Sagebrush

A tough, but fun start to the season - wet trails and good competition. Racing it out all the way to the line I was able to get on the podium

http://www.mtbracenews.com/2010/02/us-cup-west-1-sagebrush-safari.html

Saturday Already?

This week really flew by, I guess that's what happens when you're busy... Now it's time for the Sagebrush Safari to kick off the season tomorrow morning. Cool to hear a few people have made it down here from out of state to get in some good racing. Too bad they ended up with rain today and so did I. It was just starting to dry out around 11 so I headed out on the road bike for an easy spin with few efforts. Within 10min it started raining - off and on for the next hour and a half, just enough to get soaked. Of course it's stopped raining again now, but it was still a fun ride. Anyway, my goal for tomorrow is to beat my time from last year. Sagebrush was in early April last year, 3 or 4 races into the season, but I still think I may be able to beat my time even though it's the first race for me this time around. I would actually welcome some mud, which would slow things down, but it's pretty sandy out there and I don't think that will happen.

Only 2 more weeks of rolling out at 6am to train! The time change will be awesome for riding, but only once I get my eating schedule at work dialed in so I'm fueled and energetic at 5pm. It's not easy either, but my body picks up the routine after a week or two.

Anyone want to join me in Puerto Rico at the end of March?

Weekend of fun

My Friday night was way more exciting than normal with the infamous Downieville on-line registration at 8pm. I can't give away all my secrets, but I definitely had the computer up and web pages ready to go by 7:45. 7:55 rolls around and i give it an early test click and the page goes through - already open... type away my contact info as quickly as possible, click "proceed" and the page refreshes with a red error at the top - invalid passcode. What passcode? Sure enough there was a passcode field. I go back to the race home page, call a friend, and see all the "feedback" comments popping up on active "passcode, what's the bleeping passcode?" things got heated real quick and somebody posts "sierra buttes "trailstewardship" ring a bell?" Just in case this could be it I copy and paste that and the registration goes through. I quickly type payment info and I'm in! Tim Z is on the phone trying to do the same and no luck - sold out... Then the drama starts over with the cross country registration page. Was the passcode just a way for the promotors to let their NorCal buddies in? Either way a lot of people were really unhappy with the whole thing.

Saturday morning I check my email and see "downieville registration error" The message from the promoter says something about problems with active.com, that everyone is getting a refund and next Friday is the RE-DO. WHAT? Re-do? These guys need to just do a lottery and save everyone a lot of trouble.

Anyway, if that's the biggest controversy in mtn biking, we're pretty lucky considering what Floyd Landis is going through right now. He definitely got screwed by some serious politics in France. If mountain biking was a multi-million dollar sport we'd have the same kind of issues.

This morning I rode with Noah in a fun local event in Simi Valley - 90min relay race. Despite a rainy evening the conditions were perfect and there was a decent turnout of 200 or so Los Angeles area riders. The laps turned out to be only 7min long at full race pace and we had to alternate every time so it turned into a really good workout. 7min full on then 7min trying to spin while waiting for the next lap. Fun stuff! Lunch was at the only place worth stopping along the 405 - The Local Place - the take out restaurant of the Royal Hawaiian Bread factory. Mmm pulled pork and rice Hawaiian style.

Rest Week

Another rest week has just about flown by. With less riding I always think I'll have so much more time to get things done or find ways to relax like going to the bookstore or to breakfast in the morning. But really it's the same routine as always, I just get more rest in the morning instead of being out the door on the bike so early. The other thing is that staying busy at work has left me without much mental energy in the evenings this week - so it's been all about couch time and the olympics - which isn't so bad.

I can't believe the California race season is only a week away. My base training has been better than ever, but I haven't done too many workouts to start turning that into race pace fitness yet. The form should be coming around in only a few weeks though and just in time to be racing practically every weekend through May.

Saturday Vision Quest Preview

Awesome day on the mtb - 50miles and 9,000ft climbing in the Santa Ana's!

Views from the main divide - thats the city of Corona down below

Hidden water stop

Views from the Peak

the only snow in Orange County

Paceline back to the cars

Training - Thursday

Nothing but work and training the last few days - and loving it. Took a half day off work Thurs to get in a 5hr sampling on the best road riding in OC.

Newport Coast 7am

Shady Canyon bike trail - small slice of riding heaven

rats racing to work on the 405

canyon climbing

Maple springs

Bahati Foundation

Cool promo video - http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=53xa5DHwvG4

Rainy Day

Getting caught up on some things at home on on a rainy Saturday afternoon. It's been a long work week with some solid training during the week also. Spin class this morning was probably my last visit to the gym this off season. I can't believe half of the things I see people doing there and am pretty glad to move on. I could get into some off the stuff, but one example is guys lifting free weights with the blue tooth in their ear, and we'll leave it at that.

Working on some race plans with the CA season kicking off Feb 28th with the Sagebrush Safari near San Diego. Fun old school one lap race with plenty of climbing and some fun technical stuff. Then all the fast guys will be out for the Triple Crown in Bonelli only 2 weeks after that. My plan is to be on form after racing myself into shape at those and going for big results at the Pro XCT in Fontana, Sea Otter and Mellow Johhny Classic. If all goes well I may have enough points to get myself to a world cup before the end of the year. That would be pretty solid for a working class joe.

I don't have any interesting photos to share because our schedule has pretty much been all business lately.