HTFU

Change'll do ya good!

2012-01-27T08:50:00.000-08:00

This is the first winter in recent times that I can remember NOT being inundated with training, training, training. Still, for most people I'm "training" a ton, yet for the average, "type-A" endurance athlete, I'm a lazy bum. And I'm ok with that.

As I've said before many times on this blog, I'm taking a break from nearly all things competitive. I haven't, since the time I was 5 years old, not been involved with some form of competitive sport. I never took a season off, and I never, mentally, relaxed. A lot of my childhood was taken up with trips to games, tournaments, and the like. Hockey, baseball, and lacrosse really ruled my sporting world. I never thought, or even cared, to give myself some time to be interested in anything else.

Fast forward, and I'm now on the doorstep of 31 years old (9 days away!!!), and I'm a little burned out. I've done everything from Badminton to MMA fighting, from triathlon to bodybuilding. I feel like that Sinatra Song: //I've been up and down and over and out// ...you get the gist. My body is still in some of the best shape I've ever been, though my mind is about as ready to compete as a soggy paper towel.

I've been in a good place with my riding these past months and I think it's the direction I'm looking to go in the future. Recently, there's been a lot being made of the "new" form of Enduro Mountain Bike racing popular in Europe. (see www.nsmb.com for explanations in their "Enduro Week") This type of racing is right where I need to be. Fun, mixed with social interaction, and more fun. Most parts of the "race" (see "ride") can take as long as you want them to, and when it's your time to bomb downhill and actually "race", it's short and concise, so as to get back to the palling around and heckling with friends. To me it's the reason, be it subconsciously, that mountain biking attracted me. There's more to riding a bike than lycra, power meters, aerodynamics, etc., etc., etc.... Enduro is what we do with buddies on any given weekend. It's what mountain biking is about at its core.

So as I look out on the raindrops falling outside, and the chilly temps, I'm content to forgo riding the bike for today and instead take care of house chores and other "real life" things that I most likely would have neglected if I were still in my "type-A" endurance athlete mode. I'm not saying that it's a bad thing, I'm only saying that for me, it has been enough to take a step back and evaluate what I really want and expect from riding my bike. Be yourself, to yourself, and forget about what you should be doing. Do it because it speaks to you. Do it because it makes you happy. And most importantly do it because it makes you smile. Just don't forget that while you're doing it, there ARE other things going on in the world.

Sonofa.....

2012-01-26T13:30:00.000-08:00

Woke up this morning with the king of all migraines. I don't think I've ever had one so bad. I've been getting them for at least the last 15 years, but rarely have they put me completely out, or made me sick. Both happened today and they put a huge damper on what could have otherwise been another good day.

Not much else to say today other than "DAMNIT!" Oh well, tomorrow is another day and hopefully I'll be back to normal and back on the bike. I'm planning to ride some of my favorite trails either tomorrow or sometime over the weekend, and I'll hope to have some pics and MAYBE even a video. Gotta make the most of my awesomely awesome MacBook Pro!

Make it new (again)

2012-01-25T15:28:00.000-08:00

Crazy what a little "swapping things out" can do to a bike. I have a 2012 Stumpjumper FSR from Specialized that I've really been lukewarm about lately. I got the bike back in November, and rode it like crazy. Loved it from first ride and didn't want to change a thing. Fast forward a bit, and I got back on my Cannondale Jekyll that had seen off time and I remembered how much I loved THAT bike! Then, after getting back on the Stumpy I found it to be squishy and slow, with crappy handling...or so I thought!

The other day I had the idea to build it up with much of the best components I have. I had been on the fence about selling it, so I figured if I could build it up exactly like I wanted to, and it STILL wasn't what I wanted I would pack it up and ship it out to the highest bidder. Thus began the "test".

Today I spent time working on it and getting things dialed the best I could. I put on a shorter stem, wider bars, and a 150mm fork (as opposed to the 140mm that came stock). My thought was that I'd slacken the head tube angle a bit, shorten the stem to grab some lighting quick handling, and widen the bars to add some stability. Oh, and I also threw some new, faster rubber on the wheels. I swapped out the stock Specialized tires for some less aggressive, but equally sticky, Schwalbe Rocket Ron's. Unfortunately, just about every part came off the already "dialed" Jekyll, so I had to really commit to the project.

After the build, I went off to the local trails for a test run. I brought some tools along as I knew I'd have some small changes to make as I rode.

The first impression wasn't much. There's a lot of pedaling in the beginning of the trail and the bike felt almost no different than it had previously. Ok, no biggie. The first hill came and the climbing was a bit better, but nothing life changing. I'm chalking this up to the adjustable suspension the Jekyll has (90mm or 150mm). It's not a totally fair comparison though, so I don't blame the bike. A 5.5 inch bike is gonna pedal like a 5.5 inch bike, and a 90mm bike is gonna pedal like a 90mm bike. Physics don't lie.

After a bit I got to the first extended and flawy downhill section... and now the grins began! I was very pleased with the performance and the handling of the bike. The shorter stem showed up right away, and the extra bit of suspension and slacker geo made a big impact. The only difference I'd say is that the smaller top tube of the Jekyll gives it a slight advantage heading downhill, but not so much that it can't be overcome by good bike handling.

The more I rode the better the bike felt. I had to play a bit with the compression adjustments on the fork, as well as the rebound, but once it was dialed the Stumpy was shredding. It's truly like an entirely new bike.

Now, I'm not saying that the Stumpy will replace the Jekyll in my quiver, but they are very closely matched bikes. I'm not disappointed that I dismantled one bike for the other, and in reality, it's not like I can't just do the same in reverse whenever I'd like. It's nice to have options and it's nice to ride different bikes.

Bottom line: The Stumpy is going to stay as for as long as it keeps performing like it did today.

The only add-ons I'm looking to make to it in the future would be an adjustable seat post and a set of Crossmax SX wheels. The wheels will most likely be some time off, but an adjustable seat post is almost an immediate need. I never thought I'd be so hooked on them, but after using the one on my Enduro, I almost can't ride without one! One of those things I guess...

Pics to come of the build soon...

Too much of a good thing

2012-01-24T14:39:00.000-08:00

Since I "stopped" racing at the end of this past summer, I've ridden my bike almost every day. Maybe one or two days every once in a while would be "off" days, but for the most part there was never a day that went by that I wasn't pedaling.

The past three days I didn't sit on my bike once. Well, ok, I mean I sat on my bikes, but no riding. I didn't plan the break, nor did I intend it to last 3 days, but I did other things (like finishing the new flooring in my living room, lifting weights, and having some fun). I missed my bikes, but didn't think much of the little bit of time off.

Today was back on the mountain bike and it rocked. Because of my "ride every day" mentality, I really haven't allowed my body to rest like I had when I was actually riding for training and not just for fun. I hadn't realized the toll it took on my legs and body, but today's ride was evidence that some time doing other things does a body good. I felt great and rode great. My skills felt sharper than they have in a couple weeks, and I was able to rip, shred, and do rad things the whole way through. Two thumbs up for sure! Hoping that tomorrow will be more of the same!

New Toy, Weights, and Snow

2012-01-23T17:31:00.000-08:00

We got the first snow of the year this past weekend. Some would say "finally", but I could live without it. It's not that I'm opposed to any snow, it's just that it kind of takes away from my riding. Riding in a dusting of snow is fun, but once it gets to be more than a couple inches most of the fun is taken away-at least for me. Some guys go crazy and get snow bikes, but to me that's just not mountain biking. I actually think of it as another sport entirely. Anyway...

Most, if not all, of the snow will be back tomorrow and I'll get my trails back. In reality there's not much to complain about this year and I should be thankful for the mild weather we've had...for goodness sake, it was 55 degrees today! It'll be muddy and fun tomorrow, and even the next day, but I'll have fun nonetheless.

On another subject I finally pulled the trigger and bought myself a MacBook Pro the other day. I've always been on a PC, and looked at Mac users as uptight snobs that hang out in Starbucks and work on Macs because it's the "hip" thing to do, but I can honestly say that I've seen the light. These things are just plain amazing. From the moment I opened the box I was amazed at how neat and tidy the packaging was. Even before I turned the machine on, I just sat and stared at how nice it looked. It's taken a bit to get used to, and I'm sure they'll be much more to learn as I go, but I'm saying it now: I'm forever a Mac user from now forward.

Lastly, I've been off the bike for about 3 days now. I know it's nothing crazy, but I honestly can't remember the last time I took more than a day off from riding. With the weather being as it has, the opportunity to get out really hasn't had much of anything get in its way. A little rain here or there, but the temps have been warm and the riding has been good. Getting in a workout with weights (something I almost never do these days) was actually welcomed. I'd rather be riding my bike, but moving heavy objects makes you feel good and hits different endorphins than riding. If I had to take one or the other I think we'd know which that would be, but in honesty, the weights today weren't a bad substitution.

Oh, and here's the latest of my favorite viral vids... I'm sooo stoked about this vid!

It's funny...

2012-01-13T18:05:00.000-08:00

...how your interests dictate your "life decisions". Ok, maybe "life decisions" is too strong. More like day to day actions. When I was hellbent on racing and squeezing every ounce of fitness out of this body to go from point A to point B faster and faster, everything in life was geared to that pursuit. Eating, work schedule, bathing (yes, even bathing!), etc. Now that I'm more of what my friend Pete calls a "lazy Freeride/Downhill guy", I'd say that much more of my daily decisions are based by how I feel. More and more I'm concerned with things like "fun", and being "totally stoked" on shredding the trails. I can't remember the last time I actually timed a ride. Now it seems I ride to actually lose track of time. It's my escape and it's the place I go when I want to focus on nothing more than the trail and the outdoors.

There's a trail I've been driving up to once every week for about the last month that's kind of my "special place". To me, it's the closest thing to a mountain bike heaven that is accessible within a reasonable car ride. I'm sure there are better trails out west, or in Europe, but I'll be damned if this place isn't the best thing going right now. It's super techy and has some super gnarly sections. While it's probably much safer to ride with others, I've gone it alone every time but once. I like the solitude, and in a strange way, the "danger" of riding a rough area alone attracts me to it.

Back to the point (if there even was one) of this post... I guess what I'm saying is that it's nice, in a way, not to have your interest (sport? hobby?) dictate your life. I ride when I want, and I live how I want. Somewhere inside is that type A obsessed athlete, but the "lazy Freeride/Downhill guy" is having a sweet time while old stuffy nuts is being suppressed. :)

Geo, Head Angles, Suspension....

2012-01-10T20:20:00.000-08:00

Crazy stuff! It's amazing how much geometry can change things on a mtb. Back in the day (last year!), when I was racing xc, it was all about steep head tube angles and aggressive geometry. These days that I'm on more of the enduro and downhill side of things though, it's all about slack head tube angles, and relaxed geometry. Short stems and wide bars rule, just as small wheels and long legs (long travel) have replaced the smaller travel xc bikes.

Don't get me wrong, it's still fun to go fast on a 100mm xc bike, but catching air, ripping downhills, and "falling" down impossibly steep rock sections are what I'm all about these days. Not to mention the fact that I think I'd have snapped quite a few xc frames by now if I was taking some of the drops I've been taking on my big bikes.

To get to the point, I LOVE big bikes. I LOVE getting crazy, and I LOVE riding hard. I don't love crashing hard, but it happens and it's part of the game. Go hard or go home.

The point I'm getting at is that I've recently re-discovered my Cannondale Jekyll. I was planning on selling this bike until I blinged it out with a nice chainguide (MRP mini G2), new Schwalbe tires, wider bars (Answer pro taper), and a sweet Sunline V-One All mountain 50mm stem. In a word, the bike is pinned. I'm lucky enough to have a Specialized Enduro EVO and Stumpjumper FSR. The Jekyll is like both of these bikes rolled into one. For the fast and smooth xc stuff it flies when I lower it to 90mm of travel in the rear and 120mm in the front, but for the gnarly downhill stuff it rocks it out in the 150mm front and rear travel options with slacker geo. It's an amazing bike and I'm super stoked I held onto it.

With the current quiver of bikes I've got, it's going to be a fun season. I'm hoping a Specialized Demo DH bike will find it's way into my "bike room" sometime in the near future!

WHAT!!!???

2012-01-07T14:13:00.001-08:00

Resolutions

2012-01-05T19:01:00.000-08:00

Resolutions are like a$$holes, everyone has one. The only difference is, they usually don't keep them. Being in the fitness industry, I see it each and every year. The gyms are packed for the first few weeks of the year, and then slowly but surely, people stop coming in and get back to what they were doing before they made their decision to get in shape for the new year. Therefore, I really am not all that keen on making resolutions myself.

Now, with that being said, I've decided I need to "revamp" my nutrition, and what better time (read, excuse) than the new year to make a shift. Simply put, I eat A LOT of shit. Most of my diet is composed of quick meals, cookies, chips, and the like. It's rare that I eat many vegetables or fruits. In reality, it's amazing that I've been able to train and recover as good as I have in the past. Now that I'm not exactly racing anymore (though I still ride for at least 10 hours a week), it's more important than ever to be better with my daily intake.

So blah, blah, blah, I'm going to start to make an effort in the new year to eat better and make more healthy decisions on food. I'm realistic in saying that I'll still have plenty of cookies and chips, but for every cookie and potato chip I eat, I'm going to try and balance it with good and nutritious food. Good take care of this body while I have it!

*Disclainer*-I'm also planning on only drinking "good" beer and wine in the new year. Priorities!!!

Cooooold!!!!

2012-01-04T05:16:00.000-08:00

It finally happened. Cold air finally hit us yesterday and came with some venom! First day of the season for us here on Long Island where it was below freezing for the day, and today isn't going to be much warmer. As I type, it's about 15 degrees out, with a projected high of about 27. I'm not ready, not do I want to stay in this!!! A trip to a warm locale can't happen soon enough! As soon as the snow comes in, I'm out!

Bite!

2011-12-28T15:59:00.000-08:00

Occasionally when riding I have profound thoughts. Usually I forget what they are because I'm having so much fun riding, but sometimes I remember something, but usually it wasn't the absolute most profound thought. So, whilst out on my mountain bike today, I thought a lot about tires and how they work.

There's a lot of fuss about mountain bike tires. People swear by a certain brand, design, pattern...whatever. The important thing is once your set, you're set. Maybe. During a race this past season, one of the guys I was riding with (who's been racing as a pro since forever) told me tires are tires, once you get good you can ride anything. I think he's right for the most part. Once you learn the way to handle your bike, be it a road bike, mountain bike, 'cross bike-whatever, you get a certain feel of the "edge of your tires. That is, the very point at which they break their connection with the trail/grass/road.

As I ride more aggressively and progress into more downhill and gravity based riding, tire adhesion becomes all the more important. Now, I look for a tire that rolls well, but bites in the corners while also allowing for the absorbing of rocks and roots. Generally, I've found that a square-ish profiled, high volume tire fits my riding style best. I'm having a lot of success and comfort in riding a 2.3 front tire and a 2.2 rear tire. Both pretty aggressive and definitely not speedy, light cross country tires.

One more interesting thing I've found is just how much rear tires influence turning when you're really pushing the corners. When I raced XC this past season, I stuck with matching front and rear tire patterns, and saw that the guys that didn't only opted for an aggressive front tire with a much less aggressive rear tire. With speedier entrances and exits of corners though, the rear wheel bites down that much more. More times than not, if it isn't an aggressive enough tire you'll find yourself "power sliding" around the corner instead of sticking it.

