So...

It's been a little while. What was it, May 1st when I stopped riding. Started again on June 3rd. Put in 4 rides, which leaves me at my last post.

Since then, I did a ride a few days later, and my knee was bugging me again. Did a few quick 15-30min feeler rides to see how the knee was feeling. That's 5 rides in 50 days! Didn't really ride again until the day before Lumberjack. Did a quick little pre-ride of the course and thought I was going to die. I felt so out of shape on the climbs and had really tight legs from doing nothing other than standing all day at work and sitting on my ass at home.

DISCLAIMER: I highly recommend training for 100 mile mountain bike races. You might be able to get by without it though.

Photo: Jack Kunnen
So, Lumberjack was just a training ride for me and to see how my knee was feeling. Luckily the rest and exercises had been working and it was feeling good. Hit the rollout in the top 30 and just chilled. I knew I could not hang with the top guys like I was hoping for earlier in the season. Slow and steady.

Lap 1 hurt. My legs had no idea what was going on. Rode the first half with women's winner Betsy Shrogen as she was throwing down a XC pace on the chicks. Spent the rest just enjoying riding my bike in the woods and sweating profusely in the mid-west humidity.

Lap 2 was sweet. I was solo for most of it, but I was having a great time. Sweeping and flowing through the course. I was loving life. This lap was a little quicker than lap 1.

Lap 3 came and I was wondering what the hell I was doing. Why was I racing a hundo off the couch? Hmm, cause I like riding my bike. According to Simonster's high tech and 100% accurate scale, I was in stage three. Wondering why I was out there, what I should do? My body felt great, but it is that step where it gets mental. Luckily I joined up with Scott Cole who was also in the exact same boat I was. His body wasn't up to par on the first lap or 2, but after a few miles, I got my mind back in the game. We rode and chatted together for a while which made the time go by much faster and made the race much more enjoyable. Stopped at the aid station on the outer loop to grab some stuff. I didn't need anything, but I was in no hurry. Goddard came by just as we were leaving, so we tagged along. Fire tower climb my fat and out of shape body couldn't go as fast as the guys. Finished the loop at 6 hours and 2 min. Not too bad considering 2 years ago I finished in 7:55, so not far off of that pace.

My knee was feeling good and I was content with my 6hr training ride. I sat down and chilled out for 1.5 hours until my dad came by for his 4th lap. Grabbed the fly and headed out to finish the race and keep him motivated on his virgin 100 mile race. Pulled in at the 10:15 mark to cap off a good day.

I was so nice to be back out on the racing scene and see all the people I haven't seen since last July. I rode the 29er as well, and it was great. I am really digging the big wheels. can't wait to take it back to Colorado in August to shred on rock.

Since the race, my knee has still felt good. I rode Sunday morning after the race and my legs felt like 1 million bucks. Musta been that long taper!!! Did a good 3+ hour ride with a bit of intensity realizing I have no top end power anymore. Poto in the extreme heat on Wed was fun and the 29er just totally ripped that place apart. Early morning Spiderweb clearing of ILRA yesterday was the extent of my riding. Had all 4 wisdom teeth pulled out this morning, so who knows when I'll get back on the bike. Then it's off to Baltimore to the the bro late next week. Hectic schedule but hopefully I'll be able to get some structured training in sometime in the next few weeks! Maybe I'll be in shape for cross natz in December?

2009 Lumberjack Training Plan

Step 1: Take a month off the bike

Step 2: Start riding 17 days before 100 mile event


Step 3: Take it easy and only ride 3 days for 2.5 hours to let knee heal

Step 4: On the 4th day pretend you have been training and ride 8+ hours and cover 95 miles.

Step 5: Ride for next 2 weeks and show up for event fatigued.

Step 6: Suffer through race and love every minute of it.

