Bonelli and Fontana US Cups

The racing season is well underway after the first few US Cups. Bonelli Park and Fontana were the last two consecutive weekends, hosting world class fields with both races having over 100 racers. With this being my first full season as a Pro I started near the back of the field both weekends, but am excited to be working my way closer to the front each time I race.

Bonelli park is one of my favorite national series courses. Lots of steep climbs and descents, along with man made A-Lines that keep it interesting. Feels as close to a European race course as we get in the US. After a solid preride on Friday I knew I had good legs and was feeling fast on the course. I was excited to go out and race hard after some problems in the first round in Texas. My start position wasn't great, lining up on one of the last rows in the field of over 110 pros. Although it can be intimidating to be looking forward at a sea of riders before I even start it also can be inspiring, a challenge to see how far I can work my way through the pack.

The start was pretty crazy, as to be expected, but I avoided most of the problems and I was able to maintain my position to the first climb where I started to make moves. Although there were a couple wide sections of the trail, there was a significant amount of singletrack. This made passing a little challenging, definitely had to plan to take advantage of every wide spot possible. The 85 degree heat along with the endless climbing really made for a tough race but I seemed to be feeling better every lap, continually passing riders.

This was the first race I have competed on my new FRM Factory Racing Anakin 29er. By far the best hardtail I have ridden. Super light and snappy but also has incredible vertical compliance to create a smooth ride. The Anakin begs to be ridden fast which is a great feeling when you are hurting in a race. Everyone needs to try one of these bikes, FRM has set a new standard for hardtail mountain bikes,  an absolutely exceptional ride.

In the end I moved up about 40 spots to 52nd position. Not a result that I wanted, but part of the process of working my way up towards the front of the field. Going into Fontana next weekend Ill be closer to where I want to be in the start, so mission accomplished. Before we headed back to Flag, I still had the short track to go. Short tracks are crazy fun and I was excited to race hard and work my way up again in the field. Unfortunately one negative of such a short and intense race is that if you have a problem there isn't much of chance to get back in the race. On the first lap I was taken down by a guy trying to make a sketchy pass putting me in second to last position in the field of over 70 riders. I worked my way up for as long as I could but there just wasn't enough time to work as far up the field as I wanted to. I left the short track frustrated with a lot of fire that I really wanted to take out next weekend at Fontana.

I've never been a huge fan of Fontana's cross country courses but I was inspired from last weekend to put down a good result. Again on Friday I got out to preride the course. Definitely different than what I was expecting. Only one big climb every lap, much different than last weekend with lots of ups and down. The style of Bonelli was more of what I was expecting but the benefit of having one big climb is that you also get a big descent. Almost the entire back side of the course was a rad, flowing descent on the side of the mountain. There were also some techy rock sections to keep it interesting.

On Saturday my start position wasn't great again, but it was a bit better than last weekend. To my surprise the field was even bigger than Bonelli with more than 120 guys. The start was hectic but there was a lot more room to pass in the first few minutes this weekend. I attacked hard off the start, knowing that I had to get up through the field fast. After the first lap I had moved up into 32nd position and was feeling solid. Unfortunately I think I had gone for it a little to hard and  going into the third lap I could feel that my legs were really started to fade. I kept the calories coming in and tried to keep it going as well as I could.

Over the next few laps I ended up fading back some. Every once in a while the legs would come around but as I crossed the line I wasn't happy with my performance. I had pushed it way too hard at the start but I was at least able to finish the entirety of the race where nearly half the field got pulled.

Like Bonelli, the Fontana Short Track was the next day. During my warm up I took a few laps and was really happy with the course. Had a couple tight corners, a short climb, and a really fun descent, perfect course in my opinion. Started towards the back of the field again, but off the start I pushed hard and started working up fast through the field. Nearing the end of the race I reached a group with a few fast U23 guys in it. I kept the pace high in the group and on the last lap I attacked hard up the climb. I got a gap on the other U23s and then had a close sprint finish with one of the other guys in the group. I rolled across the line satisfied. Felt good to have worked my way up to where I want to be, finishing in the 20s.

Short track is where you can really test a bike capabilities. The racing is so intense and you are constantly stressing your bike, whether it be sprinting up climbs or railing the tight corners. Again my FRM Factory Racing Anakin 29er impressed me. Never thought a hardtail could be this fun.

Overall a couple successful weekends of racing in California. I really am determined to keep moving forward in the cross country races and will work hard in preparation for my next race, the Sea Otter Classic. Thanks for everyone's support, feels great to always have the best equipment, support crew, and cheers out on the course!

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.

Interview with Shea Chavez, Geiger Coaching Athlete

Rad interview Shea Chavez. Shea is riding for Pivot Cycles this year and is planning on doing the Pro XCT Circuit. She is an amazing rider and all around great person, it will be really cool to see her progress this year. There is also a mention of my new business, Geiger Coaching. Geiger Coaching is a Professional Coaching Service for all types of cyclists! More to come on Geiger Coaching, but I am really excited to be working with Shea to help her achieve her goals. Her blog can be seen at: sheachavezcycling.blogspot.com. Follow her to see updates on her racing and training throughout the season!

 Interview with Shea Chavez, Geiger Coaching Athlete!

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. 

TROPIX-FRM Factory Racing

I'm very excited to announce that I will be racing for the TROPIX-FRM Factory Racing Team for the 2014 season. We will be aboard FRM hand made carbon bicycles with Marozzochi Suspension, wearing Pissei Clothing, Limar Helmets along wtih DMT Shoes. Excited to race on this prestigious UCI mountain bike team!

