Endless Singletrack

 It's been a while since I last updated this thing. Hell, kind of sad that this is the first post of 2012. But, as times has gone on, I feel it's only appropriate to share my thoughts on how life has been since my last post. It was already a crazy winter. Minimal snow, mild temps and lots of riding. Over the winter I already had been re-evaluating how I look at life, and how I view responsibility, work, family and so on. But everything I thought I knew completely changed on the morning of February 15th. 

I was up in Steamboat Springs for some work meetings, but this morning Len and I were up extra early to get some powder skiing in up on the mountain. I got a phone call from my Dad's girlfriend telling me I needed to rush over to the house immediately. My dad was having difficulties, and she was calling an ambulance. As I was driven to the hospital from Steamboat, about 2.5 hours away, I tried to remain positive. As I later found out, he had an horrible brain tumor called a glioblastoma. These types of brain tumors don't really respond any kind of treatment. Due to the size and progression of the tumor, things were looking bad, even from the very beginning. Less than two weeks after being taken to the hospital, my Dad passed away. 

  

He was a vibrant, fun loving, energetic man who was the greatest father I could have possibly asked for. Whenever I needed him, he was there. No questions. He was also my best friend. I could call him up and shoot the shit for hours. I could ask him for advice on whatever it was that I needed. The two of us could talk and talk.

My dad wasn't one to sugarcoat things. He meant what he said, and said what he meant. And with our relationship, there wasn't anything we couldn't talk about. Years and years ago he made me promise him I would let him become a vegetable, or be in a state that would compromise his quality of life. He was very adamant that he didn't want to just linger on.

After a very bleak prognosis, and some very difficult days, the decision was made to withdraw support. With my Dad being the person he was, there was no way I could let him continue living in any form of disability or pain. To this day, I still know it was the right decision.

The way I see it, he's off riding endless singletrack. For a man who worked almost his entire life, and juggled responsibility like a champ, he can now fully relax.

It's impossible for me to write down everything I learned from him. And words can not even describe what he meant to me, or how much I still love him. But I know he's in a better place right now, and for that I can take solace.

Now, almost over a month since he's been gone and I still think about him everyday. The relationship I had with my dad was unlike most. He was more like a brother and my best friend, he was my best friend. For that I can remain extremely happy and thankful for all the time and memories I have with him. Without a doubt I am bummed he will not be around to have more awesome memories with, I know he's with me everyday. Every bike ride, I know he's there. I take him with me everywhere I go.

 Also, as time has gone on, I can't express how amazing everyone has been. Without a doubt, my Dad touched a lot of peoples lives. It makes me proud to know that I wasn't the only one who knew how special he was. He helped me become the person I am today, and I can't thank him enough for it. 

Everyday I live on, carrying the spirit of my dad with me. I get up every morning being thankful for everything I have. I also have the intent on living life to the fullest and treating each day as if it could be my last. I also try to carry on the same traits that made my dad the amazing man he was. It's a tough challenge, but what better way to try and honor him, than to try and become the same incredible person that he was. 

 Like I said earlier, I could on and on forever about how much I love my Dad and what kind of man he was. Right now I know he's off riding endless singletrack and having a great time. And as I've learned, life goes on. And you gotta love every day. 

Love you always Dad.

In Good Company

 Yup, cold rides are all ways better with good friends. Never been more true recently. Not going to lie, It's been a bit hard to swallow not being able to ride my mountain bike recently. Not that I have had a lot of time to go ride, but the fact that it's not even on the table is a bummer. This time last year I was ripping all the trails daily, and I really have been missing it. But luckily Len and Wade have been giving me great company on the roads. Not too much else to report on other than getting caught up a work and trying not too lose too much fitness in the off season. It's amazing what few weeks of just rest will do for you though. I'm a firm believer in letting your body recovery after a long season. I used to try and keep going through out the year, but I almost feel like I can gain more by putting my feet up for a bit and enjoying what else is going on around me. It's also been really nice to act like a normal 23 year old for a bit. Staying up late here and there and not watching how much I eat or drink has been really fun. But as I write this I am extremely excited for 2012. I had a great season this year and can't wait to use the steps I have made in 2011 to hopefully have an even better 2012.
Well I gotta hit the sack though!
Got a few more weeks of easy going before I start up for 2012.

