International Waffle Report

On my recent trip to Europe, I managed to hang in my old stomping grounds of Annecy, France for a couple of days while I was working. While I was there, I became quite fond of this little local waffle stand. Of course, they served them with my favorite topping, Nutella. I frequented there so much, that I not only had a frequent waffler card, but I filled it. So when I return there in September, I have a free waffle coming my way...perfect post ride food after a long day in the saddle I'm thinking.
Because of my "habit," someone on our trip coined the nickname of "International Waffler" for me. So now, amongst other nicknames I am expected to answer to like "Pat in the Hat," "Wee Man," "Gun Show" and "Pedro,", I now have the pressure of not only answering to "International Waffler" but I must also live up to that name.
To help in my new found appreciation of oddly yet symmetrically shaped cooked batter, Patrick and Debbie Kelly sent me this lovely professional grade waffle maker. I am now complete (almost). I can hang my head high and with great pride when I hear the words "International Waffler" uttered, for I have on, I am one and I have the card to prove it. This morning, I woke up and decided to make myself some waffles and enjoy the sunrise before I jumped on the bike to spin out the legs after yesterday's self inflicted pain-fest. I was thinking it would be easy...I make pancakes all the time. All I need to do is make the batter a little bit thinner...pour it into the iron...hit go and wait the programmed 4 minutes...Right?
WRONG! I failed to follow ALL of the directions. In tiny print at the bottom of the package below the nutritional facts the mix calls for a tablespoon of oil for making waffles. So after 20 minutes of prep, reading the waffle maker directions, making the batter up, pre-heating the machine, Blah, blah, Blah...I am left with a mess, a grumbling stomach and no time to now fix anything if I want to get out on the bike. So I forgot about my leisurely Sunday morning breakfast and settled for this...
Luckily, I managed to make myself yet another cup of coffee during the whole Waffle Massacre. So I had that going for me. I have many options when it comes to making coffee (five to be exact) but recently I was informed that I was not really a coffee aficionado until I owned one of these...
So my quest for the perfect waffles and cup of coffee continues...
Enjoy the coffee...

Somedays you're the nail, somedays you're the hammer!

Today, I HAMMERED! Yup, that's gold, and yup, I'm happy.
While just about everybody I know that races was either up in Redding racing phat tires or down in Madera racing skinny tires, I decided to forego the ten hour round trip for three hours of racing up in Redding for a small local race, which also happens to be one of my favorite courses in the country, Boggs Mountain. It is a small race just North of Calistoga in the mountains above the Napa Valley. The drive there is spectacular, and the course is a real mountain bike course with plenty of climbs and singletrack. The weather was a comfortable 81 degrees, a far cry from the two feet of snow they had just weeks ago.
Sure we had a small field, but there was definitely some worthy competitors there. Besides, it's a race...ANYTHING can happen. So my plan for the day was stay with the lead group and hope my legs would survive the 2 plus hours of racing the four laps would render. At the start of these small races, I like to get out in front and stay out of danger of someone crashing and ending my season. From the word go, I dropped the hammer, brought up the speed to the point of pain, throttled back a small bit and held it there. At the top of the first climb, I glanced over my shoulder and to my surprise, I had a gap of 15 seconds. I was feeling great so I put my head down and got to work. So much for plans of holding on...
I held that same pace all race long and never surrendered the lead. I managed to steadily increase my margin every lap, though I never felt comfortable and let up. My legs managed to hang in there and I was pleased with the results...mostly with the sensation of finally putting together a great ride where the body responded well.
This could not have come at a better time with NORBA Nationals round 1 next weekend down in Los Angeles and after my Sore Loser attitude I had last weekend with the Chuckleheads. My training is finally starting to show in the races...not just in training. That's good considering how much training I have put in over the winter...in the rain... and how many BIG races I have coming up in this, my final season as a full time professional. Again, it was a bit of an emotional day, knowing that this would be the last time I would race Boggs at the top of my game. I certainly made sure I enjoyed the ride regardless of the results on paper, but victory sure is sweet. Hopefully this is not my last...

I think this had something to do with my performance today.

Race report: Dance of the Chuckleheads

Saturday was a great example of how attitude is everything. I had a road race in the green hills surrounding Livermore. The terrain and scenery is beautiful this time of year, but give it a month or so and this place becomes a whole different world, hot, dry and windy. Evidence of this is the windmill farm in the surrounding hills. Yeah, it's pretty much a wind tunnel most of the year, but Saturday, we were spared the wind and the forecasted rain. You could say it was a nice ride in the countryside.

