Happy Thanksgiving!

On this beautiful Thanksgiving Day up in the High Country, I thought I would share the things that I am thankful for...

First and foremost, my Family. To my parents for never letting me give up on my dreams, always supporting me in the decisions I make, and bringing me up to be the man, husband, and person I am today. Thank you for raising me with an open mind and the ability to love everyone for who they are. To my brother and sister, Kyle and Cierra, for your continued love and support even though I am not always there for you guys as you grow up. You both make me very proud in all your achievements. As my friend John Klish would say: "Live Life Large". Don't ever forget that.

Next, I'm thankful for my wife Danielle. You are always there by my side day in and day out and I cannot thank you enough. Very few people have the opportunity to share the common interests and passions that we have, and I couldn't ask for anyone better to share life with than you.

Health. Enough said. Everyone should be thankful for their health even if you think it may not be on your side right now. If anything, Diabetes has made my wife stronger, healthier, and more in tune to her life. It is a test given to her because the higher powers above know that she can succeed. She has taken what is commonly viewed as a dampener on life, and has used it to her advantage to become an amazing athlete fueled by the very disease that is meant to bring her down.

Ritz Carlton Hotel Company. You have been there since the beginning of our journey to Colorado. You provide for both myself and my wife, and give us the opportunity to take in this beautiful world in any way we see fit. Although we may not always see eye to eye, one thing is for sure; you are always there to support us financially, to challenge me, and to allow me to express my creative side in the workforce. Thank you.

I am thankful for our home in the small mountain town of Eagle, Colorado. Thank you for your personality and charm, your easy access to the great outdoors which has become such a large part of my life both professionally and personally. Thank you to this county and state that allows me to put aside the trials and tribulations in life and open my eyes to see all the beauty this world has to offer. As problems in this world are just opportunities to make dreams come true. Learn to find the positive, even in the worst of situations and everything will work out.

Cycling. Thank you for giving me the ability to pursue my goals, ride great trails, and most of all give me a sense of community and the greatest friends I could ask for. It is a great thing when you have friends that all feel the same passion you do for two wheels. You connect on a deeper level because you all have  the same drive to be great in your own right. Thank you to my team Bach Builders and all of our sponsors. You continue to give me the resources I need to make my dreams a reality. We may not all become pro riders and some may never even race competitively, but at the same time we all give it our best to further enjoy what we love to do. We are all there to support each other, push each other, and congratulate one another.

Finally, I am thankful for everything life has to offer. Thankful for all that I have done and what the future holds. Happy Thanksgiving!

TMP

Motorola Motoactv - Garmin/Apple eliminator?

While enjoying my morning coffee at Yeti's Grind I was filtering through emails and social networking sites in an attempt to find some sort of basis for a blog post that didn't pertain to sex scandals, doping scandals, or any negativity in general. Sadly, it's a tough find these days.

Anyways, while checking out REI's marketing email about some "new" 3-in-1 winter coats, I found an interesting device from Motorola at the bottom. Below is the new Motorola Motoactv, all in one GPS/fitness trainer/audio stimulator device. Check out the details here: https://motoactv.com/

At first sight I thought, wow this really looks like an iPod Nano knockoff. But after digging into their website further I found out that Motorola really put some work into creating this product. Just slightly larger than a Nano, it features a tough screen interface with a ton of features. To start, the GPS functionality. Similar to a Garmin Forerunner, this device tracks your runs, rides, etc. and easily uploads to review your data via Motorola's fitness software. (Compatible with Win/Mac OS's) Taking it a step further is a built in Accelerometer which allows the device to sense forward movement even on a stationary treadmill to count your steps and distance traveled.

Next is the audio interface. It grabs your local FM radio signal as well as allowing you to upload your favorite workout playlists from a variety of sources including, you guessed it: iTunes. Interesting... My initial thought was, how could Apple allow this? Not only the design of the Motoactv looks like a Nano, it even plays music like a Nano. Anyways, Motorola decided to integrate your music preferences with your fitness workout to push you to the next level. The device will take into account your performance throughout a variety of songs and determine a "power performance" playlist comprised of the songs that you perform best to. Also included is a fitness coach that can tell you when you need to pick up the pace. Two models are offered in 8GB and 16GB at $249 and $299 respectively.

For all you runners and cyclists who rely on ANT+ technology to pair all your accessories, this device has that too! Heart Rate, Speed and Cadence, to headphones, the Motoactv can easily connect to each of these. Better yet, ditch the heart rate strap and opt for the Motorola headphones that grab HR data from pulses in your ears to reduce the number of attachments on your body.

Finally, the options on where to mount this device are endless. The Motoactv offers multiple accessories from a watch style wrist band, arm mounted fitness band, and even a handlebar mount for cyclists.

Now I own an iPod as well as a Garmin Edge 500 and love both devices. They work and serve both of their intended purposes to absolute perfection. My Garmin is very cycling specific and provides me with a ton of data fields that I can use to monitor and improve my performance but what I find is that I never ride with music because I don't like having all these devices and wires attached to me. The Motoactv could be the answer to an all-in-one fitness/entertainment device. It debuted at the NYC Marathon but other than my REI email, I had not heard about it until today.

Now to be straight, I do not own this device nor do I have any affiliation with Motorola. Just happened to stumble upon this and thought it looked like a pretty sweet new piece of equipment to blow my money on. Like I said, I own a Garmin and it has yet to fail me and my iPod, well it obviously works with my heavily dominated AAC Protected iTunes music library. While this new device looks great on the web, I cannot attest to the actual offerings and compatibility with the advertised accessories. ANT+ capability yes, but will I be able to see Garmin speed and sensor data? CycleOps power data? Who knows.

At first glance, the device looks to be tailored to runners but the potential for use as a cycling tool hints at a bright future. Hopefully the future will allow for a real-world test of this device. Until then, I'll stick with my Garmin.

TMP

A Melting Pot of Cycling News

If you have not yet viewed any website remotely pertinent to cycling, you have not yet seen the release of the 2012 Amgen Tour of California route. Check out more here: Cycling News

The 13 Host Cities for the 2012 Amgen Tour of California include:

• Stage 1: Sunday, May 13 – Santa Rosa 
• Stage 2: Monday, May 14 – San Francisco to Santa Cruz County
• Stage 3: Tuesday, May 15 – San Jose to Livermore
• Stage 4: Wednesday, May 16 – Sonora (new for 2012) to Clovis
• Stage 5: Thursday, May 17 – Bakersfield (Individual Time Trial)
• Stage 6: Friday, May 18 – Palmdale to Big Bear Lake
• Stage 7: Saturday, May 19 – Ontario (new for 2012) to Mt. Baldy
• Stage 8: Sunday, May 20 – Los Angeles/L.A. LIVE

Tour of California route in short form above. Prologue in Santa Rosa (Levi Leiphiemer's hometown) to start the race off. Good choice considering the 2011 Stage 1 fallout in Lake Tahoe due to this:

The bigger question may be - Will we see Levi racing despite his new team (Omega Pharma-Lotto) not having a presence in the 2011 version? My guess is OP-L will be an automatic shoe-in for the 2012 race. Should be interesting though to see last years winner Chris Horner now battling it out against Levi since the two are now riding for different teams. Somehow, I don't think the Schleck's will be riding for Horner if they show for the race on the still yet to be determined "Leopard-Trek-Nissan-ShackStrong" team. Either way, in my opinion they will be ruining a very classy, simple kit design from the previous Leopard Trek team for something a little more BOLD, to fit all those sponsors:

But you have to be careful how those rainbow stripes are used so as to not upset the UCI officials, even in those CAT 4 races as this rider did sporting the TwinSix "Dopers Suck" kit. If there really is a CAT 4 World Champion of Cyclocross, sign me up. I probably still won't win it since I tend to lose 10-15 seconds after every run-up on course anyways.

