Trail Work & Race Course Set Up

It has been 2 days now of course set up and trail work. First it was the DH race course that will be going off on Sunday. The course is in such primo condition and I think this race route is way fun to race on. High speed sections, tight turns, switchbacks, and dirt that is really grippy and ready to shred. All aspects of downhill racing I like.

Then it was setting up the XC course for the race on Saturday. Personally I really like the route and I am ready to have a go! I know I need to be very patient during the race, and ride very strong up all the hills. The course has some great turning sections, but the route is very fast and there will be some very tight racing in the group. I want to stay at the front & remain patient during the first few laps, and try to do some serious attacking toward the end. That is the goal!

Both of these race courses I have put together really are awesome, and the local riders are lucky to be able to race on the great trails we have.

Also on Sunday the Nor-Cal MTB High School league will use my XC course for their series opener. They are expecting 300 High School kids to be racing the Mountain Bikes! That is very cool! And I am stoked to be able to put on the race for the High School league.

It will be a busy weekend with lots of MTB racing here in Monterey~

Back In The Saddle

How cool is the GT Zaskar Golden Edition Bicycle!!! That bike is a dream ride for sure~ Props to GT for doing such cool things for Amateur riders who just love to race their bikes.

I was back in the saddle again tonight for my regular Tuesday night work out. It was some fast paced riding up and down the hills of Pebble Beach. The sunset was so amazing tonight as we rode along next to the Pacific ocean. My chin feels better after crashing this past Sunday. The giant hole under my chin seems to be healing well. On the ride tonight my legs were feeling pretty good on the climbs and I claimed the top of the hill sprint from the other guys who made a go for the KOM. I always like the Tuesday night rides because the attacks are frequent from other riders and the pace gets really brutal at times. Also night riding is really fun.

Another Epic.......

Another week, and another "Epic" MTB race in Northern California. The Folsom TBF MTB race turned into one of those memorable races..... a race that tests character and ones will to compete and pursue the dream of racing the bicycle.

Saturday on my pre-ride, the course was dry, fast, and fun as usual. However rain was in the forecast. During the night the rain was strong and on race day it continued to be heavy. This steady moisture on the route made the course very tricky, technical, and demanding on racers and their equipment.

I had a pretty good ride going, and was holding 1st place in my division after 3 of the 4 laps. Things were going good, and I was having a blast racing in the rain. Half way thru lap 4 I had a high speed get off on a tricky downhill section of the course. I was flowing pretty fast down the hill and lost my front wheel in the mud, maybe I grabbed too much front brake?

Everything was fine as I was crashing, and it seemed it would just be a high speed slide out into the muddy decent. But there was a downed tree on the ground next to the trail that was waiting for my chin to ram it at full speed. The collision of my chin to the downed tree was really hard as I was moving at a very high rate of speed. I knew it was serious when blood started pouring down onto my clothes. I found myself thinking I was in a UFC fight and just took a back kick to the face.

I did not ever think of quiting and going straight to the medic, which I maybe should have. I had to finish the race, but was passed by the second place rider in my division as I got back on the bike. Blood continued to pour on to my bike, coloring the bike with seemingly a new paint color- splattered red theme. I had blood everywhere, clothes, bike, water bottle, shoes. Basically I was a bloody mess.

I just hoped the gash was not too bad on my chin and pedaled on, mentally bummed at crashing so hard. I finished the race in 2nd place in my division, losing a sure win with the high speed crash and injury. And when I finished the scoring crew was pretty grossed out by the new hole in my chin.

I was hoping it was just a small cut or a bump on my chin, but the amount of blood I lost told me it was no ordinary injury. Sure enough when I got back to the car and looked in the mirror my fears were realised......I had a very big hole under my chin. Maybe big enough to squeeze a golf ball in there.

Stitches would be the prescription to close the giant gash.

It is always good to win races, have everything go so great and experience success as if it was commonplace, natural and proper. However it is the bad times when a person must face their worst moments for one to truly dig in and face the reality that- life is pain......and pain is everything.

Another Epic race.....

Epic MTB

The CCCX XC #1 turned into a super hard slug-fest of a MTB race. Constant rain made for some very technical racing on one of the most demanding courses ever for a CCCX XC race. I had a good lead early in the race, in my division, but was set back by a Pro rider who crashed right in front of me half way thru lap #1 taking me down with him in the mud! After the other rider took me out I lost some wind out of my sails, and could only dig in a try and make it to the finish as best as possible! This was 1 hour and 50 minutes more of suffering!! I ended up finishing 2nd in my division, and I was pleased to keep fighting during all the bad weather and my first lap flip.

