Check out this camp site

I got a tip from an account about where to camp up off Teton Pass and found an awesome spot. There was a paraglide launch a couple hundred yards from my tent. I saw this moose right after thinking I heard a bear...

I worked in Idaho Falls and Pocatello on the way home and made it back with enough time to think I could make it from my house to Solitude in an hour 45 on my mtb for the weekly race. My number plate fell out of my jersey on the way and I stupidly turned around to look for it... that put me even more behind and I was totally pinned to get there on time. I barely made it but was pretty dehydrated and cramped on the first lap! I probably should have just called it but I figured it was good training for Leadville...


Sitting through a 4 hour web sales meeting now... looks like it will go till 7 or 8pm.

Now that's a burrito

3rd night in a row at Pica's up in Jackson. Having had my stand-by's the last two nights I let the guy working pick between two burritos I wanted to try. I was skeptical of a $10 burrito at first but got my money's worth! Did I finish it? No prob, with room for desert.

Jackson

Up in Jackson for a little racing this weekend and a few days of work beginning tomorrow. I'm psyched to have been able to coordinate the timing and combine my work trip with a little "pleasure." If you call racing up Teton Pass twice in a row pleasure...


This is from the "mountain bike" climb. 30+ minutes of this, some gravel roads then super steep switchbacks. Ouch. The descent off the top is unreal though- 3000' of sweet trail.


warming up... only got 10 minutes in as i was running a little late




This looks sweet huh? I had just set up the hamoch and was ready for some lounging. Then it started raining and didn't let up for 3 hours. I read in the tent until it was time for bed pretty much. Only got sort of wet luckily...


Couple days of running around working then I am heading south

Cool Pic

Not sure how I pulled this off, messing around with my camera on the side of the trail

Hannah was in town for the Tool show, which rocked by the way, and Monday evening we rode up to Dog Lake. Nice to get out of the heat. Summer is here in full effect!




Nationals seems like a blur- I made it home Sunday afternoon just in time to get some Pearl preseaons in the system prior to an 8pm deadline, eat some pizza and head to Tool. Sandwich that in between some really busy work weeks, trying to recover from BC, general stuff to do, and trying to be a somewhat worthy boyfriend and time has been really flying by.

Sol Vista is a pretty cool place, though it looks like kind of a bunny hill as far as skiing is concerned. BZ had set up a killer condo and was kind enough to let me crash. They had Versus there so I could watch the tour which was sweet because we don't have cable.

I was pretty disappointed with how my race went, but in retrospect maybe shouldn't have had such high expectations. Although the course suited me and I was riding really well in BC, this race wasn't a priority for the season and I wasn't even 100% sure I was going until 4 days before. Work had been busy since BC and I wasn't resting enough. Then I picked up a cold after the Snowbird ICUP and was fighting it off all week. Training wise I had no idea what to do after BC to prepare for this race and just kind of winged it. That's the joy of being your own coach! Blah blah blah, excuses excuses. No, no my point here is that I really wanted a top 10 and had dreams of a few spots more, though I probably shouldn't have...

I got a good start and rode in 10th place briefly on the 2nd lap. I was riding with Jeremiah and Jay Henry but had pushed it way too hard on the lower part of the climb to catch them and blew up as soon as I had closed the gap. I passed JB and then commenced to explode. I backed off and tried to recover and slipped back in to 20th at one point. I was having some stomach issues and couldn't drink enough so I was just trying to conserve energy and draw off my BC base. I started to pass guys after a while and ended up 15th which is a solid result, especially considering I wasn't having a great day. Somehow I was still only 2 minutes out of 10th- which is all the more frustrating because it makes me think about how it would have gone if I was riding well.

Every now and then you have those races where you learn a few things and I feel like I took away a lot from this one about how to improve. That's what its all about and I guess why as racers we are never completely satisfied. I am sure it annoys people, especially Sammi, for example, who has to hear me think out loud on the drive home. But that's why we race- to do our best and if we don't feel like we gave it our best effort we are always going to be looking to improve. Its not that the glass is half empty, its that its half full and I want it totally full. Kind of trailing off here, its late and I have to get ready for OR tomorrow.

Got Fruit Flies?

We do. Might or might not have something to do with Sammi not taking the trash out while I was in BC. I'm not pointing any fingers...

Check out this trap that Sammi made- balsamic vinegar and a banana peel in a bowl with saran wrap over the top with little holes punched in. They follow their noses in but aren't smart enough to get out. Seems to be working.

BC Video

The blog has been suffering lately... check out this sweet video from BC.


This weekend I've been torn between MTB Nationals and the Breck 100. Going to have to make the call by the end of the day. Leaning towards nationals because I don't know how a 100 miler would be this close to BC. What to do, what to do...

Here's what stage racing will do to you

Tim Butler gets it done at dinner

Analogy Time

Utah is to Powder as BC is to Singletrack

No joke. Its amazing.

In the Wasatch on a good day you can pretty much pick your ridgeline and drop in to an untouched chute, face or tree run.

In BC it seems like you can pick any random fire road, ride along and drop in to any little trail and ride some hand-built great trail in nice dirt. Today in Squamish was one of my favorite days and the trail had a slightly different flavor than the rest. It seems like each day has had trails with a little different character.

I was feeling pretty good again today and ended up in no mans land a minute back of the lead team of McGrath and Sheppard. By the end the gap was up to a minute and a half or a little more. I was really happy with how my legs felt after over 15 hours racing in 5 days. I am getting used to my new bike size, saddle height and cleat position too and feel really comfortable in the single track and on the DH.

No pics today, Bart borrowed my camera cause his battery is dead, check the team site.

Time for dinner then heading to Whistler and out of the tent. Can't believe tomorrow is the last day, its all a blur now!

BC Pics

Squamish

Sea to Sky Highway



a little soft serve on the ferry

tent city

bear attack? nope just my arm after rallying dh through tight woods and bushes

sweet sunset

wrenching



no shortage of scenery


Still having a great time up in BC!

I've been feeling bad for Bart because he's been totally off his game- firing on 2 cylinders instead of his normal 5. Infected wisdom tooth, antibiotics, feverish, no legs, balled up back, IT band pain... any one of these things would make a 7 day stage race tough, all at once and you've got a recipe for misery! I only write this with the utmost respect because I ride with him all the time and know how fast he usually goes. Yesterday we estimated that we did at least 20,000 pedal strokes and he said every single one was absolute agony. Oh man, that sucks. Got to hand it to him for keeping a good attitude. He's still been charging though and we're sitting solid in 6th place.

Today we found out that we won't actually get a time penalty if we aren't together so I rode up to the leaders and rode with them for the day. I was comfortable riding with them because I was fresh and they've been driving the pace every day and only came off on the last downhill because they live here and know the trails so well. Secret lines everywhere. Once I got gapped I just couldn't get back on and finished 30ish seconds back or so.

Squamish day tomorrow!