Wednesday, August 18, 2010
New Terrain
So on Friday my dad and I are flying out to Durango for the Telluride - Durango ride from Western Spirit. After a few days hanging out and riding around Durango, we'll shuttle out to Telluride and ride the gondola up to the top of the mountain, where our five day singletrack epic begins. Western Spirit shuttles all your gear in their van and you camp at different spots each night. But during the day you ride on all unsupported singletrack. I have no clue what to expect, other than some fun riding and crazy long descents and climbs. I'm taking a whole bunch of batteries, so hopefully there will be some helmet cam video from each day.
Monday, August 9, 2010
Wilderness 101
Being a mountain biker in State College, you are always surrounded by the Wilderness 101. People talk times and training all year round and for people who only do one or two races a year, this is their time to throw down a good race and have some friendly competition with the other local riders. On the last Saturday in July (sometimes first in August), almost everyone in the area that rides a bike will either be racing, watching, or working any one of the five well stocked aid stations. That being said, July 31st, 2010 was a day that I have thought about for most of my life.
I started riding at a very young age and my dad was always there for support. One year (2002 or 2003?) he told me about this all-day race through the rocks and over the mountains called the "Wilderness 101." Later he showed me this picture, and immediatly I knew that I wanted to do this race. So I set a goal for myself that I wanted to finish this race before I was 18.
It's six or seven years later, and I'm laying in bed the night before the race. Everything is racing around my mind. Bike is spotless, dinner was healthy and filling enough to get me through the race, my aid station bags are ready to go, clothes are clean, so it should be a good day. At around midnight I'm starting to get worried, and I finally fall asleep at 2. Oh, a 9+ hour race on three hours of sleep? No big deal. What was re-assuring was that it turns out that not many people actually do sleep much before this race. So before I knew it, it was 6:30 the morning of the race and it was cold. Got a short warm up in with Bill Nagel and Jake Davidson and headed back to the Coburn park for the start of the race. The neutral paced start was led by the local Purple Lizard mapmaker, who also led out this year's Stoopid 50. Turned left and across the bridge and started climbing. I found myself in a group with Jake, Dustin, locals Clay Chiles and Peter Buckland, and others. We stayed behind the singlespeeders into aid station 1. The group split a bit as some of us stopped for water before the second climb of the day. This is the hot, sunny climb in the Stoopid 50 that everyone hates, but it was cool and shaded today. The whole day I stayed focused on riding all the trails smoothly and paying attention to whatever my body told me it needed. You have to race smart to get through this stuff. Rather than give a 100 mile course description, I'll just give you a link to a good video from the course.
Jump ahead to 6:00 later
Coming into Aid 5, there is one rocky singletrack. At this point I was freaking out because I wasn't sure if I'd break my goal of 9 hours. So I figured that I'd need to average 10-12mph into the finish to make it. Cranked the rock gardens as hard as I could and came into Aid 5 like I was breaking away in a XC race. After a quick refueling and a glance at the Garmin, I was safe. Just keep it steady to the finish and don't get bit by any snakes. Up the Mingle climb, which isn't bad by itself but is a real pain over 90 miles into this race. On the other side is the infamous Fisherman's Path. It's makeable, and I came close to riding it. So now I guess my next goal for this race is to clean it. Anyway, it's some technical boulders on the side of the river and a couple short climbs and drops. Once you're across it, there's a bit more rail-trail to the next tunnel. This is your last chance to get a flat, cause there's glass in this one. But if you make it out of the tunnel fine, it's all pavement back to the park. You can smell the food and you can catch a glimpse of the finish before you loop through the town of Coburn. At this point I was so pumped, because I sprinted into the finish with an 8:25. The Centre Daily Times was there covering the event, which is cool because it's a race that's been going on here for so long and not too many people know about it. Here's the article.
It feels good to have that one behind me. What's cool about this event is that you get everyone from the top racers, to those that are just here to finish all starting at once and everything is very relaxed, but serious at the same time. And no matter where you finish, everyone has the same thoughts at the end of the day.
The climbs are hard
The descents chew you up and spit you out
The rocks will make your hands black and blue
It's the 101
I started riding at a very young age and my dad was always there for support. One year (2002 or 2003?) he told me about this all-day race through the rocks and over the mountains called the "Wilderness 101." Later he showed me this picture, and immediatly I knew that I wanted to do this race. So I set a goal for myself that I wanted to finish this race before I was 18.
