Whiskey Off-Road 50 Recap

The Whiskey 50 put on by Epic Rides has been one event on my list this year I've been looking forward to since I signed up.  Mainly because the race is hosted in Prescott, AZ which happens to be the neighboring city to where my Mom and brother along with his wife live.  2011 would mark the 8th running of the Whiskey Off-Road and I can't believe I just found out about this event last year.  I usually make a trip out to Prescott Valley 3-4 times a year to hit up the many miles of great trails.  I was able to preview the entire Whiskey 50 course last summer so I knew what to expect coming into this year.

Driving was a little tough at times.  Photo by Steph.



The weekend started off on a Thursday morning for me along with James, JD, and Steph.  We all met up at James' pad to load the Highlander for the 6 hour journey to PV.  When we got into town we decided it would be best to pre-ride the 25 miler course of the Whiskey.  I was the only one of the group that was somewhat familiar with the route and I was glad to get another preview of what was to come a couple days before the race.  For dinner we went to the Raven Cafe in Whiskey Row.  This place was definitely cool with lots of great beers to choose from along with great food.  I highly recommend a stop to this place if you are ever in the area.  My mom was gracious enough to allow myself and my friends stay at her place for the weekend.  She is such a wonderful host and we all appreciated her awesome act of kindness.  It really made the weekend that much better.

This fireroad would suck come race day...Photo by Steph.

Pulled Pork Sandwich and sweet potato fries....yum!

Friday we were able to kill some time by picking packets up and hitting the theater's up to see Fast Five.  I know it probably sounds cheezy to most, but honestly...this was probably the best of the sequels to the Fast and Furious brand.  Highly entertaining for sure with hunks like Vin Diesel and The Rock so the ladies (Steph) and sometimes dudes (JD) can appreciate it.  ;-)

Steph gets overly excited for horse statues.

James, myself, and JD enjoying the sites.  Photo by Steph.

Occifer Bang Bang (JD)



Race day started early morning on Saturday.  Race start was at 7:30am and I loathe early wake up calls.  It was quite brisk in the early morning while getting prepped waiting for the glorious orange ball in the sky to begin the warming process.  We probably took more time than we needed to before heading to the start line on Whiskey Road.  I wish I had a picture of the start because I've never seen so many mountain bikers line-up all at once.  Apparently there was around 500-600 racers at the start.  It was quite cool yet pretty sucky cause I was NO-where near the front.  I knew I would have to work pretty hard early on to get somewhat near the front group once the race would begin.  The sound of a shotgun blast would signal the start of the race and off we went...wait...not just yet...why am I not moving?  Oh yeah, since I was so far back...I had to wait about 30 seconds before things started going.  The atmosphere was awesome with families and people cheering on the racers.  Something that lacks out here in the local SoCal racing scene.  I knew I had about 6 miles of paved road to try and catch the police escort group up ahead.  It put in some good efforts and really didn't feel like I was tapping into all my resources, but I think the elevation of 6000+ ft was playing tricks with me while watching my heart rate.  I eventually was able to catch on to the tail end of the front group just before hitting the sick singletrack.  I felt pretty held up at times from this point until getting to the fireroad ~8 miles later.  There were lots of water bars to scale going up and going down.  Some riders were more timid than others, which made it hard to get around those riders.  That's all just part of it though.

Once to Skull Valley, I knew the hardest part was ahead.  A twelve mile climb to the summit before the 10 mile descent back to Whiskey Row.  I had no idea where I was currently placed, but it didn't really matter to me.  My focus was to finish the race under 4 hours, but secretly hoping for something in the 3:30 hour range.  The climb started out well, but then I hit that 2 hour window where things always start to get tough.  The climb would get steeper as well to add more salt to the wound.  Steph told me I was top 20 as I saw her coming down the dreaded Skull Valley climb getting ready for her own world of pain.  I worked with other riders here and there, but pretty much was on my own for the majority of the climb.  I was able to make a couple of passes before the summit and finally get a sigh of relief before the fun descent down the mountain.  The best part of the race was making that final right turn onto Whiskey Row and seeing all the people plus my family cheering me on.  They've never seen me race before so they were just as excited to see me as I was to see them.  It was really cool and motivating to push that much harder for the line.  Once the results were in, I finished 12th out of 232 for the Open class with a finishing time of 3:48:30.  I know I could have done better, but I'm really happy with my results.  I hope to better my time at this race next year depending on the schedule.

My lovely mom and I post race.  Where would I be without here? Photo by Andrea.

James kicked ass finishing 16th and only 5 mins behind me!  My pupils learn fast.

"Everyone's Hometown"  I own this shit. ;-)

In retrospect, this was really a fantastic event that was well organized with something to do for the whole family.  Don't hesitate to put this one on your to do list.  It is worth it.  Oh yeah, the swag bags were the biggest I've ever gotten at an event.  Lots of cool stuff for sure.



