Hey there party people? Wow, it's been a while since my last post. I thought I would give a little update as to what's going on in my world. So after the last race of the season and series in October I was knackered. It was a long and hard season and I needed a break. I'm a firm believer in recovery and active recovery to be specific. So I haven't been sitting on my can this whole time.
In the last three years I have logged nearly 15,000 miles, 20 races with 8 wins and a top three on all but three races. I'm a very proud of my accomplishments and my commitment to being the best I can be.
Taking some time off of the bikes has given me some time to do some cross training. Lately I've been following Sealfit Crossfit workouts and exercises. I've taking to trail running and soon I'll be swimming. Let's see, cycling, running, and swimming. That sounds a lot like Triathlon doesn't it?
Yes, 2011 will look a bit different then my previous seasons. Look out Tri guys.
Sunday, December 26, 2010
Tuesday, October 19, 2010
Knickerbocker 8hr XC and Season Finale
Here comes another race update. Right, so I got back from the disappointing finish at the National Championships with a lot of fight still in me. The last race of the season and last race of the Leave No Trace Endurance Series was the Knickebocker 8hr XC race on October 16th. After Moab I knew that I left that race with “plenty” of fuel in the tank. I was originally reg'd up in the Pro/Exp SS Solo division. I noticed the field of racers in that division was a bit small. Consequently, I moved to the Pro/Exp Solo division (the difference being theses guys have gears on their bikes). I scrambled to get my Cannondale 29er SS converted to a 1 X 9. That means I would have one chainring up front (34 tooth) and a full 9-speed cassette in the back. So on the Tuesday before the race my bike was ready for the dirt. I put in a three hour ride on Wednesday and another two ride on Thursday. The bike was shifting great so I took Friday off of the bike.
So I show up at the race (Saturday) at around 7:20. I felt relaxed yet was ready to throw down the gauntlet. Now the plan for this race was three fold. First, I was sitting in first place for the overall series with a 40 mile lead. All I really had to do was ride my bike for about 5 laps and that would have secured my overall victory. The second thing was that I wanted to have fun. When and if the fun meter dropped then I would chill and just finish the necessary laps for the overall. Finally, the last order of business was to win the race. The field of racers was deep with talent and it was going to be a tall order. However, I was coming into this race with a bit of fitness.
Back to the race. With my goals in place I lined up right in front ready for the “gun to go off”. I had ridden this course a number of times but never in this direction. We took off at a blistering pace but that was my plan. Start off fast and go until I couldn't go any longer. The selection was made right away and I found myself riding along side a Nationally ranked CX Champion named Cody Kaiser. He's a young lad with some series talent. Anyway, he was racing on a two-person team so he wasn't a threat to me other than forcing me to go faster than I had hoped. Anyway, this elite group of four quickly gaped the field and we were out putting time in the bank. I finished the first lap strong and didn't slow down to pit and just kept turning it over. I rode alone for the remainder of the race.
I didn't have pit support which is not a big deal in the 8hr races. The only time it becomes a potential issue is if you have a mechanical or run out of water or something and the race is close. In my case I knew the race was close as I saw the 2nd place racer behind me two times on the course. I had four Camelbaks loaded and ready in the ice chest. I had food staged on the back of my pickup, so I was set. My pit times were less than 30 seconds. I was keeping fueled with water, electrolytes, and calories. However, during the second lap I needed to pee, darn that pre-hydration. I had to go but didn't want to give up the time. I kept turning it over hoping my body would assimilate the fluid in my bladder. Midway through lap three I was still dealing with the strong urge to go. Finally, at the halfway point on lap four, I did something that I had never done before. I saw that I was alone on the course so I peed while descending a short paved section. I was successful in not peeing all over myself and felt like I had dogged a bullet. Feeling relieved, I pedaled on in earnest.
Goal number one, “win the overall series”. I had put in 5 laps which sealed the deal there. Goal number two, “have fun”. I was having a blast racing my bike in beautiful Cool CA. And lastly, “win the race”. I was in the lead with no sight of the second place racer. Mission almost accomplished. I found myself starting to do the math figuring out how many more laps I needed to go. Now Jim Northey puts together the best events. His 8 hour races are in fact 8 hours. You've got to have your last lap completed within the 8hr time frame. Some promoters allow for another hour for racers to complete their final laps. The same is true with his 24 hour events. In any case, I was sitting at two laps to go and finishing my final lap sometime after 4pm. It was going to be close for me to potentially go out on a 9th and final lap. Lap 7 was tough it felt like I had the trailer with my son attached. The affects of riding so hard for so long started to take its toll on me. The “math” showed I had one more to go. I head under the start/finish, toss Northey a hammer gel wrapper and blast through with no pit. Now at least for me, while in an endurance event (8hr or 24hr race) the last lap is awesome. I mentally checked off each section of the course bidding it a farewell. I dug deep into my suitcase of courage to fight through the physical pain. I figured Carl Sanders (the 2nd place chaser) was hot on my heels. At the halfway point I knew that race was mine to either win or lose. As I crested the final little hit I could see the finish. At that moment I knew that my three goals had been successfully accomplished and it felt GREAT. I finished at 4:08 which gave me the chance of heading out on lap 9 with 52 minutes. My last three laps were in the high 50's so I sat up and waited for Carl. He came in four minutes latter and he too had not intention of going out on another lap. The race was over, I won!
This season has been a especially long and difficult. Last season was a banner season for me and after securing a spot on the Global Biorhythm Events Team, I had some lofty goals for 2010. I wanted to shoot for a top three in the Leave No Trace Endurance Series. The series included two 24hr solo events, one 100 mile mountain bike race, and an 8hr XC race in Cool. In addition, I wanted to race the National Championships in Moab Utah and place top three. The first two solo 24's I won, I got 2nd place at the Tahoe Sierra 100 (missed 1st by two minutes), and I won the 8hr XC series finale. Moab was a learning experience and finished 6th.
I feel completely blessed by God to have had such amazing success. The list of people to thank is long an exhaustive....
Angie, Leif, Laini, Carolyn, John Harrison, Donna Sutton, Mike Sutton, Jim Northey, Mike and Carrie Self, Keith Flood, Kurt Pickle, Robert Raubach, Brian from Draper UT, Jason and Monica from Moab UT, Jared Franzoia, Sean McDevitt, Breakaway Bikes, Auburn Bike Works, Team GBE, E1 & T1 B-shift, AY UP Lights, Light and Motion, Rudy Project, Camelbak, and many more.
I hope you enjoyed following me this season.
Mike
So I show up at the race (Saturday) at around 7:20. I felt relaxed yet was ready to throw down the gauntlet. Now the plan for this race was three fold. First, I was sitting in first place for the overall series with a 40 mile lead. All I really had to do was ride my bike for about 5 laps and that would have secured my overall victory. The second thing was that I wanted to have fun. When and if the fun meter dropped then I would chill and just finish the necessary laps for the overall. Finally, the last order of business was to win the race. The field of racers was deep with talent and it was going to be a tall order. However, I was coming into this race with a bit of fitness.
Back to the race. With my goals in place I lined up right in front ready for the “gun to go off”. I had ridden this course a number of times but never in this direction. We took off at a blistering pace but that was my plan. Start off fast and go until I couldn't go any longer. The selection was made right away and I found myself riding along side a Nationally ranked CX Champion named Cody Kaiser. He's a young lad with some series talent. Anyway, he was racing on a two-person team so he wasn't a threat to me other than forcing me to go faster than I had hoped. Anyway, this elite group of four quickly gaped the field and we were out putting time in the bank. I finished the first lap strong and didn't slow down to pit and just kept turning it over. I rode alone for the remainder of the race.
I didn't have pit support which is not a big deal in the 8hr races. The only time it becomes a potential issue is if you have a mechanical or run out of water or something and the race is close. In my case I knew the race was close as I saw the 2nd place racer behind me two times on the course. I had four Camelbaks loaded and ready in the ice chest. I had food staged on the back of my pickup, so I was set. My pit times were less than 30 seconds. I was keeping fueled with water, electrolytes, and calories. However, during the second lap I needed to pee, darn that pre-hydration. I had to go but didn't want to give up the time. I kept turning it over hoping my body would assimilate the fluid in my bladder. Midway through lap three I was still dealing with the strong urge to go. Finally, at the halfway point on lap four, I did something that I had never done before. I saw that I was alone on the course so I peed while descending a short paved section. I was successful in not peeing all over myself and felt like I had dogged a bullet. Feeling relieved, I pedaled on in earnest.
Goal number one, “win the overall series”. I had put in 5 laps which sealed the deal there. Goal number two, “have fun”. I was having a blast racing my bike in beautiful Cool CA. And lastly, “win the race”. I was in the lead with no sight of the second place racer. Mission almost accomplished. I found myself starting to do the math figuring out how many more laps I needed to go. Now Jim Northey puts together the best events. His 8 hour races are in fact 8 hours. You've got to have your last lap completed within the 8hr time frame. Some promoters allow for another hour for racers to complete their final laps. The same is true with his 24 hour events. In any case, I was sitting at two laps to go and finishing my final lap sometime after 4pm. It was going to be close for me to potentially go out on a 9th and final lap. Lap 7 was tough it felt like I had the trailer with my son attached. The affects of riding so hard for so long started to take its toll on me. The “math” showed I had one more to go. I head under the start/finish, toss Northey a hammer gel wrapper and blast through with no pit. Now at least for me, while in an endurance event (8hr or 24hr race) the last lap is awesome. I mentally checked off each section of the course bidding it a farewell. I dug deep into my suitcase of courage to fight through the physical pain. I figured Carl Sanders (the 2nd place chaser) was hot on my heels. At the halfway point I knew that race was mine to either win or lose. As I crested the final little hit I could see the finish. At that moment I knew that my three goals had been successfully accomplished and it felt GREAT. I finished at 4:08 which gave me the chance of heading out on lap 9 with 52 minutes. My last three laps were in the high 50's so I sat up and waited for Carl. He came in four minutes latter and he too had not intention of going out on another lap. The race was over, I won!
This season has been a especially long and difficult. Last season was a banner season for me and after securing a spot on the Global Biorhythm Events Team, I had some lofty goals for 2010. I wanted to shoot for a top three in the Leave No Trace Endurance Series. The series included two 24hr solo events, one 100 mile mountain bike race, and an 8hr XC race in Cool. In addition, I wanted to race the National Championships in Moab Utah and place top three. The first two solo 24's I won, I got 2nd place at the Tahoe Sierra 100 (missed 1st by two minutes), and I won the 8hr XC series finale. Moab was a learning experience and finished 6th.
I feel completely blessed by God to have had such amazing success. The list of people to thank is long an exhaustive....
