Quantico Recap and training does get results

This is just a simple entry on how training can really make a difference. Oh, the RIGHT training. Not my half a#! attempt in 2010, but my new half a#! for 2011! Last year at Quantico, I thought I felt pretty good, turning in 1:11:50, 58:25, 1:03:41, 1:04:54 and 1:05:51. I was really hoping to get more sub hours than that, but at the time I thought this was great. It was good enough for 2nd place in the duo male 80+ cat. We did 10 laps last year in 11:11:32.

This year I took a different approach and teamed up with my 17 year old friend Will. This of course moved us to the duo male open-no more old folks class. This years times were beyond what I envisioned. 49:53, 52:43, 55:11, 58:08, 1:00:07 and 1:05:31. We also completed 12 laps in 11:17-2 more laps in just 6 minutes. All told 1st place.

So my training, although not geared toward endurance racing has really shown me that gettin older doesnt mean you aint gonna get faster. If you guys and gals are in your 40's find a plan that works and stick to it, you will improve.

12 Hours of Quantico and a Win for the Crew

Ok, I found out 2 things about myself today; one, you cannot train 6-8 hours a week and call yourself an endurance racer and two, starting off like the race is only 2 hours long, is stupid. That being said, my friend Will, who is 17 and I who is 43, hmmm odd couple indeed, did a male duo for this event. We both have the same view on racing and how it is so hard to pace yourself at a 12 hour race-uhhh, lets go all out in the beginning and see if we can hold that impossible pace. Now, it is rare that this method ever works, but today it did. We were in 1st from lap 1, and by lap 2, we had a 10 minute lead on 2nd. We had built a 26 minute lead at one point, but we were getting tired and they werent. We ended up finishing with 12 laps in 11:17, 17 minutes ahead. I kind of liken it to scoring 6 runs in the 1st inning and winning 6-5, not ideal, but a win none the less. Last year, my fastest lap time was 58:07, this year was a best for 9th overall 49:51 on the Superfly SS. In fact all my laps, except the last were all far better than last years.

Quantico is a pretty difficult course 1600ft of climbing per lap-ouch! Nothing is flat and nothing is smooth. Each climb is a 20% grade and even the fire roads were just plain evil. Jim Harman and the EX2 staff are just great. They still know how to throw down a grassroots race venue.

My last 2 laps were nothing less than dismal. Not from going out too fast, but not keeping the nutrition in the body. Just the thought of food made me ill. Dont quite know what to make of it. I am not to bothered by this because endurance races arent my thing anyway. HR reached 160, but the legs were non existent. I even tried to encourage them, but they said "we are fine, so beat it pal." I wasnt out of breathe as well.

I did do something that I never do, though; I ran the Superfly HT for 4 of the 6 laps. The other 2 were done on the Superfly and the Big Pink Rig. Of course this would not be possible without Jon Rogers and Brandonian Buth. These guys are the reason I am where I am with my race results.

I did have a difficult time with the handling, not because of the bike  itself, but because I am used to jamming out of the saddle on the SS. It was hard for me to sit and spin, so I couldnt seem to get my bearings. That being said, the bike was amazing on this rock infested, pock marked and endless climbing course on the Marine Corps base. I was running a 44/29 up front and a 12/27 in the back. What I really want to make mention of is the Bontrager Evoke 3 saddle and carbon versions. 2 words AMAZ-ING! If you like the way your broken in saddle feels, than you will love this even more. Full padding on a carbon railed saddle and 130 grams. The Ti version is 186 g's. Very flexy and super comfy. Comes in 3 widths as well to fit your hind quarters.

Overall, I was pleased of the 1st place result, but not super overjoyed with how we had to maintain it, but again, it is still a win. I did surpass last years effort with my first 5 laps in comparison to last year, so I will call it a pretty good day.

Happy Fathers Day to all and to all a good ride!

I decided to spend a part of my day with my son Alex-the two girls didnt want to get dirty ridin'. A nice little ride about 6 miles long on the Little Gunpowder. He is really coming along as a rider. Takes a little more chances and riding a little faster. I think he really enjoys himself, too. I dont push him, but I do encourage and try to get him to try some new techniques, although being 7, it is kinda hard sometimes. Anyway, enjoy the day and spend some time with the kids, after all it wouldnt be your day if you didnt have any! The video is not the best quality, but it is something.

