To the MNSCS community:
Please do not take my absence at this years awards as me blowing them off. We have had a family camping trip planned for months (prior to the awards date being picked) otherwise I would be there. The MNSCS had a fantastic year of growth and was the best yet in my years of racing. Thanks to all who made the series what it was this year!
Friday, October 23, 2009
Wednesday, October 21, 2009
Video Recap of Moab
From Superhumanmag.com: http://www.superhumanmag.com/content/view/1635/48/
Awesome=)
Awesome=)
Sunday, October 18, 2009
Tuesday, October 13, 2009
24 Hours of Moab
Short Version:
I was hoping to end the season donning the stars and bars, but it wasn't to be. However, the overall experience in Moab was fantastic!
Today I am home with no voice and about 1/2 of my lung capacity looking out the window at SNOW????
Long Version with pics:
Last Wed I met my dad and uncle down in Des Moines where we boarded is 41 foot bus style RV=) From there we (and be we I mean my dad and uncle) drove straight through to Moab. I moved between a leather couch, a lazy boy, and a queen bed during that time. By far the easiest travel out to the mountains ever!
Upon arrival in Moab, we roughed through the 3 mile jeep road that lead back to the venue. This venue literally rises out of the desert about 10 miles South of Moab. So cool. We set up camp an I got out for my first lap Thursday evening. Ben Portilla and Ben my brother arrived a little later that evening with Max Taam following the next day.
Upon arrival in Moab, we roughed through the 3 mile jeep road that lead back to the venue. This venue literally rises out of the desert about 10 miles South of Moab. So cool. We set up camp an I got out for my first lap Thursday evening. Ben Portilla and Ben my brother arrived a little later that evening with Max Taam following the next day.
We spent Friday getting bikes ready, relaxing, registering, setting up camp, and smashing one of our faces in.... yep, Max had a spill on one of the hundred or so rock drops during a pre-ride. He came back with a swollen face, but following a sneeze, his eye just closed up! Luckily Ben P's dad is a ENT Doc so he could diagnose it as air build up in the eye lid/sinus tissues..nothing serious. There was a CHANCE it would open up in the next day, and we had about 14 hours until the start. 
To add to this, I could barely swallow with a sore throat and chest cold, and Max was suffering from a similar disease (we both came down with it ~2 days before the race).
To add to this, I could barely swallow with a sore throat and chest cold, and Max was suffering from a similar disease (we both came down with it ~2 days before the race).Oh, the course, the course was a 15 mile mix of slick rock (so sweet), rock gardens (awesome), sand (grrr), and jeep roads (aahhh, whatever). The altitude was 5500-6000 feet. Overall it was very challenging with probably 1/2 of the 1200 feet of climbing on slickrock or rock gardens.
At noon, with perfect weather Ben P lead us out and with Max's eye still shut we planned a 3 man rotation. 
He came in a couple minutes behind the leaders, and I started out hard like I normally would. I reeled in the leaders w/out too much trouble but found myself very short of breath on the first extended slick rock power climb. Between altitude and my chest cold, I knew IT wasn't there. I slowed down a little with my legs feeling fine but throat and lungs burning. I finished frustrated with a mediocre lap time.
Ben followed with a strong lap, and we were with the top teams when Ben P went back out. We fully expected a lead when Ben P came back but instead found ourselves 10 minutes behind. He flatted, twice.
He came in a couple minutes behind the leaders, and I started out hard like I normally would. I reeled in the leaders w/out too much trouble but found myself very short of breath on the first extended slick rock power climb. Between altitude and my chest cold, I knew IT wasn't there. I slowed down a little with my legs feeling fine but throat and lungs burning. I finished frustrated with a mediocre lap time. Ben followed with a strong lap, and we were with the top teams when Ben P went back out. We fully expected a lead when Ben P came back but instead found ourselves 10 minutes behind. He flatted, twice. We continued the 123123 rotation until Max's eye was about 1/4 open. At that point, he went out and was able to ride the smooth sections quickly, but had to be careful (limited depth perception) on anything technical. Our plan was to try to avoid night laps for Max, so Ben and Ben did a little rotation giving them 3 night laps each; then I picked it up w/ Max giving me 3 night laps and only leaving him ~1 night lap. 
For me, my first night lap was a blast! I took it easy as my cough was getting unmanageable, and I just rode like I was on vacation...SO FUN=) My last 2 night laps were rough. After a long break during the Ben rotation, I just felt horrible and bonked on both laps. Luckily Linda, Max's massage therapist showed up to see how we were doing, so I got massage between laps. That was heavenly.We finished the race with a Max heavy rotation as his eye was almost 1/2 open by morning.
The race finished reasonably close given the circumstances. We finished 3rd in the entire race with 20 laps. The 1st place team did 20 laps ~30 minutes faster and the 2nd place team was ~10 minutes faster.
Once again, we couldn't have done the race w/out our support staff. Thanks Tegan, Dad, Portillas, Lisa, Becca, Sydney, Linda, and my Wife (for supporting me in going).
Overall, given the adversity our team performed admirably. Given a healthy crew and 3 less flats...who knows, but as I always say, "That is part of the game."
Tuesday, September 29, 2009
Just One...
I gave single speeding a try this past Saturday at the SS State Championship. It came to me Wednesday (I had a week off and time to think between jobs - left Seagate for Beckman Coulter in Chaska). A quick stop in to see Hollywood, and I was on my way to single speed heaven: a Top Fuel single speed. Yep that bike hit one more rung of XC racing. Saturday was my 3rd or so time on a single speed, but the first time in a couple years and first time on this bike so I had no idea what to expect. I got lucky (with Tyson's help=) and chose close to the right gear with a 42-18 combo...I could have gone a little taller, but I would have needed a stiffer suspension setup. Anyway, the State Championship win has me excited to try some more single speeding next year. I don't know when or what courses, but the Fuel SS will make another appearance.
