TO RACE/COMPETE/CHALLENGE OUR BEST, we've got to make time for the A-B-C's.  If we don't, we become very dull.

C events are the ones where we Check Things Out... things like:  a long breakaway, a late sprint, different foods, attacking from the start, tire pressures, not taking a single pull, etc... By stating the expectation up front, it's easy to uncouple from I gotta do my best and hitch onto I'm going to see if this works... because if it does, you can slot it your quiver.

B events are for Being Aggressive.  Take that new arrow you added on the C event and let it fly with confidence by going all in on it.  Did you learn going hard the day before actually makes you feel better on race day?  Now is the time to really commit and put into practice.  Does it really work?

A events.  Oh, the A events.  The ones we put on the calendar a year out.  The ones we've staked the season on.  The ones where we Bring It All Together tapered and fresh to unleash our might fury.  These can, and should be, magical.

The scary part is most of us have never tried to get a B or a C.

PS . 

I RAN INTO SUPERCROSS AND MTB LEGEND JOHNNY OMARA TODAY.  He was with a young kid, Jett, who he introduced as the future of Supercross and Motocross. .

I asked the kid how long he'd be in the States.

6 years.

He just go here!  He's 16. 

That's a kid/man, with a long-term plan.  Which dove-tailed perfectly with what I was already thinking about.

 ______

164
20/60
8hrs
Ride with us: click for info. 

OVER THE YEARS I'VE HAD TREMENDOUS SUCCESS WITH L.S.D.  It's allowed me to reset my mind and my seasons.  It's a trip, for sure.  Done properly, the following days and weeks will be approached anew.

Why's it work?  I dunno.

When should you do it?  When you're burned out and stale.

Who needs it?  Probably everybody.

Where to do it?  Ideally, some place flat.

What is L.S.D.?  Long, slow distance.

How's it done?  You simply throw a limp leg over your saddle, mount, and softly pedal away.  For a long time.  Preferably with your pals, done alone can make you crazy.

Today was a pretty good LSD ride.  It was probably too lumpy.  4500' of elevation gain over 60 miles is a little much.  450' would have been better.  But, the pace was right on.  Just the 4 of us, two abreast, chatting it up.

The secondary purpose for me, was to find a challenging route.  It's close to ideal, though I think we might reroute a short section.  We'll see.

In the meantime, my body is resetting.  Getting ready for one last race this year, the Filthy 50 MTB race in 8 weeks... L.F.D.

 ______

165.4 lbs
0 pull ups/0 push ups saving it for surf tonight
Ride with us: click for info. 

EVERY TIME I RACE I LEARN A LITTLE SOMETHING.  It starts with putting the race date on the calendar, and putting down my cash.  From that moment on, my bikedar is scanning for speed.

It's like magic.

And the very best thing?

The code keeps changing.  I keep learning.

Why just yesterday I learned my right leg is 5mm shorter than my left!  All these years... all those miles... all the worry my riding days were coming to an end... all the lost power... ALL THE FOUND SPEED!

What are you signed up for?  What have you learned?  Do tell.

______

164.4 lbs
23 pull ups/69 push ups
Ride with us: click for info. 

IS THE AGE OF COMPETITION DEAD?  Are there no more winners and losers?  As grand as gran fondos are, and as tickly as the dopamine hit I get from Strava cup is... I miss the huge fields and butt whippings of the late 80s and early 90s.

When he lined up like gladiators.  To race.  To win.

When seeing stars and tasting blood while training.  Was common.

Have we just gone soft?

We lost almost every single time.  Some of us never won, or even got a sniff of it.  But we kept coming.  We kept charging.  Because something inside us was aching to be unleashed.

The competition held us accountable.  We discovered who we were.  We learned to win.  And we learned to lose.

A wise man once said, Don't wish it was easier, wish you were better.

So I say...

Ride the gran fondo, for fun.
Get the Strava thingies, for the high.
Do the group ride, to make friends.

Race your bike,
Set a PR you thought was impossible,
Find out who you are.

A winner.

______

165 lbs
20 pull ups/60 push ups
Ride with us: click for info. 

MALCOM GLADWELL MADE IT FAMOUS IN HIS BOOK OUTLIERS, the idea that if you did anything for 10,000 hours you would become great.

What is 10,000 hours?  Is it like fasting for 40 days?  Is it apocryphal?  Does it mean just do it for a long time?

