Blue Star

Stages 3-7

2009-07-09T14:05:00.000-07:00

Sorry for the delayed update on the second half of BC Bike Race. Cellular coverage for the wireless modem was spotty on the Sunshine Coast. Moreover, my wrist was toast (major sprain) from an errant branch that about knocked me off the bike mid-way through Stage 2. I didn't think much of it when it happened, but it became a major issue later in the race. It's still swollen today, but at least I can type now. So, it's a little late, but here's a quick recap of the adversity we went through to take 13th place in the two-person open division of the BC Bike Race.

Stage 3 -- Cumberland: Stage 3 started like the rest with a super fast pace through the town out to some fire roads that quickly dumped into to some tight singletrack. A congo line of riders formed and when there were bobbles up front the domino effect further back caused some to have to get off and run. After things spread out a bit, we started drilling the pace and made up a ton of ground into the top 10 teams out there. We made it over the major climb of the day (7km and about 1800 feet of vertical) and were descending a really rocky super-steep technical section and missed a turn. We ended up at the bottom of the hill on a fireroad. At the moment when we were contemplating turning around and hiking back up the hill, a 4-wheeler with some course volunteers showed up and said if you follow the road you'll get back to the course faster. BIG mistake! The missed turn was apparently only 200 meters up the hill we had just come down. The road took us 5km back to the top of the descent. After re-riding the technical descent, the turn was much better marked with a stick and several pink ribbons. Maybe sabotage from the unruly locals? Back on course after losing an eternity of time in our uphill diversion, we tried to make up time. Problem was the morale was low, the winds strong, and I probably wasn't eating enough. I bonked hard about with 15km to go and had to slow the pace down significantly to recover and get some calories in me. The power came back with about 5km to go, but the damage was done. We lost 45 minutes on the teams we were competing with.

Stage 4 -- Earl's Cove to Seschelt: We made the transfer over to the sunshine coast immediately following Stage 3. At midnight following two ferry rides, we arrived in Earl's Cove and setup camp in the RV on a side road a stone's throw from the ferry terminal. My aforementioned wrist was swollen and super sore following the technical singletrack of Day 3. Throughout the evening, I repeatedly iced hoping to fix it for the next day. We awoke the next day to sunny skies and the hopes of a better day on course. My wrist had other ideas though. It was really, really sore and made riding even "smooth" fireroads searingly painful. I put a lot of energy into manipulating myself on the bike to minimize the discomfort (e.g. riding one handed whenever possible). We started reasonably well, but RD flatted at about the half way point and team after team streamed by as we fumbled the change a bit. Following the tire change, I lost my rhythm and my energy. I could barely hold the bar and seriously contemplated dropping out of the race at the end of the stage. After 70km of punishing singeltrack in 90 degree temps, we crossed the line and lost another big chunk of time. I downed a coke and 2 chocolate milks and after a conversation with RD decided, we would continue slogging away even if it was slow going due to my wrist.

Stage 5 -- Seschelt to Langale: I woke up to the wrist not hurting much and got it taped by the MASH unit. It felt good when I hopped on the bike and my spirits were raised by the prospect of a 12km downhill run into the ferry at Langdale at the end of the day. Once again, the start was fast but I had super legs. We started conservative and slowly ramped up the pace throughout the day. I was riding a bit stronger than RD today and that allowed me to accelerate ahead on the climbs and then recover and save my wrist on the downhills where RD would inevitably catch up. I knew we were having a good day when we caught and passed some of the fast teams out on course. We were absolutely railing all of the technical features and Nortshore style ladders across the high ridge passing several more teams. At the top of the final descent, I told RD to rip it up and I would meet him at the bottom. He took off and I did my best to go as fast as possible. I railed the descent to the best of my ability and even past two teams on the way down. RD was waiting for me in the final rocky stretch and we roared through the woods into the finish line taking back some time on our competitors. Needless to say, we were grinning from ear to ear because of the awesome descent we had just rode and because it was a solid result after two lackluster days.

Stage 6 -- Squamish!: I love riding in Squamish as much as any place in the world. Brimming with confidence from yesterday, we set out today to rip it up on trails we both know pretty well. RD got his customary moderate start while I accelerated with the lead group on the pavement through the local neighborhoods. Once in the dirt, we regrouped and proceeded to pick team after team off on the technical singletrack climbs and descents. We dropped into Re-cycle and just tore it up passing several riders like the were standing still. The route went to Pseudo-Psuga next. About half way down the trail, a bee flew behind my sunglasses and stung me on the cheek. OH SHIT! I'm allergic so I contemplated getting the Twinject out, but thought better of it and got back on the bike and kept riding. I caught RD and told him what happened, but said I don't think it is going to be a problem. He gave me a look and said "you better not die on me". I shrugged and said "He didn't get me square." Turns out all the anti-histamine I'm on for my seasonal allergies also keeps bee stings at bay. We bombed down the rest of the descent and then tragedy number 2 struck, I flatted. Stan's sealant sprayed from my tire as I tried to get the small tear in the sidewall to self-seal. No luck. We pulled the tube out and changed it. Between the sting and the flat all of the fast teams we worked so hard to pass came by us one after another. With the flat changed, we charged off trying to make up for lost time. Unfortunately, there just wasn't enough real estate left to make up a lot of time. We finished strong amongst the fast teams, but didn't make up as much time as we had hoped. At the end of the day, you could barely tell I got stung. That's a first!

Stage 7 -- Whistler: After Squamish we looked at the results and we had moved up to 14th overall and we're only 5 minutes down on 13th. The stage was short, only 30km, so we thought if we had a flawless day, we could possibly move up. The course featured a long climb straight out of the Creekside Village up to the mid-mountain gondola station. The long and steep climb quickly sorted the field out into the strong and the not so strong. We were doing exactly what we set out to do and were up with the fastest teams of the week. We summited the climb in prime position when, of course, disaster struck. RD's pedal broke and it would not hold his cleat. We had over 20km of racing to go with some serious technical descending and a lot of power climbs along the river back to Creekside. RD soldiered on pedaling on the spindle the rest of the course. He was able to keep the pace surprisingly high and only had to get off and run on the steepest/loosest climbs. Several teams passed us, but not too many. We left everything out on the last 3km road climb. I was cross eyed and RD was still drilling it with only one functioning pedal. After passing a couple of teams back, we dropped into the last section of singletrack for the week and I couldn't help but smile and laugh as I savored these last few minutes of the race. RD and I rolled into Creekside and across the line together. We both received the coveted "Finisher" BC Bike Race buckle. We soon learned that the team in 13th place had several flats on the stage and we beat on the stage by 10 minutes, so we moved up.

What a day, what a week, what a race. We persevered through technical problems, injuries, low morale, getting lost, bonks, bad legs and were still able to come out in 13th place. The top spots were occupied by Olympians and pros that actually get paid to ride for a living, so we are content with what we accomplished.

I've got some photos to upload later. So check back soon.

Oh, next year? Yup, but solo. I've got the BC Bike Race bug. I love the technical trails in BC and want to give it a go on my own to see what I can do outside the team dynamic. I can't wait!!!

Thanks for reading,

Blue Star

Day 2

2009-06-29T21:00:00.000-07:00

First off, 14th place yesterday. We followed that up with a 15th place in Stage 2 from Nanaimo to Parkesville today and we are sitting in 15th in the 2-person open category. The day started with a 20ish minute neutral rollout through the streets of Nanaimo led by a moto escort. It was a bit sketchy as 400 mtb racers bobbed and weaved through city streets and occasionally got hung up at stoplights. We successfully made it out of town to the base of a solid road climb and it was on. The lead pro teams twisted the throttle from the gun and rider after rider was spit out the back. We dangled for awhile trying not to kill ourselves and made into the trails in a reasonable position.

Once on the trails, it was still a pretty hot pace with a big group of riders riding single file. RD and I got separated as he made a few cheeky passes in the 1track that I wasn't able to replicate. There were also a few choose your own adventure sections that involved multiple routes to get to the same place. RD and I took some different lines and at one point I wasn't sure if he was in front or behind me. I pulled over for a bit and let 15 or so riders go by but got restarted after I determined he had to be in front of me. I railed the 1track at a bit of sketchy pace to try to catch back up and was able to reconnect after a few minutes of making some less than desirable passes.

We regrouped and got to work on the next 50km of nearly all 1track. The rest of the race was spent with RD taking the lead and me riding near or at my limit trying to keep him in my sight. The trails required lots of power with steep ups followed by equally steep downs. The last 20 km or so I was starting to feel a bit worked over from muscling the bike around for 3:30 hours. I ate some food and held on to the finish on some local trails in Parkesville. We finished in just over 4 hours pretty spent from the days effort.

Once in base camp, the afternoon and evening has consisted of Eat/drink, clean bikes, shower, eat/drink some more, get massage, eat dinner, fix brakes on bike (turns out the spray bottles at the bike wash are lube not soap, DOH!) and put together a blog post.

Here some pics from the day...

Yeah, we sported the Arrowsmith kits in Nanaimo. We got a lot of: "Hey Robin, you're doing awesome! We don't know you, but you're doing awesome too."

Game face on in the start corral. NOT!

Rolling into the finish to the train whistle. All aboard the Arrowsmith/Mafia train.

RD the Pimp of Singletrack. We found this "fur" coat in our RV spot.

Tomorrow is a solid day of 1track and bit of fireroad. We are going strong, so hopefully we continue as the war of attrition begins in earnest.

Thanks for reading.

Blue Star

Stage 1

2009-06-28T19:41:00.000-07:00

Stage 1 is done. At 10am to pumping music and the cheers of the spectators, the BC Bike Race rocketed out of the start chute around a nearly immediate 180 degree turn (doh!) to head up Mt Seyemour. There was a much publicized choke point where the road ended and the trail began, so the teams with high expectations for the week drilled the pace and the field split immediately. I made the split and sat on the back of the lead group of about 25 riders up through the neighborhood towards the trails. RD missed it and had to chase across before the start of the "ultimate singletrack experience."

We regrouped on the trail and proceeded to pick our way through fumbling riders on some trail that wasn't even that technical. We hit some pithces that stung a bit on the way up to the top of the Severed Dick descent. Severed Dick is a famous North Shore trail that features some ridiculously technical drops, skinny ladders, rocks, roots, and high possibility of carnage. I let zen master descender RD take the lead and we proceeded to bomb down the mountain. My strategy for the day: if RD rides it and survives, then I should be able to ride it too. It worked to perfection and we soon found ourselves in the company of Alison Sydor, a former World champion, a handful of other pros, and several of BC's super fast locals. With the Severed descent cleaned (except for one huge rock/root drop section that I could not ride and had to run because there were too many bodies and bike strewn on the ground), it was on to Mt. Fromme for our next challenge of the day.

We pace lined some multiuse trail over to Fromme and the big climb of the day began. 5% grade or so for about 30ish minutes of middle ring climbing. RD and I did our best to maintain position on the climb up to the top of the Pipeline descent, but a couple teams came by that were kicking out some big watts on Day 1 of a seven day stage race. Once on Pipeline, like Severed Dick, it was full-on North Shore riding with rock drops, ladders, root/rock features, etc. that all had to be deftly navigated. Once again, I let RD take honors and followed his lines. We bombed down the mountain on some stuff that surely had the teams from places other than the NW walking and cursing.

We popped out at the bottom of the trails in a residential North Van neighborhood. Made some lefts and rights, dodged a few cars, then crossed the finish line together in 2 hours on the button. Not many teams were there yet, so it was a good day. Not sure how we finished exactly, because we didn't wait around for results, immediately packed up the RV and caught the next ferry over to Vancouver Island. Home cooking and a real bed at RD's house in Nanaimo are on the schedule for tonight.

Here's some pics and a start vid from Day 0 and Day 1...

A rainbow over Vancouver from our hotel room just after packet pickup and the racer meeting.

Getting the rigs ready by the RV at the ice rink in North Van. The RV will be our home for the week.

Arrowsmith/Mafia Racing lined up towards the front to avoid any back of the back mishaps at the start.

Blue skies means its a good day to shred the gnar on the North Shore.

Coach Thomas cleaning the rigs post stage to get us ready for Day 2.

Ferry #1 for the week.

The start of Day 1.

Check back tomorrow for an update on Stage 2 that takes us from the ferry landing in Nanaimo north on Vancouver Island to Parkesville. Lots of 1track are on the menu and RD will definitely be leading the charge on his home trails.

Thanks for reading,

Blue Star

Vancouver Sun Article on BCBR

2009-06-26T11:24:00.001-07:00

Click here.

More reports to follow.

Blue Star

Blog Revived and BC Bike Race

2009-06-22T16:49:00.000-07:00

I thought about killing this blog since it takes quite a bit of time to keep up to date. Time is even more tight this year now that I'm co-running Mafia Racing NW, still keeping a full pro race schedule, and working at my real j-o-b as a lawyer. Nevertheless, people have asked why no posts this year and some are clamoring for BC Bike Race updates next week, so Blue Star Racer Blog lives on.

For those that don't know, BC Bike Race starts this Sunday, June 28th and runs through Saturday, July 4th. Lots of km of gnarly BC 1track lie ahead for me an my partner RD. My fitness is really good right now, RD bombs DH with the most elite riders around, so between the two of us we should be able to use both of our strengths to post some strong results. Check in throughout the week for some updates.

Thanks for reading,

Blue Star

Another Year in the Books

2008-10-29T19:45:00.000-07:00

I am now 33. Bikes are still my fun, my exercise, my addiction, my transportation, and my first love.

Blue Star

Being Lazy, Hitting the Gym, and a Little CX

2008-10-21T20:29:00.000-07:00

Not too much happening lately. I have been avoiding the bike when the weather is bad or when my motivation is not there to chamois up. I've also been getting slammed at the real j-o-b, so the motivation to ride seems to wane when the work day is a rough one. I guess it is good that I'm technically in the off season. I've set November 1 as my get serious and train cut off date.

I'm back in the gym throwing weights around like a body builder, well at least on the legs. This year I was pleasantly surprised I'd didn't lose too much strength during my time away from the gym during the race season. Also, I haven't been super sore after the first few weeks of leg sled and squats like I have in years past. Maybe I'll be able to pack on some more power this year.

Got the itch race the CX bike last weekend. I felt good on race morning, so I was excited to throw down. The start, however, had other ideas. Due to a missed clip-in by one of my competitors and then an errant stick that landed in my spokes bringing me to a halt within 10 feet of the start line, I was relegated to gapped off the back of the entire pack of 65 racers within the first minute of the race. Not good for a course that consisted of about 50% 1track. I immediately went to work passing as many people as I could. I think I ended up counting 30+ by the end. I never made it to the front of the race, but was pleased with my efforts. Maybe next time out, I can get a good start for once.

Here's a short movie of the barriers...

And a photo of the runup.

Thanks for reading,
Blue Star

Cactus Cup Recap

2008-09-23T15:11:00.001-07:00

Stage 1: Uphill TT A short and violent effort up a super steep climb. The course was allegedly a mile long, but I think it was about 3/4 of a mile. The upper section was super loose and traction was hard to find. I pre-rode several times and watched others do so as well in an attempt to find a good line. I came to the conclusion there was no good line. I cleaned it 4 or 5 times and felt like I had it reasonably dialed. Apparently not dialed enough, because during the race I lost traction at a tricky little rock section, had to unclip, and run 50 yards to where the hill eased a bit and I could remount. My slow time made be a bit cranky.

Spectators had a good view of the Strip from the course. Competitors couldn't enjoy the view because they were staring just ahead of their front tires looking desperately for some areas of traction.

World Champs don't have a problem with loose climbs.

Wannabe Pros, on the other hand, had to run their bike.

My time was about the same as this guy who was spectating on the side of the course.

Stage 2: Super D
Saturday morning's stage brought an 11 mile somewhat downhill course through the desert from the Cottonwood trailhead to the old mining town of Blue Diamond with some short but stiff climbs thrown in for good measure. I went cross eyed for about 39 minutes or so. The course had some super swoopy turn sections that were fun if you got the cornering drift right and downright scary if you didn't and drifted off trail towards a cactus.

