2013 Mid Season Update - Coming to Terms

It seems like every year I have to relearn that bike racing is a brutally hard sport. Over the winter I just seem to think about the good parts - the one or two races a year when I feel like I'm floating over roots and rocks, flying up climbs, crushing it. Then I show up at the first race of the year and get smoked. I thought I'd done my homework this winter by losing some weight and logging some trainer hours. But here we are in July, and, well, it didn't quite work out that way.

The first big test of the year came at Mt. Tremblant, and I was far from where I needed to be. Then came the Windham PRO XCT in June, and again things were off.

I tried a little R&R time at the beach with Nina, threw in some more intervals, and rested up for Nationals. In the meantime I threw in my first endurance race of the year, the Carrabassett Backcountry Challenge. And though I had a bad asthma flare up initially, I came around and put in a really solid effort - riding back into forth against some quality riders and holding the time gaps pretty much steady to the leaders for the second half of the race. Okay, I thought, there's some fitness there somewhere, nail the warm up at Nationals and see what happens.

Well, I nailed the warm up, but I didn't have the legs to back it up. Turns out the pro field at Nationals is fast, really fast. Even though I warmed up well and didn't have asthma issues, even though I had a good start, I just don't have that speed for the first two laps. It's funny, because I've done more intervals this season than ever before. Maybe it's a lack of early season base, maybe it's motivation, but whatever it is I just haven't had the necessary snap this year. Which is too bad, but it's also the reality. Nationals were so much fun. An awesome course, rowdy fans, a call up next to Carl Decker, racing in the main event. I'm so glad I did it. But is it fun to get pulled, not really.

So, what to do. Well, move to Asheville, NC for one! I'm incredibly excited to coach full time at Warren Wilson College. That also means no bike racing for a few weeks while we get things dialed in down there. Then hopefully doing some of the events that get me motivated these days: knarly backcounty endurance races (what up Swank 65k!) and enduros. And maybe a cross race or two for kicks. Hopefully next year I can get some XC mojo back and do it up right in PA. Until then, I'm hoping fun=fast.

Well, it hasn't been the best spring racing wise. I feel as though I've been doing the training I need to be doing, but when race time comes I just don't have the lungs. I've been experimenting some with diet, more on that later, with the hope of easing my asthma symptoms, but it hasn't worked as well as I'd hoped. Back on the med regime I suppose. For now, here's a video I did for Muscles not Motors at Coyote Hill this weekend. Lot's and lot's of mud. The opposite of Tremblant last week, but unfortunately a similar result for me: a bad first lap where I just couldn't breath well followed by some so so riding followed by a DNF.

Things'll come around one of these days.

Wolf Tooth Components XX1 Style Chainring

Well, we got back from Asheville, and though there have been a few good training days here in VT, mostly it's been cloudy and (recently) snowy. Oh well. At least there have been a host of new mountain bike bits arriving daily - just in time for the first race of the year next weekend. I'll share some of the awesome stuff I'm getting to use here over the next month or two. 

First up is a sweet XX1 style chainring from Wolf Tooth Components in Minnesota. It looks to be solidly built, with the alternating tooth pattern seen on XX1. It's compatible with all 104 BCD cranksets, so it's a great option for those folks not willing or able to shell out the cash for an XX1 crankset, but still who want to run a 1x10/11 set up without a chainguide. It also comes in tooth counts from 30t on up, and all Wolf Tooth Chainrings are made right here in the US. It's definitely going to save a bunch of weight on my Pivot Les by allowing me to remove the front shifter, derailleur/chainguide etc.

Though this photo is a little blurry, you can see the differences in the teeth. Turns out this design is nearly 20 years old, so there's no patent infringement to worry about from what I've heard.

I can't wait to put this ring through it's paces soon. Check back here and on MTBRacenews.com for a fell review in a couple of months.

For more information on Wolf Tooth Components check out http://wolftoothcomponents.com/

PIsgah Training Camp 2013

A spring trip to Pisgah is becoming a bit of a tradition for us. And really, what's not to like. We get to leave the last of the New England winter and soak up some southern sunshine for a week while we ride awesome trails. Plus there are the great friends in Asheville, the glorious comfort food and BBQ, and the mountains.

The mountains are big, they're enchanting, and there are trails everywhere. Pisgah is the real deal folks.

The general vibe at this point in the descent was, "whoa, that was awesome....wait, we get to do that for another 40 minutes?!" Then Dan noticed he had a flat. 

A quick flat change and the shredding resumed. Then we ate a massive amount of food, and then went to bed. The next day we did it all over again, for a week straight.

Way too many smiles to count, seemingly endless hours of riding rad trails with great friends, and a lot of good food. Best training camp I've had in a while. Thanks Asheville! 

Spring finally seems to be coming around in VT too. Guess it's bike season, and I can't wait. Lot's of awesome bike stuff heading my way from my awesome sponsors, and racing starts soon. Stay tuned.