FRM Anakin Full  29er XCR1

FRM Anakin SLK 29er XCR1

Marzocchi 320 LCR Carbon Fork and Roco Light Shock

Limar Ultralight+ MTB

DMT Lynx

Pissei Clothing 

24 Hour Racing, had to try it!

       The final months of 2012 were really good ones. In November I decided to try my hand at 24 Hour Solo racing. I like long rides and races but I knew this would be a big jump. Seemed like the perfect time to do one, so I went for it.

      I knew if I ever did a 24 I wanted it to be 24 hours of fury. I love the McDowell race course, if I am going to ride for that long I want it to be on something good! I went into the event with a pretty chill attitude. I was just transitioning out of my off season break, so I didn't really have any expectations for myself. My only goal was just to keep pedaling.

       We arrived the day before the race to set up everything, making sure my pit and bike were dialed. As I laid everything out it became real to me what I was about to do. Although it was just going to be for fun, I had one BIG, LONG race against the legend Tinker Juarez and other really strong riders. At that point there was nothing I could do except make sure I had enough food, which I did.

        The race didn't start until 10 so I slept in a bit till 8. I had a pretty big breakfast, I wasn't really concerned with feeling heavy or a little sluggish at the start. I just wanted to put in some calories, which I would really need. I didn't really do much or a warm up, just spun around the venue a bit.

       The start line was full of different emotions. The solo riders were starting with all of the teams so some people were amped, ready to throw down, while others just wanted to cruise. I feel like I was somewhere in the middle. I didn't want to blow up early, but I knew I should take advantage of some of the riders doing teams by letting them pull me around the course. I put in a solid sprint off the line and funneled into the single track second wheel behind my teammate Nick Thomas. He settled into a solid tempo, it was nice to start the race on a familiar wheel that I knew I could trust to take good lines.

        About half way through the lap I felt like picking up the pace a bit so Tinker and I took off and had some fun before returning to the venue. Everything felt good going into the second lap. We were only 40 minutes in, kind of scary to think about at the time, but I can usually tell that early if I am going to ride well.

       The next three of four laps preceded pretty uneventfully. Tinker and I rode together, we didn't talk much but it was nice to have someone to ride with. The first separation that occurred between us was going into what I believe was the 5th lap. One of my pivot bolts came loose and we had to tighten it up. Being the gentleman that he is, Tinker waited up for me. Cool thing of him to do, so I had no problem leading him through the next couple laps. As the Sun started to set I decided to put in a bit of a push. I didn't look behind me until I got to the venue, where I realized I had dropped Tinker.

      I kept a steady pace and learned that after the next lap I had put about 15 minutes into him. After completing my last day lap I was told that the gap had grown even more because Tinker had chilled in his pit for a while. As my amazing support crew which consisted of my parents, Marty Coplea, Chuck Bruni, my girlfriend Shea, her parents Tonya and Eric, the Wards, Jay Suarez of Team Winded,  and many other AZ Devo Parents (it was awesome to feel the love from everyone, I seriously thank each and every one of you!) got my lights and other night supplies ready I hit a wall. The fast riding at the beginning of the race along with the three lap push before sunset really had taken it out of me. I had to take a few moments to compose myself and dig deep to go out for another. I am extremely glad I did!

     Night saved me. I was able to drift away and just peddle. Laps just blurred into each other. The only thing that I really remember were the stops in between where I got to see everyone. This gave me huge bursts of energy to see everyone that was helping me and to get a hug from Shea! Although these early night laps were tough, I look back at them now as some of the greatest hours spent on my bike. Just pedaling, suffering a bit, but knowing that I accomplishing something big.

         It was about 2 in the morning when I hit my next wall. My legs felt surprisingly good, but mentally I was struggling. I just didn't want to ride anymore. I knew that stopping was not an option though, I had worked to hard to give up! I took a moment to compose myself and went out again. Chuck was awesome enough to go out and follow me for a few laps. I wasn't really up for talking too much but it was nice to have somebody there.

       Every time I came into the pits I would get updates on the other racers. I know the heat of the day before had really hurt Tinker, who had taken a few hour break, and that Jon Pettit had moved into second but was a few laps down. I got some needed inspiration at some point in the early morning that I only had to do a couple more laps and then I could stop, with there being no way the others could catch me.

      The second to the last lap was really hard but coming into the pit knowing I only had one more to go was pretty awesome. I got pretty excited going into the last lap and even attacked a few of the hills and descents. Pretty much just gave it anything I had left. I peddled through the venue that last time, feeling pretty awesome. I sprinted into my pit, did a little drift and a stoppie, before handing off my bike to my dad and promptly sitting on the ground. It was over, I had not only rode 215 miles in 20 hours but I had won!! Couldn't really comprehend what happened at that point, just wanted to take a shower and crawl into my bed.

     I passed out, and awoke to a beautiful morning with about an hour left in the race. It felt weird for the race to be still going on and not to be on the bike. Sure, I could have kept going and done more miles, but to be honest I just pretty much didn't want to. I had my fill, for sure. Awards were soon after the race so I just hung out with all the people that had helped me. I was still pretty out of it, but conscious enough to feel stoked about the race.

    Awards were cool. Great to see all the racers who had pushed it hard for an entire day. Team 24's are crazy, so hard!! I was very honored to shake Tinker and Jon's hands, two very tough and accomplished men.

My first 24 hour solo race was a good one. Everything went pretty much as smooth as it could have, considering the amount of riding that I did. Even though a lot of suffering was involved, I did really have fun. I truly appreciate all the help from my sponsors along with my support crew. Also Cameron Chambers at Carmichael Training Systems provided me with some great pre-race advice that really paid off. Always good to learn from the National Champ! Couldn't have done it without you guys!!