I'm not sure entirely where I mean for this post to go, but this is what I was thinking at some point in my ride today. As I experiment more with tires and tire combinations I'll post more. My suggestion to anyone would be to try, try, and try some more. If the budget allows, get on and feel the difference between all the different tires there are. A fast bike can be made slow with the wrong tire combo just as a slow bike can be made fast with a solid tire combo. It's all in the choice, and whether or not it's good for what you ride. Have fun!

Happy Christmas!

2011-12-25T07:11:00.000-08:00

Happy/Merry Christmas to everyone! I'm not the biggest fan of this holiday (not the actual meaning of it, but rather all the fluff that goes on with it!), but it is a special day to be with family and loved ones. Now that it's here, let start getting ready for the 2012 that's going to be lots of fun!

December?

2011-12-23T21:47:00.000-08:00

So the calendar says December but I really think it's lying. The last two days have been spring-like. Warm temps, and almost muggy most of the time. If things stay like this for the rest of the winter I'll be a happy fellow.

Christmas is in a couple days and I could not be happier for it to be over. I've never been the "bah-humbug" type, but for some reasonn this year just ain't makin' it in the Christmas department. Maybe I'm just getting old and grumpy...

Anyway, looking forward to spending some more time up at Sprain ridge this coming week, along with a cool little excursion "somewhere" to ride the skinny wheels this coming Tuesday (more on that in another post!). Looking to be a pretty cool last week of the year on two wheels. Fun, with unseasonable temps. Can't seem to go wrong with that!

Epic Fails

2011-12-20T14:21:00.001-08:00

MTB Love

2011-12-19T17:48:00.000-08:00

There are several reasons I love mountain biking. Solitude. Challenge. Fun. Shredding. Focus. There are many more words, but I think the biggest thing that draws me to mountain biking is the never ending skill set you aquire from every ride. There are so many things you can work on as you ride, whether you are an XC guy, a Downhill guy, All Mountain guy, or a Freeride guy. For me, it's just amazing to find something about your skills on each ride. Something magical happens that second you clear an obstacle you didn't "quite" think you could when you rolled up on it the first time.

Interestingly, when I started riding bikes seriously when I was racing triathlons a few years ago, I NEVER thought I'd ride a mountain bike. In fact, I was terrified to do so. I denounced everything dirt, stuck to the road, and that was that. I'm not sure when it all changed, but one day I just "got" it. It might have been that first shred in the corner, or maybe it was the first rockgarden I cleared. Whatever it was, I was hooked big time. There hasn't been more than a few consecutive days passed in the last 2 years that I haven't hit the trail. I'm drawn to the trails; to the excitement that gives me a smile every time I ride.

The feeling I get when I ride is something I can't put into words. Getting better, more skilled, and pushing the envelope is something that drives me. I guess it's the never ending progression of what my body and mind are capable of. Like I said, I NEVER thought I'd be riding a mountain bike, much less doing and riding the things I am now. Never say never and ride on the dirt, it'll change you life.

Sprain Ridge

2011-12-17T16:18:00.000-08:00

Hit up the trails at Sprain Ridge about 30 mins outside of NYC today and I'm totally stoked!!! It's amazing how much good riding can be had within an hour of downtown Manhattan. While it's not quite north enough to get into the mountains, it does have quite a bit of elevation change (for what it is), and a good bit of rocks, rollers, and drops from 2-6 feet. To me, it's a perfect "All-Mountain" trail. Not quite fast enough to be a cross country trail, but plenty technical-enough so to even have some good Freeride potential if one is so inclined.

I rode one of my smaller "big bikes" there today. Last time was a 7 inch travel AM bike, but today I stuck with the 5 inch Stumpy FSR. I'm shocked with how much this bike can handle. It doesn't plow over everything like my Specialized Enduro does (the 7inch bike), but if the right lines are taken, it competes. Add to that the lighter weight and therefore better climbing ability, and you have just about the perfect bike for these trails. The only mistake I made was going a little too firm on the air pressure up front. My Fork was probably at about 90 psi which works well for the smooth trails around here, but I would have rather had it around 80 psi for some of the big bastards I was rollin' over today!

All in all, great day today. Probably going to try and hit these trails a couple more times before Christmas. After that, there's no telling what the weather is going to do. Hopefully the snow will hold out until forever! This place is like Heaven on Earth!!!

Big Bikes

2011-12-14T20:27:00.000-08:00

So if you've been reading this blog (and I know all 2 of you have!), you'll know that over the course of the past few months I've changed my direction quite a bit in relation to my competitive goals. I last raced in August, very disappointed with my race, and decided to take some time off. Well that, mixed in with some health issues as a result of the race forced me to just relax and take it easy. Of course that meant still riding my bikes everyday, but without much of a focus. Ok, well the focus was actually to have FUN and not to TRAIN. Fun, I've certainly had...

So in all this time, I've grown quite fond of all things long travel and gravity based in mountain biking. Any time the trial gets gnarly and points down, I get more and more excited! I don't mind the pedal up, as long as it's followed by some reward in the form of flowing, break-neck speed singletrack with some rocks and drops mixed in for good measure.

Of course with all this new "fun" comes a change in equipment. Gone are my super light, carbon, short travel suspension xc bikes. They've all been replaced with long legged, trail and All Mountain bikes. I do still have a hard tail, but it has a 150mm fork on it, big fat tires, and a low seatpost. I haven't bought a race-oriented mag in months, but rather magazines like Decline, Dirt, and Bike; the mags that deal more with guys dressed like teenagers jumping off rocks with endless goofy grins on their faces.

Maybe all this is just me rebelling against the 'structure' that is training. Maybe playing competitve sports my whole life has finally caught up with me. Maybe I just want to be a kid again. Whatever it is, I'm all about FUN. Triathlon can be fun. Running can be fun. Cycling can be fun. (Swimming still sucks though!). And right now, riding big bikes over rocks, roots, and down steep descents is fun for me. That's all there is to it, and that's where I'm going to focus my energy right now. Will I race again? Who knows, but only if it's fun.

More on the Enduro EVO

2011-12-11T18:45:00.001-08:00

The Enduro EVO arrived from Cali on Friday. I put it together and got to looking forward to ripping it up this weekend. Man this thing shreds! Easily the most "all around" bike I've ridden. It's got 170mm of travel in the front, with 160mm in the rear. It's all coil sprung (which is seriously underrated on All Mountain Bikes. The plushness of coil springs is amazing. They might not be the most efficient way to get up the mountain, but man, they definitely don't disappoint when things get rocky and gnarly.

The way this thing pedals is simply mind boggling. For a bike with such long legs, it is just as efficient as my 5 inch trail bike. Even out of the saddle there is very little pedal bob, and the 160mm of travel must hide somewhere because it feels an awful lot like my Stumpjumper FSR. All said, I'm a very happy dude. I can't say enough about how well Specialized does mountain bikes. They're just the total package. Most companies put together a good frame, but leave a lot to be desired with components. Specialized really makes the not only a good frame, but a real solid complete bike. Props to Specialized!!!

Specialized Enduro EVO

2011-12-06T14:02:00.001-08:00

So I probably shouldn't write anything about this yet because I haven't received the bike above yet (and who knows what could happen to it between now and the time it arrives at my door-it IS coming from California), but I'm so excited to be getting this thing I can't even manage my excitement!

I've only ever bought one other used bike in my life, and though I've sold many over the last couple years and months, I was still a bit skeptical sending a large amount of money to someone I've never met for a bike I've never even ridden and/or seen. But (and that's a big BUT!), this was just too good of a deal to pass on. It's a 2011 Specialized Enduro EVO I bought from a seller on mtbr.com. I won't say his name here, but he turned out to be a really cool dude that does some big work in his industry. Needless to say, I feel comfortable with the sale.

I'm hoping the weather will hold out for this weekend so I can have some fun on it! I'll update when I get it!

Power Outage

2011-12-01T18:21:00.001-08:00

On my ride tonight the lights went out. Literally. My dumbass didn't make sure my battery was fully charged so I was treated to a beautiful mile and a half hike back to the trail head in the pitch black. Luckily I wasn't too far, but it still isn't always ideal to walk out using your feet rather than pedal out using your bike. Either way, it was a beautiful night and I'm not complaining. I wouldn't want to do it again anytime soon, but one time is okeydokey.

More Hard Tail Fun

2011-11-28T16:15:00.001-08:00

Spent another, albeit easier, day on the TransAM. Well the whole day isn't accurate, more like a solid ride of my local loop. Still fun though!

I decidedly took things easy today. I was squeezed for time on my ride yesterday, so I hammered it out in near record time (despite the fact that I was on a bike that weighs about 10lbs more than my race bike!). Today was just a pure "out for the fun of it" ride. No time constraints, no "workout" attitude, just enjoy the 70 degree temps on an unseasonably beautiful late November day.

In all I'm still impressed by the hard tail. It's amazing how little things can change so much on a bike. It's a good lesson in allowing yourself not to think that a bike can't feel faster if you just tweak things. A week ago I had thought I made a mistake in getting this rig only to have it become one of the top two bikes in my quiver. I'm really digging it and so stoked that I have it!

AMHT (all mountain hard tail)

2011-11-27T17:50:00.001-08:00

Sounds like some sort of thing you go and hunt...

Anyway, I picked up my bad ass Transition TransAM hardtail and ripped it today. I was having a convo with a buddy last night about this bike. Basically I was a little skeptical of it. I bought it from a guy a couple weeks ago that had ridden it for about 6 hours total. I couldn't believe the condition and the low price so I pulled the trigger.
Since getting into "big bikes" this summer, I'd wanted to build this exact bike up. I figured it would be fun (especially on Long Island where there is absolutely NOTHING terribly technical), not to mention fast. Something about a hardtail with a long travel fork just spoke to me.

After the first ride I was less than impressed. It was sluggish, heavy, and not nearly as fast as my full sus bikes. I wanted to give it another chance and swap some things, so I spent a little money to get what you see in the pic above (not too much mind you!). I swapped out the heavy bashgaurd and little chain "nub" (the thingy you can attatch to the seatpost to avoid chainsuck) for a single 32 tooth ring and MRP Lopes chainguide. Simple upgrade but got some weight off the bike for sure. Next I got a new Saddle, a WTB Devo Thinline that was on sale at the local shop. It was a test saddle that had never been installed. Good score! And finally I swapped out the WTB Weirwolf tires the seller had on it for my Kenda Navegal 2.35's. A pretty aggressive and wide tire, but it roles well, and seems to compliment the hardtail nicely. I had these tires already, and they were installed on another bike. They sucked on the other bike, but roll pretty damn fast on this one...go figure!

Otherwise it's built up as follows:
Answer Pro Taper Handlbars 720mm
Truvative Stem 60mm
Thompson setback seatpost
Rock Shox Sektor Coil Sprung U-turn adjustable fork- 120mm to 150mm (I'm shocked with how much I love this!)
Transition TransAM Steel frame
Deore Hollowtech cranks w/32 tooth ring
Sram X7 9 speed rear derailliur and shifter
Easton Havoc Wheels
Avid Juicy 3 Brakes

Truly a badass bike and one that will make your handling skills all the better. Riding full sus bikes is great, but if you wanna take your skill to the next level, try riding a good 'ole 26inch wheel'd hardtail on some chunky stuff. You MUST get better...no doubt!!!

Plenty of Riding and a Vid from Yesterday

2011-11-26T14:33:00.001-08:00

Got in some good riding the last couple days to fend off the "fatassness" associated with Thanksgiving. Although I'm not formally training for anything at the moment, I do ride almost everyday and have even been hitting the weights again. As I'm deciding to focus on mostly gravity related races next year (DH/Enduro with a little XC sprinkled in for good measure), I guess it's more important that I worry about bike handling and getting air instead of pure fitness. Either way, it's fun to ride a bike and that's what I do.

Wednesday and Thursday saw me taking two days off the bike for the first time since I don't know when. I can't remember the last day I didn't ride, much less the last time I didn't ride for two days in a row! So yesterday it was back to business with a light and dark ride. I rode one loop of the trail system in the light, finished up, got back to the car, mounted the lights on my helmet, and did the same loop again in the dark. All told it was a good 3-3 1/2 hours. I hate measuring time on the bike, and I don't like to think about training numbers or whatever, but yesterday I just wanted to at least hit 3 hours to burn off some energy and calories.

Today was back at it again, riding with my buddy Nate. Nate is a tri-guy, but recently bought one of my mountain bikes. He's new, but the dude is picking it up quick. Very fun riding with someone new and eager to learn as well as showing them a new trial they've never seen.

Below is a little clip from yesterday's "light" ride. Camera angle was a bit low, but it's kinda cool to watch the ground... :)

Night Rider

2011-11-21T17:36:00.001-08:00

Always a good idea after a ride!

So I got out for my first proper night ride with the new light. In a word, outstanding. Riding at night brings out so many things that are great about riding. It makes an old trail new, and sharpens your skills like nothing else. All the stuff you forget to do (i.e. looking up through corners, looking ahead of you on the trail, etc.) are brought back. You HAVE to do these things or else you'll crash. It's like being super concentrated on one task and one task only. I'm sure after I get used to it a bit more things will change, but for now, this is one of the coolest things I've done in a while. Love my light and will have many more night time adventures to come!

Disappointment (Super Sarcasm)

2011-11-19T03:07:00.001-08:00

Ok, I'm being a bit of a drama queen posting "Disappointment" as the title of this blog, but it's my blog so deal with it!:) Anyway, since there is such little excitement in my life these days (more sarcasm), I got disappointed last night when I was suppossed to get out for a night ride with a friend on my mountain bike only to be ditched at the last minute and not be able to ride.

So the last few days I've gotten a few new toys (see pics). One of those is a new, bright as balls (not really sure what that means but it sounds good) light. It's a Nite Rider Pro 1500. Since I've never ridden with a light before, I'm not sure how much better this light is than others, but I do know that from riding up and down my block it'll be just fine for my riding.

The other two toys are a couple new rides. The first is my new Specialized Stump Jumper FSR. Bad. Ass. Bike. That's really all I can say. This thing is tight-literally. The suspension is super plush but not squishy, and every little detail was thought of. There is not one thing I want to change on this bike-an amazing thing considering how I've never bought a stock bike and kept it stock. Everything down to the tires, the fork, the saddle, the seatpost, etc. is just perfect and works well together. Specialized really know what they're doing and put together an amazing product. I'm such a Specialized guy now!!! Best bikes in the world, hands down.

And the other toy I got is a Transition Trans AM. This bike is sick!!! Originally, I'd planned on buying a Trans AM frame, and building it up little by little as a little project over this coming winter. Well, that was the plan until I found a ridiculous deal on Ebay for the complete bike you see in the pic. It's a steel hardtail All-Mountain bike. It's got a 110-150mm fork, Easton Havoc wheels, a 1X9 setup, Shimano crank, Answer Pro Taper bars, and I threw a Kenda Navegal tire up front with a WTB Weirwolf rear. It's a little on the heavy side for a hardtail, but I'm not looking for it to be a race bike. Rather, it's a bike I'm just gonna rip on, have fun, and enjoy. The steel is super forgiving, even if it's not fast like an XC bike.

Nada...

