February 2010 Blog Posts (5)

This race was on my schedule as an early season training race, so I was going to race it despite rain during the week and a questionable forecast for race day. I went into the race prepared for conditions similar to the first CCCX race I did in 2009, which was seriously sloppy and cold. Though the course was very similar, the conditions were much better. There were a few big puddles, but for the most part the trails were in great condition. Much of the course was a reversal of CCCX #1. Lots of… Continue

Well, in an effort to broaden my horizons, I did the Grasshopper Chilleno Valley "training ride". This one is completely road, so it drew a slightly different crowd.

I guess over two hundred of us left Occidental Saturday, 2/20. The weather was mostly overcast, but the conditions were great. We hammered up Coleman Valley to spread things out, then turned south on Highway 1 down the coast. I guess most of the riders didn't get the memo about this being training, as they seemed to…

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ya'll best get out and ride before the weather turns crappy again.

Today was the first race of the CCCX cross country race series. Last year's first race was very sloppy, wet and cold. This year was sunny and perfect. No one could have asked for better weather or course conditions!

The course varies from race to race, though laps are usually around 5 miles each. This course was pretty good for me, as it had some relatively steep climbs and a lot of great bermed singletrack through the woods. Not as many "roady" sections where it helped a lot to be in…

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Around 230 racers started from Occidental at 10:00 a.m. on January 30th for the first of this year's 6 eclectic Sonoma county "training rides". This usually marks the beginning of early season suffering, but this year it was about a month earlier in the season than usual. Having just begun my build period after not too much base, I anticipated PAIN. At least the weather was pleasant enough - wet on the ground, overcast but not raining.

Race bikes ran the gamut, from road bike to full…

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