News Coming Soon

I promise.  2010 is shaping up to be, without question, the most interesting and challenging year of my life.  I can’t get the details out just yet, but it’s coming, I promise.  Just stick with me.

Here’s what I can say about 2010 right now.  I’ve picked up some generous support from a few folks in 2010 (and every business I’m supported by right now I can personally pick up the phone and talk to the owner–which I *really* dig).  I’ve got about 90% of my race calendar for 2010 sorted out.  I’ll be starting out next weekend with a little Racer’s & Chasers action in San Diego County.  The annual pilgrimage to Monterey for Sea Otter.  Following that up with a trip to one of my current favorite areas of the US in Prescott at the Whiskey Off Road.  A little road action at Breathless Agony in L.A. And the biggie for me in 2010 (and probably the pinnacle of my cycling life) with a short ride from Alberta down to New Mexico in the Tour Divide.  Heading up from New Mexico to Colorado for the Leadville Silver Rush 50.  I’ll be sticking around town for the month and either racing the Leadville Trail 100 Mountain Bike Race or helping out.  I might head up to Montana for the Butte 100 in between.  Depends on how much the oil companies try to RF me on fuel costs come summer.  I’ll wrap up the hear at the Park City P2P for my birthday.  Then I’m gonna sleep for 3 months like a groundhog.  Wake me when it’s Spring 2011.  Somewhere in between all this there’s gonna be a trip to Denver for GABF, some motorcycle racing in Monterey for MotoGP, and with some luck Balloon Fiesta in ABQ.

The rest of the finer details to follow.

In the interim, go say hi to these folks.

Siren Bicycles

MOTOR TABS (Seriously, if you aren’t on this stuff yet, you’re not paying attention. It’s so easy.)

Infinit

FRS

Vita-Mix (Free Shipping)

PROBAR

An Open Letter to the City of Los Angeles Regarding Mountain Bicyclists & Trail Use

Sent via email to:
Mr Jordann Turner
jordann.turner@lacity.org

Mr Turner,

I’m writing to voice my concerns regarding the City of Los Angeles’ inclusion of a very large contingency of active mountain bicyclists in and around the Los Angeles metropolitan area. As a mountain bicyclist for over 15 years I feel very qualified to state that in my many thousands of miles logged on trails across the United States it is possible for mountain bicyclists and equestrians to coexist without issue. Indeed, it is the exception (as much of life) where a mountain bicyclist and equestrian have an incident beyond a mutual respect and appreciation for each’s hobby.

In reading the recent comments from equestrians submitted to the city, I have to claim surprise–even shock–at the generalization that somehow mountain cyclists are incapable of coexisting with other trail users. Nothing can be further from the truth. I implore the city to take the following in consideration:

1. Somewhere in L.A. City Parks there should be opportunities for mountain bicyclists — it’s bad public policy that all dirt roads and trails are closed to bikes.

2. Bicycling is a positive, safe, health-promoting activity for people of all ages and should be encouraged with both natural-surface and paved riding opportunities.

3. The 2009 plan should incorporate the 1996 bicycle plan language that called for pilot projects and a gradual increase in mountain bike opportunities in the parks.

4. Bicyclists safely share trails with other trail users, including equestrians, all around the globe.

5. Mountain biking is a sustainable, manageable appropriate activity for L.A. parks — it works in dozens of other cities so why not ours?

6. Mountain bicyclists generate a sizable income for the city in the form of taxes on services rendered by local businesses.

7. Mountain bicyclists perform many, many hours of volunteer trail work every year at a time when many of our parks and recreational areas are falling into disrepair due to a lack of dedicated funding for maintenance.

I understand and respect the need to keep certain controls over the safe use of our limited trail systems. This is a mutual desire of all parties. However, complete exclusion of such a large contingency strikes me as rash, without regard for a significant and vocal constituency in the city and bad for Los Angeles business owners. Surely a compromise can be offered and embraced by all interested parties. Right?

Respectfully,

Brian De Groodt
IMBA Member
GT Bicycles Dirt Coalition Rider
www.degroodt.com

Where Ya Been?

More to come folks. Working on a 2010 plan and wrapping up what’s left of 2009. 2009 had many ups and down personally. 2010 can only be better than 2009 despite what I was taught at a ripe old age of 17 – The only easy day was yesterday. It may or may not be easier but it’ll sure as hell be better. Got some plans. Some shuck and jive for life and its little game it keeps playing on me. Looking forward to it. For now, to the hills. Repeat.