I will spare you the details of how the race went down blow by blow for two reasons...First, it's like trying to describe in detail and with great enthusiasm the act of drying paint. And second, NOTHING of significance happened. In the opening minutes of the race, one of my fellow pro mountainbikers went out on a solo attack. I knew it might be crazy, but then again, he knows how to go hard from the gun and never let up...it's just how mountainbikers race.

On the beginning of the second lap, three went up the road on the attack, one, yet another pro mountainbiker, and another a close friend of mine. I was in the wrong place on the road to join them (my bad) and if I did, I risked pulling the whole field with me, killing the attack and my legs in the process. My plan was to spare my legs for three of the four laps, sit in and just patrol the front and hope that it would come back together. I had two teammates to help me do this, Joaquim and Harry. Both of them were stars in my mind for keeping me out of the wind.

So with four up the road, at the beginning of lap two of four, the race was effectively over. Sure we had two laps left, and if the cat 3's had any racing sense, the teams might have gotten together and pulled the break back, but they didn't. It was us 100 vs. four of them...simply they had no chance on a flat race like this, but then again, the cat 3's are a bunch of selfish riders, only concerned about themselves. I sent Harry and Joaquim up to the front and try to organize a chase with some other teams, but all that was happening was them slaying themselves and a bunch of clowns tagging along doing nothing.

So, I was riding with a bunch of chuckleheads. I realized that I missed the move, and the race was over, and my attitude went from great to frustrated, riding around with all of these selfish little CHUCKLEHEADS. They won't do anything to help, yet when you try to do something, they squelch it. ARRRRRGH! I sat there, trying in vain to make something happen and killing my legs in the process, but nothing came of it. At that moment, I HATED road racing. I was in no mood to ride smart and stick to the plan or open up a can of mountainbiker whoop ass and ride away from them at the finish.

I gained some composure and realized I had bigger fish to fry later in the season, and this was "just a training race". The race came down to the huge group beating each other up on the final climb to the finish (as usual). I finished in the group in around 15th or so. I am not really sure (and didn't really care).

I lived to fight another day, and I will. I got some great intensity training in. I learned more about how the selfish Chuckleheads won't race smart, just for themselves. Yet all I could think about was fish tacos, mariachi bands and sunsets in Mexico as I rode back to the car. That put me in a better mood. Baja Fresh would have to suffice for now, but you will find me in Mexico, enjoying the real deal, soon I hope. Wanna go?

Addendum: here is the official Tam Racing race report. FYI, I was just clowning around for the photo. Little did I know I would be riding against a bunch of clowns.

Wear Your Sunscreen...

Sea Otter got the best of my spirit. All the grains of sand and mud crushed me. I am still finding piles of sand in random bags and mud stains on clothing that I swore I washed three times. My poor bike needs hours of work to get in racing shape for next weekend. And still it rains so I tried something new this week. Starting on Monday, I decided winter was done with me. On my training rides I will no longer wear all those extra clothes, the wetsuit gloves, plastic rain jackets, the winter shorts, the heavy duty leg warmers, the neoprene shoe covers and the cumbersome fenders. In fact, my new bike came in and it does not have room for fenders, so by default, Winter is over. I am in control of the weather and I did not even know it. Part of my defiance of winter included the liberal application of Sunscreen. Instead of the warm clothing to cover up every square inch of exposed skin, I was trying reverse psychology, and it worked. To accentuate my sheer defiance, I busted out my new Smith glasses and did not select the standard clear lenses I have been riding in all winter with Rain-X on them. Nope, I decided to rock the lenses that most resembled something you would wear on a bright sunny beach in Mexico (the lenses, not the glasses as they only look good under a helmet).

Without even checking the weather, I decided to run with it. I would ride as long as I could take it, but I was NOT going back to winter in my mind. I was ready for summer riding, sunscreen, summer clothes and all.

With the roads still covered in water from the rainstorm early that morning, I was questioning how long my ride might actually be. I was not totally foolish, I did wear some arm warmers and knee warmers as well as a vest (standard early morning attire even in the middle of summer). As I headed down the driveway, I got a whiff of the sunscreen as I caught a glimpse of what appeared to be clear skies and I couldn't help but smile. My plan worked. It's amazing what a little sunscreen can do for your attitude as well as the weather.