2011-11-15T14:12:00.001-08:00

Wish I had more to write about, but there's really not a whole lot going on these days. I'm riding everyday on my "big bikes", but it's definitely not training, more just riding for fun. It's nice to just go out on a ride, go hard if you want to, or easy if you want to, and just generally chill, take pictures, and laugh about sections that made you clench your buttcheeks.

I picked up a new bike after selling a couple of 29ers I used to race on this past season. I usually sell all my stuff at the end of the season and get a new bike(s) for the coming season. Anyway, I got a Stump Jumper FSR to rock and roll on. It's unbelievable how much bike they packed into such a simple platform. I got the Comp version, the "entry level" Stumpy FSR. I can say, though, that it's anything BUT "entry level". The thing is dialed in with some of the best parts I've ever seen on a stock bike. So much so, that I'm not going to upgrade a thing. It's perfect for what I'm doing right now. With 140mm of travel front and rear, it's got balls and legs at the same time. Great bike and awesome fun.

As for a race bike for next year, I'm still not sure. I've been thinking of a Specialized hard tail 29er, but there's a the Yeti Big Top that looks pretty nice too. Looks like I've got the opportunity to get both bikes at a great deal, so it'll be a hard decision. It also depends on what races I'm planning on doing. More than likely I'm going to focus on Downhill, Super D, and some All Mountain/Enduro stuff, so my season will be gravity oriented, but for the XC stuff I'll need a weapon. Decisions, decisions...

Got passed...

2011-11-11T20:09:00.001-08:00

Got passed on the trail by another rider today for the first time I can ever remember. Kind of humbling. I can't say that I'm really shocked, given the fact that I haven't "trained" in months, but it still stung a bit. There was the fact, too, that I was riding an 8 inch travel bike with flat pedals and the dude who passed me was on a rigid 29er...but I'm not picking straws. :)

Anyway, I'm hitting the road again tomorrow for the third time this week-the most I've done on the road bike since August. I think the "soft around the middle" feeling is starting to get to me a bit. I'm still super fit by "normal" person standards, but gettin' passed was a bit of a kick in the stomach. Gotta get my mojo back!

Also, looks like I'm picking up a new bike on Monday. A friend of a friend (don't ask) hooked me up BIG TIME with a new Specialized Stump Jumper FSR. Super excited to get this new beast and shred it out. It's got 140mm of travel front and rear, which is a little less than what I'm used to riding, but I'm sure it'll be awesome. The new Auto Sag technology that Specialized has is, I'm sure, gonna rock, not to mention that the bike is spec'd out! Looking forward to rolling the Roval wheels and seeing what they're all about. I'll have a review and some pics up sometime next week.

Flatty flat flats

2011-11-07T17:20:00.000-08:00

Another post on flat pedals...Sorry to all of my 2 readers:) Fact is, I'm pretty psyched about these things. It's been a while since I've added something to my bike that made such a difference in my riding.

Today was the second time I've ridden the flats since I got them last Friday. I was spectating the NYC marathon this weekend watchin' my new ladyfriend run, so I didn't get a chance to get out on the bike this weekend. Anyway, two more things seem apparent from my second ride. For one, I'm amazed at how quickly I've adapted to them. Riding today didn't seem at all awkward like it did the first time out last week. I'm still getting used to getting my foot position just right, but still, didn't feel alien at all to be on flats today. And secondly, I've heard people talk all the time about how riding clipless (clipped in for the lay person) makes them really feel a connection to their bikes. While that might be true, I'm going to suggest the same goes for flat pedals. You really have to use your feet quite a lot when jumping and pedaling, almost gripping the pedals with your toes at times. Flat pedals bring in a lot more of the muscles of your ankle and foot than riding clipless.

When I bought the flat pedals I was worried I wasn't going to like it. I was worried it would be too different, and not efficient enough. I was completely wrong. I love the way it feels, the freedom it gives you, and the skills you have to learn to ride effectively. I certainly wouldn't race cx in 'em, but for everyday riding, I'm hooked!

Flats!!!

2011-11-04T12:41:00.000-07:00

I'm sure most of the people (all 3 of you!) reading this are looking at the title and either thinking about running or about getting a flat tire. Well, I'm not talking about either of them here. As I mentioned yesterday, I got a pair of flat, platform pedals for my mountain bike. Coming for more of a racing background, I was hesitant at first to try these things. I mean, c'mon, most people think flat pedals and think of the days when they rode their bikes as a kid-before they became a "real" cyclist. I'm even guilty of that. Nevertheless I hooked them up last night and rode them today. "Amazing" is the only word that I can think to describe the experience.

I was a little shaky at first, but once I got the hang of it, I realized how "freeing" it actually is. My pedal stroke is very smooth (which I think helped me to transition easily), so I didn't loose much speed, even while climbing. I'm more of a finesse climber anyway, so I was able to just spin my way up the hills the same as I would if I were riding my clipless pedals. Otherwise, the only other noticeable differences were in sprinting-lost a little power wearing flexible "skate" style shoes-and the fact that you can't cheat when jumping or bunny hopping.

There were a couple times where my feet came off the pedals in mid air, but I soon adjusted and got used to manauvering the bike differently so it wasn't an issue. Also, being able to dab and powerslide into corners at speed going downhill really makes a huge difference. It's an art in itself!

While I'm totally geeked out right now on how awesome it is to ride flats, and astonished at how fast and strong I can still ride with them, I'm not swearing off clipless forever. There's a time and place for both, but I think I'll ride out this flat pedal thing for a while.

Officially NOT a racer right now

2011-11-03T16:49:00.000-07:00

Put flat pedals on my mtb today because it helps me to ride more aggressively. My brain is officially shut off from any time of riding other than just to have fun and challenge myself. No racing even CLOSE on the horizon.

With that said, I'm going into the big city this weekend to watch my ladyfriend:) run the NYC marathon. Maybe being around a race atmosphere will get my juices flowing again. Maybe not. Either way, I think I'll go for a run in Central Park if I get a chance.

Weights

2011-10-29T13:04:00.000-07:00

Since it's snowy, rainy, cold, and just plain miserable today (not to mention the fact that I'm lazy and didn't have the desire to clean mud off my bike all afternoon), I decided to hit the old weights for the first time in a looong time. To think I used to lift EVERY day back when I was in college is amazing. I forgot how hard it was! Moving weight fast, no matter how fit aerobically you are, is hard damn work! Glad I did it, though I'm not all that excited about how sore I'm going to be for the next few days...

Winds of Change

2011-10-26T19:22:00.000-07:00

"My life got flipped turned upside down..."-Fresh Prince Intro.

I can easily say that the thirtieth year of my life has been, without a doubt, the hardest. From an emotional standpoint, everything in my life has seemed to result in some form or another of stress. In May I took a trip to Spain to see my then girlfriend. After one day of being there I was super-sick (the kind where it's coming out both ends-I'll spare the details). To make matters worse, we argued most of the time about things that now seem kind of trivial. And then, to put the icing on the cake, my proposal of marraige was turned down. To put it simply, I left Spain with my tail between my legs, looking forward to getting home and concentrating on work and training throughout the summer.

I got home to a shit-storm at work. A loyal client of mine left me to go with another trainer. She had given me her word before I left that I had nothing to worry about, and that she was only training with this new trainer while I was gone. I was assured she'd pick up with me right where we left off when I returned from my trip. Instead, through a text message no less, she informed me that she was no longer going to be working with me and that she hoped we could still be friends. Yeah, ok, FUCK YOU. Not only had I been denied by the love of my life, but now I was coming back home to what I thought would be the safety net of work, only to be betrayed by two people I trusted: my client and my co-worker. I apologize for writing this, but both of them can go fuck themselves.

So I figured that would be the end of it. I was wrong. The "safety net" of work became replaced by the safety net of training. I poured everything I had into training hard and racing harder. My races results were ok, but nothing spectacular. Work dwindled, and I wound up having the worst summer financially that I've ever had as a trainer. Sure this is more likely a result of the economy, but it still wasn't very confidence inspiring for my already shaky self esteem. My last race of the season (not intended to be) literally took everything I had. I wore myself down so bad that in the days after the race I had dizzyness and shortness of breath which prompted a doctors visit. Being a hypochondriac I also began having panic attacks that gave me heart palpatations and tightness in my chest. The doctors visit and test results didn't show I had any long term health issues, but I was severely fatigued and I believe so dehydrated that I caused some serious internal damage. I pulled the plug and haven't raced or seriously trained since. That was the beginning of August.

And then the true bomb dropped. I got a call from my girlfriend in Spain. In hindsight, I should've known something was up because she NEVER called me (we either skyped or texted), but when my cell phone rang and her number came up I was grinning ear to ear. It had been quite a while since I'd heard her voice as the internet connectivity where she was nearly non-existent, and any time I heard from her my world got brighter. This wasn't a "good" call though. This was to be the last. I was being dumped. I guess the marriage proposal and the distance had proved to be too much. I was completely blindsided. My whole world came crashing down around me. It was one of those moments in life where emotion is more painful than any physical act could ever be. Even though she was thousands of miles away and we'd only seen each other twice in about 6 months, I felt alone for the first time since we'd met.

I'd never loved someone more intensely and this was the biggest let down of my life. For the time that we were together I felt like I was moving forward with my life for the first time. It was good to feel like I had some direction. I was planning to move and join her in Spain. With the breakup I felt lost. I went from having everything somewhat figured out to complete isolation. I had no starting point. I managed to keep a cool profile from the outside, but inside I was a mess. I started drinking a little more, riding a little less, and generally just not caring. Not good.

Fast forward to now. I'm still not over everything that's happened, but things are looking like they're finally starting to turn for the better. Work is still not what it once was, but it's getting better and I'm having fun just riding my big bikes and doing crazy stuff on the trails. I'm not sure when the next time I'll race is, and it's honestly not a huge priority. Getting my life on track right now is where I want my focus to be. I've got a bit of my motivation back and that's good.

I'm sorry if this is long winded. I've never really spoken to anyone about what's been going on and I had to spit it all out. I'm probably not going to reread this, so there are probably some mistakes. I'm going to take a little "creative license" and write them off as being part of the writer expressing his emotions on the page (I think one of my creative writing professors said something like that once...).

Crashin'

2011-10-20T20:53:00.000-07:00

In the last two weeks I've had about 7 crashes on the mountain bike. I NEVER crash. Maybe a couple dabs here and there, but NEVER anything big. Once in a blue moon I'll go over the bars, just like everyone, but in the last year plus that I've been pretty exclusively riding in the dirt, I could count on one hand the number of crashes I'd had (and races don't count).

So last Tuesday while riding with a friend, I wiped out hard. Real Hard. The type of hard that takes you a minute to get up from. The type that makes you kind of question exactly what the hell you're doing. So there, I thought. I got it all out of the way and it would be another year until I had another big one. Wrong!

I can't recall all of the crashes, with the exception of the last one today, but damn if I'm not sore, covered in trail rash, and a little sketched out. This crash today was a real brain-rattler. I got launched of the bike after hitting a tree stump with my right pedal and landed directly on my head and shoulder. My poor bike got thrown into a tree, and I bent the ti rails on my favorite saddle. Otherwise no damage to the bike, but my body is getting more sore and stiff as I type.

Anyway, it all could have been much much worse, but I think it's time to take a few days off the mountain bike and ride on the road with the crazy drivers where things are SAFE!

I've been thinking of why all these crashes are occurring and the one thing that they all point to is an improvement in skill. That's right, I said improvement. Given the fact that I ride quite a lot, my technical skills have gotten to the point where I push the limits A LOT more than I used to. When I was strictly doing XC riding, I usually kept things pretty mellow-just get from point A to point B as quickly as possible. Since I've taken my little hiatus from racing, and have been more interested in All Mountain/freeride stuff, I think my balls have grown. Air is run. Skinnies are fun. And power sliding in sharp corners is REAL fun!

All this is to say that I need to be a little more calculated. I don't mind the occasional crash here and there, but when it starts to become a daily thing, it's time to reconsider how I'm looking at lines. I'm not 18 anymore for goodness sake! I think I'll take a couple days off the trails and rediscover my road bike while I heal up. Let's just hope I don't get hit by a car!

Not much new...

2011-10-10T15:53:00.000-07:00

Not much new to report. Have a few things brewing, but nothing worth talking about yet. I think since I've stopped "formally" training and racing for the time being, I don't have much to write here. Not that that's a bad thing, I just need to re-adjust my thinking. It's been a long time (almst 25 years) since I've not been doing at least something competitive. To be honest, it's kind of a relief. My life has been stressful enough without having to worry about the added pressure of racing and training. Right now, I just exercise for fun (which really means just ride my mountain bike a WHOLE LOT) and enjoy the days. If I don't get a ride in-which is almost never-I don't beat myself up about it. Life goes on and there's always tomorrow.

Muddy Fun

2011-10-04T19:21:00.000-07:00

I've said it before, but nothing beats riding a mountain bike in mud-not even 'cross. Something about being able to go through streams on a bike and then cruise through sloppy mud with slick rocks and roots everywhere just makes me go a big soft one inside:). Soooo much fun!

Today was a nice easy 90+ minute ride in a steady rain on my favorite local trail. Temps weren't quite cool enough, but they'll do. The humidity here is still getting at me, but I'll take what today gave any day. The rest of this week is going to be warmer, and I'm hoping to get in a nice little "road trip" this weekend with some friends to go and ride.

Couple of good rides

2011-10-01T18:42:00.000-07:00

Coupla good rides the last couple days. Both on the dirt and both nice and muddy. I understand the appeal of 'cross racing, but it seems a little overblown when people talk about all the mud and rough conditions. Seems like EVERYDAY on the mountain bike is a mixture of sand, mud, dirt, and whatever else is in the way. Rocks, roots, and jumps make things so much fun. Cross is awesome, but riding a mountain bike, to me anyway, kind of beats it. Not to mention disc brakes and suspension allow you to do so many things a cross bike just can't do. I love mountain bikes and I love cross racing, but if I had to choose between the two, the fat tires would win every time.

Anyway, enjoyed the last couple of days riding in the mud. The weather seems to be looking like rain for the rest of the weekend, so the trails should be muddy and fun for the next couple days. I'm considering riding the road bike with some friends tomorrow, but that would entail me waking up super early on the one day I get to sleep in a bit ('till 7am instead of 4:30am!). Looks like it'll be a gametime decision.

On another note, I'm seriously considering this race for next year. If I can get in it might be the only race I do next year:) Check out this vid:

Nuthin'

2011-09-29T14:15:00.000-07:00

Didn't ride a bike today. And I'm ok with that. Part of me wanted to get out and ride, but the other part just told me to chill and not do anything. We had some very strong thunderstorms today, and getting soaked when I wasn't really "feeling" it just wasn't my cup of tea today.

As it is, even though I'm not formally training for any particular race right now, I spend at least 2 hours a day on the bike, 6 days a week. Now, 12 hours of a week of ~~training~~ riding is by no means anything crazy, but it's a pretty sweet spot for me to keep some fitness while still enjoying to ride for the fun of it. After all, fun is the real reason I'm riding right now. No stress.

Wow...

2011-09-28T17:08:00.000-07:00

I could ~~probably~~ watch this all day...