Semipro's lined up with the pros. You know you're skinny when you make Tinker look thick.

Rippin' in the desert.

Stage 3: Fatboy Criterium under the lights
A road crit with MTBs running slicks on a 3/8th of a mile loop and at night. Crazy fun! Again, semipros were run with the pros. Four current and former MTB Olympians were in the race. It was rad to rocket through the first corner on Sauser's wheel. My goal was to last as long as I could before getting pulled and not knock anybody over. Turns out I was pretty good at railing the 180 degree corners and I nearly went the distance, but got pulled on the penultimate lap.

A quick video of corner #1. I'm in there somewhere.

Stage 4: XC
30 miles of mostly desert 1track. I started strong and was holding the lead for the first 4 or 5 miles. I proceeded to overshoot a corner, which caused me to drop my chain and it wrapped around itself making for a time consuming repair. This left me in no-man's land off the lead pack of semipro riders and that is where I would spend most of the day. The heat cranked up and the trails got even more technical as fatigue set in. One one downhill section I drifted off the trail in a corner and pegged a Joshua Tree at speed. Ouch! On another stretch, I clipped a cactus with my right hand. Double Ouch! No serious injuries, but enough to rattle the confidence a bit, which caused me to slow it down some because there was nobody close to catching me from behind and it was clear I wasn't going to get back to the leaders.

I ended up 3rd Overall in the Semipro Stage Race.

A nice engraved cowbell (and some good prize $$$ too!)

Another fun and entertaining MTB race season comes to an end. I'm already anxious to see how next year's schedule will shape up.

Thanks for reading,
Blue Star

Some National Media Coverage

2008-09-22T18:55:00.000-07:00

Check this link.

Full write up to follow.

Blue Star

SS World Photos, Cactus Cup, & Pro Upgrade

2008-09-17T15:19:00.000-07:00

Well, I've totally slacked on giving a more thorough update on SS Worlds. I think the New York Times article did a really good job of describing the fun and semi-organized chaos that is SS Worlds, so I won't try and improve on that with my own yarn. A bit late, but here's some good photos from BMW, who made the trip out from Ohio (en route to Hawaii) to enjoy some wine country and observe the wild antics on one geared bikes. I'm definitely working SSWC09 in Durango, CO into the schedule for next year.

Pre-race warmup.

Descending, a bit off the line (eek, sorry trail police).

Feeling spry with a wheelie through the start/finish before heading out on Lap 2.

High fives from the fans out on course as I come through to finish.

Done, dusty, and happy to have a black bottle opener.

This weekend is my last mountain bike race of the season at the revived Cactus Cup stage race down in Las Vegas, NV. This race carries some personal significance, because my first ever MTB race was the Cactus Cup in Mansfield, Ohio back in 1992. I jumped head first into the junior sport category. It was a super muddy race and I loved every minute of it. I survived several tip overs because I was using clipless pedals for only the second ride. If I recall correctly, I was top 5 out of like 40 kids. I have been immersed in the cycling lifestyle ever since. Sport to Semi-pro. 16 years old to 32 years old. Same obsession with bicycles. It's funny how things come full circle over time.

USA Cycling announced a new category system for next year. The semi-pro category is gone. Existing semi-pros have been given a free pass to go pro or to go down to the newly created Category 1 that is comprised mostly of racers from the former expert category. I'm faced with the dilemma of whether to go up or down. SLR and my riding friends say go pro or I'm a sandbagger. I've read comments from USAC board members that the intent was for the top 1/3 of semi-pros should go pro and the bottom 2/3 go down. I'm ranked just inside the cusp of the top 1/3. I could go down and have a chance at getting some more podium time or I could go up for the opportunity to tell my future child that Dad was once a professional athlete and raced against Olympians. I have until December to decide. I may use my result from the race this weekend as the deciding factor. Do well, I go up. Suck wind, I go down. Then again, maybe I'll flip a coin. Feel free to weigh in.

Other things on the horizon: some riding on Orcas; if the good weather holds, attempting the Cascade Triple Crown (including 12k feet of climbing) on my SS; building up a project bike in the off season; learning to build wheels; exploring more Belgian beers; and maybe a few cyclocross races if I feel like going cross-eyed for an hour.

Thanks for reading,
Blue Star

NY Times Likes the SS

2008-09-02T16:38:00.000-07:00

SS Worlds goes large with an article and picture spread in the NY Times!
Check it here.

A post with our pics coming soon.

Blue Star

SSWC08 Quickie

2008-08-25T12:04:00.000-07:00

We are back in the Seattle rain after spending a quality weekend with a bunch of SSers down in Napa. Plenty of stories and photos to come including the tighty whitey category, many hilarious costumes, some nasty wrecks by fellow competitors, and a really hard 30 mile race.

My race involved a bunch of this...

And plenty of this...

But I got my official finisher's black bottle opener. Mission accomplished.

Blue Star

SS

2008-08-18T19:13:00.000-07:00

Sans Shifters. Silly Speeder. Single Speed. With the SS World Championships coming up soon in Napa, I've been riding my SS bike lately to get the legs ready for ultra-low and ultra-high cadence work the race will require. A few weekends ago SLR and I went down to Greenwater, WA to race the White River Revival in the shadows of Mount Rainier. The course is one of my local favorites, so I was excited for some proper NW mountain bike riding. I had some good legs and took the W in the singlespeed category and my time would have had me at the top of most of the expert categories. Here's a few photos from the weekend.

We went down a day early and camped at the race venue. We had such a good time camping it makes me want one of these.

Yep, it's speed de uno.

SLR even gave the trails a go for her best effort on the MTB yet. Here's her little rig waiting to get dirty. She even railed the tech descent. Fun times and a solid confidence booster. I see more trail riding in her future.

Podi shot with the victory brews. Sunshine wheat = Yummy!

We leave in a few days for SS Worlds. It promises to be the wildest race of my long racing career. Year's past have been decided by go carting, pugel stick battles, the whiskey shot course short cut, etc. Definitely some good stories to tell in my next post.

Thanks for reading,
Blue Star

Mt. Snow Video

2008-08-04T10:21:00.000-07:00

A sweet video of the pro XC race at Mt. Snow can be found at this link. It provides a good perspective of what the course entailed, but for some reason the climbs don't look nearly as steep on screen.

Blue Star

Soulville

2008-07-31T20:59:00.001-07:00

To celebrate three years of mariage, SLR and I have these coming to the stable soon.

His...

Hers...

A little less lycra, a bit more soul. Bring on the coffee and beer runs.

Blue Star

Cycology

2008-07-30T11:07:00.001-07:00

Now that I'm over a week removed from the trip back to Vermont, I've reflected enough on the race to pull a post together. I wasn't nearly as fast as I hoped I would be. My goal was to pull a solid race out of the bag (i.e., top-20) and put on a good show for the large Blue Star support team that was strewn about the course. It didn't happen. I was back of the pack fodder. The course, although dumbed down a bit over year's past, was still a blast to ride and I had fun. But I left the beautiful Green Mountains feeling a bit down, like I suck and questioning my presence in the semi-pro ranks.

The best way to describe my racing is mercurial. Some days I have it, some days I don't. Coach Thomas and I pour over the variables and we just can't seem to figure it out. Maybe it's all about what is between my ears. The "cycology" of bike racing is one of the most misunderstood aspects of sport performance. After returning to Seattle, I took some time to relax and avoided any serious training. I feel recharged and had a great ride on the road bike yesterday. I guess the bottom line is a I love to ride my bike in the woods more than just about anything and I'll keep on doing it (whether I'm fast or not) for as long as I am able.

The Western Wanderer was on the east coast taking stellar pics of the event. Here's a teaser until I post a full lot sometime soon.

Thanks a million to the huge Blue Star cheering section. I couldn't help but crack a smile when I rounded the corner in the woods and the trail erupted with cheer and noise makers. Also, a race can't go by without expressing gratitude to the super-soigneur, SLR. She could support a Tour de France team without skipping a beat. The legs were stale, but I clearly won the best supported racer award.

Thanks for reading,
Blue Star

BC Bike Race Recap

2008-07-09T13:00:00.000-07:00

Following the finish of the BC Bike Race, SLR, AV, and I spent the weekend in Whistler chilling and otherwise catching up on some R&R before returning to real life. I promptly got a bit of a cold and so did the majority of other racers that took part in the event. Walking around Whistler village over the weekend, it was easy to spot racers because they were all sniffly, carrying lots of tissue, and were not walking very fast. Whistler is an amazing place in the summer. Bikes dominate and there are free riders, DHers, trail riders, and even some XC racers everywhere. I had the itch to stay until the snow flies, but all good things have to come to and end and on Sunday afternoon we drove back to our real lives in our fair city of Seattle.

Now that I'm back pushing paper instead of the pedals, I've had some time to reflect on the "ultimate singletrack experience." It, indeed, lived up to its billing. I enjoyed just about every km we covered (somewhere around 540km) even the full day of fire road of Stage 2. Some of the 1track was the best I have ever ridden in North America. The descent on Stage 5 from Seschelt to Langdale was particularly enjoyable and I know I will go back again in the future.

Next year? Yep, I'm already registered to do battle with my friend Robbin. He owns Arrowsmith Bikes in Nanaimo and is a fast dude on a bike. I think we can crack the top 20.

With that, here are some photographic highlights and a video taken by SLR during the week.

The start on Day 1. A few bikes and that was only the first half of the field.

Cooling down after Stage 1's 90+ degree temps.

Massage was critical for recovery. So were ice baths later in the week.

Mafia opted to utilize local hotels in lieu of tent city.

Lining up for Day 2.

Mafia on the prowl.

Ladies ride.

Parade lap around the track.

SLR and Amecita take in the trees.

And the coast.

The Mafia boys stoked with our best finish on the week. 23rd overall.

Boat 1 at sunrise of Day 4.

Catching some zzz's on the ferry.

The support rig loaded up.

Views from Boat 2 on Day 4.

The start of Day 4 right out of the ferry landing.

All smiles for now.

Chopper getting video footage.

Knuckles at the finish of a tough Day 4.

Seschelt coast.

RCMP escort to start day 5.

Riders following close behind.

SLR taking the support rig from Langdale to Horseshoe Bay.

The Reservoir Dogs walked on the next ferry after finishing a fun Stage 5. Note AV walks to the beat of a different drum.

Surrounded by some good company on Day 6. National CX Champ Katie Compton. Endurance Freak Nat Ross. Etc.

Race marshal's car ready to lead to way.

All smiles after finishing and a near DNF.

See that hose wrapped around the bar, it is supposed to go to AV's front brake.

"It was epic!"

Recounting war stories post-stage.

Happy July 4th!

Grande Americanos and the Mafia Boys.

Descending off Whistler Mountain into Creekside.

Heading out to wrap up the last 20km.

The finish.

It's medal time.

The coveted finisher's T-shirt.

Happy to have a new belt buckle.

On the gondola up to the top of Whistler for the awards gala.

Quite the adventure to say the least. I expect the photographers that were all over the course each day will have some riding shots that I can post in the near future.

Thanks to SLR for the pro support job. She could work for a professional cycling team no problem.

Now it's time to train and get ready for Mount Snow.

Thanks for reading,
Blue Star.

Day 7

2008-07-04T16:53:00.001-07:00

D-O-N-E! Stick a fork in me, because my legs are crispy fried. We finished today's killer stage from Creekside to Whistler in just over 5 hours. I had some great legs and was ripping some of the amazingly challenging 1track that featured many option sections with man-made North Shore style features. I pushed AV as hard as he could go without cracking. He did visit the depths of a deep dark place known as the pain cave. I'd be surprised if he remembers half the stuff he rode his bike over today. As we crossed the finish line, we were handed Finisher's Belt Buckles and T-shirts. A much deserved prize for doing battle on our MTB's for 7 straight days.

That's it for now. It's time to head up Whistler Mountain in the gondola for the post-race party and awards gala at the Roundhouse Lodge. It's going to be a fun night for sure.

I'll post a more detailed recap of the week with lots of photos sometime soon. Until then, keep checking out the BC Bike Race website for great photos and updates on each of the stages.

Thanks for reading,
Blue Star

Day 6

2008-07-03T20:09:00.000-07:00

Today is the day that defined our race. It could have been the end for Mafia Racing in the BC Bike race. 20km into a 65km stage in Squamish, BC, AV crashed on a serious steep and loose descent. He went over the bars and managed to wrap his cables around his head tube thrice over. In the process, he severed his front brake hydraulic hose from the caliper. No front brake for 45km on some of the world's most challenging trails could have meant a DNF and no finisher's medals for us. AV gathered himself and kept on riding. He even managed to bang out some solid tempo on 9-mile climb (yep it's long) and the Lava Flow climb (think nasty loose rock) despite having dead leg syndrome. We were bombing the Rip downhill at 25 to 30mph (keep in mind AV has no front brake) over rock and root drops when calamity number two and three struck. Something kicked up into AV's derailleur and wheel because he suddenly came to a stop. He broke a spoke in half in his Mavic wheels and twisted his chain in a spiral and it wrapped around his derailleur. The repair took some time, but we got him rolling with about 3 gears and he was limited to the small ring up front because the chain was so short. Next up, the famous Powerhouse Plunge trail. A super-duper technical trail that drops over some of the most rocky, rooty, logged covered, switch backy, north shore bridged trail you could imagine. AV managed to ride it, run it, and otherwise demolish it, as we even managed to pass 5 teams in the process. We limped through Crumpett woods with only having to dismount and run a few times. When we dropped onto the Squamish residential neighborhood pavement outside Crumpett Woods and I knew we were going to finish this stage. A huge smile crossed my face as I churned my big ring at 17mph while riding one handed and pushing AV along with the other (he couldn't get over 12mph on his own power because of his limited gearing). We crossed the finish in just over 5 hours and I was so happy I rolled over the line with a crossed up wheelie manual. Yep, it was a near disaster, but we persevered and finished. No doubt, it was our BC Bike Race defining day.

Tomorrow's stage is 45km on some sick 1track up in Whistler. We are close, I can smell the finish, but we still have work to do. And after today, I won't be counting any chickens until I'm sitting on a gondola heading up Whistler mountain for the finisher's dinner.

Thanks for reading,
Blue Star

Day 5

2008-07-02T21:16:00.000-07:00

We had another sub par outing today. AV's legs didn't recover from the hard efforts we laid down yesterday. My legs had some go at the beginning and the end of the race today, but the middle was the doldrums and I wasn't complaining that we weren't making rapid forward progress. The trail today was amazing though. The last 15km or so was all downhill and really fun. The finish town today was in Langdale and we took a ferry over to Horseshoe Bay. Now I'm sitting here in our A/C hotel room hoping that I can recover to have a decent ride tomorrow. At the moment I'm a bit worred, because my body is starting to shut down and the legs feel like dead wood. I'm hoping an ice bath and my compression tights will remedy the legs. That's it for today.

Blue Star

Day 4

2008-07-01T19:55:00.000-07:00

Another day in the books. A hard one to say the least. Awoke at 4am to catch a shuttle bus to our first ferry of the day. On this boat we had breakfast which was followed by everyone involved with the race being taken to the top deck while a photographer and film crew were hanging out of a helicopter to get footage and shots of all the racers on top of the ferry. Up next, a short drive to the next ferry landing where our driver proceeded to hit another bus in the caravan. A slight hiccup, but I was asleep when it happened and it jarred me awake. We made it across to Earl's Cove and the race start arch was on the end of the ferry dock. Promptly at 11am, the race was on with some steep climbs on the stunning sunshine coast. The course today featured some spectacular 1track. AV and I got a good start and we were settling in close to the competitors that have surrounded us that last few days. We were bombing a very fast descent that went through a river crossing and AV flatted. Together, we made quick work of the change, but it was still early in the race, so many many many teams streamed by us as we made the change. With the flat repaired, we were off again, but stuck behind many slower teams on a course that did not offer lots of opportunities to pass. I put it in full on XC mode and coaxed AV to dig deep to pass as many teams as possible. We put in some solid work and passed 20+ teams in the process. With about 15 miles to go, I thought we were golden because we had caught some of the teams that we were racing with before the flat. A mistake to say the least. The last 15 miles featured some spectacular but super technical 1track. With the fog of fatigue setting in on AV and I both from the hard chasing effort we quickly began making handling mistakes that cost us time. I hit my rear derailleur on a rock and dented my rear rim on another rock. AV wasn't having a much better time of it. He hit is head on a low hanging tree and knocked himself a little loopy. After that we had to dial down the pace and limp the last 5km to the finish. We only gave up a few places in the finishing order, but lost a bunch of time on some of our competitors and dropped a spot in the overall ranking.

