My idea of creative humor

Happy Holidays

Dakota (our team mascot), and the rest of our human team would like to wish our family, friends, and mostly our sponsors a happy and safe holiday. And a big thanks for all of our support this past season. http://www.visitpa.com/ , http://www.cannondale.com/ , http://www.cadencecycling.com/ , http://www.suunto.com/ , http://www.northwave.com/, http://www.deuterusa.com/ , http://www.ergon-bike.com/ , and http://www.gretnabikes.com/. And on a personal note, a thanks is in order to http://www.wtb.com/ who advised me on all tire selections this season which gave me a flat free season. and happy new year!!!!!!

In the words of the fat red guy, "OH YEEAAHH!"

Yea, not Santy Clause. This guy.

I didn't see him the weekend before Tgiving at Allegrippis, Bald Eagle or Rothrock, but he musta been there 'cause there was a heck of a lot of "Oh Yeeaahh!'s" being shouted and hollered as we careened through the woods around State College doing some more Trans-Sylvania Epic course previews.



Friday was Allegrippis. That place is just a massive dirt roller coaster. The trails just keep egging you on. No rocks. No logs. Just pure unadulterated speed. You think, "Man, I'm freakin' moving! I'm going to pay for this later," but the grin factor is just way too big to slow down. So you go bat outta hell fast and a few hours later you're feeling it but good. Still doesn't wipe the grin off your face though.


Saturday was the Trans-Sylvania Prologue. We think we have it dialed. We rode out of the Seven Mountain Scout Camp through Bald Eagle State Forest to the east. Four miles of dirt roads to set you up. Next is the most tech part of the day with a single track rewarding an ability to pick a line through rocks and a very cool very rideable rock drop. Back on the dirt road for a mile or so and then into some swoopy singletrack fun where speed rules. A forest road and some twisties through laurel, dirt road, and a last single track leading you right back into and through the camp bring you home.

Lunch followed where we waxed poetically about all things Trans-Sylvania and toured the expansive camp to show off all the amenities awaiting participants. We're lucky to be able to provide a whole raft of lodging options from BYO tent to permanent tents to RV parking to small and large cabins - some offering kitchens and showers even with hotels as close at 10 minutes away in Milroy. Then there's the large nice mess hall where we can feed 200 or more at a shot and the camp store and offices where we're told we'll be able offer wifi services so everyone can tweet and update their Facebook status between stages. We know, if you didn't facebook it, it didn't happen. At least we have it for that chick that tried to run Ray off the road yesterday. A pool offers swimming though it admittedly could be chilly water in early June and the pond offers up boating and fishing - maybe not for the racer, but for the fam. All this stuff and the fact that the camp is all about kids most of the year allows us to pull together child care throughout the week as well.

Saturday afternoon took us to the Coopers Gap trails where we sampled bits a pieces of more goodyness with our buddies Rich and Bill from BikeFlights.com giving us the tour of trails like Deer Tick, Beautiful and Lewistown Contingent. These trails are constructed and ride differently than either Allegrippis or the Bald Eagle side of RT322 and, as g'ma was fond of saying, "variety is the spice of life." We kept of the variety end of things by making sure to take in Elk Creek Cafe, Bill Pickle's Tap Room, Genos, the Skellar, and more while visiting State College. Besides helping us map out the courses, the boys from BikeFlights.com are going to be helping us get folks into town for the week. If you know someone from outta town who might want to make the trip we'll hook 'em up with some killer service.

Sunday wrapped things up with trails from behind Tussey ski hill and may have been the best day yet. The Longberger to Tuxedo to Tussey Mountain to Camp Trail loop is almost too much fun for words. Our words anyway. Luckily some other folks who are much better at that sort of medium have chimed in:

Truck on over to see what Bicycling's Ms. Fit Chick has to say: Trans-Sylvania Rocks or head over to CyclingNews.com and check out the feature article on Racing the Trans-Sylvania Epic by our friend Sue George.

Heck, even Braden has started training. Lamby is his co-pilot. They're thinking of entering the Tandem category. Rob doesn't have a chance, no matter how much he's not listening to his coach.