It's been weeks now since the "Occupy Wall Street" movement began, with everything form of Occupy __insert adjective__ following close behind. Strangely enough, two weeks ago I had the brilliant idea of an "Occupy Bike Lanes" t-shirt design which no one has seemed to think of yet. At least one person though, has decided to take their protest to the street:

If someone wants to jump on this design (cough, cough... Handlebar Mustache) before I do, all I ask is you send me a t-shirt of appreciation. I'd ride that bike lane pictured above, as it's probably about as safe as the painted version in NYC.

In local news, District Attorney Mark Hurlbert's effort to amend an extension for a third term on Tuesday's ballot was foiled by the general public in an 11,554 to 6,101 vote. Seems to me, there were far less Mercedes drivers and Lakers fans dropping the ballot, than people fed up with his "quality experience" he has shown us in the past two years. Great job citizens of Eagle, Lake, Summit, and Clear Creek counties. "This was not just about me." said Hurlbert, regarding the extension being beneficial for DA's to come. With 6 of the 22 judicial districts in CO who have already voted to extend terms, I'd say this decision was exactly about you Mr. Hurlbert.

Despite recent snowfall, Colorado CX races have been loving the mix of conditions true to the sport of Cyclocross. This past Sunday proved to be a fantastic day for a little 'cross racing in Boulder for the Boulder Cup's first race at the newly built Valmont Bike Park. I haven't had the opportunity to visit this place yet but I've heard nothing but rave reviews from all who have. Funded almost entirely from sponsors and public donations, it offers everything from pump tracks, skill building features, XC loops, to a full on CX course complete with a Belgian Run-up which to me looks more like the set of stairs to the Lincoln Memorial. With that being said, Belgian rider Ben Berden showed and proved his experience on those steps taking the top spot on the podium ousting Ryan Trebon and Tim Johnson. Katie Compton decimated the women's pro-field in typical fashion, shown here in Karen Jarchow's picture asking "Where's everyone else?" Some joked, "Europe, with the 'pro' field."

Details for the 2012 Bach Builders team will be coming out soon and I am stoked to be racing for such an awesome team of athletes again. We've already added a few new racers including a CU racer fresh off some good results from Collegiate Nationals down at Angel Fire, NM where the racers had to fight their way through less than ideal conditions after an uncharacteristic Fall snow storm covered the course the day before. Many of our sponsors are already returning for another year which we are very thankful for including Infinit Nutrition, Maxxis Tires, Rudy Project, and Swiftwick Socks.

That's it for today. Enjoy and happy riding. Still 30 degrees here in Eagle so I'll resort to the trainer or dusting off the skis. Keystone opens this weekend!

TMP

Bicycle DMV's and a fallen brother in NYC

I was reading an article on the Chicago Huffington Post website regarding a push to begin a city-wide bicycle registration and license process. While the initial argument suggests the legislation would improve erratic cyclists from breaking the law, I have to disagree.

History shows us that making "law" does not prevent those from breaking it. Take a look at state speed limits for instance. If I saw every car on I-70 driving in unison at the state mandated 75mph speed limit from Eagle to Avon, I would believe in the power of creating laws to counter reckless behavior on the road. Same goes for turn signals when changing lanes. On most mornings, I-70 looks more like a Sunday afternoon on a Nascar Speedway.

Cyclists, as vehicle defined users of the road, are already responsible for adhering to the rules of the road that cars must follow. Stop signs, red lights, speed limits, right of way and signaling to make a turn to name a few. Interestingly enough, when a driver sees a car blow through a red light, the common thought is: "Oh man, a cops going to get them..." End of instance. However, if a cyclist runs a red light, we become a demon on the road who doesn't deserve to grace our presence on the angelic mix of gravel and concrete.

Last week, Canadian artist Mathieu Lefevre was killed in NYC when a flat bed truck made a right hand turn into his path. Details of the incident are still under "investigation", mostly by the citizens of New York, as the NYPD jumped to the conclusion that Lefevre rolled through a red light illegally and in doing so, was the cause of his own death. The family of Lefevre planned on rallying at the NYPD precinct where they have been unable to obtain any cooperation in the "investigation".

Strangely enough, if Lefevre had in fact rolled a red light, the big question was raised of: "Wouldn't that have meant the driver of the truck also rolled that light fighting to make that right hand turn?" Ahh, the risks people take to avoid a "No Turn on Red" delay. Initial ruling of the accident by the NYPD showed that the driver, who didn't even stop, was not at fault of the accident as he claimed to not even be aware that he had hit someone. To add injury to insult, when pressed by the public over the incident, the NYPD setup shop at the same street corner, ticketing some dozen or so cyclists for traffic infractions over running through the intersection illegally. If two vehicles ran into each other, chances are one driver will be receiving a traffic infraction for the incident. Sadly, in this case, one user lost his life and the driver receives a "Get out of jail free" card? Expect to see this case evolve in the coming weeks.

Back to the main point of the story. Everyone breaks the law when it comes to using our public highway infrastructure. EVERYONE - drivers, cyclists, commercial drivers, buses, taxis, and yes even Hybrid owners. Prove me wrong otherwise... Creating a license and registration system for the pure intention of cracking down on rogue cyclists is a complete waste of money.

What it should be centered around is improving infrastructure, promoting bicycle use as a transportation method, and awareness. I would be more than willing to pay $10+ a year to directly fund a program creating more bike lanes, bike paths, and the investment into designing more programs like Denver, CO's ever expanding B-Cycle program. Think about it, your investment could save your life or the lives of others.

The toughest part of implementing this type of legislation would be how to enforce it, who to include, etc. Some thoughts were a small license plate hanging from the bike. X that one off the list. Ask a rider with a $10,000 road bike if he/she wants to ride with a miniature aluminum plate jingling off the saddle. A simple numeric ID sticker on the back of the seat tube would suffice. Now do we charge at the initial purchase of a bicycle? Probably wouldn't be a bad idea. This way, registration information can include the purchaser and the product ID for future theft reduction as well as streamline warranty processes. Another tough decision would be to include a percentage of proceeds from "B-Cycle" type organizations to also contribute to the program.

