alexanderthegrant

Downieville Pics

2011-07-13T22:41:00.001-06:00

Blog CPR

2011-06-23T07:19:00.001-06:00

Maybe some pics of my recent trip to VT and NY will breathe some life in to my neglected blog. I need to try to bring this thing around. I could write a book about my air travel fiasco this trip but I won't get in to it. I'll save it for an email to United.

On the Charlotte ferry headed to Whiteface.

Serious vertical

Nice location, this is out the hotel lobby in Lake Placid.

Good day for Cannondale

Ned and Joan on the ferry home

Wow

Hitting golf balls in to the pool above the waterfall. I will claim it, I hit one in!

Receding flood waters in Burlington. It was four feet higher. The ferry is still closed.

Great to be home in the summer. It had been years.

Found this beauty in an old photo album, I'm on the right, check the mowhawk.

Sitting at the airport in Chicago now, feeling like I got up at 4:30 am two days in a row and waiting for the Starbucks line to die down.

Monterey/Carmel pics

2011-04-19T10:49:00.001-06:00

In no particular order...

Full moon, or close to it.

We rented some townie bikes.

Funny, I just have shots of the coast but the coolest part about Carmel was the houses- architecture and landscaping.

The infamous pebble beach golf course in the distance.

Lots of shots of Point Lobos state reserve. Nice spot.

Sammi tried to steal a mussel while I took this pic. The camera doesn't lie.

Ride for Japan's tsunami victims this Sunday @ Contender

2011-03-18T15:48:00.001-06:00

Meet at Contender at 10 am this Sunday March 20. Don't forget to donate!! More info here

Starvation Point.

2011-02-02T21:33:00.001-07:00

This blog has been neglected lately... I've been swamped with work.

I did get a few rides in down south last weekend after working a few days in St. George. Met up with some of the Camp Lynda crew for a little but mostly just rallied the usual trails. Sunday morning we rode with the bunch as far as Starvation Point which is across the Arizona boarder looking down on to i15 in the canyon between St. George and Mesquite on the way to Vegas. Here are some pics from out there.

Here's Matt roasting raw coffee beans in a mini roaster. I am ruined now, totally spoiled. I'm seriously considering buying a small roaster.

And a parting shot from the trail. A few miles of this takes the edge off a long week of work immediately...

VT pics

2011-01-02T20:20:00.001-07:00

In no particular order...

The homestead

Hey Sammi go lay down and look up at the icicle, it's really
cool...

We heat with wood

Street hockey park. Scene of some intense games

The pond was frozen but not skateable

My grandma's new dog Joey

My cousin James and his girlfriend Alison

Mt Mansfield in the distance, highest peak in VT at just over 4,000 feet

Xc ski at Sleepy Hollow

Sick cabin that you can rent

Camel's Hump

Harsh...

Mmmm egg salad

The waterfall was almost frozen over

Sammi's first hockey game. We got two games in before it got too slushy.

What is it with labs and big sticks?

Old telephone at my grandma's

Old school coffee grinder

Antique stove

New years fire

Killing time in Boston before flying home

You can never be too prepared when it comes to reading glasses...

And a couple vids...

YouTube Video

Nor' Easter on the coast of Maine

2010-12-28T08:09:00.001-07:00

Surfing anyone?

here's a real charlie brown tree

2010-12-13T08:17:00.004-07:00

Not to be outdone by his son's lack a real tree, Ned takes it one step further!

Artificial Christmas tree this year

2010-12-07T21:07:00.001-07:00

Mostly chromoly, with a little aluminum, and English leather to boot.

Snow in Snow Canyon

2010-11-28T22:11:00.001-07:00

Costa Rica Pics

2010-11-26T10:16:00.001-07:00

Too much to tell, and they say a picture is worth 1,000 words. So here goes...

YouTube Video

Random Pics

2010-11-07T20:20:00.001-07:00

Lots going on lately, so here are some random pics. La Ruta is in 10 days and I am getting sick. Awesome... Hopefully it's a quick thing and I can get healthy in time!

Sammi was pretty excited about her birthday cake...

Good eats, good times

Nilla taking a nap

Guess which one I carved and which one Sammi carved

Dia de Los Muertos altar at Rosemary and Tyler's

Hey Margaret, need a drink? Or are those three enough?

Something on your nose there Anne...

Last shoreline of the year or will it dry out again after this weeks storms?

Aspens prime in Little Cottonwood

2010-10-21T08:08:00.001-06:00

Sammi and I hit a quick evening hike up in LCC last night. Check it out while it lasts!

Tales from "the brink"

2010-10-17T20:56:00.001-06:00

brink [bringk]
–noun
1. the edge or margin of a steep place or of land bordering water.
2. any extreme edge; verge.
3. a crucial or critical point, esp. of a situation or state beyond which success or catastrophe occurs: We were on the brink of war.

Evening hike up Lambs Canyon

2010-10-03T21:11:00.001-06:00

Encinitas & San Diego pics

2010-09-26T16:13:00.001-06:00

Great quick hitting trip for a wedding, some attempted surfing and a good way to unwind from Interbike. We stayed in Encinitas- cool town, I'd recommend it. I can say that I am one step closer to learning to surf... Some good tips from the rental place had us standing for a couple short "rides"yesterday. Sammi is better than me because she can actually paddle with her swimming and water polo background. She killed the body surfing too.

Stuffed full of fish tacos now and at the airport. Heading home...

Park City Point 2 Point Nutrition Redux

2010-09-15T08:45:00.004-06:00

This is as much for myself to look at next year as anything else but in case you were curious, read on.

Nutrition Breakdown: I'll just do day of. If I did night before I'd want to get in to the whole day before, and then the day before that... you get the point. I did eat a bunch of pasta and a chicken sausage for dinner among other things.

Breakfast: Oats with walnuts, maple syrup, pinch of salt and a sliced banana. Tropicana Orange juice with calcium and vitamin D, lots of pulp. 1 Monavie active gel left over from last year. Coffee too. That is essential. All this taken in a little after 5, was out of the house by 5:35 en route to pick up Ohran at the Canyons.

Feed strategy: I went with drop bags for the Deer Valley feed zones and it worked well. My bag was bright yellow so it was easy to see. I drove over to the Park City feed the morning of the race and left a cooler. It killed any warm up time but it was worth it when I stopped and grabbed an ice cold bottle and some cold Gu's before heading up Sprio in the heat of the day.

H20 form: 2 hydration packs with 50-60 oz each. I used one for the first leg and then grabbed the other at the 2nd feed. I finished the 2nd one with about 30 minutes left in the race but didn't finish the first. I had a spare tube in each pack and a spare CO2 in my jersey pocket. I also carried a tube and CO2 on my bike. Gotta have backup!

Sports drink form: 3 bottles of Carbo Rocket- again the first I did not finish but the 2nd and 3rd I did. Maybe should have been drinking more early on...

Gel Form: 8 total Gu's, 4 Roctane and 4 Regular. 6 of the 8 were caffeinated, 2 not. 4 of these were done in the last 2 hours. I popped a Jet Blackberry up Spiro, a Blueberry Pomegranate Roctane on Mid Mountain, an Espresso Love climbing that bitch of a fire road past the Canyons, and then a Vanilla Orange Roctane at the start of the last singletrack climb. I was cramping there and I swear that as soon as the Roctane hit my mouth I stopped cramping. I'm not just saying that because I sell Gu either...

Block Form: 2 bags of Chomps. Non caffeinated, I get enough caffeine in the Gu's and morning coffee.

Solid form: 3 Fig Newmans, 1 big chocolate chip cookie that crumbled in my jersey. I started just shoving cookies or whatever in my jersey in Breck and it works well because you don't have a wrapper to deal with. Just grab a handful and stuff it in your mouth. Oreos taste fine soaked in sweat!

