Endurance races, ski trips, musings, and adventures on the East Coast.

Wednesday, December 28, 2011

Snow and Smiles

Winter has been slow in coming to the Green Mountains this winter...so it goes. Last week there was a definite feel of desperation in the air, and the promise of a few inches was enough to convince a few of us to camp out up high in anticipation of some morning turns. So we stubbornly booted up grassy slopes to 4000 feet on Thursday night with our fingers crossed for snow.


We weren't disappointed. After coffee and bacon we headed out into 4 plus inches of new snow. Thin. Marginal. Fun! After several laps up high we cruised to the base.


A little farther south the skiing has been decidedly thin, but sweet nonetheless. Marquettes have been essential this year, but with them the days, high fives, and smiles have been adding up.


A quick sunset shot taken just before the last run of the day on Monday.


Tuesday, December 20, 2011

Cross Training

Well we're deep into December now, and the snow? Not so much. Yeah, I know it's white, but that's largely cosmetic. So while I've been able to sneak in a few turns in this fall, I'm starting to lose my motivation to hike for fast grass. So much for my ski-bum plans so far.

It has been a cool opportunity to do things I don't often do though. Sure, I've been on the trainer some to anchor my training (something I've been oddly motivated to do), but I've also been out for some hikes to scout ski lines. And last night I even played dodgeball. Yup, and it was awesome - though my arm is a bit sore this morning.

All that aside, come on snow gods, you know sacrifices have been made it your honor. We'll all be eternally grateful.

Tuesday, December 13, 2011

Nationals to the East Coast!

Which coast? East Coast! Finally. After what seems to me like way too many years of high altitude slugfests, USA Cycling is finally bringing mtb nationals back to sea level and the land of mud, rocks, and roots. And while it would be cooler if the race was at Mt. Snow, or somewhere even radder like Kingdom Trails(!) or Pisgah National Forest (what?), I know that won't ever happen. So central PA is still pretty cool.


I did a Super D there this summer and the trails seemed pretty cool and fairly techy. Should be fun, and it's never to early to start planning right. After all, I can actually race the big boys this time. Oh boy.....

Monday, December 5, 2011

December Riding in Vermont!

The awesome (for riding) weather just keeps on coming up north. Sunday we caught some 50 degree temps and brilliant sunshine - not bad for December eh?


I actually snapped off my derailleur hanger about five minutes into the ride and of course hadn't brought a spare. PSA: always carry a spare hanger the your camelback! Oh well - as long as it was downhill I was good to go.

Gotta love it right.


A few ledge drops later, and it was time for a spectacular sunset over the entire spine of the Green Mountains.





Wednesday, November 23, 2011

Thanksgiving Snow

I'm sure people trying to fly across the country were bummed about the Thanksgiving storm this year, but it made for some fun early season skiing in Vermont yesterday. I met a buddy and skied from town for some early season tree-stash recon. A pretty sweet gift for sure...

We had a sweet little ski up through town to a high point...

The snow was wet and heavy...serious work to push around. But we found some good zones and managed not to face plant too many times.

Lot's of little hops and playful lines....

And beautiful snow covered trees...


Who knows, we might be mountain biking again in a week, but ski season is on the way. Too fun!

Saturday, November 19, 2011

Preacher-Crucible

Fun stuff in Vermont these days. Warm temperatures keep holding on, and there are way fewer leaves on the trails than you might think. Spent a bunch of time playing on the ladders and rock faces of Preacher and Crucible today - thanks as always to the Fellowship of the Wheel for all the great work they've done.

Sunday, November 13, 2011

New Fall Video

The Best Kind of Two a Days

Shoulder season is in full swing in Vermont these days. The first ski tracks of the year happened the other day. Fun fast grass.


Down about a thousand feet in elevation though the trails are still riding incredibly well. Saturday was a full afternoon of shuttling some pretty sweet downhill runs.


Nothing too big feature wise - but plenty of fun options to keep things fun and challenging.


