Going Home

Something has happened!!!

First thing in the morning I usually check the weather forecast to see how much rain is going to fall and if I need to even consider bringing water bottles or not. To my astonishment this morning, the weather was supposed to be nice. REAL nice. We're talking 70 degrees nice. I immediately am thinking, somebody is pulling a prank on me and set a dummy weblink on my browser. So I checked a second website out at one of my favorite riding areas, Point Reyes National Seashore. When it is clear and not windy, this is the ultimate place to ride. It is so beautiful with nary a car. Well, the webcam picture that came up was this:

So now I am pumped. I start fixing food, bottles, and getting dressed. I'm thinking, "Hey, maybe I can start tanning my poor legs that have not seen the light of day since the THF ride in Arizona, WAY back in mid December." I throw on a pair of knee warmers instead of the compulsory winter leg warmers. I'm for sure going to get a head start on the leg tanning today...

Then again...Maybe not.

So I head off into the still dark morning with newly exposed skin. At first it's COLD...but as the sun starts rising, sure enough, the air gets remarkably warmer. My plan is to follow the route of Stage 1 of the Tour of California which commences next weekend. Of course I have to get to work so the entire route will not be possible, but the most beautiful part will be, Highway 1.

Once I get up and over the hill from Mill Valley (and away from the constant attraction to stop at Peet's Coffee for a quick top off), the temperature soared. I was out of the shadows of Mount Tam and into the great wide open. For me there is nothing more therapeutic than a large body of water tempered by a dramatic mountain backdrop. Maybe that's why I love living in California so much. You can't go wrong with the California coast and the gem of the Sierras, Lake Tahoe.

I was recently reminded by TW of a rather embarrassingly pretentious statement I made ten years ago. "There is no reason to leave California. It has everything anyone could possibly want." Back then, I was trying to talk TW out of moving back to the East coast, back home.

So the whole morning, I am trying to tame my enthusiasm for the awesome day I am fortunate to have on the bike. The weather and the surroundings has me amped. I am riding harder than my training plan calls for today. I need to settle down, but it is hard...because it feels so effortless and easy. My eyes (and camera) are taking in the sights all the while, TW's recollection of my statement ("There is no reason to leave California. It has everything anyone could possibly want") keeps resounding in my mind. I thought about it most of the day.

A day like today makes it hard to believe that anyone would ever want to leave such a beautiful place...but I can think of many reasons...about 35,893,799 reasons to name a few. Well...minus one or two... but I know now that just because I love this place and it represents home to me, does not necessarily mean that it was or is the same for TW. I came to the conclusion that I was being an immature, ethnocentric idiot with selfish intent. And with that, TW, I am sorry. I just wanted you to stay around. I don't blame you for wanting to get back to where you felt at home, because there is nothing like that feeling. I too moved away (just to Southern California, not across the country), only to find myself wanting to do everything I could to get back home, despite leaving a life behind. I made it back, but I know there are other places I could go and feel AT home while not being HOME...I just have to be better at selecting those places.

But Damn...I love this place!

(addendum: I was reminded that TW returned to Tahoe two additional winters and is currently planning on returning to Tahoe permanently.)

Believe!

Believe... ...That you can make a difference every day...

"From: Deirdre Moynihan [Tyler Hamilton Foundation]

Sent: Thursday, February 02, 2006 9:59 AM

To: 'Nick Damner'; 'Patrick Bush'; Patrick Kelly; 'Andrea
Collette'; 'Sarah Holmes'; Terry Fina

Subject: FW: good morning!

Hey All,

I thought you would enjoy this – James... was a great local racer and strong rider –
successful real estate – but MS has taken it’s toll – he is still spirited and still rides but no racing...

Deirdre Moynihan
Executive Director Tyler Hamilton Foundation
PO 20727
Boulder, CO
80308
303-443-8THF (8843)
www.tylerhamiltonfoundation.org


From: James ...

Sent: Thursday, February 02, 2006 6:33 AM

To: deirdremoynihan

Subject: good morning!

Hi D!

...The[MS Global] route? Well it's the dream of my lifetime come true. I have always said that this is exactly what I wanted to do, tour route, with a tour rider like Tyler, but never really thought I would for some reason or another. Just between you and me, it made me cry a little bit this morning.
Thank You for bringing this amazing opportunity into my life.

Love James

Hello My Friend...We meet again

TW, It was great catching up with you last night.