What was lacking: I had planned to stop ad the aids and grab a brownie or other sugary treat and a Coke but Tostado was super fast in the feeds (and blew through the last one) and I didn't have time... I think I could have used something like that at aid 3, maybe next year I'll put a Double Shot Starbucks drink, Redbull or Coke in my cooler. A handful of Sweedish Fish would have been a good jersey pocket addition.

Overall thoughts- I really can't complain as I managed to win the race and beat last years time by 9 minutes, though I think I could have drank and ate more early on. I tried to put some pressure on Tostado on Steps and started to bonk... bad. He passed me and I just sat behind him and started to take on calories. Those eventually hit the system and I was better by Spriro but if I had paid more attention to eating early that may not have happened. But how do you not have one of those moments in a hour race. Maybe its inevitable, better ask Dave Wiens. He seems like he has it dialed for that duration...

I also made myself a little sick by downing all those Gu's in the last 2 hours I think. They were necessary to get me to the finish but made me feel crummy for an hour after. Just a lot of sugar and caffeine in my stomach when I was already a bit dehydrated. This may have been avoided by fueling more early, though who knows. That's the theme though- early, early early!!

Where to begin?

2010-09-12T14:39:00.001-06:00

How about nowhere... Pics sound good.

The bottom shot is the view as I type this on my phone on Sammi's parents back porch down in St. George. We went to Crazy For You at the Tuacahn amphitheater last night and it was a pretty good show. Awesome venue, pic doesn't do justice and I am pretty sure I wasn't even supposed to have the camera out. Figured since the show hadn't really started yet...

After the show I commented that all musicals seem to be love stories, to which Sammi's mom said "life is a love story," to which I said "life is a sport, drink it up."

So the Point 2 Point came and went and kicked my ass just as bad or worse than last year. The heat combined with a stiff south breeze on the climbs made it tough, as did the bumpy new sections of mid mountain on Iron Mountain. Not to mention the fact that Tostado was riding great. I need to put together a more comprehensive post about nutrition and how I felt so I can reference it next year... Hopefully this week. All in all though that is a killer race and I was super happy to defend my title!! Thanks to Jay, Shannon and everyone else involved.

In the meantime this quick trip
to St George comes on the heels of Ty's bachelor party in Brian Head. We camped out and hit the shuttle rides. Awesome time, but can't go in to any details- doesn't that violate the first
rule of bachelor parties??

Congrats to you and Lesha though man, stoked for you guys.

Excited for the wedding this week too!

Ok time for some iced coffee and some white line fever back to SLC.

Park City Point 2 Point Bike

2010-09-01T21:09:00.001-06:00

Getting it dialed in for the weekend...

Specs:
Frame- 2010 Scalpel
Fork- Lefty carbon 120mm w PBR (push button rebound)
Wheels- Mavic Crossmax SLR
Rubber- Conti Race King Protection 2.2 front and rear set up tubeless w Stan's
BB- Cdale BB30
Cranks- Cdale Hollowgram SL
Drivetrain/brakes/shifters- SRAM XX. 11/36 cassette. 42/28 chainrings
Rear shock- Fox RP23 (living in the past!)
Pedals- Crank Bros Egg Beater 3
Seatpost- Thompson Masterpiece
Saddle- Fizik Aliante VS
Stem- Cdale SI stem steerer 100mm +5 degree rise
Grips- Fizik Cross Country lock ons
Handlebar- FSA carbon riser
Weight- too heavy for Sly...

Leadville Helmet Cam Video

2010-08-25T16:50:00.003-06:00

Click Here

Breck Epic Stage 1 Vid

2010-08-22T20:45:00.002-06:00

Check it here

Fun stuff and rumor is it only gets better from here trail wise. Tomorrow we do a big chunk of the Colorado Trail. Stoked!

Leadville-Breck Epic- Park City Point 2 Point

2010-08-21T11:43:00.000-06:00

Wow time's been a blur lately... Leadville came and went and was just about as hard as expected. I felt OK and was determined to be in the mix at the front for the first half of the race.

I wore a helmet cam and got some footage of the lead group for the new Race Across the Sky movie. Some good shots of Todd Wells' butt. I knew once the race heated up on columbine I wouldn't be able to hang so I figured I'd do some work at the front to help break the record and get a little recognition at least. If I had sat on the whole way over then got dropped that would have been lame.

I paid for it later with a wicked late race bonk which probably would have happened anyway. A pb and honey sandwich pulled me out and I picked up a little steam coming in to the last 10 miles, though once that blown its hard to really come back. I was 2 minutes slower on the last leg than last year but I ended up 10 minutes faster so I can't complain.

I probably should have done at least one long race this year to prep for Laadville- though I guess I'll just use that as training for the real biggest race of the year- the Park City Point 2 Point!

With Beck Epic thrown in this week it's really a roll of the dice. 6 days racing at high altitude could either be a turbo boost or tire me right out. We'll see. Either way I am looking forward to some singletrack! I hear we race over 13,000 feet this week. Wowzah...

Stupor Crest

2010-08-03T21:28:00.004-06:00

In honor of the Samurai's Stupor Tour I am going to go ahead and name a ride after it. To qualify: this ride wasn't nearly as long or gnarly as the Stupor Tour and this post won't be nearly as interesting (no pics? lame). I like getting out for the endurance stuff but I also like being home for lunch...

Long story short- with Leadville and the Park City Point to Point coming up and a relative lack of training rides lately I decided to go pretty big on Sunday. I haven't really done any super long rides this year for whatever reason and it was time to give it a whirl. For better or for worse my training time has been super limited lately due to a busy work travel schedule and being blown from burning too many matches riding around in circles feeling crappy over in Colorado. That's another post entirely...

Anyway, to the chase... Sunday being my only full day off for a good 2-3 week chunk here I set out at 8 with the plan to ride Crest from the house, plus a little variation because it was an odd day and I couldn't go down Millcreek. I climbed steady up Big loving the new Flash. Once on dirt I was stoked to find out that it had rained a bunch overnight up there and the trail conditions were perfect.

I rode down past the Canyons to Pinebrook and bailed down through the development thinking I'd just head home over Parley's.
Well I was still feeling pretty good at that point so I thought I'd try to find the "trail" down to the golf course that I've never been able to find. Well, I still didn't find it... and after a while it was too late and I was committed to go over to Big Mountain. Anyone who has done that route knows... and even though I had, its always worse and longer than you think. I actually didn't mind though and was still feeling good by the time I hit the pass and went down Mormon Pioneer to the road and then down Emi.

Stats:
Time: 6hrs 12 mins door to door
Miles: ?
Vert: ?? any guesses?
Heart Rate: No data but spiked when a bee flew in my jersey and bit me multiple times on the back on a technical downhill
Power data: less than Lance
Pace: Steady and consistent
Stops: 2 for water (Solitude, Jeremy Store), 2 for nature, 1 social with the guys from Contender, 2 or 3 quick food stops
Hike-a-bikes: a few on the Great Western. You just cant ride those climbs. La Ruta prep!
Fluids consumed: 6 24 ounce bottles of water. You do the math.
Food consumed: 3 Gu's (2 Roctane's,1 new Mandarin Orange), 2 bags Chomps, 2 small cliff bars, 1 Nature Valley Oats N' Honey
Breakfast: Oats with syrup, walnuts and salt. Banana, Orange Juice. Coffee.
Recovery snack: a few bowls of Cherios with blueberries,honey and milk. Rissotto chips, apple with peanut butter, chocolate.
Tunes: iphone on shuffle
Wildlife: 1 metal moose that fooled me up by Parley's
Energy: Good. Solid all day and felt fresh at the end. Didn't feel that tired after. I think not riding hard for two weeks helped.
Misison accomplished? Yeah, super fun ride.

