Ej at Crankskins was gracious enough to offer me a couch in exchange for working and helping out at the booth. I certainly hope it was a success for him. It’s a great product and I think with some time it will take off.

We arrived Wed Night, set up the booth then hit the course. I laid down 2 laps on the new style course. It was ok, nothing super special. But I preferred the older “original” course. This one just seemed a bit watered down. The climb was just one long climb to the top, and the descent was shortened up and missed out on some of the fun stuff. I rode the course a bit over the next few days and even managed to get in a decent road ride in.

I did end up signing up for a race. I forked over my $75 for the pro Super D. I ended up climbing up to the top of the mountain with Chris and we hit the course, it was a blast and not super technical. So on early sunday am, I got in line for the lift and headed to the top. On my practice run, I was feeling awesome and killing it. Then a few people were standing on the trail in a tight section, I torqued it and broke my chain. Luckily some guy in a Giant Jersey that won the race where you ride up and down the mountain gave me his tools (I didn’t have a chain breaker). I fixed the chain and finished my run.

I got in the huge line and got to move to the front as they were waiting for me at the top. On my way up, I chatted it up on the lift with the chick who would go on to win the really hard race where you ride for only 20 minutes. Funny, I didn’t even know who she was. As I was the last rider to line up, I had a crappy starting spot. The run sucked and I was pretty much fighting it out for last place. Running, especially with your bike uphill is not fun. Seeing as I was so far back, I basically just sat in and didn’t try to kill myself or anyone else by trying to make some crazy passes. On the homestretch, I was fighting for 3rd to last and managed to just stack it around 35mph on a huge waterbar. I landed on my head, and bounced a few times. It was right in front of everyone. It was awesome. I haven’t had a crazy crash like that in so long. I wish I woulda crashed a few times in practice, I kinda enjoy being sore from a good crash (I’m a sadist). Anyways after a few people came over to see if I was still alive (or just working on an audition for superman) I got back on and finished up. Dead last! Awesome. Did I mention I did this on a hardtail, while everyone else was pretty much on 5-inch dual squish? I gotta get some street cred for that, right?

I’ll have some pictures up later tonight.

I was lucky enough to get my recent win at the Hardcore 24 written up in the local paper. I thought I’d share the article.

(Via Finger Lakes Times.)

The first few laps, my energy was good and strong. Even with the poor weather and amounts of rain, I was still motivated and ready to race. I ran consistent and actually geared down on the climbs so I wouldn’t exert a tremendous amount of energy early. I kept myself in check even though, I really did want to race like it was a 6 hour event. I turned a good first lap, and was the first solo to cross the line and one of the top 5? riders. I grabbed my first feed and kept on moving. I banged out the next few laps and early on was hesitating to take a feed at the midway point of the course. I was using sustained energy and my bottle still had plenty, but after a few laps I wasn’t making it to the end of the lap and started grabbing feeds swinging through the pits.

Turning and Burning

After I finished my 6th lap, I came into the pits for a short break. I ate a delicious turkey and mayo sandwich, grabbed some advil, got the drivetrain cleaned and headed out after a few minutes of my feet and the saddle. It was somewhere around this point that 2nd place had closed the gap on me. I saw him in a few spots and pushed it in the singletrack, but eventually he managed to get a gap and get away from me. After running a few solid night laps, I had pulled him back in and eventually passed him. My plan at 10 laps in (10:30pm) was to take a solid rest, change into some dry clothing and give the bike a good overhaul. The muddy conditions were taking it’s toll on the bike and a fresh set of clothes and the iPod were what I was looking forward to. I managed to break my front brake lever when I hit a tree a few laps prior. It was functioning, but needed a few zip ties to hold it together properly. A cleaning of the bike made a huge difference in the shifting and dry clothes never felt better. Another turkey and mayo sandwich and I was back out on the the course.

Grabbing a feed at the midway point

I was feeling great, I swapped to coke and water for my feeds. Was eating gels and clif bloks and my energy levels were up. I buried myself for a bit as I had been overtaken during my long break. I ran a bunch of consistent laps and held strong all through the night. I pulled back into 1st and was keeping tabs on my time checks. Sometime around 4am, I pulled into the pits to take a quick 5 min break, get the bike cleaned and eat another turkey sandwich. I emerged feeling great and still had a decent gap on 2nd.