Angie, Leif, Laini, Carolyn, John Harrison, Donna Sutton, Mike Sutton, Jim Northey, Mike and Carrie Self, Keith Flood, Kurt Pickle, Robert Raubach, Brian from Draper UT, Jason and Monica from Moab UT, Jared Franzoia, Sean McDevitt, Breakaway Bikes, Auburn Bike Works, Team GBE, E1 & T1 B-shift, AY UP Lights, Light and Motion, Rudy Project, Camelbak, and many more.
I hope you enjoyed following me this season.
Mike
Friday, October 15, 2010
Moab Nationals Recap...
MOAB
Back in May Jim Northey and I started to discuss the idea of taking the Global Biorhythm Events Team to Moab Utah for the USAC 24 Hour National Championships in October. So since May I've been thinking about the Nationals. While racing the Coolest 24hr Race Against Cancer, I thought about the Nationals. While racing at the Boggs 24 and Tahoe Sierra 100, I thought about saving something in the tank for the Nationals. I had never been to Utah. The fact is the furthest East that I have ever traveled is Reno NV. The lour of competing at the National level in 24 hour racing was on my mind constantly.
Immediately following my 2nd place finish at the Tahoe Sierra 100 on September 11th, I was able to fully prepare for Moab (pronounced Mobe). The remainder of September went by in a flash as I scrambled to get my plans in order. I spent countless hours checking and re-checking Google maps for the fastest route. I was all over the internet trying to pin down the forecast models for Mobe. In addition, I rode my bike a lot to prepare for the physical pain that I would surely face during the race.
The travel plans took a turn and I was without a travel partner and pit support in late September. I immediately went back to the internet and posted all over Facebook and mountain bike forums from here to Mobe in an effort to get pit support. I've done a number of 24 hour solo bike races and I knew that going to Mobe alone with no support was NOT an option.
I could go on and on about the events that transpired but on October 3rd I received an email from Robert Raubach, a fellow bike racer whom I had met at the Boggs 24hr Race in July. He had read my post and decided to give me a call to see if I had the support. We discussed the logistics and came up with a plan. I picked him up from his house in West Sacto on October 6th at 7:00pm and we started our 16 hour journey the Nationals.
That night we made it as far as Fernley, NV. We decided to stay at the Super 8 (don't ever stay at the Super 8 in Fernley NV, just don't). There was nothing “super” about it. While taking the bikes off the rack I noticed the brake level on my Niner (my primary first out race machine) was not functioning at all. An air bubble had made it's way to the brake lever rendering the brake useless. I needed to get the brakes bled before the race.
The next morning started early as Robert and I woke up at 5:30am. We mounted the bikes and walked across the parking lot to a Casino/Restaurant. Lucky for us the restaurant was not opening until 6:00. We high tailed it out of there after many glares from the locals. Oh, and it stunk of cigarette smoke. It's raining, we're hungry, and I've got to get the Niner fixed. We headed East on 80 and found our way into Lovelock, NV and stopped to eat at the Cow Poke Cafe. No joke, that's the name.
Back on the road we went and as soon as I secured cell coverage I called my awesome wife to look up bike shops in Salt Lake City, Utah. The Niner needed some love. The first shop we called, “The Contender” as it was called told us to come on by and they would take care of me. After a slight delay for lunch and bike repair we were on our way once again. No too much longer into the drive out of SLC Robert recalled that we had just lost an hour. Darn that time zone stuff. So now we have to add an hour to the digital clock on the truck. Now it's absolutely pouring down rain, thunder, and lightning kickers. It's insane. Robert was happy to drive in the atrocious conditions.
Oh, here's where it gets cool. So back when I was scrambling to figure out pit support a super cool guy name Jason from Mobe emailed me and said I could pit with his 4-person team at the race. I had contacted him about my bike issue too and when we spoke later that day he offered up his trailer for Rober and I to sleep in that night. He was planning on brining it to the race and had it all ready in front of his house. So we had a place to stay in Mobe.
So, we after grabbing a bite to eat in Mobe (which was completely bustling with mountain bikers) we made it to Jason's house at 8:30. He gave us a quick tour of his trailer and told us to come inside their house in the morning for a hot shower and coffee. Yeah, these people went above and beyond. Morning came and indeed we were treated to hot showers and fresh coffee. Monica offered to make us breakfast but I couldn't accept that gesture. We brought our food in and prepared our breakfast in her kitchen.
Okay, on to the race. We arrived at the race venue about 9:00am and quickly discussed pit location and tactics. It's always fun figuring out the best location for quick pit stops during the race. So, another Utah resident and avid outdoorsman/mountain biker emailed me in response to my “pit help” request on the bike forum. He mentioned he was going to be in Mobe that weekend and offered to help in my pits. Brian, arrived at the venue on Friday afternoon ready to help Robert in the pits. The rest of Friday was spent pre-riding the course, going over pit strategies, and resting.
Saturday October 10th......race day. I woke up early and noticed the temps had dropped to freezing as there was a thin layer of ice on the truck. Okay, note to self, it's going to get cold tonight. Standards ops breakfast was a bit different as I wasn't into making the nutty pancakes. I opted for a ham and eggs scramble, bagel and cream cheese chased down by some Peets French Roast Coffee.
Time was ticking and before I knew it, it was time for the long winded racer meeting. Blah blah blah, can we start the race or what. Yeah, the start of this race was going to be a lemans start. We had to run ½ mile in this open dusty field before mounting our bikes and hitting the trails. First off, I hate running. I hate running in cycling shoes, and I hate running hard right before jumping on my bike and pedaling for dear life trying to jockey for position. So that's how this race was going to start. I found myself deep into the field upon getting on my bike. Usually, the field spreads out a bit and once we hit the dirt you can settle into your own rhythm. This was not the case. It was mayhem and border line reckless the entire first lap. I guess that's how it goes at the National level. It was like a XC race on steriods.
After the first lap, I felt like I could settle into my own pace. I wasn't too concerned about my placement in the SS field. I saw one Sser ahead of me and let him go. I wasn't about to get into a chasing game this early on.
Let me take a minute to discuss the course. Each lap was 15 miles and climbed 1300'. The course was pepperd with lose rocks, huge boulder drop offs, thick beachy power sucking sand pits, and sections of smooth slick rock. A very challenging course and would prove to be the hardest course I had ever encountered period. After the pre-ride I was stoked for the challenge but knew it wasn't going to be easy.
On lap two I spin out a bit while negotiating one of the countless technical climbs which resulted in my left knee ever so gently touching my fork stem. No, I smashed my knee and it hurt. It continued to cause me some severe pain but I figured it would work itself out. I found myself favoring my left leg completely and was pedaling with my right leg when at all possible. This was not a good sign. Expecting to get through a 24hr event unscathed is unrealistic. The pain train picks you up whether you want to board or not. However, usually at least for me, I don't board the train until it gets dark. Now, I was on the train, in the front seat, and it hurt.
It's one thing to doubt your ability when you don't have “it”. It's another thing to doubt when your concerned your doing further damage to your body. My fitness was there, I was managing the caloric intake (thanks for Robert and Brian) and had I not inured my knee it would have been a different race. However, I did injure my knee and the pain was not relieved with ibuprofen and massage therapy. I was faced with a very difficult decision. When I assessed the risk versus gain on finishing the race, it was clear that bagging a potential 3rd place at the National Championships was not worth the risk. I had come to the Nationals to draw blood on the field and it was me that bled.
It has been a very very long time since I purposefully abandoned a race. The humble pie tasted horrible but I knew I had made the right decision. After all, this Saturday October 16th, I've got the series final at the Leave No Trace Endurance Race Series. It will be a modest 8hr XC race in Cool CA.
So, am I upset that I made the trip out to Mobe only to not finish the race. Absolutely not. I got to broaden my horizons and experience two very different states. I got to meet a number of super nice and generous people made a number of new friendships. The adventures that Robert and I had along the way was worth the trip.
Back in May Jim Northey and I started to discuss the idea of taking the Global Biorhythm Events Team to Moab Utah for the USAC 24 Hour National Championships in October. So since May I've been thinking about the Nationals. While racing the Coolest 24hr Race Against Cancer, I thought about the Nationals. While racing at the Boggs 24 and Tahoe Sierra 100, I thought about saving something in the tank for the Nationals. I had never been to Utah. The fact is the furthest East that I have ever traveled is Reno NV. The lour of competing at the National level in 24 hour racing was on my mind constantly.
Immediately following my 2nd place finish at the Tahoe Sierra 100 on September 11th, I was able to fully prepare for Moab (pronounced Mobe). The remainder of September went by in a flash as I scrambled to get my plans in order. I spent countless hours checking and re-checking Google maps for the fastest route. I was all over the internet trying to pin down the forecast models for Mobe. In addition, I rode my bike a lot to prepare for the physical pain that I would surely face during the race.
The travel plans took a turn and I was without a travel partner and pit support in late September. I immediately went back to the internet and posted all over Facebook and mountain bike forums from here to Mobe in an effort to get pit support. I've done a number of 24 hour solo bike races and I knew that going to Mobe alone with no support was NOT an option.
I could go on and on about the events that transpired but on October 3rd I received an email from Robert Raubach, a fellow bike racer whom I had met at the Boggs 24hr Race in July. He had read my post and decided to give me a call to see if I had the support. We discussed the logistics and came up with a plan. I picked him up from his house in West Sacto on October 6th at 7:00pm and we started our 16 hour journey the Nationals.
That night we made it as far as Fernley, NV. We decided to stay at the Super 8 (don't ever stay at the Super 8 in Fernley NV, just don't). There was nothing “super” about it. While taking the bikes off the rack I noticed the brake level on my Niner (my primary first out race machine) was not functioning at all. An air bubble had made it's way to the brake lever rendering the brake useless. I needed to get the brakes bled before the race.
The next morning started early as Robert and I woke up at 5:30am. We mounted the bikes and walked across the parking lot to a Casino/Restaurant. Lucky for us the restaurant was not opening until 6:00. We high tailed it out of there after many glares from the locals. Oh, and it stunk of cigarette smoke. It's raining, we're hungry, and I've got to get the Niner fixed. We headed East on 80 and found our way into Lovelock, NV and stopped to eat at the Cow Poke Cafe. No joke, that's the name.
Back on the road we went and as soon as I secured cell coverage I called my awesome wife to look up bike shops in Salt Lake City, Utah. The Niner needed some love. The first shop we called, “The Contender” as it was called told us to come on by and they would take care of me. After a slight delay for lunch and bike repair we were on our way once again. No too much longer into the drive out of SLC Robert recalled that we had just lost an hour. Darn that time zone stuff. So now we have to add an hour to the digital clock on the truck. Now it's absolutely pouring down rain, thunder, and lightning kickers. It's insane. Robert was happy to drive in the atrocious conditions.