Intelligentsia

2010-07-23T08:11:00.000-06:00

For those like myself who love coffee but don't necessarily call themselves "aficionados" finding a good cup can be hit or miss- especially when on the road. I often defer to Starbucks, and order drinks made with espresso to avoid old burned coffee.

So while in Chicago for our Highway Two sales meeting, I ventured out after breakfast on the first morning and hit Starbucks to avoid the dreaded hotel "black water" coffee. It was good but I was quickly informed by a fellow rep and coffee connoisseur that I had totally missed the boat.

Apparently there was one of the best roasters in the country right around the corner- Intelligentsia. The place won some roasting/drink making contest ad is widely regarded as the best in the country. OK, I was sold and needed to try it.

So after the meetings were over yesterday afternoon we went to check it out. I stepped up to order an espresso and they recommended the Guatemalan single origin... Sure lay it on me.

It was served proper with a small glass of soda water to cleanse your pallet before, and was nothing short of amazing. I felt like a wine geek as we were talking about berry and cinnamon undertones. The aftertaste was pleasurable and I didn't even have he usual urge to chew some gum. It was seriously the best espresso I've had and I have drank plenty in places like Italy, Spain, France, Brasil, Peru, Chile and Costa Rica.

Needless to say I was back this morning and purchased a bag of beans along with my drink.

So when in Rome- er Chicago...
Check it out!

Pit stop in steamboat

2010-07-15T23:13:00.000-06:00

Stopped in Steamboat for the night to break up the drive to Granby. Pulled pork sandwiches and pea risotto were waiting. Good stuff. Check out the view from Hannah's deck. Not too shabby. Must be nice in the winter- need a snow report, look out the window.

Looks like a fun weekend of racing on tap. I signed up for xc, super d and short track. I just got a helmet cam and hopefully some sweet race movies will follow.

I felt a ton better last weekend at Solitude than I did in breck on the 4th. I was stoked to win my 3rd state title, especially on that course because you get a super long and fun downhill to look forward to each lap. Racing at Solitude is always a blast. Mitch and Rob were riding great dicing early on was fun.

Wednesday before work I went and tested the legs with a tt up dry creek- had a clean run at it for a time of 7 mins 50 seconds. I did 8 mins flat earlier this year but had to stop and unclip for a dog in the trail. Hopefully that bodes well for this weekend- though the main goal is to have fun!

Bike polo

2010-07-06T22:40:00.000-06:00

Took an evening walk around Liberty Park with Hannah, Sammi and my parents tonight. Lots of different sports in action... Soccer, volleyball, rugby, frisbee, baci, basketball, sword fighting and last but not least bike polo. Check out the custom bike... Complete with cardboard wheel guards to keep the ball out of the wheels. Looked like fun- maybe I ought to bring the scalpel out next Tuesday.

- Posted using BlogPress from my iPhone

Testing

2010-07-04T23:41:00.000-06:00

Trying out new blogger app for the iPhone... Maybe I'll be able to keep up some more consistent posting if its this convenient.

Super disappointing day at the Firecracker 50. Had some gastrointestinal issues last night in to this mooring and my stomach was a wreck during the race. No power in the legs either. Limped around to finish 20th after stopping to dnf once, then deciding to keep going.

Can't seen to put it all together when I want to this year... Always next time I guess.

Steamboat

2010-07-01T16:56:00.006-06:00

Pearl Spring 11 Sales Meeting in the books. It was in Vail this year which was super nice- allowed for two early morning mtb rides with some other reps and PI employees. Now I am up in Steamboat visiting my sis. My parents are in town so its a full family affair.

Sweet ride up Howlison with Han:

Humphrey slobber

Firecracker 50 on Sunday- gonna be tough!

Tram to Twin Peaks??

2010-06-19T08:55:00.003-06:00

Interesting stuff here...

What do you think?

Tough luck...

2010-06-15T21:45:00.002-06:00

I guess a little head wind on the bike this evening wasn't so bad... this is right around the corner from our house!

Back to reality

2010-06-10T07:52:00.004-06:00

It's always tough to get back in to the swing after going away on a race trip. I was telling Colt in a CyclingDirt interview that going to those races is like a psuedo fantasy life where I can pretend to be a pro cyclist! I'll take it though, fun stuff.

I managed to move in to a solid 2nd on the last day despite thinking that we had taken a wrong turn during the race. Jeremiah, Drew and I got away about a third of the way in to the race but all of a sudden on this one long climb we could see a group of riders in front of us, one jersey I recognized to be Christian, 3rd overall just 7 seconds behind me. I panicked a little and rode way too hard to close the gap but we did, and actually rode right by the group and regained the lead. Turns out they had cut the course, not us, so we were OK. I was blown from that effort though so when it came time to ramp it up in to the finish I just cruised in for 3rd happily. Never would have thought I could have come back from 7th overall to 2nd!

The trip home was harder than the race- spent the night with Tim Darwick in State College with Blake Harlan and Colt. Blake and I had to be at the airport at 5 so it made sense to get as close as we could. Finally fell asleep on the floor about 1 am... and about 2 Tim's roommate came home drunk and started making food and banging around. 3 hours of sleep turned in to 2 and we were at the airport. 3 flights later I landed in SLC. Tired is an understatement.

Since I've been back I've been wearing many hats- prepping and showing Spring 2011 Pearl Izumi Run, worked a trunk show with Kaenon Polarized at an optical office yesterday, selling some tires, etc.

Next up is the Firecracker 50 in Breck on the 4th. Its right after our S11 Pearl Izumi sales meeting and Sammi's sister's wedding. Going to have to hold out on the open bar, try to get to bed at a reasonable hour and get a few spins in to avoid the dreaded "sales meeting legs."

Coming around

2010-06-04T13:04:00.005-06:00

Turned things around after coming completely apart on Stage 2. Since then have 2 stage wins and 2 2nd place finishes. Both 2nd place finishes were super close- one I was right on JB's wheel, the other was the combined time Super D stage which ended up a tie time wise! He took the win since he had 3 1st places and 1 3rd and I had 1 1st, 2 3rds and a 2nd.

Killer riding out here and a super cool area. Interesting Amish and Mennonite settlements for sure. Wish I had a camera...

I lost such a huge chunk on Monday that its been a long road back to GC contention but I climbed at least one spot today. As much as I want to put it on cruise control tomorrow and just ride the last stage I think I need to pin it and see what kind of time I can get back. That's what I did today and it seemed to work. Who knows if my legs will agree though... been a long week!

Check here for race coverage:

MTB Race News
CyclingDirt
Bicycling.com
Cyclingnews

Ouch

2010-06-01T06:05:00.003-06:00

2 stages of the Trans-Sylvania down and I have been struggling. One thing I have come to realize racing bikes is that you have to have your bad days to enjoy the good ones and that racing always involves a little suffering. Yesterday's stage will go down as one of the toughest days I've had on a bike and some of the most memorable suffering.

Hard to put a finger on it really- maybe the heat, maybe the humidity, maybe I am cooked or unrested, maybe I have some allergies that are keeping my from breathing well here but I felt I riding under a heat lamp and breathing soup in shallow breaths. I suffered all day with no power and lost a ton on the climbs and pedaling sections. If it weren't for the sweet slow speed technical singletrack I would have lost even more time. Once I blew up I was like a car with a blown radiator... start going a little, uh oh in the red again, steam coming out, better slow down...

Hope to come around enough to feel like I am racing and not just trying to survive to the finish...