2011 Vision Quest Recap

Back in October, I was dreading the morning of April 2nd, 2011.  I kept thinking of the pain, suffering, and not to mention the lack of sleep to come.  As the date drew closer, I felt physically and mentally unprepared for one of the toughest mountain bike events in the nation in that being the Vision Quest.  The week leading up to April 2nd, I began to feel burned out on racing as a whole and even contemplating a new approach to the sport I fell in love with.  I haven't exactly been overly excited about my performance at the early season XC races here in SoCal.  This all changed 2 days prior to April 2nd.  This event will always be dear to me.  VQ 2008 marked my first ever organized Mountain Biking event, which has made me into the competitive athlete I am today.  Of course my goals were much simpler back then.  Finish before my training buddies and to enjoy the ride.  That first event would also remind me how fragile our bodies are especially when travelling at 20+MPH on dirt.  I took a nasty spill on Main Divide between Beeks and Motorway.  Bruised and bloodied up, I was determined to fight through the agony and finish the race.  That I did, but my buddies got the best of me.  I realized that drive and determination has been lacking lately.  Those are the qualities that have encouraged me to conquer the VQ each year after.  Remembering that year charged me back up for 2011 just 2 days prior to the start.  I suddenly became mentally prepared and ready to give it my best.

VQ2008 - Bloody yet smiling.  I think I was 15lbs lighter too.

I still wish my goals were as simple back then, but there would be no challenge in that for me.  The challenge is what I need to stay motivated to ride hard.  We always want to better ourselves as athletes.  We want to measure improvement and I've found that VQ is the best thing for myself to measure against.  Not just with a stop watch either, but mentally.  Each year brings new and different challenges for the mind and body to conquer.  Adaptation is what makes us better cyclists.  After finishing in the Top 10 (9th) last year and just shy of my "unreal" goal of under 6 hours (6:02), I knew 2011 would be my toughest yet.  The first and obvious goal was to break into the 5 hour mark.  My "unreal" goal would be to break the 5 1/2 hour barrier.  Those type of times are usually reserved for the top 5 and consist of some fast local pros.  With all the rain we got this season, I didn't know what to expect in regards to the trail conditions.  This also meant less training in the Santa Ana's.  In fact, this year was the least amount of training I did out there due to the weather.  I despise the cold now...call me a wussy, but I have nothing to prove after years of doing it.  :-)

El Juan's jealous of #7.  I felt the pressure of the single digit number plate

Race day started out at the crack of somewhere way too early to be awake.  It was 3:30am in my case.  For once, I actually didn't feel sleep deprived for not really getting any sleep.  I never can sleep the day before a race knowing I have to be up before my internal clock.  CeeDubb met me at my house around 4:15am and we carpooled from there.  The morning was a nice 55+ degrees.  Probably the warmest it has been for me at a VQ event.  The forecast was calling for great temps during the event.  I was also excited that my buddy Matt Vaughan would be able to support me, amongst others, at each aid station.  This is always so helpful and much appreciated.  It didn't take long to get suited up and chug down my PreRace bottle.  I lined up next to heavy hitter Dana Weber at the front of the start line.  The other notables in Manny Prado, Tinker Juarez, Doug Andrews, Nate Whitman, Gerry Cody, Danny Munoz, and the BozBros were out as well.  This lineup was going to make for some good racing.  It was also good to see James and Bang Bang just before the start although I didn't say much since I was focused for the dirt ahead.

Staging.  Photo by Keith B.

The countdown began...3...2...1...and off all 300 and something of us went.  The start went well and there were no mishaps.  My plan was to stay with the front group until the real climbing began on Blackstar.  I got off line just a bit and slide into a mud pit on the way out to Blackstar putting a foot down in the slimy mess.  Oh well, it would just get worse throughout the day.  I slipped back a bit, but caught back up to the lead pack.  We got to the hard left switchback and the leaders picked up the pace.  I settled into a good pace with Eric Bostrom and another rider up towards hidden valley.  I was able to get in a small gap ahead of Eric and made my way to the Beek's gate in 42mins.  I didn't know it at the time, but that was 2 mins faster than last year.  Was I going too hard?  Probably, but I was hoped up PreRace.  That stuff really gets your blood moving.  Eric and I would pass each other a couple more times along the way to Motorway.  Tim Z, Danny M, and Bierman made there way up to us and we had a small pace line going.  Eventually, they gaped me before Motorway, but I put a small gap on Eric.  Motorway was a blast as usual.  I was able to pick clean lines and keep my tires afloat while many others didn't have such luck.  I will take that as a success!  I got to the first aid station 4 mins faster than I did last year.  Didn't know that either at the time.  I found Matt and his ever bright orange jacket and I took off my light as he swapped out my bottles.  They would consist of EFS and another shot of PreRace.  I also chugged down a flask of EFS Liquid Shot before I pedaled off.