Fall Fun

  There's just something about fall riding that puts a big smile on my face. Especially when I can jet down to Durango and enjoy some super fun south west single track.  And like always, I was not disappointed. Durango is super fun, especially during the offseason when you can take advantage of the nightlife. It was good to get back to also see some friends I haven't seen in a while. It was also nice having a weekend where I could relax. Have no real plans and just have fun. Of course Halloween down there was epic, still trying to piece together everything that happened, but it was all good.

It was especially special too since I might have gotten in some of my last mountain biking in for the 2011 season since I awoke to lots of snow this am. Here is a shot from my apartment this am.

  A bit of a surprise, but also a welcome one. I love winter. Plus I feel like a little extra time away from the bike may do me some good. I took a lot of time off last fall and felt really good going into the winter training so, I think there may actually be something to this rest thing.

Yup, just a matter of time before the skis are out! Can't wait! Cheers to another awesome Halloween and welcoming November!

2011 Racing In The Books!

  Wow! Looking back now it seems like such a blur. Especially since I had hope to get this post out right after Moab, but not possible. Way too much travel and too many events etc to actually sit down and write something. But back to Moab. What an awesome event. I have been going to Moab for a long time to help out and race at the 24 hours. It's been one of my favorite races for a long time. This year was really hard though, I mean, every time you do it, its hard, but this one was especially hard. The weather was so-so going into it and at night we got hit with some extremely cold temps which really took it out of all of us, but we pulled it out and won! Not only did we win our category, but also the overall! Together with Len Zanni, John and Peter Gaston we tore the race apart. It was such a cool experience doing all that with them and having as much fun as we did. And just like that the race season for 2011 is over! It has been an amazing year and this was truly the icing on the cake! Huge thanks to everyone who has helped me out and supported me this season! Trek, Bontrager, Honey Stinger, Adidas Eyewear etc! Thanks a ton! For now I will take sometime to rest and recover. Still plenty more to come!

Full Descent

This weekend is the 24hrs of Moab, my last race of the year. I hate to say it, but I can't wait. Its be a long, but really really good season. Haven't been riding as much as Id like, but I when I do, I've made it count. Hopefully you agree...



Thanks!

October!

   I love summer, but I also really do love the fall. Everything about it is just so nice. Things are a lot less hectic, and I can indulge with my two favorite beverages (beer and coffee) without guilt. More of my friends seem to be around, or maybe also since I haven't been traveling as much either, so group rides or trips to the bar post ride are more common. Plus whatever it is about fall riding, I really love. Last fall I took a lot of time off the bike, and now I can't believe it. I feel like I'm almost riding more than in August and September just because the weather is so inviting. Plus with all the leaves, it adds a bit more drift to all the downhills. Can't pass that up.

   Racing in 2011 is coming to a close very soon. It looks like next weekend's 24 Hours of Moab will finish what's been already an awesome season. I'm doing a 4 person team with John and Pete Gaston and Len Zanni. I can't wait to be honest. Moab is a really cool event, and both Gastons and Len are awesome dudes to do anything with, especially a 24 Hour Mtb race. And although I would love to do some Cyclocross racing, I not only don't have a bike, but also am really looking forward to some non-structured riding. Like I said earlier, I took a lot of time off last fall, but I think this fall I need to keep riding and having fun. I hope everyone else is enjoying their fall, and especially my favorite month, October!  Hopefully I will get some internet up at my apartment soon so I can do more updates.

