very apprehensive about the conditions, but am happy that I participated. At the beginning of the final 3 laps, I had great position in the middle of the pack. I moved up to the front 10 or so over the next lap, and got ready to drop the hammer on the last lap. I got out in front, but did not have a great response from the legs at the hill, even when I got out of the saddle. I finished pretty much at the back of the pack by the time I crossed the line.

Brisk ride

2008-05-13T05:28:00.000-07:00

Yesterday, the roomie and I went on a 39 mile ride at a brisk pace. Tim is riding a r1000 that has tri gearing on it. He really likes to push the big meat, hence the 18.5 avg for the ride. The legs felt good, maybe a little flat. We did a nice loop going past c-wood, and up st. Paul. The hills on this section are moderate relative to other wildwood hills. I experienced a slight burning sensation, though nothing major. We took our ride through streaker valley, and shiesterfield valley. The ride was topped off with a cruise down Conway to mason. GOOD STUFF.

I hope to ride the Tuesday night Crit tonight, this will be weather dependent of course. Evidently we picked up over an inch of rain in a 24 hour period this past weekend. Looks to be more on tap for the week. GREAT. This weather pattern is really effecting the consistency of my riding. I could be supplementing with some cross training in the basement, but who wants to do that this time of year? ohh well, if I can squeeze in a few more base rides before Friday, I will be happy. Then it is a few rest days until the WORS race.