Transylvania Epic

2010-05-28T08:22:00.002-06:00

I am heading to State College, PA. for the 1st annual Transylvania Epic. Should be a good time and I'll surely spend the week getting beat up on by Jeremiah.

Follow us on twitter for updates through the week. Here's our link FactoryracingUS

Alegria

2010-05-19T21:05:00.002-06:00

Been wanting to catch a Cirque du Soleil show for a long time now but it seems like every time I am in Vegas I am too blown from a trade show or something to motivate to do anything. Sammi got us tickets to the show tomorrow night at the E-Center. For a guy who doesn't get out much this is exciting stuff!

Check the trailer here

Simple is good

2010-05-10T09:11:00.003-06:00

The yard is coming along. I am glad Sammi agrees that less is more. I am thinking a couple of Yucca plants and we are done!

Xeriscape coming along

2010-05-09T09:34:00.006-06:00

Some plants going in today maybe. Sammi is on a mission...

Sneak peak at the new Full Suspension label and jersey. Jerseys are available at all the Squatters and Wasatch brewpubs and the Beer Store on 300 West and 1700 South.

Tour de Brewtah

2010-05-08T10:05:00.002-06:00

So it seems I will be the new face of Full Suspension Pale Ale from Squatters starting next month!

Also looks like some custom jerseys were made which I will be signing on the last stop of the Tour de Brewtah this afternoon. Pretty crazy, should be slightly embarrassing and entertaining at the same time! Come on down from 4-6 pm and get your jersey, I don't have to sign it, don't worry...

Almost May, eh?

2010-04-29T09:42:00.001-06:00

Sod Cutter

2010-04-27T07:55:00.003-06:00

Say what? That's what I said...

So we're doing a little xeriscaping this summer, and when I say we I mean this is entirely Sammi's project and I will have no input. That's fine with me as she has this whole idea of how it should look. I'll be there to lend manual labor, "move that sod in to a pile over there..." "duh, ok."

She started digging one corner out one day last week, then I got home from Fruita last weekend to this! I guess out neighbors were renting a sod cutter and Sammi pitched in some $ and got to use it. Now if it were up to me we'd plant a few cactus and throw some rocks down but I get the feeling its going to be a little more involved than that. Something about looking nice...

Curse of the Otter

2010-04-20T17:09:00.002-06:00

Sea Otter 2010 is a wrap and coincidentally I haven't had that poor of a race since Sea Otter 2009. 2009 I know was the heat- 2010- well yeah it was still warm but not hot- but I felt just as crummy- or worse. Maybe I'm allergic to the place! I am sick now so maybe that was part of it. Just an off day I guess. Gotta take the good days with the bad. It was a pretty pathetic effort though. I moved up for 3/4 of a lap then backwards for the rest of the race.

On to the course- five three mile laps for a total of 15 miles, 40% on pavement, 55% dirt road, maybe 5% singletrack. With 2000' of climbing for the whole race I'd call it darn close to flat with a few short steep climbs. No climbs over say 1 minute or so, all ridden in the 42 tooth ring even by me who was blown sky high at the end of the race. I imagine the leaders were pushing monster gears up those.

I know a shorted course is better for spectators and therefore ultimately better for racers but they at least need to run a race long enough to call it a cross country. 1 hour 23 minutes for the win is hardly an xc. That's like summer cyclocross. I guess one more lap would have been more proper, 2 more maybe... though then I would have been teetering dangerously close to being pulled.

Ben said it well when he said that when you are feeling good you can do any course well and like it. When you aren't you can't ride any course and it sucks. Well I was feeling like garbage and that sure did suck!

On to the next...

New restaurant

2010-04-14T08:24:00.003-06:00

Frida Bistro on 700 South and 550ish West. Super good, fancy Mexican. Sammi and I went over the weekend to celebrate my birthday. Dinners came with grilled cactus and some killer rice, great sauces, and a small gordita appitizer on the house. I got this stuffed pepper with meat, nuts, dried fruit and a walnut sauce. We also tried a beet salad with some biznaga sugar cane that was pretty good. The blended margarita with fresh mango and cayenne pepper ruled. Didn't try the pineapple cilantro marg but I am sure its good.

Its a little on the pricey side compared to most Mexican but worth it once in a while. They even through in dessert for my birthday which was really weird because neither of us mentioned that it was in fact my bday. Unless Sammi was putting me on. I always thought I wanted to be a food writer, now its pretty clear to me that I suck at it, good thing I didn't try...

Moto for sale

2010-04-11T13:04:00.003-06:00

I'm selling my 2006 KLR 650. Killer bike, I just don't have the time to ride it offroad. Low miles, almost all on road. Just replaced the battery yesterday. Kills me to sell it, it was a great bike. If you are interested or know anyone who is let me know.

Hot off the presses

2010-04-05T20:45:00.004-06:00

Classic- a how often do you see a movie with the main character pictured in the front quoted on how great the movie is... in all seriousness though it is a really good movie and contrary to what the cover seems it's not entirely focused on Lance. Some other great story lines as well.

After it showed up I thought maybe I could have tried to get one sent out for free since I have a few small parts in it... But hey it was just 30 bucks and the more money they make the more they might consider making another movie about mountain biking.

Looks like another huge snowstorm... makes this seem like a distant memory rather than yesterday.

Raced the Cholla on Saturday and felt pretty good. My strategy going in was to just ride hard for the workout ahead of Sea Otter, moreso than the result, so I spent a lot of time setting the pace and sitting on the front in the wind. Burke put in some good surges which I was able to cover and after a few laps we were still together. It looked like it might come down to the wire until we hit some lapped traffic at an inopportune moment and he got around on a path I didn't see and a pretty good gap opened up. From there he just put his head down and it was a last lap tt in the wind. I kept it close and it was 15 seconds at the finish. I was happy with how I felt and the goal of blowing my legs up was accomplished! Hats off to Burke for the win.

5-8" of snow in the valley tonight... where was this weather in December??

Back to winter

2010-03-31T19:30:00.002-06:00

A few face shots this afternoon at Deer Valley with Sammi stood in stark contrast to the 80+ degree temps I was racing in over the weekend. Seems like the last few winters have been slow to start but finish with a bang. Maybe I've just noticed it more because I've been trying to get the bike season started a little earlier the past couple years.

This whole racing in March thing is pretty crazy- I didn't even used to touch a mountain bike until about May. The past couple years I've been making an effort to extend my bike season in hopes that maybe I'll improve more if I ride a bigger chunk of the year. Seemed to work and last year I had my best result in November at La Ruta.

Kicked off the first big event of the 2010 season over the weekend at the Fontana national. Despite suffering through an off day in the XC I was pretty happy with the weekend. I know my fitness is pretty good but just had no legs on Saturday. I finished and felt like I had just done a ride- not the typical post race feeling where you know you have nothing left. Legs felt fresh going up an down stairs and same thing Sunday morning- felt like I hadn't even raced. Not sure why, I guess sometimes you just have those days where you push on the gas and nothing really happens.

I felt much better warming up on Sunday and had a good short track- moving up to just outside the top 15 with 2 laps to go. Then I somehow crashed on the flattest part of the course in a sandy rut and that ended my race. It was pretty high speed so by the time I got my bearings, fixed my chain, and got going again I had lost too many places and was pulled out. I was encouraged though because I felt better than I normally do in a short track mid season.

Monday morning I felt like I was ready for stage 3, but had to take the day off for travel and I felt like I should rest. I guess this will just be a full rest week since yesterday the wicked winds and dust storm kept me off the bike, and today its back to winter.

