Healed Up!

Seems like bones can heal in 4-6 weeks, but ligaments take twice as long.  My torn ligaments in my ankle, caused by being a hippie and walking on a slackline in August, have finally healed.  Yup, middle of November. I can actually rotate my foot inward and even unclip from my pedals.  To celebrate, I went and re-invigorated myself with the world-class trails 3 miles away.  All week I was riding trails with a smile on my face.  With sun, comfortable temperatures, and hero dirt, how could you not smile.  While the physical healing took months, the mental healing was done in a simple 3 hour trail ride!

While I was finally able to get into a groove riding, I decided this would be a great opportunity to explore new territory.  Welcome: Skiing.  Even with living a few miles from Mt. Brighton, the enormous 250ft hill in Michigan, I have never downhill skied a day in my life.  I figured if I was going to give it a go, I was going big.  My friends Brent and Ryan joined me for a few hours on our local ski area this morning.  

Leaving the lot around 9:30 as the only vehicles, we stuck our climbing skins to our skiis and started the ski to the top of the resort.  1,800ft later topping out around 10,000ft, we pulled the skins, threw on helmets, jackets and gloves for the descent down.  A quick morning PBR gave some liquid courage as I stared down at my first descent ever.  A black diamond with a 3ft powder base.  

 With no clue as to what I was doing, and shaking calf muscles from the skin up the mountain, I pointed down.  Who knows how many times I fell.  I flew through some powder, made a turn and B-lined it to the other side, before bailing as I was speedily out-of-control.  Maybe 10 seconds total, but my endorphins were already flowing.  WOW, that was fun.  Once we hit some harder packed snow, I got some tips on making turns.  It got much better from there.  At the bottom, we put the skins back on, shedded clothes and headed for the top again.  The second time down, I biffed it good on a steep powder run, lost a ski, and couldn't get it back on.  Once to a flatter area, I was able to make some fun turns on packed snow down to the base.  Good times and sore muscles.  40 minutes later we were back in town looking at 55 degree temps.  A quick bite to eat and on the bike I was.  A couple hours of riding blissful trails and I was cooked. By 5pm, I about called it a night.  Damn, what a fun and tiring day.  Can't wait for more weekends like this and getting better at shredding the pow.

Happy Turkey Day to everyone this week.  Weather in our region looks good.  Might have to take the 1.5hr excursion to Moab for some riding and camping for a day or so!

Looking Forward

This time of year is usually about putting the final touches on the fitness for Iceman and looking forward to a nice offseason.  This year has a different twist.  In the end of August, I tore some ligament in my ankle while walking on a slackline during a thunderstorm.  While I continued to walk, my ankle had no range of motion which lead to more biomechanical problems on the bike.  I took it easy and decided to make my offseason a bit earlier this year.

With a couple months of healing time, my ankle finally has a much better range of motion and I am feeling almost normal on the bike again.  This past week I started riding more hours and more consistently day to day. It is really refreshing to ride without pains, and finally get that good "sore legs" feelings again.

So, while everyone is racing and partying in Traverse City this weekend, I'll be cruising around thinking about 2012.  At least the weather has been decent here.  Got in a nice 130k ride on the knobbies with some friends this weekend, and realized how awesome it is to ride and BS for hours with good people.

Easy Living

This time of year is perfect to ride in the Grand Junction and Fruita area.  Blue skies, sunny, a little bite in the morning air, and 70's all afternoon.  Riding has been supreme. 

Yesterday we went out for a stellar trails ride above town.  No clouds and 80 degrees made for some great October tanlines!  Nothing better.  We'll see how long it stays like this.  According to Murphy's law, it won't snow much since I just got a nice AT ski setup.  I'd rather shred dry dirt in January anyways!

Video Time

I just started shooting some video this past week of some fall riding here in Grand Junction.  First vid is of the Edge Loop ridden from Fruita.  The second is of the Grand Valley High School MTB Team who I've been helping out with on Monday nights.  Enjoy!