No snow in the immediate forecast, so I guess they'll be a focus on sweet trail riding for at least another week or so.

Wednesday, November 9, 2011

Tuesday, October 11, 2011

Cross Season....

In my quest to race during a time of year in which mountain bike racing doesn't really exist I've succumbed...yup, I'm doing some cross races. First up was the 3 Peaks USA adventure cross a few weeks ago in Banner Elk. There were a few issues with that one. Fortunately my legs weren't one of them. I actually felt good, which was almost worth the entry fee in and off itself. Unfortunately good tend to be more helpful if you stay on course, which I and a number of others did not. Big thanks to the promoter though for doing his best to make things right.

Next up was Pisgah Cross. Yup, cross racing at a brewery. That one seemed like a really good idea. First though there was some Pisgah riding to do on Saturday. Laurel-Pilot to be exact, which, in terms of bang for your buck is about as good as a mountain bike ride gets. Not the ideal prep for a cross race, but oh well. On Sunday I figured I'd set a pretty serious tone and rolled up to the start line of the A race in jorts and some sweet shades, which apparently was a good call because the crowd was definitely cheering. Fun stuff. Unfortunately I'm not particularly good at sprinting out of corners and my asthma is not a big fan of dust, so top 20 was all I could muster. Oh well. Still fun. Two cross races and two top 20 but could have been better results. What are you going to do.

Apparently the answer to that question is: be less serious. In two weeks I scored appearances on CyclingDirt and Bikerumor. First for looking silly and crashing at the Pisgah stage race (while not racing mind you), and then for just looking silly at Pisgah Cross. Moral of the story - let's not go there. Anyway, check 'em out.

http://www.cyclingdirt.org/coverage/240283-Pisgah-Mountain-Bike-Stage-Race-2011/video/508339-PISGAH-Adam-Craig-Black-Mt-Un-Cut

http://www.bikerumor.com/2011/10/11/bikerumor-pic-of-the-day-cross-is-on/

And lastly....a parting shot from Pisgah this weekend. Geesh, what a corner of the world.

Saturday, October 8, 2011

Pisgah Time

Getting some sweet rides in on my favorite trails these days. Too much fun. Plus I got a rad new rig...a 6" trail bike. It goes down hill pretty darn fast. To say I'm stoked is an understatement.


Just a quick video from the super fun rock garden on Pilot today.


More to come.

Thursday, September 29, 2011

Form's Back....But no Racing

Finally, I feel like a bike racer again. As in my legs can actually get it done on the climbs and I can see the lines I need to ride coming back down. Fun, to say the least. Too bad the race season is pretty much over. Yup, timed that one well. Pisgah Stage Race is happening right now, and I have to say I am really jealous of those guys. Maybe next year it'll happen. In the meantime I get to ride a lot, and I live in a gorgeous part of the world, no doubt about that. My morning view...


....and at the end of the day post-ride...

Looks like it's back to Vermont for a winter of sweet skiing and teaching. Can't wait! Might have to ride the trainer this year though....at least a little bit. Next season going to be about going real fast - I'm excited for that.

Monday, September 19, 2011

Friends and Family

I've been in Asheville for a month or so now, and it's interesting to back in the place where - for all intents and purposes - I really learned how to go fast.

Two of my favorite pro riders are Mike and Mary McConneloug. Sure, I'm super jealous of their racing out of an RV around the world lifestyle, but it's one of their sponsors that I think is really cool. Yup, check out their kits, you'll see "Friends and Family" in big letters.

How true. For the last two years I've made it my goal to race the country's big endurance races as fast as I could. That's meant giving up a lot of things. A house much of the year for one - rent and racing just haven't been compatible. As a result I've had to rely extensively on friends and family to help me accomplish those racing goals. And man have they helped me out - I think I have the best friends and family in the world. So, really, this post is a big shout out.

