All Blog Posts (398)

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…

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.…

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)

My last “A” race for 2011 was the National XC Championship, in Sun Valley, Idaho. 28 racers had qualified and signed up for the Cat 1, 50-54 age group, all with hopes of finishing up front. Among the many challenges, my ability to adapt to altitude (5,800 ft- 7,000 ft) was the biggest question mark. I have only one other race at elevation on the schedule, and I arrive typically within 24 hours of race start. According to the research, from sea level, you should expect a 10% drop in aerobic…

I had a plan.

The game would play out in manageable chunks. Twelve hours of racing is too much to think about at once. I had studied the course map, calculated my needed carlorie intake, laid out my primary fuels, pre-filled the water bottles and set up my solo pit station.

The course ran through the redwoods across sweet flowing single track descents and up mellow fire road climbs. I figured a moderate 9 mile/hour pace around the 7.4 mile course would allow me to knock off 14…

After missing last years Downieville Classic, I was excited to get back on the awesome trails Downieville offers.  The extra snowy winter we had caused rumors of snow tunnels and 20 minute hike a bike sections through two feet of snow.  but that was not to be, the course was simply shortened. the sunrise trail and the baby head section were cut out. The climb was the same and the decent used the upper part of the down hill course.

       I have yet to learn my lesson at the start line…

After missing out on the Skyline XC race this year, due to a “healing” thigh hematoma, I was looking forward to participating in the restart of the Annadel XC race in Santa Rosa.  Due to weather the race had been rescheduled from Sunday the 5^th to the 25^th, and would fit perfectly with my training ramp up for XC Nationals in mid-July.  The night before race day, I went online for location information and noticed the start date was listed as Saturday the…

It had been nearly 30 years since the original Grasshopper had been held at Annadel State Park. It took years of perseverance by Carlos and other dedicated Bike Monkeys to get this event off the ground once again. This time it was for a cause.  The money made by the race this day was to be given to the State Park to thwart off the threat that it might be closed due to the State's Budget Crisis.

An entire city block of downtown Santa Rosa was shut down to accommodate the 600+…

This race marked two first for me, It was my first time riding in Boggs and my first time doing an 8 hour race.  The trails in boggs loved up to their reputation, fast, flowing, and fun.  I never got tired of riding any section of that course. After preriding on Friday, the only thing I was uncertain of was weather I was going to be able to eat properly throughout the race.  This was my first experiment with Perpetuem and it left my stomach feeling like I swallowed a 2 pound led…

This is positively one of the most fun and challenging and race courses I've ridden. A whole lot of strong riders showed up for this race, and with an age group of 19-39 cat 1 I knew it was going to be tough goings. As usual the start line was jam packed and sure enough about 20 seconds off the line everyone hits there brakes and through the dust I see a rider rolling off the road and bike lying in the middle the fire road.  Thanks to the shouts of other riders I was able to avoid the…

Levi pulled the group at a gentlemen's pace up the lower flat section of Bohemian Highway from Monte Rio. As the grade increased, so did the pace and intensity as we pulled a left in Occidental onto Graton Rd. Down the first descent, the pack began spreading out as the lead group hammered down toward Laguna Rd.

In our group of 15 or so riders, Brian kept it rolling on the only 26 bike in the peloton. Friendly Mig kept the chatter up and the chase group together, as we each pulled a…

Sea Otter slots in as my third race this year.  Unlike last year, any expectations for a high finish were tempered by the more competitive Category 1 (Cat 1) field. Based on past results, in the 50-54 age group, I would be satisfied to finish in the top ten, but you never know how things will unfold. The start line of a Sea Otter race is well organized because of the large “grids”. Standing on the infamous Laguna Seca tarmac, the 25 racers easily fit two deep in the 25 foot wide…

I started the weekend with the short track race on Friday.  Around 70 guys racing on a course that takes under 2 minutes per lap is a recipe for failure if you are not in the front 20.  Of course, there was the usual pileup in the first turn and then the single file conga line until you get pulled.  I lasted 5 of the 20+ laps.  The postitive thing was that I achieved a very high average heartrate - 170 bpm for 10 minutes.  I have not been able to achieve this in training or racing for weeks,…

This has not been my race. Last year at Sea Otter, I had just crested the first climb when my pedal fell apart. I coasted down, throwing the towel in a my top ten attempt. Bum deal.

This year, feeling strong and mostly recovered from last weekend's NVDC crash, I felt confident of pulling off a top ten, and quite possibly even a top five finish. No luck. 

Around the track and onto to the dirt, I hung on to the back of the lead riders in my group. Past the first climb and down…

I've had a number of people tell me they don't race Sea Otter because its not a "real MTB course."  Its true, the riding is not very technical, Its an expensive race to attend, they don't provide as much for the athletes as some smaller local races.  But it's 40 miles and it offers the toughest competition I've found this close to home. 

      After my Eldridge time trail and NVDC I knew I was in the same shape I have been in the last 2 years. So I was expecting a top ten finish.…

As the Dirt Classic approached, I got a feeling that it would be pretty competitive.  There are usually a few guys going fast this early in the season, but this year looked like a deeper field.  Young new guys like Will Curtis, Tony Smith, Will Patterson, and John Bennet are recent Norcal League graduates who are excited to get their racing careers going.  Of course you have the usual hardmen like Smallman, Timmel, Weir and Moeschler, and the recently returned Michael Hosey.  Clint Claasen…