New Road Shoes

That's right...Road Shoes! My rep Jon Rogers was very kind to send me a pair of Bontrager RXL shoes today. I have been using the RXL mountain version for a year now, so these babies will feel exactly the same, which is a good thing. I will post a more detailed report later when I get some ride time. If any of you arent or havent tried any of the Bontrager offerings, you should really give them a go. Not just the shoes, but anything he offers. It is truly world class stuff. Light and durable; just great stuff.
www.bontrager.com. If anyone knows where my last 3 blogs disappeared to, let me know. I dont like writing this stuff as it is...eh, maybe a little.

Gunpowder Ride

Today was by far and away the best I have felt all year. Even during the 10 minute downpour. I was a little concerned with the fatigue I have been feeling as of late. I was almost thinking I have been over training. My legs just havent felt all that great.

Today dispelled all of that. Climbs didnt feel like climbs at all. It was the "sweet spot" of cycling. Like hitting a baseball in just the right spot on the bat where it feels as if you didnt hit anything; thats the feeling on the bike. I felt as if I had much more power in the reserves, but never had to use it. HR reached a mere 185, and that was at the very beginning up a pretty long and technical climb. After that, it settled in at around 165-170's. This is a very good sign. Power without elevated HR-good thing. Funny, after riding the 24.5lb Sawyer, my Superfly felt amazing. After 2years on this thing, I am still amazed how it performs.

By comparison, here is almost the same exact loop (minus the warm up). HR was 198 with an average of 160. 20 minutes faster with 4 extra miles and a 1 mph increase in speed. The moving speed is a bit off due to my Garmin 305 not being cooperative. So if you think a little extra hard riding doesnt do anything, here is proof. Old guys can get faster!

Anyway, I hope this feeling continues for 12 hours of Quantico on the 25th.

Trek Sawyer-First Impressions Part 2

Now we are talkin'

Ok, I had my first "epic" 20 miler on the Sawyer on wednesday. My fork finally arrived and I have to say Hoo Rah. That is just what the docta ordered. It just looks the part now. Comes in at 24lbs and 9 oz. I have some more goodies to throw on it, but for the sake of an accurate review, I have decide to keep it on the heavy side.

So, for those of you interested, my second ride on the Sawyer started on a high note as opposed to the "I dont want to ride this lead sled" attitude on the first outing. I rode the full Loch Raven loop at race pace-ish or so to get a true feel of how this bike handles.

Dont know the purpose, but it looks cool.

Now this isnt going to make sense to those of you riding a suspension fork, but those of us that choose to use "arm-leg absorbers and a rigid, it will make perfect sense. This bike handles much better with the rigid fork that it did with the Reba. The Reba is a great fork, but not for me. It soaked up smaller bumps very well and handled the larger stuff too. I felt very comfortable and in control on this bike on this longer ride. As I stated before, this bike is very plush for a rigid ride. The fork seemed to bring it all together and worked in a harmonious concerto with just the right tempo. Yeah, that's right-I like classical music! There are a few steep climbs that I could feel a little burn, but again it is 5lbs heavier than what I am used to riding. That being said, it climbed very well. A nice balanced feel. No bouncy front end and good traction. The fork is of the G2 variety, meaning it has a 51mm offset as opposed to the traditional 46. This means in theory it will handle like a 26er in the tight stuff. Does it work? I will say it does feel a little quicker than a traditional 29er in the tight singletrack.

I have to say that I really enjoy this bike. I will keep you posted as I have fun upgrading this puppy. So for now, go to your local Trek dealer a give one a ride. It does come as geared only, but if you like to visit the pain cave and let your freak flag fly, go single. Enjoy!

I like being old, even if it means getting older

Ok, maybe 43 isnt old to most, but in the SS mountain bike world, it aint a spring chicken either.  But there is something very cool about lining up with guys that can be your sons for peat sake! There is a mutual respect, though between us old guys and the youngins'. I never hear-man, your too old to be doing this or see you at the finish grandpa. The mountain bike scene just isnt like that. Eh, they dont think I am 43 either.