That's it in a nutshell. Sorry for the lack of pictures and the stream of conscious writing, but I'm just too tired and fatigued to write something more entertaining or deal with uploading photos. SLR may be posting in the next day or so with some photos of her adventures following the caravan of the BC Bike Race.

Thanks for reading,
Blue Star

Day 3

2008-06-30T20:11:00.000-07:00

This is going to be a quick one, because we have to catch a ferry tomorrow at the crack of dawn. AV and I rode fast today. We finished in front some very fast teams and even passed three teams comprised of pro racers (albeit a mixed team and ladies team) in the last stretch of super-tech 1track. It was so technical today I actually blew my rear shock out. Luckily, a BC shop called Obsession Bikes is travelling with the race and they are replacing the seals for me this evening.

SLR got some pictures of the start and finish, but those will have to wait for another day as I need to get ready for tomorrow's epic journey, which includes getting to the venue from our hotel at 4:45am, two ferry rides, and a challenging course of about 60km on some of BC's finest trails.

Thanks for reading,

Blue Star

Day 2

2008-06-29T20:26:00.000-07:00

Today's stage began with a 10km pavement rollout from the small town of Lake Cowichan. We had an auto escort that took us out of town to a short fire road climb. As soon as the car pulled off, the battle was on. As we crested the first climb, we settled into a pace line with a bunch of fast racers taking turns on the front. This train was motoring and we soon caught the main peloton that was comprised of about 50 other racers including all of the race's leaders. It was really cool to be sitting on the wheels of North America's top pros including Kelli Emmett and Katie Compton. At about 50km, the group hit the first mandatory check-in where the race volunteers scan your number plate. Chaos ensued as three hopeless volunteers tried to scan and write down as many numbers as possible. The pros bolted, AV and I stopped and filled our Camelbacks and bottles. The next 50km involved me setting a blistering pace that I felt I could maintain until the end. We would catch a team or two, sit on their wheels for a couple of minutes, then pull into the wind and hammer until we could reach the next group. At about 100km or so, the heat was getting oppressive and we dialed back the pace a touch to make sure we could finish. We suffered up the last climb and hit the day's token piece of singletrack with the dexterity and bike handling of beginners due to haze of fatigue that was taking over our bodies. After the singletrack it was short jaunt on some pavement and a drop down to a recreational track for the finish.

Some totals from the day:
5 hours, 3 minutes racing.
Just over 125km covered.
27th place overall out of 92 open men teams
Three 60 ounce Camelbacks consumed by me alone
5 Gu's
1 Pack of Clif Bloks
1 Pack of Sharkies

Tomorrow is going to be a tough one. 85km with four very big climbs and the day ends with some super-technical 1track.

Sorry, no pictures today. We were faster than our support crew anticipated and beat them to the finishing town of Port Alberni. Be sure to check out AV's blog over here and the Grande Americanos here.

Thanks for reading,

Blue Star

Day 1

2008-06-28T21:14:00.000-07:00

All the planning and preparation came down to a simple announcement over the race audio system... "GO"! 275 teams of 2 (some with 4 riders) departed on the journey north on Vancouver Island. You know the race is the real deal when there is a helicopter shooting footage and it is supposed to be on TV around the world on some channel that I don't think is available in the States. The race kicked off with two allegedly "neutral" laps around the Shawnigan Lake School Campus. All I can say is chaos. Crashes, broken bikes because the route crossed a freshly mowed field and the grass wrapped around the rear derailleur like a boa constrictor until it sheared from the frame, and it certainly was not neutral. Last year's race winner, Jeff Schalk fell victim to such a calamity and had his mechanic fixed it (a violation of race rules that will not be enforced). AV and I made it through relatively unscathed, but the adrenaline was definitely pumping as we narrowly avoided several high speed crashes involving riders get tangled up. Someone even broke a collar bone before getting off campus.

We settled into our pace and were racing strong for a few hours. We suffered through some of nasty steep hike-a-bike sections, but were rewarded with some sweet sections of 1track. AV experienced some heat and possibly some lingering viral issues during the main climb of the day. So, we dialed back the pace to make sure we finished strong as a team. After what seemed like 25 miles of climbing, we finally topped out at the much needed feed zone. We stopped to refill our Camelbacks and bottles and proceeded to bomb the next 15km downhill at 40+mph on gravel logging roads. After the killer downhill, we jammed into Lake Cowichan team-TT-style on a doubletrack multiuse trail. We finished the 55miles in 5 1/2 hours, which was good enough for 38th overall (not sure on our category).

Refuel, work on the bikes, sleep like a champ, and we repeat tomorrow. Tomorrow's stage is 125km (which is a bunch of miles on the MTB). It's mostly logging road, so it should be a fast pace. Oh, and it is supposed to be 90+ degrees. Ouch!

Here's some pictures from today....

Start line.

Team Mafia Racing lined up in the race corral waiting to start.

Just a few racers.

Mafia going out on lap 2 around Shawnigan Lake School.

Rolling across the line with a grin.

AV ends his day too.

Be sure to check out the BC Bike Race website for their race updates including professional photography.

Thanks for reading,

Blue Star

Day Zero

2008-06-27T21:36:00.001-07:00

Blue Star and AV are busy working on their bikes, packing up the Camelbaks and dialing in all the gear for the official start of the BC Bike Race tomorrow. So, today's update comes from me, SLR, official support team member for Mafia Racing.

I guess you could call Day Zero the official start of the race. A full day of travel and logistics to get us started and ready for the next 7 days. Day Zero brought us first by Ferry to Vancouver Island, not far from Victoria and then to Shawnigan Lake School for check in and pre-race meeting.

BC Ferries rock!

Grande Americanos and Mafia Racing with support ladies on the ferry

I think these two teams will go 1 & 2, don't you?

A little time to spin the legs out before dinner.

Pre-race meeting at Hogwarts, I mean Shawnigan Lake School

Off now for some rest and an early morning tomorrow. Breakfast at 7 and the gun goes off at 9. More stories and photos to come. Thanks for reading.
-SLR

BC Bike Race: Day -1

2008-06-26T22:06:00.000-07:00

The first official day of the BC Bike Race is tomorrow. It is called Day 0 and consists of registration, swag bag handout, and a racer meeting. AV and I also hope to get a short ride in to make sure the legs are firing on all cylinders.

So, today, the night before Day 0 is Day -1. We all went to our respective jobs for a few hours and then rendezvoused at our house to pack.

Packing the Rig

A few items are needed for a 7-day stage race.

After packing, we made the quick drive north to Delta, BC. Tomorrow AM, we roll to the Tswassessen ferry which will take us through some beautiful waters over to Victoria. Day 0 and the start of the race are just north of Victoria at the Shawnigan Lake School.

More pictures and stories to come, so check back often. SLR may post in my stead if I don't have the energy over the next few days.

Thanks for reading,
Blue Star

72 Hours in Bed

2008-06-19T14:48:00.000-07:00

What does it take to get me to update this blog? Well, being absolutely insanely bored because I've been bedridden for 72 hours due to gastroenteritis will do the trick. I'm still not 100%, but I'm functioning well enough to want to do something besides sleep and listen to the TV. Looking back over the past 4 months, I should not be surprised I'm sick. I've racked up nearly 20k frequent flier miles and have slept in my own bed twice on the weekends during that span. GO, GO, GO, will catch up to you at some point.

Here's a quick recap of what has gone down. Sorry for the lack of detail, but there's a lot that has happened in 2 months. I hit Sea Otter in Monterey during mid-April. For the first time in three years of attending this event, it did not rain. I had my best go ever at the race and posted a fast time that I was happy with. Given the field size and quality of the competition, I was pleased with my placing in the low 30's. Click here for some pro photo's of me digging deep.

Soon after Sea Otter, Blue Star Racer Blog lost one of its biggest fans to cancer. A tough blow to endure following so soon after the loss of my Dad. Cancer just plain sucks, no other way to put it. I now often find myself thinking that RAL and my Dad are giving me the needed support to accomplish my racing and training goals. Mt. Snow is going to take on extra special meaning this year. Here's RAL and SLR last year at Nationals sporting some Blue Star t's.

I went back down to CA in mid may for NMBS #3 held near Solvang in wine country. A side note; the hotel I stay in down there was the one that the guys stayed at in the movie Sideways. I sucked at this race last year due to the heat, but felt like I was carrying some good fitness to do well this year. Not to be though because Mother Nature squashed those plans with another nasty heat wave. During the races, temperatures creeped up to 100+ degrees. Our top women Olympian MTB racer was evacuated from the course after going unconscious while riding due to heat stroke. My cool Pacific NW blood hates heat, so my engine had to keep the power down to avoid a massive overheating and a similar trip to the ER. My results for both the XC and short track reflect my lack of heat tolerance.

The next weekend, A-dogg, SLR, and I went up to Squamish, BC for a recon weekend of the trails used for the Test of Metal race and the 6th stage in the BC Bike Race. Got about 13 hours of hard saddle time over the course of the three-day weekend.

Views weren't bad from the trails.

Team Mafia Racing getting dialed for BC Bike Race.

Last weekend, Test of Metal was on my plate. It's a 42km race over some super-technical trails. My race plan was to attach myself to the wheel of a couple of fast locals and pedal as hard as I could for 3+ hours. The plan worked and I came in 2nd place out 100 finishers in my 30-34 age group. In addition, I was about 35th (out of 900+ racers) overall including the pros.

How do you stage almost 1000 racers for a mass start? 1 hour before race time the staging corral is opened and you save your spot by flipping your bike over. I was close to the front immediately behind the pros only area.

The feed zone was several hundred yards long with hundreds of people feeding their respective racers from both sides of the road. Chaos! That many people coupled with a DJ spinning tunes made for a party like atmosphere for SLR as she waited for me to come by twice.

The podi shot, minus 1st and 3rd place who both bailed to catch a ferry back to Nanaimo.

Blast off! And they keep coming, and coming, and coming...

This week was supposed to be some fine tuning of the form in preparation for the BC Bike Race that starts next Saturday. It is kind of bad timing to get sicker than you've been in almost 10 years the week before a 7-day stage race. I see the light at the end of the tunnel though and should be out of bed soon. Hopefully, this little set back does not have any lasting effects that impact me during the race.

Now, let's see if I can keep up this momentum and get some posts on here at regular intervals.

Thanks for reading,
Blue Star

Three Weekends of Sun

2008-04-15T10:24:00.000-07:00

Well, I've fallen behind on posting to the blog. Life is sometimes just a little to chaotic to sit down and write a post. Although I do find it relaxing to revisit my bike related adventures in prose, so I should be more diligent about finding to the time to post. Anyway, the first two NMBS series stops are in the books and also a local race mixed in for good measure. The following is a short recap and some photos from Fontana courtesy of Dan M.

First up was Cookin' the Kettles up on Whidbey Island, WA. It was a really fun course with some awesome exposed bluffs with views of Puget Sound and the Olympics. The sun was out and it was a good day to be on the bike (as are most days). There were only a few open/pro riders, so it was a small group to chase around some super-fun twisty/technical 1track. I ended up third and my race time was very good relative to the the top two guys.

The following weekend I packed the bike up in the box and jetted down to east LA. Fontana was the same as it has been the past few years: warm, dusty, and some real bad air. I had a strong races on the weekend taking 20th in the XC and 16th in the short track. Coming into the season, I was just hoping not to go DFL at the national events, and in my first try I pop top-20 and beat more than 30 other guys. I guess I have to adjust my objectives a little higher. I feel like I could have placed even higher, because I was very tentative and conceded many passes leading to the singletrack, because I didn't want to be the slow new guy in the way. Turns out the people I let past were usually slower in the 1track than me. Lesson learned.

Pondering whether I belong with all these fast guys.

50+ semi-pros ready to throw down.

Ripping some dusty 1track.

More 1track.

The Anthem Advanced gobbles up technical descents.

A post-race debrief with Coach Thomas.

After a solid weekend at Fontana, I flew back to Seattle for a few days of work and recovery. I left my bike in the box, but pulled the wheels out so I could put my desert tires on. On Thursday, I flew down to Phoenix, AZ for the Nova National. Again the sun was shining and it was even a little hot for my Pacific NW blood. The Nova consisted of three stages: a Super D/TT on Friday, short track XC on Saturday, and XC on Sunday. Respectively, I finished 26th, 30th, and 31st, which was a bit lower than I was hoping for but I had some solid races. Due to some guys throwing themselves on the ground in front of me at the start of the short track and XC, I was relegated to the back of the 60ish person fields for both races. Despite an abundance of cactus lined 1track, I was able to pass about 30ish guys in each race. Even though the results don't show it, it was a solid race weekend save the bad start luck. To see some good pro pictures of me in the desert, click here.

Three races down, some solid finishes, and a bunch of good weather. I couldn't ask for much more. Next up, Sea Slaughter, err, I mean Sea Otter in Monterey, CA. If the weather man is right, the sun should be shining on me for another weekend of racing.

Blue Star

Fontana Results

2008-03-31T13:56:00.001-07:00

The results from NMBS #1 at Fontana are available here.

Legs were good and I went top 20 for my first go at the semipro ranks at a national level event. I was in striking distance of top-10 and my race tactics leave room for some improvement.

I'll get a full report up soon. Probably with some pictures.

Blue Star

White Hot!

2008-02-29T15:46:00.000-08:00

In the bike industry, the latest trend is white, white, and more white. As the saying goes, "white is the new black."

I'll be rocking a full white kit at some races this year. It is not only stylish, but also functional on hot days to keep the core temp in check.

I'm also building up a Giant XTC C carbon hardtail with full XTR and some Race Face carbon goodies. It is mostly white too!

I like my Fizik Gobi saddles a lot. There is one on just about every bike I own and there will definitely be one on the XTC. You guessed it, in 08 Fizik rolled it out in white. Giddy up!

Both my Anthem Advanced and XTC will sport 2007 Fox FX series forks. 100mm of travel for the Anthem and 80mm on the hardtail. Both are white, sort of, maybe more like cream. I went with the older FX series over the new 2008 Fox RLC series, because I prefer the terralogic dampener (i.e., auto-lockout) over a manual lockout on the fork crown. For some reason, Fox stopped making the FX series, which I believe was a mistake, especially because Fox doesn't offer a remote lockout kit for their new forks.

I'm thinking maybe some white gloves too, but I've been warned I'll look like a mime. Although, I think it would be pretty funny do to a mime in a box finishing line salute if I were lucky enough to win a race this year.

Blue Star

V02 Max Intervals & Disc Brake Powertap Update

2008-02-27T18:44:00.000-08:00

I've been ramping up the intensity in my training as the season's first big races are just about a month away. The past few weeks I've been doing some VO2 Max intervals during my long rides on Wednesday. 5 sets of 3 minutes at CP6 power with 3 minutes recovery between sets. CP6 power closely equates to power at VO2 max. A total of 15 minutes at an intensity I can only manage to do consecutively for 6 minutes. Let's just say these are a recipe for some suffering. I've been digging deep and definitely am seeing improvement. I'm really hope I'm able to increase my top-end this year. I've already seen some good gains in my LT power, so if the high intensity power improves as well, I should be a better rider and able to hold my own in the semipro ranks.

The folks at Saris are showing off the new disc brake compatible Powertap. I've been waiting for years to get a power meter on my mountain bike. The cost and reliability issues associated with the SRM MTB meant it was not a feasible option. According to my sources, delivery of the disc powertap should be in 6 to 8 weeks. I can't explain how excited I am for some power data from the MTB. I think I'm going to lace it to a Stan's Olympic Rim to offset the additional weight associated with the hub and upgrade the bearings to ceramics. I'll pair it with a front wheel based on a DT Swiss 190 centerlock front hub and an Olympic rim as well. With some light spokes and a 28 spoke count out front, I think there should not be too much of a weight penalty. Bring on the watts and the data analysis using Cyclingpeaks software!