Linglestown to Mount Gretna Tandem Ride

Well I certainly can't step to Rob's Mexico post (see below), but we did have a sweet ride today. Nancy and I rode the tandem on some back roads from our house in Linglestown (just outside of Harrisburg) and made our way to Mt. Gretna. Gretna is an artsy little village, the site of one of the first MTB races I've ever done. Anyone remember the "Pinch Pond Classic" or "Pinch Pond MTB Race" or something like that? I think that Bill Gentile may have been involved in it's promotion.

Gretna actually has some sweet trails. Stop by if you are in the neighborhood. There is one that is pretty new and really rocky / challenging. Super fun.

Anyway, we got to Gretna, rode some rail trail, and back home. About 50 miles. Awesome weather, nice roads. Only hitch was some moron teenage driver who was in a hurry to get home and catch up on Facebook, Vampire novels, or whatever it is that she does. If you are behind a cyclist and want to pass, keep in mind that you should view the bicycle as another vehicle, just like you'd treat a car. Preaching to the choir, I'm sure.

Bye.

mazatlan, mexico bikeless vacation(almost)

so it was supposed to be a week off the bike and just a nice vacation with the wifey. well, i tried. the pics here are in reverse order of our trip (my bad) , but i give a quick story first.---- Day1 flew to phoenix to visit a good friend of mine and his family. we start our trip to flagstaff immediately. -----day2 trip to the grand canyon(yeah its large)---- day 3 fly to masatlan, mexico relax and do nothing. ----day4 same old thang ---- day 5 uh oh, found a local bike shop and find out that mazatlan hosted the 2000 world cup xc race. ------ day 6 broke down and rented the bottom of the barrel mountain bike for 195 pesos a day(16 bucks). departed the resort for my first 6hr tour with my flattop plastic pedals , baggy shorts, and no helmet. checked out some of the locals single track which was awesome till i discovered some toilet paper. then some more toilet paper. then some piles of human crap. then more crap. it was land mine city and my handling skills came in handy. so gross. twenty feet later i come across the reason. a construction site where i guess they cut costs on a porto potty. ( no pics of this trail). next i hooked together a nice road loop. ------day 7 Today i found the world cup coarse and did a few laps , followed by a dirt road tour. ----day 8 after a nice boat tour, sarah broke down and got a bike too and gave her a tour of the downtown and road to the lighthouse mountain. ---- day 9 gave sarah a best of the best tour of trail , roads , and dirt roads. I was able to google earth all the dirt roads around and connect little villages. i would write down some coordinates before we leave and check once once in a while on my old school gps. so here some pics above, sarah ripping around one of the villages we found

endless dirt roads. dejesus would be in dirt road heaven

badass pic , i thought

this is a funny shot. we road up 150 vertical dirt road, the hiked up another 150 of steps while carrying these tanker bikes. so of coarse i thought it would be a fun idea to ride down. the fork will never be the same. i felt bad renting a bike while the owner had no idea what the bike was in for . if you ever do visit mazatlan, visit kellys bikes on the main drag. if the owner , fernando kelly, is around and his knee is better, he'll give ya a tour.

seeing how an entry bike holds up to seven feet to flat

pretending i know how to wall ride

showing up the cliff diver. (in back ground). no helmet needed here because if you fall to the left your done either way. funny part was the street vendors were yelling ," otra, otra" which really means other, but in this case they wanted to see another. they really just wanted to see the tourist gringo plunge to the boulders. who wouldnt?

hardest part of the world cup course. it was nice that the caution tape was even up in places after nine years. at least i knew i was still on track. fun little loop

took a shot of this thinking about the trials unicycle guy. he would be all over this railing

ever blog needs the on the fly self taken shot. here it is . the first and last one you'll ever see

i skipped this dirt road for obvious reasons

here was the first of many flat tire breaks. lots of thorns. check out that rig. the cog on the pulley was so big it could second as a weapon.