Young guys keep me motivated and moving. Who wants to lose to a 25 year old? Not me. This last race, I had a 30 and 27 year old pass me early on. I caught one 3 miles later and the other took a little longer, but I was able to reel him in and take him by 2 minutes and 21 seconds. Not that I gloat over that stuff-it isnt about that at all, but it does make this old guy feel good when it happens.

I have about 6-9 hours a week to train, not alot in the grand scheme of things, but its the quality sometimes, not the quantity. So if your old like me, you can still give to those young kids and still learn a bit from them too...like completely destroying their will to compete and being a dream squasher and letting them know this is a 40 year olds world and...man I got a little carried away there. Just go out and have fun and dont be afraid to push it sometimes, you just might surprise yourself, grandpa! Oh Yeah, go ahead and shave those legs, too. There is nothing more disturbing than a pair of sticks that look like air filters that have never been cleaned.

First real workout in a while and just plain bantering

Today I finally decided that it was a good idea to get back to the training plan. After sunday's nice 3rd place podium spot at Iron Hill, Delaware, I took yesterday off and got into standing hill repeats tonight on the trainer. I keep the 53/11 combo with the trainer set on high. I do 2 sets of 3 reps of 3 minutes on and 3 minutes easy with 8 minutes rest between sets. I dont have a power meter, so I use cadence as a benchmark. I try to keep between 61-65 rpms. If you want to try these, keep in mind that if you start to see a 10% decline in power, you should stop the intervals. You really wont gain any jumps in your fitness by pushing on, just wearing yourself down. Are morons allowed to give advice? What do I care, I'm a moron!

At the race, I started off fast, which is not normally my thing and by the third lap, my thighs were a little tight. I hadnt done any real interval work in the 2 weeks leading up to the race, so I figure-being a moron that I am-that was expected.

Anyway, this year has been going extremely well; with training and racing 2 podiums so far. I have definitely seen major improvements in my overall fitness level and maintaining power during races and training rides. My road riding has been, do I dare say...fun? I have been hitting a 15 mile loop around work in the mornings and never using the 39t ring. Being a singlespeed moron, I have found that staying in the 53/15 (I have a 11-21 cluster in the rear) and standing on the climbs has really improved my monocog climbing abilities.

So that is it for now. 12 hours of Quantico is coming up in 2 weeks, so I guess I should keep training. Oh, almost forgot; I now have my rigid fork for my Sawyer, so I will be taking it out this week. I am wringing my hands together like a mad scientist right now, but you cant see me because I cant type in video...yet!

Iron Hill Challenge and a Tale of 2 3rd's

Get off the tracks, the trains comin through!

There is something about having kids that makes you feel like you are doing something right on this crazy orb we call home. My son Alex is that kind of kid. I have 3 in total, but Alex is the one who loves his bike and loves to impress the Dad.

Today at the Iron Hill Challenge in Delaware-which is far from flat-my son entered his first "mountain bike race." He rode around the course 11 times before the race. He told me he was watching me warm up, so he had better do the same; makes my heart all a flutter! He lined up with the other 7 year olds with his "race modified" Gary Fisher ss and looked at me with that goofy smirk of his as if to say, "look Dad, I am just like you." Hopefully the bike riding thing is all he mimics. Ready...set...go! around turn one, Ohhh man down! Alex scoots around him and takes off in pursuit of the others. Tight turn..."stand up and attack that hill", he does and rides by me with the game face. Lap 2, a little slow to get going but regains his mindset. Come on...Come on! Alex pulls in with a nice 3rd. To see the look on his face that he "won" 3rd, awesome. I though for sure he would be disappointed that he didnt win, but he was happy. For his efforts-a water bottle filled with candy! Race promoters take note.

Now my turn. I mounted Pinky today for the SS expert class. Uh...ok. I have never raced at Iron Hill, so wasnt quit sure what to expect. I dont like racing blind either. We lined up and off the line I took up first, I hate that strategy. Of course that is never my strategy to boot, but it happened. The course was marked poorly at the start, so we did an extra 1.2 miles-aaarrrgghh! This course is very technical and riddle with rocks-nasty sharp rocks. I had settled in to what I thought was a groove, but still felt a little uncomfortable, not sure from what. My legs just didnt feel 100%. There are a few longish climbs, not steep, but littered with baggage. Some very cool pump track style whoop de doo's were around too. I just couldnt find my rhythm. The Rig felt pretty good throughout, even for aluminum.