Let the countdown to Fontana begin...

Blue Star

Qualified and Season Prep

2008-02-19T11:36:00.000-08:00

This blog has been dormant for too long. Sorry for the delay, but not much to report on. I've been skipping the local Budu races on my schedule in favor of some longer training rides.

I am officially qualified for Mt. Snow in the Semipro ranks. See the USA Cycling list here. I'm already looking forward to the annual trip back east for some sweet 1track and good times in Vermont.

Other than that I just keep plugging away at the training at about a 13 to 15 hour a week clip. The weather finally broke recently and we had a few sunny days. The sun and a little warmth brings out a few extra watts from the legs. Not sure if its the extra motivation, the vitamin D, or the warmer muscles, but it is good to see some improvement regardless of the reason. Daylight is also starting to hang around past 5pm, so I should be able to kick up the training volume a little more as the season approaches.

I recieved a new Giant carbon hardtail frame for the smooth courses this year. It's a thing of beauty and matches the Anthem Advanced perfectly. I've got to rush to build it up in time to get a few rides on it before the first NMBS in Fontana. I'll post some pics this week.

That's about all. Maybe, now that the sun is out, I'll take the time to shoot some photos during some training rides. More content is good.

Out,

Blue Star

2008 Race Schedule

2008-01-25T09:48:00.001-08:00

As promised, the following is where I'll be racing in 08. Of course, the schedule is subject to change based on fitness, recovery needs, travel, and life obligations.

January 19: McDowell Meltdown, Fountain Hills, AZ
February 10: West Side MTB Series, South Seatac, WA
February 17: West Side MTB Series, Black Diamond, WA
March 2: West Side MTB Series, Black Diamond, WA
March 28-30: NMBS Series #1, Fontana, CA
April 4-6: NMBS Series #2, Fountain Hills, AZ
April 13: West Side MTB Series, South Seatac, WA
April 18-20: Sea Otter Classic, Monterey, CA
April 27: Bear Springs Trap MTB, McCubbins Gulch, OR
May 4: West Side MTB Series, South Seatac, WA
or
May 4: Coyote Classic AMBC, Boise, ID
May 11: Cascade Chain Breaker MTB, Bend, OR
May 16-18: NMBS Series #3, Santa Ynez Valley, CA
May 18: Whidbey Island Mudder, Whidbey Island, WA
May 25: Oakridge Fat Tire Festival XC, Oakridge, OR
June 7: Bavarian Bike & Brews Festival, Leavenworth, WA
June 14: Test of Metal, Squamish, BC
June 22: Methow Cycle & Sport, Winthrop, WA
June 28 – July 4: BC Bike Race, Victoria, BC to Whistler, BC
July 11-13: NMBS Series #5, Windham, NY
July17-20: MTB National Championships, Mount Snow, VT
August 23-24: SS World Championships 08, Napa, CA
August 29-31: NMBS Series Finals, Tamarack, ID
September 6-7: The Fall Classic, Breckenridge, CO

Blue Star

New Team, Part Time, & Semi-pro Debut

2008-01-23T19:28:00.000-08:00

It's been too long since my last post. The last few weeks have been a whirlwind of activity on the cycling front and it's only January. Lots of news to share...

I have joined the Mafia Racing team for the 2008 season. Mafia Racing is a national-caliber team that supports elite level racers from around the country. The team attends many of the national events, so I'll have some teammates to hang out with and get some support while at races far from home. So look for me out on the course sporting the distinctive black kit (or the new all-white kits that will be unveiled soon).

In order to train like a semi-pro, I had to free up some time to ride more and recover better. Since just about every minute of every day was allocated, I had to do some rearranging to accommodate the additional saddle time. As of January 1, I am easing back a bit on the lawyering and will be working a part-time schedule this year thanks to my supportive employer. The extra time will go into increasing my training volume and otherwise being a more dedicated bike racer. Now I have no excuses, except for the nasty weather that has plagued Seattle this winter.

Qualifying for the MTB National Championships at Mt. Snow was a big objective of mine this year. With the upgrade to semi-pro, I was worried that I would not get the necessary top-10 at a NMBS event . Plus, neither Washington nor Oregon have a USA Cycling sanctioned qualifier event. So, I scoured the early season race schedules from around the country to find a state championship event that I could race and try to get a top-15 result to qualify. Not sure why top-15 gets you in for a state event, but only top-10 from a national. I came across and decided to compete in the McDowell Meltdown near Scottsdale, Arizona on January 19th. The race would serve many purposes: an opportunity to ride in shorts and jersey sans rain gear, some Vitamin D replenishment, good training, and most importantly an early chance to qualify for Mt. Snow. I boxed up the bike and SLR and I hopped a cheap flight down to AZ.

Once in AZ, the jitters started to set in. For the first time in a long time, I was really nervous for a race. How would I fare against the faster competition? Am I in over my head? Am I going to embarrass myself in front of my new Mafia teammates? To make matters even more stressful, the pro and semi-pro fields were run together with about 25 guys competing. Oh, I almost forgot, I have been on the MTB a total of only 3 days since October and have done like two days of intensity in my training. Once the gun fired, all of my worries vanished as I focused on ripping the desert 1track and spinning the pedals powerfully. I started the 32-mile race conservatively and as it progressed kept upping my pace. During the latter half of the race, I was passing guys in rapid succession and moving up. I surged into the finishing straight to the cheers of the SLR. It turns out I was 12th overall and if you eliminate the pros from the mix even higher! Plus, I had some left in the tank at the finish so I know I can improve. Wow, talk about a boost to the morale and a real motivator to train even harder. Mt. Snow here I come. Here's a few pics from the race.

Yep, it was the desert.

Warming up on the trainer.

Only a few (hundred) guys showed up at the start line.

Waiting to launch.

Desert 1track.

More 1track.

Powering up one of the sharp pitches that pepper the McDowell Mountain race course.

SLR learned about the jumping cholla while spectating.

Mission accomplished. I hope this weekend is a harbinger of things to come for the 2008 race season. Next post will be my complete race schedule.

Blue Star

Vegas

2008-01-02T09:36:00.000-08:00

Spent some time around Christmas in Vegas at la maison de ma mère. 1track, sun, Anthem Advanced, all was good. I even got some cross training when we went bowling on Christmas Day. Good work for the hamstrings.

Blue Star

Bike Geek

2007-12-27T16:58:00.000-08:00

The t-shirt says it all. References available upon request.

Blue Star

Training Update and Racing Calendar

2007-12-14T14:40:00.000-08:00

Not much happening these past few weeks other than lots of training. I'm averaging just shy of 15 hours a week including my gym work. I'd like to bump up the hours closer to 20, but it is really hard with bad weather and 4pm darkness. There is only so much trainer time a guy can take no matter how focused. 120 minutes is my usual limit doing mostly zone 2/3 efforts, occasionally I can go a full 180 minutes, but that takes a lot of mental stamina.

Last week, I started my Max Strength phase in the gym. I've been throwing around almost 500lbs on the leg sled in an effort to get some more horsepower under the hood. The Christmas holiday will bring a few days of desert training on the MTB and then in January I'll transition to some build phase stuff on the bike with one day in the gym to maintain my strength gains.

I'm still planning out my 2008 race calendar. It is going to be similar to year's past with a focus on NMBS events, Sea Otter, the one-day National Championships at Mt. Snow (assuming I qualify), and various local and regional events to fill in the gaps. I'm waiting to publish a post with a complete list until some more details come out regarding the NMBS series. Of course, the big addition to the schedule this year is the 7-day BC Bike Race that kicks off in late June. I also know I'll be starting my season down in Phoenix at an Arizona State Championship series race. The strategy there is to get some sun (i.e. Vitamin D replenishment) and hopefully earn an early qualification to Mt. Snow. We'll see though as the body won't have much intensity yet, so a race effort is going to hurt.

On the 2008 sponsorship front, things are still getting dialed in. I'll pull together a post revealing my sponsors once all the deals are inked. As the saying goes, I don't want to count my chickens too soon. However, as I've alluded to in previous posts, next year's lineup is going to look a little different. Change is good though.

No pics today. Sorry. I know my loyal readers like imagery.

Blue Star

Project One Speed

2007-12-03T21:55:00.000-08:00

This evening I just about wrapped up work on Project One Speed. I converted my Ellsworth Enlightenment into a singlespeed. The cool thing is it cost just a few bills to do it in addition to a couple of parts from the the storage bins in the Blue Star shop. I'm using a Soulcraft Convert tension device and I converted a FC M960 XTR crankset using a Blackspire Mono Veloce ring and Ring God guard. The only thing left to do is dial in the position and cut the steerer tube on the Fox F80RLC fork.

Why singlespeed? Sheldon Brown says, "Many cyclists are rebelling against the excessive complication, fragility and weight of current mountain bikes. More and more cyclists are discovering the joys of simple, one-speed bicycles." Others practice the art of singlespeeding as a way to eschew the norm. See, e.g., Singlespeedoutlaw.com

My reasoning was a bit more practical than merely an aversion to the complexity of the modern bicycle or a form of rebellion. Rather, I wanted a rig that could take the punishing winters that are served up here in the Pacific Northwest. The mud is brutal and it reeks havoc on cog stacks and skinny 9-speed chains. Also, pushing the 32x16 up the Cascade foothills will give me some solid bike-based force workouts to supplement my strength work in the gym.

The beautiful thing about this particular build is the entire bike weighs in at just about 20lbs even with some heavy mud tires. Swap out the tires for some light weight racing rubber, cut the steerer to length, and it will definitely come in under 20.

The rig and the happy mechanic.

The rig up close.

Yep, just one 16 tooth cog back there.

Blue Star

And then there was snow

2007-12-01T14:28:00.000-08:00

Today's two-hour recovery spin, turned into a mini-epic. I left the house and it was cold, but there was spots of intermittent sun. A little after the one hour mark, some small flakes started to fly. I thought to myself, "how beautiful." Soon after, however, it was a full on white out. I trudged home, gingerly taking corners in an effort to keep the rubber side down. The streets were covered in slush and the snow started to stick almost immediately. It was very hard to see, because my glasses were getting coated with snow and I couldn't take them off because the big flakes hurt my eyes. Once home, I was coated from head to toe in snow and SLR snapped a couple of pictures as she laughed at my appearance. Note the accumulation on the bar and post.

It is still coming down at a good clip as I type this post. We've got over an inch in the yard. Seattle does not deal with snow well, so the roadways are going to be a mess until the rainy weather returns tomorrow. If I was still in the saddle, I'd surely look like Andy Hampsten in the 1988 Giro Di Italia on the Passo Gavia.

Blue Star

Beer Season

2007-11-30T18:01:00.000-08:00

In years past, I have made a concerted effort to avoid alcoholic beverages except for the extremely rare treat. This off-season I have decided to take a different approach and allow this pleasurable indulgence on regular occasions and not deprive myself. I read an article that JHK and Mrs. Irminger regularly indulge in fine wines and they are some of the fastest on a MTB in the US. This change of tack will, of course, cease once the race season approaches, but until then I will be tipping my classic German beer glass (RAL, thanks for the glassware) with some of the world's finest ales, porters, and stouts.

This evening I am partaking in a Duvel Belgian Golden Ale. I figure the Belgians are some of the fastest riders in the world, so maybe it's in their beer. Even if it's not, Duvel is a delicious ale. Duvel has a classic yellow ale color with crisp bitter flavors and a hint of sweetness. The head rises up from the glass after the initial pour like a slow eruption of viscous lava from a volcano. The head ultimately comes to rest with the appearance of meringue on a lemon pie or perfectly steamed milk destined for a fine cappuccino. In short, this beer lives up to its world renowned reputation. A worthy tip of the glass.

Cheers,

Blue Star

Musings on CX

2007-11-30T08:58:00.000-08:00

CX is evolving from the obscure to mainstream in the US. The rapidity that is happening is amazing. The New York Times even has an article today. Who would have thought that riding a short off-road course on unsuspended (read, uncomfortable) bikes for an hour or so in miserable weather would become widely accepted?

I wonder why XC mountain bike racing isn't sharing the same growth in interest. I suspect it may be the duration and length of the event. Short CX race equals doable for most, even if they are out of shape. If you are sucking wind and cannot turn the pedals over one more time, you just pull out and the car is usually a few hundred yards away. Plus, you have the rest of the day to hang out, drink a beverage, and watch others ride in circles. Whereas long XC mountain bike races with thousands of feet of climbing can sometimes make finishing a harrowing feat and the car is often miles away. If it is a really bad day, the venue could be nearly empty by the time you reach the finish. Then again, I'm probably wrong, because marathon and stage race endurance MTB events are also gaining popularity at a pace nearly equal to CX.

Whatever the reason, it's all good that more people are getting out on bikes. Gotta love the bike!

Blue Star

Turkey Day Weekend

2007-11-26T21:47:00.000-08:00

A long weekend of mastication, imbibing, and riding.

Some bird...

Some good wine (meant a hangover on Friday)...

Some CX at a frustratingly moderate pace...

That was Thanksgiving 2007 in a nutshell.

Blue Star

Oh So Semipro

2007-11-21T10:04:00.000-08:00

Yesterday, USA Cycling sent me an email...

The following request to change your NORBA category has been approved and processed by USA Cycling: Change category from Expert to Semipro.

Yep, I'm now officially a semipro mountain bike racer. Except for dreams of being an NBA basketball player as a kid, I never really thought the word "pro" would be associated with anything I do. Being 5'10" with a moderate vertical leap squashed those hoop star visions after high school though. I guess I'm a pro lawyer, but law school and the bar exam involved much less physical suffering than racing a mountain bike faster than 99% of the population.

2008 is going to be a good year on the bike. A physcial and mental challenge like none I have faced before. I'm confident I can coax some more watts out of my body, let's just hope its enough to be competive at the next level. More importantly, I'm just enjoying the ride while it lasts!

Also, I have some things brewing on the sponsorship front. But I'll keep that under wraps until things are finalized.

Blue Star

Rain, Feeling Blah, & Semi-pro Upgrade

2007-11-17T10:11:00.000-08:00

Lots of rain to deal with today. Radar does not paint a pretty picture for a comfortable outdoor ride. With 4 hours on the schedule, I'm torn between getting rained on or riding the trainer.

For now, I'm going to sit on the couch and watch my favorite football game of the year: Ohio State v. Michigan. Maybe I'll get inspired to ride.

Skipped my workouts yesterday. I've been beat down lately and not sure why. Most of last week, I was really tired and felt as if I was in a fog. Lots of fatigue and even had to soft pedal to get home from a three hour ride on Wednesday. Not sure what the deal is, but I visited a doc yesterday to see if there is anything wrong. He took some blood and did some other tests. Hopefully, there is an easy fix besides taking an extended break from the bike.

I bit the bullet this week and submitted my semi-pro upgrade request to USA cycling. According to the rules, I have sufficient results, so I should get it. Assuming I get the updgrade, I figure the worst that happens is I get smoked by the competition and I get faster trying to keep up. The only thing I'm worried about is qualifying for the National Championships at Mt. Snow in July. It will be much harder than in years past to get the necessary result. I love that race and will do everything I can to get in.

That's all for now.

Blue Star.

Bike Handling

2007-11-12T17:07:00.000-08:00

I consider bike handling a skill that I have in my quiver of race weapons. This video shows skill can be elevated to art. Simply masterful.

Blue Star

Disc Brake Powertap

2007-11-06T14:34:00.001-08:00

Saris finally released some details on the disc brake-compatible Powertap hub. Looks sweet, but I'm curious if there some added weight with all 8 bolts to hold on the proprietary rotor. Although I have been told additional intel to suggest that the final production model will get the carbon cut outs of the existing SL model.

Lace the Powertap hub to a DT Swiss XRC 330 carbon rim, throw in some ceramic bearings, match it with a DT Swiss 190 based front wheel, and you have the ultimate MTB wheelset.