To all my friends who have lent me couch space, loaned or just given me bike parts, sent me motivating text messages and emails, brought coffee to my tent in the morning, helped out with the driving, fed me, and generally just been awesome, THANK YOU! I'm not sure how I can ever repay you all - but hopefully someday I can begin to try. You all are the best.

Saturday, September 17, 2011

Ouch....training hurts

Alright....I'm waaaaayyyy over-caffinated and sitting in a coffee shop with an espresso sitting next to be calling my name. This should be fun.
Long story short I've been drinking coffee and not riding all day because, well, my legs are shot. Did I not really train over the summer? Could be I guess. Basically I'm trying to make up for some lost time. Just threw my hat in the ring for a couple of upcoming races: the 3 Peaks Cyclocross and the Swank 65k. No point in showing up to go slow right. Hopefully after a season of 100 milers they'll feel short and fast.
Plus the Swank is about as fun as they come. Butter Gap, Farlow Gap, Daniel Ridge, and some really good climbing. It's an awesome one. I think there are still a few spots left. It's worth getting in on for sure. Check it out at Blue Ridge Adventures. Just make sure you have a few rides under your belt first.

Tuesday, August 30, 2011

I Wanna Go Fast

Lot's of transitions right now...but hanging in one of my favorite coffee shops in Black Mountain, NC is pretty darn nice. Work these days has me coaching a college mountain bike team at Warren Wilson - which is pretty much one of the coolest jobs ever.
We spent the weekend at the first college race of the season at East Tennessee State University, and the team killed it. Gotta admit is was a little bit tough to stand on the sidelines and watch the whole time, but coaching is a lot of fun too. I did get the feeling though that I want to learn how to go fast again. All these 100 milers and ultra-endurance races have had me trading fast twitch speed for slow twitch endurance. I was thinking about the last time I did a proper Short Track/XC weekend, and it was two years ago in Vermont.

I was fast enough then to get the who shot and hold it. Not sure I could do that right now. But watching fast guys just totally punch it all weekend got me to thinking....maybe it's time for a few less long rides and a few more intervals. Some shorter races could be fun. XC's and 40 milers. That could be cool.
In the meantime I have a tent set up next to some of my favorite backcountry trails in the world, and there's is endless riding within 30 minutes, so I don't have any excuses to be bored! Until next time....

Sunday, August 21, 2011

Fool's Gold

So I'm hangin' down south these days in the bike mecca that is Asheville, NC - and I even have a job that pays me to ride bikes. Rad. Not sure how that happened but I'm pretty stoked on it. And the best part is that after my slow start I'm starting to not suck so bad. How would my newfound quasi-fitness fare at the Fool's Gold 100?


Well, for a little while I thought it might be my day. I was never close to good enough to get on the podium with these guys, but for the first 30 miles or so I was actually racing, and opposed to surviving the brutal course. Big difference there in terms of fun factor for sure. In fact, the first 30 miles or racing was the most fun I've had in a NUE race.

Things kick off with a long gravel climb. Long. But I managed to stay with the lead group for a little while, at least until it was down to 8 guys or so. Then I dropped off and rode my pace just outside the top 10 for the rest of the first 10 miles of climbing. Then we hit some rolling stuff where you could lay down some power, followed by a screaming, loose descent and some really flowy singletrack to aid 2. I used all that to move up to about 10th 20 miles in.

Then things stopped going to well. I suffered up the climb out of aid 2, which was surprisingly long and hard. I tried to stuff some food in me, but that only did so much. Then I made a wrong turn and lost probably 5+ minutes. Then my chain broke. By that point I was pretty mentally exhausted and I still had 60 miles to race, so I spent some time hanging out trailside fixing my chain and eating a payday. Yum.

Lap two was more or less survival. I went I pace I knew I could hold and just tried not to think about how far I was from the finish. I raging thunderstorm rolled through - and the resulting chain suck meant I could only use my big ring (a 36t). Major bummer. Then my cassette worked loose. A quick stop at aid 8 fixed that, and I limped in at 9:50, pretty much destroyed. Funny, when I was racing it didn't feel like a long string of mishaps - just racing along. It was good enough for 20th though, which is my best ever NUE result, and someone claimed afterward that there was 16,000 feet of climbing, which makes me feel pretty darn good about finishing period.