Oh, here's where it gets cool. So back when I was scrambling to figure out pit support a super cool guy name Jason from Mobe emailed me and said I could pit with his 4-person team at the race. I had contacted him about my bike issue too and when we spoke later that day he offered up his trailer for Rober and I to sleep in that night. He was planning on brining it to the race and had it all ready in front of his house. So we had a place to stay in Mobe.
So, we after grabbing a bite to eat in Mobe (which was completely bustling with mountain bikers) we made it to Jason's house at 8:30. He gave us a quick tour of his trailer and told us to come inside their house in the morning for a hot shower and coffee. Yeah, these people went above and beyond. Morning came and indeed we were treated to hot showers and fresh coffee. Monica offered to make us breakfast but I couldn't accept that gesture. We brought our food in and prepared our breakfast in her kitchen.
Okay, on to the race. We arrived at the race venue about 9:00am and quickly discussed pit location and tactics. It's always fun figuring out the best location for quick pit stops during the race. So, another Utah resident and avid outdoorsman/mountain biker emailed me in response to my “pit help” request on the bike forum. He mentioned he was going to be in Mobe that weekend and offered to help in my pits. Brian, arrived at the venue on Friday afternoon ready to help Robert in the pits. The rest of Friday was spent pre-riding the course, going over pit strategies, and resting.
Saturday October 10th......race day. I woke up early and noticed the temps had dropped to freezing as there was a thin layer of ice on the truck. Okay, note to self, it's going to get cold tonight. Standards ops breakfast was a bit different as I wasn't into making the nutty pancakes. I opted for a ham and eggs scramble, bagel and cream cheese chased down by some Peets French Roast Coffee.
Time was ticking and before I knew it, it was time for the long winded racer meeting. Blah blah blah, can we start the race or what. Yeah, the start of this race was going to be a lemans start. We had to run ½ mile in this open dusty field before mounting our bikes and hitting the trails. First off, I hate running. I hate running in cycling shoes, and I hate running hard right before jumping on my bike and pedaling for dear life trying to jockey for position. So that's how this race was going to start. I found myself deep into the field upon getting on my bike. Usually, the field spreads out a bit and once we hit the dirt you can settle into your own rhythm. This was not the case. It was mayhem and border line reckless the entire first lap. I guess that's how it goes at the National level. It was like a XC race on steriods.
After the first lap, I felt like I could settle into my own pace. I wasn't too concerned about my placement in the SS field. I saw one Sser ahead of me and let him go. I wasn't about to get into a chasing game this early on.
Let me take a minute to discuss the course. Each lap was 15 miles and climbed 1300'. The course was pepperd with lose rocks, huge boulder drop offs, thick beachy power sucking sand pits, and sections of smooth slick rock. A very challenging course and would prove to be the hardest course I had ever encountered period. After the pre-ride I was stoked for the challenge but knew it wasn't going to be easy.
On lap two I spin out a bit while negotiating one of the countless technical climbs which resulted in my left knee ever so gently touching my fork stem. No, I smashed my knee and it hurt. It continued to cause me some severe pain but I figured it would work itself out. I found myself favoring my left leg completely and was pedaling with my right leg when at all possible. This was not a good sign. Expecting to get through a 24hr event unscathed is unrealistic. The pain train picks you up whether you want to board or not. However, usually at least for me, I don't board the train until it gets dark. Now, I was on the train, in the front seat, and it hurt.
It's one thing to doubt your ability when you don't have “it”. It's another thing to doubt when your concerned your doing further damage to your body. My fitness was there, I was managing the caloric intake (thanks for Robert and Brian) and had I not inured my knee it would have been a different race. However, I did injure my knee and the pain was not relieved with ibuprofen and massage therapy. I was faced with a very difficult decision. When I assessed the risk versus gain on finishing the race, it was clear that bagging a potential 3rd place at the National Championships was not worth the risk. I had come to the Nationals to draw blood on the field and it was me that bled.
It has been a very very long time since I purposefully abandoned a race. The humble pie tasted horrible but I knew I had made the right decision. After all, this Saturday October 16th, I've got the series final at the Leave No Trace Endurance Race Series. It will be a modest 8hr XC race in Cool CA.
So, am I upset that I made the trip out to Mobe only to not finish the race. Absolutely not. I got to broaden my horizons and experience two very different states. I got to meet a number of super nice and generous people made a number of new friendships. The adventures that Robert and I had along the way was worth the trip.
Monday, September 13, 2010
Tahoe Sierra 100 Report.....
Another race report coming at all. Buckle up it's going to be a long one. Okay, so after the Boggs 24 Solo in July I quickly changed gears (not literally being a singlespeeder) and started to prepare for the Tahoe Sierra 100. The 3rd race in the Leave No Trace Endurance Series put on by the infamous, Jim Northey. The 2010 version of the TS100 was going to be very similar to '09 with a little more singletrack and mileage. My training plan for this race wasn't much different than training for solo 24's. In any case, last year I missed 1st place by 5 minutes and definitely wanted to stand on the top of the podium this year. The Pro SS field was stacked with talented guys so it was going to be a tall order. Nevertheless, the goal to not only win was on my docket but I also wanted to break the 9 hour mark. Last year I came in at 9:58.
Alright enough fluff. My good friend Jay Bretz and I depart Santa Rosa mid morning on Friday. We arrived up at Ice Lakes Lodge on Soda Springs Road with plenty of time to check out the newly added singletrack. With registration and partial pre-ride complete, we headed back to our room. Dinner at the Lodge was nothing to write home about so I will leave it at that. We retreated back to our room and I got ready to bed down. I hit the rack at 8:30 knowing that the 5:00 AM wake up call was going to be more than annoying.
Well, the good thing is that I wasn't rudely awakened by the alarm clock. I happened to wake up on my own at 4:45. Jay and I both knew that it was/is critical to get some food on board before a long event like this. Jay had a ham sandwich and I choked down a egg salad sandwich and sweet potato....cold. Don't even ask, that's NOT my typical pre-race meal. Anyway, we made our way outside and the cold just punched me in my face. Frost on the truck! We both started to discuss our clothing options for the race. Although it was chilly 30 something degrees out and most certainly colder down in the valley, we know the temperature was going to hover in the mid to high 70's by the early afternoon. It's a dicey decision, do you dress for the cold then shed and have to carry them for the rest of the race? Or, do you sack up and battle the cold waiting for the sun to heat up? I kind of chose a middle option. I had a wind breaker that I ditched at the bottom of the first climb. Anyway, I'll get to the details now.
6:30 and we were off. The start was pretty fast and everyone felt they needed to be up front. I too wanted to be somewhat near the front just cause I like to start out a little bit fast. Anyway, there was about 2ish miles of mostly flat singletrack that lead to an 6 mile fire-road descent. I settled into my own pace on the descent and actually was able to stay somewhat towards the front. The SS rig is a bit limited when the downhills aren't too steep. Right, so before the start of the first big climb I doffed my jacket and started up. Right at that time I came across a teammate and huge competitor in my class (Jared Franzoia). He was the one that beat me last year. We rode together for a little bit but then I kept my pace and never looked back. I never saw him again.
I blasted through the first aid station and started the 2nd big descent. The bitter wind chill and temperature nearly froze me. My arms and legs were shaking vigorously and both hands were numb. I couldn't wait to start the 2nd big climb. Once to the climb I started picking off racers left and right. It wasn't the plan, I just was doing my thing. I pretty much knew I was leading the SS field. I didn't let it get to my head as this was the same scenario last year when Franzoia caught and passed me at mile 70. The second aid station (miler 23) was much like the first except I grabbed a banana and pbj. The next 13 miles proved to be quite challenging. I crashed on the top of Red Star Ridge but quickly remounted and got back in the grove. I was gauging my pace by the people I was riding with. Kevin Smallman who finished 2nd in the Pro geared class was the only one to pass me up to the aid station at mile 39. After coming off of the Ridge I was told I was sitting in 8th place overall.
When I made it to mile 39 I knew I had some work ahead of me. I fueled up at the aid station and started the long fire road climb. At about mile 43 I looked back (never look back) and noticed another racer pushing his bike up behind me. That could only mean one thing.....another singlespeeder. I started the 8 mile descent ahead of him and railed it. Unfortunately, so did this other guy. He rolls up and the first thing he says is, “Hey, what gearing are you running?” Found out I was running an easier gear combination than him. We rode together for about 10 miles or so and I discovered he was from Illinois. Come on, a singlespeeder from Chicago. Are there any hills there? It didn't matter, Dan was riding strong. I was in for a fight for sure. So after we went through another aid station we started a brutal 2 mile climb. The kind of climb that puts the one-speeders on their feet. I quickly dismounted and started the hike while Dan pushed than rode then pushed and rode. He got a gap on me but I wasn't about to do anything crazy like race “his” race. I knew we had 40ish hard miles to go and I knew the course and he didn't. I let him go.
Once you hit the halfway point in these 100 milers you start to realize that every mile that ticks away means your closer to the finish. Yeah obviously, but it's just a mental thing. Anyway, I started to deal with some slight leg cramps but nothing to stress about. When I got to mile 70 I really wanted to get to the last climb but it was going to be a long 14 miles away. At about 82 miles I noticed off yonder a similar fellow pushing his bike up a steep pitch. Could it be? Yep, it was Dan. It had been over and hour plus since he left me alone pushing my bike. When I caught him he seemed a tad surprised. We both were suffering and at least we were suffering together. We started to chat again but I was sure that like me, was thinking about when to make a move. There was one last steep grind before a fast descent that lead up to the final climb. I didn't really attack him as much as I just rode him off my wheel. I started the downhill about 10 seconds ahead of him. I full throttled the descent leaving nothing back. I killed it. We had one more aid station before the final climb and I blasted through it and hit the climb. The climb started with some rollers which didn't really suit me. I was hoping for a tougher hill which would have been harder for Dan. Nevertheless, I kept a strong tempo up the hill and looked back a few times and never once saw him. The closer I got to the top the closer I felt to victory. Although I knew ANYTHING could happen. And that ANYTHING happened. Dan came out of nowhere and passed me like I was walking on my hands. The only audible thing I hear from him was, “I got some coke.” I couldn't match his pace but time was running out. We must have been at mile 88. I ramped up my pace but didn't have the gas to catch him. I did manage to close the gap and got within 40 yards. Unfortunately, it was on the last hike-a-bike section and that was that. I rode that last 2 miles in complete shame. No just kidding. I felt great. It was an awesome battle. Dan was the stronger rider and put in a solid effort. I finished the race in 9:31 minutes and secured 2nd place just three minutes behind Dan.