Amazing Sunrise on Main Divide.  Photo by Gene.

Dismounting at the Motorway trail head.  Photo by Gene.

The way down Motorway.

Reaching back for an EFS Liquid shot as I grind up Maple Springs

The climb up Maple Springs started out well.  I felt strong, but started to fade halfway up the pavement.  Things would get better once on the dirt, but I was not moving as fast as I wanted to be.  I was starting to get worried, but I didn't panic and stayed focused.  I backed my pace off a little and to my amazement I was 2 mins faster than last year.  Eric Bostrom caught back up and slipped away from me at this junction.  Nate Whitman came blowing by me on my way to Modjeska peak.  He had a couple of flats.  I was now in no man's land.  Eventually, I could no longer see anyone in front of or behind me.  I gave a little extra push on the final stretch to Santiago Peak knowing I could recover on the way down.  The descent down from the peak was fast and furious.  The conditions were in great shape and I just let the Santa Cruz Tallboy breathe.  On the way to Upper Holy Jim, I passed Eric as he was pulled off to the side with a flat.  Once to the trailhead, Chanson was there to greet the passing riders.  I said to him, "I'm fading fast!"  Of course I would be teased about this afterwards, but that's what friends are for.  UHJ was tough for me this year.  I've cleared the trail in the past, but not this year.  I dabbed on a couple of switchbacks and bailed out on a rockier section.  I had no confidence in the traction of my tires on UHJ.  Maybe it's just too much saddle time on the road bike?  Me thinks yes.  I approached Lower Holy Jim and was told I was in the top 10.  Really!?  Came as a surprise to me.  I ripped down Holy Jim while avoiding the occasional hikers and bikers.  It still amazes me that these people continue to hike/bike when they know there's a race going on.  I would just choose another day to get out there.  The water crossings were deep, some rideable while others not.  They felt quite refreshing as the temps were starting to warm up.  It started to feel humid and the flies were hovering if you weren't moving.  I got to the 2nd aid station before 9:30am and was on pace to break 6 hours.  Matt lube up my chain, I swapped bottles, and stole some of James' coke in his cooler before the final push up Trabuco and West Horse Thief.

John Early capturing the moment as I reach WHT.

As I pedaled up Trabuco, I started to feel a 2nd wind come.  I was able to pedal most of Trabuco and was happy with that.  I got to WHT in 26 which was 2 mins faster than last year.  Pua and Guy caught up to me and made their pass just before the WHT trailhead.  Pua is one strong competitor.  I was amazed watching her pedal up WHT making it her bitch while I'm HAB'ing it.  Totally wanted a 2X10 setup for WHT at that moment in time.  Still love my 1X9 setup though.  :-)  I got to the top of WHT 3 mins faster than I did last year and was told I was in 11th.  WHT will always suck, but it sure didn't seem that bad from years past.  I pedaled to the Trabuco Trailhead and was on track to break 6 hours.  I really let it fly down Trabuco.  This is my favorite trail of the whole race.  The Tallboy was feeling great and the suspension was dialed in.  I had so much fun carving through the shale rock.  Once back to the WHT junction, all I had to do was to keep the rubber side down and pass the other competitors safely.  Everyone was very courteous and yielded to me.  I tried to give encouraging words to those struggling.  I even saw a rider fallen over in the bushes and I should have said something, but was too focused on the mission at hand.  Turned out it was a friend by the name of Eric Hull.  We had a good laugh about it after the race.  Once back to Trabuco Creek Road, I just kept the pedals moving while spinning out here and there.  I came to the old finish line from last year and I didn't exactly know where it was this year.  We were routed into the creek bed with no actual trail to ride.  "WTF!?" I said to myself as I tried to navigate by orange cone through the rocks and water.  Then guess what?...we had to hike-a-bike out of the creek bed to get to the road and finally to the finish line.  I coined that section the 2 minute VQ.  As I got back on my bike after the mini HAB, I looked back and saw another VQ guy starting the creek bed HAB.  "Where did he just come from?"  I turned on the jets and finished just seconds ahead of him.

Stop that Garmin...and...done!  Photo by Jordan

I crossed the line at 5:54:12 which put me in 10th place overall!  Less than a minute behind Pua.  I was very much surprised to pull off another Top 10 placing.  In summary, I really really enjoy this year's VQ.  Probably more so than the previous 3 times.  I'm ecstatic to have broken the 6 hour barrier and I'm actually more motivated to hit the 5 1/2 barrier next year.  We'll see if VQ will make my calendar for 2012.  This is the first time I've felt like this right after a race.  Maybe endurance racing is more my thing than the short XC stuff?  I'd like to give a shout out to Matt Vaughan for the awesome support.  He made my life so much easier at the aid stations.  I'd also like to thank Santa Cruz Bicycles, 1st Endurance, ESI Grips, The Hive, and Rock 'n Road Cyclery for the additional support with equipment and nutrition.