i think i see a line here. just adjust your rebound slower for the landing

snow bowl in flagstaff

somewhere in sedona. cool place

best ride ever

Today Nancy and took advantage of the warm weather and did a really sweet ride from her parents place in Lewisburg. I tried to piece together some of the best scenic stuff I remember riding in the area when I was in college. I think I did a decent job missing most of the busy spots but still giving a nice tour of the area.
I am trying to figure out the best and most helpful way of sharing turn by turn riding routes. I a not crazy about MapMyRide but maybe it is the best option. Other suggestions?
Anyway, the ride was great. Hit some really nice country roads...here's a nice rustic (crumbling) barn.
We hit two covered bridges and also a pretty sweet section known as Twin Churches for obvious reasons.
Hope everyone got in a good ride (or whatever it is that you are into) today.
Mike F. just tipped me off to a sweet site call BikeRouteToaster. Here is a link to the course:
http://bikeroutetoaster.com/Course.aspx?course=92318

Back on the Gas

Saturday: The Wayne Scott Memorial Cross presented by the DCCoD and FSVS MAC race in Fair Hill, MD. The short version: Mike’s stellar bike-handling skills and flat-out speed brought him to the top of the podium yet again this season. That win, combined with a win and a second place finish last weekend unofficially gives Mike the MAC Masters title for 2009. While my race was cut short because I was feeling a bit under the weather, I did enjoy watching Mike ride oh-so-smoothly around the Fair Hill course that included tons of technical turns, traverses of the barns, and tricky squiggles through a sandy riding ring. (That was probably my favorite part to ride, too.)

Sunday: back in PA! Mike and I decided to combine some solid local cyclocross racing with family fun on a gorgeous, sunny, warm November day. After his decisive win the day before, Mike decided to take the day off; I wanted to race, so we headed down to the Spring Mount Cyclocross race presented by Philadelphia Ciclismo and sponsored by Cadence Performance Cycling and Multisport and VeloEuropa Imports/Cyfac. It was a deceptively challenging course through the scenic Upper Salford Park not far from Philadelphia. Racers flew through tight turns, ran the deep sand, leapt over the stream (twice per lap!) and the barriers, and navigated slick, deep muddy sections. There were few places to catch your breath on this course, and the unexpected mud drained your power. Fellow Emmaus, PA racer Christine Fennessy (South Mountain Cycles and Coffee Bar) led out the Women’s Open race, with me on her wheel. We traded time at the front on the first lap until I gradually pulled away and continued to a solo win; Christine finished second and Philadelphia racer Lisa Most (Engin Cycles) came in third. Mike’s encouragement kept me pedaling hard all the way through.

The race drew both experienced racers and plenty of beginners out giving ‘cross a try at a nearby race – one of the great things about having a strong grassroots cycling scene. The event was well-organized and the cheering was intense, so I think it’s safe to say everyone had a great time. With such beautiful weather, we were lucky to have some non-racing spectators, too: folks who’d come out to stroll through the park, walk the dog, or play with the kids at the playground and were then drawn to the crazy spectacle of a cyclocross race.

After my race was over, our son Isaac and I headed over to the playground where he hit all the one-year-old favorites: swings, sandbox and climb-on statues. I ended up chatting with a local woman out walking her dog who started asking me about the race when she realized I’d just finished riding. She’d never heard of cyclocross but ended up sticking around to watch the racers ride things she didn’t think you could on a bicycle. We found common ground talking about how riding a bike can be a great way for regular people with jobs and families to stay in shape and enjoy the outdoors with friends.

transylvania stage race preparations

Yes , this was a better option than green cross #3. look at those smiles

kuhn making those rocks his you know what

check out the scenery on this one

some campground scenery

one of the lodges

some cabins

This is the camp where most of stages will start from. awesome accomidations . very cool scene

This past weekend kuhndog and i headed up to state college to get a feel on some logistics for the stage race next year that is over memorial day week.( see link on side of blog) We met up with sue from cyclingnews.com who got a good feel for what we are going to pull off for the stage race and why a race like this is needed in the northeast. We took a tour of the camp ground which will have everything from camping to daycare. there are cabins or tenting plots, rv spots(maybe with a hookup)a pool, playground, helicopter pad, a lake, dining hall, showers , first aid station,and we are even trying to pull off a communication station with wifi. yes it will be bada$$. As for the riding. well, we got a loop together already for the time trial and i believe it will not disappoint . It has a nice mix of singletrack and gravel road and nothing is too difficult. On sunday sue, kuhn, and i did another 3hr loop along a ridge (pictured somewhere here) which was amazing. Had killer flow and the options for a fun lines were endless. most of the trails we did on sunday will be part of one of the other stages. i'm giddy already

Off-Season Activities

Since the mountain bike season is well over, Ray is not able to mountain bike, and well, because I enjoy it, i've been doing some trail running lately. Nothing crazy, just some nice mid-length trail runs. Ray has even joined in, despite the face that his body seems to reject it every time he starts to get into it. I digress. Two of my favorite areas to get a nice 1 - 1.5 hour trail run in are Boyd Bid Tree Preserve and Swatara State Park.