Hopefully moving forward we can find some way to introduce plans improving the safety of drivers and cyclists alike. The key is not to jump into careless, emotion driven programs in an effort to "hold the other user accountable". I truly believe that we can make this work, and that as our population increases past the 7 billion mark, bicycles and other environmentally friendly forms of transportation will become increasing popular especially in crowded urban areas. More so, we need to prevent the further loss of life because enough if enough.

TMP

2012 Tour de France Route Unveiled

Yesterday, the 2012 Tour de France route was unveiled in Paris by race director Christian Prudhomme. Beginning on June 30th with a 6.1km prolouge, the course looks to be a game changer for podium riders on the past few Tours.

A handful of top riders were in attendance for the release including Alberto Contador, Cadel Evans, Andy Schleck, and Mark Cavendish to name a few. One of the most notable changes to the course includes the elimination of the Team Time Trial stage. However, they had added a second Individual Time Trial which will now increase the Tour's race against the clock importance, to right around 100km. For the Schleck brothers, this course will put on the pressure for them to close the gap on a category that has been their Achilles Heel in the past. 

The mountain stages were also reduced, although the four that remain are now steeper and more technical than in years past. Pure climbing may not be the only cards a rider must have in their hand, as technical descents could favor the more experienced, technical rider.

Given this route, I believe this will be the year the Schleck's do not hit the podium. Several riders are very solid time trialists including Levi Leipheimer, Alberto Contador, Christian VandeVelde, and of course the Tour's defending champion, Cadel Evans. With that being said, this is my prediction for next year's Tour:

1. Alberto Contador

2. Cadel Evans

3. Christian VandeVelde

4. Levi Leipheimer

5. Luis Leon Sanchez

Fresh of a World Championship win and a new contract with British based Team SKY, I think Mark Cavendish will find little trouble defending his Green Jersey from 2011 in the sprint points classification, further proving why he truly the "Fastest Man on Two Wheels".  The biggest question will probably be the design of Cav's World Championship kit for the Tour. As a strong opponent to white shorts, he tried to wear his traditional black shorts only to be advised that the rule book requires the matching white shorts with the rainbow jersey. My guess is that he'll improvise with a new approach to the rainbow look as shown here:

Either way, we'll be able to catch all the action again in "Stunning HD" as Paul Sherwen would put it on NBC Sports here in the U.S. starting June 30th - July 22nd!

TMP

A New Direction

I'm coming up on a year since I started this blog. A year to immerse myself into the cycling culture, progress as a racer, meet new friends, and above all - find out where this project is headed...

I've come to realize that very few people can truly become engaged in my personal attempts at becoming a pro racer. Friends will read, family will support, but there is a greater good that I can achieve through my thoughts on a web page. While racing will still be a focus on this page, I invite you to join me on promoting my new campaign: The Power of Two Wheels. Through this vision, I intend to promote the positive influence a set of bicycle wheels can have on our community, nation, and the world. Because unlike any other activity in the world, cycling affects our health, provides entertainment, becomes our transportation, and infects our lifestyle. The products we buy, the friends we make, and the directions our life may go all become directly influenced by the path we choose to ride.

I hope that this page will promote awareness that bicycles are here to stay, and will continue to become an ever increasing facet in our daily lives whether you are a cyclist or not. Despite the growing hatred and disrespect towards cyclists from other users of our Earth, to me this only shows that we are doing our job well in making our voices heard. As Frederick Douglass once said; "Without a struggle, there can be no progress".

So please, help me spread the word of our passion. If cycling is not your passion, try it. Get on a bike and enjoy the world. In the end, at minimum you did good for your body, mind, and the Earth.

TMP

The Power of Two Wheels and it's Followers

Over the past year or so, I have become more and more engaged within the cycling community. Not just at the local level here in Eagle, or even the county for that matter. The Cycling Movement, has become an instrumental part of my life as well as my wife's. It is more than just an activity in which I participate. Cycling has become a definition, a culture, and most importantly an escape from the trials and tribulations of the world in my life. For my wife, it has become just that... but even more importantly, cycling has become a tool for success in managing an all to common disease spreading rapidly throughout our world.

But like any passion, also comes the opposition, criticism, and resistance. All too frequently in recent months we have seen an increasing number of public instances where cyclists have been scrutinized and beaten down in an attempt to reduce our influence on the world. For me, it started with the public address via Tony Kornheiser's radio show in which he asked drivers to give cyclists a little "bump" on the road. He attempted to joke with the world, that living some Grand Theft Auto fantasy would be appropriate to convey to the general public. Sadly, we all know the reality in this world and abstract way our minds comprehend ideas and thoughts. There were people who actually believed in what he said and supported his sermon to the fuel induced society.

A few months later I was made aware of a commercial created by a casino in the Town of Blackhawk. If you do not know already, the gambling driven town just off I-70 in the foothills had actually passed a law "banning" the use of bicycles in their town limits. Extreme, a little but we could get over it. Social media stormed the town bashing their ideals and governing body, in an attempt to get the communities that support the town to boycott their business. Soon after, it seemed as though the town reacted by crafting a television commercial to get back at the cycling community. Pointless and irrelevant to their product and cycling, it was clear they just wanted to prove that they too could play this game. See for yourself here:



During the Tour de France this year, Mr_MichaelSmith, a football show commentator publicly humiliated the events of a horrific crash during stage 9, when Johnny Hoogerland was sent flying viciously into a barb-wired fence at 30 miles and hour after being hit by a media vehicle that swerved to avoid a tree on the side of the road. In need of 33 stitches to repair the numerous lacerations to his body, Johnny showed the pure courage, determination, and spirit of cycling, finishing the stage on his own power. The finish became an iconic part of the Tour, as he finally broke down in tears on the podium during his acceptance of the "Most Aggressive Rider" jersey for the day.

Johnny Hoogerland overcome by emotion and pain while accepting the Most Aggressive Rider jersey for Stage 9 of the Tour de France

Just a few days ago, General Motors released the following ad, directed toward college students:

For a company with a dwindling marketing budget, dominated by low sales numbers that have been going to their competitors including Ford, Honda, and Toyota, I found it interesting that they would try to tap into another market. Cycling. The concept of "Stop Pedaling, Start Driving" clearly didn't make sense to the masses of cyclists and college students who ride a bike to commute purely out of the desire to live healthier lives and reduce our carbon footprint. Once again, cycling is a culture, a way of life. If a college kid wants a car, they will buy a piece of crap for $700 to get them through their education. This ad lasted all of about 8 hours on the market until GM removed it from their rotation.

Imagine the money spent producing this advertisement. A group of high-paid account executives sat around a round table, and through our government bailout funds, collectively decided that attacking a new market was the best direction for their business. It's like Apple creating an ad that asks people to "stop watching TV, listen to an iPod". Both similar in industry and markets, but two totally different means of entertainment. Only 24 hours later, the "smart executives" at Giant Bicycles were able to convert hundreds of thousands of failed advertising dollars from GM into an attractive, bold statement that cost them about 10 minutes of time and the Adobe Creative Suite software.

