Today we rode up Little French Pass to get to a lesser known singletrack to Georgia Pass, but 3/4 of the way up the sky opened up and we were soaked in a matter of minutes. It kind of sucked being hypothermic but at least we were riding! The bike worked great even in the wet, I am rapidly wanting a softie more and more. I would even sign with a team to get one, another season of mtb racing on a hardtail full time doesn't sound as great as it used to. I guess my age is catching up with me, I am middle-aged now and god-dammit I want my ass pampered! They all look good, Giant, Santa Cruz, Specialized, Fisher who knows, I'll take whatever, I'm a whore. mtb racers are rarely picky, whether it's food or bikes, you give it to us and we'll ride it or eat it. I hope that maybe the wife will bankroll her deadbeat husbands' lust for a new butt-cushioning two-wheeler. The thought of going even faster on my favorite trails stirs something in me... Then in the afternoon I got to hangout with Beckham, we went to the grocery store and did the fun stuff an infant and his dad are supposed to do; we napped and listened to music! We went from new Wilco to new Snoop, pretty eclectic mix for a 4 month old but variety needs to begin at home. I'm reading Smokescreen right now, it's about a guy in the 70's who trafficked in pot, pretty amazing how connections were made, you trusted first and asked questions later. It goes well with music, especially Radiohead, moody but detached. Beckham was really good only one meltdown but we got through it together, a bottle and more music was all it took. He isn't so cryptic anymore, I know the cries at this point, it'sa matter of listening, I kind of feel like Uncle Herb (Homer's brother) when he used Maggie to figure out the baby translator. I just think and listen and poof! there is your answer as to why he's crying. Then we had a great dinner of salad with chicken with a great loaf of bread, mmm carbos. A light meal to offset the feast that will be at the 'hood party tomorrow night.

Well yesterday's race wasn't my best but rode away from the finish line like a pile of broken dishes, I didn't leave anything in the tank. Early on I thought I had a shot I attacked and it was going good and then I just didn't have it on the longer climbs. Cross form is in there some where! The course was great especially in the rain.

We rode some really cool trails yesterday, one near the golf course and some others near the CT, my favorite was a cool singletrack near the golf course that had fun bridges and sharp little ups and downs that were a blast to ride, cool switchbacks made it a skills ride too! Then we found our way to the Muggins Gulch trail to the CT then over to Blair Witch, a stupid trail to hide because it really isn't fragile it just needs to be more challenging. Some more log pyrmiads would be good. I feel ok but not too strong yet, the bike was good today and I hope it gets better as the race draws near. One more race and I get a good little break and get to do some fun rides without worrying about upcoming races. I really like riding the mtb this summer, the break I took really makes me appreciate the trails and great riding. Beckham has been great, he doesn't fuss too much with the contacts if you get him when he is awake, it's at 5.30 in the morning when we wake him to put in the contacts that he gets pissed. He is a very happy baby overall, you would never know that he has had three eye surgeries!

I was thinking today about a letter I wrote to my friend Mark K years ago, it was when the Unabomber Trial was going on right after they finally caught Ted. I was trying to figure out why one person could find so much hate to send bombs throuh the mail and kill people he didn't even know. In some ways he is worse than the terrorists from 9/11, he was doing it over and over again just for reasons that lacked sense. Perhaps we are avoiding the most common reason for anyone to accomplish such acts; insanity. Whether it is for religious or idiological reasons it is very foolish to try to look for logic in the world of psychopathy. Oh well enough of that, I had a great ride today with the group, it actually felt good, really! After wednesday I wondered whether or not it ever would again. Rest works! I went to bed last night at 7.45, it was glorious! I slept I think about 8.5 hours, wonderful! At some point taking your own advice is a good thing! My coaching philosophy to all racers, rest more! If you think you need a day off but feel guilty because of it, DON"T! We all do plenty of riding, but not nearly enough rest.