   

     

Prescott 6'er

                The season has pretty much rapped up for me, but there are still a few races that I can’t pass up. The Prescott 6’er was one of them. Although this is a young event, I have heard great things about the course and knew it would be well run with Hub Event Productions at the reigns.

                My dad and I drove down the morning of the race to be greeted with a venue full of Flagstaff locals and many of my AZ Devo teammates. The atmosphere was chill, perfect for this time of the year. We set up my pit and chilled for a while awaiting the 9 am start time. Hopped on my bike about twenty minutes to just to get the legs opened a little bit, they felt solid, which got me excited to go! I got on the front line along side my teammates Dilyn Sheber and Ian Wilkey and stood there for what seemed like a long time. I didn’t mind though, just hung out and had some laughs.

                Finally the race started, I got the holeshot  and kept the pace fast through the venue. There was a four mile start lap which consisted of a few minute climb and then pretty much the last third of a full lap. My legs felt good off the start so I decided to take advantage of it and held a strong tempo up the first climb. By the top Kurt Refsnider and I had a gap, which we held going into the first full 9.1 mile lap.

                For the first few laps Kurt and I traded pulls, he is a great rider, it was really fun to ride with him. Always an honor to ride with a Tour Divide Champion! We stayed together until the third lap, where about half way through I got a little gap. When I realized this I stepped up the pace to solidify my lead. After I was on my own I settled in and rode hard.

                Lap after lap my legs felt good, I tried to rest on the descents and attack the climbs as hard as I could. The course was really fun, which helped me push through the hours. There was lots of cool singletrack along with some wider stuff which allowed me to keep downing my Hammer Nutrition Perpetuem and Hammer Gels.  Keeping fueled was the key to my success for sure; I only cramped once the entire race!

                I knew going into my eighth lap that I had to make it back before three, the cutoff time, to get in a ninth. Legs still felt awesome so I attacked the lap. Pushed it hard, shredded the descents, and really felt the flow. I got in at 2:53, grabbed my nutrition, and headed back out. At this point I knew I had won, I knew Kurt couldn’t go out again so I went out and cruised. Really enjoyed that last lap, got to ride with my teammate Nick Thomas for a while. He was still riding really strong, holding his fourth place position in the Solo class. I came across the finish, completely stoked with my performance. I had ridden well and had a lot of fun out there.

 

 

                Awards were quickly after the event where I got on the podium for the win in the Solo category. I also got the fastest lap and had the most laps overall! It was great to see my other teammates riding well. As I mentioned Nick had a great ride to fourth in the solo race while Daisy Ward and her teammate Leah McCabe won the Duo Women’s race. Dilyn and Ian also raced duo with their dads and both placed in the top ten!

              I would like to thank Mike Melley and the Hub Event Productions Crew for a great event! I will definitely be back at this event next year. Also I would like to thank AZ Devo , Nathan Cain and the Flagstaff crew, along with my dad for all the help in the pits. As always my Hammer Nutrition fueled me throughout the day, couldn’t do these things without it!

 

 

 

Time Trial State Championships

            After last weekend's great result with the team, I was stoked for the individual State Championship Time Trial. For this one we went down to Phoenix for a couple of days before the event. Shea, my parents, and I stayed at the Point to chill by the pool and start the off season a couple of days early. We had a ton of fun, haven't chilled by a pool in a while. Lots of time was spent in the Lazy River and playing volleyball in the pool. Had a great time!

          Saturday it was time to get back to business though. I went out and did some openers on the TT bike. Legs felt ready, there was nothing left to do but go race. After a little more chillin at the pool we headed down to Arizona City. There's nothing much to do in Arizona City so we just watched some TV and went to bed.

            For the second weekend in the row, woke up early and headed out to the course. It was the same course from last weekend's TTT so I knew what to expect. This time I only had a 20k course though. This made it even more important to get in a really good warm up. Spun on the trainer and threw in some good intensity. When I got off the trainer I was in the zone. I headed to the start and got ready to go out and tear it up.

           I started hard and got up to speed quickly. There was a solid headwind but I knew I had to work hard through it,  there's no time to be conservative in this short of a time trial. A lot of juniors started ahead of me which gave me a lot of people to chase. I worked hard to catch as many as I could. I had caught quite a few before the turn around but I wanted to get a few more after.

         The turn around went smooth, kind of. I went in pretty hot and ended up sliding the back tire around the corner. Whatever, nothing wrong with getting a little loose! I got back up to speed quickly though. Having the tailwind on the way back totally reenergized me. I felt like I was flying. I was in my biggest gear the entire return trip. I gave it everything I could and came across the line, knowing I had put in a solid time.

        I ended up taking the win in the 17-18s with a time of 26:36 averaging about 28 mph. Really excited to get the State Championship!! Thanks to Flagstaff Cycling along with my parents and Shea for the great support!!

        Now to take a couple weeks off. Go to Interbike, play some soccer, and do other stuff that I normally don't!

Team Time Trial State Championships

           Team Time Trialin, one of my favorite things to do on skinny tires. This year some teammates from Flagstaff Cycling and I decided to race the State Championships. The race was down in Arizona City on a pretty flat piece of road kind of in the middle of nowhere. The night before Robert and I drove down to meet up with our other teammates Mark and David at the Motel 6. We got there after dark to avoid just sitting in the hotel room. We chilled for a little while, talked some strategy with Jim Silverman and Bryan Antol and then just went to bed.

           Woke up bright and early, ate a little food, and then got in the TT mindset. I was ready to suffer, I was ready to ride fast! We showed up to the venue and set up the trainers.  I put in some hard efforts to make sure I was really ready to go, I knew we had to start hard. About 10 minutes before the start I hopped off the trainer and went out and spun around. The team gathered at the start and you could feel the intensity in our group, it was awesome!!