In all of these events this year, there is one common theme in the outcome. The Cycling Community is strong, resilient, and will not be pushed around without a fight. In each case, the cyclists came out in masses, fighting back through social media, blogs, and the support of celebrity leaders in the movement. Tony Kornheiser's remarks were retracted a day later with an instant interview with Lance Armstrong giving him a lesson in being a public entity. Soon after Mr Michael Smith's remarks regarding feelings that he found the crash of Johnny Hoogerland "hilarious", cyclists attacked in full force via Twitter putting a temporary stop to his account for 3 weeks. A big accomplishment considering he managed an account with just under 100,00 followers at the time. Finally, through social media outlets, GM was forced to withdraw their new advertising campaign with a public apology via Twitter with the following statement: 

"@lancearmstrong Wanted to let you know we have been listening to the community and decided to pull the ad from our rotation. Sorry 4 any offense. "

With an account of just 30,000 followers, GM was smart to reach out to Lance's some 3 million followers with their apology which he later retweeted to get the message out. 

The passion we have as cyclists is truly imbedded in our heart and is a force to be reckoned with. As drivers, we drive out of necessity and as sports fans, we cheer for entertainment value. But as cyclists, we come together from all different sides whether it be road, mountain, BMX, or transportation for a common goal: To make a difference in our world. And I am proud to be apart of the movement.

TMP

The End of Another Season

Well, as I sit here, indoors, because it is currently snowing outside, I figured today would be a good time to jump back into the blog.

July 9th - Last blog post. It's been quite awhile since I last wrote here but it's time to get back to business. Looking back on the season, I have truly found a new love for a different type of discipline in racing that suits my natural talents and abilities. For 2011, I had decided to venture into a more endurance distance race format, even though previously my longest race to date was about 32 miles. I had no clue how a season of long races would affect me...

My urge to just get out and ride for hours on end was just what I needed. Last year, I stacked my race season full of 1-2 hour races with some short track ones thrown in for good measure. At the end of the season, I had felt as though I was more concerned with keeping up with faster riders, comparing my times to theirs, and failed to see my own progress. Moving up to the Cat 1 field in the Fall was definitely the right move. As it allowed me to get a taste of where I needed to be, how much I needed to train, and which segments of a race I had to improve upon for the upcoming season. It also allowed me to tap into some longer races in preparation for a season of long courses.

Through the help of Curt Nash and Jake Wells at Dogma Athletica, I was able to develop a much more consistent and stronger fitness level than the previous year leading into my first few races of the season. This was evident during my first race of the season in Prescott, AZ. 50 miles and a lot of climbing for April; just 17 days after throwing the skis into the storage closet for the summer.

The Whiskey Off-Road in Prescott, AZ. A great race, event, and venue which I will head back to again next year. Moving forward through the season I jumped in last minute for the Front Range 60 Half Marathon and then finished May off with the Gunnison Growler. 64 miles of the smoothest, yet still technically demanding singletrack around. Gunnison was really a turning point for me when I started to realize that this longer race format was a solid choice. For me, racing for 7 hours felt no different than a 1 hour race from a fatigue level.

You see, in a long distance format, I find it easier to take in all aspects of the event. I'm not just out there to hold onto the wheel of the guy in front of me for an hour or so. I have time to take in the whole journey, enjoy the course, and finish satisfied because I conquered the course. Yes, others will be faster that day, as others will be slower. But the best part is that when it's all said and done, you walk away completing something amazing. While podium results are great, disappointment from defeat I found was elevated in shorter distance races, working in a counter-productive manner towards my goal.

Another aspect of endurance racing I enjoy is how much more various factors play essential roles in finishing strong including Nutrition, Comfort, and Product Performance. Here are some of our sponsors that continually provide us with the keys to obtaining successful results:

Nutrition - Infinit Nutrition made replenishment during a race simple. You can build your own formula, choose from pre-built formulas, or take a survey to help guide you into creating the perfect blend of essential energy ingredients to get the job done. Their product eliminates the need for bars, gels, chews, or anything else that in essence, just becomes too much to coordinate while racing your bike. Even taste buds are factored into the formula because you can choose between 3 different flavors as well as the intensity of the flavor in your mix. It tastes great cold as well as warm, so you don't have to worry about getting fresh bottles to ease your stomach. Infinit also makes a great pre-race and post-race product called Mud. It is a coffee based drink that can be mixed with water or milk and provides you with a great mix of carbs and protein to get you rolling or refueled. Team Garmin-Cervelo uses them and take a look at their Tour de France results this season... one of the best in the teams history. Fellow teammate of mine Josh Tostado just won his 3rd consecutive 24 Hour Solo National Championship on Infinit. The results speak for themselves.

Comfort - At first, I was skeptical as to how much of a difference a new set of grips could actually make in a race. For me, my grip choice always revolved around which ones offered the stickiest compound so I could attempt to "gain" time on descents. In the grand scheme of things, races are won on the climbs and the flats. I got a set of GX2 Carbon grips from Ergon International this year and this was the first time I was able to see pure results from a grip. It only takes a few rides to find the ideal hand position for descending but the big difference is the other 90% of the ride where the typical numbing of the hands and sore wrists come into play. The GX2 grip (will be the GS2 grip in 2012) allowed me to switch up between 3 distinct hand positions during a ride. For steep climbing, the bar end gave me more leverage on the pedals while applying just enough forward weight to keep the front wheel on the ground. For the flats and gradual climbs, resting my hands at about a 45 degree angle to the sides of the grip while using a couple fingers wrapped around the bar end, relaxed the nerves and blood flow through the hand. Numbing went away and the wrists were always comfortable. A standard grip forces you to maintain a twisted forearm which in the demands of mountain biking, applies a lot of intense pressure on the elbow and wrist joints that are now in a non-natural position. Most of the time, our hands are at our sides almost parallel with our hips. Try walking for a mile with the palm of your hands facing directly forwards or backwards. Uncomfortable, yes? Ergon grips alleviate that incorrect hand posture, including the intense angles at which your wrists are forced to rest against your handlebars. Finally, the grips still offer a traditional style hand position for those times when staying upright matter more than comfort.

Flats and Gradual Climbs

Steep Climbs

Descending

Ergon now has a full line of gloves that are designed to work seamlessly with their grip models and a much anticipated release of new Ergonomic saddles for the Spring of 2012! I definitely look forward to trying those out.