Dawn brought newfound energy and resilience. I was motivated and hungry at this point. I still was feeling great and working hard. I was getting consistent time checks at the midway and end of each laps. I was putting almost 10 minutes per lap into 2nd. My pace was holding up and I wasn’t losing time. Adrenaline was flowing and I was feeling great. Around 10am, I was up somewhere around the 40 minute range and disaster struck. Horrible pains in the tendons behind my left knee. Top of my calf and lower quad, were burning. I was babying my left leg and having trouble putting power down on the climbs. I gritted my teeth, pushing my bike up each steep climb and trying to make the time up on the descents.

Consistency is key, while hr was dropping each lap, my power levels pretty much remained the same. I averaged 1:07 per lap!

Hoping my time gap would stick and I could grind it out till the end. I crossed the line and headed out for my 19th lap, knowing I could finish it, but could I finish a 20th and could I ‘race’ for position? My gap was still in the mid 40′s at the start of the lap. Suzanne actually caught and passed me, knowing I was in pain, hoping it wasn’t going to be a “24 Solo” incident. I focused everything I had on finishing that 19th lap, and when I came through the halfway point, 2nd placed had conceded and was no longer on course. Man, was I exalted at that point. I lagged up the long climb and walked a few portions of the trail to ease the pain in my leg, but slammed it on the descent and back to the finish line. I checked to make sure I didn’t need to go out for another and headed to the pits, only had to wait an hour and I could cross the line 1 final time for victory!!!

Victory!! My eyes are closed because I had been sleeping the last 30 min

Post race chatting it up with 2nd (white on the right)

Ma works the zoom a little too much on the podium

I had an excellent pit crew to help me out. My mother was there for every need for all 24 hours, at every lap and midway point when we swung through the pits. Jeremy (camp manager) took care of setting up the camp on Friday and taking care of my bike along with Dave the mother-f’in man. Special thanks also to Wendy, Val, Doyle and everyone else that was there and helped out.

Ma hands off another feed as I ready for another lap

Also a Huge thanks to my sponsors! Gary Fisher for making the best and fastest bike ever, the Superfly. Who says you can’t race a hardtail at a 24 hour race? The Geneva Bicycle Center, taking care of my bike maintenance and accessory needs. EJ at Crankskins.com for pimping me some fat 29er Crew Custom Crankskins. Jeff at Ergon Grips for Keeping my hands comfy the whole race. Also thanks to Ay-Up Lighting for making some bright and lightweight lights, making it easy to see at night and not having to worry about carrying any extra weight. And a big thanks to Park Ave Bikes for putting on the race!

Huge Congrats also to Mark and Suzanne Hartman of the 29er Crew for not only taking the mixed doubles win, but the doubles overall!!! Also Congrats to Casey Conte and Matt Hanggi for taking the doubles win and 2nd doubles overall!!

Hosed after the Race

I won a nice 29er rigid Singlespeed!!!

Farmall #2 is tonight. Hopefully, I can flip some things around and stay near the front this time. I’ve got my new toy to help me out. I picked up my power tap disc on from the GBC on thursday and today will be the first day out on it. I’m gonna head to dryer prior to the race and put in some time and a few laps to loosen the legs up after this weekend. I was a little lazy and the rain kept me bundled up inside the past few days.

I’ll treat you to the pics though! It’s oh so pretty!

The Superfly easily conquered the dry, sandy, wide-open course. Yesterday, I put it back together and did a quick ride out to glenwood so that Lizzy could get a nice run in. Not that she didn’t get a nice run in this past week. According to my sister, she let her out for a bit and lizzy disappeared. A few hours later, my boss called and she had shown up for work!! I wonder if I get actual pay for her showing up in my stead rather than vacation pay? She was rather mopey while I was gone, so the run did her good.

What’s with this weather? Not complaining at all, but rather enjoying it. Seems like everything is up and blooming as compared to dull and dreary when I left.

I learned a good little lesson while out west. Don’t drink 4 margaritas the size of your head the evening after the race. The hippie and I headed out for some post race celebration at the local mexican restaurant down the block from the hotel. A few drinks later, I vaguely remember making it back to the desk and asking the clerk to help me to my room. The time between dinner and then, well let’s just say the memory card was full and stopped recording. I fared a little better than the hippie though, he was found wandering around the village, in his socks. Somehow he lost his shoes. The local pd, picked him up and were kind enough to take him back to the hotel and not have any issues with it at all. It was all good, except I lost my f@cking iPhone!!! somewhere in the mix!! Guess that’s my punishment…and believe me I paid during the 8 hours of traveling home the next day.

I’m working on getting the video of my ride on the Sea Otter course converted up and chopped down into something a bit smaller so I can upload it……