Havasu MBBA

With a rad new bike and a fresh course, I rolled into the third round of the MBAA State Championship Series excited to race. I was surprised by the quality of the course in Havasu, after hearing many mixed reviews at the earlier races of the state series. It was one of my favorite race courses ever, full of rippin, perfectly bench cut, single track, in the mountains overlooking Lake Havasu.

Saturday morning I rolled up to the line focused and ready. Although my legs were feeling a bit tired from the hard training block that I had just completed for the US Cup the next weekend, I knew if I battled hard I could be fast on this course. Seeing TJ Woodruff on the line always makes me nervous though, knowing how strong and consistent he is race after race.

It was finally go time and when the whistle blew my FRM Anakin Full 29" rocketed off the line. I've never ridden a bike so responsive and stiff, no power is wasted into frame flex. I got the whole shot and decided to lead it out for awhile. I kept the pace high and within a couple miles it was down to only TJ and I. As soon as we were alone we started trading pulls, every moment was full gas. TJ was attacking every hill and I was pushing it on the fast single track sections. I knew by the conclusion of our first of 3, 10 mile loops we had gained a significant gap on the rest of the pro field.

Over the next couple laps the pace didn't lessen at all. I would work hard on the climbs to try and stay on TJ's wheel while trying to use my strengths on the descents to recover and keep the pace high.

In the end I was able to pull out the win. I rolled across the line totally smoked. The course and my competition had pushed me to the limit. Perfect preparation for the first US Cup the next weekend.

I would like to thank FRM Factory Racing for making sure I have the best equipment to achieve my goals this year. Havasu was my first race on my new FRM Anakin Full and I couldn't have been happier. It pedals amazingly well with an impressive suspension design that keeps things light while virtually eliminating pedal bob. When its gets rough the suspension opens up and creates one of the best descending cross country bikes I have ridden. Coming in at a weight similar to most hard tails, the FRM Anakin Full is as good as it gets.

MBAA State Series McDowell

Always excited for the first race of the year, even more so if it is on one of my favorite courses, the competitive loops at McDowell Park. Although this race is very early in the year and mostly used for training, it still feels good when the nerves start setting in. I crave those nerves, that feeling that I have been deprived of for a couple months.

We arrived on Friday afternoon. Headed out on a preride right away with Shea Chavez, who is now racing for Pivot Cycles. It felt amazing to be in the Phoenix sun, even to get hot, after being up in the colder temperatures of Flagstaff. The course was in great shape, there were even a few new berms that had been added to one of the smaller loops. The backside of the long loop, Southridge, was nice and rocky which is always a fun part on a relatively fast and smooth course. My legs felt great and all in all I was extremely excited to race. The only thing left to do before the race was to rest and put in a few laps on the pump track that was 50 feet away from our trailer.

Saturday morning I woke up ready to go. I was excited, but kept focused on dialing in my pre race morning preparations that I will transfer over to some of the bigger races later in the season. As I put on my Pissei Clothing I got an instant boost of confidence. Wearing comfortable and rad looking kits always gets me stoked. Its going to be a great to always get that feeling as I get dressed out, now that I have the best in Italian comfort and style with my Pissei Clothing.

Some of the Pissei Clothing that I will be wearing for the season!

After a good warm up and catching up with some of the riders on AZ Devo I headed to the line. I got a good position, shifted to the right gear and was ready to go. The minutes flew by on the start line, before I knew it the countdown had started... 3, 2, 1, Go!!!!!

I sprinted hard off the start line, making sure I would get the holeshot into the single track. I quickly settled into a solid pace up the short climb right after the start. To my surprise, by the top of the climb, there were only three of us. Lance Runyan, TJ Woodruff, and I proceeded to lengthen our gap over the rest of the field throughout the lap. I sat at the front for the entirety of the first 10 mile loop. I wanted to test out my legs and see how the other guys would respond to little accelerations I would do. I felt strong and was planning on opening it up on the second lap.

