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Ok, I’ve double checked the date several times. It’s only March 4th, but it 75 friggin degrees and I’m ripping up bone dry singletrack?!? I’m not sure what I did to deserve this luck but, please let it continue.

I noticed Sonya was heading to ride the Heil/Hall loop so after a quick chat, we decided to head over together and have some fun. Unfortunately, the Superfly is getting some loving in the form of a brand new Fox Fork and rebuilt powertap. This left me with my rigid singlespeed. Hmm, rigid singlespeed on a super rocky course that is the only place where I’ve begged for full suspension ever? Look out window, no brainer! I’m gonna ride it!! After a swap over to my new ergon ge1 grips and a tire change (that I couldn’t get to seat and had to use a tube), I was ready to rock.

We hit Wapiti to Wild Turkey and down Picture Rock. I felt pretty comfortable on the singlespeed, though my biceps were going numb a few times from the rattling. Flatted on the way down, but a quick change had us up and running again.

After Heil we took the road over to Hall Ranch where Sonya and I picked our way up the super tech climb that opens up Hall. Someday for sure I will clean it!!

Trail was just rippingly fast and dry and I was having fun making my way over to the lollipop loop, though the legs were def hurting after the tough climb up.

I caught the ensuing descent on vid! So here’s my bang-up job of trying to follow Sonya as she screamed down the descent!! (Click HQ to watch in better quality)

After we raged it down the descent, it was back over to Heil Ranch. Though, unfortunately not caught on video was my super awesome super cross full drift through a corner on bottom of the descent. Wide sweeping left hander, came into it super hot, grabbed the rear brake and the wheel swung around power drifting through the corner. I had a major counter-steer going and was inches off the ground, the front wheel started to drift a bit and I was holding a major dukes of hazzard power-slide. It all came quickly crashing down though when the rear came around too far and I splayed myself out on the trail. But it gave us a good laugh and gave me a few nice early season wounds to remember by.

I suffered a bit on the climb up, the rigid SS was taking it’s toll for sure. Plus my tire was slowly leaking air. After a few pump ups, and a failed patching, finally snagged a tube from Sonya and made our way down Wapiti. The final descent was definitely bone jarring and tiring. I have no idea how people ride them day-in/day-out. For those of you that do it huge props!! I’m going to be sooo sore

All in all I’d say it was pretty awesome day and had a blast shredding trails with Sonya!! She rips up the trail pretty damn sick herself!

Man, yesterday it was crazy windy here in Boulder. Although temps were decent, the sustained 40mph winds with 60+ mph gusts kept me off the bike. Luckily, monday was a nice day and I put in a nice recovery ride to keep the legs stimulated.

Seeing as today was such a nice day, but I had a few things to take care of mid-day I did a two fer’. What’s a two fer’? Two workouts fer the same day! I was up plenty early to beat the wind and I waited till about 9am for the warmth and headed out the door to do some Sweet Spot Intervals. On tap was 4×10 min on 10 min off. It wasn’t too long that I was out the door that the wind really started picking up. Lucky for me, it worked out. I slammed the first sst on the dirt roads making my way north and the second one into the wind. Intervals 3 and 4 were done climbing up Lefthand Canyon. Nice gradual grade and I put down some good power!

After I wrapped up lunch and taking care of some work, I headed down to Marshall Mesa for a ride on the singlespeed. I haven’t been on the singlespeed in months, and the legs were plenty worn through from the earlier efforts of the day.

I pretty much just took it easy, and Lucky for me, my singlespeed is a rigid 29er, so I was able to pass thru the gate

Trail was just rolling and rocky, great place to eek out another hour of fun on the bike. But it didn’t really stop there because when I got home I hit even more dirt. Wanted to make lizzy girl happy so I took her out for a run on the open space trails. She had a blast but is wiped out currently!

