Photo Dump

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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.