There's no way I am busting out the trainer this time of year, or basically any time of year for that matter, so I'll chalk it up to some time off. Thinking I will head south over the weekend though to get some more time on dirt with Sea Otter coming up. Works out that there's the ICUP race down there and Sammi's family is going down for Easter.

Less than two weeks left of my 20's. Now that's something to think about... one of life's milestones I guess. Maybe I'll do a 20's recap post... or not!

Crank Brothers Meeting

2010-03-25T19:06:00.002-06:00

Not a bad place to enjoy breakfast...

The meeting was great with some killer new stuff coming out. I am sworn to secrecy for the time being...

New colors for 2010! Read it here first. Not sure what I think of that picture of me... Big thanks to Cannondale and Ohran for the support.

Spring Snow

2010-03-21T08:49:00.000-06:00

Wasatch Powderkeg 2010

2010-03-13T11:39:00.006-07:00

The Samurai climbing on his way to the win with a broken boot!

Bart skinning to 3rd

Jared finishes

Bart finishing

Tom Diegel 2nd

Cursed Trail

2010-03-08T06:56:00.002-07:00

January 2008- Brandon goes down on a ride and breaks a finger

March 2010- same ride, just a mile away he takes a stick in the lip for a nice puncture wound.

Saucered

2010-03-01T20:09:00.001-07:00

Notice to appear

2010-02-27T16:42:00.006-07:00

It's time to do my civic duty coming up- Jury Duty on March 8. I guess I'll just show up and hope it's not a week long trial or something. I just read A Civil Action- I can't imagine a year long trial. I'd have to fake some sort of bias...

Come to think of it that's two days after the first mtb race of the year in St. George.

Speaking of the first race- that's coming up quick and I always have the same doubts going in to the season- Oh great, I am going to get waxed and suffer like no other because I haven't been "training." Hopefully the skiing and spotty riding has at least maintained a little fitness.

Speaking of skiing, killer tour today. Weather held and turned out to be beautiful. Skied Red Baldy again, plus a few other lines in White Pine. Here are some pics...

The run- yep, its a long one...

Chocolate Cherios?!?

2010-02-22T08:34:00.002-07:00

Better than they sound, actually darn good.

Socal

2010-02-18T09:53:00.002-07:00

Not much excitement to report from the Kaenon Polarized sales meeting held in Huntington Beach and Newport Beach...

Meetings, coffee, breaks, coffee, meetings, beers, dinners, beautiful sunny weather, wicked smog, swanky beaches, redneck beaches, traffic, sprawl, millions of cruiser bikes and even a road ride or two to boot.

First time on the Socal coast though. Glad I got to see it. I'll be back to Laguna Beach just a few miles south for the Crank Brothers/Fizik meeting in a month.

Looking south from Huntington Beach- a little smoggy the first day

Irvine Lake in Santiago Canyon. This is where they had the Olympic Road race during the LA Olympics.

Denied at Leadville

2010-02-10T20:18:00.003-07:00

Looks like the only way I am going to get a shot at Lance in 2010 is to ride the Tour de France...

Dear Leadville Trail 100 Family,

We deeply regret that we were unable to accept your application into
the 2010 Leadville Trail 100 Mountain Bike Race. We really wish we
could accommodate every interested rider, but we simply can’t. Our
goal and primary obligation is to offer every racer the nation’s
highest quality athletic experience with the utmost degree of safety,
medical care and racer support. The ever increasing numbers of
returning racers and new applicants are testimony we are meeting our
goal. We do not keep a waiting list and cannot yet accept entries for
2011.

...

We are sincerely grateful for your enthusiasm and dedication to the
“Race Across the Sky”.

In appreciation,
Ken Chlouber
President, Leadville Trail 100

Snow Biking- Highs and Lows

2010-02-09T20:07:00.002-07:00

Had to run an EZ Up tent up to Park City this afternoon and took the opportunity to do a little snow biking. Turned out to be a nice roller coaster of psyched to not psyched, back again, repeat. As Tim would say the stoke-o-meter was all over the place.

Pull in to the parking lot- hell yeah going bikin'! Forgot a jersey to go under my jacket and tall riding socks. Crap.

Start riding- nice on the groomed bike path. Got over to Round Valley and it was a little soft and bumpy. Almost bagged it.

Then I found a single track- stoked. Two endos in random holes. Not stoked.

Rode some more groomed track then found another trail that was smooth and fast. Awesome. Even took a pic. Started riding downhill and hit a soft spot at speed- stuffed the front wheel and sailed on to my back. Unfortunately my bike was on the same trajectory... the nose of my bike seat came down hard right on the tip of my chin and I have an immediate headache. Minimal blood but a serious golf ball sized welt on my chin and snow stuffed down in my shoe covers. Wish I had those socks.

Burned it back to the car and was psyched to have been able to ride my bike. Can't complain, beats the road for sure!

Cool view of Mt. Olympus

2010-02-04T20:28:00.001-07:00

Chomping

2010-02-01T08:22:00.001-07:00

Change of Scenery

2010-01-29T22:12:00.003-07:00

It seems that some of my more loyal leadership is sick of seeing a pile of hair posted here. Blog creativity has been lacking- blogging about work seems boring and I have forgotten my camera on the rides I've done here in St. George. Here are some shots courtesy of Matt.

Tennis Ball

2010-01-20T06:39:00.004-07:00

In the words of my late grandma I gave myself a tennis ball cut last night. Chopped the mop, coulnd't take it any more.

My laptop has a virus and is on the fritz. I was torn between throwing it through the window and taking it in to get fixed. I went with the latter, though I think the former would have been more satisfying. I've resigned to a total loss and if they can save anything that's great. I really hope they can salvage my work contacts from Thunderbird... if not I may still throw it through the window. I am on Sammi's computer now, which we also think has the same virus but its in remission or something. Maybe she'll let me throw hers through the window if it breaks down.

Watch out for anyththing called Internet Security 2010!

Once in a Blue Moon

2010-01-01T10:08:00.004-07:00

Happy New Year!

Seasons

2009-12-28T21:49:00.002-07:00

Old Clothes Cleanout

2009-12-26T19:41:00.002-07:00

Went through and gave away a TON of old clothes. If you are in the market for some assorted used clothing head over to the DI, they are stocked now. That felt great. Here's what came off my t-shirt shelf, I should have counted...

Oh ya, Merry Christmas everyone!

Interconnect Tour a la Samurai

2009-12-19T16:36:00.010-07:00

First big tour of the year today. Here's how it went down:

Background:

This season I am making the switch to AT gear for touring. I'll still run the split board from time to time but I made the decision based on ease of travel in the backcountry. Yeah, the transitions are slow with a split board and it's probably not the most efficient for hiking up but I think it works great and have done some pretty big tours on it. The problem is that flat run outs suck and getting around in deep snow while strapped in or one footed SUCKS! Enter Voile Insane 183's, Scarpa F3's and Dynafits.

I just finished setting everything up this week and was stoked to get out and check out the new gear this weekend. When The Samurai proposed doing the Interconnect Tour from the base of Snowbird to Park City I figured what better way to break in the new gear and get the skinning legs going than to get out for a 5-6 hour 8-9k vert tour. The Samurai has 40ish days touring this year so I knew I was in for it, and had my fingers crossed for now blisters in the new boots. I figured it couldn't be worse than the Stupor Tour

The Route:

We started with the early bus up to Snowbird and were skinning up the Dick Bass highway by a little after 7:30. From there we were going to ski Mineral Basin, skin up to Alta, ski to Grizzly Gulch, skin up to Twin Lakes Pass, ski to Solitude, take the SolBright trail to Brighton then skin up Guardsman area and down to Park City.