Ya, so yesterday was good. Did the Milford Trail Challenge from home and met up with Jon Heft and Bernie Smith for some fun in the saddle. Hit up Highland, Proud Lake, Commerce, Island Lake, and the Milford Trail. Knee felt good and body was starting to feel great about 6 hours in. Some R&R is on tap to make sure everything is happy and the body is healed up.

Not sure on nutrition strategy for the race yet, but I fueled with 8 Kroger pop-tarts and a dairy queen blizzard. Felt energized and no upset stomach. Total cost: $4.80!

2 Days, 5 hours

Ya, I rode my bike the past two days. Feels good to be going again. I am fat, slow, and outta shape, but I'll get back there one day. Knee is starting to feel better, and I am hoping next week it will be all back to normal. Hit up Island Lake a few times as it is easy and not taxing on my knee. The 29er just rips the place up out there.

Almost 4 weeks...

This is really pissing me off. My knee still hurts and nothing has been done about it. Got an MRI and it showed nothing. I am going to try to get into PT. That will probably take another week or so. I have a new bike, and I can't ride it. At least if I new what my problem was, I could do something about it and get it better. Right now it is all about waiting and waiting. Ice, ibuprofen, and rest has done nothing. It still hurts, similar to day 1. Walking, climbing stairs, riding, it all hurts. Maybe if I ever get back on a bike, I might have fitness by mid-December for cross nationals. I've been looking for positive thoughts, but they are hard to come by.

Since May 2nd, I have ridden three times. Once for a little spin in Fort Collins to see how it felt. Once before I left GJ just to get in one last MTB ride there, and then an hour last weekend on the 29er to see how it was feeling. I am now hoping it is just an alignment problem with the kneecap and I can do some exercises and maybe tape the shit out of it with some kinesio tape.

Hours for the month: 2.5

We're going on 5 days

...Off the bike. It is a huge mental challenge to be sitting here and not out riding in the 85 degree weather.

Here is what has been going down lately.

-Got back from Sea Otter and got some good MTB rides in with friends from Michigan.
-Went to Salt Lake City for Conference Championships. It rained. TTT was pouring, crit was okay, and road race turned into a circuit race at the race track.
-Came back to GJ for a day and did laundry, oil change, and got packed up.
-Drove to Silver City, NM for the Tour of the Gila on Tuesday.
-Stayed with some awesome hosts. Some guy named Lance riding for a Texas bike shop stayed at the house next to us.
-Stage 1 was okay. Made it with the group to the bottom of the final 3 mile 11% climb. Came in 21 of 73.
-Stage 2 split up like crazy with a good climb early on into the 80 mile race. Was in the chase group and bridged back up to the front with 20mi to go. Finished in the front group of 30. Knee started to hurt.
-Knee was painful that night. Hurt to walk.
-Decided to ride the TT with a sore knee. It really hurt, especially on the way out which was almost all uphill. Rode on my drops most of the way on a TT bike course. Somehow I was 29th. Didn't go that hard out there.
-Legs were feeling better as the week went on, but knee hurt.
-Tried to ride around the parking lot before the crit and I thought I was going to cry. OUCH. My knee was killing me. I pulled out.
-Fed guys on the last Gila Monster stage. Drove behind the pro men at the end of the caravan the first 20 miles and saw 2 guys put on stretchers.
-Drove back to GJ in 9.5hrs, home about 12:30am Monday.
-Class, studying, and sitting on my ass. Icing my knee, ibuprofen, and trying not to look at my bikes.
-Going to Ft. Collins this weekend for collegiate road nationals. I hope my knee will heal up, but I am not to hopeful at this point. One more week here and I am back to the homeland. I might just take this as a mid-season break and hope to have a killer year after this problem. My fitness was really coming around and I was feeling really strong. Makes me mad.
-Going to try the whole 29er thing this year.
-I think I just have some tendinitis in my knee and not much I can do about it. It better not last too long.
-I'm outta here.