When I was a lad, a crusty old crank took my 9 month old cycling exuberance and sat me down.  Looked me in the eye. Yelled a little too loud. 

You don't know what you are until you've ridden for 3 years!

I'm a road racer.

I doubt it!

I was, but it wasn't my best event.  Three years later I had a pretty good handle on what I could and couldn't win.

That 3 years was made up of an average 10 hours per week.  Roughly1500 hours.

Now, if you were a pro or had no other focus or obligation you might ride 15 or 20 hours a week.  Maybe even 30.  

Most pros have gotten there after 5-10 years of racing.  Or, about 10,000 hours.

That magic isn't in the predictable nature of a bike ride, but in the unpredictable.  The spider-sense develops and we do all these unconscious things learned by experience. 

We've all seen the new rider get the most flats, have the most close calls, take the most tumbles.  We've heard the new rider say things like I was leading the whole race until the end.  

We feel for them, try and teach them, and encourage them to see it through.  And sometimes we are the crusty crank yelling a bit too loud because of our love for the sport and our knowledge that it just takes time to be great.

Count your hours,
make 'em count.

______

164.6 lbs
20 pull ups/60 push ups
Ride with us: click for info. 

I CRASHED TONIGHT.  Dinged my knee.  Hip's a little sore.  It left a mark.  Naturally, I popped right up... after a few regrettable words with myself.  Got right after at.  Started making my way forward through the places I'd lost.

Then, I blew.

I knew it was over.  Shouldn't have even raced.  But, while legs were saying no, heart was saying yes.  Friends were saying yes.  Ego was saying yes.

And that's why I did it.

I'll have that mark to remind me for the next couple of weeks to back it down.

But the mark that matters is the mark Matt Wenger has left on the OC mountain bike scene.  

For 10 years, he's promoted and executed the largest weekly mountain bike race in the world.  500-600 line up every Tuesday night to race, for 12 weeks of summer.

Enduring friendships have been made.

Lives have been changed.

A deep culture of having fun on mountain bikes has been gifted.

His vision and passion and energy bring it all to life.

That's all it takes.
And it takes his ALL.

Thanks bro.

______

163.6 lbs
20 pull ups/60 push ups
Ride with us: click for info. 

FULLY 70% SAID THERE'S NO NEED FOR AN OFF-SEASON.   I say bull pucky! NowayJose! and FAT CHANCE!

We gotta have a rest, reward.  And, it oughta be hell-yeah fun!

Ergo: The Tour de Donut!

What could be more fun that sugaring up with a bunch of skinny, underfed monks?  

Nothing!

Will you get fat?  Who cares... but no, not even if you try.
Will you spike your sugar?... well yeah!
Will you get sick of donuts?... most likely.
Will you have fun?... oh, please don't make me answer this.

Does one day make an off-season?  Of course not.  The point is to reset our minds.  Recognize all we've accomplished.  Socialize.  Flip the switch.  

What do I really mean by off-season?  I mean, really, "different season".  Different being:  different bike, different rides, different purpose, different routes, different amount of time in the saddle.

Change it up.

Starting with burning in all those good intentions with a rock-solid sugar high.

You buy the jersey, we'll buy the donuts!

Oct 12.  7am.  Starting point TBD.

Join the ride: 

https://www.strava.com/clubs/294012/group_events/567065

______

165.4 lbs
20 pull ups/60 push ups
Ride with us: click for info. 

HEY... I WAS A GUEST ON THE BIG WHEEL COACHING PODCAST.  Brian rooted out some of my secrets.

I had a blast.  Before I do another...

... I'd love, love, love... your feedback.

LEARN SOMETHING NEW.  Read a lot.  Listen a lot.  Every, single, day.

DEFINE THE WIN.  Set a goal.  Figure out the process that is going to get you there.  Do it.

INSPIRE OTHERS.  Share your journey.  We're all rooting for you.

______

164.4 lbs
20 pull ups/60 push ups
Ride with us: click for info. 

ENTER OFFICE TODD.  Not me.  The CHP.  On his way to patrol the canyon we ride, in the hopes of finding the kook who buzzed the riders last week, he stopped everybody for a little lecture.

Guys, I'm on the way to see if we can't find the person who buzzed you in the white BMW last week.

Can you make my job easier?

Yessir.

Please ride no more than 2 abreast in the bike line.

That was it.  Just a dude, doing a thankless job, and being awesome about it.

Guess what?

