SoCal Race #6 Rim Nordic

This weekend I flew over to the O.C. and tried to redeem myself from the previous DNF at Vermont. I never had ridden this course before but with it being at elevation 6000+ ft and the terrain looking like flagstaff I figured I had it made. The semi-pro and pro's went off 2min ahead of the single speed field. I lead into the first single track and quickly hit traffic on some steep steep uphills. I could not slow down climbing this stuff b/c my gear was so hard. I ended up cyclecrossing the steepest pitches which makes your heart rate soar. So by the end of the first lap I knew I was in for some suffering. With 1 and a half laps left I was still leading but my energy just left me completely. The temperature and sun intensity was so much that now I was in a survival race. My legs and arms went through the motions but I had nothing. Brad my fellow pro single speed teammate now caught me and was soon gone. He is a steady racer, something I need to learn to do. I know he was spinning a easier gear so his climbing effort was much easier on the steep pitches. I am actually very proud that I pulled off a 2nd place considering half way through the race I pretty much shut down. I didn't have a single cramp but I just felt tired and had no power, I actually yawned a few times during it. I guess I need to go to bed for a bit. My teammate Johnny O' Mara actually suffered from heat stroke and he had to be taken to the hospital. He could not hold any liquid down back at the car and he told Ty he needed help. So off to the hospital we went where they hooked him up to an IV to bring him back. Ty and I where already going towards orange when we got a call finding out that he was feeling much better and was driving home. Johhny O is one of the toughest super stars out there. This guy has gone full throttle for so long, if anyone can take it it's him. To be racing some sort of a bike for nearly 30yrs is very impressive. Well I hope Johnny is doing well and I think we all need a rest right now.I was hoping to do the 4day stage race in southern Utah here in a few weeks but that might put the nail in the coffin for this years racing. I don't know if I can pace myself for 100+ miles of fast racing. I guess I will wait and see how I feel. Oh and free beer and wine on the puddle jumper from Flag to LA was a good ending to the weekend. Bed time.

Massage

Massages are good. Wow. I love the thought of a full body massage being in my weekly future. I was talking to my teammate Ty a few weeks ago and he was shocked to learn that I have neglected myself to the finer sides of being a cyclist. He told me that it was as important as everything else I stress about to be a racer. Boy was he right, it is a necessity. Not only is it months of muscle knots being worked out, it's also a time to work out the mental knots as well. Tranquil lo... I guess I have to do what he says. This career is getting expensive fast.

2008 MTB National Championships

This weekend I traveled all the way to Vermont only to have my valve stem snap off and cause a good crash rendering my bike useless to ride for the rest of the race. Scott my team owner had gotten us a huge 6 bedroom cabin up near Mount Snow. The accomidations where awsome but the race was a bit upsetting. After a fast start I had a good gap going up past the "drummer dude" that had positioned himself on the longest sustained climb. The drumming sounded like a war beat that the soilders at Gettysburg must have heard. It echoed through the forest and was deafening. I tried to back off the gas alittle so I wasn't pushing myself to the limit this quick into the race. Once I did this the eventual winner Travis from NC made an amazing effort and caught up to me I let him pass and attached to his wheel letting him do the work. We started the wet rooty downhill and I felt way faster and jumped ahead again. I was flying downhill and hit the last of the uphill section extremely fast and had some distance on him by now, the rest of the 30+ single speed field was nowhere near. The next downhill section I hit something that sheered off the tip of my valve stem and my tire went flat very fast. The next 5 feet was a good 2 foot drop off and I went flying over the bars seeing how just my rim hit. My bike flew up and wrapped around an aspen tree fast enough to dent the down tube in a half an inch. My brake lever was facing backwards and my tire was off the bead. I flew to the left and banged my knee on some rocks and stopped against an aspen myself. I tried to air up my tire with my co2 but it failed to seat the bead and air kept coming out. I tried to jam a small stick in the valve to hold it but no go. Now out of air and no tube but just a tubeless patch kit I was out of luck. I will never race without a tube again. I walked down and sat in the van icing my knee till the rest of my teammates had finished. Very devastating, especially sense when it happened I had just started to feel real good and I was leading nicely. That's been the first race I have had to DNF (did not finish), I guess it comes with the sport. Oh well it's on to the Rim Nordic SoCal race this weekend near Big Bear CA, this can help me win the California State Series Single Speed title. This area is a lot like Flagstaff so it's a must. I guess it's back to the Airport!