Filling up the last spot on the board.

Come at me bro.

CeeDubb and I post race.

Matt "Hermit" Vaughan the support guy!  :-)

Well deserved post race froyo...I <3 these guys.

6 Hours of Temecula #1 Recap

So I'm only a month late to finally getting around to this.  First race of 2011 is in the books and I'm ecstatic I didn't have to suffer on my single speed this time around.  Last year I did the whole 12 Hours of Temecula series on my SS hardtail and vowed to never do that again.  It's just not worth the pain and discomfort over such a long period of time.  The start of the 2011 Temecula series would bring a welcoming addition with a 6 hour category and me pedaling upon my Santa Cruz Tallboy with it's butt loving squish.  It was great to see all the familiar faces from the previous year out in full force.  The 6 hour category was deep with 39 competitors looking to tackle this new challenge.

My goal for this race was to simulate the upcoming Vision Quest in April.  Meaning, figuring out my pace and nutrition.  I'm grateful to have First Endurance as a new sponsor for 2011 to help fuel my race and training needs.  I'm no stranger to the FE family as I've been using FE products since early 2010 and I haven't looked back to all those other powders, gels, and supplements.  Absolutely love their stuff!  My plan was to stick strictly to liquids for my hydration and caloric needs.  I would achieve this by primarily using EFS and EFS Liquid Shot.  PreRace was also on my intake list for when I needed that little extra kick.  Of course I had Coke's on standby as my emergency pick me up.

I believe I'm the 8th rider back.  Photo by Jordan

The start of the race was fairly hectic as racers crowded the start line.  I found myself up near the front about 7-8 rows back.  I wasn't too concerned with my position as I knew the field would spread out during the parade lap.  The first climb was flooded with racers fighting for position.  As luck would have it, I took the far right line while the majority took the more inviting left line.  My line choice proved very successful as I was able to hop on my very own personal toll road around the traffic.  All of a sudden it got very lonely out there.  I must have been in the top 5 riders or so because halfway through my lap I couldn't seen anybody in front or behind.  I came into my pits to grab my next bottle and quickly resumed.  The PreRace really gave me a boost as I completed my first lap in the 41 minute range.  I was pretty sure I was in the lead at the time, so I wanted to keep my solid pace going.

Photo by Jordan

2nd lap was pretty much the same as the 1st minus the traffic around.  It was nice having a clear path for most of the way.  The trails were in great shape and I was able to pickup my speed a little bit more this time around.  This lap was my fastest lap of the day and the fastest lap of all 6 hour competitors.  Only problem, this is an endurance race and not a XC race.  I knew I probably went out too hard, but I sure didn't feel like I did.  It felt good to really let the lungs breathe and the legs burn.  Maybe I was hopped up on PreRace to notice?  I kept it going into the start of my 3rd lap.  Unfortunately, I would have an untimely mechanical halfway through.  My RD cable broke and I was stuck in my tallest gear (34X11).  After stopping to asses the situation, I knew there was nothing I could do on the trail so I pedaled on.  My mind was tossing around the idea of quitting or to keep racing SS.  I then told myself that someones got to have a replacement cable on site.  Lucky for me, I was about halfway through the lap and most of the tough climbs were over with.  I completed my lap and was able to get assistance from the Specialized crew.  Many thanks to them as they got me back up and running pretty quick.  I lost about 15 minutes due to the cable, but at least I wasn't out.  I knew my competitors most likely passed me which also meant that I lost the lead.  It was going to be hard to try and catch up.

Photo by Jordan

On my 5th lap, things started to slow down a bit for me.  4 hours seems to be the hurdle that plagues me.  My energy levels dwindle down and pace slows quite a bit.  On the positive side, I still felt good with no sick or upset stomach feelings.  I was able to maintain consistent low 50 minute lap times until the end.  I would finish with 7 laps and a time of 5:36:01.  Good enough for a solid 4th place against some pretty solid competition.  Overall, I'm happy with my results, but really wished my shifter cable didn't break.  It would have been fun to see how the race would have finished with the top 3 guys.  I was also ecstatic to know that I was done racing for the day.  My body wasn't beat up like previous races on the SS hardtail.  I can contribute that to the plushness of the Tallboy and my super comfy ESI Grips.  I could sit back, relax, and cheer on my buddies racing the full 12 hours.  Overall, it was a great day for racing and to be surrounded by friends.  The buzz about the Temecula series is definitely growing.  First US Cup race is in a week and it looks like it's going to be a wet one.  Until next time my friends.