Bike Season is Almost Here...

....and I can't wait. Going to strive to keep things a bit more up to date here in the blogosphere. In the mean time, here's what my team is going to be up to in 2013. Pretty lucky to get to race with such an awesome group of committed folks who are doing great work in the world.

MTBracenews.com Press Release

March 21, 2013

The Epic Brewing/MTBRaceNews.com team is returning all five team members for the 2013 season as well as many of the sponsors that helped make the 2012 campaign so successful. Epic Brewing, Utah's premier microbrewery, is returning as the team's title sponsor. Epic Brewing's biggest move of 2013 however will be the opening of its newest brewery right in the heart of Denver, Colorado. Our team is also proud to represent some of the most trusted names in mountain biking today including Stan's No Tubes, Pivot Cycles, Kali Protectives, Ergon, CarboRocket, Continental Tires, DNA Cycling, Honey Stinger, Go Ride Bikes and Xpedo pedals.

The team will be competing on the all-new Pivot Mach 429 Carbon and Les frames in all racing formats from cross-country to enduros to hundred-milers.

The team's strong female contingent includes Karen Potter (Shrewsbury, MA) and Jen Hanks (Salt Lake City, UT). Karen has been an elite level mountain bike racer for over 10 years, with the last five years focused on ultra-endurance racing. Career highlights include a 2^nd place women's overall at the inaugural Transylvania Mountain Bike Epic Stage Race as well as podium finishes at multiple NUE races including multiple seconds at Shenandoah 100, Lumberjack 100, and Pisgah Mountain Bike Stage Race. When not riding, Karen works as a massage therapist on both humans and horses! The rest of her time is spent walking her adorable pug Bruschi.

Jen Hanks finished the 2012 season as the Utah State Championship Series overall Pro Women champ. She is two for two in 2013. She won the pro women races at ICUP #1 and True Grit 50. In addition to racing, Jen facilitates numerous women's skills clinics where often times over 40 women participate to hone their skills. She also volunteers at Utah High School Mountain Bike races as a girl's category sweeper where she encourages high school girls new to racing. When not racing and volunteering, Jen works as an occupational therapist in the public schools helping students with disabilities access their education.

The men’s side of the team includes Shannon Boffeli (Salt Lake City, UT), Matt Williams (Waterbury, VT), and Jens Raz (San Diego, CA).

Shannon Boffeli, the founder and inspiration behind MTBRaceNews.com, has been racing mountain bikes since 1992, and as a pro for ten years. He created MTBRaceNews.com to fill the gap in mountain bike race coverage that left some of America's premier MTB events without media attention or national recognition. Career highlights include top-10 finishes at TransAlps and TransRockies, plus a third place singlespeed finish at the 2013 NUE #1, True Grit 100. Additionally, Shannon is co-founder of the Park City Point 2 Point and the Utah State Championship Series. It is also rumored that he is behind Salt Lake's uber-popular, top-secret, underground short track racing series, Bush League Short Track.

Matt Williams is a perennial leader in the Northeast Mountain Bike scene. He has coached collegiate mountain bike teams, promoted races, raised money for mountain bike scholarship programs that provide bikes and mentorship to middle school girls, and conducted skills clinics and bicycle repair clinics.

Matt is also pretty darn fast too. He is a 5x collegiate national championship podium finisher. He also has finished 2^nd at the Swank 65 MTB race, 5^th at the Vermont 50 MTB race, and 5^th at ORAMM. Matt races as a Pro in everything from short tracks to hundred-milers to enduros. He was on the top step of the podium four times in 2012.

Jen Raz is a mainstay in the southern California endurance racing scene. You name the race and Jens will be there. Raz is a frequent flyer on the expert/Cat 1 podium too taking top finishes at the Big Bear 50 and several installments of the 12 Hours of Temecula. Jens is just as fond of racing on the Velodrom as off-road! He has been involved in numerous mountain bike skills clinics exposing new riders to the joy of mountain biking. Jens’ biggest accomplishment in 2013 is becoming a first time dad.

The Epic Brewing/MTBRaceNews.com team will be attending some of the biggest, most exciting races around the country. Look for them sporting their kelly green jerseys at Whiskey 50, Sea Otter Classic, Marathon Nationals, Trans-Sylvania Epic, multiple legs of the National Ultra Endurance series, and many more.

Quick Shot From Saturday

Been far more focused on biking than skiing recently. Lot's of trainer time, some winter bike races (more on that soon), and team stuff for next season (lot's of exciting things happening there too). Got some sweet turns with Pete yesterday. No base meant we skied fast and straight with the tips up. A little out of control and a whole lot of fun.

More to come soon.

First Tracks, Last Call

Some fun late-day skiing yesterday, sniffing out some fresh, untracked snow, and sliding back to the car just before dark. Pretty perfect way to enjoy the last east coast daylight of 2012.