Fresh Start

Seems like the spring and summer flew by this year.  Looks like I didn't even update this after my first race of the season in March...whoops.  I was posting some race reports on my team website, Livetrainrace.com, but I'm going to start adding content back to this page.  Stories, videos, recaps and more!  Follow the Twitter on the right for more up to date stuff.

I thought about just killing this site, but after looking back through some old posts from 2006 and 2007, it's really pretty neat to see how far I have progressed through cycling and life.  Not sure my spelling or writing has progressed, but we'll blame that on technology these days.

Anyways, a super-quick recap to get you back to date.  Did some bike races and had an awesome spring and summer.  I met some really awesome people this season traveling around racing, from competitors to host house volunteers.  A couple rounds in California early in the year had me stoked for the rest of the summer.  Had a good ride at US Nationals and rode up to 18th from the second to last call up.

I came back and prepared for Ore to Shore with the goal of winning.  I had the legs and fitness, but my bike had other plans.  Had a race ending mechanical with 15 miles to go sitting comfortably in the lead group.  Shit happens, but I'll be back next year to capture the title.  Finished the summer off with a great time at the 24 Hours of the Sage in Gunnison, CO.  Did some hot laps, then chilled out and had a good weekend.

After that, I tore a ligament and likely more damage in my ankle.  Yup, I fell off a slackline and came down wrong in the dark.  Damn hippies.  I could still ride, but it was definitely messing with some of my biomechanics on the bike.  So, I've been slightly riding, but focusing on healing myself up correctly and getting back in the groove for an early onslaught to the 2012 season.

Season is Underway

A week has passed since the start of the 2011 race season. I left on a Friday and drove through the red rock landscape of Utah over to St. George. Nestled in the southwest corner of the state, St George is a vibrant area for mountain biking. Justin and myself arrived to sun and 60 degree temperatures after being in the car the previous 4:45. Set up camp and chamoised up for the first ride of the year with pasty white skin exposed to the great yellow ball in the sky.

I don't know if it was the sun, the warmth, my excitement, or the previous training, but I felt great. My pre-ride felt so smooth and fast. Just awesome. Some food, campfire, and then it was hitting the sack in preparation for the first race of 2011.

Race day was another nice one. Mid 60's and sunny. I had a great warm-up and lined up front row. My goal was maybe a lofty one. I've been logging the hours, and I wanted to be top 5 and race from the front, not the back. Whistle goes off, clip in, pin it, and look left and right. Uh, where is everyone. Sure enough I got the whole shot. Once we were 6 minutes in and cruising up the first 8 minute climb, the selection of 6 was made.

4 laps of a 6 mile course later, I wound up coming across the line in 4th. Some great battles on the course, and some fun times. Alex Grant took the top step of the day. Went for another lap of the course for fun, then it was off to In N' Out Burger for the first double-double animal style of the year. A crankin' hot campfire topped off a stellar day.

Sunday, Justin and I drove over to Hurricane and rode the popular Gould's, JEM, Hurricane Rim loop. Some buff trails and good vibes finished the trip off nicely. A smooth drive back to Junction and the first race trip of the year was over.

I've been back in Junction trying to gain a little more fitness before Fontana next week. Should be a fun trip and a tough race. Looking forward to seeing where I stack up this year.

Stop yer BItchin'

All it took was one mass e-mail from Steve "Iceman" Brown and social media took it viral. Michiganders all choked up on cabin fever are sitting around bitchin' about Iceman. The race is still 9 months away, but people are complaining about the entry fee. So, it's 75 bucks this year, for the best "event" of the year, and now USAC sanctioned.

What does this mean for 4,400 of the 4,500 racers? They will be covered under USAC insurance this year, their result will show on their member page, and their wallets will be $10 lighter. So what. It's supply and demand. People complain, but those 4,500 slots will be filled within 5 hours (if the system doesn't crash).