12 Hours of Temecula #3 Recap

It was hard to convince myself to do the last 12 hour race of the year especially since the race season has been over for months.  On top of that, I wasn't looking forward to the suffering and punishment on my Bianchi Rita single speed.  I've grown to despise riding that bike since I began riding my Santa Cruz Tallboy.  My ass has grown very accustomed to plushness of full squish and the Bianchi reminds me of that everytime I ride it.  My original plan was to convert the Tallboy to single speed for this race, but as race day grew closer, I didn't want to take the time or money to buy the necessary parts.  I settled for the next best thing by swapping the blown out Rockshox Reba SL with the Fox F29 120 from the Tallboy hoping this would provide a little extra comfort to ward off any fatigue I would endure during the 12 hours of punishment.  This temporary upgrade made a huge difference in the handling after my shakedown.

Improved race machine

In addition to the fork, Chanson gave me a set of Ergon GP1 grips to try out.  I decided to put them on the Bianchi since my ESI grips were torn up from the last crash which separated my shoulder.  I think this has something to do with my hatred towards this bike.  I didn't touch this bike until the week before the race since the accident in September.  I still had a bad taste in my mouth.  I remember taking it out on a trip to Old Camp for the first time since and I crashed uphill!  WTH!?  This bike has it out for me and I was I ready to toss it over the side of the trail.

Enough of that...let's get onto the race.  I was able to hitch a ride with Jeff Burke the morning of.  Thanks Jeff for driving.  We found a good spot on the course to setup the double wide Tecate EZ-Up as we would be supporting 4 solos and a 4 man team.  I picked up my registration stuff and listened to about 10 minutes of the race meeting before skipping out.  I felt time was running short and I still needed to get my bottles prep'd as well as suited up.  My fuel for the day would rely heavily upon First Endurance products.  My goal was to stick to a bottle a lap with 1.5 scoops of EFS and a serving of EFS Liquid Shot.  The plan also consisted of Ultragen every 4 hours and trying out the PreRace for the first time when the energy levels are low as recommended by First Endurance.  In a rush to get all geared up and ready for the race, I forgot to have a scoop of EFS 30 minutes prior to the race.  I ended up getting to the start line 2 mins before the parade lap.  If I've learned anything from the 2 prior races it would have to be pacing myself.  I always get caught up in the heat of the moment at race starts and I end up putting in too many big efforts early on.  I guess that's the XC racer in me where I'm used to 2 hours at a time.  My goal was not to go out hard early on, but try to settle into a good zone 3 type pace.

First Endurance party.



The race started and off I pedaled.  I had no idea who my competition was, but there sure was a lot of single speeders out there.  I will say that this course was definitely not SS friendly.  This was my first time racing the course with the "Dam Climb" and this first lap was my first experience with it.  As I approached the climb, it didn't seem all that bad and I started to wonder what everyone was fussing about.  Then about 2/3'rds of the way up, the pitch got pretty steep.  It reminded me of parts of Mathis and Dripping Cave.  Now, on a geared bike, I wouldn't have thought much of it, but on a SS...it's brutal.  I struggled for traction in spots and my goal of keeping my efforts easy just got ruined.  The effort required to clear these sections took a lot more than I wanted to exert.  I was happy to find out that the majority of the climbing was done in the first 1/3 of the lap.  My first lap happened to be my fastest lap in the 48 min range and I was holding back while doing recon work on the course picking my lines.

My 2nd lap was more or less the same and I came into the pits to get my 2nd set of bottles.  My 3rd lap slowed down some and I really started to feel fatigued.  What was going on?  I was only 3 laps in and my energy levels were dropping quickly.  The weather was nice, but maybe a little too warm and dry.  I could really taste the salt in my sweat and I started to think that maybe I didn't put enough EFS in my bottles.  I would clear the Dam Climb for the last time that afternoon.  My time ended up in the 57 minute range.

At this point, I really started to feel bad and sick like.  All I wanted to do was sit down and rest, but I knew I had to just plug away and fight through it.  The last 2 races I had breaks of more than an hour at a time and I didn't want to play that game again.  I figured it would be better to just keep moving and eventually I would get my 2nd wind.  My wrists were hurting and my hands were going numb due to the Ergon grips.  I really think the platform style grips were the problem.  I sure missed my nice and comfy ESI grips at this point.  I tried to keep drinking fluids, but it was hard to.  My stomach was upset.  I decided to try a half serving of PreRace for the 5th lap.  To be honest, I didn't really notice any changes in my performance of energy.  It's possible I needed a full serving since I drink way too many energy drinks as it is.  I changed my nutrition plan to coke and M&M's.  For some reason, this combo seems to settle my stomach down and helps with the energy levels.  The routine became something like this.  Drink a coke, have some m&m's, sit down for 5 - 10 minutes, curse out the race, contemplate quitting, force myself on the bike for another lap.



