Decided to roll with the big boys today. Man, there are some fast folks here. Barely hung on the chase group. 60 strong. I averaged 22 mph for about an hour. I'm not accustomed to that high pace/speed, but I should get into the swing of things quickly.
Lunch Ride
Finally got to join in on the infamous lunch ride at Specialized, however it was just myself and one other in our C group, which is more of a social ride than the hammerfest that ensues with the A group. No matter. It was perfect weather in Morgan Hill. We did one of several popular routes in the area, which features stunning views and windy roads with a little bit of climbing.
First Day
Today was my first day at my new job at Specialized. Overwhelmed with excitement, inspiration and joy.
Still Recovering
Saturday was an epic day of racing. Today I'll be taking it easy, getting ready for the first day of my new job at Specialized.
3rd or 4th
I had a great race, finishing in either 3rd or 4th out of 30 solo expert racers. I was awarded 3rd place, but the updated results later in the evening pushed me down a spot. It was a bummer, but still a great result for me. I did 10 laps, 80 miles and 12000' of climbing in eight hours. I'm so exhausted now. A full race recap soon.
Boggs Prep
Tomorrow I'm racing Bike Monkey's 8 Hour event in Boggs Mountain State Forest. I'm going solo, while most of my friends are in teams. It should be fun, and extremely challenging. The only other event I've done that comes close is Leadville, and I finished the 100 mile course in 8 hours and 20 some minutes. My training has led me up to these long endurance races.
I had planned on racing the entire weekend, starting with the hill climb, XC and Enduro, but because of the move and new job I decided to scale back a bit. 8 hour XC race is more than enough for me.
My friend David gave me a wealth of advice, nudging me to put this bell on my bars. It can get backed up at times, especially with 500+ riders on course, from beginners to pros. I'm hoping to line up at the very front as to avoid the chaos of the mass start. Wish me luck!
Higher than the Headlands
All moved into our new place in Dogpatch. We still have a mountain of boxes to unpack, but I decided to take the afternoon off to explore my new hood. I took 3rd all the way down to Mount San Bruno and climbed to the very top. It's quite an epic view from up there.
The climb itself is pretty good with at least 1200' of total elevation gain. It's no joke. Round trip is almost 20 miles, but I'm trying to figure out a good city loop to squeeze into an hour or so. I didn't hammer at all going up, as I'm trying to save my legs for Saturday.
Moving Day
Paying someone to move for you is money well spent. It takes away all the pain and stress. It was especially important for me because I've got a few days left before I do the Boggs 8 Hour race on Saturday, followed up with starting my new job at Specialized on Monday, and I want to make sure I'm not stressed and have enough energy to get me through.
Packing Day
No riding for me for a few days. Gotta pack up our apartment to move to the other side of town.
China Camp Recover
It's been a while since I've ridden out in China Camp. I had to bring my car in for an emissions check to our dealer out in Marin, so I decided to throw in a quick spin around the park to help get my legs back. It was a beautiful day in San Rafael, and hardly anyone out in the park.
Lemurian Race Recap
My 3rd place finish began with a road trip up to Redding the day before with my friend Josh, also racing my category. We stayed in town versus camping, opting to stay comfortable in air-conditioned rooms with soft beds rather than dealing with the heat and bugs. It got up to 90º during the day, but it didn't concern me much because of how early the race started.
We get to the race venue early to prep our bikes. The sun was shining, and the temperature is a perfect 70º or so. We parked close to our other friends, Jeremy and Austin. The parking lot is quickly filing up with racers. We estimate a turnout of over 400 racers, half of which do the long course, all starting together at once.
I went out for a quick warm up, hitting up the last single track climb with a few tight switch back turns and got to the very front of the start line. I knew it would be critical to be up front if I wanted to stay with the lead and be out of harms way, a lesson I learned at the first Grasshopper race.
My friend Jeremy, getting ready to start. He put in a massive ride, too, securing a 7th out of 60 in his age group alone, just 9 minutes off my pace. Very impressive.
Nothing new to my race whip. I've had a slow leak in my rear tire, but the new Orange Seal sealant seems to be doing an ok job of stopping it. I'm not 100% convinced it's better than Stans, but time will tell. I also rebuilt the seals on the air cartridge of my SID fork, and so far so good. I ran with two small water bottles, which was the perfect amount of water, a saddle bag with a C02 pump and a multi-tool.
However, the revelation of the day was wearing a sweat band underneath my helmet. I've consistently had the problem of sweat falling into my riding glasses. I usually am able to ride with them for 30 minutes before the problem starts. The thin sweat band by Halo has a rubber channel on the inside to help funnel moisture. I didn't have single drip the entire time. It also helped keep my eyes from stinging with built up sweat.