We're gonna do our best to make his job easier.

PS If you can identify this jackass in the 2014 BMW M5, let me know.  

______

165.2
0 pull ups/0 push ups
Ride with us: click for info. 

HOW THE HECK CAN I POP UP AND RIDE 90 MILES LIKE IT'S NOTHING?  Well, it's significantly easier if I'm riding with the posse vs alone... or worse, chasing the group.

Just this morning, while I was happily caboosing on the back of the train, Pete was caught on the other side of the road.  Couldn't get across. Could only shout a gassed message at Siri.

Some miles are better than others.  Like:

Riding and chatting with friends.

A beautiful road with an ocean view.

A solitary climb in the mountains.

Heading to a destination with great food.

Working hard in a pace line.

Any single track.

Rides sans flats or other mechanical issues.

An early morning sunrise.

The first ride on a new bike.

So many ways for good miles.

The worst miles of all?

... the ones we skipped... we can never get 'em back.

_____

CV was muy fast today

Stopped by and saw some of the fam on the way home

Even had enough energy to do some car shopping

 ______

166 lbs. : (
10 pull ups/30 push ups
Ride with us: click for info. 

 I ALWAYS NAME MY BIKES.  It gives them soul.  Connects us better.  Let's me love it up when detailing it, and ride it hard when racing.  

The names come fast.  Sometimes before I even ride it.

There's The Marvel, my Specialized Allez with the rad fork design.  Right off, it reminded me of the start of a Marvel movie... superhero kinda stuff.  And I'll be damned if I haven't ridden some super heroic days on that bike.

Sparky is my Scott Spark.  First ride, I knew it was gonna be Sparky.  That bike makes me feel young again.  Like a teen fulla zest and pluck.  Sho' 'nuff, me 'n Sparky just PR'd Leadville.

HVY MTL is my gravel/rain/play/got no plans bike.  It's steel, a special edition Specialized collab with Merz.  It's heavy.  It's fun.  There are no rules with this bike.  Just today I was jumping curbs, carving single track, and loping along the gravel goodness.  This is my no agenda bike and I love it.

If you don't name your bikes... maybe that'll inspire ya.  

If you do... do tell... what are their names and why?

_____

165.4 lbs.
10 pull ups/30 push ups
Ride with us: click for info. 

IS THERE SUCH A THING AS TOO MUCH LOVE?  

My Surfergirl reminded me there was a time when I wouldn't make time for "making time" before a big race.

Ahhh... the superstitions.

No doubt inspired by some Rocky-type movie... Ya gotta stay away from the girls!

But, is that really a thing these days?

Does it matter?

Honestly... at the risk of no loving for a long time... love makes the world AND wheels go 'round... So I always pack my pink nighty into my RaceDay Bag.

How 'bout you... love or no love before a big race?

_____

165.8 lbs.
20 pull ups/60 push ups
Ride with us: click for info. 

LET'S BE REAL, sometime you really, really, really, really, really gotta pee during a race.  What's a racer to do?

My friend Kevin, perfected the stand up and pee off to the side for LoToJa... which is fine for some, certainly not for the ladies... and no matter what sex you are, impossible during a mountain bike race. 

Such was my dilemma Saturday at Leadville.

I was too scared to stop and pee because I was chasing a time goal... and well, the pressure ain't what it used to be.  Who knows how long I could be... stage fright and all?

I know we have amazing chamois' in our bibs and that peeing in the bib wouldn't be the end of the world... in fact, it could be a big relief!  

Gross, I know...

but sometimes, you gotta go!

So tell me...

Have you ever let it flow, warm and yellow?

To pee or not to pee?

_____

167.6 lbs.
16 pull ups/48 push ups
Ride with us: click for info. 

THERE ARE TWO KINDS OF RACERS, one has gotta win and one has gotta do their best.  

Neither is more virtuous than the other.

Neither can exist without the other.

Which one are you today?

How 'bout tomorrow?

_____

166.8 lbs.
0/0
Ride with us: click for info. 

I KNOW, I HAD A RIDICULOUSLY AWESOME TIME AT LEADVILLE.  But, the racer in me can't help wishing I'd done a few things differently.  That's a good thing.  To review, while it's fresh.

So, here's what I'd do different.

7.  I would have pre-driven the course with my crew (Surfergirl) on Thursday so I could rest more on Friday.

6.  I would have her meet me at Pipeline with a bottle then scoot over to aid station at the bottom of Columbine.  This would allow me to carry less at the start.  More importantly, it would give her more time to get back to Pipeline... she only made it with 6 minutes to spare.  That could have gone real bad.

