Wednesday, July 24, 2013

Glimpse of the Top


In 2013 I have been reluctant to post any race reports, mostly because of the lack of quality racing.

It’s not that I wouldn’t love to be racing and doing well, it’s just that last winter I had a little “JRA” incident. 

“Just Riding Along” incidents are the worst.  Your guard is down and you’re not expecting the smack down to come.

My “JRA” incident happened to be snowboarding on Christmas Day.  I clipped a small treetop that sent me flying into the trees.  Luckily I was able to tuck and roll and avoid a head injury.  I was not able to avoid the trees though and I ended up with a fractured back in five places. That hurt!

Needless to say my fitness and mountain bike-racing season has had a bit of a damper put on it. However, I consider myself quite lucky that I have been able to ride for a couple months now and the fitness is coming around.  In fact I had a glimpse of the old me the other night. I am looking forward to seeing some more glimpses in the weeks and months to come.

Speaking of glimpses. I got a chance to step on the top of the podium with a 1st place finish in the team competition at the Breck 100.  I have to say it wouldn’t have been possible without the speed of my good buddies Dax Massey and Nate Miller.  Finally, a little something to write about with a glimpse of what is to come.

In the Breck 100 there are three unique laps and I got the honor to go first.

 I can’t say my lap started out all that great, but I managed to turn it around towards the top of the first big climb. I found myself behind my friend Sonya Looney and I followed her up the last ‘hike a bike” section.  At the top of Wheeler Pass I quickly made myself around a large group of riders and made my way down the treacherous Wheeler downhill. Racers were littered off the trail everywhere and I found myself go from about 30th to the top 15. Rains made this year even more treacherous the night before. A little local knowledge on this trail goes a long way.

The Peaks Trail back to Breckenridge was next and it’s always so fun, no matter which way you ride it. I soon found myself catching a few more people on the way to meet my Honey Stinger/Light and Motion – AKA “Team Fun” Teammates.

Looking at the clock, I knew my finish time for lap 1 from the previous year. Last year I had raced the Breck 100 solo and there was no way I was going to be close to last years lap one time.  I just was hoping to be close to the other teams. Luckily I was only 4 minutes behind the first place team. 

Nate sped out for his first lap and promptly took the lead.  With a few carrots to chase, Nate ended up in 4th overall at the end of his lap.

We had set a goal of winning the overall and Dax had some fast dudes to catch. Nick Truitt, Josh Tostado and Ben Sonntag were out in front of Dax and catching those guys would not be easy. Even after they had been racing for seventy miles.

The third lap didn’t treat many people well with rain setting in and making it pretty miserable out on course. Slippery conditions, lightning, cold hands and soggy roads are just a few of the discomforts you encounter on a day like this.

Dax managed to catch Nick, but ended up just a couple minutes behind the Josh and Ben, who thrillingly finished nine seconds apart.

I am sure with a little more healing and fitness from myself an overall would have been a possibility, but a win is a win and that’s something to build on!

Just got to watch out for those “JRA” incidents.

Thanks to my sponsors- Honey Stinger/ Bontrager, Trek Bikes, Light and Motion, Stan’s No Tubes, Infinit Nutrition, Kep’s Balls and Wilderness Sports.






Thursday, August 16, 2012

Breck Epic




I am going to make this brief, because time is valuable in stage racing. 
 
This week’s Breck Epic has been such a great experience! From the great folks participating in and everyone running the event to the great trails and vistas I get to see every day.  And this is from a guy who lives here.
The week started out with a bang, literally, from a tore sidewall. I was able to boot the tire and limp ten miles to the next aid.  Needless to say I lost a good chunk of time.  A little disheartening when that is the second year I have had a mechanical on day one.  

Day two also had its share of strangeness.  One thing that rarely happens here is for it to rain all day, but on this day it did just that.  I also had to battle with a flatting tire, that I was able to fill and get to hold after my third stop. Other than that it was a ripping fast ride on some of my favorite trails. 
 
Day three you really start feeling the effects of stage racing.  Recovery is key in the high altitude.  Eating right, massage, lots of water and rest are a must. I felt I was doing a good job, but the miles were still catching up with me.

Supposedly day four and five are the queen stages, but after doing this race twice.  I have to say day three and four by far the hardest.  I suffered through both days, but still managed to finish in the top ten on both days.

Today on day five I was pleased to find my legs coming back around and was able to give this course all I had.  The previous time I had raced this course I had a rough day and I had redemption on my mind.  From the gun I gave it my all and did my best to keep my buddy Nick Truitt in sight.  Only after the top did I lose contact. That guys falls like a rock with his full sus Yeti. I eneded up 9th on the stage and am 9th on the GC, although my good buddy Jake Wells is in the hunt as are a handful of others looking for time.  Better bring it tomorrow!

All in all a great Breck Epic!  I am sitting in 9th on the GC, have consistently finished in the top ten and am enjoying the hell out of racing in my home town, with my buddies and making new friends and having a good ole time with sore legs.