Tuesday Road Ride

2011-09-27T13:00:00.000-07:00

Got out on the road bike again today! Third time in the last 4 days! The difference I feel in my riding now versus how I did in the middle of my race season is dramatic. I think I'd be perfect for some 40k TT right now as my power is way up. However, with that power gain, my weight is about 10-12 pounds heavier than where I was this past summer. I'm not quite as 'zippy' up the hills, but the flats are just one big blur. In any regard, I'm happy that my power has gone up. This will be good if and when I decide to start my 'cross season.

The weather here looks to be taking a turn toward more fall like temps in the next week which has me super psyched to take some day trips to the 'mainland' and do some real techy riding. Long Island is great if you want some tight and twisty single track, but there isn't too much in the way of technical riding. I can only think of one trail we have here that has flow to it, allowing for at least some fun downhill action. Heading to New Jersey or Upstate New York (which are both only a couple hours away) can put you in the mix of more typical East Coast rocky and rooty goodness. I'm either headed up to Lake Placid for the weekend or taking a day trip over to Ramapo Mountain State park on Sunday. Either one should fulfill my riding fix. I'll be sure to ACTUALLY take and post some pics when I go!

Rode the Road

2011-09-26T04:26:00.000-07:00

Got my fat ass out on the road bike for two days in a row this weekend. Sure it was only about 4 hours of total riding over the course of two days, but it did feel good to switch things up a bit. I don't currently have a cross country mtb buit up, so all my off road riding is done on my 5 and 6 inch full suspension bikes. Needless to say, they're a bit more sluggish than a nice hardtail 29er. Heck, even my full sus hifi 29er feels like a hardtail compared to my trail bikes!

I'm still not committing to any racing, but I'm starting to get the itch for cross. It's still kinda hot and humid here, so the "'cross" weather hasn't completely grabbed me by the neck, but seeing race reports and recaps on line is starting to chip away at me. Only problem is I gotta get a bike to race first!

Slept...

2011-09-24T09:35:00.000-07:00

Just slept for about 12 hours. Haven't slept this long for too long. Rest is something I haven't put a high priority on since I've taken my my little hiatus from racing. It's been more beer and hanging out than resting, even though I'm still riding almost every day. Today I think I'll start to focus a little more on nutrition and rest...feels good to feel 'normal' again:).

Another day, more trails

2011-09-21T18:00:00.000-07:00

Getting kinda redundant here, but I got out on the trails AGAIN today. Nothing really different than what I've been up to for the past month plus. Just enjoying the act of riding a bike and not thinking about racing. At this point, I'm really considering forgoing the "cross season" I had planned in favor of just continuing the fun. If anything, I'll at least do the local cross series, but that doesn't start until December so I've got plenty of time to ease back into it.

I meant to include some pics of my new C-dale Jekyll, but I forgot my camera on the ride today. A picture of it sitting in my living room won't do it justice-it deserves a nice, dirty background. What I can say, though, is that the bike is absolutely amazing. Every bit of " hype" that I'd heard about it is true. The Dyad shock is amazing. I wouldn't say it climbs like a cross country bike (it is 27lbs afterall!), but for a bike with 6 inches of rear travel, it more than holds its own.

When things point down in a hurry is where the bike really shines. It gobbles up everything in its way, and makes getting air ridiculously fun. All I can say is I can't wipe the smile off my face the whole time I'm riding! Pics to come soon!

Shreddin' the track

2011-09-19T18:54:00.000-07:00

Nothing is better than shredding singletrack...NOTHING. Got together with a buddy of mine today and we both got out and rocked it. He's getting more and more comfortable with being on the dirt, and he's beginning to stick with me on the techy downhills. Not sure he enjoys flying through the air as much as I do, but either way we had some fun today.

Funniest quote of the day was when John said, "See, I have this thing where I can't feel my feet." The funny thing about this is he really can't feel his feet! He's a badass. He was in a serious accident where he was hit by a car on his bike and the doctors said he would never walk again. He responded by doing multiple Ironman races and pushing me on the mountain bike. He's seriously inspires me every time we get a chance to ride together. Google him-John Carson! Awesome guy!

Tomorrow will be a bit more of the same as the last month: just getting out and riding dirt. I'm secretly planning a trip out west (CO, AZ, CA?) next month. I wanna get in some good riding somewhere I've never been before the weather turns. Well, that and I'm gonna start looking for a new career wherever I land!

Kinda of a waste.

2011-09-17T16:31:00.000-07:00

Kind of a wasted trip. As I mentioned yesterday, I was considering a day trip up to some new trails I'd heard were pretty good. After a little debate this morning, I decided "What the hell" and went for it. I can't say that it was a complete waste, but if I knew what I was getting for the 90min plus ride, I might have thought twice before taking the plunge.

I was really looking for some good, flowy singletrack with some drops and "pee in your pants" parts. Jumps would've been nice too, but I wasn't gonna be that picky. What I got was mostly cross country double track, with some decent single track mixed in. Sure, it was chunky, rooty, and rocky, but it certainly nothing that couldn't have been ridden on a cross country hardtail bike.

Basically I think I brought too much bike with me. Brining six inches of dual suspension travel to this trail was like bringing an atomic bomb to a knife fight. I'm not saying I'll never ride there again, but I'll be sure to bring my hardtail 29er.

So anyway, the day wasn't a complete waste since I still got to ride my bike for around 4 hours with some newly-met friends, but I could have stayed home and had a much better ride. I guess the search for good single track continues...

Road Trip? Maybe.

2011-09-17T04:21:00.000-07:00

Actually more like a "day trip". There's a really cool (from what I hear) trail system in a state park that's about 2 hours away from my home. I hate driving far to ride for the day, but I'm dreadfully bored with what we've got here on Long Island. Not much elevation change, (duh!), and not many rocks. We do have some nice, tight and twisty trails, but when you ride them all the time, they get sort of predictable.

So I'm on the fence about taking this trip today. On one hand, it'll be great fun and a bit of adventure, but on the other hand it's taking a whole day out of a weekend that's already going to be busy and spending money on gas that I'd rather not spend. In honesty though, the gas money isn't really that big of a deal, and the weekend isn't THAT busy.

Anyway, It'll be a game time decision. Hopefully, if I do go, my stupid video camera will actually work and I'll get some cool vids to post.

Got it!

2011-09-15T19:13:00.000-07:00

Finally picked up my new Cannondale Jekyll from the shop today. I had been trying to sell a few things (bike parts, bikes, etc.) to come up with the scratch to buy this beast, but was still short up until yesterday. I had put my Superfly Elite up on Ebay and it didn't move. I got an email from a guy who was interested when the auction began, but couldn't come up with the money at the time. He told me to contact him if it didn't go, and low and behold, he came through after no one on Ebay bid on it. Long story short, he gave me a bit more than I was asking and was a super fair buyer. Looks like I actually might have made a friend out of the deal!

In honesty, I was never a HUGE fan of the Superfly. I enjoyed the light weight of the bike, but I felt like it wasn't as stiff as I would have liked it to be. I have a Trek Paragon (same geometry as the Superfly, just in aluminum) and I've always enjoyed the way it rides. Sure, the ride is a bit more harsh, but I feel that on the dirt you don't notice that as much as you would on the road. Low tire pressure takes the edge off, so getting beat up isn't too much of a concern. I'll pay the weight penalty to have that little extra bit of stiffness and responsiveness a hardtail should have.

So with the money I was able to get from the extra "junk" I sold on Ebay, along with the sale of the Superfly, I was able to pull together enough to get my Jekyll. All I have to say is that this thing is amazing. It comes with what Fox calls a "DYAD" shock. Without going into particulars, you can switch from 90mm of travel in the rear to 150mm with the flip of a switch on the handlebars. In otherwords you can go from a mountain goat climber to daredevil downhill rider in a snap. This is particularly good for me, as I've taken recently to jumping just about anything I possibly can, and bombing down flowy singletrack like crazy.

I keep saying this, but I'm really enjoying having fun doing things on a mountain bike I never thought I'd be interested in. It's not like I've become some crazy freeride maniac, but pushing my limits is a lot of fun. A few months ago a good weekend would have consisted of 8-12 hours of riding, pushing and trying to gain more fitness. Now, a good weekend includes packing my Camelback with food, hitting new trails, and sitting by a lake enjoying the fall weather. Racing will be there when I get back. Right now I just need to get my head straight and actually ENJOY exercise again:).

2011-09-07T09:16:00.001-07:00

This song's lyrics are a little dated, but it just pumps me up. Tito Ortiz came out to this once and I haven't heard it since. Makes me wanna crush something:).

By the way, the new header pic is the Cannondale Jekyll which will be in my quiver soon!

Baaaack!

2011-09-06T18:31:00.000-07:00

Took a little of a hiatus from the blogosphere to find that my blog had been all twisted and whacked out by some malware nonsense. Sorry to my 2 loyal readers:).

Anyway, not much new going on. I've really been enjoying 'just riding' lately. No structured training. No serious riding. Just cruising. Going hard and going easy all depends on the trail and how I feel. No pressure to do anything I don't wanna do.

Just about 99% of all my riding has been on my 5 inch travel, full suspension trail bike (Trek Fuel EX8). I'm loving this thing to death. It's fast, comfy, and plush. Not the fastest bike on the ups, but man does it cruise on the downs. Been able to really get some air off the jumps and hit some nice drops I wouldn't attempt on my XC bikes. I'm in the process of selling one of my bikes and some extra bike parts to buy a 6 inch travel bike, the Cannondale Jekyll, which is by all means my dream bike. It has an adjustable option for the rear suspension that allows you to run either 90mm or 150mm of travel depending on the trail. It won't necessarily be a race bike, but just a total rockin' and rollin' fun, balls out bike. Really it's just what I need in my life right now.

As I've mentioned before, I just don't wanna race right now. I was finding myself too high-strung and too stressed about racing all the time. Truth is, it wasn't fun anymore. Sure, training was fun, and I LOVE riding mountain bikes, but I just don't have the desire to push it right now. And if I can't push it, and race how I want, then I'm not having fun. This time in my life just isn't right to race. I'm sure this will change, but right now I need mountain biking to be an outlet for my stress, not a cause.

Ok, enough of that. I'm planning on doing some ride specific weekends before the fall gets too crazy. One Upstate New York trip to Lake Placid, and maybe a couple more to New Jersey and Pennsylvania to ride some rocky stuff. I'm hoping to get out west sooner rather than later, and certainly before the winter hits. If I don't get out there before then, Spring will definitely have a trip to Colorado, Utah, or somewhere of the like:).

That's it for now. Catch ya later...

That's a wrap..for a little bit anyway

2011-08-25T18:32:00.000-07:00

Decision made: I'm shutting it down until December. I'm burned out on competition. Actually, I think I'm burned out in my head.

I've been riding my bike every day this week for nothing other than fun. No time measured, no distance, no nothing that even resembles training. I sold a few things and picked up a sweet trail/all-mountain bike and have been focusing on shredding and not on racing. I've gone from wearing lycra to wearing baggies and a loose fitting jersey and to a 'chunky' helmet with a visor on it. My rides have begun when they start and ended when I'm done. Just FUN and nothing else.

If I haven't felt like hammering up a hill I haven't. If I feel like bombing a downhill I do. And I'm not afraid to eat that little extra and drink a few more beers if the mood warrants.

This is all a bit of rambling, but I think I really just overcooked my brain. My training was smart, and I feel I got the best out of myself, but I really believe I made the mistake of being too hard on myself. The fact of the matter is that this year I've earned exactly $0 riding a bike. While it's not about money, that does sort of put things into perspective (at least for me anyway). For all the hours I've trained and sacrifices I've made, if I'm not enjoying what I'm doing, it's just not worth doing.

I'm harder on myself than anyone. When I crossed the line at the Wilderness 101 in 8 and a half hours, I was devastated. My plan went to shit, the wheels fell off, and that was the day. What I failed to realize was that no one cares. Sure I do, but none of the guys that finished in front of, or behind me gave a damn. I was racing me. That's it. After all, isn't this what it's all about anyway? Get the most out of what you've got.

Ok, this is all kinda going around in a circle, but I'm just toasted. I love competing, and I'll be back, but for right now I just wanna ride my bike like I was 8 years old, have fun, and get my personal life and affairs in order. The races will be there when I'm ready to come back. :)

Gotta say too, I'm REALLY happy with the bigger suspension bike. It's a 26er and I'm loving it. I had forgotten how much fun these are. Much more twitchy, but that makes it fun. I'll have a little write up on the bike coming soon.

Sorry for the blathering-just had to get it all out there:).

Shut it down?

2011-08-23T08:16:00.000-07:00

Seriously considering shutting things down for the rest of the season. It's been a really year for me on a personal level, and things don't seem to be getting much better. I'm not blaming it on anything in particular, probably just a whole butt load of bad luck, but that's life I suppose.

Anyway, with that in mind, I'm really thinking about bagging the rest of my race season-at least until 'cross starts. I'm really just feeling very wishy-washy about serious training right now, and kinda just want to ride my bike for fun. I've been dedicated and disciplined throughout the summer, and I think I might just need to let my hair down right now.

I'll probably change my mind in a couple of days or maybe I won't. The only thing I know for sure is that I'll be riding regardless.

Pickle...

2011-08-21T19:53:00.001-07:00

I've found myself in a bit of a pickle....

I just sold my tri bike. With the money I received for the bike, I intended to buy a new 'cross bike that's been hanging in the shop waiting for me the whole summer. The pickle, though, comes in the fact that I'm not sure that I want to buy it right now. I've had my eye on an All Mountain long travel suspension bike for a bit now, and kinda want that more than the 'cross bike. Add that to the fact that I just don't really feel like racing that much right now, and here I find myself.

Really, what I'd like to do with my fall and early winter is do some bike packing trips. Just head into the woods with a bike and a tent and spend a couple days and nights relaxing in the great outdoors. The all mountain bike would be perfect for that.

My competitive fire has sort of died for the moment. Maybe I'm just burned out, or still bummed from my last race, but I just feel like riding for the enjoyment of riding right now. 'Cross is a load of fun, but I'm not sure I want the responsibility of staying super fit all fall and winter. I mean, I'm sure I will stay fit throughout the winter because I always do, but I kinda just wanna step back and enjoy just riding my bike for nothing other than fun. Maybe I'm just too competitive:).

Anyway, this is all just how I'm feeling at this moment. I might wake up tomorrow and wanna kick some ass. Who knows. My motivation (as well as my life) is all over the map right now.

Sunday

2011-08-21T14:19:00.000-07:00

Along with a life changing event comes the desire to change...I guess. Either way, that's what I think I need right now, if nothing more than to get my head back on straight. Whatever...

This weekend started out well, but pretty much went to shit today. With an XC race coming up (it'll be 21 miles total), my focus this past week has been on short and sharp efforts. I've already got my "hay in the barn" from training for long distance events all summer, so getting a little top end speed is really whats needed.

My technical skills are at they're sharpest right now, so I've spent some extra time on the road bike working my engine. I really love the road. Something about it, I don't know if it's the "romance" of riding a road bike, the speed, or the efficiency, that makes me like it, but it is a welcome treat. Don't get me wrong though, nothing beats techy, rocky singletrack on a mountain bike or dirt roads on a cross bike, but I'm enjoying riding the road. Maybe I just like to ride ALL bikes?:)

So anyway, yesterday I spent 2 hours on the trails, attacking the hills and keeping the tempo steady otherwise. Today I was meant to ride the road easy for 3 hours, but because of helping my mother out with some stuff, I was only able to get in an easy hour 'recovery' spin early this morning. Kinda suited me though, as my legs were still a little tired. I'll get out on the road tomorrow for a few hours to make up for today before starting to really focus on sharpening up for the coming weekend.