It's six or seven years later, and I'm laying in bed the night before the race. Everything is racing around my mind. Bike is spotless, dinner was healthy and filling enough to get me through the race, my aid station bags are ready to go, clothes are clean, so it should be a good day. At around midnight I'm starting to get worried, and I finally fall asleep at 2. Oh, a 9+ hour race on three hours of sleep? No big deal. What was re-assuring was that it turns out that not many people actually do sleep much before this race. So before I knew it, it was 6:30 the morning of the race and it was cold. Got a short warm up in with Bill Nagel and Jake Davidson and headed back to the Coburn park for the start of the race. The neutral paced start was led by the local Purple Lizard mapmaker, who also led out this year's Stoopid 50. Turned left and across the bridge and started climbing. I found myself in a group with Jake, Dustin, locals Clay Chiles and Peter Buckland, and others. We stayed behind the singlespeeders into aid station 1. The group split a bit as some of us stopped for water before the second climb of the day. This is the hot, sunny climb in the Stoopid 50 that everyone hates, but it was cool and shaded today. The whole day I stayed focused on riding all the trails smoothly and paying attention to whatever my body told me it needed. You have to race smart to get through this stuff. Rather than give a 100 mile course description, I'll just give you a link to a good video from the course.
Jump ahead to 6:00 later
Coming into Aid 5, there is one rocky singletrack. At this point I was freaking out because I wasn't sure if I'd break my goal of 9 hours. So I figured that I'd need to average 10-12mph into the finish to make it. Cranked the rock gardens as hard as I could and came into Aid 5 like I was breaking away in a XC race. After a quick refueling and a glance at the Garmin, I was safe. Just keep it steady to the finish and don't get bit by any snakes. Up the Mingle climb, which isn't bad by itself but is a real pain over 90 miles into this race. On the other side is the infamous Fisherman's Path. It's makeable, and I came close to riding it. So now I guess my next goal for this race is to clean it. Anyway, it's some technical boulders on the side of the river and a couple short climbs and drops. Once you're across it, there's a bit more rail-trail to the next tunnel. This is your last chance to get a flat, cause there's glass in this one. But if you make it out of the tunnel fine, it's all pavement back to the park. You can smell the food and you can catch a glimpse of the finish before you loop through the town of Coburn. At this point I was so pumped, because I sprinted into the finish with an 8:25. The Centre Daily Times was there covering the event, which is cool because it's a race that's been going on here for so long and not too many people know about it. Here's the article.
It feels good to have that one behind me. What's cool about this event is that you get everyone from the top racers, to those that are just here to finish all starting at once and everything is very relaxed, but serious at the same time. And no matter where you finish, everyone has the same thoughts at the end of the day.
The climbs are hard
The descents chew you up and spit you out
The rocks will make your hands black and blue
It's the 101
Saturday, July 3, 2010
A few weeks ago was the Stoopid 50. The course was mostly the same as last year...the only change was that it was extended a little bit past the last downhill so that it finished much closer to the parking lot. Racers got to ride the Three Bridges trail in the opposite direction of the Wilderness 101, and then take a chute down to the finish. A few days before the start, a tree fell on one of the 3 bridges and made it un-rideable. But it was fixed for the race.
The night before the race, Jay and Cameron Dodge, Alan Consalvo, Chad Mccurdy, and Jeff Dicky came up to stay at the house. Bob Popovich, the photographer, also came to stay. As everyone staged for the start, it started to lightly drizzle. Thunderstorms were in the forcast, so I don't think anyone was too suprized (although most people weren't too happy with the wet rocks). As we cruised up the road, the rain started to pick up. It was really raining hard as I turned into the first section of trail that takes you up to Tussey Ridge. Cameron was on my wheel and we were setting a pretty good pace coming up the road. A short but rocky downhill takes you to the ridge, which is one of the best trails in the race. My mom was watching the race at the gasline crossing and she told me that I was in the top 10. I wish I could've kept this position all day. After the ridge there is a benchcut downhill that takes you into the valley, where the toughest climb on the course seems to look down and laugh at you. It looks like you are about to ride off the edge of the mounain as you climb up through the clouds, then the road makes a turn and you get your first look at a long wall that stands between you and the top of the climb. Every singlespeeder that passed me earlier on the climb had to walk this section. Then you take a jeep road down the other side of the mountain to the first aid station. After the aid station, there is a slick, rocky, rooty section of trail that can really waste your energy. Then there is some downhills and climbs, and you retrace your way back to the aid station. Most of these trails were also on the Transsylvania Epic course. Once you're back at the aid station, all of the tough singletrack is behind you. But there are still three major climbs and one crazy descent to the finish. Thought I'd share this little write up of thoughs from the race.
