Bumper!

Just a fun little story...So i am on my way from Boston to North Cakalacky(Carolina) for the next NMBS. I am about an hour out of Boone, it's getting dark, it's raining, and then I hear a pretty large CRACK! At first I think I must of just ran something over...then I hear it again and I look in my rear view mirror and see my bikes lofting sideways! Nearly exploding in my pants, I quickly charge over to the shoulder and through on the hazard lights. I pop out of the van and run around to the back only to find, that the left hand side of my bumber had come completely detached from the car!

In full panic mode I rip the bikes of the bike rack shove them into the back of the van , by way of the side doors, because I can't get the back ones open due to the bumber being dislodged. I then start wrestling with the bike rack, trying to get it out of the tow hitch, but my dad has wedged the thing in there so good that there is no way in heck I am going to get it out. In the mean time there are semi's screaming by and the rain is still coming down. I then stop and think about what the heck I am going to do??? I then use my boy scout skills and find the cable I use to lock the bikes up, some bungie cords, and some twine and proceed to try and tie the bumper up as best I can. Somewhat satisfied with my tie up job I head back on the road and decide that I am just going to try and make it to the place I am staying, So i finish the drive going about 45mph and with my hazards on so if some not so smart person comes up behind me and the whole thing falls off, at least I can say "my hazards where on!"

I just can't believe I never took a picture of it...

Nat's...

and not the bug! Mountain Bike national championships in Mount Snow Vermont was a force to be reckoned with. The rain seems to be haunting me everywhere I go. Or as some might say..."I am a gluten for punishment"

I got there wednesday morning and headed out for quite the delightful pre-ride. I felt great and the weather was nice and the course was all totally rideable and fun. Andy our awesome team mechanic fixed up the ol' riddin' machine. It seemed that the weekend was going to be great! That was until the clouds darkened and the rain came...and came...and once again came. It basically rained every day and every night up until race day on Friday.

Pre-riding the course on thursday was not so bad and most of it was still ridable but a bit sloppy, but it continued all through the night, to leave us with the toughest course of the year! But that is what nat's are all about right?

The start was good up the fire road, but it all changed instantely as soon as we headed into the woods. I almost feel like I did more running on this course than actually riding. The second ascent consisted of about a mile long run up hill through the woods in ankle deep mud...Oh what fun! I hate, I mean I love running. The task of the race quickly went from trying to do well, to trying to survive and just finish in one piece, which fortunatley I was able to do. It was great to see a change in throne, with Mary taking over the Nat's champion jersey from Georgia.

Short track was a quite a bit better than the XC race. For instance it was dry! But it was also fast as hell! I had a great start and felt good until I dumbly looked at the clock to see that only 5 minutes had gone by. But i hung in there for a bit longer, only to be greeted by USADA when I was pulled from the race. Fortunately I was an alternate and at the conclusion of the race I was released from there custody!

Overall, it was a fun weekend. I would of liked to of done better, but oh well! It's a learning year and I will tell you I have already learned a heck of alot!

When it rains it pours

So some of you all thought that the "Soggy Otter" was bad! It's nothing to what I just went through at Pat's Peak! We all know that east coast riding is definitely different then west coast riding in more ways then one. I believe the consensus would be that it is definitely more technically challenging. Another factor that I first had got to experience yesterday is that it can also be a lot wetter, especially in the middle of summer.

So I show up to the race with my Michelin Dry2's on my Cannondale (these are tires designed for dry conditions, hence the Dry2'S) and a rear derailleur that seems to only want to stay in about 3 of the 9 or whatever it is cogs, on the cassette. I figured, "there has gotta be some sort of neutral support or something out there that can help me when I get there" Oh the words of the spoiled pro rider who has support at every national race...dumb butt is more like it.

Any who I decided to do a warm-up lap on the course, since it is only 5 miles and all I can think is "what a great course". I will be fine with these tires...


At the start we are instructed that we are to do 4 laps, as the USA Cycling official gives us our instructions the skies over head begin to darken. Finally the gun goes off and we are headed up the hill, low and behold my legs feel great and I am meandering my way up to the front of the pack. At the top of the first climb I have already got a pretty good gap and as the lap continues it just gets bigger and bigger. I think I have got this one in the bag!

Up until... First it started with some distant thunder claps, that quickly sounded closer and closer and was shortly followed by massive rain. Before I knew it I was slip sliding through the woods, trying my best to navigate between the roots and rock. On the uphills I was getting about 3 wheel rotations to every 20 pedal strokes or so it felt. I quickly slip back into fourth place. I was burning up energy and going absolutely no where fast. On the descent it was all I could do to stay upright, sliding sideways into turns. After lap two I thought for sure they were going to cut this race short, but apparently that doesn't happen out here. At the end of the third lap the notion crosses my mind..."just quit now, this race means nothing", "but you already made it through 3 laps just one more to go". I frustratingly make my way around the fourth lap and am headed down the final descent when I hear someone behind me...I nicely pull towards the side and say "go ahead". To my dismay it's another girl...crap, why in the heck did I do that? I decide to take some major risks...and stay on her tail, finally we get through the descent and head up the last hill towards the finish, I really turn on the gas, catch her and keep piling it on! I manage a gap that she can't contest and pull across the finish in 4th, and a bloody muddy mess!

My perifromis was in full spasm, my bike barely worked, I was muddy, cold, and hungry...But it felt sooooo freaking good to be done!

The low down...

So after two weeks in Aspen Colorado doing some awesome R&R (riding and relaxation), picking up a new travel buddy



I then headed off to Durango Colorado to the Rick Crawford ranch in order to get some more high altitude training in and get a chance to talk with the great man himself. The trails in Durango were awesome and Snickers went for her first Mountain bike ride.



After a couple lovely days in Durango..I found out my Parents where going to be in Chama, New Mexico for the 4th of July and it was only about 1.5 hours from Durango and still at altitude....so I headed off. Only to then find my self breaking down as soon as I got into town.


Isn't Chama just beautiful...actually it really is some of the best country I have ever scene. So after one serpantine belt and one new alternater later and some fireworks...off I go again back to Colorado with the intent of going to Boulder but only to be side tracked to my friends place inbetween Salida and Buena Vista (look it up on a Map). Namely because they had a good mechanic in town to check over the Van and make sure stuff was done right. I was then histatic to find out that now the AC compresser had gone out. There was no way in heck I was going to head east without a AC nor was Snickers, so we had to stay in Co a couple of extra days...darn! This ment that I really got to ride some of the best trails ever! If you are ever in that area let me know and i will totally hook you up with some of the best riding in your life! Oh and Snickers got her first bed, but is still figureing out quite how to use it.





Once again I was off! This time all the way to the east coast, the blood is thick and ready to get down to sea level. However, the van had other ideas...I got about an hour from my friends house when, total shut down occured. The fuel pump was clogged. Fortunately the guy got me fixed up and back on the road.

So two days later, 2000 some odd miles, one serpantine belt, one alternator, one ac compressor, one fuel filter, one lose battery connection and a road weary body later here I sit in Boston awaiting a local race this Sunday only to further await the big Kahuna of National Championships next Friday!