Looking at Siren Bicycles in 2010. Anyone have thoughts – good or bad – I’ll take ‘em.

Leadville – Post Mortem

How was the race?  How’d you do?  I’ve gotten this question a dozen times in the last 24 hours and I completely appreciate the question.  It’s the most relevant thing anyone that’s been listening to me for the last 8 months can ask.  So I’ll get it out up front–I quit.  After months of anticipation.  Would I make it into the lottery?  Would I have the right terrain to train on in So California?  Would I react poorly to altitude?  Would my bike make it with no mechanicals on race day?  All important questions and every one of them I answered in advance.  I knew exactly what my race day was going to be.  I stood in the Leadville gym and repeated after Ken “I commit.  I won’t quit!”  I said it a dozen more times on the first half of the race.  But I quit.  Why?

Leadville was the center of my focus in a time when life hasn’t been too fair to me.  I’m in a job that I’m performing below personal expectations, recently found my (now ex) wife was far from faithful, a divorce that’s causing all sorts of financial hell in my life and a (perhaps) premature midlife existential crisis.  So spinning on the pedals and shutting out the world for hours at a time was a great way to escape a lot of this hell.

Excuses are like assholes as they say.  And my excuses seem more like assholes the more I realize I didn’t get done what I came to Colorado to do.  Truth is I was hitting my marks for what I’d calculated to be a 10.5 hour Leadville finish.  I was averaging above 11.3MPH for the first 45 miles of the course and could feel my buckle in my hand.  Unfortunately at about mile 49 I got caught up with the wrong pack of guys and just to prove how much Leadville is really about mental over physical (within reason) I heard a couple of guys saying how they weren’t going to finish under 12 hours and in a moment of weakness I capitulated and believed I wasn’t either.  Out of pure self-sabotage I turned my wheel around at 49.3 miles and headed back down Columbine (ensuring that even if I recovered after the descent I couldn’t go on for having missed the Columbine checkpoint).  Perhaps one of the stupidest things I’ve ever done.  Surely one of the stupidest in a race.

So I came across 8 months of training, countless dollars in hotels and airfare, boring friends with talk of Leadville for months, pulled people away from their lives to crew for me, and pedaled 65 miles of 100 in under 7 hours to DNF.  FML!  That’s the most honest version of the story I can give.  I quit the course and I quit myself–for no good reason other than lack of mental fortitude.  I even had moments of self pity.  Recalling Ken’s words about the pain of finishing lasting for the day and not finishing bringing about an everlasting pain.  I convinced myself this was “jock-speak” and that I knew enough permanent pain from this year that one additional bit wouldn’t make a huge difference.

And maybe me giving in to Leadville is what I needed.  I hadn’t closed the door to the car before I felt like I’d made a horrible and preventable mistake. I don’t race endurance to win the race on the course–that’s for many far more talented people than me to do.  I race them to beat myself.  To beat my mind.  To overcome what’s in front of me in the moment and continue on.  It’s a close cousin to life’s other issues in my mind.  And not finishing Leadville made me realize how true Ken’s words are–”You’re better than you think you are and you can do more than you think you can.”  The road back home was a long silent one with a lot of self-reflection.  Yeah, shit’s tough right now.  My house is probably on its way back to the bank.  The map of my life I was so confident in a year ago is a scattered mess.  But that’s the hand I have to play right now and now it’s time to get to playing that hand as best I can.  Failing to finish Leadville made me realize that’s what has to be done.  Take the lumps and get going again.

Kyra and I were sitting in a restaurant for our last breakfast before we left Vail.  There was a sign on a wall that said “Born Free.”  I’ve seen these stickers on cars a hundred times and I never really got it.  But sitting in that diner I realized more fully what it means.  That the encumbrances I have in my life are mine and mine alone.  Nobody’s forced them on me.  Life changes and how you react dictates where you go next.

Hope springs eternal in man. I have friends and my mind; and from there it’s all fine.  What I choose to add to that is what complicates it.  In the same way the only thing I had to do in Leadville was simply keep pedaling, I need to do the same in my “real” life.  So while I failed to finish, and I feel a personal debt to Ken and Merilee, I’m also thankful for the kick in the nuts.  It’s what I needed at the time I needed it most.  I’m not done and if Ken and Merilee will have me back next year, I’ll make it right.