The secret ploy:

Still holding a grudge from the punishment that Bart and I put him through an a couple of bike rides this summer Jared had a scheme brewed up to work me over.

Part 1: The Gear. Knowing I was going to be on some big (for a racer) fat skis he showed up equipped with some little 160 Dynafit race skis, tights, race bindings and euro carbon boots.

These things are lighter than my carbon road shoes!
Bart at least had some more normal pants and boots but still pulled out some little 160's. Uh oh, having skinned 1/2 hour all year and knowing how these guys roll I knew I was in for it.

Part 2: The steep ice hill. Knowing that I was new to my gear and didn't have skin edge to edge on my tips and tails Jared (or was it Bart?) suggested we punch it straight up the steepest (stupid steep) icy groomer we could find, with a snow gun showering light crystals on it. Almost at the top of the stupid thing I started sliding backwards and didn't stop till the bottom. 200 yards. High speed too, thought I was done for!

Part 3: The Binding. On the way to Solitude the heel piece of the binding that I coincidentally bought (but thankfully not yet paid for) from the Samurai broke in two and I had to ski the rest of the tour with one heel swinging free. Coincidence? You make the call.

Part 4: The Keys. Jared casually handed me a giant key ring with about 20 keys on it early in the tour and asked me to hold them for him. It wasn't until a few hours later that I realized he was trying to weigh me down...

On the run from the law:

Snowbird was super cool about us hiking up and skiing in bounds. Alta on the other hand was not and the girl at the gate heading over from Mineral was pretty rude and wouldn't let us through. She said we'd need to go back to from where we started and get Alta/Snowbird tickets... Yeah... We went around back of the shack and hid behind a hill where we ripped skins and then booked it across the cat track and tucked the whole resort. Good way to get the heart pumping, and practice my fast transitions...

On the way in to Park City we ran in to some more patrol/lifties who also wanted to foil our plans. This guy wouldn't let us ski down Park City and tried to send us miles out of the way in to Iron Canyon. Hmmm yeah sure. We went as far as the puke hill saddle then skied down to Shadow Lake and out the Spiro drainage. No arrests yet...

The Outcome:

All in all a great tour. Killer weather and some good skiing despite staying within resort boundaries and out of avalanche terrain. We hit Mineral Basin at 8:45 right before the masses and got some fresh turns. That was a highlight for sure.

So I guess I need to turn more.

Good skiing down to Brighton too over on Millicent.

The new gear was great and the freedom of being able to traverse through powder and walk through flats was pretty nice. I think I would have hated that tour on a splitboard.

No blisters and only a couple pressure points in the boots. Just getting used to the gear so my transition speed is still a little slow and I got heckled for it all day. Other than that I hope I didn't slow those guys down too much, though I don't think they'd have the heart to tell me if I did...

Good times though, can't wait for more stable conditions!

A sign that you've chosen a hood Chinese restaurant?

2009-12-18T07:32:00.003-07:00

Chanon Thai was packed so we tried South China House a few blocks east on 9th south. Good stuff.

Pelvic Quiz

2009-11-30T20:29:00.004-07:00

Why did this thing show up on my doorstep this afternoon?

A. Sammi's Christmas present

B. To hang in shorts during apparel presentations

C. Part of my plan to eventually replace all body parts after La Ruta

D. To help me sell more bike seats

E. Add flavor to turkey soup

F. Who cares, your blog is boring and nobody is reading

La Ruta

2009-11-18T16:13:00.006-07:00

Here are two pictures that embody the true spirit of La Ruta. All racing aside, La Ruta is about pushing your own boundaries and seeing what you are made of. These two guys are as tough as they come.

One arm- killed it the entire way. Amazing.

Look closely at the guy on the left... that's right, prosthetic leg. Wow.

That was certainly one of the most memorable experiences of my life and one of the most intense races I ever done. The night before the race, promoter Roman Urbina talked about the race and ended by saying that this race is mostly mental. You really need to be in the right state of mind just to finish the thing.

As for my 2nd place- I still can't believe that all came together. I rode my own race, stayed consistent and dug deep when I needed to. I am super excited though, I never would have thought I could get 2nd in my first attempt!

Check Cycling Dirt for lots of cool race videos, thanks Colt.

Check Monavie-Cannondale for a full race report courtesy of Bart.

Snow sports on the horizon...

Cruel and Unusual...

2009-11-07T09:00:00.004-07:00

Punishment...

I know some people get a vision of lounging at the beach enjoying a vacation when I say I am going to Costa Rica... getting up at 4 am every day to tackle this is what's in store. Mud, rain, heat, cold, piranhas, hiking, exhaustion I will be disappointed with anything less!

Word to the wise: Don't stretch an injury

2009-11-01T08:46:00.003-07:00

OK so I should know that already. Maybe I did but it was easy to forget. I hurt my back/left side ribs in my dual crashes last Saturday. I was pretty sore right below my armpit for a few days- just felt like a bruised rib/pulled muscle or something. It got better throughout the week and I wasn't feeling too bad. Sleep wasn't too much trouble and I thought I was fine. I even did some pullups and pushups this week pain free. I thought I was in the clear.

That all changed Friday night when I decided it would be good to stretch a little. I was doing normal stretches for me and came to one that I do all the time- extending arms to the ceiling, lengthening the spine and arching the back slowly. All of a sudden- "OH S%^$!" I felt some separation in my ribs in that spot down below my armpit and man, that hurts. Now I feel like I have broken rib and certain movements make me cry out, sleeping hurts like crazy and the cross race yesterday was excruciating. I tried to ignore it for the first part of the race but all the standing bumpy sections where you had to accelerate were killing me. Now I don't know what to do- maybe I should let it heal but cross is so fun that I am tempted to go suffer through another hour... it feels pretty messed up though...

Speaking of cross, yesterday at Wheeler was awesome. So many people out racing and watching. Super cool. I managed to get in the lead group and even gave it a shot at the front for a lap despite not being able to fully accelerate out of the saddle. I pinched in the creek bottom and lost some air before Stan's sealed the hole, but started to roll my tire a little in the corners. Even almost ended up in the goose pond! Ali got by me there then I proceeded to get in Bart and Eric's way for a bit and almost cost them the chance to contest the race. They got by me though and it went down to a sprint for the win, and I rolled in 4th.

Just writing that makes me want to go race, but just moving my arm makes me want to yell bloody murder. What to do, what to do...

Helmet insulation

2009-10-25T15:03:00.003-06:00

I was getting a little cold during yesterdays freezing cross race so I figured I'd pack my helmet vents for a little warmth...

Having a quite some luck racing cross this year- can't ride a clean race to save my life. Sorry to anyone I crashed in front of lap 1. I felt pretty bad, hopefully nobody's race was ruined. I got going again and got back in to the race and eventually made my way up to Bart, but that was short lived and I wadded it up in the exact same spot after another couple laps. After that I was riding to conservatively down that hill while Bart rallied it like it was dry. Very impressive cx mud skills! I still managed 2nd despite shivering my way through the last two laps. I really never warmed up the whole race. That was a cold one...

Killer mtb ride today through some off limits terrain. That's all I'm saying.

Trying to figure out how to prepare the mind for the suffering of La Ruta. Does anyone have any torture devices I can borrow? Going to need to push the pain tolerance a little higher!

Umas fotografias de Brasil

2009-10-23T07:06:00.008-06:00

OK so I really don't speak any Portuguese and my Spanish only helped me a little down there. I picked up a little Portuguese, though I did a better job picking up some nice Brasilian poison ivy/oak or something. Yaaaa itching like crazy!