Product Performance - When you throw down almost 2,000 miles on the dirt in a season, it's expected that you'll have to swap some tires, get a new chain, replace a few spokes, etc. The last thing you want to do is replace larger more expensive components. This was my first year running a Stan's No Tubes wheelset. I opted for their new Crest rim featuring a wider profile to allow for users to run larger volume tires  and benefit from increased tire profile/tread contact. All of this equates to greater efficiency and traction. Coming from years of relying on Easton hubs, the Stan's house brand hubs had a lot to live up to. Despite the common notion of "the lighter you get, the weaker the structure", my Stan's wheel set has lived up to the hype. Besides changing one tire due to tread wear, I have run the same tire all season for 8 months through sand, mud, rock gardens, and streams without ever getting a flat. Even with a small dent in the Crest rim for half the season, the flawless design in their BST technology with Stan's tire sealant has kept me rolling through anything that comes in my way. Last year, a fast flat change on a thru-axle rear hub cost me 6+ minutes. 6 minutes could sometimes contain half the field you're racing in which could make or break your race. The other great aspect of the rim design and sealant is it allows the rider to choose a tougher line because you don't have to worry about pinch flats and sidewall scrapes. Yes, if you literally slice your sidewall open, you're going to get a flat. Stan's can't fix that and neither can you except by replacing the tire. Although the price of their house brand hubs are very economical (not a bad thing), their performance and maintenance are as good as the high end brands. Upon disassembly of my freewheel, I was pleasantly surprised to see very little contaminants within the freewheel mechanism. The seals work well and their 3 pawl system allows for very consistent and reliable engagement under any circumstances. All around these wheels have kept me rolling all season long. Even after a few broken spokes, the rims are still true.

All three of these product sponsors helped improve my season so much and I can't thank you guys enough! Through the support of Bach Builders and our sponsors, the remainder of the season led myself and fellow teammate Eric Rubottom to a 4th place finish in the 12 Hours of Snowmass Mens Duo category. The course was 8 miles in length but provided a daunting 1800 feet of climbing per lap which by the 6th lap had my legs screaming. We sat around 5th all day long just a few minutes behind 4th, but when the 3rd place team fell back to 4th they sat up and did not go out on their 11th lap. We did not find this out until after the finish of the race, but something had told me to go out and finish my 6th lap even though we didn't see any chance of improving placement. This scenario brings me back to the beginning and proves what I love about endurance racing. Upon starting my 6th lap, I was only racing the course itself as well as myself for the pure satisfaction of conquering my goals. Had I been racing only to follow the wheel ahead of me, I probably wouldn't have gone out for lap time that seemed unattainable.

With maybe a few smaller races to finish off the remaining sunny days this season, I look forward to riding with Bach Builders again next season. Let the training begin!

TMP
P.S. - We're going to try and get this blog rolling on a more consistent basis again so please, feel free to come with me on this journey! Thanks

Firecracker 50 - Happy 4th of July

On the 4th of July Danielle and I headed to Breckenridge for the annual Firecracker 50 race. It consists of two 27 mile laps all well above 9,000 feet. Typically right at 50 miles, due to high snowpack levels this year race organizers had to re-route a couple sections stretching the course length to around 54 total miles. Word on the street was the extra 4 miles were definitely felt by the legs.

Danielle rode in the Duo Team category with fellow Team High Maintenance rider Jen Sewell. Eagle County had a whole slew of riders including Jay Henry, Paul Gorbold, Jerry Oliver, Courtney Gregory, Alex Coleman, Cody Downard, and Ciro Zarate to name a few. Last year I rode as a team with Nate Picklo but this year was the first attempt at the solo division.

In typical fashion, the race begins right downtown on Main St in Breckenridge with a neutral lead out starting off the 4th of July Parade. It's actually quite a unique and exciting experience for all the riders who don't usually get to ride through a group of 1,000+ spectators cheering them on as they begin the race. We started off at 9:30am and the heat was out already. No clouds in the sky and the sun was shinning.

My forearm about an hour after impact. It took about 4 hours
for feeling and movement to come back.

My division (CAT 1 19-29) took off with the 30-34 and 35-39 groups so as expected, the pace was a bit faster than I am used to. I hung on to the lead group for about the first 2 miles just before the paved road started getting pretty steep. As I fell off the back, I settled into my long distance pace and was pleasantly surprised to see two other guys in my category settle in with me. As we hit the singletrack, those guys were already struggling to hold a pace so I took off a bit once we hit the shaded, contouring one-track over to Sallie Barber Mine. I was a bit excited that part of the course re-route took out a steep section only a few miles in, to the Iowa Mill area. At about 6 miles into the race I started the fast but narrow descent down "Nightmare of Baldy". If you do not pay full attention on this descent the slightest mistakes can be costly. For me... it was. As I shot through the trees I suddenly felt an immediate shock of pain through my right forearm. It didn't take off the bike, luckily, but when I looked down briefly to check out the damage. A lump the size of a half a golf ball formed and then the cramping set in. I smacked the main nerve in my forearm on a tree. I made it to the bottom of the descent and stop for a few minutes to see if the conditions would improve. They did not. At this point, I couldn't hold a tight grip on the handlebars, let alone squeeze the brake lever... and I still had 47 miles to go. I told the medics that I was heading back to the start/finish area. It was a hard decision mainly because my legs were feeling great and I felt I was already in a good position to do really well but it was not worth taking some big risks on injuring myself more with limited handling ability.

Jen Sewell was the first one out on course for lap 1 and by the time 3 hours had passed, we started to worry about her progress. A few minutes later we had heard that a rider was down on course and needed medical attention. Danielle came over and told me they mentioned the riders name was Jen. Our hearts sank as we tried to ask around to find out further what had happened. By the time we had confirmed that the rider was in fact Jen, all he had known is that she was on her way to Frisco Hospital by ambulance. Using a typical "ghost rider" rule, Danielle was able to start her lap and the final result would just be a doubled second lap time. Clouded by thoughts of Jen's condition and a few unknown obstacles out on course, I was a little worried about Danielle and her concentration on course. When she had mentioned last year that she wanted to do the Firecracker course, there was one section that I felt was a little dangerous due to its consistent exposure on the left hand side with added tricks on the right in the form of downed trees and rocks that kept you on your toes. A small mistake here and a rider could be rolling for quite awhile or risk playing dangerously with spiked fallen trees. After just over 3 hours, we saw Danielle coming down the final switchbacks to the finish. Her time was good enough for their team to finish up in 6th out of 12 teams despite Jen's injury.

Danielle came over to us and immediately told us she almost ended up in the emergency room as well. On the exact section of the Flume Trail that I was worried about, she did manage to crash with minimal damage. A rider who was behind her at the time of crash had a helmet cam on and caught the scary moment on video. Below is the video. Notice how lucky she was to fall in somewhat of an open area whereas 5 feet forward or behind would have resulted in absolute carnage.

We later found out that Jen was alright and was already back at the venue by the time Danielle finished. On a steep ascent up Little French, she fell over awkwardly and suffered a deep laceration to her left leg apparently from a rock that required 20 stitches. While at the hospital, Jen had another friend down the hall. Fellow Team High Maintenance rider Kelly Lombardi had sustained what appeared to be a broken ankle on a fall on her lap. Thankfully it turned out to be a bad sprain. 