Moved In

 Wow, that was a huge pain. Moving all ways sucks. But I am finally all moved into my new apartment. Kinda  weird living by my self, but also really nice. Been wanting a place of my own for a long time, and finally made it happen. What a relief. I still don't have internet at my place, or a TV so it's been really quiet, but also pretty relaxing. Anyways, a proper update is on the way, but I need to get out and ride before I go nuts!

Fall is Coming

   Yup, its that time of year again. And honestly I can't believe it either. It feels like just yesterday I was coming back from the first races in California, now there's snow on top of the mountains again. Although it feels like yesterday from the first few races, I can tell my motivation is dwindling. After the Steamboat Springs Stage Race, and then the 12 Hours of Snowmass last weekend, I am admittedly having a hard time getting excited for any more racing. Plus with the weather changing and other things coming up, I find myself more inclined to stay at home rather than go race. But, I do not want to completely dismiss any more racing this year.

Right now I'm pretty intent on getting some fun rides in when I can and enjoying a nice beer.
Hope everyone else is having a good start to September!

Steamboat Springs Stage Race

Since the Pro Cycling Challenge is over, and now I have time to actually race again, it's time for the Steamboat Springs Stage Race. I have never done this race before, but I have heard a lot about it. So with Steamboat becoming a sort of adopted home town with Honey Stinger and Big Agnes being based here it was a logical choice to come up and give it try.

I'm pretty excited for this event, but with not being able to ride as much this past month as I'd like I'm not sure how my fitness is. But I'll take things one day at a time and see if I can get some good results. If anything it will be a great way to get in some hard training.

Flying By

   I honestly can't believe it's already August. It seems like just yesterday July started. Been a while since I have updated, which makes sense when thinking about how busy I've been. But from the last post, lots has happened. After the Rocky Mountain Omnium I made my way down to Crested Butte for the Fat Tire 40 Mountain States Cup. I did the race last year and loved the course. I am not typically as into the long distance races as other racers, but this one is worth going to for sure. The race went well, but was suffering from all the efforts from the past weeks prior to the race. I finished 10th and was happy to come in with a pretty clean ride and not kill myself either. After that I needed some time off. I went down to Silverton to meet up with my good buddy Mike Thomas and his girlfriend Lana. We spent the long 4th of July weekend down there camping at the base of America's Basin. This was an amazing camp site with epic views!

    We had lots of fun hiking around and taking in the awesome scenery. It's easy to forget sometime show easy it is to get out into the sticks. It was also amazing to have a whole 3-4 days with no Internet/phone service. But I'm pretty sure that when I turned my phone back on it almost died from all the messages I had missed. After Silverton, next up was Breckenridge. I wasn't able to make it out to National Champs this year due to work, so I went and did the B32 race there. This race is amazing! It takes place on a similar course to the Firecracker 50 and Fall Classic and after having such a poor ride there last year it was really important for me to go back and have fun. 

 I ended up taking the win at that race, and was able to stand on the podium with awesome friend/mentor Jesse Swift. Jesse is having an amazing season this year, and it's always been a goal of mine to stand on the podium with him. It was a special race to me in that way and also because of how different things had become since I was last there. I remember finishing the race last year thinking it could be my last race, and then this year finishing in front of everyone.  

 After the Breckenridge adventure, Len Zanni and I headed up to Steamboat Springs to put on the inaugural Steamboat Stinger. It's a 50 mile mountain bike race on Howelson Hill, that went off really well. It was a lot of work that took a while to recover from, but left me really happy having been a part of. It gave me a different look into how difficult it is to be a race promoter and how much work there really is. It funny how much easier it is showing up to race and racing not knowing the whole back end of what went into the whole production. My hat goes off to everyone at Honey Stinger that help Len and I do this, and of course Mike McCormack from Backbone Media and the mastermind behind the Breck Epic. He was very instrumental to the whole event. 

After that it was time to head back to Salt Lake City for the Outdoor Retailer Summer show.  It's funny how things go so quickly. It seemed like just yesterday I was here and it was my first day on the job. The show went really well once again and was another great learning experience. It was also nice too since this time we were able to ride our bikes a bit. 