Now for Pro's, it is the same $75, but you must have a CAT 1 or Pro license. No biggy, right. If you race mountain bikes, you probably have a license. And look, you'll get a $5 refund. Then there are the roadies who complain. Well, if you are a pro, you already have a $150 UCI license that covers all disciplines. If not, take the $30 bullet and buy a MTB license. If you want to be a MTBer, you must play by the rules.

Get outside of Michigan and let's compare. A Tailwind race is $30. That's cheap. In Colorado, out MSC races are 50-55 for the pro races. Do a XC and short track in a weekend and your rear pocket is three digits lighter. Go test yourself on the national PRO XCT series, your looking at $65 for a XC race. Sea Otter, which is a large number event like Iceman cost me $95 the past few years. And for what? A 3 mile course with 33% concrete. AWESOME!

I've been to a bunch of bike races. Iceman is top notch. It is run well, there is a nice expo, and well put together race, good awards, and a fun after party. Events like this don't flourish if they are run shitty. I pay just as much at other races and get 1/2 the benefits. A better race should cost more as it is much more enjoyable and easy to be around.

For the USAC part, Steve Brown I assume is doing this more for the ease of administrative and insurance reasons. USAC insurance will cover everyone from Steve's family to the Boy Scouts who are handing out Gatorade. I bet there are hundreds of "Certificate of Liability Insurance" forms he has to cover everyone. So, a one-day license which most people will automatically get is $5. That takes him back to $70. Cost per rider from USAC is something like $6.50 they get. Now he's back to $63.50. Below last year, but he has insurance taken care of. Add in 3% inflation, and it is likely a wash.

People can complain, but I bet it will be another fun Iceman this year. I'll be there having a good time at a well run event. And I have to pay another $350 at least to fly back to the Mitten State. Lucky for me, I just got a cheap $270 flight in August for Ore to Shore. I hope to see you on a start line this summer!

And if you need a better reason, just go back and watch the Iceman Experience and hope for Spring.

Watch more video of ICEMAN Cometh Challenge on cyclingdirt.org

Ramping it Up

Last year was not a great year on the bike for me. I struggled early in the year with knee problems and my hours and efforts were very minimalistic. This year is different. I knew I needed more base earlier in the year and more structure to get my body back into racing shape. Luckily, everything is coming together quite well.

I just finished a block of training. Early last week we saw some snow, then bitter cold temperatures. This relegated me to doing my prescribed efforts on the trainer for two days in a row with double sessions. I couldn't take it anymore, so back outside I went in negative wind chill temps.


This past weekend I had a nice 4 day volume block. I managed to sneak in 17 hours covering 298 miles in the past 4 days. I can tell the form is on the rise as my intervals yesterday went way better than planned and I felt great, even after the previous 2 days of 11hrs and 8000kj of work.

I'm getting pretty excited to get back on the dirt with a number plate. Looking forward to seeing how my work has payed off this off-season. T-18 days until the first test of the season.

In other news, looks like there is more hope for the Quizno's Pro Challenge to come to Grand Junction and race over the Monument like the old Coor's Classic days. Yes, we need another American Flyers!

Time Ticking Away

Man, winter in Junction has been a "normal" year for 2011. I've been able to get all my workouts outside, which is really nice. I've had only a couple snow rides, but the white stuff is gone and the sun is shining. Riding dry trails in January is a pretty sweet deal.

Been getting everything in order for a run at the 2011 race season. I just did a pre-season VO2 Max test yesterday to see where I am at. Results were good, and showing that I am in really good shape for January. That's good, casue last year I sucked. First race will be down in St George, UT again this year. Nothing like blowing the cobwebs out of your legs in early March. Riding in Hurricane the next day isn't bad either.

Still trying to figure out my race schedule for the year. Going to be doing some of the PRO XCT's, some MSC races, a few local races, hopefully some cross, then Iceman. I'd like to come back for a run at Ore to Shore, but I'm not sure if I can get back this year.

Off to Moab tomorrow to shred some trail!

