August 2011 Blog Posts (8)

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I've missed this relatively new race so far.  It always come so late in the season and I'm usually done with racing by August. As luck would have it, a large break in the middle of the season put me in a training period and fit enough to do it this year.  This would be my first time on the trails that go around the lake since I raced a singlespeed-only Grasshopper there in 2006 (?).

I knew there would be some pretty fast guys out for this one, as there is money involved (!) and it…

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Hello.  It's been awhile, but this is a race blog and I have not been racing since Sea Otter.  Work, family, life - they all got in the way of training and racing my mountain bike.  It happens.

I've been getting some decent hours in for the last 6 weeks or so and I am finally fit enough to show up for a race.  I have always enjoyed the Howarth Park Dirt Crits in Santa Rosa, and I figured a 20-30 minute race like this would be a good chance to see how the fitness is…

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That one cost me.

I cracked. Found my edge. Left more than I cared to by the side of the trail. 

Despite taking a wrong turn in the first 10 miles that cost me 15 minutes, back-tracking up to the course, I was holding on to 7th position past the Mad Cat Aid Station at mile 64. I was confident that I could catch a few more riders for a top five finish.

Then my gut began to rumble on the first single track section of the Western States Trail that we would now follow for…

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I've kept from doing this race in the past because I heard it was all on fire roads.  This year he added lots of single track so I thought I'de give it a shot.  The trails we raced were awesome.  the only reason that course isn't as popular as Downieville is because the accessibility sucks.  

The race organizer warned that this was going to be the toughest race we have ever done and for me it was. dew to poor tire choice I got a flat within the first 40 minutes of the race.  A bunch…

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I missed this race last year and was excited get out and tear it up.  Off the start line my legs felt like a couple of lead weights. I struggled as hard as I could but watched the majority of the group peal away.  by the time I got to the run up section there were only 3 racers behind me and I had about five others in my sight ahead of me. Throughout the first lap I was waiting for my legs to worm up so I could drop the hammer on some fools but they continued to feel cold and heavy.  on the… Continue

Out to sharpen the edge, prime the engine for next week's Tahoe Sierra 100.

 

Thought I would try something a little different; I'd go out hard and fast on the assumption that so much of the finish is determined by start order out of the gate at these 'short' XC races. All Cat I 19 -34 (group #3) and 35- 44 (group #4) racers would go off in the second wave, two minutes behind the Pros.

 

The intense interval work on the steepest part of Oak Manor Drive paid off.…

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Eldridge TT: Fish Grade to gate at Ridgecrest

 

2010 PB -- 38:38

 

03.3.11 -- 40:39

6.29.11 -- 38:23 

8.03.11 -- 36:43 (4.97% faster than 2010 PB)