This was a shot from our ride watching the rain come in. After coming back from the show it has been nice to relax a bit. And after putting in some good days on the bike I seem to have caught whatever the bug is going around. Nothing worse than being sick during the summer. And speaking of summer I can't believe how quickly it's gone by. But it still has been a great one! Hopefully I can get healthy again asap so I can start enjoying the rest of it! 

Wildflower Rush and Rocky Mountain Omnium

   The past few weeks have flown by here. Lots of racing and training going on. Starting from the last post was the Rocky Mountain Omnium. It's pretty sweet when you can race in your hometown, and have all your friends come watch you race. It's even better when you get 2nd place and lap the field in the downtown crit. I typically have a love hate relationship with crits. Either they are super fast, really fun and I love them, or they are back and forth like an accordion and sketchy, then I hate them. This one by far was one of my favorite, super fast, and about perfect length for laps. Early on I saw an opportunity to make a move and took it. Luckily it worked out and was able to grab some pretty nice prize money, $100 in cash! Not too bad! Sadly I wasn't able to have the same success the next day as I dropped my chain in a crucial spot and was forced to try and chase back onto the main field. But after drilling it the day before I wasn't able to get back and finished with gruppetto. All in all a great weekend!

Then this past weekend was spent in one of my all time favorite places, Crested Butte. The Mountain States Cup series held the Fat Tire 40 along with the Pro GRT and other Fat Tire festivities. The course there is brutal for sure, 9000 vertical feet of climbing in 40 miles of sick single track. And truly, it's some of the funnest riding you will find anywhere. And while I don't see myself switching over to the endurance side of the sport anytime soon, I did enjoy the race. Pretty cool just doing one lap, but also very different from what I'm used to. Either way, I was able to pull out a good ride while still feeling a bit flat from lots of racing and training lately, but I'll take 10th.Still looking for a top 5 this season, but luckily I have a few more MSC's left. But now  I will take a bit of break before National Champs in Idaho. Can't wait for the BBQ!

Butterhack XC

 
   Normally I would never put up a post about an Aspen Cycling Series race, but this one is the exception. I have been wanting to win a race for a while, and especially with this season going as well as it has, I have really been wanting to cross that finish line in first. Before showing up, rumor was Lance Armstrong was coming, and sure enough he did. Trying not to think of him as anyone different, I rode my own race and ended up riding away with the win. And while it's once again just a local Wednesday night race, it's always been a longtime dream of mine to race against Lance, and win. And truly not too many people can say that they have ever beat Lance in a race before.  I still can't quite believe I did it myself. I even joked that I might get the results sheet framed.  Big thanks to everyone cheering and Lindsay Jones for the pics!

High Country

 
    Someone for sure flipped the "on" switch for Summer. The weather has been amazing, which means lots and lots of riding. The snow has been melting like crazy here in the valley so much more of the high altitude rides have opened up which means really long, difficult rides with lots and lots of climbing. Len Zanni is always thinking up new routes and loops to do, so it means big hours at high elevation  almost every weekend if we are not racing. It's been cool sticking around the house a bit more often. And next weekend there are some more races locally. I love it when I get to sleep in my own bed and race two days in row!
Digging summer for sure!

On the Road

So I pretty much suck at updating this blog. Almost a month of no new posts. Well aside from being very very busy at work, racing has been very busy as well. After taking some time at home my next race was the Independence Pass Hill Climb and Aspen downtown Criterium. Two of my favorite races. Sadly the hill climb was cancelled due to snow, first time in 17 years, and the Crit was a bit sketch. Typically they have run it in the same direction for years, and was a really fun course, and while it was still fun the new one was a bit faster and had some weird corners in it that were not to my liking. Either way it was a good time and good training.