Alright enough fluff. My good friend Jay Bretz and I depart Santa Rosa mid morning on Friday. We arrived up at Ice Lakes Lodge on Soda Springs Road with plenty of time to check out the newly added singletrack. With registration and partial pre-ride complete, we headed back to our room. Dinner at the Lodge was nothing to write home about so I will leave it at that. We retreated back to our room and I got ready to bed down. I hit the rack at 8:30 knowing that the 5:00 AM wake up call was going to be more than annoying.
Well, the good thing is that I wasn't rudely awakened by the alarm clock. I happened to wake up on my own at 4:45. Jay and I both knew that it was/is critical to get some food on board before a long event like this. Jay had a ham sandwich and I choked down a egg salad sandwich and sweet potato....cold. Don't even ask, that's NOT my typical pre-race meal. Anyway, we made our way outside and the cold just punched me in my face. Frost on the truck! We both started to discuss our clothing options for the race. Although it was chilly 30 something degrees out and most certainly colder down in the valley, we know the temperature was going to hover in the mid to high 70's by the early afternoon. It's a dicey decision, do you dress for the cold then shed and have to carry them for the rest of the race? Or, do you sack up and battle the cold waiting for the sun to heat up? I kind of chose a middle option. I had a wind breaker that I ditched at the bottom of the first climb. Anyway, I'll get to the details now.
6:30 and we were off. The start was pretty fast and everyone felt they needed to be up front. I too wanted to be somewhat near the front just cause I like to start out a little bit fast. Anyway, there was about 2ish miles of mostly flat singletrack that lead to an 6 mile fire-road descent. I settled into my own pace on the descent and actually was able to stay somewhat towards the front. The SS rig is a bit limited when the downhills aren't too steep. Right, so before the start of the first big climb I doffed my jacket and started up. Right at that time I came across a teammate and huge competitor in my class (Jared Franzoia). He was the one that beat me last year. We rode together for a little bit but then I kept my pace and never looked back. I never saw him again.
I blasted through the first aid station and started the 2nd big descent. The bitter wind chill and temperature nearly froze me. My arms and legs were shaking vigorously and both hands were numb. I couldn't wait to start the 2nd big climb. Once to the climb I started picking off racers left and right. It wasn't the plan, I just was doing my thing. I pretty much knew I was leading the SS field. I didn't let it get to my head as this was the same scenario last year when Franzoia caught and passed me at mile 70. The second aid station (miler 23) was much like the first except I grabbed a banana and pbj. The next 13 miles proved to be quite challenging. I crashed on the top of Red Star Ridge but quickly remounted and got back in the grove. I was gauging my pace by the people I was riding with. Kevin Smallman who finished 2nd in the Pro geared class was the only one to pass me up to the aid station at mile 39. After coming off of the Ridge I was told I was sitting in 8th place overall.
When I made it to mile 39 I knew I had some work ahead of me. I fueled up at the aid station and started the long fire road climb. At about mile 43 I looked back (never look back) and noticed another racer pushing his bike up behind me. That could only mean one thing.....another singlespeeder. I started the 8 mile descent ahead of him and railed it. Unfortunately, so did this other guy. He rolls up and the first thing he says is, “Hey, what gearing are you running?” Found out I was running an easier gear combination than him. We rode together for about 10 miles or so and I discovered he was from Illinois. Come on, a singlespeeder from Chicago. Are there any hills there? It didn't matter, Dan was riding strong. I was in for a fight for sure. So after we went through another aid station we started a brutal 2 mile climb. The kind of climb that puts the one-speeders on their feet. I quickly dismounted and started the hike while Dan pushed than rode then pushed and rode. He got a gap on me but I wasn't about to do anything crazy like race “his” race. I knew we had 40ish hard miles to go and I knew the course and he didn't. I let him go.
Once you hit the halfway point in these 100 milers you start to realize that every mile that ticks away means your closer to the finish. Yeah obviously, but it's just a mental thing. Anyway, I started to deal with some slight leg cramps but nothing to stress about. When I got to mile 70 I really wanted to get to the last climb but it was going to be a long 14 miles away. At about 82 miles I noticed off yonder a similar fellow pushing his bike up a steep pitch. Could it be? Yep, it was Dan. It had been over and hour plus since he left me alone pushing my bike. When I caught him he seemed a tad surprised. We both were suffering and at least we were suffering together. We started to chat again but I was sure that like me, was thinking about when to make a move. There was one last steep grind before a fast descent that lead up to the final climb. I didn't really attack him as much as I just rode him off my wheel. I started the downhill about 10 seconds ahead of him. I full throttled the descent leaving nothing back. I killed it. We had one more aid station before the final climb and I blasted through it and hit the climb. The climb started with some rollers which didn't really suit me. I was hoping for a tougher hill which would have been harder for Dan. Nevertheless, I kept a strong tempo up the hill and looked back a few times and never once saw him. The closer I got to the top the closer I felt to victory. Although I knew ANYTHING could happen. And that ANYTHING happened. Dan came out of nowhere and passed me like I was walking on my hands. The only audible thing I hear from him was, “I got some coke.” I couldn't match his pace but time was running out. We must have been at mile 88. I ramped up my pace but didn't have the gas to catch him. I did manage to close the gap and got within 40 yards. Unfortunately, it was on the last hike-a-bike section and that was that. I rode that last 2 miles in complete shame. No just kidding. I felt great. It was an awesome battle. Dan was the stronger rider and put in a solid effort. I finished the race in 9:31 minutes and secured 2nd place just three minutes behind Dan.
Sunday, August 29, 2010
Thursday, August 5, 2010
AY UP LIGHTS are the best!
Monday, July 19, 2010
Boggs Race Report.....buckle up, it's a long one
To start off, I had been training specifically for this event since May. It is not usually in my pre-race training regimen to throw in a XC event just two days before a big 24hr event. However, that’s exactly what had fallen into my lap. The Summer Firefighter Olympics was going on and there was a XC event on Thursday. The past three years I have been successful enough to nab the Gold Medal in as many attempts. So this was going to be going for four in a row. The race was held in San Martin (just south of San Jose) and at 8:00, the weather was already in the high 80’s. The course was a short 14 miles with 1900’ of climbing. Thankfully, we were to do only one lap which normally doesn’t suit me as I have been training for the long stuff. Anyway, I was glad not to have to put in a long hard effort before Boggs.
So the race started with a two mile fire road climb….Perfect! I like to start out on the fast side and this was going to be a short race so why not. We hit the dirt and I hit the gas. I quickly made mincemeat of the field and looked back at the top and noticed a sizable gain. I turned off the gas and started the first single-track descent. Now I had no knowledge of the course which isn’t ideal when you’re hoping to win an event. I just had not put a lot of thought into this race. Anyway, my main competitor (Chris Masiguerra) put in a hard chase to catch me on the descent. I knew he had come with his A-game. I let him pass me and I latched on his wheel. We rode together as I tried to make small talk with him but he was not about talking. He was racing and obviously had come to this race to prove something. Normally, I would be the same way except that all I was thinking about was my big race in just two days. So mentally, I was a bit checked out. I had to check back in on the second big climb as the percent gain ramped up in earnest. Chris quickly downshifted to his granny gear (22:34) and I did the same except that my easiest gear was 34:34). Basically, I needed a granny gear for this climb. I used up a lot of fuel to stay with Chris on this climb and at the top I had to back off to recover. I kept him in sight as the race went on. Once you lose sight of the carrot it’s kind of hard to muster the energy to catch it. So I kept the carrot in view. Without knowing the course I was sure when we were going to hit the fire road descent to the finish. Unfortunately, my timing was off and he started the descent about 15 seconds ahead of me. Chris is a great bike handler and he clearly was taking risks on the gravely loose fire road descent. I, on the other hand, was not about to take an unnecessary risk in “trying” to catch him. I gave up the ghost and safely coasted to the finish. Silver medal this year.
So back to Boggs….I arrived at Boggs at 3:00 on Friday and was met by some severe heat. The temp gauge in my truck read 98 degrees F. I hastily off-loaded all of the pit equipment that included an easy up, tables, lights, generator, bikes, and other bike related items. I had originally planned on camping the night at Boggs but the weather made that decision easy. I retreated back home so I could secure a home cooked dinner and good nights sleep in my own bed. My wife and kids left for Folsom to spend the weekend with the grandparents so I had the house to myself. I got back home around 5:30 and made my “standard ops” pre-race dinner which consisted of a leafy green salad followed by pesto spaghetti with ground turkey. After chow I made my way to the couch to watch the TDF.
Saturday morning started early as I woke up at 6:00. Once again I made my usual pre-race breakfast of three scrambled eggs with blueberry and walnut pancakes chased down by my favorite blend of Flying Goat Coffee. I hit the road around 7ish to make the hour drive back up to Boggs. When I arrived at Boggs my pit team (Keith Flood and Kurt Pickle) was up and hanging around camp. Together were dialed in the pit area and went over the plans of the race. The time ticked out quickly and before I knew it, it was time to don the GBE kit and hit the start line.
My plan for the start of the race was to start off on the fast side and try to open up a lead. I really didn’t know too much about my competition other than my main competitor (Brad Cole) was not going to make this race as he was pretty sick. I was sincerely bummed out by that fact as he and I tend to push each other to our limits when racing. A good friend (Brian Sevall) was there ready to do battle and I was stoked to be able to race against him. He was at my first 24hr race and I have since learned a lot about 24hr racing from him. This was our first time racing since that race back in 2008.
We’re off! It was a mass start so being out front was important so I wouldn’t get stuck in any traffic on the singletrack descent. I lead out the field until we hit the singletrack and was passed by a couple of team racers. No big deal as I knew they were going to peg it the entire lap. I found a comfortable rhythm just below my threshold. I knew the course very well as I helped Jim (the race promoter) design it. Each lap was just less than 10 miles and climbed about 1000’ per lap.
Did I mention the weather yet? Yeah, it was hot, very hot. I had a feeling this race was going to be a race of attrition. The heat was going to be a factor in this race. I tend to do alright in the heat so I thought I would try to capitalize on that. I kept the fluid coming and started as soon as the race was on. Keith and Kurt did a superb job of keeping me full of fuel and fluid. At the start of each lap I would douse myself with a bottle of ice water and don a fresh Camelbak loaded with iced water.