Tomorrow looks to be another gorgeous day, around 50 and sunshine, maybe I’ll head up to Gold Hill. Haven’t been there in a bit

Today was the “official” first day of my 2009 racing season. After a great week off, and spending loads of time with my new fiance Bridget, it’s time to chamois up and get ready for the program.

I’m really psyched for this off-season. Much more so than the past few years. Last year was quite abnormal and I really didn’t get the engine going until February/March. I even skipped the gym last year! This year though, I’m back in the gym and utilizing the tried and true FasCat program. I think 09 will be a great year. My CTL is at 60 to kick off the season, whereas last year it was at 9! That’s equivalent to a good 10-12 weeks of hard training. It also means my base fitness is quite higher this time around than last season. I was off the bike nearly 2 solid months last Fall, but not so this time around, I haven’t had this much desire or drive to excel in a few years, so I’m going to harness all that energy and focus on a few larger season goals. Racing kicks off again (well road) in only a few months!

Today kicked off the “adaptation” phase. I headed over to 24hour Fitness and joined up and dug my heels in for 10 weeks of weights. Sitting here I can feel that I was there as my legs are a little tired, hamstrings especially. After the gym, I headed home and pulled out the singlespeed. I put in about 2 hours of night riding as I headed over to Green Mt. The legs were a little sluggish, mostly from the weights earlier in the day, but I was getting a great force workout from climbing. I was going to head up box-o-rocks, but the 12 little beady eyes that reflected off my headlight, had me turning around and heading back home. Besides, the ss grind was catching and I’m sure I woulda been hosed (moreso than I currently am) after climbing that sufferfest.

My race calendar is slowly falling into place; Ouachita Challenge, Sea Otter, Mountain State Cup XC’s, Select NUE Series Races, 24hr of Summer Solstice and a few others, hell I may even race the road bike for fun a few times!

Should be in for a great season and super excited to be back on the Gary Fisher 29er Crew for 2009 again!! I love riding a 29er and not quite sure If I’d be able to even ride a kids bike again….

Currently playing in iTunes: Joy Ride by The Killers from Day & Age

So it’s been 2 days of sleeping and eating loads of comfort food after the Humbler. Seriously think I could have easily consumed 20,000 calories a day if I didn’t stop myself.

Yesterday I pulled out the Singlespeed and headed over to glenwood in Geneva to stretch the legs a bit. Temps were cool and comfortable and the trail was in great shape. I had the 32×20 on and was a little bit overgeared for the place. I like the 32×19 a little bit better there. But it was good as I just needed to spin and keep it easy. It was a fun ride to just sling around the trails solo and whip out some laps. I felt really good physically, but didn’t feel like going hard at any point.

I did however realize upon inspection that the front fork is bent and the wheel is mis-aligned. Tomorrow I’m going to swap it out with a Origin8 Black Ops Carbon Fork!

Tonight I’m going to pull out the roadie, hit up the group ride, and then get some xtra ride time in with the lights on the roadie.

I headed down to Hollister-Spencer on Saturday to burn some laps on the singlespeed. Conditions were typical Spencer. Muddy in sections, but fully rideable. I felt a little sluggish on the SS. I went out and did a road crusher Friday after work and was still feeling the effects of that. As a result, I only spent an hour on the trail as I was having a hard time and struggling just to turn over the 33×19

My prize for the 24 hour Victory

Sweet Singletrack at Holister-Spencer

Lizzy Enjoys the Run

At least I got lizzy out and she enjoyed the the run and subsequent puddle baths that she could find.

Naples Solo Session

Yesterday I headed down to Naples on the Superfly. After running a rigid steel singlespeed for a week, the Superfly felt like a cushy dual suspension. I ripped it climbing up Stid hill and trailed the tower Drop. (I need a helmet cam to capture how cool that descent really is).

After that I climbed the road up to OCP. I took a nice little lunch break, then dropped the Finger Lakes Trail. I railed the descent again, and climbed up to Cutler where the 24 hour race was a few weekends ago.