Next up was the Iron Horse Classic. Last year I had poor luck and was pretty bummed I wasn't able to finish. This year went much smoother. They put the Pro 1/2/3's together which really benefited me. It was a really fun and hard race, and while I feel I did a decent ride, it also showed I have a lot of work to do. The next day was the return of the Mountain bike race to the Iron Horse and it was sick! With sweet over-ramps and maze sections and launching out of a bar it was pretty fun to race on. But after killing myself in the road race the day before I was a bit flat, and also missed a feed on the second lap. With it being 80+ during the race I suffered a lot and fell back some places, but still overall pretty happy with the weekend. Since then I have been taking it easy, but also keeping in some good miles for the rest of the season.
Hopefully I can stay on top of things a bit more and get more than just a post out every month.

Weekends at Home....

      This year I have become more and more thankful for the time I spend at home. Don't get me wrong I love to travel and especially for races, but sometimes it's nice to just sleep in and ride your local trails. Especially this weekend. I don't know if it's Len being gone on vacation, all the travel I've had recently, or just the work load catching back up to me but this past week seemed very long and stressful. Thankfully with all the rain it's made the trails amazing. But don't take my word for it, I'll let the video do that.

12 Hours of Mesa Verde

Unfortunately I do not have a full team shot from this past weekend, but this a pretty good shot to sum up the 12hrs of Mesa Verde. Big smiles with lots of suffering. But before talking about the race, I need to put in a quick aside. This previous week I was able to pull Calle Friberg out of retirement and come to a few races. 

    It was Calle's first time racing in the United States, and after only 2 weeks of semi training he put on quite the show here. After sitting top 10 at the Mellow Classic until the heat got to him, I brought him to 6,000 feet above sea level and he still was riding strong as hell. Calle has many Swedish National Championships to his name and years of World Cup experience. But above all, he also happens to be one of the most fun people to hang out with and ride with.  Having him stay here with me and being able to race with two weekends in a row has been a bit of a surreal experience. Nothing better than having an awesome  training partner that can crack you up and rip on you at the same time. This past week I have learned more than the past few years of racing combined. And had tons of fun! Thanks again Calle!

But back to the race! After an awesome week of training with Calle, we rallied over the passes to Cortez Colorado for the 12 hours of Mesa Verde. I have been really looking forward to this race for a while for many reasons. The course is unreal. Truly the most fun track ever! I heard the term "trail sex" thrown around from people describing the course. Secondly, aside from having Calle on the team, it was Kelly Magelky, Len Zanni and myself. We were going for the win, and had lady luck been on our side, we would have done it. Sadly mechanicals kept us from taking the W, but above all, we all had a great time. Hard to explain how suffering together in a endurance relay race really brings you together. Thanks again guys for the awesome adventure. After the race, Calle and I headed to Durango for some of Mike Thomas' famous cooking. Ribs, chicken wings and beers was what was on the menu, and I couldn't have been happier. So happy I even fell out of my chair. (photo coming)

So once again, huge thanks to everyone for making the season so far as awesome as it's been! 

Mellow Classic

    Texas was very hot. No other real way to describe it. The trails were amazing down there at the ranch. When getting there I was wondering what the terrain would be like, and I was very pleasantly surprised. The trails were fast and flowy, but also kinda technical. But come to think of it, if Lance Armstrong was going to have trails in his back, they would be top notch single track. After picking up my friend from Sweden, Calle Friberg from the airport the night before, we were not able to spend too much time acclimating to the heat, so come race day it was a shocker for sure. After getting a great call up, and a a good warm up that got rid of the soreness in my legs, I was pretty excited for the race. Ideally I was hoping to beat my earlier finish of 39th in Fontana, but it was not so. The first half of the first lap I sat around 25th, but then due to the oppressively hot heat, I began to move backwards. I hung on to finish, and that became my only goal as time went on. I have never been so hot in my life. I am really bummed about the outcome of the race, and would have preferred to have been more competitive, but for me that day it was just not possible.