The next week was the Massanutten Hoo Ha. It was a hot weekend and the course was dusty, but it ended up being a fun race. Raced the Super D on Saturday and that turned out to be really fun. The course wasn't nearly as technical as I would've liked, but that's alright. We stayed around and watched the short track race and saw the intense finish between Jeremiah and Sid.
The next day was the cross country race. Just as dusty and hot as the day before. The race started off with the most hectic, confusing mass start fake out start I've been in, but once I picked my way out to the front of the field I could actually enjoy the course. Some seriously dusty trails, but high speed singletrack through dense trees and then out to the start finish area. Then started the only sustained climb of the whole course, but it was a long one. Switchbacks took you all the way to the top of the Super D course and through some rocks and ledges at the top. Then pretty muched bombed the Supder D back (with a little detour through some more fun singletrack) to the finish. It was really hot, but it was a fun weekend.
Next was a longish road ride up and down some pretty big climbs. I think we did somewhere around 80 miles with 5 or 6 serious climbs and sprints for signs throughout the day. And then every Tuesyday, the local shop holds a nice group ride. This week we took the first twisty descent on the Stoopid to the bottom of the first nasty climb, then turned off and rode one of the rockiest trails in the area. It's full of oddly placed boulders and lots of holes for your front wheel to fall into. Here's a video of one of the rock gardens, taken by Don Page on his nifty Iphone (yeah it shoots in HD).
The night before the race, Jay and Cameron Dodge, Alan Consalvo, Chad Mccurdy, and Jeff Dicky came up to stay at the house. Bob Popovich, the photographer, also came to stay. As everyone staged for the start, it started to lightly drizzle. Thunderstorms were in the forcast, so I don't think anyone was too suprized (although most people weren't too happy with the wet rocks). As we cruised up the road, the rain started to pick up. It was really raining hard as I turned into the first section of trail that takes you up to Tussey Ridge. Cameron was on my wheel and we were setting a pretty good pace coming up the road. A short but rocky downhill takes you to the ridge, which is one of the best trails in the race. My mom was watching the race at the gasline crossing and she told me that I was in the top 10. I wish I could've kept this position all day. After the ridge there is a benchcut downhill that takes you into the valley, where the toughest climb on the course seems to look down and laugh at you. It looks like you are about to ride off the edge of the mounain as you climb up through the clouds, then the road makes a turn and you get your first look at a long wall that stands between you and the top of the climb. Every singlespeeder that passed me earlier on the climb had to walk this section. Then you take a jeep road down the other side of the mountain to the first aid station. After the aid station, there is a slick, rocky, rooty section of trail that can really waste your energy. Then there is some downhills and climbs, and you retrace your way back to the aid station. Most of these trails were also on the Transsylvania Epic course. Once you're back at the aid station, all of the tough singletrack is behind you. But there are still three major climbs and one crazy descent to the finish. Thought I'd share this little write up of thoughs from the race.
The next week was the Massanutten Hoo Ha. It was a hot weekend and the course was dusty, but it ended up being a fun race. Raced the Super D on Saturday and that turned out to be really fun. The course wasn't nearly as technical as I would've liked, but that's alright. We stayed around and watched the short track race and saw the intense finish between Jeremiah and Sid.
The next day was the cross country race. Just as dusty and hot as the day before. The race started off with the most hectic, confusing mass start fake out start I've been in, but once I picked my way out to the front of the field I could actually enjoy the course. Some seriously dusty trails, but high speed singletrack through dense trees and then out to the start finish area. Then started the only sustained climb of the whole course, but it was a long one. Switchbacks took you all the way to the top of the Super D course and through some rocks and ledges at the top. Then pretty muched bombed the Supder D back (with a little detour through some more fun singletrack) to the finish. It was really hot, but it was a fun weekend.
Next was a longish road ride up and down some pretty big climbs. I think we did somewhere around 80 miles with 5 or 6 serious climbs and sprints for signs throughout the day. And then every Tuesyday, the local shop holds a nice group ride. This week we took the first twisty descent on the Stoopid to the bottom of the first nasty climb, then turned off and rode one of the rockiest trails in the area. It's full of oddly placed boulders and lots of holes for your front wheel to fall into. Here's a video of one of the rock gardens, taken by Don Page on his nifty Iphone (yeah it shoots in HD).