My second lap was pretty good, I ended up re-passing the guy who passed me earlier, which gave me a little extra uumph. Sitting in 2nd with about 1.5 miles to go and who sneaks up from behind, for the 2nd race in a row? Mr. Houghton. AAAAHHHH!!!! I ended up 20 seconds behind him and a solid 3rd. My legs were the worst they have felt in a while. I usually have plenty of power up the climbs, even at the end, but today they felt solid as a rock. The weird thing was my max HR reached only 186, and that was early on, never got above 182 after that. My average was 172. Not quite sure what to make of it. My last little climb was lead filled, but only reached 180? I havent stuck to the plan for the last 2 weeks either-I am a certified moron.

So like father, like so we both settled for 3rd and a very poorly unorganized podium spot (no need to go into details) for me and the Crew. On to Quantico.

Ride with Alex and tomorrow's Iron Hill Challenge

Wanna Piece of Me?

Singlespeeders Unite!

Today, my son Alex and I decided to head for a great day of riding. He doesnt look as excited as me, though. Loch Raven, oops did I say a dirty word? Yeah, if you don't know, a few clowns in power in the city have decided that mountain biking at the Loch is having adverse affects on the water supply and it is also a "homeland security" issue-WHATEVER! Anyway, we rode anyway. He has really progressed as a rider. 7 years old and he can climb like a mountain goat. Downhills-eh, another story; like father like son. We ended up with 6 miles and 776 feet of climbing. He loves his Fisher Precaliber SS and it loves him.

Tomorrow is the Iron Hill Challenge in Newark Delaware, so today was a nice departure from the norm. Never been there so could be interesting.

Pink Bikes IS FAST! Trek Rig first impressions

Dont look for this color at your Trek dealer

Ok, I have to admit Trek Rig just doesnt sound right. It doesnt roll off the tongue like Fisher Rig. So I will call it the Treker Rig. Actually, this first review is more on the frame and its ride characteristics rather than the components, but I will touch on them as to take up more space and look as if I had a lot to say.
So, the frame is 6061 butted hydroformed aluminum with sliding dropouts. Past Rigs had the eccentric bb, which added weight and adjustments made to the chainline also changed saddle height and placement. It has the Fisher G2 geometry-which for those not familiar is a custom 51mm offset fork to address the sluggish handling on past 29ers. It also has cable stops to run it geared, but you wont do that, will you? The frame weighs in at 3lbs. 14 oz in 19″, very nice. What makes my Rig special? Pink makes your bike faster! It is true. Yes, I stripped it down and painted it “ballet slipper pink”, it looks more like silly putty to me. Rustoleum is the best paint for do it your selfers. Lots of wet sanding and you have a factory paint job look.

A solid spec, ugly paint

The original spec includes: Fox f32 series 100mm travel fork, Firex crank, Bontrager SS hub laced to Mustang tubeless ready rims and the very stiff FCC front hub, Avid Juicy 3 brakes and Bontrager glue factory items everywhere else. Mine of course is built up with only the best offerings from Mr. Bontrager-Race X Lite wheels, bar, stem, post, Evoke 3 Ti saddle, Juicy carbon brakes, Stylo OCT crank. All told 20lbs. 9oz. great weight for this very pleasing to the eye shade of pink.

Pink is Fast!

I have put 103 miles on it since may 12th, so this isnt meant to be a long term review, just my initial thoughts. I was never a big fan of aluminum framed bikes, just because of the inherent stiff nature of the material. This is a very smooth riding frame-as aluminum frames go. I didnt feel “beat up” as other frames I have been on. Even with the rigid fork, I felt comfortable. It accelerates with the best, again this is the rigid aluminum frame at work here. It has a nice long feel to it, which is what you want because of the out of the saddle climbing, it allows one to get over the bars more and rock it, baby. It has a nice neutral bias, which, again is great for SSing.Too far forward, you spin out, Too far back your front end works against you. This a great climbing bike. No flex from the bb or rear end. The headset is integrated so the front is a bit stiffer as well.
There is nothing I have found yet that is a negative, although the rear did develop a severe creaking issue at the last race. The culprit-the sliders. A little drop of oil remedied the annoyance. The original 29.2 and 29.3 tires are wire bead, a bit of a surprise on a $1,400.00 bike. The original finish on the bike was not what I usually expect from Trek. Some minor bubbling in the paint and crooked decals, again nothing major but worth noting. The factory spec is a good mix of parts out of the box and should keep you going for a while.