5.  If possible, I'd get to Leadville 10 days early and pre-ride some or all of the course at a race pace... then head somewhere else to taper and play on the resort runs with lift access.

4.  I'd rent a house for Thursday-Saturday nights in Leadville.  We stayed with my sis' in Breck.  They have an exceptional place, but turned out to be a lot further than I'd imagined.  I've stayed in Leadville before, the houses are a little ramshackle, but being close saves a lot of energy.

3.  For my prep, I would do more long days on the MTB with enough food and water to go 6 hours non-stop.  These would be adventure rides, on technical trails.  The past few years I've done so much road riding my MTB skills were still not quite primed.  Big Bear would be great, so would Mammoth.

2.  The altitude is still the biggest killer for us sea levelers... leaving for the mountains a month early, I have to imagine, would be a true game changer.

1.  I would hustled my butt across the Finish Line instead of coasting in and enjoying the fanfare... because, if I'd gone a mere 32 seconds faster (which I could have easily done) I would have qualified for the Silver Corral!!!... a dream come true, and a lot closer to the front and the fastest guys.

Just little things.  The big things I got right:  awesome bike, my body weight down 7 lbs, lots of upper body and core strength, my food was spot on.  In no way am I complaining, just doing the wise thing... review and improve.

Who knows... maybe there's another PR out there?

_____

unknown lbs.
0/0
Ride with us: click for info. 

WE NAILED IT!

I like it when you say that.

Hmmm...

Yeah, it makes me feel part of the race.

Oh you are... there's no way I could do it without you.

I'm pretty sure I've cried every year I've raced Leadville.  For various reasons.  It's that kinda race.  Everything is required:  body, mind, soul.

I rounded the corner, there was the van as planned.  Perfectly stationed was my trophy wife.  I skidded to a stop.  Dumped my empty gear.  Like a pro,  she gave me my supplies.  Loaded my water bottle into the cage.  Made sure I took a big swig of pickle juice.

I was off.

Overcome with emotion.

She was so kind and patient and pro.

That's really nothing to cry over, right?  But, you see... that's 2.5 hours into the race.  By that point, I'd...

... wondered what the hell I was doing the race for as my lungs and legs burned a whopping 10 miles into the 100.

... been shocked as every hill, which I'd pre-ridden, seemed longer and steeper and meaner.

... intensely contemplated what was I trying to prove by chasing a PR?

Then there's the whole self-talk... can I even do it?  will the bike hold up?  the body? the weather?

And it's a weird cry... a wounded animal whimper.  No tears.  

Soon enough I was on Columbine.  Emotions gone.  Hungry Like A Wolf blaring in my mind. 

Let me just say, of all the climbs I've done for fun or racing... this is by far the worst.  Straight up to 12,500'.  The top so steep I have to walk.  It's shameful.  But, I gotta do it.  

I made a few friends on the climb.  That's always fun.  One was Coach Jonathan from Trainer Road.  A great podcast.  I could tell he was focused on metering out his power.  We rode together most of the day.  Mainly because he took a few bathroom breaks and I, somehow, had the prostrate of a 20 year old.  

But, that's Leadville... emotional.  challenging.  friendly.

This annual gathering comes together to find out what we're made of.

Behind every effort is an extraordinary amount of planning, investment and support from the crew. 

Nobody does it alone.

Together.

We nail it!

... oh, and yeah, I got that PR.  19 years after my 8:20, I posted 8:15.  I crossed the line. Hugged Ken, the founder. ... clutched my Surfergirl, and hustled to the potty to empty my screaming bladder, like a 20 year-old! (mighta been a tear there, too)

I'M NOT SURE IF CLEANLINESS IS NEXT TO GODLINESS... but I am sure if we expect to uncork our full god-given powers on race day we better have clean, race-ready equipment.

I'm not sure if having a clean bikes guarantees victory... but a dirty bike can lead to a helluva lot of problems.

I'm not sure if a clean bike is virtuous... but meticulously going over each part can expose future trouble.

I'm not sure of a lot in life... but I'm sure glad my drivetrain ready to shred. 

... don't for get to wash behind your gears.

_____

163ish
0/30
Ride with us: click for info. 