Blue Star

A Moral Failure?

2007-11-06T10:03:00.000-08:00

Check out this recent article in the Seattle PI about a cyclist from West Seattle that was shot with BBs while commuting home. One of the BBs lodged in his lung and the other bounced off his aorta and settled on his diaphragm. Luckily, he is recovering and even riding to work again just days after the incident. For an even more detailed account, you can check out the cyclist's story on his blog. Reading the article and his blog made me nauseous and has me wondering about the moral turpitude of people who could commit such an act.

As a cyclist logging thousands of miles on the road every year, I count my self as lucky to have experienced only a few "incidents" of my own when interacting with motorists and have never been injured as a result. I've had people yell profanities at me through open windows, had things thrown at me including a mostly full bottle of beer, been buzzed at high speed by large pickup trucks while blasting their air horns, sprayed with gravel by a car that purposely drifted onto the shoulder in front of me and floored the accelerator. These things, unfortunately, are common place and there is little a cyclist can do besides shake an angry fist at the offender as s/he speeds away.

I just can't comprehend why people have such hostility to cyclists. Is having to drive 10 mph for a few seconds while waiting to pass such an inconvenience that warrants acting in a way that puts the cyclist at risk for injury or death? I don't know anyone whose time is that valuable. Are fat assess sipping their super-gulp soda on their way to pick up some french fries at the local drive-thru that resentful towards someone actually doing physical exercise? Even a brain twisted by the desire to get a fast food fix can't be that perverse. Is someone's homophobia so acute that seeing a man in spandex for a few seconds requires retaliation for such an affront? I can't imagine someone that depraved. These rhetorical questions may touch on some truth, but I think the bigger theme that may underlie such actions is that our society is experiencing a moral failure. People are indifferent to the lives of others in this hectic, take or be taken, succeed-at-all-costs world we live in. People are so wrapped up in getting ahead, they forget it is an actual person they are pushing out of the way to get there. It is an ugly race to the bottom. If you think I'm wrong, then read the content of some of the nearly 200 indignant Sound Off Comments to the PI article.

I don't have an answer of how to fix such a fundamental failure. If I did, I think I could solve many of the world's greatest problems, which I believe originate from this same disregard for the lives of others. But I will keep riding my bike, ignorance be damned! However, I won't be alone. Seattle's Bicycle Master Plan was just approved unanimously by the City Council. The City will be spending $27 million for cycling projects including 118 miles of new bike lanes and 19 miles of trails. A step in the right direction. I only hope there is an educational component that goes with the infrastructure.

Stepping off my soap box.

Blue Star

Weigh

2007-11-02T10:01:00.001-07:00

What does a super-wife get her husband who is a bike nerd? A pair of Ultimate Digital Scales for weighing anything and everything. Any self-respecting bike nerd's workshop needs these.

I got one of these...

and one of these (the scale, not the stem)...

Most won't comprehend the sweetness of such instruments, but I'm as excited as a kid on Christmas. What to weigh first? Thanks SLR!

And some relevant lyrics by Phish (or click here for an audio sample)...

Weigh
I'd like to cut your head off, so I can weigh it, what do you say?
Five pounds, six, pounds, seven pounds.
I'd like to go to your house and gather all your razors and pick all the little prickly hairs so I can weigh them, what do you say?
Five pounds, six pounds, seven pounds.
I'd like to gather all your friends and squish them all into a small
swimming pool so I can weigh them, what do you say?
Five pounds, six pounds, seven pounds
Why weigh on a sunny day?
So much to do so why, oh why weigh?
On a sunny day, why oh why weigh hey?
Why weigh, why weigh?
I'd like to hear my options, so I can weigh them, what do ya say?
Five pounds, six pounds, seven pounds
Why weigh on a sunny day?
So much to do, so why, oh why weigh?
On a sunny day, why oh why weigh hey?
Why
Oh Why [x11]
Why weigh?

Blue Star

Putting Power to the Pedals

2007-10-31T11:57:00.001-07:00

Power is the rate at which work is performed or energy is transmitted, or the amount of energy required or expended for a given unit of time. In the cycling world, power is measured in watts (w). The watt is the SI derived unit of power, equal to one joule of energy per second. Power to weight ratio (w/kg) is one of the most critical aspects to being a successful bike racer. The more power one can generate as they pedal relative to their body weight, the faster that person will be as a cyclist. For example, an average person can usually generate a power to weight ratio of about 2.5 w/kg for a 1 hour effort, whereas a Tour de France contender can turn out 6.5 to 7 w/kg for the same amount of time. Hence, cyclists, are always struggling to strike the appropriate balance between their body weight and their musculature.

I, being the bike nerd that I am, have a Powertap hub and computer on my road bike that instantaneously measures my power output and it stares me in the face as I ride. I download data to my computer and crunch numbers to see how I am doing and my workouts are structured around hitting certain power objectives. I can very accurately track how my fitness is improving or decreasing by doing standardized tests over a certain course and comparing my average power for the same route. Power is more accurate than time or speed, because it eliminates variables such as wind, tire pressure, mechanical problems, etc. As the saying goes, power is absolute.

I have always wanted to be able to have a power meter on my mountain bike, but there was never a really good option because Powertaps were not compatible with disc brakes, SRM seemingly ignored the MTB market, and Ergomo, well, it has some serious bugs and is not compatible with triple chainring cranksets found on MTBs. So, I've never had good data to analyze mountain bike races or how to structure my training to better perform during races.

For 08, however, there several manufacturers that are releasing viable options. One setup that I'm lusting after is combining a Garmin Edge 705 gps unit with a SRM crankset that measures power generated at that crank rather than the wheel. The GPS gives you all the cycling computer data (speed, distance, etc.) as well as topographic information such as rate of ascent/descent, pace, and other numbers to crunch. The SRM crankset communicates wirelessly with the Garmin computer providing power data.

08 SRM MTB Crankset

Garmin Edge 705

Also, word on the street is that Powertap is going to release a disc-brake compatible rear hub in early 2008. This unit would not be compatible with the Garmin, but it would still give power information, which is the most critical. Plus, it will likely be a slighlty cheaper option than a SRM setup.

Lastly, there is a new company on the block called Quarq. They are going to be rolling out a chainring spider mounted power measurement device that is adaptable to cranksets with separate chainring spider assemblies. It is not clear to me whether this unit will work with a triple chainring crankset though.

If one of these options comes to fruition, this year is going to be even more fun. I can't wait to be able to crunch my MTB data and use it to get faster.

Blue Star (aka Bike Nerd)

Contentedness

2007-10-30T16:45:00.000-07:00

My high school basketball coach once opined "Be content, but never satisfied." A seemingly incongruous statement that flew right over the head of a naive kid. Here I am 15 years later and that quote just popped into my head. A sudden revelation out of my subconscious, I guess. I can't recall ever thinking of that quote since it was uttered to me during a motivational speech as another game on the hardwood approached. Until yesterday that is. But why yesterday? Yesterday, yesterday was my birthday. I've been riding this spinning globe for 32 years. I often take pause on my birthday and review the year's journey and luckily my brain works in strange ways and I remembered that quote. The last few years I've focused too much on the "never satisfied" part and forgotten about the "be content" part. As I sat and thought about my 31st year, I realized I've done some great things, despite having to overcome some big obstacles. My take on my coach's quote is to strive for balance between trying to achieve more and being content with what you already achieved. For me, I am content because: I am a bike racer; I am a lawyer; I am a husband; I a member of a loving family. What else can I ask for?

Blue Star

For the Love of CX

2007-10-26T11:13:00.000-07:00

People at work often ask what my weekends entail during the fall. I say "cyclocross racing" and more often than not the response is "what's that?" I usually try to explain with a comparision to steeple chase, but with bikes. I get some nods, but I know there is not a true understanding there. So, here's a couple of videos to answer the question a bit more definitively.

Lesson 1: Runups and Barriers at high speed.

Lesson 2: Slippery mud while riding road bikes with skinny knobby tires means little traction and staying upright is a challenge.

Lesson 3: Euros are really good at it and they get 20,000 fans at World Cup races. There is even live TV coverage and the national news media cover the events like Americans do with baseball and football. Americans are getting better finishing 2nd at last year's World Championships (both men and women), but I doubt it will ever be as popular as it is in Europe.

In a nutshell, that is how I flog myself in the cold and wet Fall season in the Pacific Northwest. It helps with the bike handling skills and keeps my fitness relatively high so getting ready for mountain bike season doesn't hurt as much come 2008.

Got cowbell?

Blue Star

New Rig

2007-10-17T12:55:00.000-07:00

The photo below is a peak at my Giant Anthem Advanced that I'll be racing on next year. I've got a few rides on it so far. My initial impression is that it is very light (23 lbs) and accelerates like a bottle rocket. I'm also hoping to get a super light carbon hardtail for those races that don't require full suspension.

Blue Star

Evergreen CX

2007-10-15T19:21:00.000-07:00

I hit up some CX on Sunday in South Seattle. Despite arriving to the line about 15 minutes before the start, I was relegated to about the 15th row. I guess cross is a little popular here in the NW. The rest of the day was pass, pass, and more pass.

Me acting all serious at the start with Dutton-Willekes or Willekes-Dutton--not sure which, so hereinafter he will be referred to as WD-40 in honor of the degreaser that the world thinks is a lube.

The first of three runups on the course.

Coming through the barriers with WD-40 on my tail.

Rolling through the finish. Ended up 19th out of about 65 starters. Not bad for starting in the second to last row behind 60 guys. Next week I'll get to the start early to ensure a better start position.

Blue Star

Transitions

2007-10-11T10:59:00.000-07:00

October and Fall generally is a time of transitions. Summer fades and the cool breezes, rain, and short days set in. This year, Seattle was not afforded the luxury of easing into winter, because it has hit already. Rides have been rain filled and cold. Suffer fests with wet hands and feet (except when I don the Goretex). The trails are wet and muddy already. Fall, where did you go?

Like the weather, my transition between race season and off-season training has not been the usual few relaxing weeks off the bike. This year my "transition" period included a 70-mile ride, some high intensity cross races, and a number of other changes from the norm as well. Now, in the second week of October, base mileage and weight training are in full effect. Also, I'm working on putting together my racing schedule for the 08 season and lining up my sponsors, some of which are already on board. It's been quite the hectic transition period to say the least.

If all goes according to plan, I should have some big news to report in the near future. So, keep checking back. I promise to keep the posts coming more frequently now that I've got my ducks in a row.

Later,

Blue Star

Blue Star Way

2007-09-25T16:08:00.000-07:00

Cashmere, WA is my kind of town.

Star-Crossed

2007-09-20T10:04:00.001-07:00

This weekend is the big cyclocross show in the Northwest, Star-crossed. All the big guns come from around the country to Marymoor Park in Redmond, WA including K-Bomb, Wicks, Trebon, etc. This is a really exciting race because it is in the evening under the lights of the Velodrome. A barrier section runs through the beer garden where a dj is spinning some beats. The entire course is visible from the top of the south bank of the track, so spectators come out in the thousands. The fact that almost all the fields are maxed out is a testament to this race's greatness. Hopefully, my legs are ready to bring it, because it will be a hurricane of pain and everybody's watts will be on full show.

Blue Star

Ode to the Bottle Bitch

2007-09-15T11:13:00.001-07:00

The NMBS Series finals went down in early August. All I had to do was finish within a few spots of a couple of guys and I had third place wrapped up. Mission accomplished, but I had to suffer in the process. The course was a lollipop shape with the majority of the race going down up around 10k feet above sea level. The race is stunningly beautiful and the 1track on Government Trail is awesome. Long story short, I finished and enjoyed my time in the Rocky Mountains once again even though I was not dicing for the win.

Another season comes to an end with one more podium.

A shiny plaque for the mantle.

All of my successes on the bike could not be possible without the best wife in the world. It's difficult for many people to understand all the preparation and sacrifices that go into bike racing including the training, equipment, nutrition, recovery, the mental game, etc. SLR, the self-proclaimed bottle bitch, makes sure everything is dialed in and all I have to worry about is pedaling my bike as hard I can. She is far from a bitch, more like a queen. I have nothing but respect, admiration, and gratitude for how much she puts into my racing. Following her example, I strive to give her unyielding support in whatever her goals are. Lately, she has been kicking ass on the bike herself getting ready for the Livestrong Challenge. Completely transforming her body and, more importantly, her belief of what she is capable of. She is an inspiration on so many levels and undoubtedly deserves the top step of the podium this year.

A helping hand on the course and in life.

Much KLH. Even with a muddy face!

Blue Star

BC Bike Race

2007-09-11T20:59:00.000-07:00

This BC Bike Race from June 28 to July 4 has just been calendered for my 2008 season instead of the TransRockies. I can't imagine a better race: Victoria to Whistler in 7 days. Beauty, epic 1track, serious competition. Count me in. Anyone interested in being support crew?

Blue Star

Slacking

2007-09-05T13:32:00.000-07:00

I know I'm long overdue for an update. Even though the season is over, I'm still riding. Getting ready for some CX and hitting up some local epics. Here's a shot from this weekend up on Crystal Mountain with THayes. It doesn't get much better. Note the new rig is in the stable.

I still owe an update on the NMBS Series Finals and rapping up 3rd place in the overall. But it will have to wait for another day, when I have the motivation and access to the photos.

Later yo,

Blue Star

Photo Dump

2007-08-16T22:40:00.000-07:00

Here are the pictures from the Mt. Snow east coast trip that I promised...

The bikes made it on the plane free on the way out. Saved us $100.

Building the bikes at the CT base camp for the week.

I hit some 1track at Collis P. Huntington State Park near Trumbull, CT.

Glacial erratic, some trees, and the rig.

After arriving in VT on Tuesday, the rain started and it did not finish until Friday evening before my race on Saturday morning. I read a couple of books to pass the time.

The rain made the Mt. Snow 1track a quagmire. Thick mud + Steep Trail = Pushing a Heavy Bike Uphill for about 1 mile.

Yep, this one was for the stars and bars.

A gap already? Why am I slow today?

I was bombing the DH and passing guys, but...

... dragging ass on the UH and losing lots of time.

SLR sporting her new Blue Star attire.

She worked the crowded feed zone masterfully as usual.

2.5 hours later it was time for the suffering to end.

Wrecked and left with nothing in the tank.

The Blue Star Fan Club came out in full force. Many thanks!

Even though I sucked, I still had a great time at my favorite race venue in the country. Who could not be happy in such cool threads? Thanks SLR!

Next up, a Snowmass race report (altitude got me again!) and some pics of the new full suspension rig that will be in the stable tomorrow.

Blue Star

Race Report Delay, Series Finals, & 2008

2007-08-09T15:06:00.000-07:00

I'm long overdue for an update about the east coast trip and my not-so-fast races at Mt. Snow. To be honest, I haven't had the motivation to revisit my lack luster performances and spin a yarn about the trip. Bottom line, I just didn't have the legs for some reason. Even more strange, I had a no-chain day (i.e. pedaling is so easy you have to check and if the chain is still there) on the Thursday after we got back to Seattle. Bike racing is an enigma. Sometimes you're fast, sometimes you're not. There is supposed to be "science" behind the training, but I think there is way more to it than periodization and spending lots of time riding. All the variables that come in to play are mind bending when you try and figure out what happened: too much saddle time, too little saddle time, good training but stressed mentally, the perfect day that happens for no apparent reason (e.g. the Padden race this year), nutrition, hydration, too much sleep, too little sleep, travel, etc., etc., etc. All I know is I love to ride and some races it works out and some it doesn't. I'll just keep on trying.

Racing aside, I love Vermont. I feel nearly as at home there as I do in the Pacific Northwest. The riding is really technical and the hardwood forests remind me of the days when I first got into the mountain bike lifestyle. I have a bunch of pictures to post from SLR and Dr. J and I promise to get them up shortly. I also have to say a big thank you to the Blue Star fan club that made the trip up from the Constitution State. The t-shirts rocked. Thanks to SLR for spearheading the effort. It sure made the pain of the muddy suffer fest a little more tolerable to know people were cheering me on. Maybe next year, I'll bring some legs.