Too bad I'm not doing PMSR in a few weeks. The form is finally coming on (I guess that was the plan all along)....but it'll be a fun fall of coaching and riding Pisgah instead. Maybe I can sneak the Swank in though......

Tuesday, August 2, 2011

Mid-Season Report

Finally, finally, finally I've been doing some good racing. This past weekend was the Wilderness 101, and prior to that I raced as a team at the Ryan Hawks Memorial Eastern Cup 6 Hr. race. Sweet.


So, the 101. Those guys on the podium crushed it, and beat me by hours. More on that later though.
Last year I was pretty shattered coming into this race, so I was hoping for better things this year. Of course, I also hadn't trained as hard. I knew it was pretty unrealistic to hope for a stellar ride, but still, I was rested, maybe something would happen. Also, Nina and I threw down at the Eastern Cup, winning the team division of the 6 hr. race. Sure, it was a small field, but it's always fun to win a race and it gave me a little bit of confidence at least.
Turns out confidence doesn't get you very far in a 100 miler. I started way back on the line, gunned it up the first part of the initial climb to be on the tail end of the still large lead group. Then it hurt a lot to be there and so I fell back. After that I got a little smarter, got in some groups, recovered, and rode my race. I actually have gotten better at racing these things over the course of two years.
The first half of the 101 course is mostly gravel roads, so I did my best to ride with groups and let other people do most of the work at the front. That worked out pretty well actually. Though sometimes the groups were moving a little slow, I figured it was best not to force the issue. I don't have that kind of fitness right now, and I knew I was climbing okay, so I waited. Right after Aid #2 things start to go up in a real way. It's the kind of climb were you can let people ride away and then real them in 20 minutes later. So that's what I did. Then you finally get a good singletrack descent, which I regretted wishing for in about one minute of riding. PA singletrack is BUMPY and ROCKY. Ouch. All that carbon goodness that kept things efficient going up relies on you being smooth going down to keep things comfy. Well, I kind of did that sort of. But I'm not immune to the death grip. I was happy to go up again.
And that's sort of how the race went for me. Steady and efficient climbing followed by serviceable riding on the singletrack sections. I think I ended up 44th, which was a lot better than last year but well off where I'd like to be this time of year. The reason for which goes back a few months.


This winter I had a few things on my mind with regard to bike racing. One was that I wanted to be fast in August/September, when I'm usually burned out. And the other was that I didn't want to ride the trainer. So I experimented and spent a lot of time climbing mountains with skis on my back (or on my feet). It kept me in general shape, but the lack of specific bike fitness is something I haven't been able to overcome all season (being sick for a few weeks didn't help either). Okay, lesson learned. The trainer would have been helpful.

Okay, back to the 101. I should say that at 8:31:something this was the fastest I've ever done one of these things. That was more the course than me, but hey, I'll take it. I made a couple of equipment tweaks for this one, which worked out really well. The new 24x36 crankset set-up was sweet, and I had some new tires from Continental that worked super well. The rear was the well known Race King 2.2, which provided some nice cush run tubeless with Stan's rims. In the front I had an unmarked, super pro (haha), X King 2.2. I was a little nervous to be running them as this was my first ride (I got them set-up on Thursday and spent all day on Friday driving). But they held up really well and the X King was confidence inspiring even when bombing rock strewn descents and death grip speed. Cool.
__________

Three weeks to go until the season's last big race (for me), the Fool's Gold 100 miler. I guess it's time to rest, put the last touches on my decidedly mediocre form, and see what happens. Yippee.