We rolled into the second lap all still together, I was feeling stronger than I did at the beginning of the lap and was ready to start throwing down. TJ took the lead on one of the fast headwind sections so I took time to recover. After about 10 minutes of sitting on I decided to go right before one of the more rocky and technical parts of the course. I checked back often to see the gap getting larger and larger. I felt relieved getting to the top of Southridge, the most technical part of the course, with a gap. I knew I could put more time on the other guys on this section, so I pushed hard. Unfortunately a few minutes into Southridge I heard the horrific sound of air and Stans spewing from my rear tire. I hopped off and shot my tire up with my CO2. I got back on, hoping that it would seal up but it didn't. At that point I knew I would have to put a tube in. I pulled off to the side and started on the repair as I watched Lance and TJ rocket by.

I put in the tube quickly and got back going, hoping that I could possibly fight my way back to those guys...to my disbelief less than a quarter mile later I had to deal with a broken chain. By the time I was done fixing the chain quite a few racers had passed me and I was definitely ready to race off some frustration. I attacked hard and passed every guy I saw. In the process I put down the fastest Sport Loop of the day to go along with my fastest Long Loop of the day. I managed to work my way back into third position before crossing the line. 

Although I was frustrated to have had the problems I did, I was thankful that they had happened at this race and not one of the many other races later in the year. I felt accomplished in knowing that I felt extremely good for this time of year, giving me even more inspiration to work hard towards the next few races. Although it might not have been the result I was hoping for, I took more from this race than most of the wins I have. I had a great time racing with TJ and Lance, both extremely good guys on and off the course! Stoked to have more battles with them throughout the rest of the season. 

MBAA McDowell State Race

So the first race of the season is done. Its a great way to start off the year with one of my favorite courses. McDowell Regional park is amazing, not only are the competitive tracks top notch, but there is hundreds of miles of great trail all over the park.

The race started early, which I really like. I would rather just get it done with, even if it was 46 degrees outside. The race was just over thirty miles, consisting of three ten mile laps which blended the sport, tech, and long competitive tracks together. Even though the race was pretty long I got in a solid warm up because I knew it would start fast. This year they combined the Pro and Cat 1, 45 and under starts so I started with 45 other guys, I got to the line early and was stoked to get on the front line. Its good to practice starting with a bunch of other guys to prepare for the bigger races. The start was fast and I rolled into the single track in 4th. TJ went to the front and started drilling the pace early. In a matter of ten minutes it was down to 5 guys; TJ, Mimo, Zach, Ty and I. Everyone was riding pretty well and we worked well as a group. After the 1st lap it was down to 4 guys, unfortunately Ty flatter towards the end of lap 1. Lap two went really smooth as well. Everyone stayed together and was riding really fast. Our second lap ended up being a couple of minutes faster then our first.

Coming through the feed zone, going into our third lap, the men's beginner field started. Seeing this the four of us sprinted to the entrance of the lap. Unfortunately we didn't make it in time and ended up behind 40 beginner riders. The first ten minutes of that lap was the most hectic racing I have ever experienced, even more hectic than a World Cup! We were passing a couple of guys at a time but it seemed like we never made any progress because one of us would get caught up in a crash every couple of minutes. Unfortunately two guys went down in front of me and I was forced to get off my bike and run around them. At this point a gap had formed between myself and the other guys. I was able to close it down, but at the expense of a lot of energy. As I got on the tail end of the group we hit another group of beginners and I fell off the back. I still finished off the lap strong and ended up about 1 minute behind the Pro Winner TJ Woodruff. I would have liked to battle it out with the other guys but the strongest guy definitely won. TJ was killing it in our group all day. He was at the front drilling it every lap.

The race was perfect to get back in the swing of riding fast. I felt good for this time of the year and look forward to building on where I am at. I finished off the weekend with an epic shred with Chris Grove on Sunday. We went over Windgate pass, dropping us into Scottsdale and then climbed back up to Tom's Thumb. Chris displayed his amazing skills on the way back up the mountain. He rode some sections that straight up amazed me. 25+ years of riding experience on full display! The ride was also the first time I really could enjoy my new bike. I picked up my 2012 Trek Superfly Pro on Friday before the race. I did some quick adjustments before the race but didn't really have time to dial in the new SID 29 fork or my position. I loved last years bike but they found a way to make this one even better. Super stoked to be racing on a Superfly again for 2012!

AZ Devo Training Camp

After enjoying another beautiful week in Tucson it was time for the AZ Devo Training Camp. The plan was to do some indoor testing Saturday morning followed by a mountain bike ride that afternoon. Sunday we would hit the AZ trail south of town for a couple of hours.