So onto the race. The start was fast, and my goal was to stick with the leaders as along as possible. It was long arduous four mile climb before it dropped down into Gas Can. I kept up well enough, but started to lose contact with a mile left of reaching the top. The field of 400 quickly thinned out to 20 or so strong riders.
The Gas Can descent was fast and scary. It had a ton of rutted out sections. Thankfully I was at the front and had enough space between the rider in front of me for the dust to settle down. I'm always a bit more conservative on the downhills, focusing on control and safety. It was fun, and definitely set the precedent of things to come later in the race.
We hit a short section of road across the dam before hooking back up with single track. It was again very fast and a bit rocky at times. The groups were starting to run back into each other, but I kept my pace quick, not letting too many people go by. The single track mellowed out a bit and started to really flow for the first half of the course. I knew I had to save myself for the latter half of the race, where it starts to climb back up to the top, and into the infamous downhill back to the finish line. This was a true mountain bikers course in that there were plenty of hike-a-bike sections and water crossings. Real adventurous and fun.
The flow of single track gave way to some fire road and back onto more single track. At this point, past the first aid station, we started running into racers doing the intermediate and short course, making it difficult to maintain a concentrated pace. It wasn't much of a problem for me, as everyone I passed was gracious enough to give the lead chase group enough space.
I turned up the pressure, and started to attack a bit more, especially on the climbs. I could see I was gaining ground quickly, passing a few racers in my start group. There was one section that I thought I'd have to walk up, but I just kept my head down and spun my way to the top. I knew I made up a lot of time on the climb, but I was so tired by then. And then it started to go downhill.
It was one of the craziest descents I've ever done. Super steep, lots of ruts and overall just super fast. I really had to concentrate on staying upright and not overshooting the turns. I knew I was probably going way slower than the rest of the field, but that's fine with me. All of my friends were running dropper posts, and with good reason. It was that crazy of a descent. I had a feeling I was somewhere in the top 20. By the end of the descent I get caught by a few pros that I was battling with the entire race. I was close to having nothing left in my tank, but knew the race's end was just down the road… or it should have been.
My pace was definitely slower, and I started to develop a pain in my side. It was really hot at that point, but I was certain I had enough water in my system to make it to the end with out cramping or bonking. The trail was very rocky and rolling, but I could tell I was getting closer and closer to the finish. I noticed the camp ground near the parking lot, as well as the single track switchbacks. I get caught be a few riders, but decided to make a move and surged past them with haste. I powered my way down the finish line with a time of two hours and twenty minutes. I was aiming for a 2:15, so I was really stoked with my effort. I finished 3rd out of 47 in the senior class, 15th overall out of 240 long-course races, and if I had raced pro I would have come in 10th out of 20.
My category was super tough, with the top two being locals. They had a the advantage of knowing the course and being more acclimated to racing in hot conditions. It felt great to get onto the podium after having such a disappointing race at Sea Otter last weekend. The key to my success was staying off the bike a bit more, focusing on recovery and getting my legs to feel like they have power again.
My friends Jeremy and Josh, post race, enjoying the scene and good company. The race was one of the best I've ever done. It was well-organized, well-marked and marshaled by awesome volunteers. Never once did I feel like I was lost. They got on with awards quickly, and had a great burrito truck for all the racers. The best part was the location. Such a beautiful part of Northern California, right next to Shasta lake, flanked by high mountains.
This week I'll be preparing for one of my biggest races of the season, the Boggs 8 hour. I just need to make sure I recover quickly and reserve my energy for the coming weekend.
Lemurian Podium
I had an amazing race, and finished the 26 mile course in two hours and 20 minutes, snagging 3rd in my category and 15th overall out of 237 starters. My time would have put me in the top 10 of 20 pros that started/finished. I felt great the entire time, except for the very end when my sides started to cramp. It was a hot day of racing, but the Lemurian Shasta Classic was definitely one of the best cross-country races I've ever done. A full race recap to follow, so stay tuned.
Shasta Bound
Heading up to Redding, CA this afternoon for the Lemurian Shasta Classic XC race, which is tomorrow morning. I'm going up with my friend Josh, who races in the same category as me. We both suffered quite a bit at the Sea Otter Classic, and we're both hoping to redeem ourselves tomorrow. It's a long haul up, which is why we're going a day early. It's gonna be nice and hot up there, too. I'm feeling pretty good, having spent most of the week resting and doing a few active recovery rides.
All Play & No Work
Well, not exactly. I am working without having to do anything. I'm resting and recovering, and slowly ramping up my efforts for this weekend's race in Redding. The rest is really paying off in that I feel the pop in my legs without fatigue. I rode around the trails of Mt. Sutro, then cut into Golden Gate Park. On my way back I found a tame section of dirt that stretches for a few miles before turning back home. My Open is all dialed in, and the fork seems to be fixed. We'll see after this weekend if the seal kit worked out.