It's been warm, clear and sunny ever since. Farewell to my good friend Winter. See you soon enough. Bring on Summer!!!

Clear as Mud.

I am happy to report that we (the Shop) did not flood again last night as predicted. We did have substantial rain (4") and the creek did get close to going over (19' is flood stage, the creek was at 16'), but we got lucky.
I have been doing laundry continiously since I returned from Monterey. After three nights now, I am an expert at getting the mud out of my cycling clothes.
Seth just sent these photos from the Otter in case you failed to understand how truly muddy it was.

Mission Complete

The name "Sea Otter"sounds innocent enough, and perhaps too innocent to describe a bike race of this magnitude. It is the kick-off to a season of bike racing of all kinds. The biggest race on North American Soil. So big in fact, that many Euros come over to race. For many it is a spectacle, and an excuse to party, but ask any cyclist who has dared toe the line on Sunday afternoon to even utter the words "Sea Otter," and you will see their eyes glass over, and their upper lip start to quiver as they struggle to get the words out.

My week started out great. I arrived at the "Pink Palace" on Tuesday night after a drive down from work. The "Palace," as I have alluded to before, has been my Sea Otter home since I first attended in 2000. Every year, I have had a mix of friends come and stay with me and race or just jeer...I mean cheer for me. Two of my best friends, Mark and Seth have been there with me every year. This year was no exception. As this being my last year racing in the "Big Show", I was moved by their showing of friendship and support in such dreary conditions. No matter the weather, they were there for me. Thanks you guys, for being there and taking part while I was living a dream. You can stop ringing the cow bell just as soon as I cross the finish line in Schladming, Austria in September.

Wednesday was a prep day of sorts with the inevitable registration nightmare. I swear, if there is a way to screw up, race organizers will figure out how to. It's Wednesday afternoon, a day where most people are WORKING, and they have, I counted, 12 people there to register the amateur athletes whom don't start racing till Friday, and they have 3 people working the 1 line of oh...200 Pros there to start racing Thursday morning. I guess it was a great time to catch-up with a lot of folks I have not seen since US Nationals last September. In fact, I got most of my initial hellos out of the way while I waited...and waited...and waited. So I had that going for me. I finally got out on the brand new cross country course for a pre-ride. Two things came to mind...first, what an awesome course it is. It is so fun and challenging with all sorts of stuff to keep your mind in the game. and the second thought, "Oh my...this sucker is gonna be L-O-N-G." Thirty-eight miles is a long race distance. Typically on the circuit our races tend to run about two hours or so or about 24 miles give or take. To be on the throttle for three hours, "givin'-er" is enough to blow up those that attempt such a feat without ample preparation. Thankfully, this year, I have done my homework. But I still had three days of racing to get through before I can even think about the X-C.

On Thursday was the Super-Cross and as I reported previously, it was crazy to attempt to "Race" in such conditions, but the show must go on...and it did. One muddied memory from Thursday, while I was mentally struggling to keep my head in the game and not stopping to just sit down and laugh at myself, it occurred to me how fortunate I am to be here, in this moment, in the mud and everything, suffering like no other, living a dream. I may never get another lap. I may never have this moment again, but I have this moment, and this, I can assure you, I will never forget. (And the stains on my once white socks will always help remind me).Thursday night I am a bit on the sad side as I did not do as well as I had hoped. That and I was looking at two more days of racing in that mud pit before I can get out on the real XC course. My phone rings and it none other that Haven, Tyler and Deirdre, just calling to check in. They were up at Beaver Creek, CO at some ski race or something. So they could tell I was a bit bummed with my day. Each of them gave me their best wishes and told me to just have fun...and the rest will happen. As I hung up the phone, I started to realize what they were saying. I was getting caught up in the results and not enjoying the ride. I could tell as I was talking to Ty that he was a bit mad at me for being bummed. He would give anything to be able to race his bike, and so I changed my attitude right then and there. Enjoy the ride, for others are not as fortunate as I to have this opportunity.

Friday was the Time Trial, and I had a whole new attitude, and it worked. I had fun despite the mud, and my results showed it. A little redemption for Wee Man.