Friday everybody started assembling in Tucson, my parents arrived and we did a nice easy spin with the Glyssons on some trails in Dove mountain. Trail was awesome, twisty and fast with no real elevation gain, perfect for a recovery day. After our spin my parents and I headed up to the Ritz where they would be staying for the weekend, my dad gets crazy cheap rates because of his work so we though we would take advantage of them! We arrived at the front doors and were amazed at the beauty of the Ritz, they really went all out. The staff treated us like royalty, felt pretty cool to be in such a fancy place. So after enjoying some time at the Ritz we went back to the real world and met the Glyssons again for dinner to do some eating to prepare us for the next day.

Woke up bright and early Saturday morning, ate some breakfast, and hopped in the car to meet at the CTS facility. After meeting with some new team members it was time to get to business. We got set up on the Computrainers and started the testing. We did some short peak power efforts followed by a one minute and eight minute all out effort, each inducing large amounts of pain. Those kind of efforts hurt out on the road but on the trainer they find a way to suck even more! I had a pretty good test and was just glad to have them done with. I did a little spin, watched some others complete the testing, and then headed over to a nearby by park where my Dad was grilling a variety of beef burgers, turkey burgers, and veggie burgers. I put down a couple veggie burgers and then it was time to get serious again. It was Bike Polo time!

I had never played polo before but had always wanted to try so I was pretty stoked. We teamed up, went over a couple of basic rules, then let it rip. The first couple of minutes were pretty sad, it is much harder than it looks! But eventually everyone got the hang of it and a battle ensued. It came down to a final, tie-breaking point which would decide the game. My team ended up on top which really didn't mean much considering we were just out there to have some fun. After the polo game rapped up we headed out on the mountain bikes towards Redington Road. I took the opportunity to get in a bit of a workout and sat up at the front and put down a good tempo effort. As we reached the bottom of the actual climb the pace got a little spirited and TJ, Ty, Travis and I booked it up the climb. After getting a bit of a workout it was time to have some fun heading back down. Travis is a pro dirt road descender and led the way, drifting every corner and tucking down every straight away. We all traded turns at the front, getting sketchy in the corners and going way faster than we should have. Got keep it fast to have fun going down dirt roads!

After cruising back into town we all said goodbye and returned home for some well needed showers. That night Justin, the Copleas, and the Glyssons met up with us at Cayton's. Travis' mom works at the Ritz which owns Cayton's so we got to sit in a rad private room. The food was amazing; I guess you get what you pay for. It was pretty expensive but totally worth keeping it cheap for the next couple of days to compensate. With full stomachs everyone parted ways, my parents and I headed right to bed after a long day.

Sunday was another early morning, it was about an hour drive out to our starting point. I had ridden this trail a couple of weeks ago during the CTS training camp and was looking forward to revisiting it. To add to the excitment Sam Schultz, TJ Woodruff, and Frosty were joining us on the ride. The pace was really chill and we all just cruised along, enjoying the awesome trail and scenery. The first few miles of the route is really smooth but as you get further and farther in, it gets more and more technical. Other than the thorn bushes, I would have a hard time imagining a more fun trail. Steep climbs with loose, tech descents. Real Mountain Biking! The cruise back was just as fun as the way in. Cal Skilsky and I shredded back in and my parents and I left pretty quick so my mom could enjoy her las day at the Ritz. After eating some good food we were presently surprised as a host at the Ritz presented us with some free passes to the Spa. No free massages or anything but we got to use the steam rooms, private pools, and relaxation rooms. It was amazing, really enjoyed that afternoon! So after the spa my parents and I chilled out by one of the many outdoor fireplaces before calling it a night.

The next morning, to finish off or luxurious stay, we went down to the breakfast buffets. I usually stay away from buffets because I will always eat more than I should but I wasn't going to pass this up. This took fine dining to a whole new level. I don't even know where to start, the freshly made crepes, waffles, croissants, cheeses, fruits, omelets, and more made for one heck of a feast. I walked out of the buffet, five pounds heavier, but extremely stoked. Totally worth all the riding I will have to do to burn all the calories off. I was sad to see the the stay at the Ritz and my parents go but was stoked to get home and focus in on some school and training for the rest of the week.

Looking forward to the first MBAA state race next weekend at McDowell where I should pick up my new Trek Superfly Pro!