Foggy Roll Call
The Wednesday morning Roll Call ride was thin, composed of myself and my friend Adam. I'm pretty sure the cold, foggy air had something to do with it. However, it didn't stop us. We had a great ride in the city, through the Presidio, Sea Cliff, a closed Great Highway and up to the top of Twin Peaks. There's a great climb to be had from the ocean all the way up to the peak. Almost a 1000' gain, but not quite. I never ride Twin Peaks, so it was a nice eye opener to the challenge just on the other side of hill I live on.
Ride Hard
After a day of recuperating, involving a lot of stretching, foam roller massages and a good amount of sleep, I was ready to test out my legs. I rode the Headlands in the afternoon, smashing a few personal records along the way, besting my times on a number of segments. I started out slow, thinking it was better to spin it out, and see how I felt as the ride went along. The soreness and fatigue I was feeling all last week was gone, so I knew my body had recovered well enough to hammer. I spent most of my morning rebuilding my RockShox SID Solo Air fork, replacing all of the air cartridge, hoping it'll solve my leaky air woes. So far so good, and it's not at all difficult to break it down. Having had experience working on forks made it easier for me to tinker with it, especially after pouring over all of the technical documents I could get my hands on.
Rest Hard
I learned my lesson the week leading up to the Sea Otter Classic. I need to rest as hard as I train. After the Napa Valley Dirt Classic I only had five days in between to recharge, but failed to do so by packing in a few high intensity rides during the week. Plus the additional stress of leaving work compounded the situation. So this week my plan is to make sure I fully recharge my batteries, test out my legs here and there, and see how I feel towards the end of the week. The Lemurian Shasta Classic is just around the corner, and I want to do well.
Recovery Cruise
I spent my Saturday with some friends up north in Tamales Bay, and shucked about 50 oysters as part of my recovery plan. It was fun to hang out, enjoy the drive and soak in the incredible weather we've been having. This morning I did a nice recovery spin around the city, stopping in the Rapha Cycling Club for an iced coffee while watching the end of Liege Bastogne Liege. My legs still feel stiff and sore from my horrible race on Friday, with the pain of cramping still lingering. Hopefully I'll get more rest this week than last in preparation for the Lemurian Shasta Classic.
Sea Otter Festival
Despite my lackluster race yesterday I had a great day otherwise. My first stop was the Open booth, where I got to meet Gerrard and Andy, founders of Open. It was so awesome to finally meet them. They were both really cool to talk to. It was also great to see a fleet of Open's next to my own. Along with their booth were the folks at Pro Bike Supply, one of Open's largest retailers and all around great shop. Jayson was there, who helped me put together my ride. Great to finally meet him, too.
My second stop was the Specialized team trailer and expo, where I met with my new boss as well as the head honcho himself, Mike Sinyard. It was so surreal standing there. It was just a year ago where I came to the same tent, and met Ned Overend for the first time, never expecting that one day I'd be working for the big S. The day's start was pretty emotional for me. I wish I had more time to spend at the festival, but I had to suit up and get to the start line.
Actually, our day started out with a minor bump. On our way down Jeremy's care got a flat tire, but was quickly fixed. We had plenty of time to get down to Laguna Seca, check out the festival, have lunch and warm up.
After the race was done, I hung out at the finish line and waited for my friends to roll through. We all suffered, maybe except for Jeremy who put in a really solid race, finishing 11th out of 32. He bumped up to Cat. 1 this season, and is doing quite well. After cleaning up a bit we hooked up with our crew, had a celebratory beer and checked out the Clif Bar BBQ, and grabbed a burger before driving home.
What day. What a week! And it's all just getting started. I look forward to taking some much deserved time off, recharging my batteries both mentally and physically.
Cramps, Crash & Bonk
You can't win 'em all. I didn't have a great day on the bike. I didn't fully recover from the Napa Valley Dirt Classic last weekend, and insisted on riding a bunch beforehand. I paid the price dearly. I finished in 12th, but out of 21. I think there were a few DNF's, but still not a good result. I was 8 minutes off my time from last year, which was even harder, considering I crashed and it was 90º+.
It started with light cramping, then full on cramps 3/4 of the way through, a crash halfway into the second lap, followed by full on bonking. It was a slow crawl to the finish line. I just wanted to finish, but at least I soaked in the incredible views along the way. Gonna rest up like never before for next weekend's Lemurian Shasta Classic.
Other than the race I had an amazing day meeting my bike's makers, Open, as well as my new employer, Specialized. More on that soon!