Saturday, July 23, 2011

Roller Coaster Summer

This summer has been a little all over the place. I was too sick to really train for what seemed like the longest time, and for a while there is seemed like the racing season was going to be a complete wash. Plus, I was thinking about skiing a lot, which made it difficult to get motivated. But, things are coming around. Not really in terms of race results, but at least I'm racing again, and in training the last few days I've finally started to feel good. Plus, I finally got by sweet Zaboo built up. Man is that thing a rocket ship...the faster you ride the better it feels. Hmmm....maybe that's telling me something.


I did the Horror at Harding Hill Race the other day in Sunapee, NH. Guess I hadn't raced a true XC in a while because the first thing I did was snag second wheel off the start. Of course I knew better than to think I could actually hold that, but whatever, I tried, and then faded back, back, back. But overall it was a good training day and it's nice to know I have the speed (if not the endurance) to ride near the front. This weekend I racing the two-person 6 hr. at Catamount, which should be more my style. We'll see.

In the meantime I've been on the road bike a lot trying to rack up some miles, and I've been sneaking in mountain bike rides with friends whenever I can. It doesn't take long for me to remember why this sport is so awesome.


There has been a lot of swimming in my life recently. Having a swim midway through a ride has almost become mandatory.


Stay tuned for a race report on the Ryan Hawks Memorial 6 Hr. Race coming soon.

Friday, June 24, 2011

Schedule in Flux

The trouble with bike racing while having to work full time and on a limited budget is that, well, things don't always work out the way you'd like them too. I was hoping to race for the NUE Season Overall this year, but due to a job switch and not being able to use some plane vouchers I thought I could I've had to bail from both the Park City Point to Point and now the Breckenridge 100. Which sucks, because they're both awesome races. I guess the flip side is that I'll have a more relaxed summer, with more time in VT...and they'll be plenty of cool races to do. With that, a tentative schedule for the summer:

7/17: Horror at Harding Hill MTB
7/24: Ryan Hawks Memorial Eastern Cup
7/31: Wilderness 101 (NUE)
8/6: Vermont Ski and Snowboard Museum Epic Summer Event OR
8/7: Hodges Village Dam XC Race (Root 66)
8/13-8/14: Bear Creek Challenge (US Cup Triple Crown)
8/21: Fool's Gold (NUE)

Then it's coaching time.

Pretty packed 6 weeks for sure. I hope the legs can handle it.

Saturday, June 18, 2011

Thoughts Drifting West...

About this time last year I was beginning to load up the trusty Volvo for a month long road trip that included a week in Crested Butte and a week in Breckenridge - some of the most fun I've had on a mountain bike. Though I am bummed that I won't be able to repeat the adventure this year, some last minute scheduling changes have put Breck back on the race calendar this summer. Pretty exciting. Will there be some mid-July snow biking? Only time will tell...but man I do miss those big mountains.

In the meantime it's train, train, train, eat, eat, eat. And finally build that sweet new carbon wonder bike that's sitting in my room!

Sunday, June 12, 2011

"So....it's still raining."

Yup. Vermont is the prime place to be if you're a bike racer these days...provided you want to get really good at riding mud. After dry, fast riding at Mohican last weekend I set about recovering. I got a few easy spins in and a real fun mountain bike ride in on Friday. The legs were feeling okay, and I decided last minute to do a 6 hr. race in NH yesterday. Bad idea. The forecast called for a 50% chance of light showers in the afternoon. Which was exactly right if by a 50% they meant 100%, by light showers they meant downpour, and by afternoon they meant all day.

So the course, which was a classic 5 mile XC loop, was super muddy. Lap 1 was fast and fun, and I was right in with the lead group. By lap 2 I knew the lines and was sitting 3rd or 4th. Pretty good and I wasn't going too hard. Actually I was pretty psyched to have recovered well enough to be cranking out 40 minute laps and feeling good in the mud. Then the temperature dropped about 5 degrees to the low 50's and the wind picked up. By the end of lap 3 (2 hrs. in) I was shivering and crashing. I needed some wool layers and solid (fatty) foods at the feed zone, and I didn't have them.