In previous 24hr events I usually don’t try to keep track of my competition unless I am going backwards. I pretty much knew I was in front of the entire solo field so I just kept on the gas. I started passing other solo riders somewhere around lap 6. When I came in at the end of lap 9, I spotted my friend Brian Sevall. He was just about ready to head out on his lap. I shouted at him and made a quick pit stop to for food and fuel and chased hard to catch his wheel. I wanted to do a lap with him and talk to him. He led out for most up the lap and we were able to catch up on life. Unfortunately, when we were descending the semi-technical single-track at a high rate of speed, he crashed. I stopped and waited for him to get up and fix his chain and then we bombed down the trail. I must have put a small gap on him as I finished that lap without him in sight. I rolled through the pits and found out later that he had dropped out of the race.
So the hours and laps ticked away and it was time to put on the bike lights. After my successful finish at the Coolest 24hr race I secured a product sponsorship with AY UP Lights. The lights worked out perfectly and kept trails brightly luminated the entire night. It was at the early night laps that I decided to get a run down on my competition. I had two laps on the entire Pro/Expert geared field and three laps on the SS field. I felt comfortable in my lead but kept the pit times under five minutes and my laps consistently around an hour. I wanted to race as if I was being chased. Anything can happen in a 24hr race so I wasn’t about to count my lucky stars too early.
The night laps were made easy by the fact that the temperature hovered around the high 60’s. That was a first, being able to race all night with only a jersey and shorts. As the morning hours approached it was like waking up from a slumber. My lap times started to drop and I felt great. My Pit Team started to do the math to figure out how many more laps I “had” to do to secure the overall win as well as the win in the SS field. At 8:30ish I rolled through the start/finish and was met by Jim Northey (my team manager and race promoter). He left it up to me. I had enough time to do two more laps without any issues so the fitness was there. However, it would not have changed a thing about the overall standings. At that point in the race (21 hours into the race) I had enough laps to stop. I figured that there would be no “fitness gained” by doing one or two more laps and that it would only put me at risk of further physical damage or worse yet, crashing. I elected to shut it off and end the race.
I am super pleased with the race. I trained very long and hard for this event and I came to win. I only wish Brad was there to do battle with him. I ended up with the most laps overall (21 laps) and also put down the fastest solo lap (46 minutes). Now it’s time for some R&R and then train for the Tahoe Sierra 100 (Sept) followed by the 24hr Nationals in Moab Utah (Oct). Stay Tuned….
Special thanks to my wife for her undying love and support. I literally could not have does this without you.
I’d also like to thank the following:
Keith and Kurt – You guys stepped it up and ran that pit crew like a NAPSCAR pit
Jim Northey – what can I say? Oh maybe Niner!
Phil Fifer and the guys at Breakaway Bikes – you always come through at the 11th hour
Sponsors: Camelbak, AY UP Lights, and Rudy Project
So the race started with a two mile fire road climb….Perfect! I like to start out on the fast side and this was going to be a short race so why not. We hit the dirt and I hit the gas. I quickly made mincemeat of the field and looked back at the top and noticed a sizable gain. I turned off the gas and started the first single-track descent. Now I had no knowledge of the course which isn’t ideal when you’re hoping to win an event. I just had not put a lot of thought into this race. Anyway, my main competitor (Chris Masiguerra) put in a hard chase to catch me on the descent. I knew he had come with his A-game. I let him pass me and I latched on his wheel. We rode together as I tried to make small talk with him but he was not about talking. He was racing and obviously had come to this race to prove something. Normally, I would be the same way except that all I was thinking about was my big race in just two days. So mentally, I was a bit checked out. I had to check back in on the second big climb as the percent gain ramped up in earnest. Chris quickly downshifted to his granny gear (22:34) and I did the same except that my easiest gear was 34:34). Basically, I needed a granny gear for this climb. I used up a lot of fuel to stay with Chris on this climb and at the top I had to back off to recover. I kept him in sight as the race went on. Once you lose sight of the carrot it’s kind of hard to muster the energy to catch it. So I kept the carrot in view. Without knowing the course I was sure when we were going to hit the fire road descent to the finish. Unfortunately, my timing was off and he started the descent about 15 seconds ahead of me. Chris is a great bike handler and he clearly was taking risks on the gravely loose fire road descent. I, on the other hand, was not about to take an unnecessary risk in “trying” to catch him. I gave up the ghost and safely coasted to the finish. Silver medal this year.
So back to Boggs….I arrived at Boggs at 3:00 on Friday and was met by some severe heat. The temp gauge in my truck read 98 degrees F. I hastily off-loaded all of the pit equipment that included an easy up, tables, lights, generator, bikes, and other bike related items. I had originally planned on camping the night at Boggs but the weather made that decision easy. I retreated back home so I could secure a home cooked dinner and good nights sleep in my own bed. My wife and kids left for Folsom to spend the weekend with the grandparents so I had the house to myself. I got back home around 5:30 and made my “standard ops” pre-race dinner which consisted of a leafy green salad followed by pesto spaghetti with ground turkey. After chow I made my way to the couch to watch the TDF.
Saturday morning started early as I woke up at 6:00. Once again I made my usual pre-race breakfast of three scrambled eggs with blueberry and walnut pancakes chased down by my favorite blend of Flying Goat Coffee. I hit the road around 7ish to make the hour drive back up to Boggs. When I arrived at Boggs my pit team (Keith Flood and Kurt Pickle) was up and hanging around camp. Together were dialed in the pit area and went over the plans of the race. The time ticked out quickly and before I knew it, it was time to don the GBE kit and hit the start line.
My plan for the start of the race was to start off on the fast side and try to open up a lead. I really didn’t know too much about my competition other than my main competitor (Brad Cole) was not going to make this race as he was pretty sick. I was sincerely bummed out by that fact as he and I tend to push each other to our limits when racing. A good friend (Brian Sevall) was there ready to do battle and I was stoked to be able to race against him. He was at my first 24hr race and I have since learned a lot about 24hr racing from him. This was our first time racing since that race back in 2008.
We’re off! It was a mass start so being out front was important so I wouldn’t get stuck in any traffic on the singletrack descent. I lead out the field until we hit the singletrack and was passed by a couple of team racers. No big deal as I knew they were going to peg it the entire lap. I found a comfortable rhythm just below my threshold. I knew the course very well as I helped Jim (the race promoter) design it. Each lap was just less than 10 miles and climbed about 1000’ per lap.
Did I mention the weather yet? Yeah, it was hot, very hot. I had a feeling this race was going to be a race of attrition. The heat was going to be a factor in this race. I tend to do alright in the heat so I thought I would try to capitalize on that. I kept the fluid coming and started as soon as the race was on. Keith and Kurt did a superb job of keeping me full of fuel and fluid. At the start of each lap I would douse myself with a bottle of ice water and don a fresh Camelbak loaded with iced water.
In previous 24hr events I usually don’t try to keep track of my competition unless I am going backwards. I pretty much knew I was in front of the entire solo field so I just kept on the gas. I started passing other solo riders somewhere around lap 6. When I came in at the end of lap 9, I spotted my friend Brian Sevall. He was just about ready to head out on his lap. I shouted at him and made a quick pit stop to for food and fuel and chased hard to catch his wheel. I wanted to do a lap with him and talk to him. He led out for most up the lap and we were able to catch up on life. Unfortunately, when we were descending the semi-technical single-track at a high rate of speed, he crashed. I stopped and waited for him to get up and fix his chain and then we bombed down the trail. I must have put a small gap on him as I finished that lap without him in sight. I rolled through the pits and found out later that he had dropped out of the race.
So the hours and laps ticked away and it was time to put on the bike lights. After my successful finish at the Coolest 24hr race I secured a product sponsorship with AY UP Lights. The lights worked out perfectly and kept trails brightly luminated the entire night. It was at the early night laps that I decided to get a run down on my competition. I had two laps on the entire Pro/Expert geared field and three laps on the SS field. I felt comfortable in my lead but kept the pit times under five minutes and my laps consistently around an hour. I wanted to race as if I was being chased. Anything can happen in a 24hr race so I wasn’t about to count my lucky stars too early.
The night laps were made easy by the fact that the temperature hovered around the high 60’s. That was a first, being able to race all night with only a jersey and shorts. As the morning hours approached it was like waking up from a slumber. My lap times started to drop and I felt great. My Pit Team started to do the math to figure out how many more laps I “had” to do to secure the overall win as well as the win in the SS field. At 8:30ish I rolled through the start/finish and was met by Jim Northey (my team manager and race promoter). He left it up to me. I had enough time to do two more laps without any issues so the fitness was there. However, it would not have changed a thing about the overall standings. At that point in the race (21 hours into the race) I had enough laps to stop. I figured that there would be no “fitness gained” by doing one or two more laps and that it would only put me at risk of further physical damage or worse yet, crashing. I elected to shut it off and end the race.
I am super pleased with the race. I trained very long and hard for this event and I came to win. I only wish Brad was there to do battle with him. I ended up with the most laps overall (21 laps) and also put down the fastest solo lap (46 minutes). Now it’s time for some R&R and then train for the Tahoe Sierra 100 (Sept) followed by the 24hr Nationals in Moab Utah (Oct). Stay Tuned….
Special thanks to my wife for her undying love and support. I literally could not have does this without you.
I’d also like to thank the following:
Keith and Kurt – You guys stepped it up and ran that pit crew like a NAPSCAR pit
Jim Northey – what can I say? Oh maybe Niner!
Phil Fifer and the guys at Breakaway Bikes – you always come through at the 11th hour
Sponsors: Camelbak, AY UP Lights, and Rudy Project
Tuesday, June 29, 2010
Tuesday, June 22, 2010
Boggs, here I come!
I just got back from riding 4+ hours of my favorite trails at Boggs Demonstration Forest. It happens to be the very location of my next 24 hour race. On July 17th I will once again be riding my singlespeed (that's one gear) mountain bike around a course covering roughly 10 miles per lap and 1300' of elevation gain. The course is in great shape and with any luck there won't be any crazy July thunderstorms or cold fronts. Either way I will be there ready to do battle. Stay tuned for updates.
Monday, May 10, 2010
Saturday, May 8, 2010
A kind word...
I received this email from a fellow fighter (Garret Moore) who recently lost his sister to cancer. I'd like to share it with you.
Mike congratulations you are the best. I don’t know of any other thing a person could do to represent the victims and their families. My mom stopped by this morning and she was a little down about losing my sister. We talked about the race and what you did and it lifted her spirits quite a bit. Just a little note that what you have done works in many ways touching the lives of all the people who have been through this nightmare.
Thanks
Root
Mike congratulations you are the best. I don’t know of any other thing a person could do to represent the victims and their families. My mom stopped by this morning and she was a little down about losing my sister. We talked about the race and what you did and it lifted her spirits quite a bit. Just a little note that what you have done works in many ways touching the lives of all the people who have been through this nightmare.