          We started controlled, with Mark working us up to speed. Once up to speed we rotated through pretty smoothly. I was feeling good, but I knew I had to  hold this pace for the entirety of the 50 minute or so time trial. Everyone was working well, not pulling through too hard or too slow. The race was not to eventful out to the turn around. Legs were still feeling good, had a bit left for the return trip.

           We didn't go around the turn around too smoothly but if anything we only lost a couple of seconds. Right out the turn there was a big headwind which made it hard to get back up to speed but fortunately the road turned about a kilometer after the turnaround. Then we just had a side wind which was much better than the huge headwind. This is where I had a little difficulty. I took a big pull in the headwind which tired out my legs a bit. I took a couple shorter pulls but was able to comeback quickly.

          The team started to get back in a good rhythm once again. We finished strong and came across the line all together which was awesome. I was done though, left everything out there. One of the most intense efforts of the year for sure! We ended up placing second in the Open Men with Team Landis taking the win. I was stoked with our performance though. We averaged just under 30 mph, finishing the 40k course in 50:12, a great result in pretty windy conditions.

          Thanks to my teammates for a great race. Had a great time with you guys! Also a thanks to Flagstaff Cycling for the great support!!

Mormon Lake Road Race

The transition to road racing has officially started this fall. I was pretty done after Leadville but wanted to upgrade to 3's by the end of the year, so I decided to do some racing just for fun. The Mormon Lake road race is on a coarse just outside of Flagstaff. It consists of a circuit that I do for training every weekend so I thought it would be fun to do. Flagstaff cycling was putting it on, which was another big plus!!

We had a pretty large group, with more than 50 riders. I had a few strong teammates in the group though, so I knew we could keep a large group contained. The race started out chill with a few attacks that led to a couple dumb crashes, luckily I was able to avoid them! There was really only one decisive climb on the course which came towards the end of the 16 mile lap. It was short, but steep enough to get a gap. The problem was holding the gap, immediately after the climb there is a couple mile descent towards the Mormon Lake Lodge, which is much faster in a large group. On the first lap the pace was fast up the climb but the group still remained large with about 40 guys.

Heading into the second lap, I know I wanted to try to get a break away. As soon as the course turned onto Lake Mary road I attacked hard and was able to get away with two other guys. It was a rare calm winded day out on this stretch of road which made it difficult for us to stay away. We held off the group for a few miles but got caught towards the end of the lap.

With about thirty guys left in the group going into the third lap and little chance of a breakaway the team started working together to get ready for the sprint. Chuck, Derek, and Ken all went up front and took big pulls so I could just sit in which was awesome. We completely controlled the last lap. Ken and Chuck took a few big pulls before the climb and fell off but Derek stayed with me. He worked hard and put in a huge effort with about a kilometer to go. The sprint was on a slight climb which I liked, so with about 400 meters to go I went. I dodged a few riders and opened it up. I felt good and was able to come across the line first!

I was stoked with Flagstaff Cycling's performance. We really worked together and I am extremely appreciative to Chuck, Ken, and Derek who guided me to the win. This win gave me enough points to upgrade to 3's so there's nothing left to do but race a couple of time trials to finish off the year.

Leadville Trail 100

         

The infamous Leadville Trail 100 mountain bike race, the biggest hundred miler in the US. I was completely stoked just to get into the race but I knew I needed to show up in great shape just to finish, let alone do well in it. My prep period was not as long as I had wanted it to be because of a full XC season up until mid July. I took advantage of the time I had though and did some serious volume. I tried to maintain the snappiness that the XC season had left in my legs but also increase my endurance in a relatively short amount of time. To be able to recover after my long days I always would drink a bottle of Hammer Recoverite and then cool down with my Compex’s Active Recovery program. Along with staying fueled on the bike with Hammer Perpetuem and Hammer Bars, this was a vital asset to my success. The EMS that the Compex offers has allowed me to make huge gains in a little amount of time. The Active Recovery program increases blood flow, flushes out lactic acid, and also promotes the release of endorphins, all really good things for a tough training block!!

My parents and I showed up in Leadville Friday morning to see hundreds of cyclists consuming the town. It was a pretty rad sight! I headed immediately over to registration to get that stuff situated before heading to the riders meeting. The meeting was held in a high school gym which was filled to the limit with nervous riders. There really wasn't much race info given out but I got to hear some inspirational stories and enjoyed the atmosphere, Lance even showed up! I spent the rest of the day getting my nutrition ready and trying to relax. My nutrition plan was relatively simple. I was going to try and drink one bottle of Strawberry-Vanilla Perpetuem along with one Apple Cinnamon Hammer Gel an hour. The combo would give me a total of 360 calories an hour. This is a substantial amount but in my training I have been able to consume this with no GI distress thanks to Hammer’s easy digestibility.

         

             Race morning started bright and early with a 6:30 start. A couple buddies of mine and I went out to the start at 5:00 to place our bikes nearest to the front of our corral as we could. My dad was generous enough to chill with our bikes so we could head back to the house to stay warm. By the time I returned at 6:00 the start corrals had transformed, thousands of riders now were standing next to their bikes. Now there was nothing left to do but take a few Hammer Race Caps and get ready to go!

           I was in the last start coral, about 1200 riders back, so when the gun sounded I stood there for about 90 seconds before I finally started moving. Once I got going though, it was on. I knew I had to move up as fast as I could and started weaving my way through the seemingly endless riders in front of me. A lot of sketchy moves were made on my part but they were totally worth it. Although I passed a lot of riders in the first 30 minutes by the time we hit the first climb up St. Kevins I still had a lot of work to do. I ended up riding a little harder than I wanted to but was able to pass another few hundred riders up the climb.