Since we were also sampling Honey Stinger with a booth at the event, Calle and I decided to take advantage of the sweet single track and went for another ride. Luckily it was not as hot outside and we both felt much better. We also met up with some of the ranch staff and got to swim at Lance's dead man's hole swimming area. Pretty cool! The cold water felt awesome. We also kicked back a few beers and ate some great Mexican food. Although results wise it was a bad weekend, the Honey Stinger booth was going off, we met with more people involved at both Mellow Johnny's and I even got another chance to hang out with Bart Knagg's, who is a very cool guy. A huge thanks goes to Bill Gamber, Len Zanni and Rich Hager at Honey Stinger for making the trip happen. Of course, our Honey Stinger rep for TX, Lori Barrett and all the guys are Mellow Johnnys etc. Thanks a ton!

Windows

  
     Been a while since I have posted anything. Nothing too much has really happened since Colorado Springs. Just been trying to find windows in between the spring showers here in Carbondale. When it's not raining it's been pretty sweet training weather. I've been getting out on the mountain bike more, thank fully since the trails have finally opened up. But I have also been having to keep up some decent mileage on the road before the Iron Horse. It's been really busy for me with all the time on the bike and also at work making sure we are keeping up with the demand. And for once in quite a while I had this past weekend to myself at home. Felt so good to just relax and get up at my own pace. But, come Wednesday I will be on the road again heading to Austin, Texas for the Mellow Johnny's Classic #4 in the Pro XCT. I am extremely excited for this trip for many reasons.

   Aside from it being another road trip, My good buddy Calle Friberg is coming all the way out  from chilly Sweden to race with me in Texas, and also the following weekend in Cortez for the 12hrs of Mesa Verde along with Len Zanni and Kelly Magelky. I think you can understand why I've been putting in some miles, I've gotta be able to keep up with some fast dudes for these up coming races. I'm also excited to come back to the Pro XCT since this time I should have a better call up. 

Speaking of riding I need to get out there before the clouds roll in again

Cheyenne Mountain XC

    What a great weekend! After having good legs in Fontana a few weeks ago I was pretty excited to go to Colorado Springs. It feels like it's been so long since I've had good races that it's really motivated me more than before. Sure enough I had another really good day and was able to keep the big boys in sight. I have never been so close to the lead of the race at finish. Like I said earlier, the course is amazing there. Fast, and technical.

I can't explain how great it felt to be on again at this race. Although I once got a 6th place finish back in 07, this is a much better result for me, truly one of my best races yet. I hope I can keep building on this. A huge thanks goes to everyone at Honey Stinger, team and work, and also everyone else who was out there on course yelling and cheering. Congrats to Mitch Hoke for his win and Kalan Beisel in 2nd!
 Those boys can ride bikes!

Colorado Springs MSC

     It's racing time again and I'm back hanging with this guy! This time in his home town of Colorado Springs. It's the opening weekend of the Mountain States Cup series and the course is sweet! I came over earlier today with team mate Len Zanni and met up with good buddy Kalan Beisel. He's putting us up for the weekend and showing us a good time. After checking out the race course, we hit up a quick tour of the the Carmichael Training Systems facility down here. It was cool to sync up with my coach Brady Irwin and also meet some of the other coaches and see where everything goes down. We don't race until 2pm tomorrow so I can sleep in. Really excited needless to say. 

Reunion

      Until yesterday, this photo was from my last ride with Jesse Swift. We both did the White Rim Trail in a day with some other friends for what was an awesome all day adventure. I credit Jesse for making me the rider I am today. He taught me how to ride almost anything, and to do it smoothly and gracefully. He also helped me through my first years racing as a pro. He taught me that being a pro isn't all about results, or rocking the coolest, newest stuff, but above all having fun and getting other people fired up to ride. For years we raced together on the same team, and often ended up working together in races as well. It was times like those that made me love racing even more. After this ride we did in late 2008, I went back to school in Durango, and did many other races Jesse was not at. Since then, Jesse has had a child with his awesome wife Jessica and has kept busy with his masters, teaching middle school, and still riding.