Worked up a good sweat climbing up to OCP

Dry, Fun, tech awaits

The Pallets sections (yup I cleaned it)

Cutler and pretty much all of the trails all day were in awesome shape. The rainstorms hadn’t hit yet (it poured later in the evening). I had a blast and cleared my head and readied myself for the upcoming month of hard training.

View from the Orange Trail in Cutler

This downhill looks 19x familiar

Looking back at Cutler (what I just came down)

After ripping down the road to the backside of Bristol, I chugged along up one of the tougher climbs around. Gnarly, rocky slate greets you after the first 1/4 mile of off camber, ultra-steep, 1 line climbing. The climb seems to go up and up forever, but nonetheless it’s one of my favs.

Climbing the backside of Bristol Mt

About halfway up…

Still Climbing

This looks like the top

Once at the top I hit the road and down to the snowmobile trail. A nasty wide open fire-road descent. Lots of shale, incredibly steep and fast swoopy corners. A little too much speed here = instant cheese grater style crash. I managed to make it all out safe. Had a blast and felt great.

After that I headed up and visited my nephew at the hospital. Little buddy is doing awesome!

Currently playing in iTunes: Back to Your Heart by Dinosaur Jr

No riding, no racing, no training. This past week was my mid-season refresher. I caught up on a few things, had some barbeques, slept alot and ate anything I felt like.

Tonight is my return to the grindstone. Some tough weeks ahead as I look forward to the 6HOP and then onto my next 24 hour effort. I’m undecided between Hot August Nights in Canada, and 24 hours of Great Glen. I’m sure a group is going to Canada, so that may be where I end up.

On the horizon is this…… Just depends if I can raise the fundage.

I’m going to put the raleigh XXIX to the test tonight as I’m going to run it at glenwood with the GBC for the monday mountains. Should be interesting and fun. I’ve done singlespeed before, but never rigid. Could be the turning over of a new leaf, maybe I’ll race it a few times if things turn out well.

Currently playing in iTunes: Altered Beast by We Are Scientists

Got out for a nice early road ride with Mark and Suzanne Hartman this morning. What a beautiful morning it was. It felt great to get out and stretch the legs, especially after last night Glenwood World Cup. I rode the Single Speed again and Mark was on his new Blur. He was pretty much a blur to me the whole ride as I was pushing as hard as I could to keep up with him. But that’s par for the course, especially when Betty shows up beforehand.

Tomorrow is my brothers bachelor party, going to play some golf in the morning then hit up some good food and fun that evening. We’ll see if I behave myself completely or not. I have a feeling this is going to be one long week with all the family and friends in town for the wedding next weekend

Sunday hopefully I won’t be hurting too bad and can put some time back on the road bike again with maybe a nice century or so…

Currently playing in iTunes: Bones by Editors

Yesterday, was a nice ripper of a day down at Shindagin Hollow. Mark, Suzanne, Chris, the dogs and I bailed on our original plan of pulling a century around Cayuga Lake on the road bikes and hit the trail instead. It was a cool, crisp and wet day. I rode Mark’s Singlespeed (Fisher Rig) for the 1st time. Somehow I lost a crankbolt on my ergomo so the Supercal is down for a bit.

Trail conditions were incredible even though it was pouring. Ripping it up on the singlespeed was just so much fun. Plus going back to a hardtail was pretty cool. I think I might just have to go get me one of those . I had a full on blast. I kinda love those conditions where its sopping wet, but the trail is just perfect riding. I haven’t had that much fun on a bike in a real long time. I think there was a permanent grin splattered with a little mud on my face the whole ride. Lizzy was having a blast too! She is for sure tired from it today though, as she hasn’t moved. Same with Cadence, she never even made it upstairs to bed last night!

My racing is on a little hiatus with my brother getting married on the 14th. But I’ll be swinging back in time for the Dryer Rd Time Trial on the 21st. That should be some fun.

I’m out for now…