Thanks
Root
Wednesday, May 5, 2010
Cool Twenty Ten.....The Race Recap
Here we go; let's start with Friday. I left Santa Rosa around 9:30 and arrived at the venue just before noon. I met up with Team Manager and event Promoter Jim Northey to get the low down on our pit area. I was the first person on team Global Biorhythm Events (GBE) to get there, so I got to secure the best pit area on the course. I off -loaded my truck and discovered that my 10 X 10 EZ-up wasn't so easy by myself with the wind howling. Things were coming together slowly but surely. I started to stress out a little when the primo trailer spots were being snatched left and right, but that all changed when Mike and Kerri Self arrived with their 35' travel trailer just in time. The next hour was spent dialing in the trailer and the pit tent. I finally sat down just before 2pm and enjoyed my favorite lunch; garden green salad with all the fixings topped with two cans of tuna fish.
After lunch I donned my brand new GBE kit and went out to check out the course. As I rolled out, my friend and teammate Zol Whitman, was also planning on doing a pre-ride. We hit the course together and discussed race tactics as we committed the course to memory. This was going to be Zol's first 24hr solo race. The course was great; about a dozen or so muddy sections, but altogether a fast course. I got back to the trailer, finished dialing in the tent, and then finally got to relax. I had my standard ops pre-race dinner meal of spaghetti, salad, and bread. The night came on fast and before I knew it, it was dark. I got to bed early and although I was anxious about the race, I got a great night sleep.
Race day came and as I ate my breakfast I was able to finally embrace the moment. I had been training for this race since November. The goal of this race was first and foremost to raise as much money as I could in an effort to fight cancer the only way I knew how. Then I wanted to win the Pro Solo SS division. I felt relaxed and not stressed out at all. 24Hr mountain bike racing is so much more mental than physical. Don't get me wrong; there's a HUGE physical component, but never under estimate the mental side. I recall after my last 24hr race in July, I had a kind of aversion to night time. For a few weeks, whenever I went outside during the night I was reminded of the pain that I experienced in the race during the night. It's so lonely and your mind starts to really mess with you. I mean, why would anyone choose to ride their bike for 24 hrs straight? Let's not go there. Anyway, I knew all the pain and sleep deprivation was ahead of me, but I also knew I was going to get through it. I had a great pit crew and support system, and I was ready to battle.
The rest of the morning went by super fast as it always does and before I knew it, it was time to line up. 3-2-1 and we were off starting to ride our bikes for hours and hours and hours. Before we hit the dirt, Brad Cole, the one guy I had to keep a close eye on as he was and is a fierce competitor, rolled next to me. We encouraged each other on what was certainly going to be another epic battle. I say another because the last time we raced each other in a 24hr event we went neck and neck for the entire race. I sqeaked out the win, but only by a mere 20 minutes. I knew he was coming to this race ready to even things up.
The race started off fast as usual, but I was able to keep a tight reign on my excursion level, yet was still able to start putting minutes on Brad and the rest of the SS Solo Field. I felt great and just kept ticking out the laps. The weather was ideal, my pit crew was on point, my legs were fresh, and I was mentally unbeatable. My split times to Brad was hovering in the mid-teens so we kept the pits to under ½ a minute and waited for the night. The first 10 to 12 hours of a 24hr race can be misleading. The real race starts when it gets dark. You've got to race hard to get to the dark, but it's what you can do during the dark that counts. It was apparent early into the night hours that Brad was once again on his A-game.
The hours and laps started to all blend together and because I wasn't wearing a watch, I had no idea what time it was or what lap I was on. I just kept turning the cranks over. I recall during the cold night hours when I was approaching the end of a lap, I noticed that my rear tire felt low. I had so many things on my mind as to what I wanted to tell John and Mike to get ready for my next return that I completely forgot to check my tire in the pits. I rolled out quickly and got a ways down the trail before I was rudely reminded that my rear tire was indeed low. I stopped and confirmed that I had a leak but that the tire sealant might have done it's job in sealing the leak although my tire was still dangerously low. I had a choice to make, I could use my CO2 to inflate the tire and see if it held or keep riding and try to make it to the feed station at the halfway point and hope that they had a floor pump to use. If I used the CO2, I would run the risk of not being able to fix a possible secondary flat. I didn't want to stop, as my lead to Brad was only around 14 minutes. Every time I sat down on the saddle I felt the squishy rear tire splashing all over the place. Consequently, I spent the first part of this lap out of the saddle. It was hard on my legs but I actually gained some time. I got to the feed station and grabbed their floor pump and filled up my tire. It held and I was able to sit down and peddle away the rest of the lap. Crisis averted.
The following lap presented some other mechanical issues. On the final hill of this lap, I was caught by my friend and overall race leader in the Pro Class, Dezmin Wilder. We rode together and talked about the race. His pace was a bit stronger than mine, but I managed to stay with him. However, while doing so, I noticed my bike started to give me grief in a hurry. The chain needed replacement, the brake pads were also needing a change, and the bike was overall very muddy. I rolled into the pit and quickly jumped on a good friend of mine, Jay Bretz's bike. I couldn't get the saddle height dialed in and unfortunately turned a slow lap. I was able to give the GBE Team Wrench, Peter, time to give my bike some love. I was back on my bike for the remainder of the race.
I think it was around 4 in the morning when I was just praying for the sun to come up. A while later, I rode up to another GBE teammate, Sean McDevitt. It was at the beginning of a lap that he said, “This is our last night lap.” I was elated. There's a point in 24hr racing when sun comes up and you just get a renewed boost of energy. You can see the trail again in the dawn light and it starts to feel normal again. At this point in the race, I started to try and do the math in an effort to figure out how many more laps I had to do. It didn't help that I had no idea what my laps times were as well as what time it actually was. On one hand I wanted exact inform so I could figure it out, but on the other hand, I didn't want to know for fear of what the math might going to conclude.
My lead over Brad was not getting bigger, it was actually narrowing. Brad was getting stronger and it appeared like I was fading. I broke down and asked a fellow racer what time it was. He said it was almost 9:00am. Immediately I did the math. I knew my laps were over in an hour, but by how much I just wasn't sure. The pre-ride I did the day before was 1 hour and 5 minutes. So I knew it was more than that. Anyway, I figured I had two more laps in addition to the one I was halfway through. I got pumped up and started to race again. Two laps! I can do that.
I rolled through the pits and John said I was 17 minutes up on Brad. Great! The next lap I came through John said I had 14 minutes. No big deal, he got three minutes on my last lap. I am now on what I think is my last lap and I start to put the hammer down. When you're on your last lap of a 24hr race you can dig pretty deep. Each hill you climb you mentally check it off. I got to the halfway point right before the feed station and I saw Mike Self on his bike riding up to me. I actually thought to myself, “Mike's going to tell me that Brad didn't go out on his last lap and I can just cruise to the finish and win the race.” That's NOT what Mike told me. He in fact said, “Mike, you're doing great. You've got one more lap after this one.” I'm thinking no way, there's not enough time based on the time I thought it was. Or better yet, based on what time that fellow racer told me it was. I quickly found out that time I was given was off by one hour. That meant Mike was giving me accurate intel. I had one more lap after this one if I wanted to contest the win.
I rolled through the pits and John said I was 17 minutes up on Brad. Great! The next lap I came through John said I had 14 minutes. No big deal, he got three minutes on my last lap. I am now on what I think is my last lap and I start to put the hammer down. When you're on your last lap of a 24hr race you can dig pretty deep. Each hill you climb you mentally check it off. I got to the halfway point right before the feed station and I saw Mike Self on his bike riding up to me. I actually thought to myself, “Mike's going to tell me that Brad didn't go out on his last lap and I can just cruise to the finish and win the race.” That's NOT what Mike told me. He in fact said, “Mike, you're doing great. You've got one more lap after this one.” I'm thinking no way, there's not enough time based on the time I thought it was. Or better yet, based on what time that fellow racer told me it was. I quickly found out that time I was given was off by one hour. That meant Mike was giving me accurate intel. I had one more lap after this one if I wanted to contest the win.
I had to mentally get over the fact that if I wanted to win this race I had to do ONE more lap. That was hard to do. I had moved on and was ready for it to be over. I was tired and the fight to stay in it was diminishing rapidly. I also had a little bit of a physical problem brewing. The nerves in both hands were firing like crazy and I could barely hold on to the handle bar. My pace dropped off on the final hill as I started to think to myself that 2nd place wasn't so bad. After all, my first priority of this race was to raise money to fight cancer. My mind was going a mile a minute which was mentally and physically draining. I just flat didn't want to go out again. I got to the pits and my brother John was there saying, “Let's go, get out there and do one more lap, you've got 13 minutes on Brad!” I said, “J, I'm done, I can't safely ride my bike. My wrists are on fire. The sharp pain is killing me.” I started to ride with my forearms on the grips. This was point in the race when my twin brother knew what I needed to hear and I was going to do whatever he said. He said, “Mike you've trained so hard for this WIN, do this for Dad!” With no more words said, I turned and left on my last lap.
The weather was getting warmer and warmer and now knowing that the faster I went, the faster the race would be over and the pain would go away. I dug really deep and buried myself on every hill. I turned myself inside out as I fought through the pain that was now radiating into my arms. I attacked every hill with a vengeance.
I got to the halfway point and saw John riding up to me. He gave me words of encouragement and told me that I had 13 minutes on Brad at the start of the lap. If I kept a solid tempo he wouldn't be able to catch me. On the last big hill climb at the end of the lap I began to start to talk to myself out loud. I knew that if I was to get to the top of the hill without him in sight, I'd have it. “Come on, keep going, don't stop, don't walk, you can ride up this hill.” I got to the top and turned back to see nothing but the open trail. I descended like a rock from the sky. I saw the finish line and eased off the pedals and coasted to my second straight 24 hr Solo SS Win.
Monday, May 3, 2010
It's over!
Well, it's day one after the big race. The race was a HUGE success. I will post a race report with all the details but I wanted to give you a quick update. I won the Pro Solo SS category and was also the second fastest overall. I completed 19 laps covering 11.5 miles and 1500' elevation gain per lap. As a result of the generous donations I was able to collect over $3200 to help fight cancer.
When I get a moment to process all that took place, I will post again. Right now I need to rest.
When I get a moment to process all that took place, I will post again. Right now I need to rest.
Saturday, April 24, 2010
1 week out...
The Coolest 24hr Race Against Cancer is only one short week away. I am getting super excited about this event. The conditions don't appear to be AS BAD as last year but either way, I'll be there! I want to say "thank you" to all who have supported me financially. I will post a picture of the collage as soon as it is done. I keep getting more pictures so I am waiting until the last minute to put it together. I consider it a huge privilege to be racing in honor of so many people who are either fighting cancer now or whom have lost their battle.