Being able to ride with him yesterday was awesome! I couldn't believe how long it had been. Thankfully he hasn't changed a bit and was launching everything in sight out on the trail. Plus he was sticking it to me pretty good, on a single speed of all things as well! Luckily Jesse and I will be doing more of the same races together this year and I should be able to ride with him more. Then after our ride, like always we broke down everything in our lives over some Frosty's from Wendy's. I can tell I still have a few things to learn from him, and not only on the trail too.
Thanks Jesse!

Fontana, California

I really have been pretty terrible at updating lately so I figured I better do it before more happens. Just got back from Fontana, California. It was the second Pro XCT and typically a pretty big race. This year was no different. The first year I went there I wasn't as impressed with the course, but every year they seem to step up and build a better course. Plus with the moisture that California has been getting hit with recently, it was like riding on rails the whole weekend. Perfect traction everywhere! I don't think I have ridden a course that's that fast before. Super Fun!

My buddy Kalan Beisel from Colorado Springs and I drove out and had some pretty awesome adventures out there. He showed me and our other hotel mates Macky Franklin and Greg Carpenter this awesome Mexican bakery that made some of the best pastries I have ever had.

 Needless to say we were pretty excited! I'm not sure what I'm doing in this photo, but....
Race day came and I was pretty damn nervous. I haven't raced since September and took a pretty laid back approach to training this winter compared to years past. I also spent a lot of time working on nagging knee/hip issues. The start came, was called up almost dead last. I wasn't stoked on only having about 8-9 riders behind me in a 100+ rider race, but I also knew that I felt good. I actually haven't felt this good in a while, and my issues from the past seem to be just that. I ended up getting a pretty good start, and was aggressive all day. Around the 3rd lap of 5 I caught up to Ned Overend.  I was pretty tired at the that point already, but I really wanted to stick with him. I had to dig deep to it, but I was able to stay with him and actually hold him off the finish to take 39th place. I know it's 39th, but after moving up all day and coming back from the season I had last year I am thrilled. It's also worth noting during the race I was having the time of my life. I really am back to loving racing again. If I wasn't suffering as much as I was I probably would have had a huge grin on my face.

The super D was next up after the XC. We had about an hour or so to get to the top of the course after the XC. I was almost dead after my XC performance, so I pretty much just 80% so I didn't kill myself. Finished 31st. Not bad, but I know I could have done better, but for being in only such good shape right now and also not viewing the course I am content.

That night, we celebrated with some tasty In-N-Out! Awesome!

After having a great XC I was really looking forward to the STXC. I was going into it with hoping to improve upon my XC placing. I wasn't able to do, but was able to stick it out for all 20+ minutes of racing and finished on the same lap as the leaders in 40th place. Once again, not stellar, but really good. And above all, had a lot of fun. I can't explain the frustration I felt last year being held back by an injury. Now being able to come back and have such good races right away has left me even more elated and excited for more racing. I knew this was going to be a great season, and now I am even more certain of it. Huge thanks goes out to my sponsors who supported me through some really hard times last year and helping me get here. Another huge thanks goes out to Kalan Beisel, Macky Franklin and Greg Carpenter. I also want to thank all the really awesome spectators and people who were out there having fun and supporting all the racers.

The only bummer of the trip was after driving for almost 13hrs straight, our car died. Turns out a total freak accident happened and we had a tie shoot through the engine block killing the engine. Funny thing, which is not all that funny is that this happened only about 5 miles from where my Pathfinder bite the dust a little over a year ago.

Luckily we all made it back home, after a long time sitting in the auto repair shop after my dad came and pick us all up. Thanks Pops! Oh well, Small snag. Once again thanks everybody for your support!
Can't wait for the next race!

Some Pics

     Photography is a hard gig, but guys like Devon Balet make it look easy. Huge thanks to him for coming out to Team Camp for some photos.