P.S. As for the race conditions and experience, I offer the following less relevant synopsis. It was cold. It was raining. It was early. It was muddy. It was crowded. It sleeted/hailed. And it was the most fun I’ve had on 2 wheels since the training wheels came off my bike as a kid. Of particular note was hauling ass down Powerline. That was so much fun it must be illegal.

Hardtail Stays

What can I say? When all else fails head to the Apple Apps Store and get yourself a cool, if basic, T-Chart app and lay out the pros and cons of your dilema. Hardtail stays home and the Ellsworth Evolve comes to Leadville. All set. See you at 9,600″.

Heading East to Leadville

Thursday at 5:30AM marks the official beginning of the trek east to Leadville.  I’m excited but have some real questions on my mind when it comes to bike choice.  As a GT Dirt Coalition rider I have a company-provided GT Zaskar that’s just kick ass.  It’s light, handles like it’s on a rail and has provided me all of my best finish times this year (other than operator error at Solitude–but I’m trying to forget this).  On the other side of the temporary garage is my Ellsworth Evolve.  If I was forced to make a choice and keep only one of my bikes, it’d be the Evolve (sorry GT).  But if I was forced to make this choice I’d probably give up racing as well.  Point is, one works best for me for racing certain types of races and the other works best for me racing other types of races.

I really like riding hardtail more than a suspended bike and there’s nothing that I’ve ridden so far on the Leadville trail that makes me think I must have suspension.  It’s the tire size and the thought of rolling over 100 miles on a hardtail that push me to think the Evolve has to be the bike of choice on race day.  It’s not my lightest bike, but those big wheels and a little cush-under-the-tush make a very attractive proposition.  Especially after getting my teeth rattled out of my skull on the Zaskar coming down Trabuco Trail earlier this year.  After 40 miles on it I was constantly looking behind to make sure I picked up my teeth to bring them to the dentist for reinsertion.

So I’m going to sleep on it one more night (mostly because I never make a decision until the last minute) and we’ll see which horse gets in the trailer by Thursday AM.

Still have to pick up a few items before I head east including rubber gloves, some extra tubes, and some sort of flag or something that goes sky high in order to find my crew.

Nutrition is all worked out.  FRS, coffee and some rice and eggs in the AM to get started. A PROBAR just before liftoff.  (If you haven’t had them yet, I highly recommend them.  Lots of wholesome goodness.) I estimate about 10-15 calories will be burned across the day.  So I’m using Infinit Nutrition’s custom formula for my food at 295 calories per 20 oz of water.  I’ll add the usual Goldfish Crackers for mental support and a few extra grams of sodium and calories.  Oh yeah, and some sort of cookie goodness or PB & Nutella concoction.

I’ve decided to leave the Ergon BD1 behind.  I really love this pack, but I just can’t race with one.  I’ll opt for water bottles on the bike and replacements at aid stations.  I’ll keep extra food (Infinit powder) in my Feedbag (these things kick ass if you haven’t gotten one yet).  This’ll require a few extra goodies on me and I’ll have to take a (big) chance on the weather, but barring rain the morning of the race, I’m traveling light.  I’ll use some hand warmers taped to my body and start the race with my Solo gilet for the first couple of hours till the sun warms up.

With no flats or major mechanicals for the day, I think I should have a good day (meaning finish under 12 hours).  My best hope is for a finish under 9 hours with no mechanicals, but my pre-rides make me think a reasonable hope would be 10.5–and no mechanicals.

That’s all I got for now.  Oh wait.  Go Dave!

One Week (and 2 days) To Leadville

I’ll save the lame excuses about not having updated this blog and instead defer to my default excuse these days–”I’m busy training for Leadville!  Can this wait?”

That said, some great videos of Leadville have come out in the past few days.  Have a look here for a good selection.

Rob Lucas, AKA UltraRob has some great photographs of the Leadville course scenery posted at his site. Have a look!

Looking forward to seeing all the racers and support staff and volunteers that make the race such a success next week.