THE ROAD TO LEADVILLE IS COLORED WITH WELCOME SIGNS.  Welcome to Dinosaur is a real thing.  But, the We <3 Leadville mural with it's Great Living @ 10,200' stood out.  Long and low, the white sign stretched 200 feet. 

Pulling into town I realized it was gone.  Replaced with houses.  I wondered how welcome I'd be, and how much I'd love this trip... little superstitions are real.

We ambled around the lower roads at set on riding Hagerman's to Power Line.  This is my favorite part of the course.  From the summit, it is a very fast Jeep road.  

As I was geeking and gearing up, I heard Susie chatting to a solo rider outside the van.  He said he used to live in California.  Susie asked if he knew me.

Todd Brown?!

I jumped out.

Nate Whitman!

Oh man... my fears or riding alone at sunset were blown away with memories from Nate's first Leadville, which was also my PR year. 

Nate has finished top 10 and sub-7 hours multiple times, over 18 go's.  That's world class.

But, he didn't start that way... in fact, I gave him a 25% chance of finishing at all.

Somehow we'd met on AOL or something pre-social media.  He lived in Venice.  He was a semi-pro soccer player.  He wanted to see what he'd gotten himself into.  I'd done the race once, which made me the local expert back then.  He drove to meet me and Peter Vidmar at the bottom of Harding on a sweltering July afternoon - weeks before the event. 

I'll never forget it.

Nate.

In a heavy black soccer jersey.

Uh, you sure about that jersey?

Oh definitely.  Soccer guys know this is best.

Ok.

It was a long day for all of us.  Pete and I cruising, Nate nowhere in site.  The afternoon heat scorching our backs.  

Two of us howled with laughter about the black jersey.

I could tell Nate was discouraged at the top.  

At the bottom, he asked Do you think I'll be okay?

My response, which he remembers to this day... You're fit right?

There is no other place like Leadville to find out if you're fit.  It's an obviously infectious quest... one that Nate has answered and mastered.

Seeing my friend Nate was a great sign of being welcome, which would get added to at dinner.

Dinner.

How things have changed up here!  There is finally, really good food.  We sat at Treeline.  Out of town owners who brought their out of town talents and out of town prices.  Well worth it.

Clearly, the locals love it... as in walks the legends themselves.  Founders.  Creators. The spirt of Leadville... Ken and Merilee.  

I popped off my chair.

Gave them a big hug.

They welcomed me like an old friend... I wondered how could they remember so many people, imagined it was impossible and didn't care as Merilee embraced Susie and whispered...

Welcome home.

_____

The legend, Nate Whitman

Side story... we met a real life Leadville Trail runner.  Mark.  64.  1 artificial hip.  He's in for his first LT100 running race.  Got in via lottery.  Has no idea what he's in for... and I mean that in a good way.  Good Luck!

SATURDAY WAS THE LAST BIG RIDE, and it was way bigger than I'd planned.  That's the problem with an epic event that requires travel.  On the way, I always manage to wind up on an amazing trail or road and just can't resist going longer than planned...

... and I'd say returning 4 hours after I'd planned to return shows an incredible lack of self-restraint.

But, who cares?

When the posse is solid, the temperatures pleasant, and the dirt loamy, I'm gonna ride.

Bryson put this together, and Jeff and I joined.  20 of us rolled up and away from PCMR (Park City Mountain Resort).  Normally, this would be a terrible decision.  But, this wasn't your average group.  These were all riders who'd planned and qualified for Leadville.  Utahns, used to altitude.  Committed MTBr's with the skills to carve any trail.

The only person they had to wait for was The Old Diesel.  

By the end of the day, my 4 hour ride had expanded to 8 hours (6 riding).  .  50 miles, 5000' of vert.  All of it sweet, sweet single track.  The group dwindled to 3 of us.

Then it was me.

At The Canyons.

Double patty cheeseburger did nothing to curb my hunger.

It was a big day, possibly too big.  But, I didn't care.  The trails, the air, the beauty, the friends.  Worth it.

Takeaways... my chain fell off and wedged impossibly hard into my frame.  Shouldn't have taken my chain catcher off months ago... now I have to hope my daughter can find it and overnight it to me - plus get a new chain and cassette.  My lube didn't not make it through the day - not sure what to do on that front for PbVille.  Everything else, perfect!

_____

Gettin' ready

And we're off

Dream-like

Best burger ever?

Post-burger, this did the trick

163
0/0
Ride with us: click for info.