Lap 4 started with my rear derailleur throwing my chain behind the cassette, and soon after that I pulled the plug. Well, that was a fail (yes, fail is now a noun, ask any high schooler).

Fortunately for me, I wasn't the only one in the, I'm shivering, my brakes are going, and this has bad news written all over it boat, so I had some company in the slopeside bar while my housemate Nina (who picked a heck of a day to try out 6 hr. racing) raged it in the rain and mud. Nina scored second, which was awesome, and maintained some glory for the car.

The good news is that the legs felt good....now if it would only stop rainy and warm up so I could get some proper training in.....

Wednesday, June 8, 2011

One in the Books

Oh 100 miler season. It's been a while. I missed you. Sort of.

Last weekend was the Mohican 100, my first big race of the year. Also my first big drive. Yes, a national race calender is a glorious thing...24 hrs of driving and 9 hrs of bike racing in three days. Fun in a lot of ways but I am rather shot right now. As for the race, it was pretty rad. Dry trails this year meant I got to shred a lot, probably doubled my trail riding time for the year.
Which is kind of sad. I really didn't train enough to warrant being at this one. I think I had a half-dozen rides over 2.5 hrs all spring - and only one over 3 hrs. Not ideal prep for a hard 100 miler. But....the good part is that I've finally learned how to race these things. Some of it I knew I had to do...but a lack of fitness forced me to be more conscious than normal about pacing, nutrition, and hydration.

The first 25 miles of the race was mostly fast singletrack with punchy climbs. The kind of terrain that makes you want to go fast - had to fight the instincts there. I was going really easy it seemed. I kept feeling like it was too easy - but I'm starting to learn to know better.

Here's the thing about 100 milers - you aren't halfway to the finish until you hit mile 80. The end of the race is exponentially harder, and if you don't have something left in the tank you go backwards in at a pace that is incomprehensible if you're used to cross country races. It's not uncommon for to loose a minute a mile to people who pass you in those last 20 miles. That adds up quick.

So I went easy. I got to aid station #3, the point of no return for the 100 mile loop, feeling pretty fresh. Last year I was a shell of a human at that aid station, and aid station #3 marks the start of the major climbing. So last year it was bad news bears. This year I rode every one of those climbs, and was feeling pretty proud of myself. I wasn't flying, but I did feel in control of the race, and I was riding the singletrack sections well (which tends not to happen when I get really tired).

After the big climbs comes a 8 mile stretch of bike path type riding. It's shady and flat and really the best you could hope for 60+ miles in. Last year I raged that stretch. This year I just didn't have the power. Actually, it was mostly an upper body issue. I couldn't hold the position on the bike I needed too because my back, arms, neck, and shoulders were too sore. Guess bike specific training would have come in handy there.

By mile 80 we hit some climbs again and the body was coming around. For some reason super steep granny gear climbs felt pretty good, and the descents were flowing. I rode steady till the last 6 miles stretch of singletrack. They've got an aid station at the entrance. I cup of water on the head and a shot of coke later I was headed into the woods. The legs had something left, and all of a sudden I felt like I was riding XC race style (probably an illusion). I did pass about 5 guys though, and came through the line in 42nd (about 9 hrs).

So, for no really endurance training I was pretty psyched. It won't do great things ffor my chances in the season standings, but it will do. And if I can race the way I did at Mohican later in the year when I have some actual fitness I think good things can happen.

Thanks to Carbo Rocket and Hammer Nutrition for keeping me fueled all day long.

For more on the race (like how it went for the fast guys and gals) check out mtbracenews.com

Saturday, May 14, 2011

Singletrack!

The sun's been glorious in Vermont recently (let's
forget for a second that rain is rolling in today and
staying around for a while). A buddy and I got out to
the awesome trails at the Millstone Quarry the other
day to get some sweet early season singletrack shredding
in. Definitely check these trails out - you've got to
pay to play, but it's totally worth it.

Great views, fun ladder rides, berms, drops, techy ledges,
some sweet flowy sections. All around a good way to spend
the afternoon.

