Motivation

Finding motivation to ride is not hard to find around here. With trails dispersed evrywhere, and great roads to ride on, I am finding it hard to limit my riding. It doesn't hurt that the weather is sunny everyday and the high temperatures are 85 everyday. With a long season still ahead of me, I am keeping the hours down, but upping the intensity, so I can stay fresh for upcoming races.

I decided to stay in the valley this weekend and get in a good block of riding instead of going to Boulder to race. Pictures do the justice...







Staying here was probably a good idea considering my travels coming up in the next 5 weeks. Two cyclocross races in Frisco this weekend should be a blast. Next weekend I get to stay here again as we host the collegiate races. After that is some more CX ragin' in Longmont and Fort Collins to keep the legs going for MTB Nationals. Off to North Carolina for some east coast action. I am bringing mudders in case of water. Back on Monday night, and off to Boulder the next weekend. Boulder Cup races should be crazy. Will that Lance guy show? Rumor has it he will, and all of the rumors as of late have been true. I think it is cool he is trying new events which should bring more people in the sport, but the media is crazy. Everything I read now is about Lance. Look at Cross Vegas. Trebon and TJ race for first, and all the media swarms Lance after he finished 20+ places back. How about some big press for the winners?

This is going to go FAST.

Wyoming

Its the UP for CO. People are just like Yoopers too.

Okay, here it is

2nd overall Short Track

11th overall XC




Short track was Saturday and was cool course. It was like Michigan riding, short punchy climbs, flat section with fats corners, then some downhill. I started 2nd from last as the guy ahead of me would not file in. Sat in on lap 1, then passed like 10 people on lap 2. Everyone goes balls-out on the start, and I can't. My legs opened up, and soon I saw the lead group which was Fort Lewis guys, and 2 CSU guys. Then I crashed on a flat 2-track crossing over. I was laughing at myself for that. I kept chasing as people were popping. It came down to 3 of us. I was sitting 3rd coming near the finish as the 2nd guy crashed while standing up. I brakes and got around him. No way I was going to beat 1st as he was 2nd at track nationals last week.

XC-sat in the car until 20 minutes before the start as it was pouring. Fixed some bike stuff, road up the dirt road maybe a minute, then lined up. I rode lap 1 near the back just having fun. I went a little harder on lap 2 and 3, but I never killed it. Just wanted to stay on 2 wheels and enjoy the trails.

Then it was off to Boulder to pick up some CX bike components so I could build up some bikes. Sweet bikes.

Might stay here this weekend and get some riding in, or head down to the Republic for some CX and STXC. We'll see.

Another Adventure

Sol Vista was on tap for Friday. Located right next to Winter Park, we arrived to a nice rain and cold temps. A nice dinner and warm lodge was the name of the game for the night. Woke up in the morning to a frozen tent and waterbottle.

Noon was race time. A long climb to the top, some sweepy downhill followed by fireroad and 1-track. Then shoot down the mountain. 3-9mile laps was called. I felt decent, but seemed like I could not go downhill fast at all. It wasn't techy, just lots of turns. Finished up 15th overall, so not a bad result considering the people in the top 10.

Another night in a cold tent, then off to Breckenridge for some pain and suffering at 10,000ft. We arrivd to mid-50's and bright blue skies. A great day for cross. I lined up with a group around 40 in the 3 race. Had a decent start, but about 15-20 people ahead of me and a lot of 1-track. All dirt and some paved road climbs was the course. Bridged up to chase group 1 on lap 2. I was told a guy was off the front, but I decided to chill on the back of the group. Pace wasn't that fast, and another guy bridged up. We picked the pace up a bit, and on the next lap attacked on a road climb. I stuck to his wheel as the others dropped. Once we hit the woods and a little rise, I countered his move and had a large gap immediately. Another 1.5 laps and I rolled in 2nd with a minute gap over 3rd. Sure was a fun time.

Watched Conor and Kevin race the Open race at 3:10. Small field, but some fast guys. They held up well dispite spending some time with the ground. T. Brown rolled in 2nd place on his SS 69'er.

This was the first cross race of the season, and I was rolling a new tire setup. As tubies are expensive, I went another route. Ksyrium wheels with a Stan's NoTubes rimstrip. Some sealant in a Michelin Mud2 tire and I am set with a tubless setup. The course yesterday had a bit of rocks and roots, and flats were not uncommon. People were telling others to jack the pressure up. I rode about 40psi and had no problems. I felt the rim a few times, but I don't have a pinch flat problem with no tubes. Tires hooked up well and I never rolled a tire. I could definitely rail the corners faster than others, but that could have something to do with MTBing. So far with 1 race and a few nightly practice sessions, it works well.

Up next is some MTBing in Wyoming followed by some riding around here, then a few CX races in Frisco in 3 weeks. Can't wait for that. CX is so FUN! Oh yeah, I registered for Cross Nationals as well this morning. U23 and Collegiate. See you in December.

Bike Racing

Left Fun Junction on Friday to go shred some trails up in the boonies south of the Wyoming border. CSU MTB race weekend. Saturday was the short track where I was looking to limit my losses. Suprisingly, I ended up 7th overall as I did my normal skit and passed loads of people after starting near the back. Then I went to pre-ride the course, but I had no idea if I was on the right track. I was stopped and coughing my lungs up as a lady hiker came down. "Oh, it must be the elevation(in reference to me coughing). My cabin is right there, and it is 9400ft." Thats why I could taste my lungs the whole race. Tasty.

XC was Sunday morning. Luckily it wasn't 30F like the day before in the morning. First lap was good. Just a brutal climb to the top, a techy downhill, a deep creek crossing of freezing water, another climb, then a sweeeeeet rocky downhill to the bottom. I climbed to the top in a good position, then rode like a school-girl trying to descend the first downhill. Smacked my derailluer and bent the hanger so it would hit the spokes. I had to watch my shifting so I didn't go below my 3rd lowest cog. Lots of granny ringing was had after that. Just after lap 1, I feel my front tire all squirrelly. Hit it with CO2, but it only goes up to 20psi, and my Big Air was gone. Must of been a bad one. Stop a few times on the climb to try and get the gash in my tire to seal. After shredding the DH on lap 2, I felt my tire very low again after hearing multiple rocks smash my rim. Pump up the tire and head of for lap 3, which had us avoid the rocky downhill, and shorten the loop by taking a smooth fire-road back. Just as I hit the fire road and flew down at 30+mph, my tire goes flat and I try not to crash. Get off and run downhill and then a long flat section to the finish. Running 2 miles in crabon shoes worked, but is not the greatest thing. I guess it is good training for cross season.

So I ended up going from 5th overall to 9th in the XC as 4 guys passed me running. It was still fun, but it seemed like when I was racing, it was like another ride. I was never really pinned, and the HR was pretty low, but that could have been from the elevation and fatigue. Fun weekend though.

Next up, its off to Sol Vista for some XC action on Saturday. Then a few of us are of te Breckenridge for a CX race on Sunday. Should be another fun weekend.