Brasil

2009-10-20T04:58:00.003-06:00

About to spend one last day in Brasil then hop on a red eye back to the states. We are in Sao Paolo now which is big beyond big. I never imagined that so many apartment buildings could exist in one place. But then we are in the 4th largest city in the world and you have to put 18 million people somewhere. I guess Tokyo, Hong Kong and Mumbai are the only cities worldwide to beat out Sao Paolo. Wow.

The race took place out in the country though and it was beautiful- I'll get some pics up when I get home. The racing itself was very tough and we weren't quite able to ride with the top guys. Its tough when you travel across the world and try to perform at your best- there are just too many variables you can't control that you can at home. Travel takes a toll as well.

Its all about the experience though and we saw some cool stuff and participated in an amazing event. The people here are great and the culture is very unique.

Today we are doing a little city tour then heading to the airport.

Cao!

Last straw

2009-10-10T20:16:00.002-06:00

Another flat- that's it, I'm going tubeless or with some tubies.

This time I flatted about one minute in to the race when I had to make a last second adjustment in speed and direction while hopping a log to avoid Rico who had gone down on the log. I pinched and it slowly leaked to the point where I crashed in a corner because my tire folded and I was forced to nurse it over to the pits where I aired it up with a borrowed pump. The sealant held the new air and I set out to chase. I actually enjoyed the race and got a good workout which is why I go in the first place.

I realized that this is three flats in three races @ Weber Fairgrounds in the past year. The curse of the fairgrounds! Maybe I should stay away...

Boise to Brazil

2009-10-10T09:53:00.002-06:00

I just worked the week up in Boise and came home to find out we are heading to Brazil on Monday afternoon to compete in Iron Biker! Looks awesome, can't wait.

The trip was in serious jeopardy due to visa processing delays but somehow it worked out and our passports have been red labeled for Saturday delivery. Can't say I've ever been to Brazil so I am excited to go!

Don't miss the big premier on Oct 22. Locally its down at Century 16 at 6 pm. Maybe I'll be in a half frame or two... Looks pretty cool though, just bought some tickets online.

Coincidence?

2009-10-04T08:51:00.002-06:00

1st flat tire of the year, 1st off-road ride with tubes of the year. Coincidence? You make the call...

In my haste to finish building my new cx bike on Friday I decided to take the quick approach to tires- regular clinchers with road tubes filled with Stan's. Works good for thorns but still doesn't protect against the dreaded pinch flat...

Well its always rider error and flatting was my own fault but it seems that tubeless setups do allow for a larger margin of error.

The race was a blast, cross is super fun. I was stoked to be able to hang with UT's cx elite for most of the race even if they were taking it easy and gappinng me through the barriers every lap. I really need to work on my transitions on to the bike after running. I can get on fine but getting clipped in and up to speed took me a lot longer and I had to chase to close down gaps every time. That's an needless waste of energy, got to work on that.

Flatted with 1 to go and was solidly in 3rd, not making any time on Rico but holding my own. Got passed by a train of guys while running my bike but borrowed an egg beater equipped single speed for the last 1/4 lap to hold on to 6th or 7th I think. Thanks for the loaner bike, much appreciated!

Last camping of the year?

2009-09-27T12:49:00.004-06:00

Hmmmm, maybe... unless we sleep in tents at La Ruta. Boy, I hope not, but wouldn't be surprised! It was awesome to get out even if it was just one night. The mountains are cool and all but every time I come back from Vegas I think about moving down there. Ha, psyyyyche!!

Putting the CC points to use

2009-09-19T06:59:00.003-06:00

One good thing about not having a miles credit card is that when I accumulate enough points I can get whatever dumb random stuff I want. These will come in handy this winter

Also finally got around to cleaning the scalpel after the P2P yesterday. Here's what came out of the si steerer trash can. This does not include the stuff on top I was able to pull out immediately, at least a few Gu wrappers that ended up in my pocket, another bag or two of Chomps, a few cookies, browies, fig newtons and a pb and j chunk. Means I was fueling well I guess.

Peru Pics

2009-09-14T20:39:00.006-06:00

From the 2nd half of the trip, in no particular order. Someone else is enjoying my pics from the 1st half...

Public Transportation a la Chanchamayo

2009-09-09T21:39:00.004-06:00

Shot from a mototaxi in San Ramon

Ready for the major leagues

2009-09-07T19:41:00.004-06:00

I actually hit some- about 30% in the fast pitch. Man, can't imagine trying to hit a real pitch...

Park City Point 2 Point: Harder than Leadville

2009-09-07T13:41:00.003-06:00

No kidding, that was tough. The course was 25 miles shorter but with the same amount of vertical gain and 74 miles more single track! My legs were much more sore yesterday and that much single track takes a toll on your whole body. There were no road sections for resting, drafting, or easy eating and drinking. A pure mountain bike course... sweet. Check official report here

I wasn't sure how my day was going to go early- my skinsuit zipper broke @ 6:40 (7:00 start!) and I had to scramble and borrow from Bart. Then in the first 10 miles my front derailleur stopped working and I caught a bush with my handlebar while drinking through an uphill switchback and went down, stressing my front wheel enough to knock it pretty far out of true. I kept pushing on and eventually the rock/stick that must have jammed in my derailleur came out and I came to accept the wobbly wheel. Can't believe my wheel held up all day, Stan's rule! Bart and I rode to mile 45 or so, having a blast ripping trails. After climbing up steps I didn't see him behind me and just kept pushing forward. I was stoked and honored to win the first annual PCPP which is sure to become a classic!

It was a total blast, more trail than you ever thought you could ride in a day. Morning rain and rainbows were a nice touch and the trails were in great shape. Props to Jay and Shannon and everyone else involved in the event. Can't wait till next year!

The Lance Factor

2009-09-01T21:33:00.003-06:00

Amidst the craziness that ensued after Leadville, lots of work and then going to Peru, I haven't had a lot of time to reflect on the Leadville race.

I was thinking the other day how crazy it felt to be in a race with Lance, probably the most famous cyclist in the world. You could definitely tell something was up- thousands of people lining the course cheering, helicopters hovering overhead. Yeah so I think its pretty safe to say it didn't feel at all like a mountain bike race. Maybe the closest thing I'll come to racing on the road, in more ways than just that- the course was all roads as well. Things like drafting and team tactics even came in to play early on. Not your average mtb event.

Going in to the race I wasn't sure what to expect- I can count the times I have ridden 100 miles on one hand and they are all 100 mile mtb events. I've never even done a century on the road and 3 of the 4 100 milers I'd done were 4 and 5 years ago. I felt pretty strong at the Mohican in May though despite the frustration of getting lost...

So without a ton of long race experience I just try not to doubt my race nutrition strategy and pre race prep. I was also coming off a head cold that lingered for too long but was feeling pretty much clear of it 4 days before. I hadn't been riding a ton in the two weeks leading up to the race but I think that's the idea, to taper a little, even if it was mostly because I had been sick and busy with work. Tapering seems weird and I need to learn just to trust that the fitness isn't going away.

Anyway, I showed up on Thursday night and commenced oxygen deprivation. Actually it wasn't too bad, the only time I felt it was on Columbine mine trying to climb steep rocky stuff at 12,500 feet.

Ohran was nice enough to let me ride the new Flash he had set up for himself. Riding a sub 18 pound bike was a nice motivation booster, thanks Matt.

So the race is quite an experience. From the registration and rider meeting on Friday to the 1500 mountain bikers in town to the official awards ceremony on Sunday, everything is a total production. They even print your name and time on custom hoodies on Sunday morning.