            By the time I started descending down the backside of Kevins I finally got some open trail. There were still plenty of people around, but I could at least ride the line I wanted to. The descending on the dirt was fun but then we hit a wide open pavement descent. I recovered here and just sat, tucked, and cruised at around 40mph the whole way. Before I knew it though the climb up to the top of Powerline began. With all chaos of the start this is where I really started to focus on my nutrition, sipping from my bottle of Hammer Perpetuem regularly.


         The climb up to Powerline was pretty fun. Large groups were forming so I would bridge from one group, recover, and then bridge again. By the time I reached the top I found a solid group that I knew I wanted to be with going across the flats that were soon to come. Coming down Powerline was super fun. Tons of flow and hardly any sketchiness in the group. Unfortunately at the bottom of the descent my tire went flat. It was a small hole so I just aired it back up and it seemed to hold. I started off again but was in a bit of bad spot. I was inbetween groups going across the flats, definitely not where I wanted to be. I ended up pushing hard and getting back up to the group I was with. Super hard effort but worth it, I sat in for the remaining flat and ate and drank a ton. Rolling into the Twin Lakes feed I was feeling really good. I took a couple gels and bottles from my crew and then started the climb up Columbine.

        I settled into a strong tempo and just sat there. The climb was super steady and smooth so I could just zone out and get it done. The portion of the climb above treeline was where it got quite a bit steeper. Traction was good though and I was able to ride everything. As I reached the summit I made sure to look at the view. It is absolutely beautiful up there, wish I could have stayed up there for a little longer, but I still had work to do!

       The descent down Columbine was my favorite part of the race by far. You could absolutely fly!! My Garmin said I hit 45mph on my way down. The corners came fast so most of the time I would end up foot out, drifting them, which is one of my favorite things to do! Also, getting to see a lot of my friends climbing up was super nice. It was amazing to see a continuous line of a thousand people working there way up.

         Coming through Twin Lakes Feed for the second time I grabbed another couple bottles of Hammer Perpetuem and a few Hammer Gels from my pit. It seemed like I was in and out of the pit in ten seconds, they had everything so dialed! After cruising out from the feed zone I found myself riding with one other guy. He was super strong and really pushed me across the flats, I am really glad he was there. The headwind on this section of the course was strong to say the least. The other rider and myself traded pulls and made it across quickly though. By the time I reached the bottom of Powerline my legs were starting to feel it.


        I started cramping almost immediately up the climb. I was able to push through them though and keep moving. I can't say I like that climb at all. It seems like it lasts forever. I was able to ride everything but it was probably the most painful thing I have done. About three times going up that climb I wanted to stop so bad! When I reached the top I was so tired I really couldn't even be stoked. I cruised down the backside and tried to eat and recover as much as I could. I grabbed a bottle from my dad at Haggerman right before starting the last major climb back up to the top of Kevins.

Photo of me suffering up Powerline!
        A few minutes into my climb I noticed my tire was going flat again. I rode it for a while but I eventually needed to stop and air it up. A couple of guys and Rebecca passed me but I was able to get back up to them by the top of the climb. I was feeling good again and stoked for the descent down Kevins. I flew down Kevins and had so much fun. There was tons of little water drains that you could air off of. I found my flow and went down it fast!!! At the bottom of Kevins the race was definitely not over though. There is still a couple miles of flat and then another climb called the Boulevard. Rebecca was back on my wheel within a few minutes of riding the flats. I knew she had a big chance of breaking the record so I took some really hard pulls to try and help her. At that point in the race, those pulls really hurt me.

       

           Finally I hit the pavement again, topped out the final short climb, and could see the finish. It was a pretty great feeling. I put in a good final effort and finished strong. When I crossed that finish line I was absolutely done, I had left everything out on the course. I could barely stand, and could do nothing but sit on my top tube for a few minutes. When I did gain my composure, I walked out of the corral and got a big hug from my Mom and Shea. That felt pretty great!! I found a spot to sit and just zoned out. I downed a bottle of Hammer Recoverite and ate some food before cruising back to the house to take a shower.

          After sitting down for a little while at the house I cruised back over to the finish to watch my friends come in and finally see my dad who helped me so much all day! It was great to see them come across the finish line, absolutely stoked. Congrats to Charlie, Alex, Pete, Chuck, Jared, Ken, and Tonya! You all did great!!!!

        

          Later that night my friends and I ate some good food at the Golden Burro and then chilled to talk about the race. Got to hear some good stories from everyone! Soon after that I crashed out. Laying in bed, listening to some music, and doing a Compex Recovery Plus Program felt pretty good!

         Awards were Sunday morning at 7:30. A little to early I think but whatever, I was stoked to go. Once again I was in the extremely full high school gym. The atmosphere was a little more chill this time though, its hard not be happy after you just finished the Leadville 100! It was great seeing the champs up on stage and hearing what they had to say. I ended up with a final time time of 7:27:38, winning the U19 age group and finishing 28th overall. Earned myself a big belt buckle along with a cool trophy. Stoked!! After the ceremony I headed over to the Carmichael Training Systems celebration. It was great to meet Chris along with all the other great people at CTS. They have helped me a great deal this year and I really appreciate their support! Thanks Andy Applegate!!!

        My first Leadville experience was one I will never forget. I had a great race and got to be around a bunch of awesome people the whole time. I couldn't have done it without my support crew, AZ Devo, Hammer Nutrtion, Carmichael Training Systems, and my other fantastic sponsors.  I really appreciate all the help! It is truly and amazing event in a beautiful place. I can't wait for next year!