I don't know what to expect and I don't know how I'll do at straight up XC racing, but regardless it'll be fun. I'm really hoping to win a raffle they're having for a sweeeeet all mountain bike at the race. I know I've got a snowball's chance in hell of actually winning it, but man, it would be sweet to get a nice long travel all mountain bike. I'd love to do some over-night bike packing weekends this fall and that bike would be perfect for it. Fingers are definitely crossed!

Still don't know what to say...

2011-08-17T16:00:00.000-07:00

It's been a few days since my last post. I usually try to post something every day, but I just haven't known what to say.

For the most part this has been the toughest year I can remember having. Personal woes, financial issues, and work problems have just continued to add up and up and up until I'm just at my breaking point. Actually, that's not true-I'm not sure I really have a breaking point:).

Anyway, I recently ended a relationship that meant the world to me. It ended fairly and in honesty I think it's for the best, but that doesn't make it hurt any less. Sometimes things just don't work. That's life. We make plans and God laughs.

Compounding the personal issues has been the fact that I've had to take things pretty easy on the bike since the Wilderness 101. I had to go to the doc and get checked out and everything came back fine, but I'm still suffering from some lightheadedness every now and again. It's getting better as the days go by, but it's still there. Kind of annoying. This has made things difficult in regards to training because I'm really trying not to overextend myself. I've gotten out for a ride most days last week and every day this week, but nothing too long or too hard. It really leaves me wondering whether or not to shut it down until 'cross starts, or just soldier through and race my last few mountain bike races.

Anyway, enough negative thoughts. Just had to get that all out on the "interwebs". :) On a better note, I finally sold my tri bike on ebay and should be receiving payment for it tomorrow. Said payment will go directly to my bike shop so I can at last pick up my new 'cross bike! The poor thing has been sitting in the shop ALL summer! I think it's time to build that baby up, get it dirty, and get ready for some fall 'cross action!!! Can't wait!

Thirty...

2011-08-11T20:04:00.001-07:00

So far being thirty has sucked. Plain and simple. Just. Sucked.

Yesterday

2011-08-11T05:15:00.000-07:00

Definitely went a bit too hard yesterday. Felt good while I was riding but the rest of the day was filled with the familiar symptom of dizziness that's been with me while I've been recovering. Not terrible, but it was there for sure.

Today will be more of an easy spin (if anything), followed by resting my ass off some more. The good part about work being slow is that I can sit on my ass for an afternoon with my feet up. The bad part, of course, is that I'm not making any money while I'm doing it!

On a side note I picked up a pair of Sidi Genius Pro 5 Shoes the other day. I've never had a high end proper pair of road shoes, so these are a bit of a treat. Unbelievable how plush these are. They're not cheap, but straight out of the box you realize just where your money went. I've never had a more comfortable shoe on me feet, and I'm sure as these get more and more worked in they'll be even that much better. I'm hoping that (and for the price they better!) these will last a long time.

Another good ride

2011-08-10T06:11:00.001-07:00

Another good ride on the road today. Probably went a little too hard at times, but still felt good. The only difference between today and yesterday is that I'm pretty tired after this ride. Yesterday was the perfect tempo while today was just a bit above what I should be doing. I'll rest up for the rest of today and try to stay off my feet. Should help.

Tomorrow is probably either going to be a complete rest day or just an easy 60 minute spin. I'm really focusing on taking things very easy this week. Like I've said before, I really, really, really don't want to set myself back by going too hard. I'm already afraid that I might have burned a couple too many matches today, but we'll see how things go.

First ride back

2011-08-09T14:10:00.001-07:00

Got in any easy, easy 60 minute ride this morning as my first back since Wilderness. The road bike was a welcome companion today for sure. I took it really easy, mostly just a simple little spin, but it felt fantastic to be back on two wheels again.

I think in addition to my fatigue and exhaustion, I've been having a little "exercise withdrawal" too. I missed my endorphins and I'm glad to have them back!

Tomorrow I plan on taking it easy again, but riding for a little while longer. I'll gauge the time based on how I feel, but I'd like to cap it at 90 minutes. Baby steps for now will save me from overdoing things and toasting myself.

One good thing I noticed today was that I feel fresh, not out of shape. My legs feel just as strong if not stronger than they did before the race, though of course I didn't really get a chance to properly test them today. No matter, they'll be there when I need them I'm sure!

When training and racing go wrong...

2011-08-08T11:24:00.000-07:00

Haven't written much in the last few days. Not for any reason but there's been absolutely NOTHING happening.

A couple days after Wilderness, I had a funny episode where I had shortness of breath and dizzyness. Kinda freaked me out, but I knew that I had gone hard in the race and was extremely dehydrated at the end. Not to mention the fact that I didn't sleep or hydrate well in the days before, or that I drove 6 hours home shortly after I got off my bike. It was all a perfect storm for complete exhaustion.

I was freaked out, but decided to give it until the end of the week to see if anything changed. There was never another shortness of breath episode, but I couldn't shake the feeling of being dizzy and lightheaded. Friday came and things didn't change so I got my ass to the doctor.

I was examined for everything, had my heart checked and my blood drawn. The prognosis: I'm just one tired mofo! The funny thing is that I don't feel tired, sleepy, or fatigued, but my body is just not ready to push.

I haven't ridden or even exercised since the race, and I'm going to let my body fully recover before I get out and start riding hard again. In all reality I could go out and ride, but I'd more than likely push my complete recovery back, or stop it completely. Not a good idea considering I still have a few races left in the season, not to mention 'cross season coming up.

Like I said, I haven't ridden in almost a week and a half. I'm feeling a little soft and like I'm unfit, but I'm sure once I hop back on the bike in the next few days it'll all get back to normal. I'm planning on just riding super easy this week, probably no more than 90 mins or so at a time. Also, in all likelyhood, it'll probably be all on the road. I'm really focusing on NOT stressing my body any more than it has to, while still keeping some form of fitness. My next race is on the 27th of this month, and it'll only be a 'C' priority race. After that I'm looking at the Terror of Teaberry, a 40 mile super rocky and technical race. Then 'cross season begins and I'll be focusing there. I'll probably do the Something Wicked Events 6 Hours of Cathedral Pines race, but I kinda want to do it as a team instead of solo like last year.

In the end I'm just happy to have gotten a clean bill of health from the doctor. More important than any cycling is health. If I'm not alive, how the hell can I ride my bike??? ;) For now just restin' up and giving my body the TLC it deserves.

Restin', restin', restin'

2011-08-05T04:37:00.000-07:00

I'm not going into it again, but after my less than stellar race this past weekend, I decided to take a complete week off the bike and pretty much any exercise at all. My body just hasn't felt "right" since Monday, so maybe I ought to listen to it and hang it up for a little bit.

I can't remember the last time (without sickness) that I went more than a day without some sort of movement. It amazes me that people actually live like this! I'm starting to think that I haven't felt quite normal because I'm not exercising. Not exactly sure, but that's just my theory.

Anyway, most likely won't do much until next Tuesday when I start back on the bike again. I've registered for my first XC race on August 27th and will be looking forward to the short and hard effort. I'm still on the fence about doing any long races again this season. There is a 40 miler and a 4 hour race that are on my radar, as well as the Something Wicked Events 6 Hours of Cathedral Pines race that I'm still kinda into doing. For some reason though I'm just not willing to commit to the longer stuff at this moment-almost like my heart just isn't into it. Maybe time will adjust my thought...

Just a thought...

2011-08-02T08:05:00.000-07:00

Maybe it's the dissappointment I'm still dealing with from this past weekend, or the fact that my body is just crying out in pain with every step, but I'm seriously thinking of dedicating the rest of my mountain bike season to shorter, true XC events. I never considered racing these, but now I'm starting to think it might be an overall good decision. There are still some good races left, they're cheaper, and I might actually be good at them.

The only thing that I have to worry about is that I'll have to start racing in the Sport Category since I've never raced any USA Cycling Events before. Then again, if that's the only worry, then I should shut up and do well enough to get my cat 1/pro license instead of bitching:).

Anyway, just a thought for now...

Wilderness 101 Race Report

2011-07-31T16:36:00.001-07:00

Ok, since I think these are boring things to write and read (unless you won the damn thing), I'm gonna try and keep it short and sweet.

Overall I'm really disappointed in my race. I did some dumb things in the final 48 hours that completely destroyed the expectations I had. Basically, I didn't sleep well for the final two nights before the race, spent the day before the race out in the sun and heat sweating and dehydrating myself, then slept on the ground in a tent sweating all night-further diminishing any hydration I had feebly tried to replenish that afternoon. While I'm still a rookie to mountain bike racing, I'm not a rookie to endurance racing. I should have known better and have no one to blame but myself.

Race morning I woke up feeling like absolute dog crap. If I had had a training ride planned for that day instead of a race I would have cancelled it. I knew at that point it was going to be a long day. After a quick breakfast of a Cliff Bar and Banana, I warmed up and headed to the start.

The first 60 miles was good. I stuck with the second group and worked with the other riders to keep out speeds high. So much of the race was on gravel roads and double track it allowed us to really keep things moving. I was feeling good and thinking that maybe the day would be salvaged.

Everyone had said prior to the start that the race really doesn't start until the last 41 miles. Very true. There is some gnarly climbing and some rocky singletrack that makes things hard when your legs are already burning from the extended gravel road climbs. Nevertheless, I was still feeling good. UNTIL... the cramps started. The dehydration I had been managing to fend off was now coming back to bite me in the ass (actually more like the inner thighs and quads). From this point on, it was all damage control. Any power to the pedals would result in my legs locking up and me having to dismount the bike and walk to get them uncramped. Very demoralizing and VERY frustrating. The pattern was as follows: Ride, pain, dismount, walk, try to ride, curse, repeat. I seriously must have walked at least 25 percent of the final 40 miles.

Finally, to add insult to injury, I got lost with about 2 miles left in the race. I missed an arrow and climbed up another gravel road for about 15 minutes before realizing I had gone wrong. Awesome. I descended the climb, limped it in to the finish, and got off the bike. Finished around 8 hours and 30ish minutes. Disappointment. Disappointment. Disappointment.

Ok, now I know I sound all negative and whatnot, but I AM terribly upset with myself for taking such a casual attitude into this race. Maybe I was a bit overconfident, or even cocky, and it taught me a very valuable lesson. When I go on these race trips I try to treat it like a business trip. Be professional and race like you mean it. Well, I did neither, and this is what happened. There will be other races, and I'm certain this type of thing ain't happening again.

So now I'm moving onward. I'm considering not racing the Shenendoah Mountain 100 (another NUE series race), and instead doing a couple 50 milers and a 4 hour race. After that I might hunt around for some more fall season mountain bike races, or just focus on cyclocross. The only thing holding me from coming straight out and saying I WON'T do the SM 100 is that I still have a bitter taste in my mouth from Wilderness 101. I might wanna take another stab at the 100 mile game before the end of the season. I'll make up my mind soon.

The next couple days will be dedicated to getting some rest and figuring out what and where I wanna race next month. Something tells me that no matter what races I choose, I'll have a much better appreciation for pre-race preparation.

That is all. :)

Wednesday

2011-07-27T04:57:00.001-07:00

After a great weekend (albeit with the worst migrane I've had in years), I'm super pumped to get racin' this weekend. I'm so happy I got a chance to check out Waywayanda and it's lovely rockiness, not to mention hammer on the road bike the day before. Both sessions were real confidence boosters going into Wilderness.

Yesterday was a pretty mellow mountain bike ride with a few 90 second race efforts thrown in. I got these from Joe Friel's Cyclist's Training Bible and did them before the Stoopid 50. I really think these work well for keeping me sharp while keeping the overall volume down. Felt great on the trails and had to work to keep myself from overreaching quite a few times.

Today is going to be another mellow ride, this time on the road bike, with a few more 90 sec race efforts thrown in. I'd like to keep the ride time below 90 minutes, but may even go for less if it's hot and humid. No need to burn matches now.

As for bike choice, I'm 99% sure I'm going with the full suspension rig for the race. After riding both last weekend, I'm nearly convinced that there is no need for hardtails in endurance racing. I mean, I haven't been doing this all that long, but if you're going to be spending 5+ hours on ANY off road situation (excluding gravel and dirt roads), I can't see how modern suspension can hurt you. Just my 2 cents, but all I know is I feel less beat up and much faster on my full squish bike than I ever felt on a hardtail. So much so, I'm even considering selling my hardtail! Any takers???:)

Waywayanda State Park

2011-07-25T13:18:00.000-07:00

I had the opportunity to head west a little bit to the great state of New Jersey yesterday to ride my mountain bike. Catch the sarcasm? Anyway, I have family that lives close to the park, and from what I heard about the trails being rocky, techy and gnarly, I couldn't pass up the trip.

I had originally planned on racing the Curse of Dark Hallow in Pennsylvania this weekend, but in the end it was smarter to save a bit of money and energy riding Waywayanda instead. The trails are a mix of double and singletrack, with plenty of rocks, roots, and technical descents and ascents. It was like a little slice of East Coast Heaven.

The two vids I shot (check out the links to my vimeo page at the bottom of this post) are pretty basic portions of the trail. My camera ran out before I got to the really techy stuff, but you can get a pretty good idea of the rock garddens and downhills from what I was able to shoot. Also, if you fast forward toward the end of the second vid, there's a really cool bridge I rode over a swamp. Glad I made it-didn't want to find out what was in the water!

http://vimeo.com/26888403
http://vimeo.com/26885570

Saturday

2011-07-23T10:16:00.000-07:00

Got up early this morning to discover that I didn't have to head in to work, so I hopped on the road bike to bang out a hard effort which will be my last "serious" training until Wilderness.

After all was said and done, I got in close to three hours, about 2/3rd's of which was as hard as I could go. I've been really happy working without a computer or power meter, but today is one of those days I wished I had one. It would've been nice to see some data after today, not only for distance and time, but power numbers I'm sure would have been some of the highest I've ever put out.

I'm very happy with where I'm at fitness wise right now. I'm the fastest I've ever been on the bike, but surely not as fast as I'll be at this time next year. Might have to pick up a Garmin at some point so I can actually track my progress!

Crash!

2011-07-22T13:49:00.001-07:00

There really was very little reason to get out and go for a ride today. First of all, it was deathly hot today. The kind of heat they tell you not to go out in because you seriously might die. Secondly, because of the heat, I decided that the intervals I was planning for today needed not to be done. And thirdly, I'm just about a week out from the Wilderness 101 and if there are any matches to be burned, they certainly don't need to be burned right now.

Anyway, being that I was excited to ride my hardtail again for the first time in a couple weeks, I got out and hit the trails anyway. Even from the beginning I found it hard to breath. It's been a rather humid week, but today was just the icing on the cake. Oppressive doesn't even begin to describe it today.

So.... about halfway through the ride, I accelerate to get up to a log crossing (of which I've ridden and cleared dozens of times now), get up, and quickly loose my wheel to one side of the log while I fly through the air in the other direction. Now, I'm not one to say that I'm some crazy ninja, but damn am I good at falling. I really believe spending years training mixed martial arts gave me the ability to land softly on almost any part of my body and "roll" out of almost anything. Just a natural reaction I guess, but I was up and on my feet before I knew it. I wish I had video of it because it must have looked awesome. I picked up the bike (which was fine) and got on with the rest of the ride.