Last weekend was the Long Pine Classic. A new race in the MASS series and probably one of my favorite courses anywhere. Gotta love those one-lap XC races. Some killer climbs, twisty singletrack, and just enough rocks to keep you on your toes. Not to mention some loose ATV downhills. This race was a fight throughout the whole 22 miles, but there isn't much that beats the feeling of pushing your limits and knowing that you did the best that you could do.
Monday, June 7, 2010
It was gonna happen sooner or later...
So I've been hearing things about the Cannondale Scalpel frames separating at the chain stay/bottom bracket. There's a little spot there where the carbon front triangle is glued to the different weave of the rear triangle (same with the aluminum bike). And last night my dad and I were coming pretty fast down the last downhill on our ride. I get to the bottom and wait...after a few minutes, I get a little worried and start to ride back up. So here comes my dad and he's talking about how he thinks he might have bent his axle or frame or something because his wheel locked up on the descent. We take a look, but couldn't really find a problem. And then my dad finds a little gap where the chain stay meets the front triangle. I didn't get a picture before he took it into the shop but there was about a 1/2 inch gap on the one stay. Cannondale has a bunch of frames at the factory and he should get a red and black warranty 2010 frame built up in a little bit.
Tuesday, May 18, 2010
Long Post…
Alright so it’s been a month or so since the last post on here. A lot has happened…
Fair hill was the first race of the year and it hurt a lot. The course is fast and flat, which means that there aren’t any breaks and you never stop pedaling for the entire race. Since my injury, the weakest part of my body has been my back and this course definitely hurt it a lot. It felt worse than any other ride or race than I can remember, although my legs didn’t feel nearly as bad. Ended up finishing somewhere in the middle of the group, which isn’t bad considering that this is the exact opposite of what we ride.
Tour de Tykes went better, but still not as well as I would’ve liked. I was definitely able to use the course and the weather to my advantage, but it just didn’t go all that smoothly. Missed the start, and then got gapped when I couldn’t pass some riders. But it’s a fun course and a lot of people enjoyed the cool weather for once.
And then there was a week off. We ended up riding 40ish miles of the Stoopid 50 course. Trails are in good condition…probably gonna get out there with a brush cutter and trim some stuff back, but everything is holding up nice.
Any race in Michaux is always a good time. I didn’t do the new course last year, and was a bit upset that they took out the Grave’s Ridge trail, which is a rocky ridge-top ATV trail. Fun stuff…but the new course turned out to be almost as technical anyway. Slightly disappointed in losing the race on a fire road climb but it was still a good race. Broke out the new frame for its first race. Last fall, my dad found some Rush frames on eBay, so he bought some in case we cracked one. Since I wasn’t really feeling the 29er, I just took all the parts off it and built up a second Rush. Thanks to my dad for letting me ride his I9 wheels.
I hate missing French Creek, but that day was prom…But it was a good time anyway.
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Cascade Classic (used to be CAT Classic) is a nice course when it’s dry. Some climbs and just enough rocks to keep you on your toes. But this year it was really muddy so it completely changed the race. None of the three people that drove with us actually finished. My dad got lost and Anthony DiNallo and I both quit after 2 laps because we were sick of mud. Didn’t stay too long after the race but I’m pretty sure Julian crushed it on his home course. It’s a shame that the conditions were so bad for this year, first impressions of races usually last a while.
Thursday, April 8, 2010
Marysville
So on the Tuesday before the Marysville relay, I saw a neurologist and he said that I'd be fine to ride, just as long as I didn't do anything too risky and get another concussion. I've ridden 8 times since last Wednesday and it's really nice to be riding again. That Thursday, my dad called me and said that Erik at the Bicycle Shop was looking for a 4th person so that they could have a second team in the relay. So I've been lucky enough to get back on the bike a lot earlier than I thought, and I've also been lucky to find a team for last weekend. Marysville is such a fun event that it doesn't matter who has stacked teams, who has the most handicapped points, or even who wins at the end of the day. All people seem to care about is seeing all the people that they race with, having a good time, and some short and hard efforts on the bike.
With two of our riders not being able to ride because of injuries (yes, we had two ski accidents on the MBR team), we needed to find two replacement riders. We ended up with Anthony DiNallo and Bob Radzwich. Both were very competitive, triathletes, and singlespeeders. So that team did really well and MBR ended up getting 2nd place for the second time in a row. I really want to win that trophy next year, but our handicaps are slowly going away each year.