This weekend SLR and I are off to Snowmass, Colorado for the NMBS Series finals. The course is 18 or so miles with 7000 feet of climbing. It's going to be crazy hard! I want to have a better showing than I did at the last altitude event I did in Park City. In any event, I'll be living it up enjoying the last mountain bike race of the year in the beautiful Aspens groves as the race descends Government Trail. Assuming I finish the race, I should finish 3rd overall in the series. Some more hardware to round at a year's worth of training, traveling, and racing.

Now that the season is winding down, I'm already starting to think about next season. A few changes are on tap. Do I go semi-pro? I'm leaning towards yes, assuming I can get a reduced work schedule. I know I'm making a sponsor switch as well. I've been working with Ellsworth for several years, but I've decided to move on for a variety of reasons. A primary reason is I think there are more technically advanced bikes that have come out in the past couple of years. Carbon fiber is an amazing material and my race bikes next year will be several pounds lighter than the alloy Ellsworths I was running. 2 lbs makes a huge difference on a long climb. Thanks to some help from Lloyd at Velo Bike Shop in Seattle I'll be rocking a Giant Anthem Advanced and XTC Carbon hardtail. I'm also contemplating expanding my race schedule to include some races other than NMBS and local XC events. In particular, I'm going to try to get a spot in the 2008 TransRockies. TransRockies is a seven-day mountain bike stage race that covers about 550km in the Kootenay mountains of British Columbia. A unique aspect of this race is that it is a team event. Teams consist of pairs of riders that must complete the entire course together remaining within two minutes of each other at all times. Choosing my teammate among my cycling friends will be an interesting process.

That's all for now. Sorry for the lack of posts and I promise some photos from the VT trip soon. Thanks for reading.

Blue Star

US National Championship

2007-07-25T13:40:00.000-07:00

Mid-pack in the XC (13th out of 30) and Pulled in the Short Track. Not a stellar performance, but fun nevertheless. I will get a full report up this weekend.

Until then, check out this video of me riding with the Discovery Channel Team here. Lance is slowing down in his retirement. ;-)

Blue Star

Floyd Landis Speaks

2007-07-13T09:39:00.001-07:00

I went to see Floyd speak at Third Place Books in Lake Forest Park yesterday. It just so happens the store is at the bottom of my regular hill climb, so I found it sort of surreal listening to a guy who "won" the Tour de France last year just a few hundred yards from my usual training route.

He spoke for a couple of minutes, before opening the floor to questions. His introductory remarks were mostly about the beautiful weather and the good riding in Seattle. He seemed somewhat surprised by the number of attendees, several hundred. Then the questions came at him for about the next 45 minutes. The inquiries ranged from the benign, "Shimano or Campy?" to the serious, "Explain the Greg Lemond situation?"

I found he came across as a pretty genuine guy. He was clearly not all that comfortable with public speaking, but once grilled with questions he came into his own. He definitely had an aw shucks vibe about him when he received a standing ovation as he walked into the book store. He was funny and often cracked jokes before delving into a question more seriously.

Over the past few months, I read the briefing from his arbitration and hearing that his legal team posted on the Internet. I was struck by the discrepancies in the science, especially the margin of error between the two tests on the same sample. The standard deviation between the test results is clearly a red flag. Floyd mentioned during one answer that the Chatenay-Malabry laboratory has a significantly higher number of positive tests for testosterone than any other lab in the world.

Do I think he will prevail in his arbitration? I think he just might. Do I think the French lab screwed up? Absolutely. Do I think he doped? I just don't know. So many Pro Tour riders have confessed to getting some medical "help", it's hard to know what to think. SLR, on the other hand, thinks they all dope or were doping.

In the end, it doesn't really matter to me, because I find the most entertaining thing about bike racing is the beauty of the sport. Carbon and alloy machines gliding along through the majestic scenery of the French countryside and rising up through its high alpine peaks. The buzz of the freewheel, the whirl of carbon rims on pavement, the clicking of gears. Chearing fans on the side of the road in the middle of nowhere. The snaking of the peloton as it winds through narrow switchbacked roads. It is simply, beautiful. For me, drugs cannot detract from that.

Padden Mountain Pedal

2007-07-09T21:16:00.001-07:00

The Padden Mountain Pedal was unique in many ways. First, the pro/open and expert men were started together, but not before a show by several belly dancers for all the spectators and racers to enjoy.

Second, the race start wasn't the usual grid of racers 5 wide and 15 deep. It was a big curved single file line of racers across a baseball field. The chaotic part of it was we were all shooting for the woods 100 yards in the distance and the entrance to the trail was not wider than 10 feet between a tree and a concrete pole. 150 fast bike racers aiming for a hole shot is scary. Add in the fact the promoter offered $100 to the first person through onto the trail made it VERY VERY scary. My goal was to stay upright and not break my bike. With a shout, "GO!", the mania was on and the whole field of pro and expert men charged through the field towards the trail entrance. Many racers crashed. I got stuck mid-pack and had to wait my turn to get into the trail while racers untangled themselves from twisted bikes and bodies heaped at the entrance to the trail. I don't think this was the best way to start a race, but I'm sure it was interesting for the spectators to watch. Maybe it would garner some ESPN coverage if this was the standard protocol. Americans love carnage, right?

Third, I was really fast! After my less than stellar start, I had to play catch up to many riders that were way up the course by the time I got onto the trail. No problem. I was motoring and passing guys at ease. After passing what seemed like 50 guys on the initial climb, I settled into a pace I thought I could hold for the 5 laps. After a while, I stopped seeing expert numbered racers around me and it was only pro/open numbers around me. I even held back a little on the last lap in anticipation of a last lap surge from one of my main competitors that regularly has a strong kick at the end of a race. I never saw him or any other expert guys for that matter. I won! Victory is very sweet, especially when it's been my objective for so long and I've come so close, finishing second on several occasions over the last couple of years. I earned my top spot on the podium (cooler).

Fourth, I won something in the raffle. I've gone years without taking a raffle prize. This winless streak came to end with the announcement of the numbers "0-4-7". I won a sweet set of FSA K-force carbon cranks that have an MSRP for about $500.

All in all a great weekend! A real morale boost going into the Mt. Snow National Championships. In Vermont, I plan on turning my self inside out and leaving everything on the race course. As my high school basketball coach would say before big games, "Pain is temporary, glory of victory is forever!"

Blue Star

1st Place

2007-07-09T13:59:00.001-07:00

I had a great race on Sunday up in Bellingham, Washington. It was the 15th Annual Padden Mountain Pedal that drew over 300 racers to the small but beautiful Lake Padden park southeast of town. I took the win in the Expert 30-39 category and was one of the top experts overall. I'll post a full race report and some photos this evening. Until then, take a look at the Bellingham Herald front page article regarding the race: Dry Padden course draws 300 cyclists

Blue Star

Green Mountains on My Mind

2007-07-06T11:22:00.000-07:00

I'm starting to feel like a bike racer again. The legs are finally good. On the 4th, A-dog and I ripped the 1-track and the road climb on Tiger Mountain for 3 solid hours. The key sign that I'm getting back to normal is that I recovered quickly from such a hard effort. Also, the back pain is all but gone. Giddy up!

Now that I'm feeling fast again, I'm starting to get amped up about the National Championships at Mt. Snow. Rocks, roots, mud. A true test of the the MTB skill set as well as the lungs and legs.

This video from last year's race captures the essence of the XC (warning it's big): 2006 Mt. Snow NORBA XC.

And this one demonstrates why I don't race the DH: Yard Sale Crashes.

Blue Star

The mountain is out

2007-07-03T19:55:00.000-07:00

My training today consisted of an easy spin over to the eastside and back. Just under 2 hours of riding. The weather today in the Seattle area is perfect. It is the type of day that almost makes me forget those wet winter training days I suffered through in December and January. In Woodinville, I noted that the majestic Mt. Rainier was looking down on me as I rode.

1-Track Rehab

2007-07-03T09:48:00.000-07:00

I found my legs yesterday on a little over two hour road/mtb ride. I rolled on the Truth from the casa to Saint Eds State Park in Kenmore via some good roads and a short stint on the Burke Gilman trail. SLR joined me until we reached the Burke, where she continued on to get her road fix while I headed off to enjoy some dirt. The trails at St. Eds are mildly technical with a few roots, log jumps, and lots of quick direction changes. Due to the park's small size and urban location, you have to keep the speed in check because you're never sure if there is a hiker, biker, dog, small child, etc. around the next bend. I rallied the 1-track and slowly but surely my engine started to fire on all cylinders. Luckily the trails were nearly empty today. I put in some hard efforts and I was finally able to get my HR up over 180 after spending the last few weeks maxing out in the 170's, including the Winthrop race. Some fun trail riding seems to have gotten me back on track. Hopefully, the check engine light stays off and I can keep the fitness moving in a positive direction.

Blue Star

Update: Fewer Mt. Snow Laps

2007-07-02T15:34:00.000-07:00

The lap count sheet on the Mt. Snow Nationals site has been revised. Instead of 5 laps, experts are now slated to complete 4 turns on the famous Mt. Snow course. Thank goodness! Lap times on the course are in the neighborhood of 30 minutes (or slightly less if its dry) for Experts. 5 laps would have meant about 2.5 hours or more of racing. That's a long race. I excel in races that last between 1:45 and 2 hours, so the dropping of one lap suits me well. Some good fortune! Now all I need is some rain and cool weather on race day. A little moisture on the roots and rocks would weed out the fair weather racers and play right into my Pacific NW skill set.

Blue Star

Recovery Week Cont.

2007-07-01T19:21:00.000-07:00

The impromptu recovery block continues. I put in just under 2 hours in the saddle on Friday after work and I had stale legs. I thought the staleness was probably the result of spending only a few days riding during the week. I had 2.5 hours of high intensity MTB time scheduled for Saturday. I rolled up to Tiger mid-afternoon after sleeping in late and having a solid breakfast. Again, the legs were flat. I tried to push through it and crank out some hard efforts. The legs weren't having it and I just got more tired. Even my handling skills got sloppy as I tried to push myself to go faster. I ended up pulling the plug after two hours. The mystery that is my fitness continues. I decided to take today off to get another day of R&R in hopes of recharging the batteries. Hopefully, the legs will come around soon. If you see my fitness out and about, please let it know to come back because I need it for the next couple of weeks.

Blue Star and Nola checking the World Cup results. Nola likes recovery weeks. :-)

Recovery and Mt. Snow

2007-06-29T09:53:00.000-07:00

This week has been an impromptu recovery week with only two days of riding since the race last Saturday. I was physically cooked after the weekend and slept like a rock all week. Coach Thomas and I were worried more training would be digging a hole that I couldn't get out of before Mt. Snow. The back issue was/is very draining both mentally and physically. Luckily, it has started to ease up some (knock on wood). Keep sending the positive energy, it seems to be working

This weekend starts the final training push to Mt. Snow. Over the next two weeks, I'll be putting some very specific high intensity workouts and try and find the most technical terrain I can to mimic the gnarly descents on the Mt. Snow course. July 4th gives me an extra training day to get a long ride in next week, so I hope I can get about 12 hours of saddle time in for the week.

5 laps of this should take about 2.5 hours.

Blue Star

Col Du Galibier and Back Update

2007-06-28T09:57:00.000-07:00

I knew the photo I took of the switchback on the North Cascade Highway reminded me of the Tour de France. Compare it to the photo below by Graham Watson. It is from Stage 15, Briancon-Courchevel, in the 2000 Tour. The main peloton, led by the US Postal Service Team, is climbing the 8677-foot Col du Galibier. Maybe there should be a Tour of Washington with some big alpine passes including a stage from Burlington to Winthrop.

Back Update: Slept terrible last night, but am feeling slightly better today. I'm thinking PT irritates the muscles more than helps. I'm definitely considering some pins.

Blue Star

Beautiful Winthrop and My Aching Back

2007-06-27T20:08:00.000-07:00

This past weekend SLR and some friends of ours went to Winthrop, Washington for the sixth stop in Washington's Indie Series. Winthrop is in north central Washington in Okanogan County. It's an old mining town that was founded in the late 1800's and it still has a rustic country feel. The scenery surrounding town is on par with any great mountain town in the world. We rented a small cabin just oustide of town adjacent to the Methow River. Sorry I was lax with the camera again and didn't get any pictures of town or our abode for the weekend. If you ever have the chance, do try and make a trip to Winthrop.

The race was a tough one. I was in a race-long battle with several other guys for 2nd through 6th place. I, unfortunately, finished sixth. The course included a very steep climb known as "Dragon's tail." We went up it twice. The first trip up I was strong and middle ringed most of the pitches. The second time we went up, it was lights out in the engine room and I had to let my competitors get a gap on me. I tried to catch back on during the 3-mile super technical downhill (actually part of the DH course) to the finish, but instead took a header over the bars when trying to pass a lapped rider from a lower category and tumbled down a steep, sandy chute. Needless to say, I didn't catch the 2nd through 5th place guys.

I'm a little disappointed that I got dropped on the final climb. I think my back is zapping some of my power. I went to the doctor just before the race and he prescribed some physical therapy in an effort to fix the issue. My vertebrae in my mid-back are showing some signs of a past injury and deterioration that may be aggravating the muscles in the area. In addition to possibly slowing me down on the bike, I am also having real problems sitting at my desk at work. The seated position really aggravates the problem to the point I have to lay on the floor. Luckily, riding my bike makes it feel better. I am hopeful I can get this back issue resolved before the trip to Mt. Snow. Please send some positive energy my way to aid in the healing process.

And now a few photos from the weekend.

Lined up and ready start...

Dirty Blue Star Racer after taking a header.

Some scenery in the North Cascades from the drive home.

Looks like a switchback from a stage in the alps at the Tour de France, but it is really just Washington.

Thanks for reading,

Blue Star

Slow Racing

2007-06-21T09:15:00.000-07:00

Well, the best way to describe my Deer Valley effort is: I sucked. The bottom line is that I rode slow. The guy (first place in the series) I usually battle with put a huge 10 minutes into me. However, the silver lining is the other guy (second place in the series) I battle with was even slower than me by a couple of minutes. So, I'm still in third place overall in the series and actually made up a few points on second place. All three of us are skipping the North Carolina NMBS race in July, because it's just too hard to get there from the west coast especially if you have to work a real job. The series finals at Snowmass will be very interesting as to whether I can make up the point deficit to move into second. Not likely, but possible.

Neither me nor Coach Thomas are quite sure why I wasn't motoring like usual this weekend. The possible culprits we could identify: (1) altitude, (2) my aching back, or (3) High CNS score (i.e. stress). Everything else was consistent with my normal routine. I'm not sure altitude was the problem, because CAT had me acclimated to 9k feet. My respiration rate was normal and my heart rate was actually lower than normal for a race. Both respiration and heart rate increase when the body is adjusting to altitude. My back, although still hurting pretty bad this week, felt pretty good on Sunday. Plus, the back problem lessens when I'm on the bike and soon thereafter. It's sitting in a chair or a car that really tends to aggravate it. Lastly, stress. I guess I'm under some stress: work issues, family illnesses, dissatisfaction with some things in my life, etc. I didn't really recognize it all until looking back and thinking about everything that is going on. Nevertheless, I'm not sure stress is the culprit, because I was able to put out a fairly solid hill effort yesterday at Tiger and got my HR up to 95% of my max. Again, the enigma that is fitness continues to present puzzles to decipher. The body is an amazing thing.

The following photos are from my pre-ride on the course on Saturday afternoon following the pro men's race. I didn't take too many because there wasn't much time between the ripping descents and the steep climbs. The rest of the weekend went by in a blur and the camera didn't make it out of my bag.

This shot is from the top of the first climb on the course looking down on the race venue and Deer Valley Resort. Even though I was slow, this race had me smiling most of the time because the scenery was so beautiful and the course was really fun.

This one is looking down the Little Stick climb. "Little" is misleading and I'm not sure the picture does it justice. Trust me, it is steep and long.