Stay tuned, more posts to follow.....
Stay tuned, more posts to follow.....
Wednesday, April 7, 2010
Boggs V in the bag, not the race I was hoping for.......
The alarm clock woke me from a coma at 5:20 in the AM. I crept downstairs and quietly fixed up some scrambled eggs, turkey, toast, and coffee trying not to wake up the grommets. Loaded up the bike and fellow racer and friend Adam was outside waiting for his ride. We headed over to Brian Staby’s house to pick him up and then head to Boggs. It was chilly cold out but not raining. The first glitch to my plans came when we were forced to wait for Adam’s friend whom we'll call Larry The Late Guy. Larry wanted to caravan with us to the venue. Needless to say, I was frustrated with the delayed arrival time. We arrived after 7 and the time seemed to tick away at a rapid rate as I scrambled to get registered, find a solo pit location, and meet up with the film crew for the documentary. My pre-race rituals were totally thrown out and I barely made it to the starting line.
Carlos (the event promoter) declared a “neutral” roll out start up the fire road. The first selection was made as the relay team racers set a solid pace up the climb. I found myself getting unhitched as a result of the single-speed. No worries, I was racing those guys anyway. I just wanted to get out to the single track in the front group to keep out of traffic. I was successful and hit the single track in perfect position. In what seemed like only a few minutes I was already at the fire road hill climb at the finish of the lap. I rolled past the eventual Pro Winner Kevin Smallman and we exchanged pleasantries. For a second I thought this should not be happening but I felt solid and kept turning it over.
As I rolled through the start/finish of lap one I knew that I was the first solo in the entire field to go through and I felt untouchable. So where did everything go wrong? Well, sometime during my first lap I started to not feel my fingers in both hands. I didn’t realize the negative implications of this issue until I made an attempt to get some necessary calories to keep fueled. I could barely reach into my back jersey pocket and literally could not grab the food. This was a problem. I knew that I HAD to eat to stay in this race. I had the lead and felt awesome but if I wasn’t able to replenish the calories the infamous BONK was going to get me. I knew this yet I continued to hammer away. It also wasn’t helpful that I wasn’t drinking either. I usually tape GU packets to my top tube but because of being rushed during the pre-race prep I forgot to do it.
I think it was on lap 6 that my fuel tank’s idiot light (no pun intended) began to flash brightly. I had just lost the wheel of the eventual Pro SS Winner Matthias Behrends and I then got passed by Yuri and Sully (Sean Sullivan). It all happened so fast that I was left in their wake thinking, “Wait, what just happened?” I needed to get food on board. I pulled over and after fumbling for what seemed like ten minutes trying to get my stump like hands to work, I finally got some calories. I dejectedly rolled on and lost the mental fight to continue on. I didn’t know if they were only 3 minutes up or 20. Before finishing the lap I stopped off at fellow racer Keith Flood’s pit and discussed my issues with his pit guy Kurt Pickle. He gave me some food and encouraged me to stray in it. I reluctantly went out on my 7th lap. By this time, my mind was my enemy. My body and legs actually felt great (the calories had been successfully converted to fuel) but I just lost the mental fight. I put in a respectable 1 hour lap and then rolled into Keith’s pit once again. This time I told them that I was done. I powered a bunch of their food and became a spectator.
Kurt came over and wanted me to go out on one more lap with Keith when he got back. Keith was in 2nd or 3rd place in the Solo Sport Division but only had it by a few minutes. He needed to do one more lap and fast. Kurt wanted me to stay with him and encourage him along. I agreed and then waited for his arrival. I think I waited about 35 minutes before he rolled through. His last two laps were around 1hr 10 minutes. We rolled out together and I actually felt amazing. I wanted to just hammer away and look for other SSers to put the hurt on. However, I didn’t. I stayed with Keith the entire lap yelling at him to “Turn yourself inside out” and “Come on, this is your last lap, make it count.” We passed a number of geared and SS riders and rolled through the finish in just over 1 hour. Keith was able to not only stand on the podium for the first time in a long time, but he was successful in getting 1st place by a mere 6 minutes.
I finished the race with my head held high. I didn’t land a coveted spot on the podium but I was able to help my friend accomplish a long time goal. I learned a lot from this race and I am confident that it will make me better on the next one. I think that if I had had a designated Pit person giving me food and split times, the race would have had a different outcome.
Anyway, I am hungry for the next endurance test……the Coolest 24hr Race Against Cancer on May 1st-2nd. Stay tuned…….
Carlos (the event promoter) declared a “neutral” roll out start up the fire road. The first selection was made as the relay team racers set a solid pace up the climb. I found myself getting unhitched as a result of the single-speed. No worries, I was racing those guys anyway. I just wanted to get out to the single track in the front group to keep out of traffic. I was successful and hit the single track in perfect position. In what seemed like only a few minutes I was already at the fire road hill climb at the finish of the lap. I rolled past the eventual Pro Winner Kevin Smallman and we exchanged pleasantries. For a second I thought this should not be happening but I felt solid and kept turning it over.
As I rolled through the start/finish of lap one I knew that I was the first solo in the entire field to go through and I felt untouchable. So where did everything go wrong? Well, sometime during my first lap I started to not feel my fingers in both hands. I didn’t realize the negative implications of this issue until I made an attempt to get some necessary calories to keep fueled. I could barely reach into my back jersey pocket and literally could not grab the food. This was a problem. I knew that I HAD to eat to stay in this race. I had the lead and felt awesome but if I wasn’t able to replenish the calories the infamous BONK was going to get me. I knew this yet I continued to hammer away. It also wasn’t helpful that I wasn’t drinking either. I usually tape GU packets to my top tube but because of being rushed during the pre-race prep I forgot to do it.
I think it was on lap 6 that my fuel tank’s idiot light (no pun intended) began to flash brightly. I had just lost the wheel of the eventual Pro SS Winner Matthias Behrends and I then got passed by Yuri and Sully (Sean Sullivan). It all happened so fast that I was left in their wake thinking, “Wait, what just happened?” I needed to get food on board. I pulled over and after fumbling for what seemed like ten minutes trying to get my stump like hands to work, I finally got some calories. I dejectedly rolled on and lost the mental fight to continue on. I didn’t know if they were only 3 minutes up or 20. Before finishing the lap I stopped off at fellow racer Keith Flood’s pit and discussed my issues with his pit guy Kurt Pickle. He gave me some food and encouraged me to stray in it. I reluctantly went out on my 7th lap. By this time, my mind was my enemy. My body and legs actually felt great (the calories had been successfully converted to fuel) but I just lost the mental fight. I put in a respectable 1 hour lap and then rolled into Keith’s pit once again. This time I told them that I was done. I powered a bunch of their food and became a spectator.
Kurt came over and wanted me to go out on one more lap with Keith when he got back. Keith was in 2nd or 3rd place in the Solo Sport Division but only had it by a few minutes. He needed to do one more lap and fast. Kurt wanted me to stay with him and encourage him along. I agreed and then waited for his arrival. I think I waited about 35 minutes before he rolled through. His last two laps were around 1hr 10 minutes. We rolled out together and I actually felt amazing. I wanted to just hammer away and look for other SSers to put the hurt on. However, I didn’t. I stayed with Keith the entire lap yelling at him to “Turn yourself inside out” and “Come on, this is your last lap, make it count.” We passed a number of geared and SS riders and rolled through the finish in just over 1 hour. Keith was able to not only stand on the podium for the first time in a long time, but he was successful in getting 1st place by a mere 6 minutes.
I finished the race with my head held high. I didn’t land a coveted spot on the podium but I was able to help my friend accomplish a long time goal. I learned a lot from this race and I am confident that it will make me better on the next one. I think that if I had had a designated Pit person giving me food and split times, the race would have had a different outcome.
Anyway, I am hungry for the next endurance test……the Coolest 24hr Race Against Cancer on May 1st-2nd. Stay tuned…….
Thursday, March 25, 2010
The plot thickens....
So here we are, sitting on a little over a week until Boggs 8hr XC and the weather pattern looks grim. All models are showing copious amount of wet stuff falling from the sky starting on Monday and lasting through Saturday. I've been able to pre-ride the course on three different days in the last two weeks logging 4hrs each visit. I'd say that I know course quite well. It's going to be very interesting to see if the inclement weather keeps racers from showing up. My hope is that all arrive ready to battle for 8hours and 45 minutes. I don't know what the deal is with endurance races. Boggs V is listed as an 8hr XC race but we will be racing for almost 9 hours????? Not sure why they don't just have us actually race for 8hrs? Anyway, I can't wait to see how it will all shake out. Stay tuned.....
Sunday, March 21, 2010
T-minus 12 days until Boggs 8hr XC
Time is ticking. I just got my bike together and took it out on it's first ride since it's makeover. I dumped the Lefty like yesterday's trash and installed a Fox F29 FIT Remote. The last time I mounted my SS bike was back in early November. I figured I should probably get in a few dirt rides before racing for 8hrs. So last Tuesday my friend Adam and I blasted out to pre-ride the Boggs course. It was as if I had been riding my mtn bike all winter. The bike performed flawlessly on the 4 hour ride. I decided to go back to Boggs on Thursday to hit it once again for another 4 hours with my friend and fellow firefighter Keith Flood. Like clockwork my trusty 29er SS crushed the descents and blasted up the climbs. I think I'm ready. I might just go back for another 4hr day on Tuesday with Brian Staby and Keith. I'll post a pic of my bike soon.
Wednesday, March 3, 2010
"Taming the Beast": A little bed time story for y'all......
It was just one of those perfect days. The weather report called for clear skies and highs in the 80’s; epic Annadel conditions. We set out for our "get to know each other" or better yet "who's the alpha" on a foggy later summer's morning. The ride was to last over 5 hours so I loaded up the camel back and filled my pockets to the brim with the usual supplements to get me through the day.
Before we plunge into this "Who's the Boss" adventure, let me first bore you with some details. I'm the guy that fought tooth and nail before making the switch from the antiquated V-brakes to disc brakes. I'm the guy who frowned upon any and all who mounted full suspension rigs. I would raise my nose in disgust and go on and on about how "vertically compliant" and "responsive" my trusty steel hardtail SS bike was. You wouldn't even want to get me started on the whole 29er verses 26 debate.