Well yesterday pretty much sucked! I had nothing and felt like a waste on the bike. As I was riding up the singletrack in the bunch I was thinking all I wanted to do was ride not race my bike. I had a feeling that I wasn't really ready for a race last night. I couldn't get motivated to get ready and then I was super slow in getting over to the race. Bad legs and no power were the order of the day. I hope next wednesday holds better form. I just need to finish in front of Tim G and the series is mine. The season has been a great one overall, and now cross is on the doorstep, let the good stuff come! I cannot wait for fall!

Well it's been a few days, I tried to get on sooner but it's been a little hectic. I rode the course for wednesday's race and I fell on the tight descent off 360 trail, as I was falling I was thinking about when my collarbone was going to pop! It wasn't too bad just a good little bruise on my hand and a jammed shoulder. I feel ok now, but we'll see what happens tomorrow. Beckham cried so hard this morning when I put in his contacts that it actually made them go in easier. It still sucks to have him crying at 5.25 in the morning. The doctor says that at some point they make a correlation between the contacts being put in and being able to see. I hope that it happens soon!

Last night was pretty cool, Mark was riding well, we rode over to Loveland Pass at a good pace and I thought we would have reeled in some riders but instead we just kind of rolled up and maintained our pace and opened up gaps on those chasing. The weather was perfect, the moon was a beautiful crescent and hung right over the peaks the whole way up. I hitched a ride down the hill with the support car and then rode up with to Montezuma with Mark. I got home about 2 am, and then up again at about 7, which sucked! I need more sleep! Today was ok, Shaubie and I rode a little in the morning and then I was on my own for the rest of the day with Beckham. Right now I'm watching a show on the Travel Channel called "Donut Crazy" one of the places is called Leonards Donuts in Honolulu, and another is Cafe du Monde in New Orleans, all places I would love to go, mmmmm donuts...

We are planning an mtb ride from Gold Hill to Chatfield on the Colorado Trail. It'll be about 100 miles (162 k) it should be around 7 hours and lots of fun! I was looking at the guide book and it looks great with most of climbing in the first few hours. One of these days I'll get to do the Loveland ride through Rocky Mtn Nat'l Park, that one is a bit longer, at 180 miles (291 k) or so. Thanks to a lack of sleep I didn't ride much today, just a light spin. Tomorrow will be fun, I'm riding the Night Loop with Mark Thompson for the Revenge, it'll be about 70 miles or so from home most of it after dark, Frisco-Loveland Pass Summit-Keystone-Zuma-Swan-Home. Night rides are fun! Beckham was good today, Shaubie had the day off and enjoyed it with him. We are looking forward to a good weekend with a lot of rest, I'll need it after tomorrow night! The boys are all out of town this weekend so no cross rides until next week. I need to start running soon, I think after mtb season I'll start getting out on some runs a few times a week. Jackson got a bath today, he looks so clean and beautiful, and thanks to good shampoo he isn't itching nearly as much. He weighs 82lbs, my first born son. What did Joel ride today...

It rained so hard in the afternoon that I thought the bike path and roads were going to be a mess, it turns out after I got out for my ride it was perfect. A little bit of water left but nothing too bad. Just a quick spin to get the car from the shitheads at Hickey Motors. They really made me angry with the way they handled the brake situation, accusing me of doing something to the car and looking for a free fix. Overall I sort of feel better than yesterday, though it may have just been more motivating to ride in the rain for a change. I am getting excited for next weeks' race, there are a few races this weekend that I may do, we'll see how I feel by friday and decide if I should do them or not. Jackson's skin allergies are really bad right now and it has him all pissed off, he won't stop itching, I feel horrible for him, he can't be very comfortable at all! Today he sees his doctor and hopefully they will get him the right medicine and fix him up. He has a hot spot on his cheek that just looks painful, and I just want him to be better! Tim's back and I think he goes to Durango thursday with Garth for a 100 miler, I wonder if the Durango boys will heckle the 100 mile guys? I can fathom seeking out a string of 7-10 hours races, leadville, Durango, Vail and whatever else is out there!