Boyd Big Tree is a conservation area that has about 12 miles of trails for hiking. Unfortunately, because of its "Conservation Area" classification, mountain biking is not permitted, but it is a great place to trail run. Most of the trails are doubletrack, with just enough rocky, technical singletrack to make things interesting. The park is basically located on the north side of Blue Mountain, which because of its location, offers several challenging climbs and descents.

Swatara State Park is a great, purely singletrack system of trails that also totals about 12 miles, however new trails are always in the works. These trails were designed and built by the Susquehanna Area Mountain Bike Association and make for a beginner-friendly, super-fast, twisty ride. Rocks are almost non-existent, however there are numerous logs which are good for practicing log hopping skills. As for running, the trails are perfect offering gentle grades with numerous options to do a short or longer run.

Boyd's Big Tree and Swatara State Park are both great places to enjoy fall's mild temperatures and central PA's beautiful fall foliage! Check 'em out!

Back On

As some may know, I busted my wrist about 6 weeks ago at the final race in the Michaux series. It was a bummer since all I had to do was finish and I would have placed 2nd in the series, which would have been monumental for me since I never even had been able to finish all three long races in a season. Anyway, got a sweet titanium plate installed on the radius to ensure quick and proper healing, and she's almost good as new.

Which brings me up to the story at hand. Yesterday I went for a ride on the old single speed road bike. Why ride the SS when fitness is less than stellar? Not sure, other than you have an excuse all set to go when you need it. It's a fun bike and I didn't feel like shifting. I rode to do a couple errands, then decided, just for the heck of it, to see how I could do on a climb after 6 weeks spent off the bike. The climb I selected is a touch one: Parkway West here in Harrisburg. The section I did takes 6-7 minutes when I am in shape, not sure of grade or any of that jazz. At the onset, the plan was to do as much as I could, then turn back and head home. To do the whole grade is a tall order on a SS.

So, I start up and after a couple curves in the road, who do I see but a road cyclist, fully decked out, looking real pro. He's headed up the same direction I am. So, of course, this changes things. I pretty much have to make it to the top or lose any claim that I own this climb (which, of course, I do, since it is in my back yard). Passing him was actually pretty easy since the SS dictates your speed. Finishing the climb was super tough, though. I have not dug that deep in a looooong time. I used the whole road, weaving side to side. Finally made it up, out of breath and hurting.

That's that. I'll have to introduce you to the single speed real soon. That's a story in itself.
Later.

River Towns Finale

This past weekend Kara & I made the drive to Danville for the 14th annual DACC 5k. Being that the race was on Halloween, the promoters got into the spirit with theie parade float and some cool Zombie & Dracula costumes. They also used the Halloween theme to great success by having every corner marshalled by a volunteer in an oange race t-shirt. In just the three events we did in the series, the thing that stands out is how much passion the promoters and race series director have. Definitely enjoying the experience is paramount, and we are looking forward to doing more of the RiverTowns Series next year.
On to the race.
It amazes the amount of energy in teens. It is kind of cool to watch kids at running races go crazy for 1/4 to 1 mile just to see how long they can stay in the lead. The DACC race was no different. The passion of youth was in full force, as I was only 10th after a lap on the track. A nice steady pace put me at mile 1 in 5:30 and in third, with kara just behind at 5:48. We then turned on to a Dike to run almost 1/2 mile directly into a 15 mph headwind. I sat behind another guy until we were off the Dike and then made a steady made to run straight through. As the course turned I could see Kara coming off of the Dike and she had a comfy lead and was 6th overall. I hit the 2 mile mark around 11:15. I knew the last mile was predominantly uphill through the Danville State Hospital grounds. It was cool running through DSH, as I used to go there every Tuesday when it was part of my territory. That was definitely an interesting experience. I decided to hit it for the rise and see if I could drop the guy with me. Sure enough the TWO days of land training I had done in October must have paid off. I moved away and there was no knee or IT Band pain. I actually raced the last mile only glancing back once. Onto the track and my gap was secure. I crossed in 18:30 for the win and Kara rolled a 19:47 for the Women's win. After we did a little "Map My Run", we confirmed our thoughts, the course was a little long.
The event was great and I would highly recomend it. Super volunteers, safe course, nice ups, downs, turns, terrain changes, hot coffee, good eats and a super sweet $100 payout to win.
I dig this series.