Mellow Johnny's Classic Pro XCT

First national of the season!! Always exciting to get the season underway. A little early but feeling ready. Our trip to Dripping Springs Texas started on Thursday morning, early. Patrick, Travis, my dad and I were carpooling to the race in Patrick's van. It was a pretty sweet set up, big skybox on top, bike rack on the back, so plenty of room in the van to keep comfy. The drive was pretty boring I guess, just flat roads. Zoned out for most of it. Did get to eat at Exit 0, at the border between New Mexico and Texas. Also got to see Juarez Mexico, looking down from the freeway. Saw some gnarly slums which make you really appreciate the USA.

The first night we stayed in Sonora Texas. Small town with a couple stores and a Best Western which we stayed at after a long day of driving. A little before dinner Patrick, Travis, and I got in a small spin on some frontage roads. Pretty sweet ride, with practically no cars and perfect temps. I did manage to flat a mountain tire full of Stan's on a paved road though. Something to check off the bucket list. For dinner we headed to a grocery store and got some leans cuisines, salads, and some chips which actually made for a pretty awesome meal.

Sonora was only a few hours from the venue so we didn't need to hurry in the morning. The course didn't open until two, so we found an awesome drainage ditch near the hotel to shred on.

We arrived at the venue right at two and got ready to shred. I had heard a lot of good things about the course and wanted to get out there. Patrick had to get a spoke replaced after he shredded the ditch at the Best Western a little to hard so Travis and I headed out. The course lived up the my expectations. It was a real mountain bike course, technical rock gardens, a couple climbs, and even some sick berms. On the second lap around I flatted. Two days in a row! I was only a couple of kilometers from the finish so I just walked back to the car because I had a spare wheel ready. After dealing with the flat I headed out a again and put in a much smoother lap. Wasn't worried about the wheel, I didn't ride till Sunday so had tomorrow to make sure it was sealed up good.

We stayed in Austin which was about 45 minutes from the venue. The hotel was really nice and I was looking forward to some good sleep after a couple days of traveling. I wasn't disappointed, waking up Saturday morning feeling refreshed. Travis raced today so he headed out at about 11 to head to the venue. After he headed out I went riding around town for a while to make sure the legs were ready to go for the next day. I could not find any bike lanes at all, which was a big surprise coming from Tucson where it is hard to find a road without one. After my ride I ate a Sprouts Sandwich which was amazing and proceeded with finishing up some school that I had put off for the last couple of days. Travis got home around five, he had a solid race and was pretty stoked. I went to bed early to avoid getting to nervous for the next day.

The day was finally here. I got up, at a solid breakfast and then headed out. I got to the venue, chilled out for a little bit and then headed out on my warm up. The warm up flew by and before I knew it, it was time to head to the line. The organizers did call up based on the Texas State Series standings so I ended up on the second row. I had a descent start though and was able to move up pretty quickly. Soon a group of about seven guys formed and stayed that way for most of the first lap. I wasn't having my best day technically. I couldn't seem to corner smoothly at all. I worked through my issues a little bit by the second lap and turned it on a bit. I passed a couple of guys on the second lap and rolled across the line 5th. It was a solid result. I felt like with the fitness I had I could have done better but nonetheless I was happy.

After the race I enjoyed some good Texas barbecue, which was mandatory before heading home. The drive home was pretty darn long. 14 hour drive all the way back to Arizona. The first few hours were pretty fun though, got to watch a couple of movies, laughed about the races, and ate some food that I definitely shouldn't have.

Valley of The Sun Stage Race

Time to mix it up a bit. I have really been enjoying the road riding that Tucson has been offering up and I wanted to jump in a race to see how it would go. VOS is a really fun race that super close to home so it seemed perfect. It consists of three stages; TT, Road Race, and Crit.

Stage one was an individual time trial, which is definitely my favorite event. For the first year I had a proper time trial bike and helmet. Still working on getting a disc rear wheel, but big improvement from last year. I was stoked, now with proper equipment, to put in a big effort. As it turned out I had a planned recovery week before the race so I was able to go into the race well rested and mentally ready to go, which is important for an all out effort like a TT. I got to the venue a couple hours early to get all the registration stuff done and make sure everything was ready to go. The TT is really important in VOS as it is pretty hard to gain much time in the other stages. I knew my legs were feeling good so I knew I had go as hard as I could. As I rolled down the start ramp I got up to speed quickly and got into a rhythm. It is about a 1 percent climb on the way out so it makes it easy to really push hard. While warming up, I noticed a slight headwind heading North, meaning the usually fast way back would be a bit slower than usual so I conserved a bit on the climb out, knowing that it would be harder than usual. At the 7 mile marker you turn around get a 3 second break as you make the turn. Then its time to lay it down!! I was hurting but felt like I had paced the first half well and had enough left to make it back to the finish strong. I was happy with my race, I improved by over a minute and a half from last year, even with the wind which was awesome! At the end of the day I ended up in fourth with Michael Dessau in 3rd, Ian Moore in 2nd and Greg Daniel in 1st; at 9,15, and 40 seconds.

Day two was the road race. The course consisted of 4 loops of a 16 mile course with one couple mile long hill. My legs didn't feel bad after yesterday so I was ready to go, hopefully make up some time on the guys ahead of me and conserve the gap to 5th. Again I got in a good warm and up and got to the start line about 10 minutes before the start. A couple of minutes before the start we were informed that the Pro/1 field had a major collision with a car and our start would be delayed. Usually a start is delayed 5, maybe 10 minutes but this took nearly 75 minutes. I just tried to stay hydrated and out of the sun and wait. When the road and the riders were safe our race finally got started, but with a shortened race. It was pretty fast right from the get-go. The Garmin Cervelo guys controlled the group well and kept the pace pretty consistent. On the first lap at the top of the climb, which was also the finish, there was a KOM which offered a time bonus. I needed anything I could get so I went for it. I ended up third over the line but only got one second. I was hoping to get in a break but with the shortened race it didn't happen. I sat in the group for the remaining laps, making sure no one got away. On the final time up the hill I felt good and was ready to battle it out. I was positioned well but with about a mile to the finish got a pedal in my rear wheel. I didn't take me down but I found myself now at the back of the pack. I worked my way back up but had to settle with a pack finish.