I feel a bit blocked, I think the massage realeased a load of crap into my system. On the bike my legs felt like lead and sort of cooked. I managed two hours and no work. Oh well, I'll get it all back together for next weeks race. Beckham was laughing tonight when I took out his contacts, just laying there being happy. I watched a bit of "Diary of a Shark Man" very cool show, Discovery Channel rocks! Manny Puig has such a cool job and balls to swim with sharks every day! I had a bit of a Ben and Jerry's ice cream bar today, Sue, Me and Dennis split it three ways. We had the cookie dough one. Good stuff! The rest week goes on...

Today was pretty cool, Evan Travis and I did a great ride on cross bikes. We rode some dirt roads and singletrack and regular roads with about 5 flats between the three of us. County Road 3 was really fun, the singletrack was fun too, but we flatted there so it wasn't as good. It felt great to be on the bike, just like home! I still need to run through the gears and soap it up a bit too. I really missed riding the IF, checkout www.ifbikes.com they are the nicest cross bikes especially if you actually ride them, as in get your ass off the couch and get out in the dirt and really hit it. Singletrack on a cross bike is really fun if you can ride a straight line and follow the contours. The views were great out on the trail, nothing to be seen but rolling hills and some clouds that looked pretty cool. Sometimes you need to get out in the middle of nowhere to appreciate how good you have it. I got a great massage today, John ridiculed me for not stretching, I need to be less lazy and get loose. I hope Joel keeps winning his clydesdale races, I really like to hear about the courses and races, they really have a great system there and seem to supply a great service to their racers. In the results there is a link to a photo of the racer in action! Pretty sweet system! Beckham was fun this afternoon, we played and took number 1 for a swim in the creek, it was really hot today (80 degrees) so Jackson really needed a swim. The last hour has been steady thunder and lightning and thunder, all while we are watching Shark Week! The program on right now is Anatomy of a Shark Bite really cool footage of shark attacks and recreations of attacks with robotic sharks comparing forces to real shark evidence.

Today was pretty cool, Evan Travis and I did a great ride on cross bikes. We rode some dirt roads and singletrack and regular roads with about 5 flats between the three of us. County Road 3 was really fun, the singletrack was fun too, but we flatted there so it wasn't as good. It felt great to be on the bike, just like home! I still need to run through the gears and soap it up a bit too. I really missed riding the IF, checkout www.ifbikes.com they are the nicest cross bikes especially if you actually ride them, as in get your ass off the couch and get out in the dirt and really hit it. Singletrack on a cross bike is really fun if you can ride a straight line and follow the contours. The views were great out on the trail, nothing to be seen but rolling hills and some clouds that looked pretty cool. Sometimes you need to get out in the middle of nowhere to appreciate how good you have it. I got a great massage today, John ridiculed me for not stretching, I need to be less lazy and get loose. I hope Joel keeps winning his clydesdale races, I really like to hear about the courses and races, they really have a great system there and seem to supply a great service to their racers. In the results there is a link to a photo of the racer in action! Pretty sweet system! Beckham was fun this afternoon, we played and took number 1 for a swim in the creek, it was really hot today (80 degrees) so Jackson really needed a swim. The last hour has been steady thunder and lightning and thunder, all while we are watching Shark Week! The program on right now is Anatomy of a Shark Bite really cool footage of shark attacks and recreations of attacks with robotic sharks comparing forces to real shark evidence.