Well, back to training for Mt. Snow. A few local races and some solid training miles in the Cascades are on the schedule. Hopefully, I get my mojo back ASAP. Also, this back pain stuff needs to go away ASAP as well.

Later,
Blue Star

Deer Valley

2007-06-15T16:04:00.000-07:00

I'm off to Deer Valley, Utah tomorrow morning first thing. The venue is one of my favorites nestled in the Rocky Mountain's Wasatch Range just 3o some-odd miles from Salt Lake City. The course is really fun and the scenery is stunning. The only problem is that last two years this race has destroyed me physically and mentally because of the jump in altitude going from about 100 feet above sea-level at my house in Seattle to almost 8000 feet on the race course. Last year, I flatted so the suffering wasn't as severe because I was already DFL and did not need to push the pace. If you want to get the perspective of what if feels like racing at altitude as a sea-level resident, go run around the block while breathing through a straw. Maybe this year will be different thanks to CAT.

I race on Sunday morning, which happens to also be Father's Day. I think my Dad will be watching. Hopefully, he can give me some strength and in return I will put on a show for him. Regardless of the outcome, it will be cathartic to be racing my bike in the beautiful outdoors.

I'll post some pics and a race recap upon my return.

Blue Star

The Razor's Edge

2007-06-10T11:44:00.000-07:00

Over the last two weeks, I've gone from generating some big watts, to sick with a cold, to laid up with some back pain. One the things I've learned about my body through bike racing is that it is finicky. One moment you can be on top of your game and the next pedaling like I did when I had training wheels. Fitness is like a razor's edge, any little thing can push you off. The one thing I always struggle with is listening to my body. It tells me when to slow down, but I usually miss the signal.

I had a great race on the Mt. Constitution Hill climb, besting my time from last year by nearly 4 minutes. It was only good enough for second place, but I was motoring and happy with my effort. I cranked out about 310 watts for just over 38 minutes. The power-to-weight ratio is exactly where it needs to be to do well for the coming months MTB races. I will be smoking fast if I can build to an even higher level by Mt Snow.

Here's a few photos from the hill climb:

Ready to launch... 3.. 2.. 1...

How's the front tire look?

Beauty goes unnoticed in the pain cave.

Thought to self: Are there any more watts in those legs?

The sign says it all.

The week following the hill climb my legs were smoked and my energy level was low. Failing to notice my bodies cue to take more time to recover, I pushed myself off the edge by trying to do some high intensity intervals. My body rejected them and I promptly started to feel like crap as the cold set in to my upper respiratory system.

Still refusing to accept my impending illness, the weekend after Mt. Constitution, Thayes, SLR, and myself rolled over to Leavenworth, WA for the Bavarian Bike & Brews MTB festival. It is a beautiful race in the Freund Canyon outside of town. The problem was it was like a blast furnace with temps reaching 95 degrees. The first lap went all right, but I was not climbing like I have been this year and had to let a group of leaders go. The second lap I started to notice I really wasn't feeling good. Bombing down the descent on the backside of the course, I started to get dizzy and was getting cold despite the intense heat. It finally clicked in my brain: I'm sick and you better pull the plug and skip the last lap. I took a voluntary DNF (unusual for me). Back at the car, I was wrecked. Hot/cold spells, nausea, joint pain.

The next week I was laid up in bed more than not. It was a struggle to even breath let alone ride. I finally kicked the cold to the curb on Friday, just in time to get some miles in for the weekend. My body had different ideas though. I woke up on Saturday with a stiff back that stabbed me with pain with any twisting motion. Luckily riding doesn't involve twisting, so I am still able to train. Hopefully, the muscles work themselves out by next weekend when I'll be off to Deer Valley, UT for the next NMBS race. It will be a quick trip with not much time for enjoying the mountains: fly in Saturday, race Sunday at 8am, fly home Sunday afternoon. I'm hoping to bring home some big series points though. We shall see.

Until next time,
Blue Star

Constitution Climb

2007-05-25T14:16:00.000-07:00

This weekend we're heading up to Orcas Island for some R&R and I'll be racing the Constitution Climb. The Constitution Climb is a road race up Mt. Constitution. The route is from Rosario Resort on the water to the summit parking lot. A total of 7.8 miles and 2,635 vertical feet gained. Last year, I cranked out an average of just under 300 watts for 42:19 and took the win by a narrow margin. This year I'm hoping to shave a minute or more off my time by averaging around 315 watts.

Blue Star

Blue Star Logo and Some Philosophy

2007-05-24T14:56:00.000-07:00

You may have noticed, I've got a new logo. Thanks to graphic designer extraordinaire, Maggie-G. She created the design for me several months ago, however, my Dad's medical situation interrupted our momentum on the project. Now that I'm getting some focus back and some time, I hope to have some top-tube stickers and t-shirts made in the near future.

Next up, Blue Star Racing, LLC, which will be a small company focused on supporting a race team and maybe other bicyle related business endeavors. The key to getting this concept off the ground will be landing a paying non-bicycle industry sponsor that is looking to market to cycling and outdoor recreation enthusiasts. A dream, I know, but not impossible.

Along the lines of taking a long-shot, I recently read an interesting article that concluded that people that believe themselves to be lucky are not lucky at all. In reality, "lucky" people tend to share personal characteristics that position themselves for fortuitous occurences. One of those common traits is not being averse to taking a risk. Lucky people increase their chances of luck by exposing themselves to opportunity. Being a lawyer has taught me to be risk averse, calculating, and, as a consequence, I believe, less lucky. In light of recent events, quotes like "Carpe Diem" and "It is better to have tried and failed, then to have never tried at all" are all the more profound to me now. So, my conclusion of the day: take a chance once in awhile; life is too short to watch it pass by from the sidelines. Maybe adding a little risk to my life, may bring me some big rewards.

Blue Star

National Ranking

2007-05-17T08:00:00.000-07:00

I just peaked at USA Cycling's website and saw that I was ranked 21st out of 1282 Expert level mountain bike racers in the country. The rankings are based on some overly complicated formula that incorporates the prestige of the race, number of racers in the event, placings, etc. It doesn't really mean much, but it's kinda cool to be climbing the ladder anyway. Last year, I think I was in the 500's or so. A couple more good results and I should be top-10.

Meanwhile, in the National Mountain Bike Series, I'm in a tight battle for the series overall championship. Currently, I sit in third place, but only a few points separate the top-3 riders. We all know each other and I'm sure it's going to be battle all the way to the Series finals in Snowmass, CO.

Semi-pro? Maybe so.

T-minus, 65 days until Mt. Snow, Vermont and the USA National Championships. Time to train hard!

Blue Star

p.s. A post about the Fontana NMBS race will be coming soon.

Almost 3 months...

2007-05-08T22:00:00.000-07:00

What can happen in three months? Enough to change your life. The last quarter of a year has been, to say the least, a whirlwind of activity. The following is a lengthy recap. Thank you for your patience in waiting for an update and for reading such a verbose post.

Santa Cruz
My last post I was off to Santa Cruz, California for my training camp with Coach Thomas and some of his other athletes from the Native Planet team. Our base camp for the week, the Pelican Point Inn, was only a block or two from the beach.

We got in some solid training in the mountains around Santa Cruz. The weather was unseasonably warm the entire 5 days, which was a welcome change from the absolutely miserable winter I had been enduring in my beloved Pacific NW. We worked in an afternoon of climbing on Mount Hamilton east of San Jose. A great 20-mile climb with a perfect gradual 6%ish gradient that finishes at an observatory.

Las Vegas
Up until this year, I have been lucky enough to never experience a tragedy up close. This March that changed. My Dad was diagnosed with an extremely rare form of cancer in July 2006. The tumor was not found early and it spread to his heart and lungs by the time he began treatment. He bravely chose an aggressive course of treatment, undergoing multiple surgeries and dozens and dozens of radiation treatments. In January, he was improving and his doctors were optimistic he might just beat the odds. In the middle of February, he called me to say he was going in to the doctor to have his porto-cath removed because he was not going to need chemo. We chatted like we usually do about work, training, SLR, our house. He assured me he'd be in and out and there was nothing to worry about because it was a routine procedure. This was the last conversation I had with him. Within a few weeks, he would lose his battle, but he was a true warrior, fighting until the very end.

Bicycles were a very important part of my relationship with my Dad. We often rode together when I was a kid. Almost every evening in the summer we would spin around the block after he got home from work. From my early bmx bikes, to restoring an old ten speed, to my first mountain bike in 9th grade, he always supported my connection to bicycles. I started racing in high school and he gave up his weekends to drive me to the most rural corners of Ohio to race in some farmer's field. My graduation present from high school was a gleaming Ventana Marble Peak hardtail. One of our fondest memories together was going to Mount Snow, Vermont for my first Norba National. There are so many stories we tell about that trip that it is legend in the family: the Butt Naked Criterium; Real Maple Syrup; Outdoor Showers; Tread the Dog; Camping in the Green Mountains. Fittingly, the last time I spent with him before I knew he was sick was a road trip to the Brian Head Norba National last year. We drove from Vegas and were surrounded by Utah's stunning red-rock landscapes. He beamed with pride when I made the podium in the Short Track XC. I know my love of bicycles will always remind me of my Dad.

I received an unforeseen benefit from traveling to Vegas to be with my Mom and Dad. I was able to train on the mountain bike in the warm and dry desert for almost a solid month. SLR and my Mom made sure I got out on the bike nearly every day to distract myself from the stress I was under. I frequently visited the pain cave trying for a brief moment to forget, only to have memories rush back when I eased off the pace. These desert hammer fests resulted in me developing the best fitness I have had in my entire life. This season is in honor of the #1 Dudster:

Arizona NMBS - March 30 to April 1
I have done well at the AZ National in the past so I had high expectations coming into the event. Plus, it was my first race of the year so I was excited to get between the tape. I competed in the stage race which included a TT on Friday, Super D on Saturday, and XC on Sunday. Cumulative time for the three events would determine the stage race placings. In the TT, my 20+ minute effort over the course of about 5 miles was good enough for 3rd place. My first podium of the season. The Super D caught me by surprise, because there was not much D and a whole lot of pedaling. I didn't do as well as I'd hoped finishing in the low 20's. The big show for the weekend was the XC. It was quickly apparent as we entered the singletrack at the start of the race that I had good legs. I was able to ride with the leaders in relative comfort. I put in some attacks and was soon in a head to head battle with one other guy. He ended up getting a gap on me in some lapped traffic that I was not able to close down. I finished a solid second just under a minute back on the winner. My solid XC race vaulted me to first place overall in the stage race general classification. Three podiums for the weekend including the overall winner:

Sea Otter - April 12 to April 15
Sea Otter was also a multiple event race weekend. I would compete in the short 1.5 mile TT and Short Track XC on Friday. Recover on Saturday. Then race the extra-long 38 mile XC on Saturday.

The TT went well and I was feeling strong from the start through the descent into the finish.

I finished 3rd in the open men 30+ behind a couple of semi-pros (there was no category break down for this race). Another podium for the season.

I also had a strong short track XC. I was in a tight battle for fifth place, but ultimately couldn't hold the spot and finished just off the podium in sixth. I was given'er full gas chasing the leaders.

Good thing Saturday was a recovery day, because it was raining hard all day. SLR and I managed to get out and visit the Old Fisherman's Wharf for lunch.

My XC race on Sunday was disappointing given my strong results to that point. I was expecting a podium. The second 19-mile lap was a challenge with a lot of lapped traffic from the slower Sport categories that started an hour after the Experts. I lost my rhythm and that was enough to cost me several places. I ended up finishing 13th out of a strong national-caliber field of 30+ racers.

After the race, SLR and I took a drive to see Pebble Beach. It was windy and the waves were crashing. Beauty.

Santa Barbara NMBS - April 28 to April 29
Another trip down to CA. This time through LAX. The race venue was actually at the Firestone Vineyard near a small town called Buellton (north of Santa Barbara) . The Firestone Vineyard may be familiar to Bachelor fans. The hills were steep and green.

I had a very strong start to the race and was riding with the leaders for the first three quarters of the race. I was climbing and descending really well.

The problem was I got caught up in the racing and forgot to pay attention to how high my heart rate (200bpm) and core temperature was. It hit 95 degrees during the race. Not accustomed to such warm temps, I overheated and had to pedal like a small child for a good portion of the last lap. Rider after rider streamed by as I was unable to put power to the pedals. I came through the feed zone and Coach Thomas saw I was in trouble and doused me with two full bottles of ice water. My core temp came down to a reasonable level and I was able to finish the last few miles fairly strong and not lose any more positions. I ended up in 11th. Not bad considering the implosion I suffered.

After the race, SLR and I drove back to LA down the Coast Highway through Malibu. I can see why the hills around Malibu are so coveted. It's a dramatically scenic coastline.

Needless to say, the last three months have been spent racking up frequent flier miles and filled with success, defeat, joy, sadness, and everything in between. Stay tuned for yet another CA race report from the Fontana NMBS race last weekend. Cico De Mayo in LA! I brought home some more hardware and accomplished my first objective of the season.

Blue Star

California Love

2007-02-14T15:25:00.001-08:00

I'm off to Santa Cruz for 5 solid days of training with Coach Thomas and his posse. I am planning on about 20-25 hours of riding. The weather is supposed to be sun and mid-60's the entire trip. I'm taking the camera and will make an attempt to post some pictures of Redwood forests, single-lane roads w/o a car in sight, and crashing waves at the beach. I will also be hitting a Tour of California party on Saturday, maybe rub elbows with some celebrities (in the bike industry at least).

Now for some traveling music...

Tiger Mountain Saturday

2007-02-11T15:32:00.000-08:00

The weather this weekend was surprisingly beautiful considering it is February and I've been punished with adverse weather since November. I took advantage and did a solo tour of Tiger Mountain.

I started the day by banging out a high tempo to Poo Poo point to take advantage of the clear skies and catch a nice view of Mt. Baker to the north. Poo Poo is where the paragliders launch to glide down to Issaquah below.

I followed up Poo Poo by heading out to West Tiger and on the way I got some good peak-a-boo views of the Olympics.

Last, I started up towards the main Tiger summit before turning around and heading back to the car. On the descent, I caught a glimpse of Mt. Rainer before it was engulfed in clouds as a low pressure cell moved in.

Back at the trail head, the Garmin registered over 5k feet of climbing in three hours of riding.

A solid day of training. I was definitely feeling the strain of the vertical gain later in the ride.

Blue Star

A Season's Objectives

2007-02-08T15:42:00.000-08:00

At work when I start to procrastinate or can't seem to remain focused, I start a task list to keep me on track and getting things done. I tried to fight the list gene as a kid, but have seen the err of my ways later in life. Thanks for the list gene, Dad! How does keeping lists at work relate to bike racing? Well, the last few years I've talked about some season goals, but never put pen to paper (or electronic ink to screen) so there was nothing holding me accountable. This year, I'm going to apply my work strategy to the bike race season by posting my goals here, so they are staring me in the face. No excuses or backing out now:

Two top-5's at NMBS Series Events. The AZ NOVA Stage Race will be the first test and its a race I have won in the past. The two CA stops on the Series also offer good opportunities for me to do well.

On a Podium Step (i.e. Top 3) at the National Championships at Mount Snow in July. My favorite race of all time and the site of my first NORBA race back in 1994. The plan is for things to come full circle and it to be my final race as an expert.

Upgrade to Semi-Pro. I already have sufficient race results to upgrade, but I want to leave the expert class with some consistent placings before taking the plunge into the minor-leagues of professional mountain bike racing and staking claim to the back of the pack.

Now, I have to put my head down and work harder than I have ever before. Pushing out extra V02 max intervals, more reps in the gym, and treating every workout as if it will make the difference between going fast and being pack fodder. I'm dialing in my power to weight-ratio and when at race weight I hope to be cranking out between 4.4 and 4.6 watts/kg at threshold. Also, I plan on shaving some weight from the race rigs by making a few strategic part changes to ensure I'm not carrying a single extra gram on the trail.

A post with no photos is boring, so another goal this year is to take more pictures around the country at the many different race venues. I'll leave you with a shot of me at Mt. Snow in 2005 charging on the downhill.