So back in May, when I participated in a 24hour solo mtb race and during the wee hours of the wet and muddy night, I catastrophically carcassed my full carbon full suspension bike. Go figure. I finished the race on my faithful steel hardtail SS. To make a long story short, I ended up selling that bike. For a few short weeks, I was for the first time in 15 years, without a mountain bike
The guys down at Breakaway Bikes offered me a great deal on a Cannondale 29er SS. With much reluctance and hesitation, I pulled the trigger and bought it. When it arrived the uneasiness and finality of the deal was starting to stress me out. What did I just do? The bike was just so big. When I stepped over it, I felt like a child sitting on his dad's bike.
Back to the epic day. The moment of truth came; it was time to see if my svelte 145lb frame could submit this new black and grey stallion. We set out not talking to each other trying to see who was going to test who first. The silence between us was shattered as soon as the wheels hit the dirt. It was as if the bike was a reckless wild horse making every attempt to buck me off his back. Suddenly I found myself entertaining thoughts like, “could I sell this bike as "Brand New" even though I had ridden it no more than two miles?” I bet I could clean it up and make it at least "look" brand new.
We fought each other for the next couple of hours as we toured some of my favorite trails in the park. Due to the elevated riding position along with a more compact geometry, even the trails that I once dominated on my 26er, felt different. It was as if I was riding a borrowed bike on trails I’ve never been on. I told myself, “Don’t give up, and don’t let the bike win.” The undisciplined steed was not submitting and took every opportunity to toss me on to the jagged rocks that appeared sharper and angrier. I found myself talking to my bike and almost pleading with it to comply with my input.
The tides turned when the elevation gain ended and descent began. All of a sudden the stubborn mount started to picks its own lines. I began to think that this out of control thoroughbred displayed some hope of actually being tamed. As I descended, it was a surreal experience as the serrated razor like boulders started to level out and almost vanish right before my very eyes. The 29inch wheels gobbled up terrain, leveled, and spit it out like a John Deer Tractor.
What was happening before me was indescribable. Not only was the bike beginning to obey me but we were starting to get along and have fun together. Although I received no verbal feedback from my new friend, it was obvious that our relationship was vastly improving. When we reached the bottom, I knew that there was one more obstacle that we had to overcome. This willful downhill charger knew how to descend, that was obvious. He needed to learn how to climb like a mountain goat. I thought what better way to teach him a lesson than to hit one of the hardest climbs in the county. We departed Annadel and headed towards Pythian Rd.
As we ascended I knew what was coming but this rambunctious stallion had not a clue. The climb began in earnest and we started to fight each other again. However, over the course of the climbing that beast of a hill, the stars began to align. We started to work together and nearly made the entire climb without walking. Keep in mind some sections of dirt raise up towards 20%. The reward of the climb was much deserved and we synergistically tamed the descent. I had to look at my wheels to make sure that we had the rubber side down. On our way back to Annadel to spend some more time in our park, I knew that I had just become a convert. I had not a stress or worry about having sold my 26” wheeled bike. I actually started to think about what other 26” parts I could sell.
Webster defines the word “change” as a “transformation”. I have been transformed. I have seen the light and it is bright. Like the “Horse Whisperer” I tamed the unruly and angry stallion and have turned it into a fully compliant racing machine.
Before we plunge into this "Who's the Boss" adventure, let me first bore you with some details. I'm the guy that fought tooth and nail before making the switch from the antiquated V-brakes to disc brakes. I'm the guy who frowned upon any and all who mounted full suspension rigs. I would raise my nose in disgust and go on and on about how "vertically compliant" and "responsive" my trusty steel hardtail SS bike was. You wouldn't even want to get me started on the whole 29er verses 26 debate.
So back in May, when I participated in a 24hour solo mtb race and during the wee hours of the wet and muddy night, I catastrophically carcassed my full carbon full suspension bike. Go figure. I finished the race on my faithful steel hardtail SS. To make a long story short, I ended up selling that bike. For a few short weeks, I was for the first time in 15 years, without a mountain bike
The guys down at Breakaway Bikes offered me a great deal on a Cannondale 29er SS. With much reluctance and hesitation, I pulled the trigger and bought it. When it arrived the uneasiness and finality of the deal was starting to stress me out. What did I just do? The bike was just so big. When I stepped over it, I felt like a child sitting on his dad's bike.
Back to the epic day. The moment of truth came; it was time to see if my svelte 145lb frame could submit this new black and grey stallion. We set out not talking to each other trying to see who was going to test who first. The silence between us was shattered as soon as the wheels hit the dirt. It was as if the bike was a reckless wild horse making every attempt to buck me off his back. Suddenly I found myself entertaining thoughts like, “could I sell this bike as "Brand New" even though I had ridden it no more than two miles?” I bet I could clean it up and make it at least "look" brand new.
We fought each other for the next couple of hours as we toured some of my favorite trails in the park. Due to the elevated riding position along with a more compact geometry, even the trails that I once dominated on my 26er, felt different. It was as if I was riding a borrowed bike on trails I’ve never been on. I told myself, “Don’t give up, and don’t let the bike win.” The undisciplined steed was not submitting and took every opportunity to toss me on to the jagged rocks that appeared sharper and angrier. I found myself talking to my bike and almost pleading with it to comply with my input.
The tides turned when the elevation gain ended and descent began. All of a sudden the stubborn mount started to picks its own lines. I began to think that this out of control thoroughbred displayed some hope of actually being tamed. As I descended, it was a surreal experience as the serrated razor like boulders started to level out and almost vanish right before my very eyes. The 29inch wheels gobbled up terrain, leveled, and spit it out like a John Deer Tractor.
What was happening before me was indescribable. Not only was the bike beginning to obey me but we were starting to get along and have fun together. Although I received no verbal feedback from my new friend, it was obvious that our relationship was vastly improving. When we reached the bottom, I knew that there was one more obstacle that we had to overcome. This willful downhill charger knew how to descend, that was obvious. He needed to learn how to climb like a mountain goat. I thought what better way to teach him a lesson than to hit one of the hardest climbs in the county. We departed Annadel and headed towards Pythian Rd.
As we ascended I knew what was coming but this rambunctious stallion had not a clue. The climb began in earnest and we started to fight each other again. However, over the course of the climbing that beast of a hill, the stars began to align. We started to work together and nearly made the entire climb without walking. Keep in mind some sections of dirt raise up towards 20%. The reward of the climb was much deserved and we synergistically tamed the descent. I had to look at my wheels to make sure that we had the rubber side down. On our way back to Annadel to spend some more time in our park, I knew that I had just become a convert. I had not a stress or worry about having sold my 26” wheeled bike. I actually started to think about what other 26” parts I could sell.
Webster defines the word “change” as a “transformation”. I have been transformed. I have seen the light and it is bright. Like the “Horse Whisperer” I tamed the unruly and angry stallion and have turned it into a fully compliant racing machine.
Wednesday, February 24, 2010
Change in working conditions....
Well, I am no longer working at Fire Station 5. I have opted to work at Station 7 for a few months which will allow me more time to ride the trainer and rollers. I probably won't being riding in my full turnouts again cause those pants don't have chamois. Anyway, training is going great and my first big race will be the Boggs V 8hr XC Race on April 3rd.
Monday, January 25, 2010
JOIN ME IN FIGHTING CANCER......
It all started for me back in early 2008. I decided that year that I was going to take a stab at a 24hr solo bike race. My first solo effort came at the Coolest 24hr Race Against Cancer. A solid 2nd place finish confirmed not only my desire but also my place in the strong field of solo competitors. I knew right away that this event was going to be a priority for my ’09 campaign. The winter training was on par until mid January when we found out that my dad had lung cancer. His prognosis was grim from the start and it was an uphill battle. My dad lost his fight with cancer on February 25th, 2009. Now up until that time I really had no relationship with cancer. I just knew it was a potentially fatal disease. I had read Lance Armstrong’s book, "It’s Not About The Bike” many years prior, but the significance of his achievement didn’t really hit home until the disease attacked my family. It wasn’t until the passing of my dad that I fully realized how deadly and fierce cancer is. Consequently, it became vividly clear that the 2009 24hr Race Against Cancer was going to have a whole new meaning.
I decided that shortly after my dad’s passing that I was going to dedicate the 24hr R.A.C to him and I was going to let nothing get in my way. While driving up to the venue on Friday, I knew that it was going to be more than just a physical battle. The weather and trail conditions were worsening with each passing minute as the largest storm of the season was bearing down on the race venue. However for me, it didn’t matter one bit. I knew that no matter what, I was going to finish that race even if it meant I had to walk. It was the fact that I was racing for my dad and not for me that kept me going.
The field was dropping like flies as the course was pummeled by the storm. Consequently, I broke my full suspension carbon frame at 2:00AM and finished the race on my spare bike; a steel framed singlespeed. The magnitude of my effort was not clear to me until I went through the pits on one of my laps and was told that the pit crew for the cycling legend, Tinker Juarez, was inquiring if I was planning on finishing the race. My twin brother John, who was and has been my lead pit manger boldly told them that I was “without question” going to finish. My dad was with me on that cold, wet muddy course and I will never forget that experience.
Fast forward to now as I look forward to next year’s events; I am placing the 2010 24hr Race Against Cancer at the top. The first time I raced for myself. The second year was clearly for my dad. In 2010, I am going to race against cancer. With my eyes now fully open to the realization of how prolific cancer is in our society, I have decided that I want to make difference in effecting a change. I am a fulltime professional firefighter and we respond to cancer patients frequently. With that said, I now can offer empathy and compassion to those patients in a way that I once wasn’t able to. Now as far as making a lasting impact on fighting cancer head on, the only way I know how is by raising money to fund research in an effort to find a cure. I am going to take that rage that I have towards cancer and fight it. I have no doubt that my family and especially my dad is going to be with me. The question is, who else wants to join me?
With the economy in such chaos, I understand that it’s a tough time for everyone and that asking for money is going to be a challenge. For those that aren’t aware, 24hr solo bike racing is not only physically demanding but it’s much more of a mental contest. Therefore let me offer up this challenge; you can donate a lump sum of ANY amount or chose to give a certain amount for every lap that I complete. I would prefer the later as that would help push me to keep riding strong throughout the night. Depending on the conditions come race day it might be anywhere from 10 to 20 laps. This year the Coolest 24hr Race Against Cancer has teamed up with the Lance Armstrong Foundation for 2010 which should make for an exciting event. I hope that you can join my brother and me as we team up in honor of our dad and fight cancer head on!
All donations are tax deductible. Visit http://www.globalbiorhythmevents.com/ for more information.
Email me and we can go from there: mike_bikeracer@yahoo.com
Also, if you would like to join me in this endeavor, I would like a picture of someone close to you who has lost their battle or is currently fighting the disease. I will be putting together a collage that will be positioned in the pit area for me to see on every lap.
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