Today was pretty cool, Evan Travis and I did a great ride on cross bikes. We rode some dirt roads and singletrack and regular roads with about 5 flats between the three of us. County Road 3 was really fun, the singletrack was fun too, but we flatted there so it wasn't as good. It felt great to be on the bike, just like home! I still need to run through the gears and soap it up a bit too. I really missed riding the IF, checkout www.ifbikes.com they are the nicest cross bikes especially if you actually ride them, as in get your ass off the couch and get out in the dirt and really hit it. Singletrack on a cross bike is really fun if you can ride a straight line and follow the contours. The views were great out on the trail, nothing to be seen but rolling hills and some clouds that looked pretty cool. Sometimes you need to get out in the middle of nowhere to appreciate how good you have it. I got a great massage today, John ridiculed me for not stretching, I need to be less lazy and get loose. I hope Joel keeps winning his clydesdale races, I really like to hear about the courses and races, they really have a great system there and seem to supply a great service to their racers. In the results there is a link to a photo of the racer in action! Pretty sweet system! Beckham was fun this afternoon, we played and took number 1 for a swim in the creek, it was really hot today (80 degrees) so Jackson really needed a swim. The last hour has been steady thunder and lightning and thunder, all while we are watching Shark Week! The program on right now is Anatomy of a Shark Bite really cool footage of shark attacks and recreations of attacks with robotic sharks comparing forces to real shark evidence.

Today was pretty cool, Evan Travis and I did a great ride on cross bikes. We rode some dirt roads and singletrack and regular roads with about 5 flats between the three of us. County Road 3 was really fun, the singletrack was fun too, but we flatted there so it wasn't as good. It felt great to be on the bike, just like home! I still need to run through the gears and soap it up a bit too. I really missed riding the IF, checkout www.ifbikes.com they are the nicest cross bikes especially if you actually ride them, as in get your ass off the couch and get out in the dirt and really hit it. Singletrack on a cross bike is really fun if you can ride a straight line and follow the contours. The views were great out on the trail, nothing to be seen but rolling hills and some clouds that looked pretty cool. Sometimes you need to get out in the middle of nowhere to appreciate how good you have it. I got a great massage today, John ridiculed me for not stretching, I need to be less lazy and get loose. I hope Joel keeps winning his clydesdale races, I really like to hear about the courses and races, they really have a great system there and seem to supply a great service to their racers. In the results there is a link to a photo of the racer in action! Pretty sweet system! Beckham was fun this afternoon, we played and took number 1 for a swim in the creek, it was really hot today (80 degrees) so Jackson really needed a swim. The last hour has been steady thunder and lightning and thunder, all while we are watching Shark Week! The program on right now is Anatomy of a Shark Bite really cool footage of shark attacks and recreations of attacks with robotic sharks comparing forces to real shark evidence.

Today was pretty cool, Evan Travis and I did a great ride on cross bikes. We rode some dirt roads and singletrack and regular roads with about 5 flats between the three of us. County Road 3 was really fun, the singletrack was fun too, but we flatted there so it wasn't as good. It felt great to be on the bike, just like home! I still need to run through the gears and soap it up a bit too. I really missed riding the IF, checkout ifbikes.com are the nicest bikes especially if you actually ride them, as in get your ass off the couch and get out in the dirt and really hit it. Singletrack on a cross bike is really fun if you can ride a straight line and follow the contours. The views were great out on the trail, nothing to be seen but rolling hills and some clouds that looked pretty cool. Sometimes you need to get out in the middle of nowhere to appreciate how good you have it. I got a great massage today, John ridiculed me for not stretching, I need to be less lazy and get loose. I hope Joel keeps winning his clydesdale races, I really like to hear about the courses and races, they really have a great system there and seem to supply a great service to their racers. In the results there is a link to a photo of the racer in action! Pretty sweet system! Beckham was fun this afternoon, we played and took number 1 for a swim in the creek, it was really hot today (80 degrees) so Jackson really needed a swim. The last hour has been steady thunder and lightning and thunder, all while we are watching Shark Week! The program on right now is Anatomy of a Shark Bite really cool footage of shark attacks and recreations of attacks with robotic sharks comparing forces to real shark evidence.