The third and final day is the criterium in Downtown Phoenix. I didn't really have too much of a plan for the criterium, I was just going to race hard and see what happened. Like yesterday the race started fast and the group split very quickly. I ended up in a lead group of about 20 riders and felt pretty comfortable. I moved up as the laps clicked down and was positioned well. When it came down to the sprint I just didn't feel the kick and again had to settle for a pack finish. I was satisfied though, I stayed safe and preserved my 4th place GC position.

I was very happy with my performance over the three days. I put in a good race and got to ride with a new bunch of guys who I don't usually see. I also got to meet up with some new teammates on my road team, Flagstaff Cycling. We have some seriously strong riders and I look forward to working with them this year. Next is the Mellow Johnny's Pro XCT in Dripping Springs, Texas. I look forward to the next couple weeks hard training in preparation. I am feeling stronger than ever and am excited to kick of the national season with some good form!

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!

Bug Springs and Molino

Amazing ride today with Jeff Frost. Been spending a lot of time on the road bike and was really craving some dirt. I have been talking to some locals and I heard of the Bug Springs loop, start off the day with some good climbing and then rip almost all the way down the mountain. Sounded good to me. To start the day we headed up the Catalina Highway, we settled in and cruised up Mount Lemmon for about an hour and ten minutes. It was cool to see how many people were on the road. Saw a group of 20 riders all cruising and talking as the made their way up the mountain along with at least 10 other individual cyclists. Tucson really is a "cycling community"! So after our climb to the Little Bear pull off we hopped on dirt for a hike-a-bike section of stairs before we started descending. To my surprise, the trail was dry, I had heard that it was probably still snowy. We hit a couple of snowy patches but overall the trail was super tacky. As soon as the trail headed down I got a little carried away and started rippin. That changed a bit as I hit the first droppy, technical section. I realized I should probably take it a little more chill since all of the technical bits seemed to be after blind corners or after cresting a hill. The technical sections were amazing!! Like I said, they were filled with fun stair-step drops but also had big slabs of granite and little man made rock rollers. As Frosty and I reached the pavement at the bottom of Bug Springs I reflected on how awesome the descent was, definitely my new all around favorite. We still had a bit of descending down the Molino Basin trail though so we cruised over to the trail head. Molino was a bit different than Bug Springs. It was much rougher and didn't quite have as much flow but was still really fun. You had to be a bit more "on it", to carry speed than Bug, where you could just flow and pump down the descent. After shredding down Molino we cruised down the rest of Lemmon on the road. Glad to have found such a good mountain loop to accompany the amazing road riding in Tucson. Definitely hitting up Bug and Molino next week!

Living the Dream!!

Not a lot of new things to report on riding wise. Have been in putting in some long miles on the road bike with some interval sets to keep it interesting. I even managed to get in a mountain bike ride today, which is much harder to come by down here compared to Flagstaff. Biggest change is that I have been working a lot more on some mental training. Training, on the bike, is a huge part to success but I have to start taking the mental side of riding much more seriously. I have been doing some exercises and reading sports psychology books to help improve that aspect of my racing. I really feel that investing in this as well as working my butt of on the bike will lead to good things this year.So, I guess, everything is going really well. I am feeling the strongest, mentally and physically, that I have ever have. I am still really enjoying riding my bike and am super motivated about training and racing in 2012. One thing that I have been missing though, other than my family, is shredding some dirt. Luckily tomorrow I am meeting up with Jeff Frost, aka Frosty, to ride Bug Springs Trail on Lemmon. Should be tons of fun, really stoked! I will post some pictures and report on the ride soon.

Merry Christmas!

This week was full of good things. Got in some great riding in Tuscon then headed up to Flagstaff to visit my family and get in a shred in Sedona.

I started up the week by changing the training a little bit. I transitioned from doing long moderate intensity rides with strength training to some more structured efforts. It felt good to really push it hard again and I even had some descent power. These intervals also doubled as a kind of test. I did a couple of back to back interval days, the second day as part of a longer ride. This was to see how responsive my body was to hard work after a pretty extended period of moderate intensity. The first day went well, didn't quite maintain my cadence requirements but got the power up. The second day went even better, hit my intervals really well, maintaining the power and cadence, and then followed that up by heading over to Lemon where I ran into Chloe Forsman and cruised with her for a while. As soon as I got home from my ride I drank some Hammer Recoverite and hopped in my car. It was already getting pretty late and I wanted to get to Flagstaff at a reasonable time.

After driving for four hours up to Flag I arrived home to some pretty stoked parents. We hung out for a little while before I headed to bed with some really sore legs that were not helped by going from bike to car in 15 minutes back in Tuscon. I awoke after 11 hours of well needed sleep to snow in Flag. It just wouldn't have felt right spending Christmas in the desert, needed some snow. Was pretty lazy overall while in Flag, but did fit in a longer ride on Christmas Eve in Sedona. Went on a road ride with Chuck, Ken, and my neighbor Jay down Page Springs road, up to Jerome, and then back up the highway into Sedona. Had to burn off some serious calories to justify the eating which was going to take place the next day.