After that, not much happened. Just smacked my hand on a tree, hit my knee on a rock, and wished I'd stayed home and taken a nap:). One important thing did occur to me though. I've gone on and on about how much I like my HIFI and how sold I am on full suspension mountain bikes, and today really justified it for me. Riding the hardtail again was nice, but after feeling the efficiency of a full sus bike, I can't see myself racing long races on anything else. Sure the HIFI is heavier, but it rolls over so much, and extrememly smoothly. It flows on singletrak, and handles beautifully. Before the ride today I was debating on which bike to ride for the W101. I'm not 100% positive I'll be on the HIFI.

Tomorrow I'll more than likely try to get out early and head for a group road ride if I don't have work. If I do have to work, I might hit the trails for a bit if the temps are too much, or ride the road if they're not. No matter what, it'll be a pretty easy day. Sunday is up to Waywayanda State Park to ride some rocks for extra practice, then all next week will be focused to rest, recovery, and getting set to slay the Wilderness 101.

More on the HIFI

2011-07-21T16:55:00.000-07:00

So I know I've talked my new full suspension mtb to death, but I really do love this thing. If I could do it all over again, I would sell all the bikes I have an buy a Superfly 100. Full suspension is really where it's at in mountain biking. I know there are some courses and venues where a hardtail is appropriate, but for the east coast United States, with the rocks and roots, a 29er full suspension rig WILL make you a better rider.

The one and ONLY complaint I have about the bike, and this is probably an issue with ALL fully suspended mountain bikes, is that it makes a hell of a lot of "clicky" noise. Not a "bad" clicky noise, just the noise of parts moving. When you think about it, there are more a whole lot of moving parts on the frame that allow your back wheel to move up and down, so naturally, there might start to be some creaking when you apply pressure to your pedals. It's not a downfall of the bike, it's just something I'll have to get used to.

So other than the little "clicks" the bike makes to let me know it's there, the thing is an absolute rocket. I plan on riding my hardtail tomorrow. It should be interesting to see the difference between the bikes.

Oh, and one thing I forgot, but is important: There is a pretty big difference in the way you catch air on a full sus bike as opposed to a hardtail. I've noticed that the back of the bike comes up way more and way faster off a small jump than a hardtail does. I'm assuming this is a result of loading the rear suspension with pressure and releasing it upon takeoff. Certainly something to be aware of as I've had some near endo's more than a few times now. :)

Hot

2011-07-21T04:55:00.000-07:00

Seems like just yesterday I was complaining to everyone that would listen about how I was so bummed out about the snow covering the trails. Now it's the heat that's crushing me! In reality it's not that bad. I really like being in the heat, and I believe I'm actually stronger when it gets soupy and humid. The biggest obstacle I face is forgetting to hydrate properly. More than not, I find myself with that "hangover" headache after a hot day on the bike. Need to work on that.

Yesterday I was out on the road bike. Even though I had planned on taking it relatively easy, things got going and I upped it to some tempo work. I have a habit of going with where my body takes me, and yesterday it was asking for some hard riding so I obliged. In the end I probably spent about 90 mins of my 2:30 ride at tempo pace. It was nice to put some power into the pedals and get some solid work done despite the heat and humidity of a midday session. I remembered to drink, and took care to make sure I got in some proper recovery afterwards, both in the way of nutrition and hydration.

The legs are a little sluggish this morning, so today will ABSOLUTELY be an easy day. It's supposed to get hotter and more humid today, so I'll be careful not to over extend myself. More than likely I'll have a mellow ride on the trails and chill out afterward. I've been having some issues with my IT band lately, so I'll be sure to take care of that as well.

Made up my mind.

2011-07-20T05:15:00.000-07:00

The decision has been made-no race this weekend. I had been kicking around the idea of racing the Curse of Dark Hallow 40 miler this weekend as a last prep for the Wilderness 101 the following weekend, but in the end, I think I've come to a mindful and responsible decision.

As I outlined yesterday, there were two positives and two negatives to racing this weekend as I saw it. Eventually, I came to the decision that in order to save money and in all likelyhood ENERGY for the race, I'd take a little day trip about 2 hours away to ride some good, techy, rocky singletrack. A friend of a friend who is now my friend (following?), suggested the trails to me yesterday during a ride. The new friend, John, has had his story on slowtwitch.com. Really cool dude. He was slated to compete at Leadville this year, but decided to move his entry to next year on the advice of doctors. John had raced at the trails he suggested earlier this year, and in effect saved me time and money, not to mention most likely giving me a great training day before I rest for Wilderness. Thanks man!

Yesterday was a double header: Hard tempo ride on the mtb for about 75 mins, then out on the road bike for some hill repeats with friends. I never really do many hill repeats as structured workouts, but after the tempo work on the mtb I really like the way they let my legs feel. I'm feeling super fit right now, but with that I have to be careful not to push things too much and burn too many matches in this last week and a half before Wilderness. I REALLY REALLY wanna do well at this race so I'm going to try and be uber-careful. 'Nuff said.

Today I'm going to more than likely scale things back a little with an easy-is 2 hours on the road bike. This is subject to change of course if I feel like hittin' the dirt a little. It's suppossed to be balls hot again today, so perhaps the shade of ridin' in the woods might actually be the smarter choice.

Tuesday

2011-07-19T04:45:00.000-07:00

Gonna be a HOT one today. Looking forward to getting back on the bike though-as I always do after a rest day. I'm planning on a 2 and change hour off-road ride today. I'm still a little undecided on whether or not to race this weekend, which is throwing a little of a wrench into my training plans.

The two biggest benefits of racing this weekend would be getting some more practice on the gnarly Pennsylvania rocks, and squeezing some more miles into the legs. The two biggest negatives would be the risk of burning too many matches before Wilderness 101, and spending extra money on the trip that I should probably be saving. Both sets of factors are valid and making things really hard to decide on what to do.

The one solution to this dilemma might just be to take a nearby day trip and get in some good techy riding. That way, I won't be tempted to go "race hard", and I'll save money while still being able to get in the benefit of riding and practicing on some rocks. The only problem with that is where the hell do I go? Seems the only rocky trails I know enough to ride are in State College PA, a nearly 6 hour car drive away. I'm sure there is something closer, but I'm afraid that once I got there I might not know enough about the trails to put in a solid ride. Either way, I've got a few more days left to decide on what to do.

In other news...

I've been really stressed out about work of late. I've got some side projects in the works, but for the day to day stuff, I just need a big time change. I've been personal training now for almost 10 years and while I still love it, things are starting to get a little old. I either need to get a spark from working with more athletes, changing things up, or something... Or, I need to look for a new career. I'd love to work in the bike industry, but I have no idea on where to start. I'm completely up for relocating, I just need to find a job first. If anyone has any ideas, let me know! :)

Good Weekend

2011-07-18T04:25:00.000-07:00

After a sub-par mountain bike ride on Saturday, I finished up strong on Sunday with a nice long road ride. It's funny, but I never thought to actually do some of the "tour" type/century rides as training. When you think about it, you might pay a small fee to sign up for them, but most are fully supported and done on some nice roads. Add to that the fact that not only are there other people to chat with on the ride, but because of the amount of people riding is safer because drivers can see you much better.

So today is pretty much a rest/stretch/foam rolling day. Looking forward to chilling out a bit and relaxing. I'm about 80% sure I'm going to race this weekend, so the rest of the week will be determined by that decision. The Wilderness 101 is a week from this coming Saturday and I really wanna crush that race. I'll have to see how I'm feeling during the week. If I'm feeling good, I'll race this Sunday, if not, then I'll take the opportunity to rest up and get ready to go for the W101.

Damn

2011-07-17T16:18:00.001-07:00

The next time someone tells me that cyclists are just a bunch of fairies in lycra, I'll show them this pic. Damn. That's a B.A.M.F. (Bad Ass Mother- "Figure out the rest")

Aw Crap.

2011-07-16T15:23:00.000-07:00

NOT a good ride today. Started off well, but just never got rollin'. Lots of stopping and turning around, messing with my bike, and generally letting stupid crap get to me.

I had planned to make today an "adventure day" on the mtb. There are some old and barely used trails I wanted to take a peek at today. Yeah...they sucked. I guess I didn't realize that when trails are barely used, they normally aren't any good. So therein was my stopping every 5 minutes and turning my dumbass around to get back on a trail that actually went somewhere.

Then, after riding a bit, I noticed some clicking in my new bike!!! Instead of thinking rationally and realizing that things need to "settle" a little in any new bike, I wigged out and started tinkering with stuff. Sure I could have just realized that if everything was tight and good, there probably was no problem, but that just wouldn't be me:).

Anyway, turns out it's not a big deal with the shock, just needed an adjustment and some of bolts on the pivots needed to be tightened. Kinda bummed I let it get to me so much... Oh well. Tomorrow's another day.

Speaking of tomorrow, I'm going to do the Tour of the Gold coast. It's kinda a big "gran fondo" type of ride. Some guys race it, others just ride. I'm looking to just ride, but I'm not making promises. Once the competitive juices get flowing... Either way, it's a good way to get some saddle time in on the road-something I really hate doing. Riding on the dirt is just so much more fun!

Wow!!! First HiFi ride report

2011-07-15T14:50:00.001-07:00

Ok, ok, I know I posted the same pic yesterday, but I'm just THAT excited about this bike!

Being that this is the first full suspension bike I've ever owned (or ridden for that matter), I wasn't exactly sure what to expect. I had been thinking it was going to be pretty squishy, and that I would notice a HUGE difference in power transfer compared to my hardtail. For all intents and purposes, I expected this bike to be a slow accelerating, but comfy ride that I might get frustrated with.

Honestly, I couldn't have been more wrong. From the first pedal stroke, I was amazed with how quickly this thing accelerated. It really doesn't feel all that much different from my hardtail in that regard. Sure it feels different, but not in a bad way.

Handling was a bit different as well, but again, not in a bad way. Every bike handles slightly different-even if it's set up the same. The chainstays are slightly longer on this bike compared to my HT, so the long wheelbase is just a bit less nimble. I felt a tiny bit slower in the twisty stuff at first, but once I adapted to the change, it was barely noticeable. The biggest thing I did notice, was that this bike really really SITS in the corners. I've had a similar sensation after running lower pressure in my rear tire on my HT, but with the added suspension on the HiFi, I can really be aggressive in the turns and not have to worry about loosing traction.

Downhills are FAAAAST! So fast, in fact, I got caught off guard a few times and nearly went off the trail after screaming through a bumpy downhill. 29er full suspension bikes are like cheating in this regard. It rolls over EVERYTHING-and quickly! I thought the HT was efficient...not as much as this!

And finally, techy uphills are much mush easier. From what I can gather, a full suspension bike really rewards the efficient rider. The better your pedal stroke, the better the bike will suit you. Less "pedal bob" and more grippyness on the short, sharp, and loose climbs. Even when you stand up and mash the pedals, the rear tire grabs because, unlike a hardtail, the frame absorbs the power and puts it directly into the tire. The result is you get less skid and more grip. Basically, it relieves you of the need to softpedal when things get slippy.

Overall, I couldn't be more satisfied. I'm completely sold on the use of a full suspension bike-so much so, that if you were to ask me to have one bike, it would be this one. I never imagined how efficient this bike could be, and I'm so happy I decided to get it.

HiFi in the house!!!!

2011-07-14T17:18:00.001-07:00

Before...

AFTER!!!

So I was lucky enough to secure a SWEET full suspension 29er this past week, and received delivery of it this morning. (If you read my post from yesterday you'd already know about my mini-saga concerning the United States Postal Service)

Anyway, got the frame unpacked and went to work building her up. Ran into some issues regarding the cable and brake hose routing and had to get my professional mechanic buddy Nelson to give me a hand, but in the end everything works! I still have to order a longer brake hose for the rear brake as the one I used from my Paragon hard tail is just a bit too short. It works, and is completely ridable, but doesn't follow the frame's routing guides like it should. With some luck I should have a new hose by the end of next week.

So about the bike. I'm not going to go into componentry too much (sarcasm!), but I'm running a Shimano XT hallowtech Crank, Shimano SLX direct mount FD, Sram X9 RD, Bontrager Race Lite wheels (it'll have Bonty Race X Lite race wheels), Bontrager carbon bars, and Bontrager Race X Lite carbon seatpost. I have a Fizik Tundra saddle on it now, but I'm probably going to swap it out for my Selle Italia SLR carbon saddle w/ ti rails (love the hell out of that saddle!-got it for 20 bucks!). Otherwise, it's got ESI grips, Shimano XTR pedals and Avid Elixer brakes. I think that's about it... :) Oh, and Fox will be providing the suspension, front and rear!

I might make some more component changes as things move along (and money moves in-hopefully!), but for now that's it. The only change I'll make to race is the wheels. I haven't weighed it yet, but I'm assuming it's not that much heavy. Surely it's gonna be heavier than my Superfly, but I really don't think I'll be worried about weight when I'm cruising over rocks and roots without getting all banged up!

From what I can gather, the suspension is really firm. I just pedaled up and down the street, and haven't done a proper ride yet, but it seems a lot less "squishy" than I though it would. This, of course, might change when I take it out on the trails tomorrow, but so far so good!

Oh, and I almost forgot, I'm wrapping my Bontrager wheels with Schwalbe Rocket Ron's containing Stan's Tire Jizz (thanks Lucho!:) ). I run my tires fairly low (27lbs in the rear, 21lbs in the front), and these tires roll faaast! They're super grippy, but still have little rolling resistance. They don't have a ton of puncture protection though, and they wear out faster than an Usher song at the prom, but it's hard to deny how awesome a tire they are.

I'll have more of a review after I ride tomorrow, but I'm so excited to finallly have a full suspension bike! I guess this means I'll actually need to move to a place where I really need a full suspension bike:).

Miiiigrane!!!!!

2011-07-14T13:31:00.000-07:00

I get migranes from time to time. Usually they occur when the weather changes, the pollen comes out, or I let myself get too run down. I'm thinking that this one was a result of the weather changing dramatically as well as being a bit run down.

After 2 very hot and humid days in a row, last night was actually quite cool and pleasant. No humidity, and temps way down from what they were in the daytime. I sleep with the window open, and could feel the cool air all night. Slept very well...

That is, of course, until I woke up at 5am with a splitting headache, dizzy, and queezy. Typical migrane symptoms for me. Well, with that bag of suck, my day pretty much followed suit. Luckily (or unluckily) I didn't have too many appointments, and could try and relax (which I didn't do) to get over this thing.

Instead, I decided to go for an easy spin, which really was easy, but left me feeling even worse. I guess it's a crapshoot-sometimes those little spins make you feel better, other time worse. Either way, I feel even crappier than before. The only good news is that my HiFi build is almost done, and I should be able to ride tomorrow, provided I feel up to it.

I've got a big weekend on tap with a long off road ride on Saturday, followed by a century ride on Sunday. This is all subject to change of course if I feel like riding the dirt all weekend which is a strong possibility. I'm thinking an "off Long Island" adventure to the wonderful state of New Jersey might be on tap. Either that or perhaps going upstate New York way... Decisions decisions...

MTB Intervals

2011-07-13T17:51:00.001-07:00

Love this workout. Basically I let the land do the time-work. Picked out a 15 mile section of trail, and on different parts, held an all out sprint until the designated area was over. Basically this is a Vo2 workout, done without a watch or a power meter/heartrate monitor.