To all of you waiting to hear some news on Tyler...hang just a little longer. I think we should know something next week. As soon as I can, I will let you know EVERYTHING. I promise.

Since I am sure you all are getting pretty tired of pictures of rain...(I know I am) I figured I would take us on a little journey South of the border to Puerto Vallarta. It's all I could think of the last hour of my soggy ride this morning. Not just PVR, but Cabo San Lucas too. I wish I could click my heels three times and be there. Especially when about the third hour in the rain, your shoes are about as full as they are going to get and the water comes gushing out of the tops with every pedal stroke for the next hour or so. Sorry...we were talking about Mexico...The fish tacos at this little stand in San Jose del Cabo called Rossy's Taqueria...oh those would have been good when it started to really rain out in West Marin when I was doing my third interval through Samuel P. Taylor Park. It's crazy what rambles through your head out there. Wait, STOP! Mexico...remember? There was this one time in CSL when all we did was wake-up...jump in the pool...on the way to the beach. Swim in the waves. Jump back in the pool on the way back from the beach. Grab some pesos. Get some Chips and Salsa and beers at the bar...IN THE POOL. Return to the condo, take a nap, grab a book, and sit by the pool. Swim. Nap, Repeat. I have worn out another drivetrain on my bike. My chain nearly exploded within 10K of my house. I think all of the rain and the mud and sand on the roads are really wreaking havoc on the bike, not to mention the body....One night in CSL we awoke to the sound of a Mariachi band seranading a couple outside the balcony of their condo. They played my favorite mariachi song, Guadalajara. I will never forget that night. It was a warm night, with a full moon shimmering off the water...Typical for Mexico. I should have eaten better for my ride. I brought plenty of the new Clif Shot Bloks but because of the inevitable hypothermia setting in, I could have brought the whole box and still not had enough. Trying to eat late in the ride while weaving in and out of traffic and trying to preserve the final bit of my chain that was about to break made for a grand finale...Snorkeling at Santa Maria Cove in CSL and Los Arcos in PVR was pleasant. The water was relatively warm and the views were spectacular. On the contrary, the times I have been out to Lands End, I could sense the Pacific's cold waters intruding. Not to mention the crowds of people and all of the water Taxis. CSL and all of the tourists just does not appeal to me nearly as much as San Jose del Cabos and PVR. So, the workout wasn't pretty, but I got'r done. I can rest up for my next adventure tomorrow morning. Till then, have an ice cold one waiting for me in PVR Aunt Kathy and Uncle Joe. I'm already there in spirit.

Update: Good News/Bad News

Okay, so I have been out on the bike a few times since my rib crackin' good time on Monday. Thanks to everyone that has called and written their well wishes. Being the eternal optimist, I am convinced that there is always something good that can come from anything bad that happens. So the bad news first:

Because of my recent rib injury, I have suspended my training...to be a Cage Fighter. Yes, it's true. I have been in a double top secret program to be a cage fighter. I figured with the right training I had a chance at the World Title. I have decided that that goal is no longer possible. So don't go running out to REX-KWON-DO DoJo to catch a glimpse of my secret training regime, because I have scrapped that plan. I would like to thank my coach Rex and my sparring partner, Kip. You guys are the best. Yup, I've hung up the gloves. (well not actually, cause in cage fighting, there are no gloves. At least I think. Truth be told, I never really set foot in a ring.) So now the good news:
Training on the bike has resumed after only missing two days. Incredibly, my ribs feel the best when I'm on the bike. Maybe it's the endorphines, I don't know, but all is well. Sleeping is still a struggle, but hey...you can sleep when you're dead, right? I think the Mountain Bike will have to wait a week or two for now, but I am just itching to get back out there and ride the trails again.

So now that I am freeing up some of my time by suspending my Cage Fighting career, I have some free time.....hmmmmm....I wonder what other possibilities are out there to experience...
Stay Tuned....I have some ideas...
Speaking of free time, I just posted my race schedule for the season (See right sidebar). If you have some free time, come on out and hand me a waterbottle. (It's a lot like watching the grass grow, or paint dry, but hey, it's better than doing the dishes.)