What are you doing this weekend?

Looks like the team will be all over the place this weekend. Hebe is running in Danville, THE Yozell's are on another mission of 'cross, Ray is drowning the sorrow of his busted ass wrist in the Finger Lakes and Robster and I will be hitting the farm and enjoying some poached Lamb after.

Press Camp for Trans-Sylvania is close to finalized and we can't wait to get those folks to State College so they can help everyone tune in to what awaits next May 30-June 5, 2010. Lots of updates to do to the site too and gotta get a YouTube channel up and running...and figure out how the heck to do videos. I've a bunch of cool footage from Iron Cross that would be great to get up before next year. I figure if that 5 year old on the Microsoft commercials can do it - well, never mind, I'm screwed.

Video after the weekend? There's a 50-50 chance I'll make it, though there is only a 10% of that.

Kuhn

green cross#2

location : mahwah, nj----- total commute there: 82 miles-----race total: 1hr vo2max-----commute home: 85(got lost)----race position DFL(probably)-----Time on bike: 14hrs------Special thanks to giant tent for tools and warm socks to get home to one po'd wife. ----- also thanks to my lupine betty of doing providing enough light to get me home. you can go all night with a betty . giggitty. too tired to type more

Rest and relaxation.

Well the first half of the cross season is in the books. Time for a well deserved rest after the mud fest that was Granogue and the suffer fest that was Wissahickon. First off let me just give a huge hats off to the DCCoD and Kelly and all the folks at Wiss and Human Zoom and The Sturdy girls for outstandingly organized and run races.
As mentioned Granogue was a real riders course . With a huge Nor'easter blanketing the area and hanging for days the grounds on the Estate were soaked through and torn up from the earlier heats. As the day progressed things deteriorated even more prompting the promoters to make corrections and change lines. All well and good unless it's during a race. Lot's of bike changes and a well working pit crew were a key. Finished the day 2nd after a back and forth day with Matt Kraus. Rodger Aspholm takes the win just ahead of us.
Sunday Dawned Cold windy and wet. The course at Wiss changed from race to race and dried out considerably by the Men's Elite race at the end of the day. We even had sun to look forward to.
In the Masters race it was Kraus and I at the start. Aspholm bridged at the start of the 2nd lap leaving me in his wake. Just didn't have the legs to go with him. In the end it was Rodger on the top step and Matt and I taking 2nd and third respectively. Second race went well till the 5 to go card showed up, legs emptied and boy it seemed to get cold. Still I made 10 bucks on the run up picking 1$'s out of the mud. Seems to help the legs when you can entertain the crowd.
Erica stomped on the woman's Elite race. After slipping a pedal at the start and dropping to the back of the race she showed grit and determination and worked her way all the way back to the top ten, finishing 9th for the day. That earned her 2 coveted UCI points and gets her off the back row at the starts. Watching her go from Mom to competitor is always a thing of beauty. And boy o boy can she ride well in the mud.
Like I started with, it's time for a rest. 8 weeks on leaves you tired but in our case still wanting more.

Foreshadowing????

Tomorrow is another first in my year of many racing firsts. A canoe tri. I will be doing the Chili Challenge instead of Granogue this year. The Chili Challenge is a 20 mile bike race, followed by a 2.2 mile paddle in a lake and finishes with a 5.2 mile run around the lake. I am equal parts excited and nervous. Due to multiple injuries, I have been limited in my running. Lately my riding is not without a fair amount of pain. The race is part of a cool multi-discipline series called the RiverTowns Races, that hopefully will be supporting the team in ott ten, so I am going to see what all the good buzz around this event is.

