DH Course Set- Mt San Bruno Hillclimb- Saturday Morning Ride- CCCX DH Race

Today I set the lower part of the CCCX DH Race course in Toro Park. I must have done over 1000 sledge hammer hits to set the poles and attach course tape. I love the arm workout! The course I am using is one of my favorite race routes. It is going to be super sweet since there has been some rain, the dirt is perfect this time of year for getting grip and getting in a groove down the trails. The next day I will suffer hard up the Jan. 1st Mt. San Bruno Hill Climb race. No better way to bring in the new year then suffering hard up a hill climb course. Saturday I will most likely take part in the Saturday Morning ride. The 7 a.m. start is early for me, but I have not been on this ride for a long time, and I will not have another chance to do this ride for at least 1 month. Then Sunday will be the CCCX DH race at Toro Park. I am stoked to race the DH course I have worked so long and hard to build. I am using a new trail I created in the middle of the course and right now I think the conditions are just about perfect for racing in Toro Park.

Night Riding

It was 2 & 1/2 hours on the Road Bike tonight in the hills of Pebble Beach and along the Pacific Ocean coastline. I had some very hard efforts going up the climbs, and some very steady efforts along the coast. The tempo was high for most of the ride and I really enjoy doing the night rides using my Light & Motion headlight.

Training Camp Complete

This past weekends training camp was very successful. Elite Sports really knows how to put together a true training camp. I posted 2 wins in the Cyclocross races in Sonora. The courses were the hardest routes I have raced on all year. The first day the race was ran in a area where there were no trails at all. It was pure "Jungle Cross", and the terrain was brutal to try and race through. There were some serious power checks on course and it was nice to be tested to the extreme. After the race it was 2 hours 30 minutes of easy spinning up and down the rolling foothill roads above Sonora at 4000 ft. above sea level. Day two was a very muddy Cross race in the morning. Some sections were so muddy I could barely keep the bike rolling in the deepest parts of the mud bog sections. On all the uphills I felt pretty good and could maintain my speed when others bonked. After the race I drove back to the Bay Area with the other Elite Sports Team cyclists, and we climbed up Mt. Diablo before dark. Mt. Diablo is my favorite climb and it was foggy and cold which made the climb all the more interesting. Usually I do the climb in the summer when the temperature is super hot. But this was December 27 and the weather was cold and misty out and I really enjoyed riding in the winter like conditions. My total time riding at the 2 day Training Camp was 8 hours in the saddle with some of the hardest riding conditions I could imagine. It was a mental check as well as a physical check to put myself through this Elite Sports training camp. In the end I was happy I signed up. Thanks to Elite Sports and Yellow Jersey Promotions for putting this exclusive camp together. It was nice to race & train with some of the best riders in America.

Christmas Cross

I am off to do a training camp in the foothills of Northern California near the city of Sonora. I will take part in two Cyclocross races and log in around 7 hours of saddle time over two days. The training camp will work on some high power efforts, mixed in with steady spinning & easy riding. There will also be some technical challenges mixed into the camp to work on bike handling and turning skills. This is a hardcore training camp and not for the weak of mind and body. It is a camp that requires a huge drive from within to complete.

Merry Christmas!

Riding More

I am riding more now that my ribs are better and my knee is close to being fully back to normal. I still do not have complete movement with my left knee after the super deep cut I received at last weeks crash. I am trying to stretch regularly to get full movement back. At least the deep gash has stopped bleeding or putting out any fluid. Now I will just ride more and work on recovery after my workouts.

Rest Day

No ride days are extra sweet when it rains. Then I venture out and do some trail work when the dirt is soft and shape-able. I do the trail work so others can enjoy quality trails that are groomed and well maintained. This keeps the cycling paths on a high level and it shows that one cyclist can make a huge difference in helping others have fun on the trails. Some people never do trail work, but always want to ride on the trails. Some riders sneak on to illegal sections of trail and do damage to these trails. I am the guy who comes through after and cleans up their mess. It is OK because I am out there riding, racing, and making a difference in the local cycling community. I enjoy what I do.

Back On It

Back on the start line. It was amazing to be still racing after such a brutal and deep gash on my knee just 7 days ago. I actually felt good in the race today and placed much higher then I expected. It was nice to finish ahead of some riders who beat me bad the previous weeks. For the most part I felt pretty strong and I know it will only get better as my leg heals up. I rode extra safe as I knew I could not fall on my shredded knee. There were a bunch of crashes all around me, as the traction was slick and the course was extra tricky. But I rode under control and really enjoyed the challenge. I will get better.