Steph showed off her arts and crafts skills.

It wasn't until midway through the 7th lap where I started to feel the 2nd wind come on.  I came into the pits and put my lights on.  The temps were starting to get much cooler especially in the valley's.  That "DAMN" climb was still a little toasty.  I ran into Chanson and El Juan on course on lap 8.  Chanson was out there for moral support pacing El Juan.  His sturdiness gave me the extra motivation I needed...lol!  My lap times started to get closer to an hour or less.  I went out for lap 9 with the intention of doing at least 10, but I was on pace to do 11 laps.  I was able to clean the dam climb for the last time.  Once back at the pits, James informed me that I had a 3 lap lead on 2nd place.  Awesome!  This was the first time I checked my position and it would be my last.  I decided to call it right then and there.  No point to suffer anymore.  I pedaled through the finish (our pit was a minute before the finish line) and I found Chanson and Steph at Juan's pit.  They offered me an In-N-Out burger which I gladly accepted.  My race was done and I took 1st place.

In retrospect, I wish I kept pedaling on to go for personal glory, but there will be plenty of other opportunities for that.  It was my time to enjoy this win on along with my 12 Hour SS champion overall jersey.

I'm officially retiring from racing solo 12 hour events on a single speed.  I will be on a geared FS bike for sure at the next one.  Thank you to all my friends for the support throughout the whole season.  It was a fun one.  Thank you to First Endurance for keeping my race and season cramp free as usual.  This stuff works!

24 Hours of Adrenalin - Team Duke Style

Oh where to start...I'm sure by now most of you know what a 24 hour race is all about.  This past weekend marked my 3rd 24 hours of adrenalin event at the ever enjoyable Hurkey Creek albeit the vibe was not quite the same from years past.  The organizers announced prior to the race that most of their equipment was stolen from their trailer at it was felt at the start finish line.  They ended up renting a bunch of equipment to still put on this fantastic event although the turn out was really low.  It had more of a "grassroots" feeling to it.  This is the first time where there were virtually no vendors on site except for Kenda for a whopping 2 hours.  The campgrounds were not as busy and the parking lot seemed empty at times.  Regardless, the race must go on and everyone was in good spirits.

Team Duke!

I drove up Friday night with my teammate Mike Z and company. Thanks for driving Mike!  James had home base already setup at the super camp.  Thanks James for handling the logistics and making the Weekend Warrior our home for 24 hours.  I was a little worried about the race since my legs were still sore from a short run on Wednesday.  I probably shouldn't have ran, but no reason to cry over it.  I was hoping they would feel better the next morning.  Race day morning arrived and my legs were still fairly tight.  Damn!  Oh well...the race must go on.  I was going to be the first man up of our team of 4 followed by Derek, James and finally Mike.  I was glad to hear the Le mans start was much shorter than years past.  I'm not a big fan of running, but I do like to run for fun...occasionally.  I lined up at the start 5 minutes till noon and I was surprised there was only 3 of us at the line at this time, but everyone lined up eventually.  The bell, horn, or gunshot went off, I don't remember the noise that was made, but we were off and running.  I was able to run the course in under a minute and I was in the top 10 by the time I got on my bike.  I was completely gassed from that run and it took me a breather to get to pedaling.  I took a big swig of my life-blood in the form of First Endurance EFS and tried to work my way through traffic on the initial single track.  Keen Camp climb was going well, but then I started to get passed by some faster guys.  I knew I was lacking some strength and I was hoping my legs would start to warm up soon.  They still felt fatigued...stupid running...grrrrrr!  I put in efforts where I could and recovered nicely on the descents!  I freakin' love Exfoliator and Tunnel of Love!  Those trails are what make the course.  I finished my first lap with a respectable time in the 47min range...48 min range total with the run.  I gave Derek a high five for the exchange and off he went.

Staging for the 12pm start.

Staging the bike for the start

I got back to camp and I felt like I was going to be in trouble.  My shoulder was bothering me with some sharp pains so I decided to take an Ibuprofen.  This would not be a good idea later down the road.  I took in some recovery drink and ate a little bit of my Chipotle burrito...yum!  James was warming up on the trainer and before you know it, we could see Derek screaming by on the course by our camp.  WHOA!  Derek was flying as we didn't expect him for a few minutes or so.  James hustled and got over to the timing tent for the exchange.  Derek got back to camp and put in a blistering lap time of 44 minutes!  Kick ass!  I did some more waiting around and it was getting pretty hot outside.  Somewhere in the low 90's.  I felt sorry for James out there.  James got back to camp and had a slight problem.  He got a sidewall tear on his front Racing Ralph.  He was able to nurse it home while stopping a couple of times to air up the tire.  He still put in a great time under 50 minutes.  Before I knew it, it was time to get ready to go out again.  I made it back to the timing tent for the exchange.  Mike comes running through the tent and we bump fists...off I got at 3:15pm.