With the ongoing and impending weather that we are experiencing, this will definitely be a challenge. With rain and temps in the 30's, much of the race will be won and lost due to staying warm and dry. We have so many clothes packed for the event, it is not even funny. The bike will be crucial to the race, not so much in the actual time, but in being able to be warm and dry. The need to be dry to start a 35 minute paddle in the cold rain can not be overstated. With rain pants and fenders mounted on each bike, we are opting for dry comfort. Take a gander at the rides above. Good stuff, fenders, aero clip-ons, cx tires, road gearing it is all good.

I will fill in the fine points after the race.

Hebe

Iron Cross 2009

IC VII is in the books. Check out Rob pullin' down 4th overall and breaking for 4 hr barrier. Hebe, Ray, Nancy and me on race duties and enjoying a beauteaus day in the PA woods. I think we're all looking to get back in the mix in IC VIII, Oct 10, 2010! Enjoy this!!

Outside looking in

That is a nice way to explain the good times at Iron Cross this past weekend. I decided to not race this year and volunteer for the day at CP2. It was such a different perspective to watch a race, albeit at one section where you see people for five seconds to a couple of minutes out of a 4-6 hour race. In that brief period you get a feel for the race. Who is good, who is off, and some race dynamics. What you get even more is the sense of friednliness of the racers and the comraderie. I made it a point to call out everyone I knew as they came through the checkpoint. A quick "hello", "you are doing great", something positive to go on for the next two hours. What was so much better in return was the thankfullness of all the racers.
Iron Cross was very rewarding for me this year. I helped out fellow racers, I enjoyed a beautiful day outside and I got an appreciation of how hard it is "to just hand out water".
Next time you have the chance to volunteer, do it. Without people giving back, we could never be able to race our bikes.

last horrah for endurance

Ironically, this comes in the form of a cyclocross race appropriately named , Ironcross. It happens this sunday in michaux . Saturday is the ironlight which is a typical length cross race. Sundays event, however, is around 62 miles(i think) and mountain bike are allowed. And no license is needed. I remember trying this race a few years back and really racing for at least 15 minutes until i realized it was way easier to look around at the pretty colors of fall. (Some may call that ADD, i call it season tapering) From that point i kept a steady pace while enjoying a sunday joy ride. That being said, no matter your racing style this may very well be your last chance to enjoy a marked out, catered ride/race of an endurance distance. ------------On the west side this weekend make sure you check out a 24hr battle between brandon, chris e, josh t, earnie, and kelly. It's gonna be a good one. the battle takes place in Moab and can be followed in real time scoring on grannygear.com. i will be handing off my grannygear 24hr national points championship title to brandon for this year. (watched this year from the sidelines while taking a stab at the nue) He killed it in the last 2 events and has it wrapped up. Good Job!!!! I like to think i taught him a thing or two about 24s. But it may just be like those soccer dads that wish they were as good as their kids when they were that age. i can still beat him in 24hrs of landscaping.

Weekend wrap up

here are some pics from the gap gallop. coach kuhn showed here trying to beat the calorie deficit. He burned 4000 but consumed 14000. Way to go coach. Yeah we were trying to get out $20 worth. What a fun tour . great weather , ride , and company. After yesterdays 5 hour tour with brandon at michaux , this century definitely finished off the legs. ----------------- And one special shout out is needed for the weekend. Goes to VMB. (valley mountain bikers)(bikevmb.com) They had a great turn out today for national take a kid mountain biking day, held at jordon park in allentown. I really wanted to go check it out and help but the century took a bit longer than i thought. I heard all the kids had a great time and the day went smoothly. Thank you vmb for helping the future of the sport. But don't let them get to fast. i'm not getting any younger.