Wednesday, July 18, 2012

Fueling Addiction and Drive

Fueling Addiction and Drive 

 

Damn the Breck 100 is a hard race!  I have been dragging ass the last two days, but with a massage last night, some good food, and a light ride this morning, I almost feel right again.

The race itself is damn hard physically, but you go through so many highs and lows out on the course that you also get a little fried mentally.  Add in all the highs and fun of post race and it’s no wonder why I felt like a truck drove over me on Monday and Tuesday.

I may have to remember that next year, so I don’t chase customers off with my grumpy blown attitude.  The fact that my business has way too many stairs from my office to the sales floor definitely doesn’t help.  I don’t think I could have walked them much slower.

That is a little window into how I have felt the last couple days -- post Breck 100.




I will say again that the Breck 100 is a damn hard race!  It was not until last year that I even brought myself to think of sitting in the saddle for nine to ten hours.  Most people would think that is plain crazy. To be honest, this year I thought to myself on more than one occasion that next year, maybe the 68, is a better choice…. But with the 68 you don’t get the whole experience, with Wheeler at sunrise and oh yeah the suffering at mile 85 up Boreas…. That was kinda uncomfortable!  But really the first loop is a must, as are all the loops and yes, even the suffering.

Even with the discomfort I went through this year, I am already thinking about doing it again next year and trying to shave more time off this year’s finish.  I guess it is a little addicting. Maybe I still have some dragons to slay!

It's not that I am not content with this year's finish. I am damn happy with a 7th place finish, shaving 24 minutes off of last year's time, riding a clean race, feeling great up Wheeler, keeping the leaders in sight and riding my way to a great finish. It’s just the competitor in me will always want to conquer new goals. I guess that is the real addiction -- trying to better yourself one way or the other.

In fact the last two months have been quite successful. With a 3rd place at our local series, a much faster time at the Crested Butte Fat Tire 40, a 12th place overall at the Firecracker 50 and now a sub-nine Breck 100, I couldn’t be happier. These positive events just fuel more addiction and drive!

Thanks to all my sponsors- Santa Cruz Bikes, Honey Stinger, Stan’s No Tubes, Schwalbe Tires, Infinit Nutrition, Formula Brakes, Kep’s Pollen Balls and Light and Motion.

Thanks for helping fuel ride!

 



 

 




Thursday, June 7, 2012

Putting the Puzzle Together




After my second attempt at a stage race I still feel as though I am 0 for 2, even with a podium finish on my last attempt.

For this year’s Transylvania Epic the training was in the legs, the bike running great and many other pieces were fitting perfectly.  Travel and routine if anything was something that I was unprepared for, and these, although I couldn’t put my finger on what went wrong, could have been the factors that hurt me most.

The early stages went great with the legs and body feeling great and I had been racing smart.  Then in the middle of Tuesday night I woke to a sore throat.  My heart sunk of course, as I could tell this was no dry throat, but an actual cold approaching. Immediately I knew that the next day was my last day to race, at close to 100%. 

The racecourse at Raystown, PA was so damn unreal and fast and I put my game plan to work and hung on a wheel for most of the first lap and a half.  Then on a steep climb, I sensed a little weakness and made and attack.  This gained me about 2 minutes on second place and got me on the top step of the podium for my last time of the week. 

The next couple days I suffered more on my bike than I can remember ever doing.  The cold had hit the lungs and head and I just plain did not feel well.  I knew the overall was out of the question, but I wanted to hang onto third place in the GC if I could.

Suffering and all I was able to finish the race and hang onto third! Not exactly the result I had wanted, but it was a podium at a 7-day stage race.



In all the suffering, I still found the trails in State College amazing! The Transylvania Epic was epic to say the least and toward the end of the week, my PA rock riding skills had come full circle after being scared shitless on the second day of racing. 

Even though there are a few pieces in the puzzle to get right, I had an unbelievable time racing at the Transylvania Epic!

Thanks to these folks for making it happen- Thanks Mike McCormack for getting me racing the TSE!  Thanks Mike Bush and Rich O’Neil of Stan’s NoTubes for lodging, carpooling and all the help! (You guys rock!)  Thanks Stan’s NoTubes for the support and the SICK wheels! (I beat the living shit out of them and not a wobble!) Thanks Santa Cruz Bikes for making a tough bike to handle the rocks!  Thanks Schwalbe Tires for damn tough tires! (No flats all week!) Thanks Honey Stinger for yummy treats and race fuel! Thanks Kep’s Pollen Balls! (I got a pair!) Thanks Infinit Nutrition! (Never cramped in the heat and humidity!) Thanks Formula Brakes! (Cause stopping fast out there, is nice!) Thanks Light and Motion for being behind me when it’s dark outside!