Saturday was bound to be fun despite the mud. Big crowds for the "Hurricane of PAIN" (short track) always make me kick it up a notch. I love the event because I really get amped up with the crowds being inches from you, yelling at the top of their lungs for you. That, and Marla gave me a Red Bull right before I left for the start. I managed to start in the back row of 50 and after the first 100 meters and my ninja skills, I moved up to around 7th or so. I held on to that position give or take a few spots due to, shall we say, the humid dirt sections. It was carnage everywhere, and I managed to avoid it all except on one lap where I again rode into the hole that swallowed my bike on day one. I wrestled my bike out of the hole that now reached to China and managed to pass the two guys that passed me while I took my second mud nap of the weekend. Seth counted 9th place as I finished. Results are still not up on the website. I think the computer fell into that very same hole.

When I woke on Sunday, my body was telling me that I had been abusing it for three too many days. This is to be expected, but my back was a concern. I have had this nagging back problem since I broke it way back in the ski racing days. Well, it just happened to be aggravated by my super puddle jumping, bike extracting, ninja numbchuck skills that I have displayed in previous days. I worked on the two muscles that tend to be the root of the problem, my QL and my Psoas, basically, my hip flexor and my lower back on the right side. They were totally blown out. When this happens, it is difficult to produce any power on the right side, placing the onus on the left...which fatigues quickly, and then it is like someone sticking a knife in my lower back. By the start of the 3 hour tour, I am feeling good, but not great.

Photo Courtesy of Paul McKenzie-Clif Bar

Despite my back thing, I have an awesome start. I get into a good position in the field before we hit the dirt, which is important because it makes passing much more difficult. Rolling onto the dirt (not mud) I am sitting about 25th or so. I manage to hold this (my best to date) for a good 30 minutes or so...but then...it hits me. My back is not responding well. I fought for another ten minutes with a machete stuck in my back and I can't take the pain any longer. I decide to back off the throttle and into survival mode. My "race" is over. Now I just want to finish and get some good training in. I managed to lose my waterbottle on a bumpy section, so now, my back is killing me and I start to dehydrate. Great! and did I mention...it's now RAINING? I bury my pain somewhere in the back of my head and concentrate on just getting through the race. Every time I had to get off the bike to run through yet another mud bog, the pain would come back to the front of my consciousness. I find it most helpful to think of a motivational song to concentrate on. Today it was "Folsom Prison Blues," by Johnny Cash that got me through. By the second lap, my itch to ride my bike had been thoroughly scratched. I had lost yet another waterbottle, and my blood resembled the mud more that the oxygen rich fluid that flowed merely hours before. Dehydration was evident now, as my body was refusing to work hard at all. I had Johnny Cash rocking the pain away, and thoughts drifted to memories of a friend to inspire me to reach the finish. I wanted it to end, but not before I crossed that finish line for my final time. Despite my balancing on the edge of implosion, I did manage to reel in a couple of people before the finish, which was a good indication of what I am capable of if I was healthy. I can't wait to race again...just give me a few days to clean up and rest.

Photo Courtesy of Paul McKenzie-Clif Bar

It wasn't pretty, and it did not go as planned (it never does), but I managed to pull off my final Sea Otter. Four days of slogging in the mud and sand will go down as my most memorable Sea Otter and perhaps my toughest. It is something that I will always look back on and recall what it took to reach the finish, what it really means to believe in what you do, how you do it and most of all, who you do it with.

You know who you are. Thanks for inspiring me to go the distance.

"Success is often persevering when others have packed it up and gone home"

Enjoy the ride.

Like A Herd of Turtles

Yesterday and today were in S-L-O-W M-O-T-I-O-N. We raced (and I use that term loosely) in, no kidding, 4-6" of mud. Yesterday the race was 1 hour long and I spent 3 hours cleaning the bike afterwards just to get ready for today's muddy festivities. Today was a 4 minute Time Trial and it took me 1 hour to clean the bike for tomorrow. So the good news is, it started to rain this afternoon. I am so psyched for tomorrow. The Short Track has been called many things, some of which I cannot mention here, but for lack of a better nick name, we shall call it the "Hurricane of Pain." Yet, in slow motion, it will look more like a herd of killer turtles.

Photos courtesy of Paul Mckenzie-Clif Bar
After the Sunday and the 3 hour Cross Country in conditions like this, my bike should be reduced to a pile of rubble. Nothing like kicking off the season like this.

Sea Slaughter!