Muddy Buddy

When I worked at Salomon, we went through this major shift from marketing products to marketing the brand. We noticed that our customers identified with our products primarily through emotion and sensation. Afterall, raging down a hill at 65MPH on a pair of skis balanced precipitously on the razors edge of control is a bit more emotional and sensational than say...I don't know....doing the dishes. Now, doing the dishes, while emotionally scarring, and scalding your hands can be sensational, the act of washing dished does not illicit the same response as skiing, snowboarding, adventure racing, fruit booting, and all the other sports Salomon designs products for. So we labeled this emotion and marketed it as an "Epic Moment". That is when the body, the mind, and most importantly, the equipment became synergistic. Where you almost become a third person observer, or and out of body experience of sorts. I know, it is a little far fetched, but if you have ever experienced an "Epic Moment" you know what I am talking about. So the point of this little diatribe is this...Yesterday I had an "Epic Moment". I got to finally ride my new Mountain Bike on my favorite trail , Tamarancho, here in Marin. (By the way, there is very little "Legal" singletrack here in Marin, and as a professional, I do not condone riding closed or illegal trails)

It's Good to be back on the Mountain Bike. I have not clipped into a mountain bike since November 1, 2005. Not that I didn't feel like it or that training has prevented me from doing so. Nope, it's because I didn't have one. Can you believe that? A pro mountain biker without a mountain bike???? Well my story goes like this. Originally my new frame was to arrive in mid-November, so I sold my old bike to a local racer. I was sad to see the bike go. I had many fond memories and successes on the bike. Most notably my fifth at Masters Worlds. But it was staying local and in good hands. (Besides, I had lots of year end racing and medical bills to pay). So mid-November, no frame... Finally, in the midst of rebuilding the shop, my frame arrived. I had the time this past weekend to build it up.

Monday I went out for a workout on my new bike. The sun was just coming up. There was a bite in the air from the cold temps. Not a cloud in the sky and you could see forever. It was like a dream. Everything was working perfectly, including the body. With some great tunes on the I-Pod, I was in heaven. Pure mental bliss. I was just floating on the imaginary tightrope through the trees. Two laps with nearly perfect conditions for this time of year. A few patches of mud here and there and some slick sections, but nothing like I have raced in or ridden in a thousand times before. I was whole again.

On my last interval, my front wheel washed out on a wooden bridge. I flew off the bike into a ravine. I landed seven feet down on a log, on my ribcage. I got the wind knocked out of me and I either bruised or cracked some ribs. Having broken many ribs before in my past life as a ski racer, I know the drill. It's like a broken toe...there's not much you can do...just grin and bear it.

The GOOD news is, The bike is fine, and the rider will live to fight another day...just not today. I resume my training tomorrow...it is just going to hurt a bit more than usual.

Having the past two days off the bike has given me some time to work on the route details for MS Global. I have been working on Google Earth which is amazing. You can cruise around anywhere in the world, zoom in, zoom out, pan the view down to ground level, spin, dip and dosie-doe. It is a serious TIME SUCK. I have managed to mark all of the major towns and major climbs of our route this year.

Classic Victory! Bravo D (Again)

I will never get tired of congratulating you Daron! It is great to see your years of hard work culminating in DOMINATING the world of Ski Racing!

WENGEN, SUI: MORE CLASSIC RAHLVES: AMERICAN WINS LAUBERHORN DH

Are you ridin'? Or are you hidin'?

For the better part of five years now, I have had the privilege of riding with some of my best friends. Every morning, rain or shine, before the sun rises often times, at least one of these guys has accompanied me on training rides. I ride because of them. Without them, I would have flaked on myself a lot of those cold, rainy, windy mornings. I went because they were going. We rode regardless and they were some of the greatest moments in my life.
Each one of their strengths challenged me in different ways. They were my self proclaimed punching bags. Every morning I would tell them my workout, and for the next 30 minutes or so it would take to warm up, they would always lag behind me, conspiring on who was going to do what to me and when. In fact, one day I showed up for a climbing workout and Seth arrived with two 20 pound bags of kitty litter and some backpacks. He wanted Josh and I to know what it was like for a larger, Sprinter like rider like himself to ride in the hills with two spindly little climbers like us. So we gladly wore the backpacks while he attacked us on every steep climb. My legs still hurt...three years later. But I would not have missed it for the world.
The pinnacle of our training season each year was a retreat to my family cabin nestled in the Central Sierras on the West side of Sonora Pass. We would ride the 88 mile round trip to the top of Sonora Pass climbing arguably one of the hardest, steepest roads in the country with sustained one mile stretches of 26% grade in two places on the last nine miles to the top.
All the while we knew that these great times on the bike together would not last, which made the times that much sweeter. And so it is that those times have passed, happily.
Seth and his wife, Heather brought a beautiful girl, Eleanor into this world a couple of months ago. Just mere moments ago, I got word that Josh and Nicole gave birth to healthy twin boys, Baby "A" and Baby "1". As they have yet to choose names, Seth and I are lobbying to have them named after us.
Seth and Josh, you guys mean the world to me. I am riding because of you. I would not have accomplished the things I have on the bike if it were not for your support. There is not a kilometer that passes that I don't miss you. I miss the morning coffee sessions, and the city limit sprints. I will miss looking over my shoulder on Sonora Pass just to make sure that you are hurting as much as I am. If I find myself standing on the box one more time this season, just know, that it would not be...without you. That being said, I could not be happier for you guys. Thank you for the gift you have given me, and congratulations on your new families. I can't wait to watch them grow up. I dedicate my season to your lovely children.
Enjoy the ride!