Thursday, May 12, 2011

Last Run of the Year

One more weekend in the mountains, and one last run to wrap up the year. Beautiful clouds, near perfect corn snow, and great friends made it one of the best. With bike races coming up and the trails drying out it's time to transition...until next season.




Saturday, May 7, 2011

A Skiing Roundup

The snow is rapidly disappearing here in New England, and there's finally some sun to dry out the trails. Which is a good thing, because I am well behind on the old training plan. Even though the legs feel good on the singlespeed rides and longer road cruises, I'm getting nervous about what will happen at the six hour mark at Mohican in a month. Still salvageable I think, but I need to get serious fast about this whole training thing. Not too serious though. Lots of time for a good ride today, skiing tomorrow, and some two-a-days next week should start getting me close. In the meantime, some fun shots from last weekend in NH; tomorrow's looking good as well, see you out there.



Saturday, April 23, 2011

3 Sandwich Day

Ahhh....let's give a big cheer for "wintery mix" conditions in late April. Means I get to read my new book and drink massive amounts of coffee today instead of "exercising." Shucks. Anyway, yesterday was about as far from today weather wise as possible - I think I almost got sunburned. Nope, no mountain bike photos yet. The mountains are still a snowy wonderland, which meant there was really only one option for yesterday...

Yup, that there is some bluebird sky. A big thanks to Native for keeping my eyes protected and stylin' all day.

Plenty of mid-angle, untracked chutes awaited, with conditions varying from powder, to corn, to ice within each turn it seemed. All in all, it looked good going up...

...and skied even better on the way back down. We fell into a nice rhythm of eat, take the jacket off, climb (kick left, kick right, poles upslope, kick left, check out the view, kick right), eat, jackets on, ski, repeat.

The day's last chute was a good one. Through a choke point up high and then wide open to the base a thousand feet below.

Sunday, April 17, 2011

Two a Days

Oh the dreaded two-a-day workouts. Actually, today was a big step up from the traditional back to high school in the fall suckiness. The morning was full of rad corn harvesting on the mountain with a good crew of folks. Lots of soft bumps, some good retro airs, and a bit of pole thwacking for good measure. All in all, super fun. Quads, not so stoked.

But, after a little R & R the 50 plus degree valley temps got me out with a friend for a sunset ride up past a local reservoir. The rivers are running high, the valley's are getting green, and the skiing is pretty rad: must be shoulder season in VT. See you out there.

Wednesday, April 13, 2011

Training blah blah blah Gravel Grinder Report

So what's new? I'm training and right now writing about training feels, well, pretty blah. Especially since it's 40 degrees and raining outside the window right now. Really makes me feel like I want to get after it....right, can you feel the inspiration bleeding through the typeface right now.

One of those weeks when the riding was rad and then Monday came i.e. work came and the energy went somewhere other than pedals...then it started raining. A lot of times work inspires me to ride more, not so much this week. Tonight I cooked tempura mainly because I wanted to fry stuff. Yum.

But this past weekend, the Gravel Grinder, the reason I started writing this post. The shoots were springing up in the front yard and we cruised up to Waterbury for the ride...it's not actually a race. I tried to back that sentiment up this year with some cut offs and my 35 pound rigid Surly with 2.5 tires. Awesome, except then I tried to be competitive anyway, which meant I worked really hard to hang with the lead group until the last climb which really, really hurt and then rode solo in because, well, I'm not sure...dumb move there. At least there was a snow biking section at the end, that part was rad. All in all a fun day and I'm right about where I want to be.

Garden coming around and a rad sunset yesterday. It's been a good week to get outside.
More sun and corn harvesting in the forecast. Hope everyone gets some good last turns in these next few weeks.

Friday, April 8, 2011

Toasting Spring

One last Sugarbush Triathlon picture...toasting to 2nd place with our new pint glasses. The warm sunny weather is finally here it seems...man am I ready for some good bike rides.

Gravel Grinder this weekend! Stay tuned.