Blue Star

Blue Star Fan Club

2007-01-28T12:09:00.000-08:00

The founding member of the Blue Star Fan Club

Nola Kitten

Lots of Riding

2007-01-25T14:27:00.000-08:00

Not much happening. I've been logging some quality saddle time. 16 hours last week, thanks to some decent weather. THayes and I got out on the MTB's on both Saturday and Sunday for some solid offroad mileage. This week is time for some recovery to allow the legs to adapt from the stimulus of the previous weeks training load. Upgrading to semi-pro will require some more watts. I hope the legs and lungs have gotten the message from my brain: More watts please...

Maxxis is on board again for next year. Phew! Now I can rest easy, because I can satisfy my tire fetish as needed. I love experimenting with tires. Different conditions require different tread designs and rubber compounds. I really enjoy finding the right tire for the course. A tire won't win a race, but the wrong tire can lose you a race. I can personally attest to that based on my experiences last year at Fontana and Park City. Superlight does not equate with durable. Striking the right balance is the key.

Up next: California training camp, then some early season races.

Blue Star

Trainer Day

2007-01-13T12:13:00.000-08:00

27 degrees, snowing, and icy roads,

means I get to spend some time here...

Maybe after a few more shots of espresso, I'll get motivated. At least I can watch some basketball and football, while I pedal fast to nowhere.

Blue Star

Training, Bad Weather, Travel Plans & Sponsor Renewals

2007-01-12T14:49:00.000-08:00

Last week's recovery block has come and gone. It was good to rest and relax for a week with only minimal riding obligations to attend to. I also kicked out a solid CP30 effort on Sunday, which bodes well for the coming build phases of my training. My goal this year is to put out 305 watts for 30 minutes. We'll see if my engine is capable of such prodigious power outputs. With an eye on that objective, my training for the the next few weeks transitions to more intense efforts with some long intervals just below threshold and some low RPM (~60 rpms) force intervals to transition the strength I have developed in the gym over the past few months into usable strength on the bike.

The weather continues to surprise, baffle, and astonish. This week we were hit with "Arctic Blast 2007." Gotta love the spin (read, hype) the media outlets use. Snow and temps in the teens. Again, the worst of it hit during rush hour so people were abandoning their cars on I-90 in the Issaquah area. It's times like these I absolutely love my trusty (for the most part) Jeep. I'm also glad I grew up in the snow-belt in Ohio (did I just say that?) and am comfortable driving in adverse conditions. The snow and less than optimal riding conditions will make training this weekend a creative endeavor that may involve some mix of the trainer, mountain biking on snowy roads, and hopefully some frozen singeltrack.

I've also been working on my travel plans for the upcoming season. Lining up flights, hotels, transportation, etc. I'm hoping I can save some coin this year by getting stuff booked early. I stumbled upon a useful site that predicts what airfares are going to do and provides a recommendation of whether to book now or wait. It is called Farecast and can be found at www.farecast.com The NORBA dates are posted, but the event schedules are not available yet. It makes it tough to book flights when you don't know if the XC race is at 8am on Saturday or 12pm on Sunday. Frustrating. I do know I'm doing all three endurance events at Sea Otter including the XC, Short Track XC, and, my personal favorite, the Time Trial. I am really looking forward to Sea Otter this year. First, because SLR is coming with. Second, it is an absolutely huge celebration of all things bicycle and is really something that all bike junkies need to experience at least once. I have my fingers crossed that mother nature will bless the weekend with good weather unlike last year. Plus, I think I will have paid my dues by enduring this rough winter in the NW.

Got word that both Tifosi Optics and Crankbrothers will be sponsoring me again for next year. Both companies make products that outperform the competition, while doing so at a lower price. Even if Tifosi didn't sponsor me, I would race in their Q3 model. They fit me like a glove and are bomb proof. Crankbrothers Eggbeater pedals are by far the best performing pedals in the slop and mud of the NW. This year I think I'm going to go with some Four Ti Eggbeaters to shave even more weight from my rigs. They are ridiculously light, coming in at half of what other pedals weigh. I am only waiting on one more sponsor and if they come through I will have the same lineup as last year. I guess that means I'm doing something right.

Blue Star

Couch Bound

2007-01-04T20:59:00.000-08:00

I was able to get in about 18 hours of saddle time from Tuesday of last week through Monday of this week. Some hours in the rain and some not so rainy. Definitely, a big training week for me that will hopefully serve as a good base for the fitness I hope to build in the coming months Training volume is very important, but recovery time after a big training block is even more important. Accordingly, the rest of this week has me allowing the legs to recover by sitting all day long at the real j-o-b while catching up on work (never straying to far from my Aeron chair) and spending some quality time at home on the couch. This weekend will entail a light ride on Saturday to keep the legs from being completely sedentary and a CP30 test on Sunday to see where the watts are these days. Off the feet...

With the time not spent training this week, I plan on starting my French lessons. It was a New Year's resolution a year or so ago to learn French. I even bought the classes on CD, but slacked on getting started and got wrapped up in the frenetic pace of everyday life. Masters Worlds are in the mountains of France for the next few years, so I figure what better time to learn. Not to mention, a dream of following the Tour in the Alps. Habitez pour le vélo.

Blue Star

Vegas Baby, Vegas!

2006-12-28T20:57:00.000-08:00

SLR and I Went to Lost Wages to visit my parents over Christmas weekend and I decided to take the Truth along to enjoy some desert (read, dry!) singletrack. I did some research on MTBR and learned that one of the prime Vegas trail networks, Cottonwood Valley, is only a short 10 miles from my parents house. Absolutely stunning desert terrain, a significant amount of climbing, and some technically challenging riding. The trails were so money.

This is on the ominously-named Dead Horse trail. It doesn't get much better.

An overlook on the Bonnie and Clyde loop. If you click on the image to expand it to full-size, you can see the Vegas that most people know in the background.

Lots of trail users to keep me company out there. There must have been something going on in town, like a special at Excalibur's Round Table buffet, that kept everyone inside. ;-)

No rain + Epic Desert Riding = A happy camper

Thanks to the p's for tolerating my disappearing for a few hours in the afternoons.

Now, the big question is whether I can get some decent riding weather back in the Emerald City. I've got a huge 18 hour training block scheduled. Maybe, just maybe, mother nature will be so kind to give me a few hours of sun over the long New Year's weekend.

Blue Star

Fox Racing Shox

2006-12-26T12:56:00.000-08:00

Awesome news on the sponsorship front, Fox Racing Shox has renewed for my '07 race campaign. I have been running Fox Shox for several years now (even before I was sponsored) and feel they are the most technologically advanced suspension products on the market.

The 32-F series forks are buttery, efficient, and, unlike the competitors, an accurate stearer. Again, I'll be running the F100x with the inertia valve, which automatically locks out the fork preventing rider induced bobbing during out of the saddle efforts. Hopefully, the white paint job grows on me.

I'm also going to upgrade the Truth to a Float RP23 rear shock with adjustable propedal. The Truth utilizes such an efficient suspension design that a propedal shock to eliminate bobbing actually makes the suspension feel harsh early in the stroke on sharp edge bumps. The Truth comes stock with a Float R shock that is tuned to a light propedal setting, but cannot be adjusted. Given my light weight, I feel the light propedal tune is still initially harsh on rocky and rooty terrain. The RP23 will allow me to customize the propedal settings depending on terrain and turn it off altogether when the going is rough.

I'll have a post up this evening on my training rides in Lost Wages.

Blue Star

Desert Sun

2006-12-20T11:21:00.000-08:00

I'm looking forward to riding in the sun just outside the neon glow of the Strip. A well-deserved vacation from the wind and rain. I will report back whether the trails are as good as this picture makes them look.

Blue Star

Riding Dirty and XTR Christmas

2006-12-18T20:54:00.000-08:00

The weekend before last, I put in 8.5 ours of riding in the rain. Saturday was on the MTB out at Griffen Creek near Carnation, WA and Sunday was on the roads through the Snohomish River Valley. The fireroads on Saturday were slop, but the singletrack in the woods was in decent shape. THayes and I did some laps on the singletrack, but had to suffer on the fireroads to get the scheduled 4+ hours of ride time in. The rig took a beat down in the process. I was cleaning it this evening and realized I cooked the rear hub's bearings. Catch me riding dirty:

Like last year, it's an XTR Christmakah. A keen eye can spot the other bike-related gifts under the tree too.

Happy Holidays!

Blue Star

The Urban Epic

2006-12-08T10:57:00.000-08:00

THayes and I rolled the Urban Epic last weekend, because snow precluded riding at our usual MTB winter training locations. The Urban Epic is a mixed route of road and as much dirt as can be found. It started off in West Seattle with some tasty French Toast and java to encourage us to get out into the cold winds buffeting our fair City. We worked our way through downtown with a stop at the Collonade to check out the progress. Some dirt rideable, but definitely still a work in progress. Next, up was a fun little singletrack descent off Capitol Hill down to Montlake. The Birk-G to St. Eds Park on Juanita Hill. The trails at St. Eds were actually quite good, not too muddy, considering the weather as of late. Spin back home up the beast of a climb out of Lake Forest Park. Ride Stats: 3:09 ride time, 37.74 miles, 2760 elevation gain.

I've got a new training tool for the mountain bike. The Garmin Edge 305 is a bike computer and GPS wrapped up in one little unit. It allows you to export your rides to topos, street maps, and Google earth. The picture below is an overlay of the Urban Epic route on an aerial photo. Too much fun!

Weather Blues

2006-11-30T13:42:00.000-08:00

Not only has Seattle set the record for the wettest month on record (November or otherwise), the Emerald City was not so green for the past few days because it was under a blanket of white. Snow and ice = no motivation to train. The dreary rainy days, the cold weather outside, and my recent sickness have made my training days few and far between lately. I'm just having a hard time picking between suffering in bad weather or suffering on the stationary trainer. The better option of late has been neither and spending some quality time with SLR. Hopefully, I get some more motivation to train soon or I'm going to be a slow racer come Spring time.

One thing I do have to look forward to is that I'm definitely heading to CA for a training camp in February. I'll probably be pre-riding a stage or two of the Tour of California before the race rolls over the same course. We'll also be hitting some serious mountain passes to get some climbing mileage in too. Maybe a solid 20-hour week will compensate for my lax November. I have my fingers crossed for some beautiful, warm, sunny weather the week of the camp.

Blue Star

Germ Warfare

2006-11-20T12:37:00.000-08:00

I typically get a mild sick bug once a year. Generally, it happens mid-October. This year I thought I made it through my sick season with no problems. Well, I started counting my chickens too soon. Sunday, I awoke feeling a bit run down. I thought it was probably just the 3+ hour ride I put in on Saturday followed by a few too many glasses of wine at dinner. As the day wore on, the sore throat set in and I knew it was time to batten down the hatchs and get ready to do battle. Antioxidants, multi-v's, and lots of calories to fuel the fight. Today, the throat is still scracthy and I'm laying low on the couch hoping to hold the line at the throat and stave off further problems.

I'm bummed because this is usually a big volume training week for me. This season's base training is getting off to a real slow start with all the nasty weather, lots of hours at the j-o-b, and now this bug thrown in the mix. Let's hope I can kick it soon and start putting in some mileage.

Looks like the Stumptown Cup USGP race this weekend was a classic in true NW style. Check out some pics here.

Blue Star

Tempest

2006-11-16T10:12:00.000-08:00

Yesterday, a dubious record was set, the wettest November in recorded history for the City of Seattle. That's saying a lot considering Seattle is infamous for its rain. The even more amazing thing is the record was set on November 15th, which begs the question: what will the next 15 days bring? If Mother Nature keeps her pace up, then this will likely be the wettest month in Seattle, period. 11.62 inches of wet stuff has fallen and the record for the all time wettest month is 15.33 inches. Not too far to go. If I see a guy building a large boat and herding up animals in pairs, I'm jumping on board.

What does this meteorological aberration mean for me? Well, my base training volume is down from this time last year, but my trainer time is up. I'm only able to tolerate about 2 hours on the trainer at a time (maybe three if I'm really in the zone). So my trainer rides lately attempt to compensate for the decreased time by increasing the intensity slightly including some moderate but sustainable power efforts.

The sun does manage to make an appearance for 5 or 6 hours in between storm systems before the rains start again. However, the three or four times that has happened this month occurred between 10am and 3pm during the work week. Curses! But, I can't complain, because I chose the Emerald City as my home with full knowledge of the propensity for dreary winters. Assumption of the risk, I guess. Plus, the natural beauty and the amazing summers more than compensate for having to strap on Gore-Tex for 8 straight months.

The frustrating thing is that despite nearly unanimous agreement among scientists, the White House continues to adhere to the position that there is no evidence to support that human activities are the primary cause of global warming. Maybe its because these guys have GWB's ear and back, but the reality is something different. I wonder if 100 years from now people will look back at this administration's position on global warming like we do with issues such as segregation, granting women the right to vote, or prohibition. Time will tell.

I hope the rains can recede a little next week. Thanksgiving is a good time for me to crank up the training volume because I actually get a couple of free days away the j-o-b without having to incur dire consequences.

Blue Star

Ellsworth Scant

2006-11-14T16:26:00.000-08:00

The beautiful Ellsworth Scant. The frame is less than 1kg, with shaped scandium tubing, and Easton carbon stays and fork.

I can certainly find some room for one on the double-tier rack in my garage.

Blue Star

'07 Race Schedule

2006-11-13T17:20:00.000-08:00

My racing schedule for 2007 is starting to come together. I plan on hitting most of the NORBA Series stops:

Phoenix, AZ -- March 31- April 1, 2007: I've won here in the past, so I'm hoping to pull off a big early season result. Podium or bust!
Fontana, CA -- May 5-6, 2007: The inland empire strikes back again. Hopefully, no flats this time around. Also, it's almost like an altitude event trying to extract 02 out of the smog filled air.
Park City, UT -- June 16-17, 2007: Flatted last year and suffered the year before because of the lung-imploding altitude. I expect more out of myself this go around because I picked up a secret weapon.
Sonoma, CA -- July 7-8, 2007: The course sucks, but I pulled 4th at Nationals here last year. So, I will make the trip to try to earn some valuable series points. Can't complain about the red anti-oxidants available in the area though.
Sugar Mountain, NC -- July 28-29, 2007: Skip it. Too much travel for a course that received less than stellar reviews last year.
NMBS Finals Snowmass Village -- August 11-12, 2007: Colorado Rocky Mt. High. The two major climbs on this course are just brutal (especially when wet), but the venue is awesome. Hopefully, we can score a condo on the course again.

In addition to the NORBA series, I'll toe the line at:

Sea Otter Classic, Monterey, CA -- April 12-15: The marketing line has changed to, "A Celebration of Sport." Marketing spin aside, this race is a lot of fun because of the festival atmosphere, huge race fields, and the amazing course through the hills of Monterey (when dry).
USAC National Championship, Mount Snow, VT -- July 19-22: My favorite race course of all-time hosts the quest for the stars and bars in '07 (and '08). It doesn't get any better than racing in the Green Mountains and then having a recovery meal that includes a lobsta' at Poncho's Wreck. Maybe some CT family will be there to cheer me on as well.

I'll hit a couple of local Indie Series or OBRA races as my training schedule permits. I have to manage my recovery a little better, which may have me missing more of the local races than I have in the past. My goal is to put up some good results at the major events this year and make the transition to the semi-pro ranks without finishing DFL at every race. Wish me luck.

Blue Star

New Training Tool

2006-11-10T09:38:00.000-08:00

If this weather keeps up, I'm looking at one of these so I can actually train outside:

XTR and First Endurance

2006-11-05T11:18:00.000-08:00

Things are starting to come together for next year. Sponsorship proposals went out a few weeks back. Now its a waiting game.

I do know that I will have a complete '07 Shimano XTR group and wheelset on one of the race rigs next year. I love XTR because it works really well. Some notable features this year include a ti/carbon middle chain ring, lighter wheelset, and a more durable finish on the cranks.

Also, I got word that First Endurance will continue to be my nutrition product sponsor. I am looking forward to trying out their new EFS bar.

Blue Star