I'm a big fan of doing this on my mountain bike and not on the road bike because it helps with handling. Nothing gets you to the point of good handling on a mountain bike like sprinting through the woods, dodging trees and trying to stay on two wheels.

Because of the layout of the land, the rest times vary. It feels a lot like a race because there are so many "attacks" coming at somewhat random times. Love, love, love this workout!

Also, it's quick. All told, with a warmup and quick cool down, this took me under 2 hours to complete, staying in line with what I'm trying to do regarding keeping my weekly workouts all about quality and sharpness.

On another note, I'm really bummed right now as I planned on having my new full suspension frame to build tonight. Well, because of the wonderful US Postal service and their policy of not leaving packages at your door, I have to wait until tomorrow morning. I know it's only a few hours, but I'm so psyched about having this bike in my stable I can't wait! I'll post pics when it's built!

Tomorrow will most likely be a mellow ride. I'm trying hard not to overload my system right now. I feel like I'm still walking a fine line between peak fitness and overtraining. Instead of taking time off, I'm instead putting a cap on my riding. For the next few weeks leading into more races, the weekends are for big hours in the saddle, and the week is generally for rest, sharpening, and quality. I don't mind taking days off when I must, but I believe a smart "plan" can keep me on the bike without problems.

Road Ride

2011-07-12T14:08:00.000-07:00

Absolutely great ride outside today, even if it was shortened a bit as a result of air leaving my rear tire:). I've been spending so much time on the mountain bike lately that I completely forgot how fast and efficient the road bike is.

I love riding my mountain bike on the road because it just makes you a beast when you get back on the road bike. While I have nearly no desire to get seriously into road racing, the speed is fun and the smooth "hum" of the tires can by hypnotic.

Today wasn't much more than getting out on the bike and letting the terrain dictate my output. Went harder when I felt like it, but for the most part it was just a two hour, steadily paced effort.

This week, I really, really want to pay attention to how I feel, and not just at hours accumulated. For most of this season, I've just been looking at the bottom line at the end of the week. If I was able to hit somewhere in the area of 20 hours of riding (sometimes a little higher or lower), and still get in some good intervals during the week and steady efforts on the weekends, I was happy. I think that worked for the most part as I've continued to get stronger, but it's starting to get stale. Aerobically I don't think I can get much fitter, but coming into the next couple week's races (The Curse of Dark Hallow-60mi, and The Wilderness 101 miler), I'd like to get on the gas a bit with shorter and more focused sessions. Basically I'm forgetting about time, and concentrating everything on quality. I might even go out and get a bike computer...Maybe.

Rest Day

2011-07-11T07:16:00.000-07:00

Not just for the guys in France, but for me as well. I've taken a whole new appreciation to resting since taking a couple days off in a row last week. As I've said before, it's definitely under appreciated.

I felt unbelievable for all 7 hours on the mountain bike this weekend. As hard as it was to basically "shut myself down" for two days, it made all the difference. It's nice to have such hard evidence that resting obviously works, and I'm hoping this experience will remind me that I can train hard, but I need to rest just as hard if not more so.

Wednesday I'm expecting to receive my first full suspension bike, a HiFi Deluxe frame from Trek. I'm building it up to be a possible primary 100 mile race bike. The next few races coming up are all on gnarly, technical, east coast singletrack with rocks and roots galore. Riding my Superfly HT is nice on the climbs, but I'm thinking I can make up more time and have some more control riding something that is full squish-particularly over the rocky sections and longer descents. From what I've heard and read, the HiFi is a more than capable descender, while still not being all that bad of a climber. Hopefully I'll get a chance to see firsthand by the end of the week.

On a side note, I'm glad to see that the media at the tour didn't go all crazy with shoving cameras in riders faces after crashes yesterday. Since it's been such a crash-laden tour already, it seems like the photogs are going nuts with wanting more and more bloody coverage. It's great to see images of everything that's going on, but c'mon guys, we have to remember that seeing a guy laying in a bloody mass on the side of the road is a bit barbaric. Also, that French media car's driver should be arrested. I mean really? Did you not see both the big ass tree and/or professional bike racer in the road? Dumbass.

Sunday

2011-07-10T11:13:00.000-07:00

Great ride/race with great folks today, and it was all for a good cause! Wound up winning a free bike tune-up for my efforts!

Final numbers were about 50 miles in 4 hrs 3mins. Great ride and the legs felt great. Really didn't push things at all (save for the final 15 mins), and just cruised for the day. It was nice to be out in the early morning before the heat and humidity got to be too much.

Painting the deck is on tap for the rest of the afternoon, and then indulging in some of the last of my Dale's Pale Ale case. Think I'm gonna try some more offerings from Oskar Blue's-great stuff!

'Nother 2 post day...

2011-07-09T16:50:00.000-07:00

Second po'st today for the second day in a row! Wow, I REALLY have too much time on my hands!

Got out for about 3 hours on the mountain bike today, which was my plan. After much of an easy week, and with the last 2 days completely off, the legs felt better than new. Good rest is the most underrated aspect of training. It's like the Scotty Pippen to the Michael Jordan of training:).

Anyway, I threw in some good V02 efforts to spark some high end speed. My aerobic endurance is great right now, but I'm starting to loose my high end power. Since I haven't been training with anything but a watch lately, I have no numbers to back this up, but until today I was beginning to feel sluggish when I asked the legs to put it in to high gear. Sure enough, after the rest, they're back. I'm still planning on taking it easy for the most part at tomorrow's 4 hour "Ride-Race", but I'm happy with the feeling of power I had again today.

Stupid

2011-07-09T07:56:00.000-07:00

Dumb debate going on in my head this morning: Do I ride to the trailhead from my house, or do I drive and get in more time on the trails?

Basically I wanna do a 3 hour ride, but I'd like to spend nearly all that time on the dirt and not 40 or so minutes of it riding on the roads to and from the trail. I really HATE driving to the this particular trail because it's so close, but I'd really like to do a lot of skill work today and I figure the more time spent in the dirt the better.

Looking at it, it seems like I've kinda figured it out. I guess I just feel a pang of guilt in the back of my head for wasting gas and "F-ing" the environment... Oh well, it's only once.

Rest (second post today!)

2011-07-08T14:16:00.000-07:00

It's amazing how much time you have to do other things when you're not out riding your bike for hours at a time. Not that I have anything wrong with being busy, but damn do I feel lazy.

It's not like I haven't been productive today, and was even able to sell some extra bike stuff I had around, it's just that I haven't gotten my physical fill in close to 48 hours now and I'm gettin' the itch. I had almost wanted to go out for a short run today, but a cooler head prevailed and I decided if I was going to rest, I was going to REST-period.

Tomorrow I'll start back up on the bike with a shortish ride before the 4 hour charity shindig on Sunday. Not going to be a ton of hours on the bike this weekend, but I'm figuring somewhere in the avenue of 7 or 8 should do the trick. Just steady freddie pedaling...

Back to the real world

2011-07-08T04:33:00.001-07:00

After a week full of shinanigans:), it's back to life as I know it-at least for a little bit. First on tap is resting up my tired legs. As I see it, right now is make or break time for the Wilderness 101 at the end of this month. I'm dealing with some residual fatigue coming off of this past week's sha-lacking (is that how it's spelled?), and if I don't step carefully, I just might blow the top off my fitness for the rest of the season.

Given the fact that I've been training basically non-stop, and now racing a fair bit, it's time to take at least a couple consecutive days off the bike. I always say I'm gonna do this, but for some reason or another, I find a reason to go out and pedal.

Fact is, I LOVE riding a bike. I love the speed, the skill, and the feeling of turning the cranks and hearing my tires hum underneath me. Always have. I can't think of a time in my life (minus a couple years in college) when I didn't own a bike. Even then, I had one, just not with me at school. In addition, I've come to realize that I've always loved being in nature. Why the hell did it take me so long to discover mountain biking??? :)

Training wise I'm looking to relax today (as I did yesterday), and then hit the trails tomorrow. I might throw in some intervals if I'm feeling it, or I might just ride. Then, Sunday is a charity "race", which is actually more of a ride. Basically it's 4 hours, and for each lap completed of a 10 mile loop, money will be donated in the riders name for the protection of animals. Since I'm an animal and I like other animals (as well as riding my bike for extended periods), I figure it's a win for everyone!

That's about it for now. Work is slow, but that's life. More time to plan my future and lay the foundations for independent success:).

Easy Spinnin'

2011-06-29T15:04:00.000-07:00

Riding the mountain bike all the time, on both the roads and trails, makes you stupid strong. You'd almost forget about it if you didn't ride your road bike every once in a while like I did today.

I've been sticking pretty exclusively to putting the miles in on my mountain bike. Just about all my rides lately have included paved road, fire road, and single track. Since the road bike was collecting dust, and I needed an easier day anyway, I decided to take it for a 90 minute recovery ride to keep the legs moving, but ease the intensity a bit. Wow! what a difference skinny tires and a rigid fork make!

Anyway, that was all for today. Again I got caught up with some life stuff, but still managed to enjoy getting in a little bit of extra, 'active', rest. Tomorrow will be a 'play it by ear' day, but nothing too long as I have a lot of riding coming up this weekend with the stage race. I'll have to be careful not to burn any matches on the bike tomorrow, but still have fun nonetheless. It's not gonna be easy!

Ride 3 hours

2011-06-28T13:32:00.000-07:00

Got in a pretty solid, albeit easy paced 3 hours on the bike. Since abandoning my HR monitor and power meter, I've gotten very good at telling how fast I'm going and how much I'm pushing on any given day. I did the Stoopid 50 sans even a bike computer and was very pleased with how things worked out. And for training I'm continuing to do the same. I might cave one day and hook up a speed and cadence device, but I don't think that'll be anytime soon. Just me and my watch for now:).

Very busy the last couple days which is what I like. Not so much on the training front, but rather just life stuff. I've been trying to get a lot done, and it seems like that's working for me. I'm not very good at not being busy, so the more I move, the happier I am.

Back to training, this is the second time in a couple weeks I've been able to get up and train before 6am and it's awesome. I love riding to the sunrise, not to mention getting good work on the bike done before I start my work day. With the summer being as it will be with my clients, I'll have more of an opportunity to do this on a regular basis.

I might wind up taking another rest day tomorrow. This weekend is going to be loaded with riding, and if I'm going to have any chance at the stage race starting Friday, I'd better get my legs some rest. Plenty of good food and recovery tactics on the way!

Sigh...

2011-06-27T04:48:00.001-07:00

Lately, if it's not one thing, it's the other. Life, for me, has been one constant challenge after the next over this past month or so. I'm hoping things will calm down and go back to normal, but maybe this is the 'new' normal in my life. About time I guess.

Today is complete rest from the bike, and even though I'm tempted to hop on the two wheeled machine for a quick commute to work, I won't. It's a gorgeous day out there today, and would be perfect for a ride, but right now, I need the rest-mentally as well. I'm hoping today will provide me with a good chance to catch up not only rest, but on life as well.

The Weekend

2011-06-26T17:03:00.000-07:00

This weekend was really nothing special-emphasis on NOTHING. I've got wooden legs, I'm tired, and I haven't been getting enough sleep. All a recipe for shit training.

I was able to spend about 7 hours on the bike the last two days, maybe a little more, maybe a little less. I haven't clocked a mile in months, and I never use a bike computer anymore. I find that these things, in the state of mind I'm in right now, really get in my way. Through the winter, sure a power meter and heart rate monitor where my "go to" devices, but now I'm just riding hard when it's called for, and riding easy when that's called for. Nothing special, just doing it.

As for my crappy state, I'm sure it stems from a lack of rest. As a matter of fact, I'm SURE that's exactly what it comes from. I've been stressed out, drinking too much caffeine, and sleeping at most 5 broken hours a night. I felt awesome at the beginning of the week, but ended it with a wimpering fart:).

Tomorrow I'll rest and get some good food in the gut. Hopefully this will help me get out of my funk. Good sleep, good food, and a rest day should do the trick!

More Rain

2011-06-24T05:42:00.000-07:00

Seems like a lot of rain has been falling on me lately-both literally and figuratively. Life's issues remain in my personal and work life, and the rain isn't making it any easier to get in some saddle time to help cope with things. I usually enjoy rainy days, but I think I've had enough.

I'm terrible with stress. I'm anxious by nature, and if I don't have a good outlet for it, stress rips me apart. I'm good at putting a front on, but it's torture for me on the inside. I guess what I'm trying to say is that without some sort of physical outlet, I'd easily be lost.

Anyway, enough with the serious stuff:). Another rainy day today might mean another forced rest day. I just don't think I have it in me to ride wet AGAIN today. With a bunch of fitness carried over from my training and racing thus far this summer, now isn't the worst time to rest. We'll see. At least the weekend is supposed to be nice!

Rider on the Storm

2011-06-23T11:54:00.000-07:00

Got back on the hog today after a somewhat forced day of rest yesterday and the pistons were firing high! Rode the mountain bike for a bit over 3 hours today, mostly dirt with plenty of the techy stuff. If I'm to be ready for PA in a couple weeks, I best get my fair share of riding whatever bumpy stuff I can.

Today turned out to be perfect for the fact that it was raining steady for most of the ride. Being that there are plenty of exposed roots on many sections of the trail, the wet conditions made it even tougher to navigate. Great opportunity to work on skills while trying not to slip and break your ass!

The one tough part of the day was the ride home. Driving, downpour type rain slammed me for the entire 20 minutes from trailhead to my door. Without a doubt the heaviest rain I've ever ridden in-the type that you can't even see your hand in front of your face. Gotta say though, I was ginning ear to ear the entire ride. It was like being a kid again! And the best part was I didn't even have to wash my bike when I got home! Just a towel dry and she's done! Now my organic brake pads, on the other hand, will need replacing. Not much surface left on those bad boys, but it was worth the fun in the rain!:)

Friday night race series starts for me tomorrow night! Looking forward to mixing it up a bit. Off now to get some Oscar Blue's Dale's Pale Ale. Anyone ever tried it? Kinda pricey, but I've heard good things about Oscar's. Fingers crossed!

Relentlessness

2011-06-22T12:18:00.000-07:00

With my new motto of "Be relentless", I'm not doing a very good job today. Perhaps, being "lazyness" is more the correct line for today.

Been sulking a bit and it's frustrating as hell. My mind is telling my body (in a very Jens Voigt way) to "shut up and do what I tell you", but the body ain't listening. Sure sign for me that it's a good day for a rest day.

I rode well yesterday with a friend from the local shop, so I'm still happy with where my fitness is. Being lighter with as much power as I had when I was heavier is like doping, just without the "dope" part. It's amazing to see what happens when your watts to weight ratio changes in your favor!

My diet, though a little sloppy this week, has continued to be good. Many more fruits and veggies are working their way into my system, and I'm happy that it has me feeling better and better every day.

Anyway, rest day today, back at it tomorrow with a longish mtb ride and then hopefully a Friday night road crit at the local community college. Looking forward to knocking elbows with some of the roadies.

It's coming...

2011-06-20T04:05:00.001-07:00

Time to take a step back

2011-06-19T18:06:00.000-07:00

Woke up the last couple days in a absolute fog. I probably could have gotten a couple more hours of sleep, but I NEVER feel this tired in the morning, even with only 6 hours. REALITY CHECK!!!!