After opening up some great presents and hanging out with parents all day we got ready for Christmas Dinner. Our buddy Dave and his daughters joined us for the feast. My mom prepared some beautiful prime rib, potatoes, asparagus, and rolls. After chowing down the amazing food we followed it up with a game of Taboo. Had a great time, tons of laughs and some good competition.

The trip seemed to have flown by as I packed up the car Monday morning with my Dad. We said our goodbyes and then I headed for my grandparents' houses in Phoenix. I visited my Grandma that I hadn't seen in a while and then headed for my other grandparents house. After hanging out there for a while I fit in a ride on Beeline Highway and through Fountain Hills before another great dinner that my Grandma prepared. With a full stomach I finally finished off the trip and drove the remaining distance back to Tuscon.

Had a great week, looking forward to next. A South African mountain biker is moving in with Justin and I and I am going to hit up some of the local group rides! Stay tuned!

Week One Down!

So the first week in Tucson is done! A pretty rad one to say the least. If every week is half as fun as this one, I am going to have one great stay down in the Old Pueblo.

As I mentioned in the previous post I would be partaking in a training camp headed by my coach Justin Peschka this week. A couple of my friends including Shane Skelton, the top ranked Cat 1 15-16 in the country and all around shredder, Chuck Bruni, Ken Koch, and Shane's dad Scotty would be joining in on the camp. With all of the riders showing up Wednesday morning we decided to get right to work and do some fitness testing on Mount Lemon. The test consisted of one, all out effort on the first 3 miles of Mount Lemon road. I had an awesome performance, which I was really stoked about considering I hadn't done an effort that hard in a couple of months. It is awesome to have that test done so I can compare numbers as it gets closer to the season. After everyone finished their test, we cruised up the road for another 45 minutes at a tempo effort just to loosen up the legs a bit from the effort. After pace lining it down the mountain we headed for the showers before eating at El Taco Tote.

The plan for day two was just to get in a long ride at a consistent endurance effort. As we headed out of the Carmichael Training Systems parking lot we realized this might not be a possibility. Huge gusts of wind blew from every direction with a more steady gale right in our faces. The first ten miles we averaged about 9 mph on pavement, we were on mountain bikes but to go 9 mph was a near all out effort. I felt good though, so I took the horrific wind as an opportunity to push it a little bit. I sat at the front for the first 45 minutes or so before we got into a little more sheltered environment. As we hit the dirt on Redington Road we started climbing. This climb was an awesome, perfect climb, with no cars and great views. Shane, Ken and I took off and held a good pace to the top of the climb where we waited for the rest of the group. All back together now, we headed onto some more treacherous terrain. We headed down an unnamed canyon with plenty of rock drops, berms, and steep climbs. This lifted our spirits which had been broken down a bit by the unrelenting wind earlier in our ride. After climbing up another canyon road we made our way back to Redington Road to start our descent back into town. The once headwind, turned into an amazing tailwind. We made it back to town in a third of the time it took us to get out. Although we were riding our burly, knobby tires it felt like we were riding road bikes, cruising through town at 25 miles per hour with nearly no effort at all. After making it back to CTS we all headed our separate ways to shower and take some well deserved naps before heading to dinner. We met up at one of my favorite restaurants, Trattoria Pina. We had a great dinner, followed by some great conversation and dessert. I am really lucky to have such rad friends!

Day three was climbing day. We started out the day with a 45 minute car drive to the base of Mount Hopkins. I was told this was a must do for anyone in the Tucson area so I was pretty stoked. As the group headed out, Shane and I took off to cruise up the hill at a little faster pace than the rest. We soon found ourselves high in the mountains. I was astounded by the climb, living in Flagstaff I always thought we had some good climbs, we had nothing compared to this. After 10 kilometers we were already well above six thousand feet. As we continued to climb the weather got worse and worse. We went from riding in tacky, 50 degree conditions to snowy, 40 degree conditions until we neared the summit and ended our climb with a 100 meter long stretch of 35 degree incline into 30 degree temperatures and nearly a foot of snow. We hurried to put on our jackets an eat a bar, before heading down the hill. We descended quickly back to better conditions where we passed and encouraged the others as they continued to make it up the hill. Once we could finally feel our fingers well enough to shred we hopped off the main path and took a steep, rocky road that would also take us back down to the cars. I had a ton of fun watching Shane shred and drift up the trail ahead of me as I did the same. I was bummed as we hit the parking because the shred had ended but stoked to turn on the truck and blast the heat. While warming up we checked out the Garmin file of the climb, we climbed 4500 ft in just over 20 kilometers, taking us above 9000 ft. Quite the climb! We ended the day by indulging at In and Out and watching some movies at Justin's house.

Day four was promised to be an all single track day so I was pretty stoked. Even though the Skeltons and Ken had to start on their way home Chuck, Justin and I were ready to go bright and early. We drove south, out of Tucson to meet up with the AZ trail. With rain clouds threatening, we kept the pace brisk ensuring we would finish before getting dumped on. The trail was amazing. Narrow, tight, and twisty single track through the cacti with some fun climbs and descents thrown in. At about mile 12 we decided to start heading back, a bit tired from the days before. The way out was mostly climbing so we flew on the way back. Dipping and diving through the corners with amazingly tacky dirt, doesn't get any better! All of us, completely stoked, arrived back at the car satisfied with a good four days of training and a ton of fun. We headed to Subway to take advantage of their awesome December Deals before going home. Chuck headed back to Flagstaff and the camp was officially over.

Although I was bummed to see my buddies leave I was stoked at all of the riding possibilities that I had had explored over the last four days. I know there is much, much more and I look forward to exploring next week before I head back home for Christmas! Merry Christmas everyone!