I felt I had to redeem myself on this lap and that's what I did.  I knocked of 1 minute to the top of Keen Camp and continued to push on.  My mouth was feeling quite dry and I knew it was from the medicine I took earlier.  I then got this massive cramp in my left calf as I was descending Exfoliator.  That ibuprofen was just drying me up.  I tried pedaling through the cramp and eventually it went away, but boy did that hurt.  I got to the bottom of the Jeep Trail (whatever it's called) and was 2 minutes ahead of my previous pace.  Yay!  The rest of the lap went well and I was able to put in a 45 minute 2nd lap.

This routine would go on for another 20 hours or so.  The whole team was able to put in some very solid lap times.  I was able to get into the 44 minute range for my 3rd lap.  My personal lap time goal was accomplished.

As night fell, things started to slow down a little.  The lap times got a little slower and the competitors started to thin out.  At this point we were in 1st since the race started with almost a lap ahead of 2nd place.  We just had to keep things going and hope that there would be no major problems through the night.  Speaking of the night, I had a pleasant surprise for my 1:30am shift.  As I arrived at the timing tent, I was greeted by some familiar faces!  Chanson, Dan&Steph, Justin, Allison, and CeeDubb (am I forgetting anyone?) were being the "superfans" in the cold of the night cheering all the competitors.  These guys just gave me the biggest group hug before I had to set off for my 5th lap.  They definitely woke my ass up and gave me the energy and encouragement I needed to kick ass in the frigid dark night.  Thanks guys!  :-)

Trying to stay awake after group hug at 1:30am

On my 6th lap, I remember taking a gander at the camp temp gauge and it said 32...yikes!  It was getting cold.  It was just past 5am and I didn't want to pedal in these freezing temps.  I then reminded myself why and who I'm doing this for.  Though this lap was my slowest at 52 minutes, I did think a lot about those close to me that have suffered from cancer.  In my mind I dedicated this hardest lap to all those that have fallen and are fighting to survive.  I definitely had to battle the freezing night.  It was a welcoming site to see dawn approaching fast as I was finishing my lap....ahhhh.....no more night riding.....Stoked!

I did try to get some sleep in between those night laps but it was almost futile.  As soon as I got cooled down, ate some food, and get changed, I would only have maybe 1.5 hours of rest.  It was hard to sleep because there was almost always someone rustling around in the trailer getting ready for their lap.  That's just the nature of the beast with these 24 hour races.  The rest of the race went well.  We were well ahead in first after I put in my 7th and final lap.  I was actually hoping we could get in a 29th lap, but it would have been impossible.  We needed about 20 more minutes to make the cutoff and that wasn't going to happen.  Mike finished our 28th lap in style with his 2nd bee sting of the day.  I believe he got stung on his first lap, so it was suiting to get stung on his last lap....ouch!  Luckily he isn't badly allergic to them like me.

WE DID IT!  We won the 4-man competition...we met our goal of 28 laps...and just this week we were able to meet our fundraising goal of $10,000!  How F'n cool is that!?  In fact, we are still receiving donations and now hope we can meet our new goal of $12,000!

There are so many people I'd like to thank so if I miss anyone...my apologies.  We received so much support from family and friends in almost every way possible.  I'd like to thank my awesome teammates for being such awesome competitors and friends.  You guys are just incredible and so are your wives (Lisa, Tracy, Jamie).  I owe alot to Greg Graber of the John Wayne Cancer Foundation for his support and supplying us with the necessary equipment to represent such a great organization in Team Duke.  Of course my Mother for practically everything in life.  Thank you to the "Superfans" in Chanson, Steph, Dan, Justin, Allison and CeeDub....SUP!!!!!!!!  Thanks to Dave Pyle for the bike maintenance.  Thanks to JD, Heather, Troupe Racing and all the other riders out there for just being awesome.  Thanks to Chamois Butter for being our team sponsor for the race.  Seriously...that stuff works and felt oh so good on my ass.  You guys have to try their EuroStyle butter...nice cooling sensation on the parts that matter.  Lastly, I have to thank all of those donors that supported us....you guys made this race truly inspiring for me and many others.

Split Results

Post Race Beer...yum!

I'll probably take a small break from training since "life" is catching up now.  I'm moving next weekend so I will be busy packing for the new pad....I can't wait!

Bye Bye Summertime!