The relay was able to tell me a few things. First, 25 sessions on the rollers can really come in handy. It was the first time I actually trained during the winter, and thankfully it carried me through 3 weeks of no exercise. Indoor riding is boring but nothing gets you more ready for spring races. Second, I was able to see that my ribs held up to a hard effort and that I'll be able to race expert for Fair Hill and Tour de Tykes.
Thursday, March 25, 2010
Maybe it's time to tell people...
A few weeks ago I was and idiot and went skiing in jeans, a flannel shirt, sunglasses, and without a helmet. First run of the day, I hit a 50ish foot jump. Of course I didn't check it out ahead of time to realized that it was re-groomed and you didn't need nearly as much speed to hit it anymore. I ended up hitting it with way too much speed, got kicked back, and completely overshot the landing. I was sure that it was a dream and that I was gonna wake up soon. I also thought it was summer...
It turns out that I landed on the flat below the jump on my back, got the wind knocked out of me really bad, and walked down to ski patrol where I ended up passing out. Once I understood that this actually happened and it was really winter, I figured out that I was in a neck brace attached to a stretcher, and being loaded into an ambulance while my parents watched. At that time I couldn't imagine what they were going through.
As you could imagine, my parents were pretty upset about this. Five hours, one cat-scan, and one x-ray later, I left the hospital knowing that I had collapsed a lung and broke a rib. I also knew that I'd be able to walk, which was a major relief. I'm sure I had a concussion too but the hospital report didn't say anything about that, so.....
My dad kept telling me that my face was pretty messed up and that I must've been bleeding a lot, but I didn't realize the extent of what had happened until I looked in the mirror. Well a nice spring break full of riding was over, and I didn't know when I'd be able to ride a bike again. It's been three weeks, and my lung has healed. I've ridden outside on fire roads twice, and have been on the rollers countless times. Next week I'm supposed to go to a neurologist to decide when I'm able to get back to normal riding and racing. It could be fine and I could be out riding next week, but I still wouldn't be racing until May. Or it could be the exact opposite and I might not be able to ride any trails for a full calendar year. I'm trying to stay optimistic about things but I'm mainly just happy that I had the chance to learn from that mistake. Everyone out there, have a good season. I'll be at the races regardless so I'll see you all soon. And now I feel bad writing a post entirely about me...oh well, have a good season everybody.
Wednesday, February 24, 2010
Just a Reminder
Just because a gate was open the first 2 times you climbed a hill doesn’t mean it will still be open the 3rd time you climb it. Remember to keep your eye on the road and don’t get caught up in your training intervals.
Sunday, February 21, 2010
Fall, winter, and then some more training
It’s been a while since I’ve posted anything, or even visited anyone else’s blogs. I don’t know why I haven’t because a lot of great things have happened since race season ended, and I’m sure lots of other people had some interesting things to write about. So anyway, let’s think back to where I left off…
Bear Creek was a good race and the whole weekend turned out great. It’s always nice to go to a race and be able to enjoy the whole weekend, from all the time you spend off the bike, to the race, and then packing up and going back home. After Bear Creek was Michaux’s Terror of Teaberry. Great course, but my dad and I both had a few flat tires. He flatted on his rear tire and I flatted on my front, so after blowing out the valve on my second tube, I was able to use his wheel to keep going. I got really close to the start/finish and didn’t really feel like being selfish and racing another 10 miles, so I rode back to the finish and waited for my to grab his second set of wheels. Then we rode the course at a fast trail ride pace and were able to enjoy it. I had another flat but there wasn’t any pressure and it took me back to 2006 when my dad would ride the races behind me to make sure I didn’t hurt myself and to offer all the encouragement he could.
Fall riding is always fun. Getting to ride the technical, hardly ever ridden trails that are too dangerous or too hard to get to during the racing season.
My Rush that we bought in April 2008 has gone through some major changes that started midway through this summer. The goal is to make it a strong, all mountain bike. When it’s finished, the only parts that were original will be the fork, shock, stem, seat post, and front derailleur. The major changes have been the wheels and brakes. XTR wheels to Mavic 819/717 with Chris King hub with a future fun bolt. XTR brakes to Avid Jucy 7s, 185mm/160mm rotors. Also, the XTR rear derailleur is getting switched out for an SLX.
And now we’re back to training. 50 mile road ride yesterday
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