This a good offering from Trek. Go tubeless and get yourself an Evoke saddle and you will have a great ride. Remember-PINK IS FAST! Enjoy.

Updates on recent training

Knees have been a little sore lately from alot of roadie stuff, yeah I know-eeeek! It does help with the training, though. Have been on the SS a bit more too.

Had a good ride at Patapsco today, but still felt a little off. Iron Hill Challenge coming up 6/5, so I will have to be careful not to do anything stupid. That will be a tough one. Rode the Pinky today I am still amazed how comfortable that aluminum beauty really is. Not as harsh as one would expect from an aluminum frame. Have to get back to my regular training routine. Anyway, just some boring stats.

It's may and I have hit 2k miles already

Nothing fancy here, just my training since the 1st of the year. I had 1400 miles all of last year, so this is a huge improvement. It has really paid off so for. I feel amazing right now. Hanging tough with the expert geared crowd is a hoot! My HR rarely gets in the mid 180's anymore, which is great considering my max is 200-so my missed match plan is working!

Trek Sawyer-First Impressions

Ok, I could keep this review short and simple words-Really excited, excited, what the #@%!, hmmm, and excited again, but that wouldnt be much of a review, huh. First off, the skinny on the frame and it's highlights. It platinum steel, which is not the OX II version. It of course has a striking profile that is a harkening to the klunker days. The first thing you notice, or at least I did, is the split top tube runs the entire length of the rig, not the usual method. I will get to more on this later. It has a plain jane look, which is great. No hideous decals, just a satin grey finish-very industrial looking. Sliding dropouts are a huge improvement as well, which are split for running a belt drive. Cable routing is neatly tucked away under the split tubes and has guides for you gear heads as well.

So on with the show. I took a mild spill on my Superlfy Elite HT-should have known not to get a geared bike- and needs some repair work, I will leave it at that. Getting a crash replacement was not in the cards right now, so I opted for the feel of steel... again-The Sawyer. I was really excited to get this a give it a go at last weeks 12 hours of Lodi, but due to the forks being on back order, it had to "weight." To be honest, once I pulled it out of the box and put it on the scale-mistake on my part, I had to recalibrate the scale a few times just to be sure that the reading was accurate. Much to my dismay, it was. This frame is not for the consumate weight weenie. It comes in at...ready....set...7lbs! That would explain the pain in my lower back when I pulled it from its moorings. Wow, what on earth am I going to do with this thing. I started to 2nd guess my decision on this one.

Alas, I through on some parts, nothing too special or light I might add. Stylo crank, Bontrager Race SS hub, Fisher FCC front hub, Race X Lite stem, Elixer Brakes and some other stuff. All told it is at 25lbs 8 oz. right now. Once the Reba is gone and the rigid is on and some other lighter goodies, it will be 23.9 lbs, not to bad. 

Today was the maiden voyage. There was a slight mist and overcast, so not ideal, but perfect for trying the beast. I rode Gunpowder, which is riddled with rock gardens and some steep climbs. Perfect venue. But, even as I took it off the rack and was getting ready to ride, I just didnt have that uuumph in me to ride it. So I headed off anyway. Ok, ready? Amazing! I had to get off of the bike a few times to check if the frame was cracked or something had come loose on the caboose. I have NEVER ridden a more plush HT. I used to have a Tomac MT700 technium frame from 1995 that had the aluminum front and steel rear, and that bike was amazing. This bike reminds of that, but one step higher. The weight was not an issue at all. It was slightly noticeable on longer, out of the saddle efforts, but honestly, I have a Superfly SS and Rig and 2 Ferrous, so I am used to riding sub 20lb rigs. Over rocks and roots, this bike felt like a softail. Really, I could swear I had an inch of travel in the rear. Downhills was a blast, just sit back and enjoy your flight. Remember the split top tubes? I think that is where this baby gets its plush feel from. This beauty has more curves than the Venus De Milo.

