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