One Final Look

Downtown San Anselmo 12.31.05 7:15am

1 block "Downstream" from my Bike Shop

Shop Update: We're OPEN (Sort of)

After 6 days of non-stop cleaning with endless help from everyone (Thank you again), the shop opened for business yesterday. It is a bit rough without our point of sale system and credit card machine, but we managed to sell a mountain bike yesterday. The shop is getting a new set of walls today as the water is all dried up and we have been treating the wood with bleach to kill bacteria. The big blue thing in the middle of the picture is an industrial grade room dehumidifier. In two days, the thing has drawn almost a full size trash can of water out of the air. Working in the shop is like stepping into a wind tunnel. Between the three dehumidifiers and the six high output blowers, it is loud, windy and DRY. We have a long way to go till things are normal...

Speaking of "Normal"...

I am considering bleaching my hair as the rest of me and my clothes are covered in bleach. When I left last night, I looked at my Levi's and realized that I looked like something out of a bad Glam Rock Video. The jeans were nearly white in front from the bleach with holes starting to develop, I had a wicked cool black Def Leppard tee shirt on and long, flowing, spiked blond hair and a headband on. Eighty-two was a good year. As a group, if we all start pulling out our coveted 80's outfits and started rockin' them on a regular basis, we could re-ignite a trend that died WAY too early. What do you say???? We can do it...

I think I inhaled too much bleach last night...never mind. Besides, the leopard print just doesn't look good on a bike.

Enjoy the ride.

Enough already!!!!

The Storm's Most Powerful Images



So...I have spent the better part of three days now shoveling mud, washing bike parts and ripping out water soaked walls. The shop is a small disaster, but in a surreal way, it is starting to look good...maybe even better than before. I figured, hey, may as well make changes now while we have the place all ripped apart, so we are. And, I have always wanted to reorganize the way we store parts and such. So there is a silver lining to this whole muddy mess....I just wish it was not so ...muddy. Mud is EVERYWHERE! You would not believe how turbulent the waters were. It must have been to do this kind of damage. It is in everything we had below four feet. Every nook and cranny of every part. Argh...I close my eyes and all I see right now is mud.

So, I missed two days of training because of this fiasco. (No big deal...life is more important than riding ANY day.) It is important though that I stay on track, afterall, I have come so far already. I took the early morning off and rode in the hills for four hours. As luck would have it, it POURED on me the ENTIRE time.

Shhhhh....can you hear that? I swear I have frogs growing in my shoes. I think I saw an alligator today sitting on the side of the road laughing at what a fool would ride his bike on such a day. I may have been delirious, but it was such a privilege to be out on my bike on a day all to myself. The road was closed due to numerous mudslides, and the rain turned everyone away. So I had the entire Alpine Dam road to myself. I felt kind of lawless in a way. I could ride on either side of the road with no consequence (I did find myself habitually riding on the right shoulder though). I just need it to stop raining and all would be great. It has rained every day since December 17th at 9:00 am. I remember because I forgot my rainjacket as I was rushing to meet somebody for a ride (JP).

I am so thankful and grateful to everyone that has rallied to help whether it was coming down to the shop, rolling up their sleeves and getting really dirty, or those that brought by delicious snacks and tasty beverages, and all of the overwhelming support from friends and family all over the place just checking in and talking me down out of my tree. It gives me great hope to see so many people friends and strangers alike come together in a time of need. The world is not as evil as some make it out to be. Thank you all.



One final thought, I cannot begin to describe how heart wrenching it is to see business owners all around us, losing everything they have. It puts a great big reality check on the new year for me. Be thankful for today and live it like it is your last, for tomorrow it may all change.

more pictures here. (Thanks Deirdre @ THF) and here