Ok...I've seriously neglected this blog over the past 3 months and many races have come and gone.  Since the last 12 HOT the following has happened:

- I participated in the last two Big Bear State races with 3rd place finishes
- Won the Expert overall at the Over the Hump 12 race summer series
- Raced the final Rim Nordic race
- Separated my shoulder with a Grade 3 AC separation
- Raced in the Specialized Invitational Finals at Bonelli Park with a week old injury

I will say that I am pretty burned out on XC racing this year and I'm glad the season is over.  With that being said, there is the upcoming 24 Hours of Adrenaline @ Hurkey Creek this weekend.  Didn't I just say the season was over?  It is, but this race is different.  A few months ago...in fact at the Idylwilld Spring Challenge, a couple of friends (Dirtbags and James) wanted to put a 4-man team together with the intention of winning.  I wasn't super excited about the race fees, but they wanted me on the team.  The difference maker was they wanted to race with the primary goal of raising money with Team Duke for the John Wayne Cancer Foundation.  I've always wanted to do something like this so I couldn't refuse.  Please take a look at our Athlete Profile found to learn more about the race and our reason for helping.

http://www.teamduke.org/goto/Duke_Digglers

One of my favorite highlights of the summer had to be the Over the Hump series.  I never imagined that I would actually be competitive racing in an Open Expert category.  Although, I never did win a race, (came close 3 times) I had some pretty consistent finishes.  There were some great battles with Ryan Cox, Craig Hopps, Doug Andrews, and Griffith Vertican as we worked together to catch the leading groups.  I was even more ecstatic knowing that I could hang with some of the fast guys (Johnny 'O) and some of the pro's while posting a faster finishing time occasionally.  I really did have fun chasing Johnny and I made it a goal to beat him just once, but I alas I could not.  The closest I came was 13 seconds.  I do have to say that Johnny 'O is one of the coolest guys out there.  If it wasn't for him, I wouldn't have had a chance to win the overall.  He decided to pull out of the series to prepare for the state finals 2 weeks before thus not having enough series points to win the overall.  Sure it's cool to win, but I'd much rather earn it.  He is one tough competitor.  The OTH series was an awesome experience and the organizers (Matt and John) did an incredible job week in and week out.  I'm sure next year will even be better....can't wait!

Thank you to Jason Zindroski (HighRev Photography), Jordan May, CHanson and various amateurs photographers for some killer shots:

Thanks to CHanson for the bike loaner.

This dork won the expert OTH series?

My "Organic cotton racing kit" also made it into MBA online...Sweet!

This summer also brought in some killer rides.

I did an awesome SART 50 miler super shuttle ride with James, JD, and Jake.  You know it's an epic ride when you all suffer from dehydration with 10 miles to go.  The shuttle route ain't for the faint of heart as it packs quite a punch, but it was so worth it.

JD, Jake, and I

Fixing a little 1x9 chain suck...stupid MRP guide

JD, James and I...surprised we had the energy to lift our arms.

Recovering from super "bonk"

I've also been doing some more road rides (still saving for a road bike). I've demo'd a couple from Rock 'N Road as well as borrow a couple from friends. Once again CHanson loaned me bike to use in the interim. During my road adventures I was able to ride the 7-sisters plus 1 for the first time. Those evil sisters are quite challenging, but the masochist in me loves it!


I made a couple trips out to AZ to visit my folks in Prescott Valley.  I was able to do some recon work for next year by riding the Whiskey 50 course.  This starts out fun but the 25 miles of an out and back fireroad is just brutal.  I got one day in Flagstaff despite the crappy season they had with fires, monsoons, and mudslides.  One of my favorite trails in Mt. Elden called Little Bear is completely gone.  The locals say that trail may never come back.  :-(  I also managed to separate my AC out in Prescott while riding the local trails.  Totally took me by surprise and those are the ones that seem to hurt.  I don't crash very often, but when I do...my body takes a beating.
 
 

Halfway point of the Whiskey 50

Pranqster at Diablo Burger in Flagstaff.  A must stop for good eats.

Drinking the pain away at Casa Bonita.

As for the State Finals race...well, I'm still pretty bummed out on my overall performance.  I was hoping to finish on the podium and a crappy 7th place won't do.  I only have myself to blame, but I was coming off a week old injury with my separated AC and CHanson's super bday celebration the night prior probably wasn't the best pre-race routine, but was well worth it.  I started out the race strong with a 17:45 min lap, but the blistering pace would be detrimental halfway through lap #3.  The combination of the heat and poor hydration the night before made things worse.  I wanted to DNF on my 4th lap, but I fought on and tried to pedal the 1x9 in bailout mode.  I need a 1x10 with a 36t cassette. That course was brutal with not much recovery time.  It's no fun getting beat by guys you have beaten all season long.  I hope next season I will see the upper steps with more hard work and training.  Congrats to the 2010 State Champs Allison, Steph, Dan and congrats to Justin for pulling the "gimp" card on me.  Can you gimp a gimp?

Garmin Connect Race Stats