Today was pretty cool, Evan Travis and I did a great ride on cross bikes. We rode some dirt roads and singletrack and regular roads with about 5 flats between the three of us. County Road 3 was really fun, the singletrack was fun too, but we flatted there so it wasn't as good. It felt great to be on the bike, just like home! I still need to run through the gears and soap it up a bit too. I really missed riding the IF, checkout ifbikes.com are the nicest bikes especially if you actually ride them, as in get your ass off the couch and get out in the dirt and really hit it. Singletrack on a cross bike is really fun if you can ride a straight line and follow the contours. The views were great out on the trail, nothing to be seen but rolling hills and some clouds that looked pretty cool. Sometimes you need to get out in the middle of nowhere to appreciate how good you have it. I hope Joel keeps winning his clydesdale races, I really like to hear about the courses and races, they really have a great system there and seem to supply a great service to their racers. In the results there is a link to a photo of the racer in action! Pretty sweet system! Beckham was fun this afternoon, we played and took number 1 for a swim in the creek, it was really hot today (80 degrees) so Jackson really needed a swim. The last hour has been steady thunder and lightning and thunder, all while we are watching Shark Week! The program on right now is Anatomy of a Shark Bite really cool footage of shark attacks and recreations of attacks with robotic sharks comparing forces to real shark evidence.

Today was pretty cool, Evan Travis and I did a great ride on cross bikes. We rode some dirt roads and singletrack and regular roads with about 5 flats between the three of us. County Road 3 was really fun, the singletrack was fun too, but we flatted there so it wasn't as good. It felt great to be on the bike, just like home! I still need to run through the gears and soap it up a bit too. I really missed riding the IF, checkout ifbikes.com are the nicest bikes especially if you actually ride them, as in get your ass off the couch and get out in the dirt and really hit it. Singletrack on a cross bike is really fun if you can ride a straight line and follow the contours. The views were great out on the trail, nothing to be seen but rolling hills and some clouds that looked pretty cool. Sometimes you need to get out in the middle of nowhere to appreciate how good you have it. I hope Joel keeps winning his clydesdale races, I really like to hear about the courses and races, they really have a great system there and seem to supply a great service to their racers. In the results there is a link to a photo of the racer in action! Pretty sweet system! Beckham was fun this afternoon, we played and took number 1 for a swim in the creek, it was really hot today (80 degrees) so Jackson really needed a swim. The last hour has been steady thunder and lightning and thunder, all while we are watching Shark Week! The program on right now is Anatomy of a Shark Bite really cool footage of shark attacks and recreations of attacks. I wonder what Tim did today after the race...

I am beginning to feel like a somewhat recovered cyclist, first a nap this afternoon and then a little ride. And then just sit on the couch! I started getting the cross bikes ready today, a bit of love and some soap and they will be ready for some serious work. In the meantime I need to look forward to the next local series race and get another win. I have had bad races but still managed to get some good results, I need just need to get the bike ready for the next one combined with good climbing legs and I'll be there! Beckham was great today we hung out all day, and then we had a cool evening with Shaubie. He was awake for the contacts this morning, and pissed off! It took a lot more work to get them in today, it sucks seeing him cry and be miserable. I hope Tim didn't get rained on today.

I didn't really talk about the races result on wednesday night. I was third but my legs were good compared to how I was descending. I tried to race the descents but they were so long that I just rode the mand tried not to fall too many times. Tim G won, that is awesome, he deserves it! I tried to just climb well and stay seated to mimic good cross form. I felt as though the pace I climbed was pretty solid. Beckham had a good day, we went up to the BOEC so #1 could swim. Beckham was reaching out to touch the pine needles on the trees. #1 was swimming into the middle of the pond and taking his time to swim back and of course play keep-away with me! I got a nap today! It was wonderful I think I slept about 40 minutes. I need to do more of it. Good ride today, not as easy as I wanted but pretty good Evan really wants to do double up on the cross rides this weekend. I hope to do one, but we'll see which one I can actually do. I still need another day to recover.