Overall, Eagle County riders suffered on course this past Monday. We did have a few good rides put in. Jay Henry stayed strong in the second lap to finish only about a minute behind Colin Cares for 2nd place overall in the Pro field. Paul Gorbold managed a top 10 finish in a strong CAT 1 field along with Peter Hinmon and Ciro Zarate finishing strong with impressive times. Jerry Oliver, who was leading the overall CAT 1 divisions at the time broke his rear derailleur ending his race late into lap 1.

Two days later was the 29th annual Davos Dash hill climb as part of the Vail Rec Series. A 3.5 mile climb with just over 1100 feet of climbing makes for one of the toughest, lung bursting events that finish up in just 20 minutes give or take a few. While I felt good, my time was 20 seconds off last years pace. This seemed to be a trend this year all around as most riders were slower that last year. We collectively attributed this to much higher temperatures for the race than last year when it was run in August. Jay Henry won the pro field, while Jake Wells fell to third behind Josiah Middaugh.

Next up is the Breck 68... back at it in Summit County to conquer the course this time, instead of the other way around. 

TMP

Work, Racing, and Bike Lanes

Hey All,
Let's catch up a bit since the Growler. June has fortunately been one of our busiest months of the season at my job so with limited races on deck I took the opportunity to pick up some much needed banquet shifts. After a long Spring closure and Colorado's unemployment process biting me in the A$$, I pretty much needed to make up some cash somehow to get us through the remainder of June. Our fridge took a crap on us and I also had to grab a new one of those from Lowe's. My advice? Stay the course, brush the stress of your back and good things will come. In this two week period, I was able to make a ton of money working banquets, finally got my unemployment payments squared away, and thanks to Danielle's parents for buying us some condo insurance last year, we were able to get a nice check from them to replace our food and fridge! "Good things come to those who wait?" No, good things come to those who wait patiently.

Now, back to the focus of this blog. Cycling...

I've had two Vail Rec Series races since the Growler. "Hammer in the Hay" at 4 Eagle Ranch and "Berry Creek Blast" in Edwards. The Hammer in the Hay course is infamous for a non-stop "hammerfest" with few climbs but a relentless bumpy course thanks to the horse trails the loop is setup on. It did not disappoint. Hurt as usual and the course was extra bumpy to give your hands a test of endurance. Thank God for the Ergon grips that relieved some of the pain. Gave it a good effort, caught people on the one sustained climb per lap but quickly dropped off the back on the long, windy straights. Tyler Eaton had an awesome ride taking 1st in the Mens Expert group. I finished a decent 10th place.

A couple of days before the Berry Creek race, I had a big crash pre-riding the course. Dumb thing was that I tried "having some fun" and taking a line that I would not ride during the race and the trail took advantage of that mistake. Took a line off of a ledge and the landing was a bit harder than expected. Not exactly sure what happened but all I remember was the massive impact on my back and head, then opening my eyes stomach down in the sage brush. Only took a few minutes to catch the breath, check to see if the body was in one piece and finish the descent back to the trailhead. Surprisingly, nothing was broken. Just a damaged rotator cuff and now a week later, my lower spine still hurts. We'll see how it progresses. Wish I had some video for you from that one!

3 days later, I felt good enough to give it a go in the race. Four freakin' laps of Berry Creek... Gave a little bit too much on the first lap and got dropped pretty bad. Lap 2 was slow, but felt revived a bit for laps 3 and 4 to bring back the pace and pass a few guys before the finish. Finished 9th.

Spent this past week watching every stage of the Tour de Suisse. Despite all the rumors, attacks, and banter in the cycling world right now, that was some of the most exciting cycling to watch on television. The stages in the TdS were incredible, from the views, the course profiles, and the non-stop action the riders gave us. Fabian Chancellara's ability to time trial is simply super-human (no motors required). He handles a time trial bike like it's a mountain bike. Everyone questioned Andy Schleck's form on the stages he was "dropped". Take a look at the stages that he pulled... his form is there, he was running some tests by my book. The guy lost his bike during the time trial in the prologue. There was no reason for him to completely blow himself up in an effort to make that time up. Finally, after a courageous effort by Damiano Cunego defending the yellow jersey for most of the Tour, Levi Leipheimer had an outstanding time trial in the final stage to make up a 1:59 gap and win the overall in the Tour de Suisse by 3 seconds. Of course, the masses came out bashing his ability to ride that fast at that age. But take a look again, it's not like he crushed Fabian's time. He is a very strong time trialist and Cunego's performance was less than stellar in the final defense. Cunego looked worked after 9km. Should be an exciting Tour de France for sure. Not trying to play favorites but Levi and Chris Horner could be a force to reckon with. I'm sure Jonathan Vaughters has some tricks up his sleeve with Garmin-Cervelo. I expect an all-around great performance from those guys whether it be sprints, TT's, or climbing stages.

Next race on the schedule is the Firecracker 50 in Breckenridge. Here is a picture in town this morning... We'll see if the snow is cleared in time, especially up Little French.

July gets busy after Firecracker with Davos Dash, Telluride Full Tilt, Vail Grind, followed by the Breck 68 - All within the same 2 week period.

Until next time, get outside, ride your bike, and be sure to stay in the bike lanes...

bike lanes from Casey Neistat on Vimeo.

64 Miles of Fun in Gunnison... almost

This past Memorial Day weekend, Danielle and I headed down to Gunnison, CO for the 4th Annual Original Growler MTB race. The Growler is an event put on by Gunnison Trails and is a fundraiser for their trail advocacy efforts. Led by Dave Wiens, the event has become quite the contest just to get into. This years event sold out in a whopping 8 minutes! Luckily, Danielle and I got in.

We drove down Saturday afternoon and met up with Paul Gorbold and his girlfriend Kaylee to get a little sneak peak ride in the evening before the race. Temps for the weekend were stellar as it never dropped below 45 degrees, even overnight. Our short 10 mile pre-ride was up the singletrack that led us into Lap 2 of the race. Little did we know what we were in for. To say the climb was steep is an understatement. To add to that, the loose granite texture of the trail made tire grip less than optimal to push a hard gear. With a few power move sections we made it to the top and finished the ride off with Rattlesnake and Sea of Sage trails. To the right, Paul starts ascending the steeper part "Backbone". Only about a mile in length, this trail weaved its way around, to the top of all the rocks you see in the background.

As we woke up at 5:30am on Sunday morning, I immediately opened our hotel room door to see what the temps were going to be like for our start. I was pleasantly surprised to feel a calm 50 degree air flow through the room at 6am. Our start at 7am was about 55 degrees making the wardrobe choice very simple... jersey, sleeveless base layer and shorts.

Promptly at 7am, the sound of a double shotgun blast by the Gunnison town mayor, got us rolling through town with a 2 mile neutral rollout to the Hartman Rocks area. One of the coolest things that Danielle and I got to experience in this race was a mass start and the opportunity to ride side by side for the first 8 minutes or so on the race. Given that is was my birthday, it was a nice treat to begin the day of suffering that was to follow. The neutral rollout was anything but "neutral" as our rolling pace hovered around 23 mph for the first 2 miles. By the time we reached the dirt, the lead group of 40 or so riders were already about 1:30 ahead of me, half way up Kill Hill. As we climbed up Kill Hill it was time for me to get up front as much as possible to avoid the backup as we reached the first singletrack section of the course. I caught up to Pete Lombardi at the top of the climb, chatted a bit, then proceeded forward to gain some time.