2011

I'm not getting anyone's hopes up here, but maybe I'll do a little better job of updating this blog over the next year. I've had a great and exciting 2010, so I'm hoping for the same in 2011. The 2010 riding was some of the best I have done. I did not have the best fitness or results last year, but I had a hell of a time traveling around racing and riding bikes.

Here is a quick recap of what had gone down in the 81501 the past year.

I took the summer to explore all the fun things one should do. I set my home base of Grand Junction, and spent the summer riding, hiking, floating the river, fly fishing, racing, and traveling. I go to Crested Butte twice to ride the most glorious trails ever made. Some awesome camping was had, along with a few killer rides and some river fishing. I was also able to head back to Michigan for a couple weeks to visit family, hit the Ore to Shore and have a little camping vacation in the UP. Ore to Shore was decent, but a flat tire ruined my hopes of a good ride. I still finished up 15th and had a good time seeing everyone. Copper Harbor the following week was good enough redemption.

I didn't do much fall racing. Did a fun 24 Hours of Moab team and then headed back to Iceman for the true end of the season. My chainring gouged on me and kept dropping my chain after mile 12, so I had a long ride/walk to the finish line. At least I was able to see everyone from the mitten and ring out the season at the afterparty.

Besides riding and having fun, I graduated from Mesa State College with a marketing degree this fall. I also started a job running a new bike shop here in Grand Junction, LTR Sports. It is going to be exciting watching it grow along with the exciting cycling scene in the valley. I will be riding for our local team, LiveTrainRace.com next year. If I'm not posting here, you'll see some of my posts on their website.

I also just bit the bullet and decided to stay in Grand Junction for a while. I bought a pretty cool little house the other day which should give my outdoor gear a place to stay when I'm in town. Yep, thats about it. This whole social media thing is booming, so follow me on FB or TW for more consistent updates over the next year!

Summer

Well, since the last post I have been enjoying myself quite a bit. Went down to Angel Fire, New Mexico for the MSC race a couple weeks ago. I had some better fitness and a decent ride finishing 14th. Nothing too spectacular this year, but I am having fun for sure.

Went to do a local race in Rifle a couple weeks ago and it was a deluge of rain, hail and lightening that morning. Not ideal conditions for a bike race, but we managed to get one lap in before it was called.

Also did a the ride the rockies day two from Grand Junction, over the Grand Mesa and into Delta. It ended up being 95 miles with 6,800ft of climbing. It was a good time even though it was cloudy, cold and raining at some points.

Hitting the Gas

3 weeks of hard training are down.

Feels good to have a little bit of fitness again.

Looking forward to the next block of training to really ramp up for July.

Did the MSC/Triple Crown race at Nathrop

Surprisingly felt good in Short Track and lasted the entire 25 minutes finishing 14th

XC was a sufferfest

Got some sweet rides in this past week

Did a local MTB race in Palisade on Saturday

Was on the bike at 6am to ride to the race...way to early to be riding

Won the race and scored a DT swiss EXC 150 fork

Cursed the spring winds again on Sunday's ride

Chilling out this week.

Little riding, some hiking, maybe some floating the river and kayaking

Angel Fire, New Mexico in a couple weeks.

Killer Weekend

I've finally got back into the training groove and started a big block to get me flying later in the summer. I put some big hard rides in earlier this week, and capped it off with a couple awesome loops this weekend.

I camped out at 18Rd with some friends on Friday night and had a good time. Perfect sleeping weather and great conditions.

Saturday was the Edge Loop out in Fruita. Started in the lower desert and went up and around. Rob and Mike were both killing it and we were all feeling good about the ride until we saw a guy on a UNICYCLE. Really. He was attempting to ride a unicycle on the 32 mile Edge Loop. We saw him at the waterfall and he was already 5 hour in. Crazy!

Today was a nice day to ride up high and explore. We rode from GJ up to Turkey Flats, and then came back JS->21 1/2 Rd->LPR->Gunny Loop. An awesome 4 hours of riding in the high country with 5500ft of climbing.