I hit a tree with my left shoulder blade/upper back on the one of the descents on wednesday, I didn't fall just raked across the tree. It was a section where the trail was going across the hill and briefly went up hill before returning to its trajectory across, well there was a tree on the leftside that the trail went around and I didn't go uphill enough and raked myself over the broken branches on the trailside of it. It hurt alot after I did it and now coupled with the other falls from the race I feel pretty much like shit! The trail was great it just needs time to mature and smooth out a touch. Check out www.mavsports.com for a review of the races so far. My legs are pretty angry and my body is pissed too, cross rides this weekend over miles of dirt road will be a feat! This morning Beckham just didn't want to be out and about, we went into town for coffee and he was pissed off in the car and then inside Clint's he was fine, then in the car he was angry again, now he is sleeping, odd kid!? We went for a walk with #1 and he was pissed off the whole time but after we got home he was cool. I think we both need a home day! I'll do a road ride in a bit to continue my active rest period, I think a few days easy will be all it takes to get recovered, active rest is always better than passive I think! What do I know? #1 will get a bath today at some point, he really gets jealous when Beckham gets one every night and he gets nothing. Today is a dog day as much as it can be with Shaubie working. Also we (me, #1, Little B) are going to help Travis with his house, moving stuff around and being there to give our oh-so-valuable opinion!

I have been going over the list of things you look for when overtraining is a possibility, well I have about 5 of them! I know the summer races aren't my first choice for success but I still want to do well enough to win the series up here. I think that if I rest and recover well this weekend I'll be in good shape to win at least one more of the races that remain. The next one is a good one for me, I haven't been lower than second, with a few wins in six or seven tries. Cross is close! I think after I recover from this block of training I'll start to run. Jackson will like that! This morning Beckham slept through his contact lens installation, it was the weirdest thing, he just layed there asleep while I put in the lenses, odd! More later today

Alright, I have to get a break somehow, I am sick of waking up and being pissed off at the clock. After tomorrow I take a break for a few days. So tonight I goto bed at 8.45 and try to sleep almost 8 hours! I rode today with Evan and actually felt good on the road bike, the legs aren't bad it's the body that needs rest. Overall a much better day than yesterday, just less shit working against me. Tomorrow is a good course for me, lots of climbing and most of it hard service road stuff. We'll see what happens, another win and the series is just about mine! I wonder what Tim rode today...

Today was a bit too much, I really wanted to ride the course for wednesday's race but the day just didn't let me do it. Traffic on hwy 9 trying to get to Frisco was bad b/c of road work and so I rode to Silverthorne from Frisco and that was my ride for the day. I had to pickup the car and pickup Shaubie at the store. At least I got to ride some singletrack to get there. Oh well, Beckham and Jackson were great when I got home. Both of them just made my whole day better by being themselves! I am so tired, bed now!

Today was almost as good as yesterday, saturday was better b/c I got to ride with Shaubie. Anyway on the am ride I did 3.5-4 hours on the mtb on the CT and other great singletracks. The ride was pretty cool, I started from home and rode over the hill to meet up with Jeff and Evan. On the way Jackson was with Shaubie and Beckham on the trail and he followed me for a mile or so before I realized he was back there so I doubled back to bring him to Shaubie. The trail was perfect, just enough moisture in the ground to make the trail tacky. A great ride! Then in the pm I had to bring the Subaru in for service so I drove it to Silverthorne and rode home in the rain with Travis, it was great, a nice steady rain and the path was empty! I got to hear all about France and the food and the Tour! Pretty good stuff!

Today was a great day. A very nice am road ride, with a few good climbs with Shaubie and friends. The best weather all summer 75 degrees and no clouds! Now I just need to recover from a week of no real rest and lots of training. I won the time trial thursdsay, by almost a minute! I thought I did a good ride but never did I think I put up that good of a time. I may get to do what I tried to do last season, a win in all three disciplines, I guess the time trial sort of counts, well two out of three isn't bad! The mtb series hits again wednesday night, the race is at Copper not American Gulch. I really like shooting for a local goal, the road stuff around Denver can be so hard travelling down there all the time, the racing within riding distance of the house is just the ticket! Motivation and quality competition so close is great! Save the drive to Denver/Boulder for cross season!!! I wonder what Joel rode today...