The riding pace of everyone around me was very good and there was far less backups then I was expecting. We were cruising at a solid pace and I was able to gain some positions on each of the short fire road climbs each time we ducked out of the singletrack. The first major sustained climb came at what I believe is called "Bambi's", was tough but so much fun. I cannot tell you how much fun the singletrack is at Hartman Rocks. After some tree lined singletrack, we finished the climb on some large rock feature thats had a good mix of "walkers" and those that picked the right lines to keep on rolling. I was able to ride with the latter. One of the sections of trail I had not ridden was the Skull Pass loop, which, luckily I had a good rider from the Epic Endurance squad ahead of me who showed my all the right lines on the steep technical descent. I stopped briefly at the aid station out of Skull Pass to refill some bottles and I must say, I am so happy with the quality and taste of my Infinit Nutrition because the "other" sports drink out there was not too pleasing to the palette.

As I raced through the course, I was careful not to go to hard on any sections in an effort to feel somewhat refreshed as I started lap 2. Not quite sure which is mentally easier yet; knowing exactly what the second half of the course entails, or just racing on one big loop. I guess I'll know after the Park City Point to Point race. I rode into the drop bag section at 3:18:08, 34.5 miles into the race, grabbed a new set of bottles and started the ascent of lap 2. A Honey Stinger rider and I decided that hiking most of that initial ascent was right about the same speed as trying to spin easily up it. By the time I hit Josho's on the second lap, my legs felt only slightly fatigued, knowing that the hardest part of the course was out of the way. As I reached the Bambi's climb again, my legs were revived and ready to start hammering again. At this point, I was only about 10 minutes off-pace from the first lap due largely to the much more technical climb at the start of lap two.

Climbing up Skyline on Lap 1 - MountainMoonPhotography

At mile 48 I was steadily rolling as I crossed the 5 hour mark. The confidence from the possibility of an impressive finish time gave the legs the extra energy needed to finish the final 16 miles. Suddenly, something wasn't feeling right in my stomach. With little solid food eaten, it was not an upset stomach, but more like the feeling I used to get running cross-country in High School when you pushed to hard of a pace. I had never felt this on a mountain bike though. By the time I reached the in-bound aid station I stopped to get some water, thinking that maybe a mix of sugar and carbs were cramping the stomach. I was kind of bummed because as I was about to roll out through Skull Pass, fellow Bach Builder Ken Boyer was just coming out of the loop which meant at that time, I was only about 15 minutes behind him. As I started to descend, that is when the pain started to get intense. I got through Skull Pass and back to the aid station in a bit of pain and had to stop and sit for a little while to try and shake it off. Every bump and jolt on the bike send a searing pain through my abdomen. After about 8 minutes of so I got back on the bike and tried riding. It hurt... bad. And there was still 13 miles to go of less flowy, much more technical singletrack.

The next hour or so hurt a lot. Climbs were not too bad but any chance to gain some time on descents I had to crawl along being careful not to hit any bumps to hard. About half way through I almost threw in the towel. The mental game was getting the best of me knowing there was still 8 miles left and I had to pull over to regroup. I can't remember the last time I have cried, but this almost broke me. Not the pain as much, but knowing that the relentless pain was not going to leave me as I chugged along. I cleared my head, ate some solid food and pushed forward.

Turns out the sugar was just what I needed. As I approached the Fenceline (about 5 miles to the finish) the cramps smoothed out and went away. Started hammering again and with no pain my fitness was great leading into the last 2.5 mile section of the course which is typically brutal if your legs are in any way on the verge of cramping. Stopped real quick to be a good fellow racer and gave my CO2 to a walking racer with a flat and proceeded to the finish. Rode through the line at 7 hours, 21 minutes, and 12 seconds good enough for 86th overall in the mens field.

You never know how things will play out in a race with the what if's, and could've done's. After reviewing my Garmin data, the cramping issue resulted in an additional 32 minutes from lap one over the same 9.5 mile section. Granted you will naturally be slower on the second lap, to put my leg fitness into perspective, the last 5 mile section of the course was just over 2 minutes slower than the first lap. I guess my goal of 6:45:00 was right on par in a perfect race... but who ever has a perfect race! What I am able to take out of that race (my longest race to date) was how well my training has paid off to perform in long-distance events. My legs never cramped once and almost always felt refreshed. Even at the finish of the race, they were ready to keep riding. Recovery has also improved dramatically. No sore muscles or fatigued body the day after.

You know who did have the perfect race? Brian Smith (Alpine Orthopedics) took off hot from the start and never looked back. He won with a blistering time of 5:08:55. Paul Gorbold (Street Swell) represented really well with a 15th overall finish time of 5:52:33. Way to go Paul! Jake Wells pulled out early after lap 1 with some tough luck. He mentioned that everything just didn't feel right from the start. Some technical sections were interestingly tough to maneuver and his pace just didn't flow well. Smart decision on his part, it's not worth taking unnecessary risks just to finish with a chance of making some costly mistakes. Ken Boyer finished right around the same time as last year just over 6:30 and when I met up with him, I saw what his hold up (technically not a "hold up" I guess) was... NO front brake what-so-ever! Crazy! Only a few miles into the race and he lost all pressure in his brake line.

64 mile finishers gift!! Mmm, beer!

Danielle (Team High Maintenance) finished up 16th overall out of 33 finishers in the Half Growler with a time of 4:26:07. She was very pleased because her goal was a sub-4:30 finish. She battled with some cramping issues in her legs but rode most of the technical sections with determination. Most important thing she found, is that she can excel in the longer distance races while managing her blood-glucose level with ease.

Thanks again to Bach Builders and our team sponsors: Ergon International, Infinit Nutrition, and Stan's NoTubes for keeping me rolling fast, fueled, and comfortable throughout the race! Also, thanks to my personal sponsor Venture Sports in Avon for getting me on the fastest bike I have ever ridden!

Up next... Teva Mountain Games in Vail, CO!! Saturday, June 4th.

Gunnison Growler Pre-Ride

Yesterday, Danielle and I packed up the bikes and took a little day trip down to Gunnison, CO to give her a little taste of what to expect on May 29th when we race in The Original Growler. While I will be throwing down for the Full 64 mile version, Danielle will be getting out for the half version, a one lap 32 mile course of fast, swooping singletrack that was built through the efforts of Gunnison Trails, the local trail advocacy group founded by Dave Wiens in 2006. The amount of work this group has put into their local trails over the past 5 years is unbelievable and their hard work truly shows. If you haven't been out to the Hartman Rocks Recreation Area, you NEED to get out there now! As stated by Jake Wells after last years race, "Don't ever ride the Original Growler singletrack, because nothing else will ever compare."