My legs are a bit tender with 25 hours in them this week. Time to take a day off, then keep on building. Chalk Creek is next weekend and it is going to hurt with the fatigue monster taking full control of my legs.

MSC #1

Did the first round of the MSC series this weekend here in Fruita. I skipped out on the TT on Saturday, but hung out at the event all day. The weather was bluebird skies and 70 degrees. I finally got out for a ride about 3:30pm and rode the first 6 miles then came back the return route.

Sunday the weather was just as nice, but a stiff headwind the first 10 miles of the course. The first 10 miles were 2-track with some rollers and sand. A few pileups, broken chains, and people stuck in sand blew the pack up a bit. Suffered the first 45 minutes to the top of the mesa before riding for 30 minutes on what felt like a paint-mixer. Rough. I hit the wall after 1.5 hours and suffered bad the next 50 minutes. I thought it was the big effort the first hour and the no recovery, but it could have been the food. A bowl of granola with a piece of bread at 8am might not hold me until the 12:45 start time. And 2 gels for 2:20 might not be the smartest idea. Ah well, it was fun and we picked off people near the end. I thought I was near the back of the pack, but I ended up 34th of 54, so not too bad for early season riding.

It is finally time for me to start hitting the blocks and training hard for the important races later this summer. It all starts tomorrow morning! Can't wait to suffer and start becoming fast again!

Upcomings

Last weekend was awesome. After traveling every week/weekend for the last couple months, I am finally at the stage where I get to stay home. This is the PERFECT time of year to be here. Last weekend I was able to get out and enjoy the awesome trails in the valley, a majority of the stuff I never get out and ride. The weather was top notch, with highs in the upper 70's and bluebird skies. Couldn't ask for better weather.

Pre-rode the Rabbit Valley course with Mike on Saturday. There's a MSC race there next weekend which could be entertaining. Not my type of course, but it will shake stuff up. Went back out to Fruita Sunday and did a sweet exploration loop on many of the lesser-ridden trails at 18Rd. Got in some good climbing with a nice mix of dirt roads and some super buff 1-track.

This weekend we have the race at RV on Saturday and Sunday. I'll likely just do the XC Sunday as registration fees are way high. Has the price of promoters insurance skyrocketed in the last year? Everything else in this economy is becoming cheaper as disposable income has shrank with lack of dollars flowing through peoples pockets. All the races I have done this year have been over $50. I can maybe see $50 for a sweet XC in the pro class where they are paying out, but $45 for a 20 minute TT on Saturday is whack. So, I might head down and hang out, or I might go on up to Ranchstyle. Nothing like watching a bunch of freeride nutjobs ride crazy fast and hit mega-air.

Next week is the Fruita Fat Tire Festival. First time I have ever been in town for it. Some people from the mitten are headed down so it should be fun to show off some of the local jems. After that, it is time to buckle down and get serious about riding bikes. Need to get fast for the summer. I also am done with school in a couple weeks. I'll get one of those expensive pieces of paper that says I'm edumakated.

Happenings

Just kinda cruising through.

Pics thanks to Kristy at Livetrainrace.com

-Had a fun trip down to Fontana for the first Pro XCT a couple weeks ago.

-Did a good pre-ride Friday with a bunch of the U23 guys.

-Wrecked hard on the pre-ride and lost some confidence.

-Race day was alright finishing in the 50's of 90 pro guys.

-The 34T chain ring was a painful grind up the elevator climb.

-The results are different on 3 cycling websites

-Short track was dusty and painful

-In 'N Out was good

-10.5 hours back to Durango, 3 more to GJ

-Came home for 3 days to do laundry and school

-Drove down to Hurricane, UT for another MTB race

-Legs felt okay, but flatted twice

-Cruised the last lap in with Mitchell

-Had a good time around the campfire

-Shredded some sweet trails. JEM was soooooo dialed

-Drove back to GJ where it is 50mph winds and high in the 30's tomorrow

-Sea Otter in 2 weeks

-Living the dream riding my bike and hanging with cool people