Tuesday, May 29, 2012

Transylvanian Road Race


Transylvanian Road Race
The third stage of the Transylvania Epic had been dubbed a road stage from most of the seasoned TSE racers.  Now it did have a lot of road and some single track, but that by all means did not mean it was easy.
From the start we formed a large lead group and with multiple surges, more and more people were getting shed off the back.  I managed to hang on the first twenty miles or so, with my second place GC competitor under my watchful eye. I would have to follow his moves for the rest of the week and he mine, except the only thing I would have to do is follow.
For the first half of the race I managed to keep a good game plan and mark the moves of Jonathan Davis, the second place GC threat.  At some point I decided to come through and take a few pulls on some sections. A seasoned stage racer with a lead may not have advised, but I had decided I wanted to race.  Not sure if that was the best idea, but I also wanted to test my competitor a bit.
Jonathan matched my every move today and myself his for the most part, with the exception of a powerful attack on the last climb which gapped me by a few seconds and then on the final decent a tree branch wound up stuck in my rear derailleur and I found myself finishing second, down by twenty six seconds.  A little bad luck, but you never know what would have happened if I would have covered that move.
My GC was still safe, but I had lost some valuable time, by not responding quickly enough to an attack. I am sure there will be more to come; I had better act fast and keep a wheel!
This stage was quite road race for sure, with some great single track mixed in, a tunnel and some beautiful vistas.  The whole race was thrilling and the wheel to wheel competition in this stage is something I will not forget!

Monday, May 28, 2012

Riders in the Rocks


Riders in the Rocks

For the first big taste of some big miles in Pennsylvania, we are all in for a treat.  Some super slippery single track that had me wondering if I really knew how to ride a bike.  At least for me there was little traction and as soon as you got off line it was over.  This meant a good section of hike a bike!
Then once that section ended we rode a ridge line with almost as slippery of rocks, and after being shell shocked from the hike a bike section I was having trouble getting my groove on and I started losing some time to my competitors.
At the first aid I had a competitor in sight and as I crested the top of a rise I could see him enter a single track, but as I got closer I could not make out where the trail was and missed it and had to double back to get on course.  This made chase a little harder than I should of, through the lush over growing vegetation and all of a sudden I was doing a slow motion OTB.  I hit so damn hard I thought I broke my bike and to my surprise I was ok.  Maybe it was the water bottle I landed on that cushioned my fall.  When I went to grab my bike, something was wrong as I grabbed a handful of brake and nothing was there.  Then I noticed my rear wheel had popped off and was out of the drop outs.  Now I had another problem, brake discs closed on each other. 
I managed to get them apart with my multi tool and got on my way.  I was soon riding with some local boys who were showing me how to ride some slick technical PA rocks.  “Keep it smooth one told me many a time before he left me to have a little fun.
After getting through those rocky sections and one more time where my wheel came loose (I cranked my skewer down super tight after that). We exited onto some fire roads and double track sections, where I was able to gather my wits and get concentrated on getting back in the race.
A few miles later I started catching glimpses of one of my competitors and I started to push it on the climbs to get the catch.  A few miles later I was passing him and speeding to the finish.
I had thought I was in second as Kenny was up in front at the beginning of the race, but the Stan’s crew had asked what I had done with Kenny, and that made me wonder.
I rolled in eight overall and had actually won the stage for the 40+ division.  Kenny had missed a turn, super bummer! This also put me in first on the GC for the 40+ men.  Pretty stoked about that! Got to keep the rubber side down and ride a safe race in the next five days to come!
Again big shout out to McCormack and the Breck Epic for helping me get here!  Big shout out to Stan’s No Tubes, Mike Bush and Rich Oneil for te stellar support.  Thanks again guys!


Sunday, May 27, 2012

Transylvania


Transylvania
For the last couple years I had been reading about a race in Pennsylvania called the Transylvania Epic.  A seven day stage race held in the hills and mountains of the State College Pennsylvania area.  Mike Bush and Rich Oneil hatched the idea about coming out staying with them for the week and racing the Epic.
As the spring approached I began trying to get the plan to fruition.  With the help from Stan’s NoTubes, Richie Rich and Mike Bush, Mike McCormack and the Breck Epic and Honey Stinger the plan began to take shape.
A couple buddies, Dax Massey and Jake Wells would make the trip as well.  I was going to race in the 40+ Open Men and they would race in the Duo category. Our job is to do some promoting of the Breck Epic out in the west ad draw some attention to the Transylvania Epic out in the east coast, with a focus on getting stage racing in the US some more attention and to bring the attendance numbers up.
As soon as we got off the plane we were greeted with such great hospitality from Rich Oneil and Mike Bush from Stan’s NoTubes.  From picking us up at the late hours in the evening from the airport to letting us crash at their houses to taking us grocery shopping and working on our bikes.  These guys are the real deal.  Thanks guys!!!
For the pre ride of the prolog, we encountered some rain, which is something we don’t see much of in Colorado and could use a little dousing right now, to keep the fires away.  This place is slippery with rocks and roots, but the new trails and terrain are making it fun on every corner.
The prolog day was a long day of waiting around for the start and the rain forecast was looking to be right when in the middle of the race.  As it turned out the rain held off till the last competitor came through.  I couldn’t complain about that!
As it turned out I ended up 2nd on the day to Kenny, another Stan’s rider and am quite happy sitting where I am for the moment. Dax and Jake got third in their division and had a little wrong turn which probably cost them a spot. 
Tomorrow the real racing starts with a 40+ mile stage with some good climbing.  I will be looking forward to a little longer day in the saddle and not waiting around till three to get racing.