Driving over Monarch Pass, just 50 miles East if Gunnison, we were al little worried because it was snowing. The forecast in Gunnison was iffy with chances of rain and thunderstorms in the area. But when we arrived in town, the clouds seemed to part just over the Hartman Rocks area. With the clouds looking menacing to the North over Crested Butte and rain/snow showers clearly hammering Monarch and Wolf Creek, we weren't sure how long the ride would actually last. Geared up for anything, we started our initial ascent up the infamous "Kill Hill", which will hit all riders hard as we start the Growler course. Pictured below, it consists of a steep 10-15% grade for about 3/4 of a mile climbing just under 300 feet.

Trying to find our way around via a printed course map was interesting at first, but thanks to the simple and clear trail signage, we quickly found our way. Gunnison Trails uses a name and number system to mark its trails, and with a simple placard at the start and finish of each trail, navigating by trail map was flawless.

We decided to skip the lap 1 fire road section of the course and climb the lap 2 designated "Rattlesnake" trail. I quickly realized that cleaning this trail would be key to sustaining a consistent pace. It featured some large granite rock formations that all the other riders who were coming "down" the trail seemed to be grinning from ear to ear every time they passed us. We however, were climbing "up" the trail and by climbing, I mean "climbing" by foot. Some steeps were at a pitch that even the shoes were having trouble holding steady. There is going to be some bloody scraped up knees on this trail. Here is one formation which has two options to ride: the center line to descend a steep 12 foot drop and the left-side route to navigate around the rock which Danielle opted for (watch those pedals for the narrow tracking through the rock or you will be walking).

The next section named Josho's, which for lap 1 will be the first taste of singletrack, was oh-so-fun! Fast, smooth singletrack descending into a small valley with minimal technical sections. The thing about the Growler course which is so unique is that it does not lack climbing (about 4,000 feet per lap), rather the course is rolling all throughout with every climb being no more than a few hundred feet at a time. The Whiskey course for example, had a 13 mile 3,000+ foot climb in one shot. These small rises in the Growler course allow riders to enjoy every bit of singletrack thrown at you weather climbing, descending, or playing on the technical rock formations. Pictured above left is an example of some of the small technical features that keep riders attentive to the trail.

We rode the majority of the course, ditching a few fire road sections meant to spread out the field and keep the 32 mile distance factor in the race. After a sweet, short descent into a trail named "Enchanted Forest" due to its random mix of trees and lush green, a welcome change to the sage brush infesting the rest of the course, we jumped into some rolling technical singletrack with names like Dave Moe's, Dirty Sock, Top of the World, and The Ridge.

Here's a pic of me about to clean one of the many "Ups" on the course. Our Bach Builders light-weight wind vests from Sugoi provided the perfect balance of warmth and protection from the consistent 15+mph winds all day. The chamois in our RS Bib Short provides us with enough cushion to ride for hours on end without making you feel like "the new guy" at the local prison after a long day in the saddle.

Danielle taking a break sporting the newly designed kits for Team High Maintenance.

All in all, it was a fantastic day down in Gunnison with no foul weather ever descending upon the Hartman Rocks area. It's going to be a big ole' fashioned throw down on the 29th with all sorts of friends heading down to race including Jake Wells (3rd last year), Tyler Eaton, Ken Boyer, Sara Delano, Ryan Cantrell, Mark Beresniewicz and more. Look for Jake to be gunning for a 1st place finish this year. I'm gonna go out on a limb and say Ken and Sara will take podiums their respective age groups, and if Tyler can ward off the cramps on "The Ridge", expect to see some impressive results from him as well.

For me?? Well, my plan is to rise up the rankings as races get longer, so let's shoot for a top 10 finish in my age group. I'm calling it a 6:45:00 finish time. Throw some times for me in the comment section below and I'll get a little prize out to the closest person without going over. (US residents only)

TMP

Time to catch up a bit...

You would think that with all this time off I have right now due to my job taking a seasonal hiatus for the Spring season, I would be blogging it up like crazy...

Fortunately, due to some fantastic weather in the High Country, I have been able to get a whole bunch of miles out on the dirt and even threw down for an unexpected race. So, I guess we will start with that one. Just a week after the Whiskey 50, tons of local friends were getting ready to line it up both East and West of Eagle at the Front Range 60 in Denver as well as the 18 Hours of Fruita in, well, you guessed it Fruita. Jealous of all the suffering these friends were about to experience I decided Friday night to pack up the gear and head down to Denver for the Front Range 60 "half-marathon" race which was just over 30 miles in length. I would have really liked to get down there for the full marathon race, but due to financial constraints of not working and the 8am start time, racing in said event just wasn't feasible. With a 2pm start for the halfsies, it made for a perfect out and back day trip to Denver to race, grab some goods at Whole Foods, and indulge at Tokyo Joes post race.

We got there just in time to catch the first group of finishers from the full marathon coming through the line. Fellow Bach Builders racer Ken Boyer finished in a blistering time just over 4 hours to take 6th place in his group. Way to go Ken!! This threw his average race speed at just below 15mph. Crazy! At that point I knew this course was going to be a fast paced hammer-fest. Edwards local Tyler Eaton came in just over 4 and a half hours despite having some cramping issues on lap 4 of 6. At this point the heat was settling in. The temperature in Denver was 60 degrees at 8am for the start of the full. By the time we lined up for the half, the standing air temp was already breaking 80 degrees. Eric Rubottom and I lined it up in our respective age groups, and at that time realized that our competition included licensed Pro riders. The thing about ultra-endurance races is that you rarely see a structured ability level designation. Ages are commonly split up but if you can race for 50+ miles, event organizers don't really consider you a beginner or intermediate racer. That being said, the start of our race was HOT! I was able to hang for all of a half mile with riders such as Kevin Kane and Mitch Hoke in my field.

The course sure was fast and fun. At 10 miles a lap, there were only 4 legitimate "climbs", 3 of which were less than 2-3 minutes in length. The only sustained climb was a gradual 10 minute haul which finally dropped down into a shaded, sandy section of the course. The toughest part of this race for me was the amount of sun exposure each lap which hit you about 90% of the time. Factoring the sun into the equation, race temps sat around 95 degrees for over 2 hours. Not knowing anything about the course I was shooting for a time of 2:17:00. I ended up finishing in a time of 2:12:22 good enough for a 14th place finish. For a last minute decision to race on an absolute 2 hour max interval format, I was pretty happy with the results. Not to mention, after being hit with some big cramping issues late in the race in Arizona, I was able to adjust my Infinit Nutrition blend to include some additional electrolytes and focus more attention to a steady intake through the duration of the race. The plan worked and not once did I feel even the slightest hint of a muscle twitch.


Eric Rubottom had a great race, throwing down a time of 2:05:58 good enough for 13th in a large field of 25 in his age group. 


Next race - The Original Growler, 64 miles of some of the sickest singletrack I have ridden to date! Also, becoming my longest race to date...


TMP