CCCX XC Race #1

One of my favorite sections of roads in Pebble Beach along the coast.....
I enjoy this climb at Patterson Pass in the Bay Area.....

Basso & Bettini lead the group up Hwy 1 in Monterey- only the Tour of California could close this road for cycling.....

One of my favorite rides over Bixby Bridge near Big Sur...

Yesterday I set the course for this Sunday's CCCX race #1. I am using some new trails for the races this year in FT Ord, and the riding is better then ever. I had to cut a lot of brush to open up the overgrown single track sections that have not been used for a few years. These "secret " single track trails are super fun to ride on. The racing on these trails will only make the routes better for all users, as the trails will be well groomed and safe for everyone. I am really eager to race this Sunday. Rain is in the forecast, and I prefer to race in demanding conditions. Brutal weather makes the race a true challenge of fitness and fortitude.

Group Ride

The Tuesday night group ride has been well attended the past few editions. Tonight it was a strong pack of riders and the weather was cool & clear, and perfect for fast riding. There was multiple attacks, as when you get a strong group of hungry riders, the accelerations are bound to come. There were many strong moves, and on this night my legs felt incredible. I could match every move, and then had the power and strength to set off on my own.

It was one of those nights when the pedaling felt effortless and it was tremendously easy to turn the legs over even on the most difficult climbing portions of the ride. Every now and then I have a ride where I am on a whole other level then the others, and I can basically do anything I want in the group. Today was one of those rides......

T.B.F. MTB Win~

I was fortunate to win my division of the Total Body Fitness MTB Series race #1 this past Sunday. The course was extra fun to race on, as recent rains made the traction perfect. My time was 1 hour 44 minutes and it was good to put in that type of sustained effort. This race/workout will prepare me for future MTB races coming up. During the race I really suffered, and did not feel my very best. Yet I kept the pressure on as strong as I could muster, and just kept trying to charge forward as best as possible. I do find that working through the tuff times when your not feeling super good in a race is more rewarding then the races where you are feeling awesome. However, feeling awesome during a race is the ultimate sensation for a racer......

First MTB XC Race of 2009

This Sunday in Folsom is the first MTB race in Northern California for 2009. The race course is very cool, I call it the course of 1000 turns. There are a crazy amount of twisting & turning sections in the course. The race route is mostly hard packed Single-Track mixed in with some good rocky sections and a little pavement. It is super fun to ride and race in this area. If it rains the dirt content holds water well, and the riding can be even better. This is one of my favorite races!

Past Week...

It was a fast Crit. race on Sunday with 120 riders in the field....

The weather has been really amazing here in Northern California the past few weeks. I was able to get some very good riding in on Tuesday and Thursday last week. The Tuesday night Road Ride is always filled with attacks and lots of climbing when the group gets going. My legs felt better as the ride went on and the hills kept coming. Thursday I did some interval work on the steep hills of Pebble Beach.

Saturday I contested 2 races! In the morning it was the Cal Aggie Crit. in Sacramento. I missed a break away group of 8 riders who fought it out for the win. However, I almost won the field sprint, and led it out from 300 yards to go to the line. Ouch!!! that effort really hurt, as there were about 70 guys I was drag racing to the line, with me on the front the whole way! Then I hopped in the van and drove for 3 hours. Because.... Saturday night was one of my favorite races of the year, The "Lou" Night Cyclocross race in Fresno. I knew I might not race my best having done a Crit race that morning. And sure enough, my legs felt pretty tired & lacking power during the race. As I sprinted up any of the hills, I did not feel fresh. I had three small slide-outs during the race, maybe I was running too much air pressure in the tires. Even with a fw wash outs and not feeling super strong I still managed to win the Masters division of the night race. It was a fun race for sure, with a band and a real party atmosphere.

Sunday was the Early Bird Crit. in Fremont. The field was big, maybe 120 riders in my race. My legs felt good and on the final lap I was in a perfect position for the win. However I ran out of power in the last 40 yards of the sprint and was passed by a few guys on the line. In this mass sprint I was 7th overall out of 120 riders. I also won the Cat. 3 division at this race. This win of the Cat.3 division was good, as I am very close to having enough points to upgrade my road licence to Cat. 2.

It was a good week of riding and racing! Besides riding, I was also able to do some trail work at Toro Park for the upcoming cycling activities there.