Just a quick update:
I raced on those skinny tire road bike thingies this weekend up in Sonora, CA. I had a great time despite yearning to be mountain biking. It was a tough race with nothing but ups and downs (just the way I like it). There was nary a flat section except for the promenade from the start to the course. I managed to enjoy a reprieve from the rain, though it took me driving 3 hours Southeast to find it. I was duly rewarded for my efforts both in the drivers seat and the saddle as I finished "in the money"...$5 for fourth place. (So you wanna be a bike pro, eh?)

On tap this week is Sea Otter! I will be traveling down to Monterey tomorrow and down there all week. If you want to come out and hand me a waterbottle (or just squirt one in my face), you can find the directions to Laguna Seca on the Sea Otter website. If I'm not racing, I'll most likely be hanging at the Luna Bar truck with my teammates. (I'm the luckiest guy on the circuit to have them as teammates!) No, I don't wear the same uniform as them... I am in this kit:

Once again, my accommodations will be in the luxurious Pink Palace beach cottage in beautiful Pacific Grove, compliments of the Loher family and my great friend Mark Hanson. If you can find Arena Ave. in Pacific Grove, you can find the Pink Palace, as it's the only pink cottage on the street (and if I'm not mistaken, it's the only pink building for 50 miles). So swing on by and have a couple of shots of water and an energy drink with me. If you want to jump in the ocean, be my guest, It's a lovely 54 degrees (perfect for the sore legs) and it's only feet from the front door.

Here is my race schedule for this week:

STAGE ONE: SUPER CROSS Thursday, April 6, 2006 (A.K.A STUPID CROSS)
The Super Cross will include additional off-road sections as we invite the world's best mountain bike racers to challenge each other on a 5-mile, half-dirt, half-road circuit. Starting and finishing on Laguna Seca raceway, the course climbs pavement to the top of the corkscrew, then exits back into the infield near dual slalom and short track. After some dirt descents, climbs, and twin track, racers re-enter Laguna Seca Raceway for a 1-mile paved return to Start/Finish. Time bonuses for the top three finishers. All riders in danger of being lapped will be pulled; receiving a finish time, plus a penalty (to be determined by the Chief Official); pulled riders will be allowed to continue in the event.
Pro/Elite Women: 10:00 am, Stage length of 60 min., laps TBD
Pro/Elite Men: 11:30 am, Stage length of 60 min., laps TBD

STAGE TWO: TIME TRIAL Friday, April 7, 2006 (A.K.A. The Race of Truth)
Ride as fast as you can on a 2-mile course within the confines of Laguna Seca. The Time Trial start/finish is on the Short Track course as in years past. The shorter, faster course is designed to keep General Classification times closer leading into the final two stages on Saturday and Sunday.
Pro/Elite Women: 9:30 am
Pro/Elite Men: 10:30 am

STAGE THREE: SHORT TRACK Saturday, April 8, 2006 (A.K.A. Hurricane of PAIN)
Due to popular demand, racers will race the same Short Track as in years past. Time bonuses will be awarded for the top three. All riders in danger of being lapped will be pulled. All pulled riders will receive a finish time, plus a penalty (to be determined by the Chief Official), but you will be allowed into the cross country on Sunday.
Special note to Pro/Elite Men: Due to your field size of 160 riders, a two-heat system will be incorporated as in years past. The top 50% after stages 1 & 2 seeded in heat #2, racing for Stage and G.C. time and prize money. The bottom 50% will be seeded in heat #1, racing only for time in the G.C.
Pro/Elite Men, Heat 1: 12:30 pm, 7 laps (More than likely I will be in this one, I will update)
Pro/Elite Women: 1:15 pm, 7 laps
Pro/Elite Men, Heat Two: : 2:00 pm, 7 laps (If I'm fast, I will be in this group)

STAGE FOUR: CROSS-COUNTRY Sunday, April 9, 2006 (The REAL reason why we're here)
We are pleased to announce a new course for 2006! In partnership with the Bureau of Land Management and as part of our responsibility as stewards of the Fort Ord trails, we have designed a new course to include all of the features you love about the Sea Otter Cross Country. Have no fear - you will still ride several 18-mile laps with about 2400 feet of climbing each lap, fight your way up short, steep climbs, enjoy singletrack of rocks, sand and other challenges, thrill through tight sections in the trees, and ride new open fields of scenery. Line up and ride clockwise on the track this year!
Pro/Elite Men: 1:00 pm
Pro/Elite Women: 1:10 pm

I hope to see y'all out at the races. I will try to update from PG if I get good cell reception.