Sea Otter Wrap-Up

The trip has come and gone, and I am glad I decided to go. What a great few days it was. 5 of us packed into a pick-up truck and set off for Monetery, CA around (;30 Wednesday night. After snowy/icy conditions in Utah(the storm that dumped feet in Colorado), a cruise down the Vegas strip, and 15 hours later, we arrived in one sleep-deprived state. A nice little pre-ride and a tour of the expo, and it was off to In-N-Out for some food, then sleep.
PICTURES OF THE TRIP-BETTER THAN WORDS
TECH/EXPO PICS
Did another loop of the course on Friday and checked out some other races and went through the expo in deep. What a great venue and scene. Weather was the best ever at Sea Otter and everyone there was in a great mood. Went to the beach later for some sunset action and touch my toes in the Pacific for the first time ever.

Saturday started off playing in the waves and having a blast in the ocean. It was a little cool, but we didn't care. Off to the venue to pre-ride then watch some racing. I opted out of the short track and was glad I did. Not much passing, and most people were done in 10 minutes. It was a great race to watch. The womens was animated then Emily Batty blew them all away with an attack on the last lap. The men's race was full on Specialized domination. They made everyone look like they were creeping. After a flat tire from Susi, it was down to Todd and Burry, but they killed everyone.

Sunday was race day. I went off with 140 of my closest friends at 1:30. It was really hot at 10am, and hit record high temps in the afternoon. They shortened the race a little due to the extreme heat. It was up in the 90's and most people are not acclimated to it yet. The first lap was so hot and miserable. The course was fun and cool riding with that many people, but the heat radiating in the woods was unbearable. You couldn't pin it or you would totally blow up. Just ride a good tempo and look forward to passing others and seeing the finish line. I finished 78th of 140 pro starters. Not bad for the first mountain bike race of the year. Legs felt good, but the heat just zapped everything. You could tell everyone was suffering and that was what kept me going.

Hopped in the car, ate In-N-Out, and drove straight back to GJ. Got back at 9am with 1hr of off and on sleep in Utah. Did a few things, then went for a sweet MTB ride with friends. Finally went to bed at 6:30, and got up at 9:30 this morning. Now it is off for a few good rides this week, then conference championships this weekend and off to Tour of the Gila on Tuesday for 6 days. Sea Otter and MTB racing was a great little refresher.

The Start of Craziness

Well, here it is. The heart of the spring races. Last weekend was a trip down to Durango for the Fort Lewis races.

Saturday's TTT was canceled as we woke up to pouring rain, then lots of snow. The crit was still on a few hours later. It was a really cool course. Once everyone got used to the soaked roads, it was smooth and really fun. It started raining again before our race, then it started snowing a bit, and even sleeted on us in the race. Needless to say, it was chilly and wet, but I had a great time. I just kinda chilled on the back of the main group, and when people would pop, which was like 1/2 the field, I would come around them and get back on the group. Needless to say, after 20 minutes the glasses were so covered in grime that you couldn't see. Even better was it was the worst conditions of the year, but the first race with no crashes!





Sunday was a circuit race of 9, 6 mile loops. It finished with a killer climb that was a mile+ in length. The first part has a few switchbacks and is ridiculously steep. Since I suck at accelerating and power climbs, my goal was to try to stay with the group for a couple laps. Each lap, people would come off, then try to bridge back. Even after a hard week of training, my legs had some good power in them. I used my flatlander skills to bridge back and bring others back to the group every lap. After 7 laps, I finally was gone. I was able to keep riding strong the last two laps and passed a few more stragglers. I finished 20th out of 49, so not bad for another training race.

Next up is Sea Otter. I can't wait to race my MTB. I am registered for the XC, but I am not sure about the short track yet. I am going to look at the course and decide. Being 100 guys back on a short course could mean guys like Treefarm will be about to lap me before I get to the start line. And I usually get faster as the race goes on, which is horrible for ST. Oh, and its like 95 bucks. Yeah...