I ended up 4th overall and hung with Lance for 40 miles while he was soft pedaling. Then he blew it up on the Columbine climb and everyone was solo from there. I was freezing and barely functioning from the cold and rain at that point. I should have stopped to eat something and get it together but I just pressed on and probably rode slower overall than if I would have stopped. I managed to hold on to 3rd until the last ten miles when I crashed and bent my derailleur, started bonking and got waxed by Shriver. He came by and was like "Come on bro lets go" then proceeded to launch a full on attack and dropped me like a bad habit. I didn't have the snap to go with him but was able to hold off Len Zanni who was coming at me as well.

So back to the Lance Factor. The attention I have received from this result has totally blown me away. Don't get me wrong, I am stoked on the placing, but I honestly rode about how I was expecting and I was even a little bummed not to have been able to stay with Dave Wiens on Columbine. It wasn't the pace that was an issue, more the fact that I was shutting down in the cold. I am also pissed that I crashed and came a little unglued at the end losing 3rd.

I keep thinking about how much attention I have gotten over this race, all of it I am stoked on and appreciate. Seriously, I have heard from people I haven't talked to in years calling and e-mailing me from back home to say good job, which is awesome. I think this says a lot about the state of mountain bike racing in the US though. I have been killing myself as a "pro" (in the loosest sense of the word) mountain biker for the past few years and most non racers are like oh, that's cool. Which is fine, I'm not complaining at all. Not just me either, there are lots of legitimate professional athletes that get zero credit because nobody cares about cross country mtb racing. I admit its not the most exciting sport to watch, some would even say boring, but its pretty bad ass and f@#&%g hard as hell!

Say I had had the ride of my life at nationals in July and ended up 6th or something. I don't think I would have received half the props, and it would have been a bigger accomplishment in my eyes. Not to take away from Leadville but its the Lance factor that is blowing that race up so much.

All of a sudden people know about a mountain bike race? Wow, this is all new to me. Lance shows up and bam, mtb racing is big and cool. Hats off to him and thanks because our sport needs it! I head rumors that Lance might be competing in some other classic mtb events in the next few years- maybe La Ruta and Cape Epic. The press for these events will be huge and I think its a great thing for mountain biking. Legitimacy and publicity are two things lacking right now and maybe this will draw some more interest and sponsors in to the sport.

So thanks Lance, and thanks for showing us how its done out there.

Hope you stick with the dirt.

Half a#$%d update

2009-08-30T06:48:00.003-06:00

Man, between Leadville and Peru I've been slacking on the updates. Just haven't had time. Going to continue that theme...

In the meantime check out Bart's killer writeup on Monavie-Cannondale.com

Also my Dad came across Dave Wien's report on Leadville. Cool, thanks Dad, good find.

And check here for more pics of the Peru race

Peru

2009-08-26T20:06:00.002-06:00

Leaving Lima in a few minutes. The trip has been great, I´ll get a report up whn I get back. Won´t have a ton of pics though because my camera was lost/stolen. Bummer. I borrowed one of Ohran´s three cameras for the rest of the trip s should have a few good ones.

One highlight was doing two studio radio interviews with the team and various video interviews. They had a lot of questions for Tinker and I was our translater. They spoke very little English in the region where we were. Super cool, got to put my Spanish degree to use. Hasta luego

Leadville Bike

2009-08-14T21:10:00.003-06:00

After 5 months on the Scalpel I can say that there are very few courses that it's not the perfect bike for. I think 100 miles of dirt and paved roads might be better suited for the Flash. It's a ripper. Alders, Tinker and I will all be on sub 18 pound bikes tomorrow!

Crazy

2009-08-09T18:22:00.004-06:00

I followed a link to singletrack.com off of a Velonews story and there I was in the background shot! This pic has so far turned up on the cover of Bike Magazine's calendar, another random calendar as October, now this website, and who knows where else. Crazy, all from 1 afternoon with Scott Marekwitz a few years ago...

Chillin' in the Fox Den

2009-08-09T09:24:00.001-06:00

Sly didn't disappoint- making it rain $ bills off the roof

Pics

2009-08-08T11:06:00.004-06:00

Had to work down south this week so I brought Sammi and went down a day early. We rode road bikes in Bryce and camped out in Brian Head. Then I got the pleasure of wrestling big black garment bags full of samples in 110 degree St. George parking lots...

I got a little bored at Sammi's High School reunion...

2009-08-01T18:53:00.002-06:00

One minute we are eating brownie sundaes, the next some balloons found there way up my shirt and some random girl I didn't know couldn't keep her hands off them. I only had two beers at the Hog before, I promise!

Probably embarrassed Sammi a little...

Another ICUP down with the Canyons finale today. It was hot and the climb was pretty exposed but I managed to stay well hydrated and was fueling well with Carbo Rocket and Emv. Pulled off the win and secured the overall title. Congrats to everyone on a killer year- I feel like the level of racing was really high all year in all categories.

Next up for me is Leadville. I have no clue how to train for a 100 mile dirt road race @ 12,000 feet. Any suggestions??

Check out this camp site

2009-07-30T17:50:00.003-06:00

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

2009-07-27T18:30:00.003-06:00

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

2009-07-26T15:38:00.004-06:00

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

2009-07-21T22:06:00.003-06:00

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?

2009-07-14T20:58:00.002-06:00

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

2009-07-14T07:41:00.002-06:00

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

2009-07-07T19:28:00.002-06:00

Tim Butler gets it done at dinner

Analogy Time

2009-07-03T18:32:00.002-06:00

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

2009-07-02T20:24:00.006-06:00

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!

All you can eat single track buffet

2009-06-30T18:50:00.002-06:00

Holy s#%t, I have never ridden so many good trails! Its unreal. If its not hand-built flowy its perfectly designed tech. And we have 4 more days to go...

Pretty much your ultimate mtb trip- get up, eat, ride on a guided course of the best local trails all day, come in and re-load for the next day. I imagine I'll be ready for the end in a couple more days but for now I am stoked!

Our luck looked to be turning yesterday but we ended up getting lost and losing about 10 minutes. We rode hard through traffic and looked to be salvaging when Bart's chain broke- a first in something like 15 or 20 years for him I guess. A quick fix and we still finished OK.

Today we had another decent ride and have been able to ride smooth and fast in the single track. Killer dinner tonight at a little Lebanese place. Home made buffalo meatball kebabs, hummus, pita, baba ganoosh and potatoes. Chocolate cake for desert.

Forgot the camera so I can't load the pics of the sunset I got from out beachfront campsite in Parksville last night.

4:30 am wake up call tomorrow for 2 ferries and 2 bus rides and an 11 am start. Lovely.

Day 1

2009-06-28T17:22:00.002-06:00

Not sure if I'll be able to post after each stage but I'd like to.

Day 1 completed today- nothing to write home about for team A&B G but we salvaged an ok placing. Hopefully we'll be moving up a little in the next 6 days. Not exactly sure where we ended up but I think we lost a little under 10 minutes to the leaders. It just wasn't our day but we've got plenty of time.

Of note:

-Ripping trails that must have taken a ton of work to complete. Drops, techy stuff, bridges, you name it we rode it. Ripping tech downhills. You know its going to be gnarly when they end the riders meeting by saying "Pucker up, and get ready!"

-Great race weather- sunny, cool, slight breeze. In the woods you wouldn't even know the sun is out, crazy.

-The whole crew is here (minus JB and Tinker)and its a great scene around the compound.

- I crashed hard on the last dh and was worried that I had broken my elbow but I think its just badly bruised and has been improving.

- Tenting it tonight through Friday and it looks like we are heading in to some beautiful country. Camping right on the water, scenic ferry transfers in the morning, oh, and lots of singletrack too.

OK, gotta head back and make dinner on time. Not sure what the internet situation will be on the island but I'll try to post if possible...

photo post

2009-06-26T23:48:00.002-06:00