  

    Big thanks once again! Once I saw these I couldn't resist sharing. Especially since I wanted to show off the new Honey Stinger kit. 

Gone Camping!

     Wow! I am really tired, Still.  I spent the weekend at the Honey Stinger/ Trek Off Road Team camp and it was a blast! The weather held out for the camp and provided for some great riding. It was awesome being able to put faces with names and also getting to know people a lot better. I can honestly say we have an awesome team for 2011. Some of the riders I known for a little while but never really got a chance to meet and talk to. It's really funny how for years and years I have heard or seen the same names all over the results sheets, but I haven't really taken the time to see who these people are.

   Among many of those riders was Kelly Magelky. He's a new rider to the Honey Stinger/ Trek team but a long time ripper on the mountain bike circuit. Aside from being an amazing rider, he also lives a pretty extraordinary life. He works as a director and editor for a production company that does work all over the world. Here's a really cool clip from some of his work I found. I can't wait to do some racing with Kelly this year. When not chatting, he was ripping my legs off on the bike rides.

Long story short, it was an amazing weekend! Thanks everyone! Especially Len Zanni for putting together the roster and everything else that will undoubtedly make for an amazing year. I can't wait to start racing, which is good since this weekend is the first race of the season in Fontana, California for the Pro XCT. I missed the first one due to illness so I might be a bit behind, but whatever I am lacking in fitness I think I will make up for with zealous.

Thanks again everyone!

Getting Back on Dirt

It felt so good to ride my mountain bike. It's been way too long. Fruita never disappoints and of course the weather was great. I got a new camera from Contour and am still playing around with the point of view, but not bad. I think a video is a little more entertaining than me writing so, enjoy!

Back to it All

   Finally I am back on the bike. The achilles is feeling much better and I am finally healthy. While on a business trip I seemed to catch the crud that has been going around and was knocked out for another week. No fun at all. It took a lot from me to not be extremely frustrated during that time when I was sitting at home trying to get back. I missed my first few scheduled races and am a bit behind on my fitness for the spring. But, these things will happen and you need to adapt. But finally today I was able to get out and ride with Len over lunch. The weather was amazing out and no snow or water on the path even. It's hard to believe February is done, but I'm also quite happy to move into March.

Patience

     It seems like every time I get hurt, or can't ride/ski is when I get a bunch of really cool stuff. I get a new bike from Trek, dumps snow. New poles for nordic, achilles tendon. This has become one of the longest weeks of my life, and it's only Wednesday. Luckily I have had lots to do at work, like make this cool vid.




A little rough still, but not bad for something I made in our office. Also I have been catching up on some reading which is something I have missed for sure. It's pretty lame how little I read outside of what I check out online. But luckily recovery is going good. I got some ultra-sound therapy on my leg today to help with the inflammation and soreness. Hopefully I can get back to riding soon. The weather has been awesome lately.

In Flames

  
    Unfortunately, I'm talking about my leg, not the band. After all the skiing and biking, my body was not as happy I thought it was. Over the weekend little soreness, turned into full blown pain and come to find out I have strained my Achilles tendon. Thankfully I haven't done any damage yet, but I still need to take a week off all training. This especially sucks since the weather is awesome this week in the valley. You have got to love the timing for injuries with me. I am hoping to make sure that I can fix the problem that caused this and also make sure it doesn't happen again. Thank god I ordered some books recently, looks like I am about to have a lot more time on my hands.

Full Winter Effect

     Woke up this morning to the snow plows and this was what I saw. Pretty stoked. We have been having some crappy weather this winter in the sense of not getting much snow. It seemed like it took us forever to get a decent base, then it just got cold out. Not anymore!

   I hate to just do a post where most of the content is just photos, but really they speak for themselves.

On Highway 82.

    And finally, this one is from Honey Stinger headquarters in Steamboat Springs, Colorado. Guess we are not the only ones getting all this sweet snow. Thanks snow gods. Happy Tuesday everybody!