After a 1:10 SS race, I found myslef at the starting line of the elite race - with gears. It turned out to be a fun but grueling 2:20+ added on to my earlier race. About 1:30 into my second race I pretty much popped. My legs were ok, but my lower back from all that SS'n was blown. I stumbled home in 4th. SamO was riding awesome as were Eric and Luke.
So finally 24 Hours of Moab is on the horizon - in 1.5 weeks! The main reason I skipped Chequamegon this year was to save body and motivation for this race. I will be racing with my brother Ben and a duo from the Trek/Honeystinger team of out CO, Ben Portilla and Max Taam. My bro is coming on strong with a recent win out east, Ben P got 4th Overall in the Pro division of the Mt States cup, and Max is coming off a solo win at 12 hours of Snowmass. I hope I can keep up with these speed demons! The competition will be tough and exciting, and every lap is sure to be a nail-biter.
Until then, I may find myself at a couple starting lines....
After a 1:10 SS race, I found myslef at the starting line of the elite race - with gears. It turned out to be a fun but grueling 2:20+ added on to my earlier race. About 1:30 into my second race I pretty much popped. My legs were ok, but my lower back from all that SS'n was blown. I stumbled home in 4th. SamO was riding awesome as were Eric and Luke.
So finally 24 Hours of Moab is on the horizon - in 1.5 weeks! The main reason I skipped Chequamegon this year was to save body and motivation for this race. I will be racing with my brother Ben and a duo from the Trek/Honeystinger team of out CO, Ben Portilla and Max Taam. My bro is coming on strong with a recent win out east, Ben P got 4th Overall in the Pro division of the Mt States cup, and Max is coming off a solo win at 12 hours of Snowmass. I hope I can keep up with these speed demons! The competition will be tough and exciting, and every lap is sure to be a nail-biter.
Until then, I may find myself at a couple starting lines....
Wednesday, September 23, 2009
29er or 26er
The data is compelling, but maybe equally effective in changing things are scare tactics.
Monday, September 14, 2009
#29
29 down, 2 races left to go....the final MNSCS in St. Cloud and 24 Hours of Moab (team).
My 29th mountain bike race of the year felt just like it sounds, tiring. I had what I term "crappy" legs all week since Maplelag. I was sore/tire later into the week than I remember being all year, but there was no way that was going to stop me from making a trip with Chris and Jen Fisher up to Spirit Mt in Duluth on Sunday. The course is like a transplant of Mt Snow (or other NE style trails) in the Minnesota: by far the rockiest, rootiest trail I have done in the Midwest. It was a 2 lap epic, which is always welcome change after some of our 5-6 lap races we do. More than half-a-dozen elite riders flatted and at least that many more had big crashes. I managed to avoid both but did doink my carbon Bonti XXX lite rims on several rocks (knock on wood but they are still very solid).
All that said, I felt more like a pin ball than a proficient singletrack rider on Sunday. In talking to Scott Kylander-Johnson after the race, he claims that there are good lines through it all....I just didn't find some of them=) Beyond that it was a tough race. Off the start I got a good gap, but ScottKJ pulled the OBros back to me by the bottom of the hill on the first lap. Over the next 700 feet of nearly continuous technical climbing I was able to drop Eric and Scott and gap SamO by ~20 seconds. It was a relief to not see Scott with SamO because they surely would have closed that on the ensuing downhill. I rode a lot smoother on the second lap even though it rained for a bit making the roots and rocks a little slick. I ended up with the win and a little over a minute on SamO. Michael McBurney, a rising XC bike and run (or so I learned in talking to him after the race), star put in an awesome performance to round out the podium. He is another one to watch out for in the future!
Next up is a REST weekend (no Cheq for me this year). I need to save body and motivation for our charge in Moab.
My 29th mountain bike race of the year felt just like it sounds, tiring. I had what I term "crappy" legs all week since Maplelag. I was sore/tire later into the week than I remember being all year, but there was no way that was going to stop me from making a trip with Chris and Jen Fisher up to Spirit Mt in Duluth on Sunday. The course is like a transplant of Mt Snow (or other NE style trails) in the Minnesota: by far the rockiest, rootiest trail I have done in the Midwest. It was a 2 lap epic, which is always welcome change after some of our 5-6 lap races we do. More than half-a-dozen elite riders flatted and at least that many more had big crashes. I managed to avoid both but did doink my carbon Bonti XXX lite rims on several rocks (knock on wood but they are still very solid).
All that said, I felt more like a pin ball than a proficient singletrack rider on Sunday. In talking to Scott Kylander-Johnson after the race, he claims that there are good lines through it all....I just didn't find some of them=) Beyond that it was a tough race. Off the start I got a good gap, but ScottKJ pulled the OBros back to me by the bottom of the hill on the first lap. Over the next 700 feet of nearly continuous technical climbing I was able to drop Eric and Scott and gap SamO by ~20 seconds. It was a relief to not see Scott with SamO because they surely would have closed that on the ensuing downhill. I rode a lot smoother on the second lap even though it rained for a bit making the roots and rocks a little slick. I ended up with the win and a little over a minute on SamO. Michael McBurney, a rising XC bike and run (or so I learned in talking to him after the race), star put in an awesome performance to round out the podium. He is another one to watch out for in the future!
Next up is a REST weekend (no Cheq for me this year). I need to save body and motivation for our charge in Moab.
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