Gap Gallop

If any readers are unsure of their plans this Sunday and are close to the lehigh valley check out the Gap Gallop. This is a road ride put on by the lehigh valley wheelmen(and woman) with three options. A century, metric century , of a half. All options have stocked food stations of yummy goodness. Starts at northampton community college anytime between 7and 9. More info at bikereg.com The roads in this area are amazing especially this time of year. The full century takes you over Blue Mountain, along the northside of the mountain , through delaware water gap , and back(not the same way). I think you see a maximum of three traffic lights the entire time. Awesome riding!!! Go check it out

Super D at Blue Mt

Yesterday while the rest of our team and the Mikes were probably playing follow the leader through smooth lush turf grass and jumping through sand boxes on their tippy toes,(although fun, i'll never understand cyclocross) i decided to thrown my hat into the ring of downhill. It was the last race of Blue mt vertical earth series in palmerton, pa. The specific discipline was super D which is a more gradual race course with an occasional flat spot or even small climb in the course. I like to go into these things with a pre excuse why i didn't win so i road to the race and decided to race my cannondale f29 instead of the perp which was down at the time and was built specifically for events like this.
I left the house at 8 and started my bike commute. By 915 i arrived and was well warmed up so i got in two high speed practice runs. At 11 we met up top and waited for our one minute interval start. I was waiting a bit back and heard somebody in a sarcastic tone" i cant believe somebody is racing with a lefty down this thing." Of course that somebody was me and that somebody also beat him by two minutes. Two minutes in a downhill course is like and hour in XC. My run was totally smooth thanks to big wheels and a big gear, except in the last 300yrds my chain got real stuck and i had to coast to the finish. I think i made up 30sec on the slight "climb" in the beginning compared to the big suspension bikes. I ended up 4th , 2seconds off of third with a time of 6:47. I was stoked when i looked at the timing board where most of the times were in the 7's and 8's.
I got to watch dual slalom event which is a blast. Got to see JaydeJesus , who taught me a thing or two about bike handling, have a really smooth run. You really need big ones for that event.
A good buddy of mine showed up and we did downhill runs till 5. Oh what fun. Despite my calves getting a workout from the hardtail , that bike was real fun on that mountain. I think Blue is open for free riding for a few more weekend. Go check it out.
It was either that i was bonking , or the rain that started, or my scenic route home that got me back at 7:00 and starving.
I was hoping for a podium pic but this will have to do. Good friend of mine , Chris Tollota(who may be possibly the smoothest rider ever), Dakota, and i after my run. I think i had fun. I'm smiling.

The not so GREEN cross schedule

Since Robbie is way tougher than I, he may feel free to race GREEN this year. I on the other hand will continue to help Big Oil and drive to the MAC and PA series events.
That being said this past weekend opened up the MAC series at Nittany Croos in T-town. Mr. Yozell and I picked up where we left off last year at PA states. The VisitPA.com cross juggernaut was off on full swing dominating the front of the Elite Masters race. Immediately we make the group of five and proceed to drive the group. With Mike Y. riding extremely well it was a matter of us driving the pace and getting Mike to the front at the end.
With some strong team riding and incredible technical skills Mike Y was able to win the first event of the season by outsprinting our breakaway group of five. I came in a decent 4th. It had to be a cool sight to see "The Mikes" driving the front of the race.
More to come on day 2 of the MAC opening weekend. A little hint, a certain Mike who won on Saturday, may very well have won AGAIN on Sunday.
Thanks to our great sponsors. The new Northwave shoes were awesome, stiff, yet easy to run in. Tha Cannondale CAAD9 cross bikes are extremely stiff, and ride so smoothly. Without the support of all of our sponsors, especially VisitPA.com, we would not be able to do what we love.
Thank you.
Mike H

http://www.cyclingcaptured.com/2009-Cycling-Season/Cyclocross/Nittany-Lion-Cross-1315/9707725_5MDNa#658737825_Rkjuw

the green calender

So every year about this time i get sick of driving. Hundreds of miles for work every week followed by hours in the car for races on the weekend. Well, not this fall. I have come up with the brilliant idea to plan my cross season with races close(well maybe) to my crib. i figure if i publicly post it, i'll be more inclined to stick to it. So here it is, the tentative calender.

9/26 Super D at blue mtn (palmerton, pa) ok, not cross , but crazy fun
10/11 Ironcross - i think i'll drive to this one
10/18 Wiss cross (philly area) bout 70 miles each way
10/25 Mahwah cross (northern jersey) this one will hurt, 80 miles each way
11/8 spring mount cross 35 miles each way
11/14 west windsor , nj cross (56 miles each way)
12/5 p-burg cross (a pleasant 10 miles away)

disclaimer: to the young impressionable readers. Doing something silly like this will not help you get stronger. it may in fact burn you out. i just don't know any better. stay tuned for some good bonking stories!!!