The FCC front hub? Super stiff. I never ride with a suspension fork other than for this ride, so for those of you sissies that cant hack the rigid feel, this hub is amazing. Grab this sucka and try to move it back and forth. It halped the tracking of that stupid suspension fork, bit on my rigids, it is lazer accurate and light. 

So, in closing to this 1st ride review, I really still cant believe how this rode. If you live in a particularly rocky area, this could be your bike. I would highly recommend this to anyone looking for a super comfy, SS or geared ride. I am re-excited to be riding this piece of rolling artwork. Will this be my choice for every race, no, but it will certainly find its way on the race course this year, and who knows-My descision may change and this could be my everyday race sled by the end of this race season. Over and Out!

Trek Sawyer and needing a diet

A modern-day warrior Mean mean stride, Today's Tom Sawyer Mean mean pride. Coming soon!

Taking it easy this week with some mountain rides and road rides.

12 Hours of Lodi and the Big Pink Rig

Ok, here is a little project for you. 1) Get a piece of string about 4 feet long. 2) Ball it up and throw it up in the air. 3) However it lands will give you a good idea of how the course map is. This course is the most technical I have ridden as of yet. It is very similar to Fountainhead, Va. There isnt a straight line anywhere. There are sections that looked like someone was right on your tail, but they were probably a mile or so back; pretty weird. The course is a owned by a 80 something woman. Very cool and loves having the race on her property. It has been held there for 14 years. I also got a chance to meet fellow crewetter, Denelle Grant. Very, very cool indeed. That’s the best thing about this whole deal, just meeting some of the cool folks on the team as well as other shop employees, too.

Pink Bikes is Fast!

Anyway, like I said, this course is riddled with roots and steep, loose rock climbs. Oh yeah, if you have wider than 630mm bars, you are in for some peroets with the local foliage. I had to remove my 750mm rhythm bars for this reason. I was doing a duo male with my friend Chris on this one. I brought along my Ferrous SS , Superfly SS and Rig SS. I was running my usual 32/18 setup. The Superfly was the best choice for this course, though. For those of you not in the know, my 2011 Rig underwent a transformation last week. I will admit up front; the paint is on the Rig this year is a baaaaaad. So I had no reservations about removing the diseased skin and replacing it with my own flavor…SILLY PUTTY! View the previous blog to see the hideous monster this pink beauty once was. All told, it weighs 20 lbs. 11 oz. Very nice with the steel fork.

It drew quite a bit of attention, and all positive I might add. It handled very well, although it developed a severe case of the creaks a mile in. Couldnt figure it out, but I think it was the dropouts. I will get to this at some point. Back to the race. We were in 3rd for all of the race, but decided to call it after my night lap. My buddy Chris was feeling the effects of a saddle meets Mr. Bottom. We ended up 4th, which is ok by me. It was really uneventful, just cranking out the miles and trying not to fall victim to the wheel grabbing roots, which reminded me of Snowshoe. I have the Evoke ti and carbon saddles and these are simply the best. Even over the roots, it was very comfy and had just enough flex to boot. I will give a more detailed review later.

I put in very consistent lap times (all low 50's) and my training is really in full affect now. No cramps and no fade, just consistent. I felt as strong as I could feel. Even my night lap, which was my first in a few years, was very nice. The Magicshine is awesome. I ran one light and it was all that was needed. All in all it was a good event and a fun time. Oh and a big shout out to the fellow SSer that I passed on the trail. Thanks for reading my garbled mess. Rock on man!

Trek Rig-Like I needed another bike

Well, as if I needed another bike. Yes, I added a Rig to my collection. Of course I built it from the ground up-is there another way? I have never had an aluminum SS, and one with that crazy new fangled shock absorber! It comes with new FCC hub. For those of you not in the know, that is the Fisher Control Column. Simply put, it has wider flanges to reduce flex in the front wheel. I havent ridden it as of yet, but the bearings are super smooth. I do have to say, though-the paint is as bad as it looks. I dont know what Trek was thinking on this one, but someone fell asleep at the design table, for sure. Mine is getting stripped down and painted Ballet Slipper Pink! Yes pink. I will give more info later, but as of now it weighs 23.3 lbs. Not sure about the whole shock thing, but I will give it a try.