And to those of you that haven’t yet heard, after a long battle against a vicious cancer, Elden’s (of FatCyclist) wife Susan passed yesterday. I’ve followed Elden’s blog since early winter of ‘06. I’ve rarely said much on there, but it’s always been an inspiration to me to read their very public battle with the disease. Not only from the strength it takes to fight physically, but the candor (a rarity these days) and judo he’s done on the disease to make a significant contribution to the fight against cancer. Having watched 2 close friends go through much the same battle (and ultimately lose) I have a remote sense for the pain one endures through this fight and can undoubtably say Elden and Susan will be on my mind as I endure relatively little pain in comparison on the course at Leadville. TwinSix have had a relationship with Elden/FatCyclist for a while and I hope they’ll do something in Susan’s honor. I for one would be first in line for a TwinSix “Fight Like Susan” jersey. And to Elden and his family, fight on.

Fight Like Susan

BD

Dietary Flavonoid Quercetin Increases VO2MAX and Endurance Capacity

Been a while since I posted here and  that’s mostly because I’ve been underground riding my rearend off for Leadville.  In any case, I’m a big believer in FRS (I start every morning with a smoothie made of 2-3oz FRS Concentrate, 3-4oz real oj, 1/2 frozen banana, 1/4 cup chopped frozen mango, same amnt. frozen pineapple, blend–that courtesy of Juan Pelota at Mellow Johnny’s in Austin.  They call it the Hella Yella.) and found this new study done at the University of South Carolina on the positive impact of Quercetin on endurance capacity and VO2 Max.  If it’s true, this is pretty big stuff.  I hope it’s not another goji berry or acai hype job (and for the record I believe in both of those berries for their benefits, but not to the extent the marketing departments of most company’s would have us believe).

SHARE Kernville 2009 Trip

I’m getting ready to pack up the house and head east for some altitude acclimation before Leadville.  After last week’s ride in Kernville (where I felt pretty good), I’ll be curious to see what my numbers look like versus sea level.

Back to the salt mines.

Ready to Traverse

It’s 5:30 and it’s quitin’ time at the Salt Mines. I’m taking tomorrow off to get rested and ready for Saturday’s ride across the Santa Ana Mountains.

Big thanks to the wrenches at Revo Cycles in Dana Point for putting my bike back in racing condition after its untimely wreck two weeks ago. (Hey my scabs are almost gone too.) I have a sixth sense for wrenches I can trust and those I should watch while they work (and I’m the worst wrench I know).  Mike and the guys at Revo are the kind you know are going to get it done right and without having to wonder why the hell this bolt or that skewer is loose.  

Tomorrow it’s clean and lube the bike, fill the BD1 (but first decide if I want backpack support on this race), fill the feedbag with a few goodies, throw the kit downstairs, load the bikes, check the equipment twice (Oakley Radar frames snapped in half and they aren’t willing to take them on exchange–guess which sunglasses I used to love that I won’t be buying any longer), double up on FRS and pretend to go to sleep until 4:30 Saturday morning.

Then it’s on!

The 2009 Traverse

Well. 3 weeks ago I was planning on being on the beach in Hawaii, but that “fell apart.” So now this week is all about hydrating, resting the legs and getting ready to spend them on a ride across the Santa Ana Mountain range. 40 miles and 8,000 feet of elevation gain. Should make for a fun day of suffering. Temperatures, currently projected to be about the mid-70s, should make for a pretty nice day in the saddle.

A little color from The Warrior’s Society:

The ride will begin from the end of Black Star Canyon Road at 7:00 AM. You will ride up Black Star Canyon Road to the
Main Divide Road and at this point you will traverse the Santa Ana Mountain range via the Main Divide Road hitting all
the peaks (including Modjeska and Santiago Peaks) until you intersect with the Trabuco Canyon Trail. You will then
descend down the Trabuco Canyon Trail to Trabuco Creek Road and out 4 miles to the finish line at Trabuco Canyon
Road. You must reach Aid Station 1 located at the intersection of Maple Springs Road and the Main Divide Road
(4 corners) by 11:00 a.m. to be allowed to finish the course. You must also reach the intersection of the Main Divide
and Lower Holy Jim by 12:30 p.m. to be allowed to finish the course. If you do not make the cutoff times and refuse
to return to the staging area you have violated the terms of your participation and the Warrior’s Society will no longer
responsible for your safety. Your emergency contact will be called and notified that they will be assuming all
responsibility your safety.

If I have to be here instead of HI, I’m up for the sufferfest. OK! Let’s do it! See you there.