2010 team tattoo

Fresh ink to celebrate the end of XC season even though i was one spot off of my top 5 NUE series goal. i heard Nancy is getting her entire arm done like this. should be sick!!!

Mountain bike racers- maybe the most polite athletes around

Yesterday was the shenandoah 100, my fifth and final 100 mile effort for the season. I was pleased with my four previous results which already put me in sixth (or maybe even 5th depending on the last 100 out west finishes up) for the series. i never got a chance at this hundred in previous years, usually due to a 24hr conflict so i was excited to do something new. not to mention, events that chris scott puts on never disappoint. Probably why this event was sold out. The camping was awesome, along with all the other logistics that go into a 100 mile event. Chris also keeps in mind that not all want to finish a race and eat a hamburger, so he even has boca burger options upon your finish. I'm sold.
So the race was a gradual start but within 20 minutes it turned into a normal XC pace race. The lead 7 dudes(JB, Christian, Jeffery, Sam K, Jesse, Brandon, and Chris B) were out in front quite a bit . I settled in for a lovely day spent with Gerry P, Greg Kuhn, Blair, and one more tall dude which i unfortunately forget his name. Somewhere along the way Greg got ahead and we caught up to Beck who was recovering from a nasty headache. I told him to get on the train and i started feeling real strong. We dropped Blair and his buddy. Gerry , the animal that he is, gave some monster pulls and worked with me nicely. It was great having him around for most of the day. We eventually caught Greg K and i was still feeling great. Shortly after that (about the same time Gerry shouted out that we only had one more XC race left for the day, which i had some choice words for that comment) I started cramping a bit and the grade of the 15mile climb (called the soul crusher)was getting steeper. Gerry , Beck , and Greg started pulling ahead . They were about 30-40yrds ahead and i really wanted to stay with them so i rang by bell. Now, what other sport has people like this?? They actually waited. Only in mountain biking can you find racers fighting for the top 10 in the biggest , and the most highly contested series around actually look back and pause a bit so the slacker can catch up. The cramps kept coming so i backed of eventually anyway and road my own pace for the rest of the day.
At the end , i finished 10th place feeling great with a time of 7;40. My equipment was flawless from my Cannondale Caffeine(actually of top 10, 6 riders were on Cannondale), To my ever so comfortable Deuter hydration pack. Thanks to all our team sponsors. Hope we made you proud

Hmmmm home cookin'

This past weekend I had the good fortune to go back to my old collegiate stomping grounds, Indiana, PA. I was going to Yellow Creek State Park to contest round #5 in the Mid-Atlantic XTerra series. Yellow Creek is a really cool park complete with sweet hiking and biking trails, nature centers, a swimming area with beach and power boating as well.
On the drive up I decided to take in a little more of our beautiful state, and opted for Rte 56 from Bedford to Johnstown. I travelled this route 20+ years ago going to college and still remembered parts, and was amazed by the sights and beauty. From the Johnstown Incline and War Memorial Stadium ("I don't want no stinkin' rut beer") to multiple five plus mile climbs the drive was great.
Sunday came around like the past three weeks in Western PA, rain. The already slick, greasy, water laden trails were only enhanced. About an hour before the race the ski cleared and all was good. The swim portion of the race was distinctly longer than the 800 meters advertised. Oh well, I got in a groove and swam second, third most of the leg. Into and out of transition I went and proceeded to be in the lead after about five minutes on the bike. My Cannondale 29er again worked flawlessly through the prolonged small, yes small, ring climbing. Once I hit the quick singletrack and the forest roads the big wheels just started rolling. I hit the run transition first, with the fastest bike split again. Out on to the soggy trails I went. The run felt great, even on the steep switchback climb it all felt good. With about a mile to go I could see no one was near me and I started to think i was finally going to win* (* I won in WV, but the swim was cancelled) one of these things. Out into the open and there is the finish. I ended up winning by 2:45 over some pretty good competition. The result pretty much sealed my #1 ranking for Mid-Atlantic 40+ regional champ. It also put me in a very good spot to win the National Point Series title for 40+.
Another great race came together in large part to our generous sponsors: VisitPA.com, Cannondale, Rudy Project to name a few.
Until next time.