My Quest to become the greatest monocogger ever...eh maybe not

So, right now I am in phase 2 of my training. Yes, that's right; intervals. For those of you not well versed in the interval arts, these are what we call %#@! and bleep bleep and bleeping nescessary evils of cycling. Let's put it this way, I would rather ride the Tilt-a-Whirl 15 times in a row than spending an hour doing these-although, there are no real benefits from riding the Tilt-a-Hurl other than losing a few pounds at your feet after exiting the stupid ride. 

These are the painful intervals. 3 minutes of all out, watching the clock seem to slow down after every minute efforts. I just like the way my HR graph bears an uncanny resemblance to Jughead's hat.

Anyway, these are painful, but intervals are THE best way to increase speed and lactate tolerance.

Trek Fisher Collection Superfly Elite HT

Well, its finally together and something is definitely wrong with this bike. First off; it is way too heavy, 20.2 lbs in a large carbon frame! This is unacceptable. Who every heard of a 29er HT weighing in at 20 lbs. 20 lbs...hmmmm. What can I do to make it even heavier? I will have to work on that. Secondly: it has all of these, these dangly gear changer thingies and all of these round things on the wheel with teeth-I guess they help with easier pedaling-dont know. I must have not have followed the directions correctly or something. I thought this thing was supposed to be a single speed, but it sure doesnt look like one. I will have to go back and re-read to see if I missed something. Thirdly...what on earth will I do with a geared bike? How will this effect my social life? Will people view me differently? What kind of names will they call me? Maybe like " Hey look, isnt that the geared moron who used to be the singlespeed moron?" or "He really is a moron, he doesnt know the difference between a SS and a geared rig-moron." 

The stuff: FSA 2x9 Crank (44/29), Bontrager RXL Wheels, Stem, Post, Grips, Bar, Bontrager Evoke 3 Ti saddle, Avid Juicy Ultimate Brakes, Sram XO Shifters and Rear Derailleur, Sram Hollow pin chain, Shimano Dura Ace 11-25 Ti cassette, Shimano XT front derailleur, Fox F32 Fork, Bontrager XDX Tires, Egg beater pedals .

Bakers Dozen and Frustration!

I love rocks

Well, it was time yet again for another 13 hour race; Bakers Dozen. I was asked by my friend Auggie to do a duo this time around. To be honest, at first, I was not real excited about this one. It was cold, very muddy and damp.

It's fun to play in the mud, isnt it?

They added another mile of technical portions to the lap this year which brought the laps to 9 miles. The course is is riddled with large rocks and very claustrophobic rock pillars; good time to put those 750mm bars on! Anyway, I was SSing all the way again. 


Auggie went geared. I was feeling really good all day-with the exception of the $5 tuna that was finger food at best for a child. That lap I was getting some cramping, but went away about 7 miles in. My times were consistent and pretty quick. I got faster as the day went on, which was a great sign…for me anyway. 


My laps where a 50:21, 49:08, 48:47, 48:38, 46:52 and 47:58. There was a timing chip discrepancy early on which saw us go from 8th to 15th. It was fixed, but after that our individual times where way off-they just pick some random times to equal the time discrepancy. It is a team effort, but on paper, it is good to compare times against the teams you are going up against to see how much time you either lost or gained on a particular rider. Good thing for Mr. Garmin. I rode the Ferrous and Superfly this year with 32/18 gearing. The Superfly was the bike to have in the mud. It was quick and stuck every line.

Racing on the Velcro

Things were looking pretty good. We moved up from 13th to 8th. I turned in a double lap to help Auggie get some rest. We were 3 minutes from 7th and 11 minutes from 6th. The top 3 teams were a mix of elite riders and top experts, so our placement was a bit skewed. I came in from my 6th lap and I was greeted with Auggie slumped in the chair. “Come on man, get up and ride!”. He said he couldnt turn the pedals anymore. AAAAAAAAHHHHHHHH, so freikin’ close! I badgered him for a good 10 minutes to go out, but no go. So we had to call it quits at 7:30. I was pretty bummed. We could have moved into 6th with some output and you never know in these races what could happen. We did end up in 15th out of 40 teams, with 10:27:31 of riding. 

So personally, I did really well. My training has been a success and hopefully will continue as such. None of that matter, thoughs if the team overall isnt. Next race is 12 hours of Lodi Farms in may.