The Return of Darkness...

With the end of Daylight Savings and the sudden onslaught of snow in the Valley, I think it is safe to say that beginning of Winter has arrived. I will say however, our Fall season was one of the best I have experienced here in the Vail Valley these past 4 years. Cool, crisp mornings led to warm, sunny afternoons that gave all of us a perfect opportunity to get those last few miles in before it was time to pack the bike away into hibernation.

Me out on the final ridge before the finish. Devon Balet Photo

On the morning of November 6th, Tyler Eaton, Big E, and I set out early for one final race for the 2010 season in Gunnison. Dubbed the "Return of Darkness XC", in light of the final day of daylight savings, about 50 racers showed up for what could have been one of the most gorgeous days of the season. This 21 mile race, in it's very primitive form (start line at Dave Wiens' suburban, finish line at the picnic table), was probably one of the most organized races I attended all year. In Gunnison, they keep it simple with only the necessities to put together a race: a number plate, a very well marked course, and some amazing singletrack. Did I mention some AMAZING singletrack? Let me just tell you that what Dave, the folks in Gunnison, and the proper management through Gunnison Trails, have done clearly speaks for itself. The Hartman Rocks Recreation area is pretty much a giant playground for your bike. Fast swooping runs, technical rocky sections, endless singletrack, and amazing views make it tough to focus on racing. Despite some cramping issues in the final miles I was extremely happy with the race results. Finished in a time of 2:05 even. Tyler had a pretty stellar ride as he finished in around 1:48, just 3 minutes behind Len Zanni. Big E finished about 20 minutes behind me, but once again, it is pretty hard to focus on racing when you're having that much fun out there. Thanks Dave, for a great time and I assure you that I already have the Gunnison Growler and 24 Hours in the Sage marked on my calendar next year!

Learning from my mistakes last winter, I decided to leave the indoor trainer alone and work on some other muscles throughout the Winter. Too much cycling and now when I go for a simple run, I can no longer move for the 3 days that follow. Enter the winter training plan. I am currently working with Pro Ultra-Endurance mountain biker Yuki Saito, of Topeak-Ergon, to help me put together a well rounded training plan that will get me ready for a season full of 50+ mile races. Meanwhile, I am getting myself familiar with the gym again (it has been about 2 years since I have been to a gym). I decided to get a membership at Dogma Athletica in Edwards. I am not a typical "grab some dumbells and lift" kind of guy, so I thought Dogma would be my fit. A good balance of unique workout systems using resistance, TRX, a full service Computrainer Room, along with a few free weights thrown in, I figured I could get a well balanced workout in without getting bored. As an added bonus, I have the likes of Jake Wells, Josiah Middaugh, Josh Nota, and more training side-by-side to keep me motivated. Special Thanks to Rod Connolly (owner of Dogma) for setting me up with a membership there. I look forward to giving you some good results next season thanks to your facility.

Finally, not being much of a reader in the past, I have found this new found desire to actually "read" books. And not just my latest issue of BIKE or Mountain Flyer magazines. Cruising through Target I stumbled upon a book I was actually looking forward to the release of last month. "Zero Regrets: Be Greater Than Yesterday" the story of Apolo Ohno has been able to grab my attention enough to get me past the 3rd chapter (which is usually where I loose interest in a book). It is part autobiography, motivational, and chronicle of Apolo's life from his early childhood to the 2010 Vancouver Olympics. A very intriguing look at his struggles as a youth when faced with the decision to become the greatest American short-track skater in history. I highly recommend the book if you have any interest in Olympic sports and what it takes to get to that level as an athlete.

That's it for now, but to close I leave you with a quote from Chinese Philosopher Lao Tzu, from Zero Regrets: "He who conquers others is strong. He who conquers himself is mighty."

TMP

Welcome to my Journey...

As a kid, we all had a dream job we wanted when we grew up. Some wanted to be an astronaut, a police officer, a musician, etc. Me? I wanted to be an architect. At least that is what I thought... You see, a very fortunate few are able to find out what they really want to be at a young age. But maybe that is just it, they didn't know "WHAT" they wanted to be... They knew "WHO" they wanted to be.

I have been living in Colorado with my wife Danielle for almost 4 years now, and during this time I have learned more (than in 22 years of school) about myself, my family, my friends, and most importantly, my future. As a student, we have this image of our dream job but what we don't see are the long hours, time away from our family, and time we do not get to see the brighter things in life.

Colorado has made me realize that money is not everything and it sure cannot buy happiness. Over the past few years my relationship with my wife has become stronger, bonds with friends have become greater, and my true passion has been instilled within me once again. Mountain Biking.

I started mountain biking right around the age of 11 and participated in some local town races through age 15. I can remember watching the 1996 Summer Olympics in Atlanta, the first year mountain biking become an Olympic sport. After those games, my goal was to be on the US Olympic Team for mountain biking at the 2000 games in Athens. Problem was, I didn't have a coach, I didn't have a plan, and I was about to turn 16 in a couple years. Don't get me wrong, my parents have been the support system of my life since day one and I could not ask for a better set of parents and family. But to become a world class athlete at the age of 14 is quite the investment, which my parents nor I were ready to commit to.

Fast forward about 10 years through high school, driving, parties, graduation, college, Florida, drinking, more college, road trips, getting married, and graduation (again). It was time to get a job. Luckily, I took a job in the high country of Colorado and dragged Danielle into the freezing winter of Vail, CO. She wasn't a fan at first but it quickly grew on her.

I bought a bike and tried my hand at racing again. Teva Mountain Games, mens beginner class. I figured, heck, I was pretty good as a kid; I have to be faster and stronger now! Enter the pain... that race hurt, bad. First time trying SPD pedals on a much more technical course than I was used to. Almost DEAD LAST. Well that didn't stop me. The spark caught fire and I was instantly hooked on riding again. In the next 2 years I started racing again, entering town series races until finally for this past season I started taking it a little more seriously. Like, 27 races seriously. With virtually no training plan other than riding as many miles as I could, I have made it to the Expert level in Mountain Biking! I now know WHO I want to be: a loving Husband, a caring Father (of Breck for now), a positive influence on my family and friends, my community, my passion and finally... I want to become a pro. And I am prepared to do what it takes to get there.

The Future: I will say I am super stoked to be riding with Bach Builders for the 2011 season. My motivation right now is sky high and as I develop a winter training plan, I look forward to growing with this successful team. This blog will serve as my marketing tool as I continue to become a pro racer. It will contain race recaps (and not just how I did, but highlights all around), product reviews (and these will be accurate reviews... if it happens to be "free", it won't be the greatest new thing unless it truly is just that), and more (let me know what YOU are interested in, because we are in this together).

So welcome to my journey, thank you for your support, and I will see you all at the finish line... just remember, crossing that line takes only a second. How you got there, that is what will be remembered forever.

TMP