I've been digging pretty deep for a while, trained well, worked hard on the bike, battled some illness, and now my body is just telling me to relax for a few days. I jumped right back into training the day after the Stoopid 50 which, in hindsight, was (pardon the pun) pretty stupid. Even though I felt great I should know better. It's not like I have any big races coming up (or "did" have any big races coming up-more on that in a min) until the Wilderness 101 in July, so why not kick back a bit? Because I LOVE riding my bike that's why! I guess sometimes fun gets in the way of making decisions that might be of greater benefit. Could be worse.

So, I rode hard for most of this week and I'm taking a well deserved day or two completely off the bike tomorrow, and perhaps the next day. Better not to burn out right now when the summer has just started!

On another note, I just (like 20 minutes ago "just") got a call inviting me to attend a 6 day stage race in PA early next month. I don't know all the details yet, but from what was explained to me there are a lot of big guns racing there, and it's invitation only. I'm psyched to be included, and realistically am hoping to learn as much as I can about riding and racing on multiple days. It'll be a great learning experience for me, and combined with another race I'm eyeing, will be a great build up to the Wilderness 101. It's all kind of baptism by fire for me, but with the goals I have, time is of the essence and I want to be thrown right into the mix as soon as possible.

Friday

2011-06-17T10:36:00.000-07:00

Nearly a week post-race I'm still feeing a bit frustrated, but more motivated than ever to get back to working on my technical skills. For dirt and some roots I'm all good, but for genuine East Coast rocks, I need some work. Maybe I should think about racing out west!:)

Anyway, Monday was back on the bike with an impromptu ride with a friend. I was, and still am, suprised with where I was after the race. Absolutely NO post race soreness (with the exception of some bumps and bruises). Again, I'm super psyched with where my fitness was for the race, and am very excited that I seem to have nailed both my rest going into the race, as well as my nutrition during and after. I'm positive that my change to more of a "Paleo" style diet has a lot to do with how good I felt during the race, as well as how quickly I've been able to come back to normal afterwards. Kind of simple really; fruits and veggies give you nutrition-Pizza and junk food doesn't. Simple.

So Monday was a mountain bike ride that started easy while riding with my friend, then turned into a little bit of a hammer fest when he ducked out. I wanted to test the legs a bit and I was amazed with where I was less than 24 hours after racing a very, very, very rocky 50 miles followed immediately by 6+ hours driving home. Looks like I'm going to have some talent for some stage races coming soon!

Tuesday was an easy road ride, though it didn't need to be. I figured I'd better get in some easy spinning on-road so as not to lead myself down the path of accumulated fatigue. Then both Wednesday and yesterday were longer, steady paced rides off-road. I'm seeking out trails and fire roads with things that I don't usually see on the singletrack here. Sand, rocks, loose stuff, mud-whatever it is, I wanna ride it all. I'm determined NEVER to be outclassed on technical stuff like I was last Sunday, EVER, EVER, again.

I'm continuing to stay positive about the race. There were a TON of things that I did right and did well. I had some of the strongest legs (I believe) in the field, finished strong considering how much time I spent hiking my bike through rock gardens, and nailed my nutrition and fitness right on the head. My time loss wasn't due to anything other than the fact that I just didn't have enough time riding the rough stuff. I'm encouraged knowing that I was strong enough and fit enough to hang with the front guys, and it'll only be a matter of time, patience, and practice until I can manage to hang with them on the stuff I don't currently ride.

Today will be more of a rest day before I get back to some work this weekend, both on the road tomorrow, and on the trails Sunday. I had a though of doing a cross country race next weekend, but I think, given the races I'm looking toward for the rest of this summer, it might be a better idea to head to northern New Jersey for a day to get some time in on some rocky trails. The way I see it, I was going to spend the money in gas to get to the race (which is about the same distance), so why not get in some good training without having to spend extra money on an entry fee!

On a side note, is it weird that I'm already getting excited about racing 'cross? I mean it's not even July yet!!!

Stoopid 50 Race Report

2011-06-14T08:04:00.001-07:00

One word: Frustrating. Three words: Frustrating as Hell!

This was my second endurance mountain bike race and really only my second stand alone mountain bike race. It was also my first time racing on trails that I was unfamiliar with, as well as more technical than anything I'd ever seen.

To say it was rocky was an understatement. For a trail runner to run these trails, he or she had better be agile as heck. For a mountain biker to ride these trails, he or she better me technicaly savvy. Imagine riding your bike on the moon and you'd get an idea of what this race is about.

The start of the race was a couple miles of road that turned to gravel road. I lined up near the front and was riding with the leaders as we hit the first section of singletrack. Then the fit hit the shan. Immediately, the technical skills I thought I had failed me as guys cruised by me on the rocks. Rock garden after rock garden jammed me up and had me re-thinking my decision to stay with the big guns.

I made it through the first section in one piece (even after a few hike-a-bikes), and didn't loose too much ground on the front group. Back on fire roads I was able to pull back quite a few spots, but soon lost them again as we came to more techy singletrack. This would be the theme of the entire race-loose time on the singletrack, gain time on the doubletrack and roads, repeat.

As the sections became more rocky, I got more frustrated and lost focus. I'm not used to rocks like this and they were tearing me apart. After a couple of crashes and slams, equipment issues, and loosing more time, I just decided to put my head down, pedal, and do the best I could.

About halfway through, there was a nice rain storm that cooled things off, but made my equipment issues a little tougher to deal with. Shifting with a bent derailliur hanger is tough, but when all the rain and mud washes away your chain's lube, it's nearly impossible to get a clean shift.

From about the halfway point to the end of the race, I really started to have fun. I let the realization that I wasn't going to finish where I wanted slip away and just concentrated on enjoying the day, getting better on the rocks, and riding my bike-something that, even on a bad day, is an awesome thing!

In the end, I actually started to get good riding the rocks, and finished in 29th amongst the open men. Crossing the line I still felt amazingly fresh, which in itself was frustrating because it tells me I had the fitness, just not the skill.

I could have easily hated ever second of this race, but that would have been stupid (pardon the pun!). All this tells me is that while I have a solid amount of fitness and can contend with the big boys, I still need to work on being a technically proficient rider. Granted, these were probably some of the most techy trails I'll ever face during a race, it's still important to get to work.

All in all the Stoopid 50 was an awesome experience. I can't say enough about the great organization, the awesome people, and the area. I really can't wait to do this race again, and hopefully get a chance to ride these trails some more. Two thumbs up for sure!

Normal is getting normal

2011-06-09T14:36:00.000-07:00

Looks like after yesterday the pieces of my shattered life are starting to glue themselves back together. I'm not one for whining, but I've had the absolute shittiest luck this past month.

"Adversity doesn't build character, it reveals it." That's a quote I heard the other day and realize just how true it is. I've been through a rough patch, and I'm happy with the way I've been able to handle it. It's always easy to run away and hide, but if you stick around and face those things which give you trouble it shows how strong you are. I'd like to think I've done more sticking around than running and hiding.

Anyway...
I'm looking forward to heading down to PA this weekend for the Stoopid 50. Not sure what exactly to expect from this race, but it looks to be a pretty tough 50 miler, with plenty of rocks and techy singletrack-which plays to my strengths. Like I've said it'll be a good test. And not only that, but I'll get to catch up with a cousin of mine I rarely get to see. Nothing says family like "Hey man, can I crash on your couch?"

So that's it for now. Just hurrying up and waiting for the weekend.

Turning the corner?

2011-06-08T19:05:00.000-07:00

I don't wanna jinx myself, but I think I'm beginning to turn the corner on my month+ of bad luck and general "shit happens" stuff. Today was the first solid "good day" I've had in a while. The sun was shining, I picked up my new car, and got in a good ride on the trails. Work was well (which is HUGE right now), and generally things are looking up.

Now that I've said that, I'm sure I'll have something go wrong tomorrow. Maybe this is all just a test to see how much I can take. Just have to keep positive and keeping moving forward. After all, "it's not how hard you can hit, it's how hard you can get hit and keep moving forward."

Uncle! Uncle!

2011-06-07T07:24:00.001-07:00

Seems that my body is calling out "Uncle!" for now. Had some solid training in the past week, with four big days back to back to back to back leading into Sunday. Big workouts, trying to get in any last minute fitness I could get. I'm satisfied with where I am now, though I'm not exactly sure if it's my best. The Stoopid 50 will be a great test of what I'm up against in this endurance mountain bike racing game, and I'm looking forward to seeing where I stand.

For the race, I'm pretty set on Nutrition (Infinit all the way), but I'm toying with the idea of wearing a Camelback filled with only water. I'm really not a huge fan of Camelbacks, but it might be a necessity as the temps are gonna be hot and the humidity high. Also, it's an extra expense I don't wanna account for as my money belt is already tight enough. Decisions, decisions...

Today was a 1:15 ride on the mountain bike, mostly endurance paced with some race efforts thrown in. I've realized that I'm good at steady on the mountain bike. I can ride all day and not slow down, but I'm lacking some high-end speed. I'm not too concerned about that though, but it would be nice to up the pace a bit for the steady output stuff. Gonna have to get back to the drawing board after this coming weekend and hit some good structured workouts again. Just riding the bike has been fun, but I'm starting to identify some weaknesses that could use addressing.

More of the same

2011-06-06T17:54:00.000-07:00

The past month has not been real kind to me. Some personal issues, illness, flight delays, and a shitstorm at work have left me wondering whether or not I'm cursed. It's not like I'm a superstitious person, but all the events of the last month have me wondering what the hell is going on.

Today was no exception. After a weekend of very good training (as well as getting hit by a car-or rather, hitting a car), I may have been a little cranky. I pushed it really, really hard this weekend, and maybe I'm a little over tired and a little over emotional, but I just feel like there's no end to my bad luck. The work stuff keeps piling up, as well as just a general feeling of unhappiness-which I'm guessing is due to the fact that I'm not working as much right now as I'd like to.

This all has me reconsidering my life and the choices I've made. Maybe it's time to change things up a bit-work wise I mean. Maybe it's time to settle into a more stable position, and stop chasing the dream of self employment. Or, maybe I should just HTFU, suck, it up, and get on with moving forward. Whatever the case, I gotta make a move or else I'm gonna wind up as crazy as Charlie Sheen in a hotel room...

With that, I'm looking forward to the Stoopid 50 mountain bike race this weekend. It'll be my second endurance mountain bike race (actually it'll be my second mountain bike race ever), and I'm looking forward to the test it'll provide. I have plans on doing the Wilderness 101, which takes place in the same area of Pennsylvania, so this will be a good opportunity to see where I stand on some PA singletrack. From what I hear though, the Stoopid 50 is rather techy and mostly singletrack, while the Wilderness 101 is more fire road and doubletrack with some singletrack sprinkled in.

No matter what it'll be a great distraction from the mess that is my life right now. Nothing says escape like shredding some singletrack.

Frontin'

2011-06-05T12:06:00.000-07:00

Just got home from a mtb ride and I've gotta gripe. Actually this goes back to yesterday and a few other incidents as well.

I mostly train alone, a little out of preference, but mostly out of necessity. Most of the guys that I would train with train at different times from me, have families, or other obligations. In a way it's kinda boring, but more often than not I prefer it because it lets me do what needs to be done without distraction.

Well, the last two days in a row, and I'm assuming this is because the weather has be down right gorgeous here, I've had these annoying 'wheel-suckers' come up on me when I'm out riding. Yesterday I was doing a ridiculous amount of hill repeats-the first half of the hill steady, then a sprint for the remainer. The hill's about a half mile long, so they add up after a bit. On about the 19th of 25 repeats, some stupid motherf*cker (yeah, basically that's what he was), decides to go with me on my sprint. Then, when we get to the top of the hill, he says something to the effect of "you're not so fast" (I was too crosseyed to make out exactly what was said, but it was something like that). Needless to say, it pissed me off.

Then today on the mountain bike, after about 5 hours in, I passed a couple guys standing on the trail. I hadn't planned on doing any tempo stuff today, just a steady endurance ride. Anyway, here we go again-one of the guys probably said to his buddy, "let's go catch him" and the next thing I know, the dude is coming up behind me fast. Now maybe I'm too competitive, or maybe I'm not disciplined, but I just couldn't let this duchebag pass me. So, being the meathead I am, I had to tear the legs off him. To his credit, he hung on for a bit, but it was sheer bliss seeing him come undone and drop like a bad habit.

Being tested against others in competition is something I really enjoy, but it annoys me when it comes into my training. I realize that I could be more disciplined and just do my own thing and let them do theirs, but then I guess I wouldn't be competitive.

Hello again...

2011-06-02T16:34:00.000-07:00

Normally when I take time off from blogging it's because I have nothing important or interesting enough to say. Usually it's at a time when I'm bogged down with training and working, or have better things going on (like when Anne was here last summer).

This time, though, the time between posts has been brought on not by having nothing to say, but having too much to say and not knowing how to say it all. When life is good, blog posts just flow. Easy enough-things that are fun are easy to write about. It's when life throws in some sour times is when it's hard to translate words to paper (or screen as it is).

The past weeks have been very difficult for me on a number of levels. Personal stuff, family stuff, and work stuff has just taken my mojo away for the time being. Interestingly, training has been the one place that I can find some sort of normality.

This is probably the first time in 15 years where I question my confidence on a daily basis. When I was younger, I was overweight and got bullied relentlessly. I never fought back with those who were aggressive toward me, but instead retreated to my own world-sports. At the time, I didn't play school sports like the other kids. Instead, I choose ice hockey, and looking back, there were probably a couple reasons for it. Number 1, I was AWAY from school, and therefore away from the kids that bullied me. They couldn't get to me if I wasn't there. And, number 2, (and I didn't realize this until just now) I probably chose ice hockey because you wore the most equipment, resulting in covering my overweight body and thus my biggest insecurity. Though I hated myself and the way I looked off the ice, I was free ON the ice to be the person I wanted to be. I looked just like everyone else, covered in pads and anonymous behind a helmet and facemask. In addition, I was actually good at it, which made things better. I was fast, I was strong, and I was aggressive. All these things helped to mold me into a better teenager, more confident and able to deal with the bullies that crowded my existence when I was at school. I would endure the school day to find my freedom on the ice. Though I was full of self doubt and self hatred most of the time, a whole different world was availible to me when I'd lace up my skates. Thank God for that.

I say all that to say that recently, for the first time in almost 2 decades, I feel like that fat kid again. It's terribly freightening to find that you don't have the same confidence and self assuredness that you've enjoyed for the last half of your life. It's not with sports, just with life. Sports has always been where I've found my confidence, and it's always bled over to the rest of my life. I'll make it through this rough patch I'm sure, but it will not be without some serious self reflexion and hard work.

So anyway, before this gets anymore depressing, training is going well. I feel stronger than ever on the bike, and I'm looking forward to racing next weekend. I had wanted to race this weekend in the NUE series at the Mohican 100, but because of the previously listed issues with my life, it's just not gonna work. Not to mention the fact that my bike broke-though I just picked up the replacement from Trek today!

So next weekend will be the Stoopid 50 fifty mile mountain bike race. I've done a six hour race before, but this will be my very first all out 50 miler. I'm disappointed that I'm not competing in the Mohican, but there will always be more races. For now, I'm excited to test myself in something completely new. The focus on this will surely help take a step to getting away from my inner 'fat kid'.