Still Trying

I have worked extra hard this week to rehabilitate my deep cut on my left knee. Constant changing of the first aid dressings, and constant antibiotic ointment to keep the cut from getting any infection. Also after leaving the leg immobile for the most part the first 2 days, I have really tried to stretch it and bend it as much as possible to keep the muscles flexible and not locked up. Tuesday I rode, but it felt like I was riding with one leg. However I did post some fast riding while in the group ride on Tuesday night even if it felt like I was pedaling with one leg at times. Then on Thursday I challenged myself to a big day in the saddle. 5 hours and some long, steady, hard intervals up one of the most brutal climbs in this region. I think it is best I keep trying to ride. I have good movement now in my leg and I can feel my power coming back as the deep cut becomes fully better. I will keep trying to improve. Also, I will keep getting proper rest because I know that it is so easy to ride too much which leads to over training. I will get rest, and then get my solid work outs in. And most of all have fun on my bicycle!

Hole In The Knee

I like racing in the rain, however this day things did not go my way.....
Look closely you can see a hole in my left knee......

I was rider down at this past Saturday's Cyclocross race. It was a super muddy course after 3 days of constant rain. Right at the start I felt pretty bad, my legs felt like they had no power and I knew it was going to be a long day in the saddle. Then I crashed over the boards and landed right on my knee into the rocky ground. I got up and kept going as it was so muddy I could not see the damage to my leg. It seemed like just some small cuts from the rocks and there was only a little blood streaming down my leg. About five minutes later I was going full speed on the fastest part of the course and got wrapped into the course tape on my drop bars, which shot me straight into a plastic pole that marks the lane. This then sent me flying through the air as my bars locked into the pole and I was ejected over the front of the bike at about 20 miles a hour. Amazingly all of my impact on the crash landing came directly down on the same knee I had previously just grinded hard about 5 minutes before. This time I knew I was in trouble. I was going so fast and hit so hard I had a feeling there was no way my knee could not be ripped to shreds. It was so muddy I could not see the damage right away, but blood was now pouring down my leg. I finished the race soft pedaling for 3 laps and limped to the nearest hose to wash off my leg and see if it was bad or if it was super bad. I knew it was one or the other, Bad or Super Bad. Sure enough, Super Bad! I put a huge hole in my knee and it was deep and needed stitches for sure. I always know the level of the injury is bad when the medic who sees it first is amazed by how deep and brutal the wound is. If you shock the medic folks you know the level of injury is Super Bad. Now I am working on a comeback after my knee has been patched up. I am in a lot of pain and it is really frustrating to be hurt again after just feeling better after my ribs have healed from being broken 6 weeks ago. I will make a quick come back to riding and racing I am positive. I will be better, faster, stronger!

Wet Weather Racing

I have been working very hard on my comeback after being injured. I will continue to fight to improve.

It is going to be stormy and wet for my Cross race on Saturday. I always like riding and racing in the rain! So it is sure to be some wet weather racing on the horizon.

Cyclocross Racing

I have some unfinished business still ahead this Cyclocross season......

I felt better at my last Cyclocross race, this past Saturday in Santa Rosa. For most of the race I felt little pain from my broken ribs. Now I only feel just a small amount of discomfort when I sleep and am laying on my side. I am happy to be able to ride and race pain free. I have more Cyclocross races lined up the next few weeks, and I really hope to race close to my best if possible.

CCCX DH

Power to the GT Dirt Coalition......
Ripping through some thick brush on my way to the Hardtail division race win.......

I always try to use aerodynamic form.....

Toro Park has sweet trails......

I went as hard as possible and gave everything I had at the CCCX DH race. I set a sweet course and did lots of trail work leading up to race day. I had a small slip up-slide out - in my Pro race run, but still managed a podium spot in this division. I then followed that up by hitting all my lines in the Single Speed, Hardtail, & Chainless races, which led me to claim the wins in those divisions. Winning 3 divisions in one day is awesome and I am always stoked to race some DH. My favorite win of the bunch is the Chainless division. Many years ago I had a very big win at the Colorado Fat Tire Festival in Crested Butte Colorado. I won the State Championship in the Chainless race. This event is a true classic and the race started at 11,000 feet and descended for 5 miles into the middle of the town in Crested Butte. It was 1993 and it was amazing to win a race in Colorado with over 80 riders trying for the State Championship. That was one of my favorite wins for sure, as the finish line was the Mountain Bike Hall Of Fame building in Crested Butte. Some of my favorite wins have been in mountainous states such as Wyoming, Nevada, Idaho, Utah, Montana, Oregon, and Washington, besides that great win at the Fat Tire Festival in Colorado.

For this Thanksgiving I Give A Huge Thanks To GT For Having Great Bikes And Making Me Part Of The GT Dirt Coalition Program. THANK YOU GT!

This coming weekend I am wanting to do the Saturday morning group ride, then some DH practice in the afternoon. Sunday will be the CCCX DH race. Then the thick of my Cyclocross season starts. My focus will be Cyclocross in December and January.

Did a 2 & 1/2 hour easy ride today. I went into Pebble Beach and did the A climb twice. My legs felt a lot better after being completely ripping apart my muscles over the weekend then again on Tuesday night. It was super foggy today in Pebble Beach, but in Monterey it was clear and pleasant. Tomorrow I set the DH course for Sunday's CCCX DH race. The course will use one of my favorite trails and I am excited about racing down that track.